Buy Quilt blocks for your own Quilt

Purchasing Appliqued Quilt blocks is an easy way to get started on your own quilt.  Pre cut & lightly fused so you can sew the edges in any color thread you like is a great way to personalize your quilt.

You can space the quilt blocks to make any size quilt.  Closer together for baby crib or farther apart for a full size bed.  Adding your own colors to match the room is the perfect way to keep any room looking fresh & new.

DIY Easy Placemat Purse

Handmade in the USA

Place mats make the perfect clutch or purse. They not only come in many colors, prints, textures & shapes but the edges are already finished.

You can use bamboo, woven or quilted place mats. You can also find place mats at thrift stores & Dollar stores.




Here are the instructions for a purse...

• FABRI-TAC GLUE
• 20” bamboo or fabric place mat of your choice.
• 1” wide canvas webbing fabric for handle, 2 pieces each 30” long. Use any coordinating color to your place mat.
• Medium size rickrack in a coordinating color.
• ½” wide polka dot grosgrain ribbon, or other decorative ribbon.
• Six fabric daisies or other embellishments of choice.
• Clips or spring-type clothes pins

Steps:

1. Fold each 30” canvas handle in half. Glue handles to the inside of the place mat with the FABRI-TAC GLUE and hold in place with the clips until dry.
   
2. Allow handles to dry for at least 12 hours. With FABRI-TAC, glue along the inside right and left edges of the place mat, fold over, and gentle press to form purse. Hold edges together with clips while drying.
   
3. Cut lengths of polka dot ribbon and glue to front of purse as in photo. Repeat on the back if desired. Glue similar lengths of rickrack to purse, one above the ribbon and one below.
   
4. Attach six fabric flowers between the ribbons. Let everything dry at least overnight before using.

Your Market Counts in Pricing day 4

Your Market Counts in Pricing

By: Maria Nerius, FaveCrafts.com Resident Craft Expert

www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

Where you are selling your goods and who you're selling them to can play a role in pricing your handmade items or creative services. If you decide to sell to gift shops and boutiques, you will have to come up with a wholesale price (which may or may not be your regular retail price!), since these shops will want to mark up the price so they can earn money as well. When selling at a church bazaar, you may not be able to get the price you might get at a large annual upscale art show, since the customer base may be different. You need to know your market (your customers) and you need to research pricing of similar items sold at retail shops, in online galleries, and through mail-order catalogs.

I’ll use the example of a hand painted glass Christmas ornament. Using the traditional pricing formula of (Cost of Goods + Labor) x Overhead, you've decided to price your ornament at $5.00. However, while browsing the web and looking through some mail-order catalogs, you see similar Christmas ornaments are selling for $20.00. It happens! Crafters tend to under price their goods. With this research, you may decide to average the prices and sell your ornament for $12.50. Or you might decide to go for it and initially price your ornament for $20.00 and see if it sells at that price. You have some playing room in your pricing and you should adjust your selling price to earn more profit if you can.

But what if you were browsing that catalog and you found many similar ornaments selling at a lower price than yours, say $4.00? In this situation, you can give your $5.00 price a trial period to see if you can sell at the $5.00 price. Or, you may find that the lower ($4.00) price is the price that the majority of your customers are comfortable paying. In that case, you might begin to look for ways to reduce your COG, Labor, or Overhead to help you earn more profit from your Christmas Ornament while you reduce the price to what the market will bear.

Cashing In On Your Creativity: Turning a Hobby into Income Day 3

Cashing In On Your Creativity: Turning a Hobby into Income

By: Maria Nerius, FaveCrafts.com Resident Craft Expert

www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

In today’s economy every little bit helps and selling your crafts might be a way for you to earn some extra income from your creative passion. The first step is deciding just how much time you have available to craft and create an inventory to sell, then you’ll need to take a few steps into turning your hobby into a business. You have many options and can create your own schedule.

Some people earn what we call pocket money from their crafts. They make 3-5 items and can easily give these crafts to friends as gifts or sell these crafts for income. If you are going to devote a quarter or less of your free time to creating crafts to sell and you plan to just sell to friends or a few community craft shows, you don’t need to take many business steps as you are still considered a hobbyist by most local, state, and federal governments.

You do need to contact your local government for any rules that cover selling handmade crafts. Your city, township, or country may or may not have regulations you need to follow. For example my city asks that you not sell out of your home if it is going to create a traffic problem for your neighbors. You also need to contact your state government to see if you need to collect state sales tax on any craft items you sell. In the state of Florida for example you are expected to collect sales tax on any item you sell.

Don’t be intimidated! It’s just a quick phone call and each government agency will have the information you need. City and state regulations vary, there is no set standard so it’s important you do your regional homework.

If you’ve decided that you want to seriously earn some income from your crafts, you’ll need to understand that you’ll need some inventory (ready to sell items) and avenues to sell these crafts. To work part time or full time as a professional crafter you will have to take your business seriously. The biggest mistake most potential professional crafters have is not making a business plan and not keeping the records needed as a business. Your hobby has become a business and needs to be treated as a business.

You need to keep records of all your expenses, time, labor, and overhead. Again, don’t be intimated by the paperwork. Keep an accounting journal and your receipts. Keep a time card. Working part or full time also means you’ll be introduced to the Schedule C when you go to do your tax return for Uncle Sam. You can pick one up at your local IRS office or download the form. Look this form over carefully and note all the records you’ll be responsible for as a small business owner.

You’ll also need to contact your local and state government to notify each of your business. Some cities and states have few rules and regulations for home businesses, but others have rather complex ones that you need to be aware of. Most hobbyist who turn their hobbies into business work as home businesses, but you do have the option to rent space for your work. This is a personal decision, but I recommend that you start as a home based business and as you grow you may wish to move your business out of the home.

I’ve given you the basics. I’m going to be honest and tell you that some of the business aspects of earning an income from your creativity can seem boring and tedious, but you must be aware of your business responsibilities to be successful. Spend some time thinking about what you want out of your creative business including time spent creating, marketing, displaying, and selling your crafts.

Write down what you want to accomplish on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis, this is your business plan. You’ll be investing your time, energy, and in the beginning you are spending your own money to purchase supplies. As your business grows, you can pay yourself back and then reinvest in your business. Write these numbers down and review them often.

I’ve successfully made a great living from my creativity for 25 years now. I started as a professional crafter selling my handmade dolls at outdoor arts and crafts shows and expanded to become a craft professional who has published articles, books, and made hundreds of TV appearances. This leads me to the discussion of all the creative options accessible to you as a passionate crafter!

Cashing In On Your Creativity Day 2

Cashing In On Your Creativity: Get Your Designs Published

By: Maria Nerius, FaveCrafts.com Resident Craft Expert

www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

One of the ways to cash in on your creativity is to sell your finished craft items, but you can also earn income by selling the instructions to the crafts you make. The first rule of trying to sell a design for publication is that the design must be original to you. You had to create it on your own and with your own hands. You can’t sell a design that you created from another published designer or a design that you modified by changing the size, color, or adding a different embellishment. This means your design for sale to a publisher is original and never been published before.

Many crafters learn a technique or craft by first using a published design in a kit, magazine, book, or on the web, but as skills increase the crafter goes on to create original pieces. You can sell the instructions to your original crafts to product manufacturers, magazine publishers, book publishers, online publications, and kit manufacturers.

Let’s start with magazines. Every magazine has a set of writer guidelines available upon request or to view on the web. These guidelines let you know what is expected of you as a designer submitting original work for publication. Usually a query is requested. You’ll send a photo plus brief description of the design to the magazine editor. In the old days this had to be done by U.S. Mail, but today magazines often take queries by e-mail. Make sure the image/photo is crisp and clear and your description should include your complete contact information, colors, materials, finished size and skill level needed.

One of the best ways to start is to pick a magazine you enjoy reading. Most likely your design work will be complimentary to the magazine. You don’t want to send a quick and easy floral arrangement to a quilting magazine. It’s important that the design you want to sell will fit into the magazine’s format and style. Write the editor for Writer Guidelines or visit the magazine’s website.

Fees for designs vary. An average fee for general crafting would be in the $100-$450 fee range. If your design is accepted you’ll get a contract that should state the fee that will be paid for the design. Read the contract carefully and if you have any questions you should ask the editor. Some contracts state first rights (publication has first rights to publish the design, then rights go back to the designer) while some contracts state all rights (design in any application belongs to the publisher). Understand that a contract is a legal obligation for you to submit a design with instructions to the publisher by a stated deadline.

You’ll be expected to write the instructions for your design which should include a material list. The material list needs to contain any supplies or materials that are needed to complete the project. Never assume the person who is going to read your instructions will know that scissors or an adhesive is needed. Make your materials list complete! Next you’ll write the step by step instructions to make the design. Take a good look at the magazine’s style. Write your instructions to match this style.

Some magazines request step by step photos for projects. Some magazines want you to provide either the finished sample for photography or to provide project photos. You can e-mail your instructions and photos. Finished samples are sent by mail and most magazines request that you include return postage if you want the finished design sent back to you. Shipping can be expensive if you work right up to your deadline so think ahead and mail early to save on shipping.

Magazines have editorial calendars. These calendars map out what the magazine is looking for in future issues. Magazines work 6 to 18 months in advance. Request the editorial calendar if you want to create projects for future issues of the magazine. Winter holidays like Christmas are usually welcomed all year round, but other holiday oriented themes need to be submitted as requested on the editorial calendar which means Mother’s Day submissions may only be taken during the month of October for the next year’s Mother’s Day.

My last word on submitting designs for publication is that you will be given a deadline for your submission. A deadline is a serious part of the publishing world. You can’t send in your work two days after your deadline. If you do you have just messed with the schedules of everyone else involved in that magazine’s publication from the editor to the photography to the art director. Get your work in before the deadline and you’ll earn a good reputation as a designer.

Crafting as a Business ... Day 1 Pricing Basics

Basics of Pricing Your Work

By: Maria Nerius, FaveCrafts.com Resident Craft Expert

www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

If you're making crafts to sell, you want to know how to price your work and what to consider when you price your work. Maria Nerius gives you some things to think about in this Craft Business article.

One of the most difficult tasks you have when you sell your work is putting a price tag on your work. There is no magic formula. Pricing considerations include the amount of labor (your time), cost of goods (supplies used), and your overhead (electricity, phone, rent). These are the basics! You may be thinking that since you work at home you don’t need to include a percentage of your price to cover electricity or rent, but you do. You are a business and need to price like the professionals.

At least once every time you create a design you need to write down every supply used (Cost of Goods/COG) and how much time you spent making it. It’s not the fun part of selling your work, but you need to document details so you can quantify the costs of material and labor. Time is money and as creative people we don’t often realize just how much time an item takes to make. Making one of an item takes more time than if you can create several in an assembly-line method (paint all five at once, then attach the decorations to all once the paint dries, etc.). You’ll need to average your labor between custom orders and “mass” produced items.

The basic formula for pricing is (Cost of Goods + Labor) x Overhead= Price. There are numerous percentages used for Overhead. Overhead can range from 5% to 45%. Note that when companies are tightening their belts or trying to get expenses down they tend to cut Overhead. I advise to streamline your Overhead. Take a good look at your electric bill and rent/mortgage and think about what percentage you feel you are using or you want covered.

Packaging Dry Rubs for Gifts

For a clever homemade gift for Dad this Father's Day, make a collection of spice rubs in cute packaging. Follow this tutorial from Becky Kazana for a culinary Father's Day gift or as a gift to any special "BBQer" in the family.

I found this idea at http://www.favecrafts.com/Fathers-Day/Fathers-Day-Spice-Rubs

You can also find Rub recipes at http://www.apronmadness.blogspot.com/

Simply mix your favorite rub recipe. Fill about 1/2 ziploc baggie (Qt size)... cut a piece of cardstock & a piece of Dad's favorite magazine (hunting, cooking) or a nice picture from calendars & use a glue stick to glue onto cardstock. Fold in 1/2 & staple to the top of the baggies. Label each Topper with the rub name.

BEGINNER Knitted Scarf Pattern

http://www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com/

Now that you know how to cast on... knit ... purl & bind off...
You are ready for your first SUPER SIMPLE Scarf.
Now here is a very basic Scarf pattern. Great gift.

Materials:
•One skein super-bulky yarn, around 100 yards (I used Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Denim)
•Size 13 needles, straight
•Crochet hook
This makes a scarf about five inches wide and 60 inches long, depending on the yardage of your chosen yarn.

Instructions:
1.Cast on 12 stitches.
2.Knit every row until you have about a yard of yarn left.
3.Bind off.
4.Use your crochet hook to weave in the ends at the top and bottom.

Knitting Lesson Day 6 Adding another Ball of yarn

Knitting Lesson Video ... Adding another Ball of yarn
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Knitting Lesson Day 5 Weave in ends Video

Weaving in ends & giving your knitted project a finished look.
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knitting Lesson DAY 4 Binding Off video

Learn how to bind off at the end.
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Knitting Lessons DAY 3 Purl Stitch Video

Learn the Purl Stitch
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Knitting Lessons Day 2 Video ... The Knit Stitch

Day 2's video shows you how to do a "Knit Stitch"
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Knitting Lesson Videos Day 1 Casting on

For a few days... www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com will be posting Knitting Lessons on video. So come back each day!



knittingtipsbyjusdy on YouTube

Party Platter on a budget

Beautiful 2 Tier Platter for less than $5!

www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

Materials:

•1 Dinner Plate found at dollar store or thrift store
•1 Sandwich Plate or Bowl ( smaller than the dinner plate ) Found at Dollar store or thrift store
•1 Candle Stick Holder somewhat matching the plates. Also found at Dollar store or thrift store.
•1 Tube of E-6000 ( found at Wal-Mart in the craft section )

(The E-6000 cost a bit more if you don't have it in your arsinal of glues)

1. Make sure that all three pieces are washed and dried.

2. Place the dinner plate on a flat surface, like the table.

3. Find the center of the dinner plate and place the candle stick upside down on the middle of the dinner plate. Carefully place a little E-6000 on the candle stick rim and place it back in the center of the dinner plate. The candle stick is the column between the two tiers. Let that dry in place for 1 hour.

4. Place the smaller plate or bowl on top of the candle stick holder, making sure to center the candle stick in the middle of smaller plate or bowl bottom. Now place a small amount of E-6000 onto the rim of the candle stick holder and replace the small plate or bowl, making sure it is centered properly.

5. Allow your 2-tier serving platter to dry for 24 hours before using. I advise hand washing instead of dish washing this platter.

How to make Roses from Maple Leaves

http://www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com/

Just found this great tutorial on making a beautiful Fall centerpiece. Maple Leaves Roses.

Mixing Old or Hard Polymer Clay

Great Video on how to get that hard Polymer clay nice & pliable to use. After you are done, you have soft clay to start "playing with". I use this method when making polymer clay items.

How to Photograph Craft Projects

from www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

Many crafters are using the web to sell their items. There are online auction sites, online craft fairs, and places like Etsy to create online shops. The key to selling online is to have crisp, clean photographs of your work. Customers are used to crisp, clear, clean visuals when shopping. A photo that focuses on an item for sale is called a product shot.

You don’t need to invest in the most expensive camera, but if you are serious about selling your work online consider investing in a tripod. Few of us have a steady hand when it comes to holding a camera perfectly still as we click for a photo, a tripod will give you the stability you need to good photos. Some tripods unfold to stand tall while others will only stand 2-3”. The tripod screws onto the base of your camera and a must have for serious photographers. Tripods will help you in normal view and also with macro shots.

Here are some of the best product shot tips from the experts:

•Take your photos outside to get the best light on your items. Cloudy days are best as the filtered light helps bring pop to the photo.

•Display your item in an interesting way, but don’t let the background or display become too busy. You want your item to be the main attraction.

•Contrast your background and item. Light items on dark backgrounds and dark items on light backgrounds.

•Take photos from many different angles and select the one that gives the best view of your item.

•Use a tripod. Shaky hands led to unfocused images. Practice and get comfortable with your camera.

•Take photos from different angles and select the angle that shows off the product best.

•Crop your photos. You don’t need a lot of background, what you need is a nice close up of your work.


For jewelry... using a flatbed scanner is a great way to get a very detailed photo of the jewelry.


This artist used a woman as a model. Your eye goes right to the necklace & you can see just how beautiful it will look as it's used.


If you can't use a model... there are many "Jewelry Mannequin Displays" available.














Glass is a very difficult subject matter. Glass is so reflective that it’s not easy to capture, you need filtered light.

A trick.... for small items, photograph in a cut white gallon milk jug that defuses light.
Cut top quarter off a clean dry milk jug. Set lights outside the jug & you get clean white light with no reflections.

Valentine's Day Candy Bouquet

Candy Bouquet

from www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com

A unique gift for Valentine's day or any special occasion. Perfect "Get Well" gift! Skip the "boring box of chocolates. Adults & kids, alike, will be thrilled with this Candy Bouquet.

Materials:

•Container for bouquet... Floer pot, Vase, Mugs, Beer mugs (for men).. even a pretty bowl.
•Rocks or marbles from dollar store for the bottom (so it doesn’t tip over)
•Floral foam or Styrofoam
•Skewers
•Floral tape
•Glue gun
•Seasonal candy & lollipops
•Tulle
•Ribbon
•Heart wire Garland

Instructions:

1.Glue or tape your candy to the skewer .

2.Cut 4 x 4 squares of the tulle. Use two pieces on top of each other and from the center grab the tulle to make a flower. Using the floral tape secure the tulle to the skewer. Make your skewers different lengths to get different heights. You will need quite a few. These are for filler.

3. Place something heavy like clean rocks or colored floral marbles at the bottom of your container. Place Styrofoam or floral foam over the rocks and secure with glue gun.

4.Begin in the back center of the Styrofoam with your tallest piece. Create and triangle shape. In other words, as you get near the edge of your pot use shorter skewers. Use as much candy as you like. Add heart shaped lollipops as well. Fill the rest of the spaces in between with your tulle.

5.You can use just about anything to fill in the spaces. Try using cellophane or even confetti paper or cut the garland & stick into styrofoam. Get creative with the event and use candy or paper that reflects your theme.

OR you can order a custom Graduation Candy Bouquet as a great centerpiece for your Graduation party. OR give as a gift & use floral picks it hold Money & add them to your bouquet.

Crocheted Round Plastic Grocery Bag Tote

Use up those plastic grocery bags by crocheting a "REAL GREEN" green tote bag!

See here how to Make your "Plastic yarn" (Plarn)

http://www.handmadeintheusa.ecrater.com/

Materials Needed: 45-50 Blue (or any other colors) bags, 15 white bags, M hook

Directions:
With M hook and Blue yarn ch 3
join with a sl st to form a ring
Round 1 - ch 2, work 9 hdc in ring just formed, join with a sl st to top of ch 2 (10)
Round 2 - ch 2, hdc in same st, work 2 dcs in each st around, join with a sl st to top of ch 2 (20)
Round 3 - ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st) repeat around join with a sl st to top of ch 2 (30)
Round 4 - ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts) repeat around join with a sl st to top of ch 2 (40)
Round 5 - ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 3 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts) repeat around join with a sl st to top of ch 2 (50)
Round 6 - ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 4 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts) repeat around join with a sl st to top of ch 2 (60)
Round 7-13 - ch 2, hdc in of each st around, join with a sl st to top of ch 2, at the end of round 13 drop blue and pick up white (60)
Round 14-16 - ch 2, hdc in of each st around, join with a sl st to top of ch 2, at the end of round 16 drop white and pick up blue (60)
Round 17-20 - ch 2, hdc in of each st around, join with a sl st to top of ch 2, (60)
Round 21- ch 2, hdc in next 19 sts, ch 12 (this will be the handle), skip next 10 sts, hdc in next 20 sts, sk next 10 sts, ch 12, join with a sl st to top of ch 2
Round 22- ch 1, sc in same st as joining, sc in next 19 sts, work 20 scs around the ch 12 (handle) on previous round, sc in next 20 sts, work 20 scs around ch 12 on previous round. join with a sl st to 1st sc.
Fasten off.