Crafts-Hobbies

Crafts-Hobbies Index

451. What is a Battle Ready Sword? By Paul Southren
     You’d think that the term “battle ready sword” would be pretty much self explanatory wouldn’t you?Unfortunately, many of the swords being described as “battle ready” are anything but. And to quote Adrian Ko from Sword Forum International, “a lot of these swords I wouldn’t want to take into battle even if they were strapped to a M-16. And even then I’d be worried!”Don’t let that put you off though. You’ll find that there are actually some pretty good swords to be found in this broad category, I…



452. Collecting Depression Glass – Where to Start By Murray Hughes
     Okay, so you’ve been bitten by the Depression Glass bug, and those pretty patterns and pastel colors beckon you from the shelves of an antique dealer’s shop, a friend’s home, or maybe you’ve even discovered this special glassware on the Internet. How ever it’s come about that you’ve developed a yen for Depression Glass, you need to know where and how to start collecting it – unless you’re made of money, have oodles of time on your hands, and don’t care whether you get the real thing or not. Bu…



453. The Unusual Characteristics Of Reverse Painting By Mayanne Mackay
     By stepping backwards in time one can discover an important part of art history associated with reverse painting on glass.It was an era that heralded the use of this art form 'en masse' during which people in communities could directly express in their own original way what they lived, perceived and felt in their own daily lives. Even to this day many artists who work on glass have been inspired through their links with furniture-making, glass production, the building trade, the teaching profe…



454. Oil Painting Tips for Beginners By Ralph Serpe
     Start your oil paintings with an acrylic underpainting - When you start an oil painting using oils, it can take some time for that initial layer to dry. Starting your painting with an acrylic underpainting however is a wonderful time saver as acrylic paint dries quickly and oil paint can be applied over the acrylic.Make certain you have good lighting - I didn't realize how important good lighting was until I painted outdoors for the first time. Good lighting brings out the color and also lesse…



455. Organize 1000’s Of Photos Easily By Vera Raposo
     The easiest way is to start right from the beginning, your pregnancy. Chronological order is an easy way to organize your photos, that's if you remembered to write all the dates down.If you're like me, you didn't exactly start out that way. So here are some tips to get your photos organized and ready for scrapbooking.THE DATE!The date may not seem urgent for you to write out because you may think that you will easily remember what "month" your baby was at in the pictures.But when they hit 4 or…



456. Sewing – A Wonderful Pastime By David Chandler
     To think that in the beginning the only sewing patterns used were to measure from ankle to dirt and chop off the animal skin so that it would not drag on the ground. Now you can get sewing patterns for everything from a simple square sewn together to create a throw pillow to an elaborate wedding dress. You can find sewing patterns by the thousands at any fabric or specialty store, and find specialized catalogues, which cater to custom sewing patterns for any size and style. You can now also…



457. A Coat of Arms – An Easy Way to Design and Make It By Catherine Calder
     Designing and making your own Coat of Arms is an interesting and enjoyable project. The Coat of Arms could be for your family or as a present. It will make a distinctive and original gift.You can choose whether it will be funny or more traditional. A Coat of Arms can be an unusual leaving present for a co-worker.The Coat of Arms can be themed to a particular event or hobby –Hobby or special interest – golf, fishing, cookingLife event – graduation, winning a particular contestHumorous – funn…



458. Badge Lanyards: An Overview By Seth Miller
     Badge lanyards are typically a length of rope, wire, or cloth designed to secure or display an identification card or an access badge. The most typical way to wear a badge lanyard is around the neck. This efficient way to display or secure a badge allows it to be frequently utilized while keeping the hands free. Badge lanyards can often be seen being worn by business employees, referees, lifeguards, medical staff, students, or trade show attendees.Badge lanyards can be custom printed with a…



459. How to Use Textured Paper and Book Jacket Backgrounds to Give Your Scrapbook Dimension By Mia LeCron
     Textured paper can add extra dimension to your scrapbooking page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items on your scrapbook page. Textured paper can also be used as a backgrounds or border to give your page an interesting fresh look.Textured paper is available in a variety of textures and colors and is available in most craft and office supply stores.For an added personal touch and artist flair use a book jacket as a background. This scrapbook technique looks especially nice when t…



460. Scrapbooking Children's Favorite Stories By Fion Lim
     Countless memories are built during the formative childhood days. If there's an excellent means to record them down in some ways, it'll be scrapbooking.True, we can't possibly capture every single event, but we can definitely scrap those more memorable ones onto pages.If you've decided to scrapbook together with your kid, besides guiding them with little prompts on the journaling, you'll probably need some neat ideas to pull in those best memories.Here's various hot-selling "stories" that you …



461. The Proper Use of Comic Book Supplies Will Help You Maintain a Top-Notch Collection By Dave Gieber
     If you want to keep your comic book collection in tiptop shape, comic book supplies will become part of your collecting life. As soon as a magazine is printed there are natural environmental forces going to work to try and destroy the ink and the paper. You have put in a lot of time, effort and enjoyment in acquiring all your comics. You don't want them to turn back to the dust and elements from which they came do you? So the proper use of comic book supplies is essential.Elements such as humi…



462. Three Tips On Starting Your Antique Collection By Dakota Caudilla
     Tip 1: Understanding antiquesIn strict antique-speak, an antique is any collectable item that is seventy to one-hundred years old. Newer items can also be quite valuable; if you know how to pick them. In all instances, a collectible item has value if someone, somewhere, wants to buy it. Just remember: "One man's trash is another man's treasure".You may already know what you want to start collecting, but finding your antique niche means doing the relevant research first. For every item--furnitu…



463. How To Set Up A Hobby Foundry By Colin Croucher
     Imagine, you've just discovered that it is possible to melt and cast metal in your own backyard foundry, you feel excited at the prospect of making your very own metal castings. The enthusiasm builds as you start to slowly begin to understand the; how, what & when of this ancient metal craft.You're eager to begin the search for the right kind of knowledge, because there is so much to learn, you wonder who you can ask for guidance, or where to start.In days gone by, the first port of call in th…



464. Origami Instructions By Jeremy Hansen
     Origami is a fantastic art form that guarantees hours of fun and enjoyment, not to mention a great way to challenge yourself and build your creativity. However many beginners come across trouble in 2 main areas:1. Following the instructions (especially when the creations you wish to fold become more complex)and2. Finding enough information in the form of patterns and directions so that you don't become bored!I know this because I found the exact same problems! As a result I developed an Origam…



465. Copyrights, Patents, & Trademarks for Selling at Craft Shows By Natalie Goyette
     Copyrights, are common concerns for craftspeople. If you've invented a unique product, you will more than likely want to protect it from others who can create knock-offs of your craft show gem at cheaper prices. Although it may be flattering to have created a craft item others want to duplicate, it can also be a nightmare to see your distinctive creation on the Home Shopping Network! The United States Patent and Trademark Organization Web site (www.uspto.gov) is a good place to learn the diffe…



466. Finding The Best Display Case For Your Treasures By Antigone Arthur
     Maybe you have a bunch of collectibles sitting in your closet gathering dust. Or perhaps you've been storing your fine China in the kitchen cupboards instead of a hutch. Far too often we sequester our prized possessions rather than place them where they deserve to be... on display.Finding a good display case and setting it up is probably a lot easier than you think it might be. Yes, there are many display cases to choose from. Occasionally you may have a need for a specialty case. Fortunately…



467. From Clutter To Treasure: Re-use and Not Reject! By Ipsita Mukherjee
     Make use of clutter to decorate your home! Sounds strange? Believe me its possible! While moving into my new house, I had to get rid of a lot of old pots, torn clothes, cracked dishes and chipped china. At my wit's end trying to figure a way out of the mess, it struck me that I could actually use a lot of these to make decorative accents for my new home.I got my 6 year old daughter involved as she was the only one who was willing to get her hands dirty in the act! Every body thought I was craz…



468. Woodworking: Protection When Working With Wood - Ignoring Could Potentially Harm Your Health Or Kill By Ferhat Gul
     Woodworking: Basic Safety TipsWoodworking can be a dangerous undertaking if you are not careful and choose to disregard safety guidelines. A circular saw, router, or other piece of power equipment can disfigure and even kill if not used properly. Even hand tools, which must be extremely sharp to provide best results, can cause serious injuries. In addition, the sawdust and fumes from wood can be harmful to the lungs if inhaled on a regular basis, especially if the wood was harvested from an…



469. Woodworking Tools: Right Selection And Care Will Save You Money, Part 2 By Ferhat Gul
     Woodworking: Tools Of The Trade, Part 2 - Tools For CuttingA civilization's maturity and intelligence is judged, in part, by the diversity and sophistication of its tools. When it comes to woodworking, the human race is quite advanced. There are general tools that work well in many situations, and there are specialty tools made for one specific purpose. There are tools that require only manpower and a rudimentary knowledge, and others that utilize computer programs, a wide range of knowledg…



470. Ever Wanted to Make Your Own Themed Gift Baskets? By Donna Hamer
     If you’ve always wanted to know how to make your own gift baskets, this article will give you some tips to get started. Gift baskets are such a wonderful gift and can be given for any occasion. Creating personalized themed gift baskets is a great gift to give that someone special. Gift Baskets are easy to make and a joy to give.When creating a themed gift basket, don’t limit yourself as to the type of basket that you can create. It can be something simple and small, homemade or lots of gre…



471. 5 Scrapbooking Secrets for the Holiday Season By Kathy Williams
     These 5 scrapbooking secrets are sure to bring out the best in all of your albums and pages. Though inexpensive, they are the wonderful ways to add memorable value to the pages you will cherish and love for many holiday seasons to come!1. Buy your embellishments on December 26! As always, the day after Christmas, lights and gumdrops and shiny tinsel are always at rediculously low prices. Make sure to buy the things you could use as scrapbooking page embellishemts. Look for deep discounts on Ch…



472. How to Find Antique Collectibles By Monique Hawkins
     Are you an antique collector? Are you a serious collector that is looking for a specific antique such as a certain piece of furniture, a unique car, or perhaps a specific antique painting that suits your taste? If so, then you know it is not always an easy task to find the items you are looking for, especially if you don't know where to look.Maybe you just love to shop for different antiques on a smaller scale. This could include collectible items such as toys and figurines. There are many di…



473. Sharing Journals By Doreene Clement
     Creating a journal or diary that combines scrapbooking and journaling, is a journal that you can share. Writing about experiences and feelings, and including photos, ticket stubs, magazine or newspaper clippings, fortune cookie fortunes, drawings, and more, enhances and further explains those experiences and feelings, becoming a treasured keepsake for you and for your family and friends to share for years to come.You can create a Sharing Journal for just yourself, for your family, friends, for…



474. Simple, and Stylish Wedding Reception Centerpiece: Craft Project By Lisa Robbin
     This simple, yet elegant table centerpiece is a great way to make a fancy "to do" at each table, without breaking the bank.This is so easy, even a child can do it! I had my 8 year old son help me. For my own wedding, we picked up stemware at our local thrift stores. The idea wasn't to have every table look exactly the same, but rather for each table to be a variation on a theme. If you're looking for a more unified appearance, please make sure your count is accurate and buy everything you ne…



475. Embroidery Stabilizing for Machine Embroidering By Sandy Carter
     Here are some tips to get good results with your embroidery designs sewing.1. When it's possible, run your outline stitching first, this will help stabilize your fabric even further!2. I prefer layering solvy while stitching out a design to add dimension. Sometimes the "film" solvy can get a bit heavy using this technique, causing stiffness and can be difficult to remove. We've found a great "web" type that gets the job done with less stiffness and is super easy to remove! The film type solubl…






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