By Robert E. Goyette
There are many cases in the craft show business where you are going to have to alter your strategy for selling your crafts. Here are 4 things you can do in order to keep your product selling, even when everyone else seems a little slow:
1.) Combine items – If you have a slower selling item that just isn’t giving you the return you want on your investment, then try pairing it up with a better selling item. This achieves two things: it gets rid of stock that is taking up room and isn’t selling; and second, it provides more value to the customers purchasing the hot selling item. You might even be able to sell the item-in-demand for more money.
2.) Holiday sales – We celebrate so many different holidays, and each one of them means something to somebody. This is a prime opportunity to capitalize on a “George Washington Day” sale, or a “Flag Day” sale, or whatever the holiday is. Of course, the biggest ones will be your Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter (maybe even Mother’s and Father’s Day) sales – but the bottom line is – if you offer people a deal related to a holiday, you might be able to boost your overall craft sales.
3.) Buy one, get one at 50% off – This is a classic sales approach, especially if you want to sell your product for a little more than you normally would. This might be a good way to experiment with the price. Sell one product for $20 and the next one is only $10, but you have easily covered the cost of both AND made a great profit!
4.) Creative sales – Anything from a ‘first-time-buyer’ sale to a sale for seniors might be another great way to generate added sales in your craft show booth. Tailoring sales programs to the crowd that is going to attend the craft show is an ingenious method for boosting sales at a craft show.
The best craft show salespeople are constantly eying up ways they can increase the number of products they move through their craft show booth. They come up with a variety of marketing plans (some that work, others that don’t), but each time they try to innovative in their approach.
With some imagination you can come up with a few great display ideas of your own to generate sales in your own booth. Don’t be afraid to try something a little bit different – you have nothing to lose when you are trying to move craft show products!
Rob Goyette shows you how to make your craft show business profitable in his best selling ebook: Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit his site: craft shows
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_E._Goyette
Paper Craft - The Art Of Making Paper For Gifts
By Helen Dickson
We often consider making paper to be a very complicated, skilled process and of course, that can be true. But it's not hard to craft paper yourself at home with very little equipment. The only special item you'll need is a mould. This is a wooden frame with a mesh stretched across it to act as a filter or sieve. It's very simple to make your own mould - just fasten four pieces of wood together in a rectangular shape to make the frame. Use 3/4" x 2" wood (20 x 50 mm) and make the inner dimensions of the frame the size of the paper you want to make. The frame needs to be about 2" (200 mm) in depth. Then cover the frame with tightly stretched mesh - mosquito net or just a piece of net curtain is fine. Make sure it's securely fastened to the edge of the frame. You'll also need a large container to hold water, about the size of a baby bath.
Now you're ready - let's get started! To make the pulp collect together a variety of unwanted paper (this craft is great for recycling). avoid newspaper (not pretty) and glossy magazines (the gloss makes them unsuitable) but you can use tissues, art paper, envelopes, discarded letter paper or copier paper - these are all suitable. Then tear the paper into about 1" (25 mm) square pieces and soak it in water. The soaking time depends on the paper you're using. Tissues will take under an hour, while high quality paper may take up to 3 days. Using hot water will speed up the process.
The next step is to macerate the paper in a blender or food processor. Add a couple of cups of water to each small handful of the paper. (225 ml). You only want to blend until the fibres separate, so be cautious and use short bursts. If you blend for too long your paper will be very smooth and you won't have that rustic, handmade quality which is so attractive. Put the blended pulp into another container. A blenderful will make about 1 letter-sized sheet, so continue until you've blended as much as you think you'll need.
Now comes the even more fun part - making the paper! You can add all sorts of small things to give your paper an individual feel. For a country theme add some tiny feathers or pressed leaves and flowers. For Christmas or a child's party you can add sparkles, or tiny foil shapes. If you'd like to colour the paper, you can use natural dyes like blueberry or beetroot juice, onion skins, turmeric or coffee grounds, or you can purchase commercial dyes from craft stores. Just stir your dye into the pulp, adding a little at a time until you have the colour you want. Remember though, the colour will lighten as the pulp dries.
Stir the pulp well and dip your frame vertically into the far side of your container then, in one smooth movement, tip it towards you so it's lying horizontally beneath the pulp and lift it out, holding it level. Then, quickly, before the water's drained away, give it a little shake to even it out. Don't wait too long before doing this or the paper will become too dry and tear when you shake it. If this happens, just scrape it back into the container and try again.
Leave your frame to drain, then place in a warm place to dry out. This will take anything from 2 - 24 hours. Then peel it from the frame using a palette knife. That's it - you're done! Crafting your own homemade paper is a great family activity - why not get the kids involved too?
Don't forget to wrap up in aprons to keep them clean and dry, do take a look at these great designs for kids.
You can use your paper as a whole sheet, or fold it to make cards and matching envelopes. Crafting home made paper is a wonderful way to recycle - and if you enjoy recycling and vintage products, check out our vintage linen aprons, all made from genuine antique European linen.
Helen Dickson is the owner of DevonBear Designs. She designs and makes a small range of really practical - and pretty - textile items and stationery all inspired by the wonderful coast and countryside of South Devon, England. Helen is a talented watercolour artist and all DevonBear Designs products feature one of her images. Visit her site at http://www.devonbeardesigns.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Dickson
We often consider making paper to be a very complicated, skilled process and of course, that can be true. But it's not hard to craft paper yourself at home with very little equipment. The only special item you'll need is a mould. This is a wooden frame with a mesh stretched across it to act as a filter or sieve. It's very simple to make your own mould - just fasten four pieces of wood together in a rectangular shape to make the frame. Use 3/4" x 2" wood (20 x 50 mm) and make the inner dimensions of the frame the size of the paper you want to make. The frame needs to be about 2" (200 mm) in depth. Then cover the frame with tightly stretched mesh - mosquito net or just a piece of net curtain is fine. Make sure it's securely fastened to the edge of the frame. You'll also need a large container to hold water, about the size of a baby bath.
Now you're ready - let's get started! To make the pulp collect together a variety of unwanted paper (this craft is great for recycling). avoid newspaper (not pretty) and glossy magazines (the gloss makes them unsuitable) but you can use tissues, art paper, envelopes, discarded letter paper or copier paper - these are all suitable. Then tear the paper into about 1" (25 mm) square pieces and soak it in water. The soaking time depends on the paper you're using. Tissues will take under an hour, while high quality paper may take up to 3 days. Using hot water will speed up the process.
The next step is to macerate the paper in a blender or food processor. Add a couple of cups of water to each small handful of the paper. (225 ml). You only want to blend until the fibres separate, so be cautious and use short bursts. If you blend for too long your paper will be very smooth and you won't have that rustic, handmade quality which is so attractive. Put the blended pulp into another container. A blenderful will make about 1 letter-sized sheet, so continue until you've blended as much as you think you'll need.
Now comes the even more fun part - making the paper! You can add all sorts of small things to give your paper an individual feel. For a country theme add some tiny feathers or pressed leaves and flowers. For Christmas or a child's party you can add sparkles, or tiny foil shapes. If you'd like to colour the paper, you can use natural dyes like blueberry or beetroot juice, onion skins, turmeric or coffee grounds, or you can purchase commercial dyes from craft stores. Just stir your dye into the pulp, adding a little at a time until you have the colour you want. Remember though, the colour will lighten as the pulp dries.
Stir the pulp well and dip your frame vertically into the far side of your container then, in one smooth movement, tip it towards you so it's lying horizontally beneath the pulp and lift it out, holding it level. Then, quickly, before the water's drained away, give it a little shake to even it out. Don't wait too long before doing this or the paper will become too dry and tear when you shake it. If this happens, just scrape it back into the container and try again.
Leave your frame to drain, then place in a warm place to dry out. This will take anything from 2 - 24 hours. Then peel it from the frame using a palette knife. That's it - you're done! Crafting your own homemade paper is a great family activity - why not get the kids involved too?
Don't forget to wrap up in aprons to keep them clean and dry, do take a look at these great designs for kids.
You can use your paper as a whole sheet, or fold it to make cards and matching envelopes. Crafting home made paper is a wonderful way to recycle - and if you enjoy recycling and vintage products, check out our vintage linen aprons, all made from genuine antique European linen.
Helen Dickson is the owner of DevonBear Designs. She designs and makes a small range of really practical - and pretty - textile items and stationery all inspired by the wonderful coast and countryside of South Devon, England. Helen is a talented watercolour artist and all DevonBear Designs products feature one of her images. Visit her site at http://www.devonbeardesigns.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Dickson
How to Get Started With Knitting
By Diane Palmer
Learn to knit, and get those creative juices flowing... I can still remember the moment I learned to knit. I was 6 years old, and my grandma sat down with me while my mother was busy with my new baby brother.
She taught me to cast on, and knit, and I was so excited I took my knitting everywhere.. it was all uneven and horrid, but I was excited that I had learned something new, and still love to knit to this day!
I am left handed, and always found many crafts hard to do because of it, such as crochet. But knitting can be done easily whether you are left handed or right handed.
Learning to knit as a child is a great way, but if you never did learn to knit, and would like to, then why not get started now!
Take it in little steps. Learn to cast on one day, and then learn to do the basic garter stitch the next day, and PRACTICE. That is the biggest part of knitting, is practicing. Once you have mastered the garter stitch, then you can try to purl, which is going through the back of the stitch.
Once you have mastered basic knitting, then you will need to learn to cast off. Continue to practice and make lots of blocks of knitting. (you can always make them into a quilt later!).
There are many books, ebooks, and videos on the market that will teach you how to knit, learning from an experienced knitter sitting right beside you, will still always be the best way, like my grandma did. But the next best thing I feel is a video. One where you get a real good close-up of what the teacher is doing, not something far away.
With a video, you can play it over and over again, and if you sit there with your needles and yarn, you will get this new skill. Its good for the brain to learn new crafts and skills, it gets the creativity flowing and keeps the brain alert.
It is never too late, and you are never too old to learn something new! Try it, knitting is good for relieving stress, as many men are finding. Knitting has become popular amongst celebrities and many professional men.. to help with stress and become creative.
So, get yourself some knitting needles and yarn, and maybe a basic pattern to get started with, once you learn your basic skills.
Try it, you may like it, so watch a good video and learn to knit...
http://www.make-crafts-for-cash.com/learntoknit.html is an article and website by Diane Palmer, who has been in the crafts business for over 15 years.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Palmer
Soap Making Molds - What Are Your Options?
By Steve Paul
Using the right soap making molds to shape your finished product should never be overlooked. Although the quality of the soap and its skin care benefits are the priority, creating a unique look and feel can help you stand out from the crowd.
There are a variety of options for shaping your soap. Which one you choose will mostly depend on your personality, preferences and soap making goals.
The first, and definitely most popular soap molding method is using individually pre-shaped soap making molds. Individual molds can be purchased in all shapes and size and gives you the added convenience of not having to slice your soap into bars once your mixture has hardened.
Unfortunately, using pre-shaped soap molds does have a few drawbacks. First of all, pouring your temporarily liquefied early stage soap into small 4 ounce soap bar molds is rather difficult to say the least.
Once you finally have your molds filled, you must then figure out how to thoroughly insulate each one using blankets and towels for proper curing. Trust me, it's an arduous process to saran wrap and insulate each mold individually, especially if you created a large batch.
Furthermore, you have to be careful that you do not use melt and pour soap making molds when creating soap from scratch using the cold process method. Cold process soap is extremely caustic during its initial stages because of the incorporation of sodium hydroxide. Many molds made for melt and pour soap making are not formed out of the proper materials needed to withstand this chemical.
The second method of shaping your soap is to create a large soap loaf and then cut it into traditional bars. This is my personal favorite soap molding method as it makes the creation of larger batches much easier.
You can buy a loaf soap mold from various online dealers or even your local craft shop. They usually reveal their size by displaying how many pounds of soap they can hold. I personally own a 4 pound mold and absolutely love it, but I've seen them as large as 12 pounds.
The final method is to get creative and make your own. Wonderful soap molds can be created out of every day household items. In fact, I've seen people shape their soaps using everything from PVC pipe to large sea shells. If you're on a budget, and really don't want to fork over the money for a professional soap making mold, then this is definitely the way to go!
Do you want to learn everything there is to know about soap making molds and other important soap making information? Visit Steve's site http://www.soap-making-resource.com. Here you will find one of the largest known resources for this fun and exciting craft!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Paul
Soap Safety Guidelines - Just Don't Get Burnt!
By Steve Paul
Soap making is a wonderful craft that can be enjoyed safely if you adhere to these vital soap safety instructions. In order to make soap, a chemical known as sodium hydroxide (lye) must be combined with various oils to create a reaction called saponification. Lye is an extremely caustic and dangerous substance that should be treated with the utmost of respect.
Although working with lye is definitely the most intimidating aspect of the soap making process there are other potential hazards that you must be aware of.
Please do not be scared away from this fun and addicting craft! There are potential risks involved in everything you do, including getting out of bed in the morning! As long as you follow some of these simple soap safety instructions, you will be absolutely fine:
Rule 1: Get to know your ingredients. At this point, you already realize the hazards of lye, but don't underestimate some of the other components like essential oils, soap making dyes and even all natural skin care nutrients. Are they allergens? Can they burn the skin? Are they poisonous? Make sure you know all about every ingredient you incorporate into your soap.
Rule 2: Keep a bottle of vinegar close by your side. When poured over lye, vinegar will neutralize the chemical and render it harmless. This is a must have in order to control potential lye spills.
Rule 3: Be sure to wear protective gear. This should include rubber gloves, goggles that completely enclose the eye and thick outerwear. If you want to practice soap safety to a tee, you can even wear a rubber rain coat for further protection.
Rule 4: Make sure to label all your soap making tools. Much of the equipment used during the soap making procedure is found in the common kitchen. If you use a particular utensil for soap making, never use it again for cooking. In order to avoid confusion label all equipment "for soap making use only". Even if you feel that it's not contaminated, it's just not worth the risk of touching your food with a utensil that's been in contact with harmful chemicals.
Rule 5: Get rid of your distractions. Pets, kids, spouses, TV, music etc. can all become distractions. When making soap, you need to give the craft your sole attention.
Rule 6: Find a safe place to store your soap making supplies. Make sure that you store all chemicals up high where children or pets can't get to them.
Rule 7: Educate your family about soap making and its potentially hazardous elements. Knowledge is power!
As long as you keep these simple rules in mind, you will have a wonderful experience making soap! You'll find that the initial stress is well worth the reward - beautiful all natural skin care products that your friends and family will love! After your first few batches, the fear will diminish revealing a true passion for this craft that will demand to be fed.
To learn more about soap safety and other vital soap making information, please visit Steve's site http://www.soap-making-resource.com/. Here you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about this exhilarating craft.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Paul
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