21 Handy Craft Tips
From one crafty person to another, here are a bunch of ideas to try out while you re crafting or sewing to make your life a bit easier, and to save a bit of money and time in the process.
1. Use inexpensive index cards to staple on fabric swatches or ribbon; very handy to take with you to your fabric or craft shop.
2. Old pillowcases make handy cover-ups for children! Cut out a large hole for the head and two smaller holes for the arms and just slip over their heads. They can even decorate them with tie-dye, fabric paint or iron-ons.
3. If you use rubber stamps for your projects, clean them with a
...Sewing a button is a fairly easy job. Almost anyone can learn how to sew a button. To start with, you have to select buttons that go well with the garment. Buttons can be of two main types: sew through ...
4. Large bottle caps make handy disposable containers for paints or glue.
5. Use a toothpick to apply glue to a small part; less glue-y fingers!
6. A damp Q-tip can pick up small items such as seed beads or rhinestones.
7. Keep a magnet handy in case you drop needles or pins on the floor.
8. A coffee can is great for storing balls of yarn when crocheting or knitting. Simply punch a hole in the coffee can lid and poke the yarn
...paper of all sorts. The perfect solution to store these is a concertina file -- the sort that people often use to store old bills or important documents. Label each pocket with a colour and simply file each sheet in ...
9. Use cardboard emery boards as sandpaper for small parts or areas where regular sanders or files will not reach.
10. Shred your leftover wrapping paper to make pretty stuffing for gift baskets and bags.
11. Use your lint roller around your sewing table to pick up bits of thread.
12. Don t toss out that old plastic tablecloth when you buy a new one. Use the old one as a table protector when crafting.
13. For larger projects, use an old plastic shower curtain as a drop cloth or cut it into smaller table protectors.
14. Tweezers make great holders for those small parts you re trying to glue
...for the girls if you do it for them. In the end, if they are unhappy with the results, you can offer to fix it for them, but let them try their hand at it first. It's a good learning ...
15. Lubricate the tip of your needle before sewing by pushing it into a sliver of soap.
16. Keep a roll of paper towels on your worktable to clean up spills, wipe your hands and even to use for creating texture in your paintings.
17. Use an old coffee can sitting in a pot or pan of hot water on the burner to melt leftover pieces of candles. Make sure you handle the hot coffee can with oven mitts. Add an old candle, the long, tapered kind, to a cardboard milk carton. Add ice and then the melted wax. After the candle is set, tear away the carton over your sink to
...a picture when comprised together. Cross-stitch software makes things even easier showing many people the joy of embroidering. The other type, canvas work, is a bit more complicated. There are different types of canvases- single thread, double thread, Aida cloth ...
18. Use an old (or new!) fishing case, with all its many compartments, for your small craft parts.
19. Hate throwing away the last sliver of soap? Break it up into pieces and place in a rubber baking mold. Melt more soap, either left over or purchased inexpensive soap, cool slightly so it won t melt your soap bits and pour into mold, let harden and pop your new soap out of the mold!
20. Tape a small plastic grocery bag or a small paper
...who are involved with making crocheted things regularly. A ball of cebelia yarn of about 282 yards is available for as little as $4 to $6. The price varies with the color. The white colored yarn is generally more expensive ...
21. A small metal parts cabinet (the kind for bolts, nails and screws, etc.) is great for storing small crafts parts and sewing items. I even have two of them housing all my earrings and necklaces one or more drawers for each color!
These were just some of the handy hints I ve used over the years. There are TONS more out there which may result in Handy Craft Tips Two hey, you never know stay tuned! Oh, by the way, if YOU have any great tips to share, please email me
...the top, carefully hold the top of the string and then untie the bottom from the straw. Knot the two of these ends together, forming a circlet of cereal, which can be hung outside as a great bird snack. This ...
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