Last week I gave you my first five Crafting ideals. This week I will finish it off with the next five. If you have any great tips for our readers, drop me a line and if I get enough I will do a readers version of the top ten.
So here are tips 6 - 10.


6)   When using Nymo, take the time to prepare it properly. After cutting your length, stretch it out. I do this by holding one end and running the other end through between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand a couple of times. Then run it through Thread Heaven, beeswax or similar, and then run through your fingers again to make sure its evenly distributed and there are no ‘lumps’ of thread conditioner. A little bit of time in the beginning will minimise knotting and fraying later.

7)   If you buy lots of craft type magazines, consider tearing out the pages with projects you want to try and dispose of the rest of the magazine. A lot of magazines contain a lot of ads that whilst useful when you first buy the magazine to help you find suppliers, probably are not going to be much use in 5 years. You can then put each project into a plastic sleeve and file them in folders. The folders will probably take up less space in the end.

 8)   If you don’t want handicrafts destroyed by curious toddlers, don’t leave pens, textas, paint or scissors anywhere near your projects. If other toddlers are like mine, they will want to help ‘create’, not usually in the way you want.

9)   If you make something you don’t like, the chances are someone else will love it. The best thing about this is that it is easier to part with something you don’t really like than something you absolutely love. It is a good reason to use colours you wouldn’t wear yourself.

10)   Creation should be fun. If its stops being fun, you should probably stop and go and do something else. Forcing yourself to create things can lead to burn out and the potential that you will give it all away. Be prepared to take a break and recharge the creative energy, just like we do with emotional or physical energy.


 
Photos courtesy of TheBeadStylist and ChickenScratch

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Top Ten Crafting Tips - Part 2
8 December 2009, 6:43 am
Source: Jennifer Mercer, Handmade News Columnist
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It's quite true that when you make something you're not crazy about someone else will absolutely love it! I've made earrings and crochet items that once they were completed I didn't like the way they looked, but because I've had the experience of someone being in love with something I wasn't, I'd keep the item anyway and sure enough...

Magazines add up, so taking out the pages you want is a great idea. I recycle other pages to make paper beads and other projects.