Monday, November 3, 2014

Getting Your Man into Crafts


There are many times when we want the men in our lives to do the things we love with us. However, I think we can all relate to men being men and complaining the entire time whenever we ask them to do anything. Men think they have it so hard sometimes. It is fine to just have a small vent session about men, completely normal. But at the end of the day we want to spend time with these weird creatures and with schedules we can take whatever we can get. So let’s get creative and come up with something that works.

We aren’t going to ask them to knit scarves with us, although some men do that and I applaud what they are doing. There are still ways men can be men and spend time with you while crafting. But before we get that far, let us first work on convincing your guy to do it. An article I read in the Denver Post explains men are breaking into the crafting trend. However, these men are doing more of the hard labor that women don’t always want to do. Creating wood and metal frames allows men to be a part of your latest project while still allowing the man juices to flow. So let your guy cut pieces of wood or have him make suggestions about the latest piece that will be added to a room you share together. Weekend projects like this create quality-bonding time (all about the bonding and crafting; check out the blog on bonding).

Sometimes it helps if you approach this idea as, “Hey honey, I was wondering if you could cut this piece of (pipe, wood, metal etc.) for me.” Remember they key is to include him without him knowing. Take advantage of how oblivious men are. Once the project is done, it is something you can share together!

Check out more men doing crafts




Slow and steady wins the race!

Check me out on Twitter @IWantToCraft


-The Wannabe Crafter

Sunday, November 2, 2014

How To Keep Up the Crafting Habit


I think we can all relate to pretending bank accounts don’t exist. There has been a point in our lives were we just think that tree in shedding dollars instead of the leaves. But slap yourself in the face real quick… This is no joking matter, bank accounts are in fact real and more often than we like they dwindle faster than they grow. My dad isn’t Donald Trump and most likely yours isn’t either (unless this blog some how managed to reach Ivanka and Tiffany). We are all on some sort of budget, but we still need to do things for ourselves and if crafting is your treat and your outlet then we will make it work.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you are in penny-pinching mode:
  • Never throw away left over scraps from previous projects
            - You will never know when those will come in handy.
  • Download the apps of area craft stores on your phone

            - There will often be promo code or coupon to the valuable customers.
  • Check out the website for coupon

- Stores often put coupons on the website to increase traffic to the site and this is how they reward you. Not complaining about it.
  • Go to the sale section first

- When looking for new supplies, the sale or clearance section may have items that are what you need or close enough to it to work for you current project.
  • Buy things you don’t need on sale

- I know what you are thinking, “That goes against everything we talked about.” Well if you know you have an upcoming project, look for things on sale before you actually start so you don’t miss the deals or they are sold out.
  • Reuse and Recreate

            - See blog titled “Reduce, Reuse, Recreate”

You deserve to do what makes you happy. But you can still do what makes you happy without breaking the bank. Do what makes you happy on a budget!


Check me out on Twitter! @IWantToCraft 

'Til Next Time
- The Wannabe Crafter


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Supplies Every Crafter Needs


There are some things in the crafting world that we cannot get by without. While most projects don’t require these tools every time, it is good to have them when the time comes. These don’t always require you to go out and make huge purchases, most of the time these items are already hanging around your home. Let’s break it down into groups:

Things You Probably Have Around Your Home:
Corks from wine bottles (If you need some, I have plenty.)
Scrap paper
Mason jars (Everyone has had that horrible jam from the lady down the street.)
Cloth from old pieces of clothing
Old buttons
Old decorations to take a part
Duck Tape

Things You MIGHT Need to Buy:
Glue Gun
Thread
Needles
Sewing Machine
Paint (I’m sure there are a few dried out bottles somewhere that you can get creative with.)
Ribbon
New fabric (I don’t think I need to explain why old worn fabric isn’t always appropriate.)

Things You Will Always Need:
Canvas Boards
Beads
Pieces of wood
Hooks (To hang your creations or have them ready to hang for others.)
Frames
Good paint brushes
Some good tunes to keep your ears busy (Unless you are using this time as bonding!)
Sand Paper
Good pair of scissors (Not the ones you used to cut the packaging of the chicken you cooked last week.)


Don’t forget to get creative with this material! Reusing old decorations or taking pieces of them to add to a new creation! Go to the sale rack and pick out a piece of fabric you like instead of getting stuck in the fabric store for hours! Stuff like this is always useful! Don’t be afraid to take chances!


Check me out on Twitter! @IWantToCraft 

'Til Next Time
- The Wannabe Crafter





Thursday, October 30, 2014

So You Made Something Beautiful, What Do You Do With It?


There comes a time in all crafting lives where we have made something but don’t know what to do with it. While some say, “Why do you keep making things when you don’t know what to do with it?” Stop hanging out with those people, you don’t need that negativity in your life. There is an infinite amount of things you can do with your creations, you just have to realize what one best fit you and your crafts.
Photo By; ME

Option #1: Gifting
The best types of gifts are the ones that come from the heart. For example, when my sister announced she was blessing me with the opportunity to be an aunt again, I wanted to do something more than
just make a purchase. So I took my favorite nursery rhyme and painted it on a canvas for the baby’s room. So let’s say you can’t paint and want to do something more personal. The Father’s Day example may be more your thing. This past Father’s Day I made my dad a book titled, “25 Things I Want My Dad To Know”. I took pictures from when my siblings and I were little and put little sayings next to each. To give you an idea, I took the picture of us standing next to him on the day he graduated college and put “We have wanted to be just like you since we were little.” No big deal, but I made him cry. I realize that both of these circumstances involve me making the gift for the person rather than finishing the project then deciding. Sometimes it takes a special heart to appreciate the things we create.



Option #2: Selling Your Creations
There are multiple outlets to show the world that talent you have…for money. There is always the exciting opportunity that you become famous in your local community for making unique, custom crafts but don’t hold your breath. Though it would be amazing it isn’t realistic for all. However, if that is path you want to start, start a booth with your local farmer’s market or arts and crafts show to start displaying your work and getting your name out there.

One of the more up and coming ideas is selling the creations on www.etsy.com. Etsy is an incredible website that encourages creative discovery and creative purchases. The site allows you to open a “shop” and sell your incredible creations. While it sounds intimidating there are some incredible tips in the Etsy blog titled, “7 Steps to a Successful Start”. Everything form weddings to in home décor can be found on this unique site. The possibilities are endless for the opportunity to be successful with the help of Etsy.

Option #3: Philanthropy
There are thousands of organizations across the country that survives because of donations. One that is not always thought of is the donation of homemade gifts. Not only can these items be auctioned off at events or sold at a local store to raise awareness and funds but also they can be donated as functional items. When my nephew was born, the NICU was filled with fleece blankets that were donated by locals. These blankets offer much needed warmth to these babies and are sent home with the families to continue use. Blankets are just the start; artwork hung up around facilities like hospitals is donated and has been proven to increase mental health.



So, what are you doing with your latest creation?


Sunday, October 26, 2014

It's Okay to Make Mistakes


Often we have an image in mind of what we want our final project to look like. More often than we would prefer we make hiccups and errors that we begin to obsess over. Here is the trick, don’t spend an hour trying to fix what you think is broken because, you could potentially make it worse and you are taking away what sets it apart from everything else.

**For the rest of this blog I will refer to “mistakes as “beauty marks”

Reasons it is okay to make beauty marks:
Hello, they are beauty marks! Cindy Crawford loves hers, and so should you.
It adds character to your masterpiece.
Nobody’s perfect (I gotta work it) (Anyone get the Hannah Montana reference?).
You will spend more time on your beauty mark than completing your project.
We learn from experience.
We begin to realize what looks we like and looks we don’t like.

Beauty marks are things that show progress and growth in crafts. Once you learn to embrace such an amazing thing, you will find it is easier to look past those little nicks. There isn’t much more to it than that, love the imperfections.

Hit it, John!
“Love all your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections.”