Posts Tagged ‘crafts’
How To Make Your Own Natural Soap Without Lye
Many individuals who prefer natural lifestyles would love to know how to make your own natural soap without lye. Lye is a caustic ingredient used by commercial companies to bind all the ingredients of soap together. Lye actually allows the soap to be able to break down when used with water. If there happens to be too much lye contained in the soap that somebody is using, it can and will cause skin burns. Even though it may not help everybody, lye in the right amounts can help reduce the symptoms of poison ivy and eczema.
Using natural soaps has its advantages. It is usually glycerin based, so it will leave your skin feeling soft and moisturized. There are also many ingredients available to natural soap makers that are not possible to use with lye soaps.
With natural soap you have the option of using natural and essential oils. Using glycerin as your base ingredient you will be able to make more detailed soap molds and use a variety of colors. You can even add in freeze dried fruits or dried leaves and flower petals. You can even enjoy the fruits of your labor right after the soap making process is done.
For the soap making process you will need a double broiler or a crock pot and soap molds. For the actual soap you will need glycerin soap base, essential oils or fragrances, coloring, and melted cocoa butter. You will want to make sure that all of these items are prepared.
Make sure the temperature of your cooking utensil is hot enough to melt the soap without boiling it. Place the glycerin soap product into the cooking utensil. Wait until all of the moisture has been removed while making sure that the mixture does not bubble. Add your color choice and blend it in until the coloring is even. Then, add in the fragrance that you have chosen. Next, stir in the cocoa butter until the mixture is even and smooth. Once the mixture is completely bonded together, pour it into the molds you have set aside. Once they are cool to the touch, they are hard enough to try out.
Making soap without lye can be pretty simple. That is, if you follow the instructions carefully. With using a glycerin base and essential oils your skin will feel softer and more refreshed than using a soap that contains lye.
Did you know that you could make soap? There is nothing more soothing than natural soap. So, why would you want to use those store purchased soaps that have all of those harsh cleaning chemicals when you could make your own?
Tags: crafts, diy, family, Hobbies, homemade, soap
Provo Craft Cricut Products Add To The Fun Of Scrapbooking
Making a scrapbook is one of the most enjoyable ways to express yourself creatively. Other than the physical size of your scrapbook pages, there are no rules which tell you how you can and can’t decorate your pages. Since you have total control over your scrapbook, you can use any material you have on hand to make any kind of decorations you like. The only real limit to your creative expression as a scrapbooker is your imagination!
One of the commonly used elements for scrapbook decorations is paper. This is because they are easily available and gives anybody a lot of options as to what he or she can do to a boring piece of paper to make it an interesting piece in the scrapbook. As it is, one of the many things you can do with it is to cut it into unique pieces.
Why Provo Craft Cricut products are useful in scrapbooking
Provo Craft Cricut products are one of those items that you can use to produce uniquely cut pieces of paper. Being one who owns a scrapbook, you know how handy these tools can be. Why? Cutting paper into interesting shapes and sizes is never easy. If you are a novice in this area, you often are left to choosing one of two options: get something that has a nice outline you can trace on a piece of paper and cut it or do simple tricks in paper cutting. As for the first option, it can be time consuming. As for the second option, you need to be skillful in making use of the tricks or else you end up with nothing but a badly cut paper.
There are many reasons why you should use Provo Craft Cricut products in making your scrapbook pages. Just a few of these reasons are:
Options: Provo Craft offers many different designs for scrapbookers to use. There are very simple designs which make good decorate edging for pages and complex designs which can add a unique design twist to every page you make. If you’re looking for cartoon or television characters like Sponge Bob Square Pants or Hannah Montana, Provo Craft has these too. There are also shapes available to use for eye-catching lettering on your pages. Whatever designs you’re looking for, cricut tools make it easy to incorporate attractive designs to your scrapbooks.
Easy to use: There’s almost nothing easier than using Provo Craft’s cricut tools. Even beginning scrapbookers can make the perfect shapes with ease. Just insert paper, select a design and press “cut” and you have exactly the shape you need instantly!
A perfect cut every time: Provo Craft Cricut products use sharp blades which are designed to easily cut any type of paper (even vellum) so you get the perfect cut each and every time.
With cricut tools, making scrapbook page decorations is easier than ever before. Scrapbooking is supposed to be all about fun; and cutting paper doesn’t have to be work – when you have the right tools on hand.
Tags: crafts, Hobbies, scrapbook, scrapbook crafting, scrapbooking, scrapbooks
Finding Low Cost Scanning For Digital Scrapbooking
Traditional scrapbooking may soon be taken over by its digital cousin. The digital scrapbook craze has made huge headway into the world of scrapping. Because all digital scrapbookers posses the necessary computer skills to enjoy their hobby, it means that they can avail themselves to vast online resources. Free and low cost tools, creation software, and video tutorials are everywhere. If you need tailor made advice, technical assistance, or friendly community you’ll find it easily.
Restricting yourself to using just your digital photographs is no longer necessary. You can add hundreds of your older photos to your digital photo gallery for as little as 5 cents each. By sending your pictures to an inexpensive scanning service you can fill in those missing decades in your digital scrapbooks.
Scanning photos for your scrapping hobby has the added advantage of preserving them from deterioration due to moisture, mold, or age. Saving your photos to a DVD also allows you to store a copy in two or more places permanently shielding them from loss or damage. Scanning services make it possible to give a complete set of all your pictures to family members.
Once you’ve gotten your photos scanned for scrapping you can use them to build photobooks online and upload them to a free photo sharing site to share with your friends. Online businesses that sell photo novelties like cards, calendars, and T-shirts are easy to find and use. With a few services you can even build a slideshow with music that you can view on a TV or on a digital picture frame.
Make sure your photo scanning service will scan at 300 dpi. No more, no less. 300 DPI is the best choice for almost all photo scanning purposes, so don’t pay for more. Also make sure that your photos are saved as a high quality jpeg. You will be using jpeg files in your scrapbooking efforts, and though high quality jpegs have bigger files, you can always use your photo editing software to reduce the file size for a copy of the original.
Automatic photo enhancement can improve many of your photos. But don’t pay a lot for this service because it won’t perform miracles, and it won’t make a difference on some photographs. Insist that your photo enhancement is performed on a copy of your master scans. Manipulation of your scans causes them to be recompressed and that, if repeated, will cause quality issues. Make sure your scanning service provides both set of master scans and a set of enhanced scans.
Spend a few minutes searching the web and you’ll find educational E-books, classes, organizational software, layout ideas, and scrapbook embellishment of every kind. Then find an inexpensive photo scanning service and make your precious memories come alive.
Tags: Arts And Crafts, computer;internet, crafts, digitize photos, family, family tree, genealogy, Hobbies, hobby, Home, organization, photo preservation, photo scanning. photo scanner, Photography, scan photos, scanning service, scrapbooking
Titanium Jewelry – Quick Facts
Today, one of the fastest emerging trends in the jewelry industry is titanium. It is becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger men.
Titanium, sometimes called the space age metal, is a strong, lightweight and corrosion-resistant material. It’s used in a variety of applications, from industrial and aeronautical equipment to medical and consumer applications. By weight, it’s one of the world’s strongest readily available metals, stronger than aluminum and 45% lighter than steel.
In many ways titanium is also a great material for jewelry. It’s 100% hypoallergenic, which means it won’t make your skin discolor or become irritated, it’s rust-resistant, strong, lightweight, durable, and very importantly, much less expensive than gold, silver or platinum.
Titanium is most popular among men. As the hardest natural metal in the world, it symbolizes strength and masculinity in a way even the most manly man can appreciate.
Titanium is also a good choice for couples who are willing to try something a out of the ordinary. If you want something special for your wedding, why not titanium wedding rings. They are beautiful, trendy, and available for both men and women.
Titanium rings come in many different ways and have a great potential for customization. They can have inlays with silver, platinum, or yellow or white gold. They can come with engravings or embedded with gemstones, like diamonds, or any other precious stone. You have many unique patterns, colors and shapes to choose from. One of the most popular choice today are black titanium rings.
Titanium is certainly a good alternative to gold and other standard jewelry materials. Not just because it’s cheaper, but because it’s unique, stylish and just, if not more beautiful. Titanium jewelry has evolved and is here to stay.
Tags: crafts, Fashion, jewelry, lifestyle, marriage, men's interests, titanium jewelry, titanium rings
How to Make Candles – Column Candles
Column and Taper candles have a kinship of many aspects although a slight discrepancy in appearance. Column candles are shorter in stature, and normally a bit wider, and the tops of them are not pointed like tapers, but rather volcano shaped. Column candles have a distinct appearance but have a ageless look. A special charm will always infuse a room that is decorated with a column candle, and the great thing is that they are easy to make.
The likable charm of column candles is that they will stay lit for hours upon hours, which in turn makes them a good investment for a business using less supplies and less time making them. Many people boast of their column candles burning for 35 hours plus. Another drawing point of column candles is that they burn producing no smoke or drippings. In fact you will be hard pressed to find any cons to column candles other than finding the perfect holder to display them in. Normally column candles will fit your normal tea light holders or the bases with spikes.
You will only need your normal basic supplies to produce column candles such as molds, wicks, wax and colors and fragrances if so desired. For best results always use a double boiler to melt your wax in, as you would with all types of candles. Don’t cut corners on cheap wax, or your candles will show cheaply in appearance. Many people have tried Beeswax only to find out it is not structurally sound for column candles. After the first burn when a fair amount of heat is applied the beeswax will start to ooze. You will end up with a very unpleasant candle to look at.
Before using your molds make sure you coat them with a thin coating of non stick spray, this will prevent your candle from sticking and possibly breaking when removing it from your mold. Once you get your wax melted in your double boiler take your wick and dip it in the wax a few times letting it dry slightly between drips, you want to make sure it gets a good coating. You will want your wick a few inches longer than your mold. A good trick to get your wick perfectly centered in your candle is to tie it to a pencil and set the pencil horizontally across your mold letting the wick hang down perfectly into the center of your mold.
If your desire is to add fragrances or color to your project, now is the time to do it while your wax is hot. Mix any color or fragrances that you desire into your wax mixing it in well. Next you will pour the hot wax into your mold making sure it has not started to cool. Wax that has started cooling will produce lumps and make a visually unappealing candle. You may remove your candle from the mold as soon as it has completely cooled. Lastly you want to trim your wick about one fourth of an inch from the top of your column candle.
To set your column candles apart from others try gathering some flowers and leaves and pressing them into the side of your candle crafts while holding them in place for a few seconds. You can also create a unique ice crystal look by adding crushed ice to your mold before adding in your hot wax. There are many tips to be found in creating unique candles from crafting magazine to online. Grab some new ideas and add your twist to it to give your candles a look of there own.
You cannot go wrong with a column candles, they have a unique appeal and are a great first project for beginners. They are great as gifts or an elegant addition as a centerpiece to a dinner table. The supplies are easy to find at any local craft store or of course found online.
For the beginner wanting to get into candle making, column candles are a great starting point. Many people have turned their love of candle making into a small home business that is turning huge profits. Try out candle making for yourself, you never know where it may lead.
Tags: candles, crafting, crafts, diy, do-it-yourself, fun, fun projects, Hobbies, Home Business, interior design
Louisiana All Town Garage Sale!
Do you desire to earn extra income without working? Ever thought about how to get rid of those unwanted things in your closet? Do you desire an organized domain dont have inkling as to what things go into the dump and what stays? Then now is the time to organize your things, keep those things for keeps and open a garage sale in front of your own place.
Garage Sales are done when to many of you unused things inside you home are taking up to much space. In this way, some other people may try and look if they will benefit through you stuff, as they say “some of your trash maybe somebody else’s treasure. Things sold at garage sales are usually used items on near mint or mint condition. Now dont be pressured in vending you beloved stuff on garage sales as you can label them as “for keeps”. You have the choice as to what you can vend and what you can keep.
Garage Sales are one of the quickest and easiest ways to earn money and organize your home. There are actually items that we bought in the past without really thinking about its necessity so it is usually just stocked up in our homes. These items can move on and found new owners in garage sales. Sellers is on an advantage too as she can enjoy a cleaner and clutter free house.
Income earned in garage sale is usually to buy a much wanted piece of furniture that could blend into a bigger home. Furniture pieces are also being sold in garage sales as well as cribs for newborns, baby furniture, old toys, etc. which performed it use from the seller. Garage sales are also a perfect time for neighbors to mingle and interact and keep up with the things happening around.
The All Town Garage Sale will be at Abita Springs, Louisiana this year. Head off at the garage sale and see useful pre-owned (or pre-loved) items on sale at fair prices. Who knows, you just might get what youre looking for!
Tags: crafts, directory, events, fairs, family, festivals, hobby, Home, leisure, listings, Louisiana, outdoors, second hand sale, Travel
Great Ideas for Finding Cheap Beads
I know people who make and sell a lot of their own jewelry but they are barely breaking even because they are spending a lot of money on materials and not pricing their jewelry correctly. To make beautiful bead jewelry you don’t have to spend a lot of money on your beads and beading supplies.
And while I love visiting new bead stores and can spend hours pouring through the latest bead catalog, sometimes searching in more unique stores and shops can yield some amazing finds. Here are some unique and unexpected places you can start looking for affordable bead jewelry supplies and beads:
Discount and warehouse stores: Lots of larger stores are now stocking craft supplies, scrap booking materials and even bead jewelry making supplies. These stores sometimes have rotating product stocks and may not always have the beads or supplies you’re looking for, so if you find something you’d better buy it right then and there because there’s no guarantee you’ll see them again.
Large chain craft stores: Craft stores are finally learning that bead jewelry is big business and now most have at least three aisles full of beads and beading supplies, often at very low prices. You can even find books and beading patterns in some of the larger stores now.
Hardware stores: I know you don’t normally think of hardware stores when you think of beads, but there are some amazingly inventive ways to use hardware and washers and fasteners of all sort that can be used when you’re making your own jewelry. You just need to have some creativity to create some truly unique and amazingly affordable pieces of jewelry.
It’s amazing what sort of beads and jewelry supplies you can find when you’re thinking outside the box. Some of these stores aren’t the kind of place you’d normally go to find jewelry supplies, but I’ve learned to be open-minded when it comes to finding great ways of making jewelry.
So keep an eye out wherever you shop and always be ready to look for and buy some cheap beading supplies. Every time you shop you may be just moments away from finding some amazing deals on beads for making jewelry.
Tags: bead jewelry, bead jewelry software, beaded jewelry, beads, business, crafts, discount beads, Hobbies, Home Business, jewelry, jewelry making
Get Your Maple Syrup Fix at Vermont Fairs
For many people, breakfast is just incomplete without maple syrup. It has no doubt become a staple for the people’s first meal for each day. Who eats pancakes and waffles without maple syrup? It just isn’t done.
So it doesn’t come as a surprise that there is an annual Maple Festival held here in the state of Vermont. Every year, people from all over gather to partake in the many events that are held in the show. Of course, there is an abundance of many types of food that uses maple syrup as an ingredient. You may even chance upon the maple cookbook, which will give you tips on how to use maple syrup properly.
And of course, there are also craft shows around. Maple syrup is a nice way to start anyone’s day, so people are naturally going to be inspired to create something for the duration of the day. There are even some who use maple syrup in their crafted items. This requires a thorough understanding of maple syrup, such that it won’t be flycatcher art.
For the rest of us, the Maple Festival right here in Vermont is the perfect opportunity to sell our crafts. Crafts that could fit your dining room, they were made with maple syrup in mind. Antique designed crafts, in particular, sell well. Just don’t make the mistake of labeling your brand new crafts as antiques. Trust me, it’s been done.
Do you like maple syrup with the waffles that start your day? And do you like to appreciate the aesthetic and practical appeal of crafts? Then go to Vermont craft shows, and show your appreciation! Or perhaps, you could even go here as one of the craftspeople and be given an opportunity to show off your work. What are you waiting for?
Tags: Craft Fairs, craft festivals, craft shows, crafts, directories, event listings, Food, maple festivals, maple syrup
Massachusetts Film and Craft Shows
Massachusetts always has open arms for the producers of Independent Films. Of all the states, we are the ones most receptive of their original creations. Truly, we recognize that the efforts of those hidden from the spotlight might rival or even be beyond the quality of most supposed blockbusters.
With the prevalence of Indie Films in our State comes the prevalence of craft fairs in the places where they commonly show. There’s just something to be said about the artistry of Indie films and how it attracts likewise artistic craftspeople. For sure, the two mediums have many things in common.
So if you’re looking forward to checking out the next Indie flick, make sure you check out the accompanying craft show as well. The booths are mostly manned by the very person who made the showcased crafts. You will be able to converse with this person yourself; and through this you will be able to share that person’s insights on the item you would be interested in.
At this point, the question that you probably want to ask is this. As these craft shows are far from mainstream, how do you know when Indie Films will show? The simple answer is that you can’t. Indie Films are naturally erratic by nature and you will have a hard time looking for schedules until the actual month in which the festival will be held. Craft shows, on the other hand, fair better. The craft shows themselves are listed on the Internet on the year that it is supposed to take place.
When you find these craft show listings, you’ll notice that most of them will not have film festivals attached to them. That is perfectly okay. Odds are, if you go to a normal craft show, then the craftspeople minding the booths will have an inkling of when the next one will take place.
Tags: Craft Fairs, craft festivals, craft shows, crafts, Hobbies, massachusetts, movies
