Let's learn how to make paper flowers. Knowing how to make paper flowers enables you to display your creativity for a special event in a way that will last and impress your friends. It's easy, the materials are inexpensive and you are only limited by your own imagination in making these floral beauties. A paper flower will not require constant watering, will never wilt, and you have a flexibility in display options that is not possible with their true alternatives.

Making Flowers is Fun
When you set down to begin making your paper floral arrangement, remember first and foremost that crafting is fun. If you can hold on to the joy of creation throughout the process your creativity and inspiration is sure to lead you in the right direction. Tap in to the childlike joy of creation when crafting and let your instincts guide you beyond the limitations of a craft kits diagrams.

Supplies You Will Need
In order to make paper flowers you will need the following supplies. This project requires:
ScissorsPaper GlueJewelry WireTapeFlat Table Top Suitable for CuttingColored PaperKnitting Needle

Of note is the color of your paper. We will be using paper craft kits and guides for the step by step process of making paper flowers, but it is not necessary to use only the colors they dictate. Free yourself and your imagination and experiment with various color variations that might make for a more beautiful bouquet when you have completed your project.

Instructions
First, choose the craft kit or project outline that is most interesting for you. These can be found easily online and they give you a guideline by which to base your work. Once you have selected your outline, begin by cutting the paper that will represent your flowers petals. Choose a vibrant and beautiful color for this step, don't hold back. Arrange your petals according to your paper kit and shape as necessary. Remember, flowers come in many variations, from roses to tulips, each with a distinctive petal and look that lends to their beauty. Once you have created the petals of your paper flower you can move on to the stem structure.

Creating the stem of your flower is as easy as using the jewelry wire for structure and gluing a green paper for wrapping. The wire will hold the stem and flower in place and gives you greater flexibility in the design of your flower. If you so choose, add leaves or thorns as desired. Every detail counts and it is often the little things in a craft project that set you apart. Use additional stem wire as necessary to create the form of the flower that you find most beautiful.

Now that the general outline of your flower is complete, using your sewing needle, stitch the petals of the flower together to create your bud and attach the flower to your previously created stem. Use both glue and stitching to attach the flower to the stem as this is the critical point and it bears a lot of weight. Now that your paper flower is complete you can accessorize.

For a special effect you can beading to the flower petals to add additional flair. Another popular accessory to add pizazz to your project is to consider painting each individual petal with a particular design. It's fun for the kids and adds a charming effect.

Children's liturgy is the perfect place for the youth of your religious congregation to gather together and learn about the teachings of the Bible. But coming up with exciting and interesting Sunday school ideas can be a difficult task. Here are two Sunday school crafts to share with your class.

Finger Painting Bible Craft

This Sunday school idea is perfect for your Sunday school curriculum. You'll need the following:

*Plastic pots of diluted finger pants
*Large sheets of paper for each student
*Plastic table covers
*Paint smocks

After explaining to the children's liturgy that God gives us many things to enjoy, make sure that their clothing is protected with a smock. Now hand out the paper and instruct the children to draw, with their fingers, the things that they are thankful for. These could include flowers, their family and friends, books, favorite toys, etc.

Set aside the sheets of paper to allow them to dry. Then display the art to the class, noting how many things there are to thank God for. Make sure the students' hands are thoroughly cleaned, and send them back to share their Bible craft drawings with their families.

Growing Seeds Sunday School Craft

This Bible craft is great for helping your class memorize Bible verses. You'll need the following for each student:

*Styrofoam cup
*Potting soil
*Craft sticks
*Quick germinating seeds (corn, beans, peas or maize)
*Felt-tipped pen

Help your children's liturgy fill the cups up about three-quarters with the soil. Then help them plant three or four seeds at a depth of about 20 mm. Water the soil, and then have your class write their names on one end of their craft stick. On the other side of the stick, write "Your word is like a seed" and insert it into the soil. By the following week, the seeds should have germinated, and the kids will be able to take their plant home.

The lesson of this Sunday school idea is that the Bible says we must keep God's Word in our heart. This is why we memorize verses. By memorizing Bible verses, God's Word grows like a seed in our hearts.

It's National Sewing month in September. Just because it's sewing month, you shouldn't forget about crocheting. You don't have to keep your mind on sewing, so crochet something nice. I'm always on the lookout for free crochet patterns, sometimes I don't have much luck, but you can always find something online.

I love flowers and I love the way they smell. I thought to myself one day, why not find some free crochet flower patterns. It's perfect. If I crochet a flower it will never wilt or die. We have many crochet flower patterns to share.

Free crochet flower hat patterns can also be found on our site. My grandma always used to make free crochet patterns for herself, friends and family. I have a hat that she made with a ball on top. It's my winter hat that I adore so much. I remember she made this really neat crochet flower hat pattern for one of my sisters. It was a brown hat with light blue yarn for the flower. I was jealous she got the cool hat and I only got the plain brown one.

Did you know that you can crochet flowers themselves? I'm getting married next summer and I'm trying to save money. I've come to realization that flowers are going to be one of the most expensive things for the wedding. I came across a free crochet flower pattern and I fell in love with it right away. It looked just like a bouquet of regular flowers except they were made with yarn. I wouldn't have to worry about the travel for the flowers either, if they fall over it's ok. Water won't fall out of a vase and they won't break. This may be the newest invention no one has heard of yet.

The flowers I was planning on using for my wedding were Gerber Daisies. They just have a fun shape and beautiful bright colors. I learned I can create my own crochet daisy bouquet. It'll never be as great as my grandma's crochet flower hat pattern, but it will still be beautiful. Just picturing what the whole day will look like makes me smile.

I'm not sure if there's a National Crochet month, but if not, there should be. Start crocheting all your beautiful patterns now. Get ahead of the game and crochet some nice things for Christmas gifts, you'll be glad you did. And don't forget about all the free crochet flower patterns we have to offer.

Do something nice for yourself or for others. Crochet a beautiful piece and send it to a charity. This will make you feel good about yourself and it will help somebody out. Crochet an Afghan to keep a baby warm, you can find patterns on our site. Free crochet flower hat patterns would look adorable on a little boy or girl. Crochet hats are always nice to have for the winter time, especially this winter. The way the weather has been who knows what kind of winter we're going to have. So start crocheting those patterns.

Are you wanting color coordinated artificial arrangements for your home but are not sure if you can handle the task on your own? I'm here to tell you that yes, you can make beautiful arrangements from artificial flowers and I will instruct you on how to get started. As a retired florist I believe I am qualified to give you instructions that will lead to beautiful long lasting bouquets that will decorate your home in style for years to come.

Step 1
Determine where the arrangement will go in your home. Whether you need a tall one sided bouquet, a short compact all around bouquet or a centerpiece, you will need to take notes on the style and colors featured in the area where you would like your bouquet to be featured. If you can, get color swatches or a picture of the colors in the room to make your job easier when shopping for silk flowers.

Step 2
Research online or in current magazines to find a picture of a bouquet that has the general look of the arrangement you would like for your home. Don't get too attached to exact flower types though since not all flowers will be readily available in silks.

Step 3
Take inventory of the tools and hard goods you already have to determine what you will need to buy in addition to your flowers and greens. You will need a container to create your arrangement in, a block of Sahara or dry floral foam, unless you are going with a clear container in which case you will need decorative stones or beads. Also, you will need wire cutters, and ribbon if using. If you are going with a short bouquet, you will need floral tape and wooden picks in addition to a few lengths of floral wire.

Step 4
Time to go shopping! Bring your list of tools and hard goods that you need as well as the picture of the bouquet you wish to create. You will find what you need in any craft store such as Micheal's or in a box store that sells silk flowers such as Walmart.

The most important thing to do at this point is to choose quality flowers. Flowers that look expensive. Try to avoid any tacky looking flowers and flowers with frayed edges and uneven color tone. Also, choose flowers in different shapes and textures. You should get some large flowers that will be your focal point, some smaller flowers to fill in, some berries or other natural looking accent and plenty of green foliage to complete the look of your bouquet. Use your photo as a guide to select your flowers and make sure to match the colors of your room with complementary colors as well as exact colors.

Step 5
To put it all together at home, start by preparing your container. Cut your floral foam to fit the container. Cut it a little bit too big so that you have to force it into the container just a bit. You don't want to compress the foam too much since it will lose its grasping power but you don't want the foam to fall out either.

Once your foam is in place, use your photo as a guide to put together your arrangement. Start with the larger flowers then progress to the foliage and finally the smaller flowers and accents. You should create the outline of the bouquet with your larger flowers in order to determine the size your bouquet will be. The larger you make the outline, the more flowers you will need to fill it in. Cut down your stems with your wire cutters to get the size you want. If you are making a short bouquet or a centerpiece, you will need to cut the stems short. If your stems are weak and not suitable for sticking into the foam, you can use wooden picks. Gather the weak stems next to the wooden pick, wrap the wire around the stems and finish off with floral tape to secure. If adding a bow to finish off your bouquet, use the same technique with a wooden pick and floral tape.

For less than ten dollars, you can enhance the appearance of your closet with this simple project. It will add a nice dimensional touch to a boring, blank space in only 20 minutes!

Due to a sale at the local craft store, I was able to purchase materials for 70% off. It is well worth waiting for such a sale in order to keep costs low.

Materials:

Boring, blank wall space Wall buckets Artificial flowers Tape Measure Wall screws
Directions:

Find an area of your house that needs a little pick-me-up. You know, that boring blank space "you just don't know what to do with." Having 9-foot ceilings, I had a nice canvas waiting above a bedroom closet. Using your tape measure, decide where you want to hang your wall buckets. Secure the wall screws into place and then hang your wall buckets. Arrange your artificial flowers in the wall buckets. You are done! It was that quick and easy.

Keep in mind that this project is very versatile in nature. I used cute metal wall buckets and filled them with artificial flowers. However, you can use any sort of wall decor you like, with or without flowers. Also, if you do use flowers, you might want to change them with the seasons. Or, you might prefer to use fresh flowers instead of artificial ones. Let individual taste and imagination be your guide, and just have fun with this project.

Tissue paper lends itself to a wide variety of craft ideas. The tissue is pliable and easy to cut, rip or shred into pieces or patterns for fast applications to craft objects. These bits and pieces of paper do not need to be precise and measured tissue squares. Children really get a kick out of shredding it into confetti for craft projects. It is a favorite for artists of all ages and genders and a popular material in the craft world. Not just used to wrap up tiny gifts or as filler for protecting and hiding a fragile gift in a bag, has been used to make pinatas, papier-mache arts and crafts and beautiful stain glass looking ornaments for the Christmas tree, Easter egg decorations and Halloween craft projects.

Tissue paper can also be used to create beautiful Mexican tissue paper flowers in all shapes, sizes and colors. Though not time consuming, there are some more complicated ones which are a bit more complex to create, but well worth the effort if creating them. Most of these are comprised of materials like flower stem wire, tissue paper is a variety of hues, florist tape and scissors.

The celebration of Mother's Day and Cinco De Mayo in the same month can work in the favor of a crafter of tissue paper flowers. Not only can many of the Mexican tissue paper flowers be created for a festive Cinco De Mayo party celebration, they can also be used to be given away as a Mother Day as well. This is a very good craft which takes up little time out of a busy schedule and is a cost-effective project.

A simple Mexican tissue paper flower can be assembled with vibrant colors used in many Mexican settings. These colors are multiple hues of oranges, royal purples and royal blues, yellows, reds and browns. Tissue in all these colors can be found. Mixing and matching several colors up together to construct the final Mexican tissue paper flower will add interest and depth to the final project. Colorful ribbons can be added to further enhance the finished flowers as streamers or loops of color embedded in the bouquet of flowers.

Paper of various hues can be layered together to mimic the rich layering of colors that Mother Nature uses in many of her flowers and flowering plants. The tissue can then be layered to created a fan-like shape and tied together in the center with florist wire. The flower is then fanned out into a bowl like shape and the petals can be rounded, cut or notched to add interesting edgings to the Mexican flower. Florist tape is then used to bind the flower onto the florist stem wire which is cut to the desired length.

Another popular and more traditional Mexican tissue paper flower is one that created from six to ten sheets of paper. Additional materials are twist ties, pipe cleaners, ribbons and florist stem wires. The same tissue flower pattern is followed with the exception of the edging treatments on the edges of the Mexican tissue paper flowers. Traditional lacing patterns are created by pinking shears which create a festive and ruffling edge so many times associated with the colorful ruffles worn by the Mexican men and women when they celebrate a festive occasion.

Do you still like to tie your hair up with cute hair bows, but with the recent change in the economy you are finding it hard to want to spend any money on them. Why not make them yourself. There are thousands of free hair bow patterns 5 all over the internet. It just takes a little time to find them.

To start there are lots of free easy crochet patterns on the net. One site that shows a variety of not only free hair bow patterns 5 is a site called Free Patterns. This site has been around for a significant amount of time. Not only will you find crochet, but you will also find sewing patterns, arts and crafts. These patterns come in hundreds of downloads from this site.

Here are some examples of what you might find on the site; hat patterns, free hair bow patterns 5, doll clothes, tissue box covers and so much more.

You can spend hours getting lost in each of the different sections of this wonderful site looking up different patterns. The site has gone through some great changes. If you want to find great free hair bow patterns 5. Then this is your site to look.

Here is an example of one. Plastic canvas hair bows are easy and quick to make you will need the following materials for this pattern. Standard size 7-mesh plastic canvas, yarn any color you choose, a tapestry needle, an octagon shaped rhinestone, 3" hair clip and heavy duty craft glue.

You will want to make sure you download the free hair bows pattern 5 from the site so that you can get the full diagram of the bow. Once you have gotten the pattern you will want to use a marker, to mark out the pattern onto plastic canvas. Cut out the bow, then start stitching away. This will take about an hour or longer depending on how quickly you sew. If this is your first time, make sure be patient. You will get it.

There is another great free hair bows pattern 5 that you can crochet. This pattern is for someone that has been crocheting for a little while, but if you are a fast learner, you may be able to make the bow in no time.

Hair bows can be made of so many different materials it is amazing. You can let your imagination run while.

There are many sites on the web that also contain free hair bows pattern 5. A good example would be; All crafts.net. This site also has many patterns that you can download or print out.

Another site to check out is craft town, this site has thousands of patterns to choose from.

What ever you do, make sure you don't overwhelm yourself down load one or two patterns to begin with then, go from there.

Good luck!

Postage stamps that are available are not always rectangular in size. They may also be triangular in shape and as well as with round styles and even pentagonal. You can find several types that are used to represent the fact that postage was paid for. Some are listed are below:

Airmail: The word airmail appears over the stamps and they are generally in most cases bigger than the standard postage stamp used for the envelopes. Much like the regular stamp each one does give a name of the region and the price paid.

Coil: These include stamps that anyone can get via the vending machine. A person rip off the postage stamp from the coil when you wish to use one.

Commemorative Stamps: they're postage stamps issued by nations so they can remember a unique celebration which takes place in the country. There are sometimes a number of these throughout any one year, but they are just for sale in minimal quantities.

Definitive Stamps: This is the major stamps which are used by the nation so are produced and also reprinted in bulk. They are available in most different denominations that might be necessary to make up the postage required to send out mail.

Express Mail: These are generally stamps useful for postal mail that should get there in a very small amount of time. Presently there are usually envelopes for this kind of purpose containing the postage necessary.

Military; The Military of nations around the world have its own accepted postage stamp to put on the mail that many people send.

Official: Mainly government departments and bureaus may use these stamps that will be from the actual governing bodies of all countries around the world.

Materials used for this candy gift basket: an Easter bucket, "Dum-Dum" pops or other
lollipops, decorative Easter grass, curling ribbons of different colors, floral foam for
silk arranging, a stuffed bunny, chocolate bunnies, stem wire, glue dots or scotch tape,
wired decorative Easter eggs (I bought them in Michaels Craft store), and Easter ribbon.

1. Take an Easter bucket and fill it 5/6 full of Easter plastic grass.

2. Cut the floral foam for silk flower arranging and put it on the top of the Easter
decorative grass so it fits into the container firmly. Cut and insert filler pieces of
foam as necessary. If the foam is loose in the bucket, you can secure it to the walls of
the bucket with some floral sticky clay.

Or you can buy foam in the shape of a flat circle, cut it to the desired size and insert
it into the bucket.

3. Cover the foam with Easter grass securing it with floral pins as necessary.

4. Set the toy Easter Bunny in the back of the bucket. If the bunny does not want to sit,
you can attach a piece of a bamboo skewer to the back of the toy using a piece of clear
scotch tape. The bunny is held in place with the piece of skewer inserted in the foam.

5. Make some candy flowers.

a) You will need "Dum-Dum Pops" or other lollipops and curling ribbons of different
colors.

b) Take a "Dum-Dum" pop and a piece of matching curling ribbon. Tie a small bow at the
base of the pop (where the stick and the pop meet).

c) Using scissors curl the loose ends of the ribbon.

d) That is it. One candy flower is ready. Make several candy flowers of each color and
flavor.

6. Insert pops in light and dark green wrappers all around the edge of the bucket. Then
insert the rest of the pops around the bunny.

7. The next step is to add the chocolate bunnies to the arrangement.

a) You will need chocolate bunnies, 16 or 18 ga stem wire, and packing tape or scotch
tape.

b) Attach the stem wire to the back of chocolate bunnies with scotch tape or packing
tape. To stabilize the chocolate bunnies on the stem wire, put a zigzag bend in the wire.

c) Insert the wired chocolate bunnies at the back of the bucket behind the toy bunny.

8.
a) Take wired decorative Easter eggs and Easter narrow ribbon.

b) Tie an Easter bow around these Easter eggs and insert them in the foam so they will be
in the bunny's hands as though he is holding them.

Enjoy your Easter Candy Arrangement!

Summer decorating is a wonderful time to lighten up the colors and fabrics in your home. While you may not be able to decorate every room, there are numerous ways to add summer flair. You can decorate with a summer theme such as fruit (apples, strawberries, grapes), flowers (roses, carnations, daisies), or seaside nautical in addition to following some of the ideas listed below.

1. Replace heavy drapery with light sheers. The sheers provide an airy appeal while letting in the sunshine. If removing your existing drapery is not an option, consider changing just the valance and tiebacks to a lighter color. Another option is to use grapevine wreaths, strands of beads, artificial flowers, or decorative ribbons as your tiebacks or swag holders.

2. Store away items that are not useful in the summer such as blankets, throws, and heavy quilts.

3. Lighten up the color of your sofa by placing a slipcover on it or replacing your dark colored pillows with lighter colors.

4. Place light colored slipcovers on your all-wood dining room or kitchen chairs.

5. To add a lighter summer touch to your dark wood tables, use white lace or doilies as runners or tablecloths.

6. If you have a heavy bedspread, considering replacing it with a lightweight linen blanket.

7. Bring in the outdoors by adding fresh flowers in vases or baskets to counters, tabletops, and nightstands.

8. Add summer accessories around your home such as birdhouses, sea shells, bowls of fruits or vegetables, and summer reading materials.

9. If you have dark lampshades, replace them with lighter ones.

10. Repaint a dark hallway in your favorite hue such as buttery yellow, a creamy tan, or a fresh apple green.

11. Display a grouping of floral plates on a wall, hutch, or fireplace mantle.

12. Clean out the ashes in your fireplace and fill the firebox with a large artificial fern or a basket of colorful flowers.

13. Place twigs in tall vases and set on each side of the fireplace mantle.

14. To add summer whimsy to your bathrooms, hang lightweight fabric shower curtains printed with ladybugs, bees, flowers, or palm trees. Display matching hand towels and rugs to continue the summer theme.

15. Change the layout of your furniture to give your rooms a fresh, new look.

Decorating your home for the summer does not have to be complicated or cost a lot of money. As you can see from the ideas listed above, a new lamp shade, adding new fabrics, or changing the paint color of a room can breathe new life into your interior design. So, have fun and use your imagination to bring some fresh new looks into your home for the summer season.

You love feeding the birds. It is fascinating to watch and see what kinds of creatures you can bring to your yard. Now, you want to learn how to build a bird feeder yourself so you can get extra satisfaction from bird watching.

Learning how to build a bird feeder is a fun project for the whole family. It can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. You can make a bird feeder from pinecones, peanut butter, and seeds. Just spread peanut butter all over the pinecone and roll it in the seeds. You can also make a bird feeder out of milk jugs and bottles. You can also string popcorn and hang it from a tree.

Perhaps the most common bird feeder style is the standard wooden bird feeder that looks like a house. While this is a bit more complicated to construct than the other styles, it doesn't require advanced skills. All you need is some wood, something to cut the wood, hammer, and nails. Before you get started, you may want to find a pattern that will help you. You also may want to stain the pieces before you get started. Or you can leave the wood looking natural. You can get your children involved with the tasks that don't involve power tools. For example, after the house is constructed, you can give it to them to decorate. If they are older, you can teach them how to use some of the tools.

When you build a bird feeder as a family, it can be a bonding experience. You can either choose a simple style or one that is a little more complicated. If you choose to make a more complicated feeder, involve your children as much as possible without putting their safety in danger.

Making handmade decorations for your home is easy. This is another way of giving your home a makeover without spending too much. As long as you have the right materials, you can make these handmade charms provide new life to your home.

- Come up with a budget that will work with your plans. Since you will make handmade decorations, check if the materials you will use won't burn a hole in your wallet.

- Select the area that needs decorating. Making handmade decorations are fun, but to make it less overwhelming, you need to do it by area. Working by area helps maintain your momentum.

- The first thing you have to do is to come up with a pattern for your handmade decors. If there's a theme or an occasion, you can work around it to be able to come up with interesting home handmade charms. Don't know where to start yet? You can go online in search for an inspiration. You can even go outside and look around for ideas.

- Inspiration can be found everywhere; the same thing can apply when you look for your materials. You can purchase the materials of your handmade charms at local craft stores. The tools you need will depend on how big and intricate your handmade decorations will be.

- Once you are able to come up with a design, make a pattern out of it. Since you will work with a lot of handmade decorations, to avoid any confusion during the work process, a pattern will help serve as a guide. Make many patterns as you can. You can make a prototype or you can trace your design using a tracing paper. Choose which best works for you. After tracing your design, it's time to work on your handmade charms.

When I first saw a knitting loom all I thought was "what a waste of time". Later I bought one for my granddaughter and she began to make hats on it. This was all well and good for a child but I saw no use for it as an adult.

I already knew how to knit by hand and machine, also I crocheted so this just looked like a toy to me. My sisters bought some looms and were busy making hats for the shelters. I paid little attention to them until they seemed to be having so much fun. I than bought a cheap set of looms just so I could join them in their fun. I soon realized that a hat could be completed in a fraction of the time it took me to hand knit one. Yes I could knit it on the machine faster but you don't haul a knitting machine to your sisters when the gals are just getting together for a bit.

Still I thought ok this is fine for knitting hats but that was all I saw them doing. So naturally I had to start fooling around and to see what I could make up besides hats and scarves.

I was pleasantly surprised with what could be done on these very basic looms. But the cost of buying a rake or board loo is out of the reach for a lot of people. So I sat down with my son in law and we got talking about how to make a loom.

With a smoothly sanded board and some cotter pins you could make a knitting loom any size or gauge you decide you want. The fine gauge looms are more expensive than the regular gauge so it is beneficial to make your own. You need to space the pins at ¾ inch for a regular loom. With this loom you need to use two strands of yarn. Place the pegs ½ inch apart and you can knit a nice baby blanket with one strand of 4-ply yarn.

That is when we came up with the Po' Folks loom. It can be made in any size, round or straight. The most important things to remember about a knitting loom or rake knitting is that the wood needs to be smooth and the pegs at equal distance whether large gauge or small.

So even if you are using a homemade knitting loom you can make beautiful hats, scarves, slippers, afghans, sweaters, booties and so much more. Do not limit yourself as I did, try them and find out just how much fun they can be.

Face painting is something which children love. It is fun and exciting for them. This is a very good way of amusing children in birthday parties where each kid can have a unique design of their own painted on their faces. Organize your kid's next birthday with the event of face painting and watch it turn into a huge success. Probably you may be asked to do something similar for another kid's party as well.

  You can start face painting by practicing initially on a piece of paper. Draw a face and then start playing with the colors. To begin with, try simple designs like flowers and leaves and then gradually moving onto slightly difficult designs as it may not be easy if you start with complicated ones. Once you feel confident then start painting the faces of your family, your children, neighbors and anyone who is ready to let you experiment.

  Since these face painting kits are non-toxic and non allergic, it is suitable for the sensitive skin of children. You do not have to worry that your kid may break out into a rash. If your kid is young you can try some cute designs on the cheek like butterflies and flowers. See the immense joy they get when they see themselves in the mirror.

You can even make little stars by painting the whole face with dark blue and the stars in shining silver color. You can even use a little glitter for that special effect. If the kids are bigger in age you can go in for their favorite animal designs. So next time you can paint the cute bunny onto your kid's face for his school concert. The kid whose face you have painted like a cat's will not cease meowing and making everyone crazy.  

You can even go in for those full face butterfly painting jobs where you can use the different colors to make the wings on either sides of the face. You can add a little glitter to the wings and antenna as well. Have you ever tried drawing a cartoon face on a kid? They just love it and you will be famous in their circle. With the face painting kits you can create a Tom and Jerry, a Mickey and Minnie Mouse. You can even pair them up and have a blast.  

During Halloween watch your popularity grows among the kids. You need to have the face painting kits and supplies like several types of brushes and sponges. The brushes can be of varied types for thick lines, for thin lines and for special effects also like cut marks or bruises. Some kids love superheroes like Batman and Spiderman. Just watch the response when you paint their faces resembling that of their favorite characters.

There is no limit to the number of ideas you can create. You can take tips from the various online sites and even refer to some books which will give you great creative ideas. Use your imagination and let your face painting kits give you the results.

Are you feeling extra crafty this holiday season? Homemade gifts are meaningful and show that you took the time to make something special for your loved ones and friends-best of all, they can be inexpensive. Crocheted items such as baby hats, scarves, and mittens are useful, homey gifts that people can enjoy for many holiday seasons to come.

A crochet baby hat is an especially thoughtful gift for your friends with newborn babies. The best thing about making your own hats is that you can personalize them however you want. Once you've made one hat, you can follow that same pattern to make a couple hats in different colors. After they're all crocheted, you can add special embellishments such as a flower or pompom.

Before you can begin making all of your cute homemade gifts, you need to learn to crochet. Learning how to crochet is easy, as long as you have the right materials and proper instructions. First, make sure you have a ball of yarn and not skeins of yarn; a ball will get tangled less easily and it will give you better tension. Next, you'll need the right size of hooks. Beginner crocheters tend to work either too tight or too loosely. If your work is too tight, use a larger hook; if it is too loose, choose a smaller hook. Once you begin a project with a certain hook, consistently use that hook for the entire project, or you may get different sizes of stitches. Practice making stitches with easy pattern guides, and once you feel confident you can begin making your gifts.

After making a few different items such as a scarf, a baby hat, or mittens, you'll feel more confident and you can move onto more complex projects.

One silk flower is not like ever other silk flower, they are all as unique as the quality of wine. I can remember 50 years ago creating zinnias and roses from crepe paper and thinking, I had created the utmost flower ever but in fact, the only things remarkable about my early "flowers" were their individuality. This was the beginning of my love of flowers and it did not matter to me, at that time, their poor quality. In the 1960's crepe paper flowers gave way to colored thin foam sheets which only increased there durability by not fading as quickly as crepe paper.

It is stated that the Chinese mastered the skills of working with silk more then 5000 years ago and in turn created the elaborate silk floral replicas. As early as the twelfth century, Marco Polo brought the art crafts to the Italians who began making artificial flowers and in the 14th century, the French continued to improve the quality of both fabrics and fabric flowers that they became know as the best.

Manufacturers have tired to recreate the beauty of perishable flowers and the mass production of the "plastic flower", kept the interest in artificial flowers at an unusually low point in history. The term "permanent botanicals" became the term most florist used for silk and other artificial flowers for many years.

Most flowers are now from the cotton/polyester blend fabrics that hold color dyes, retain their textures and display well, exceeding any manufactured product from the past. Today's flowers are magnificently real that to look at them from a distance one could never tell the authentic from a silk that you almost have to touch them to distinguish from nature's own. I challenge you to walk into a hotel lobby or a fine restaurant and see if you can tell the difference from a silk floral arrangement or the real plant. Some high quality flowers are hand painted to give that illusion of real blooms and stems.

Silk flowers are so well crafted one would never guess the authenticity. These beauties captivate me and I have to step close to touch them to see if they are in fact real. I have seen silk floral arrangements designed with a mix of silk flowers and leaves with real plants and I cannot tell the difference, I commend the florist designer their creativity.

In a world of internet commerce it is hard to find a product that is both affordable to sell and inexpensive to purchase. One internet marketing niche that is profitable is hair accessories. But there are many types of hair accessories out on the market from hair ties, hair bows, head bands, to hair extensions. Crochet headbands are one of the easiest products to use to diversify your product selection and increase profits.

You may be asking yourself how crochet headbands will boost your business and increase profits. Well there are a lot of reasons why crochet headbands are a valuable commodity to have in your store or online business.

For one, they are easily purchased in bulk. There are many internet companies selling these wonderful hair accessories at wholesale prices and in a multitude of colors. You may therefore buy several crochet headbands for an amazingly affordable price and sell them at retail prices to your customers.

In addition, crochet headbands are both fashionable and comfortable. And best of all, this product is a good fit for all age ranges; from infants, to toddlers, to teenagers, to adults. As a bow maker, it is important to market a multitude of age ranges. Without headbands, mothers of infant girls may take a quick look at your product and leave if headbands are not available because your products will not be wearable for their children.

Crochet headbands are a favorite hair accessory among women and young girls for its versatility, its style, and its functionality. Having these headbands available opens up your product market to all age ranges. A newborn girl may also wear a headband to keep her head and ears warm. Or a young girl may wear it to keep stray baby hairs out of her face. And women may wear it during busy days or strenuous work outs. They are stretchy, colorful, and well made. These headbands also give you the ability to decorate them and directly attach flowers and hair bows to them, increasing your product selection significantly. So it's a product that's incredibility marketable for your hair bow business.

In order to properly choose a wholesaler for crochet headbands, quality must be considered. We recommend purchasing a small number of headbands initially. It is important to check the seams for durability and correct threading. Also, the weave of the headband should be considered. Some headbands are flatter and others are loopy and lush, which is generally preferred by customers. The softness of the headband is also an important factor to consider.

Crochet headbands made at high heats are harder while the headbands made at lower heats produce softer headbands. So make sure to look into reliable wholesalers of hair accessories before your buy. One great wholesaler of hair accessories and hair bows is http://www.houseofribbon.com. They sell at reasonable prices and give discounts to wholesalers. They sell ribbon, hair accessories, and craft supplies; everything you need to boost your brick and mortar store.

Flower arranging has become increasingly popular as a hobby, for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Have you ever put flowers in a vase and they just don't sit right? By learning a few basic principles you will be able to create attractive floral designs for your own home.

Flowers add the finishing touch to any room. Imagine the pleasure you will get by being able to make a lovely flower arrangement for your entrance hall or a floral centrepiece for the dining room table.

Flower arrangements make the perfect gift for so many different occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, get well wishes, or to simply say "I care".

Unlike many other hobbies, you don't need a lot of expensive equipment. You can often use flowers and foliage from your own garden or you can buy some inexpensive flowers. Once you learn how to position flowers and foliage correctly, you can quickly make eye catching floral designs. You can also create floral designs using silk flowers. There are some very natural looking silk flowers available, and you will be able to make lasting floral designs.

Imagine the thrill of being able toi create beautiful floral designs and being able to say "I made it myself".

The benefits of learning flower arranging are many -

Flower arranging is creative and fun

Relaxing. It's a great stress reducer

Interesting. Flower arranging is never boring

You will have a sense of achievement by learning a new skill

You will save money by making your own floral designs

Discover the exciting world of flower arranging. We teach you step-by-step how to make professional looking flower arrangements. It's easy once we show you how. Flower arranging is very interesting. There are so many different varieties of flowers available. In our flower arranging classes you will learn how to use flowers to their best advantage and how to create many different styles of floral arrangements.

Home study flower arranging courses are available.

Copyright ©1996-Present Fay Chamoun, all worldwide rights reserved.

Decorating your window boxes for the various holidays, are a great way to spice up your look year round. There are many different holiday ideas for window boxes to consider and some can be used for numerous holidays. The idea is to build around a focal point or theme for your window box. Don't be afraid to be bold, a window box is a great way to express your individuality and set the bar for your neighbors to keep pace:

Valentine's Day. Surprise you wife with a window box filled with red and white roses. Combine with heart shaped foil bursts, cupids or giant chocolate wrappers to add an additional element.

Easter. Start with a wicker basket filled with a variety of decorative eggs. Complete with an assortment of spring flowers, such as tulips, rose and irises, in any combination of colors like yellow, green, white, pink and purple.

Memorial Day. On this day of remembrance, center around a perma porcelain frame artwork or a laser etched memorial plaque, of a loved one lost serving our beloved country. Red poppies are considered the Memorial Day flower and would be a wonderful way to finish off your Memorial day window box.

Independence Day. Focus around a symbol of freedom, such as the Statue of Liberty, centered in your window box. Try to incorporate some flowers such as touch-me-nots and alliums, or even Jamaica capers. Some of the species of these flowers can give the illusion of fireworks, and that you are celebrating your independence right in your flower box. Other flower ideas could include a variety of red, white and blue geraniums or petunias.

Labor Day. This holiday marks the beginning of football season. What better way to decorate your window box that with your teams' mascot and colors. Try adding team memorabilia, matching flowers, or hanging color coordinated garland around the outside of the box for added décor.

Halloween. Try centering your windowbox around a haunted house combined with various flowers such as orange and black pansies. You may even decide you want to add some faux spider webs or speakers playing scary music, for added spook effect.

Veteran's Day. Getting away from using traditional red, white and blue colors, for this holiday try a Marines themed window box. Center on a US Marine logo license plate and complete by filling in your window box with sparaxis tricolor flowers. This is a beautiful flower where each bulb contains three colors, including one that is red, black and yellow. Try rotating different armed forces each year.

Thanksgiving. Create a harvest themed windowbox centered on a variety of fruits and vegetable, such as pumpkins, squash, and corn, spilling out of a cornucopia. Complete with steams of wheat, a variety of wild flowers and fall leaves.

Hanukah. A menorah would be a good centerpiece to base our theme around. This window box could be filled with winter iris flowers. Add some dreidels and silver coins as added décor idea.

Christmas. A Christmas tree or Santa Claus would be great focal points for this window box. Fill you box with holly or poinsettias. Little presents and/or lights would add a little flash. A few other ideas could include bells, reindeer, candy canes, stockings, and icicles.

New Years Day. Use one or two champagne bottles to set the tone for your window boxes. Complement with a combination of mixed flowers, such as lilies, hydrangeas and roses, in various shades of creme and whites. Also try to incorporate some silver ribbons for added flare.

Whichever holiday ideas you use to decorate your windowboxes remember to always keep it fresh and exciting, good luck!

This is one of our bible school crafts that the kids love doing and it is great fun. The kids make a "Wedding Invitation" card with the invitation on the one side of the card and the Bible verse on the other side. Our "Invitation To A Wedding" craft is for the kids that are a little older and who knows what a wedding invitation looks like, and that are able to write the invitations as well as the bible verse at the back.

The Bible Verse: Joh. 2:11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

What you need for this bible school craft:

Good quality paper to cut the cards from Thick glue Paint brush to brush the glue on with Different colors confetti Black felt tipped pens A ruler A pencil
What you will need for variation one:

Small pictures of flowers Small pictures of wedding bells
What you will need for variation two:

Good quality glossy paint Paint brushes
How to do this craft:

Cut cards from the poster paper to the size of a large wedding invitation card. Draw a broad border with the pencil and ruler around the one side of the card. Write an invitation to a wedding in the middle of the card on the side that you drew the border on. Write the bible verse on the other side of the card. Paint the border that you drew with the tick glue and sprinkle the confetti on to completely caver the border. Leave the card to dry for at least an hour.
Variations:

In stead of the confetti the border can also be made "collage" style with small pictures of flowers and wedding bells cut from magazines. Another variation, if the kids are older and a little more artistic, is for the kids to decorate the border by painting a decorative design on it.

This bible school craft is one of the bible school crafts that give the kids something really beautiful to take home as a keepsake. It might be a good idea to make a decorated box at the beginning of the school, for the kids to keep all the crafts in that they want to keep for taking home.

Dried flowers have been used decoratively since prehistoric times. Early Japanese art used pressed flowers and leaves to create scenes of landscapes and gardens. Pressing flowers flat while drying them, however, seems to have become popular in Western culture during the Renaissance (14th-17thcenturies). This was a time of rebirth for the arts and the sciences, and botany, the study of plants, became a popular hobby. Plant classifications were developed and soon even amateurs were pressing and cataloging the herbs and flowers in their gardens. The Victorians, of course, raised it to an artform.

Today, pressed flowers can be beautiful natural decorations for notecards, greeting cards, scrapbook pages and other crafts. Yes, you can buy a commercial flower press, if you think you are going to get into pressing in a big way. For the rest of us who want to press flowers occasionally, there is this simple "home-made" version method.

Pick several delicate flowers at the peak of their bloom, as well as some leaves.Lay a piece of blotting paper on top of several sheets of newspaper on a flat surface. (For very succulent flowers, use more newspaper to absorb the moisture).Place the flowers and leaves on the blotting paper without overlapping them.Cover them with another sheet of blotting paper and several more sheets of newspaper.Place heavy books, phone books, or a bowling ball on top.Let sit for 3-4 weeks in a cool, dry place. Check the flowers every few days for the first week, and once a week after that. With tweezers, carefully peel the flowers from the blotting paper and reposition them to prevent them from adhering. Replace the newspapers at the same time.After four weeks, the flowers should be stiff and dry and the paper should feel dry. If not, leave them for another week.Now, your dried, pressed flowers are ready to embellish greeting and note cards, scrapbook pages, or other crafts. Use tweezers to handle and position them on your surface. When you like your arrangement, glue them down with white glue using a small paintbrush, being sure to glue all edges. As they dry, press them under a piece of wax paper and a heavy book for a day to prevent curling. You can protect your final work with a spray of clear polyurethane, a coat of decoupage medium, or laminating.

There is a quicker, easier method for making pressed flowers using your home microwave oven - if you are "pressed" for time!

With Christmas right around the corner you may be looking for some new decorations for you home or office. Or some crepe paper flower decorations you can make with the kids this holiday season.

Paper flowers can be a wonderful way to decorate your home, inside and out. You may be wondering how a paper flower is going to be a great decoration. The answer is simple - have you ever seen a Christmas tree made from a crepe paper flower? They are so easy to make you will want to make them for all your family members and friends.

How about a crepe paper snowflake? It is probably easier to imagine what one of these flowers looks like.

Aside from a little imagination you will need a few supplies, a book on how to make paper flowers, one that includes step-by-step instructions and a picture of the finished flower is the best kind of book to have. You will also need an assortment of crepe paper of course you will want red and green and what ever other colors you like. For the snowflake flower you might want white crepe paper or a light pastel color. You will also need a pair of scissors, a ruler, and some clear drying glue to get you started. Any additional items you will need will be listed in the book.

Christmas Tree Flower - Technically this is a flower but we will refer to it as a Christmas tree. The first thing you will want to do is choose a flower the flower will be the top of the tree (just like an angel or a colored wreath you would set on top of your real tree.) You will need floral wire and tape for this project a heavy gauge wire. Decide what flower you want let's say for example a rose. A rosebud is a good choice because the flowers are medium size and the actual rosebud will not be so large that it tips the tree over.

Decide how tall you want your tree to be then cut your wire according adding a few extra inches. You will need to make enough of the leaves to fill in the tree section say 24 leaves for a 12inch tree. Attach the leaves to the stem and see how "full" it is, if you want it fuller then simply make more leaves and fill in any gaps. Your rosebud will be the treetop. You may want to pick up a small piece of green Styrofoam to insert the bottom of the stem in first; this will keep the tree flower steady as you attach the leaves and eventually the rosebud. You can dress your tree crepe paper flower up with a few tiny plastic Christmas ornaments from a craft store or a thin piece of Christmas garland.

Snowflake Flower - For this project you will of course need a book for instructions, crepe paper and floral wire and tape. As well as the other household tools mentioned for the Christmas tree flower.

The snowflake flower is very easy to make. Choose some leaves that you like and make them. Then using a piece of crepe paper make a snowflake and attach it to the top/front of the stem. You can also use a green piece of Styrofoam to insert the stem into. The snowflake can be any size, shape or color you like. These snowflake crepe paper flowers also make a great garland for doorways, fireplaces, and to hang on the Christmas tree!

You can turn almost any Christmas decoration into a crepe paper flower Christmas decoration!

A technique used to add beads to fabric on everything from formal wear, to everyday wear, to shoes to home décor, bead embroidery opens up a whole new world of possibilities for both beading and embroidery artisans and enthusiasts.

Used extensively throughout history to decorate the clothes of emperors, kings, and nobles, the thread used to embroider these stitches was of silk, silver or gold. The beads they used were often made of precious or semi-precious stones, with pearls being particularly popular and plentiful.

The popularity of beaded clothes, accessories and home décor items has increased during the first part of the 21st Century, and continues to remain popular. Not just for nighttime anymore, beads are showing up on daytime clothes, as well as purses, gloves, boots, shoes, and hair accessories, as well as jewelry.

More eco-conscious artisans, crafters, and hobbyists are recycling or upcycling used and vintage clothing. The revamping of these items often includes the addition of bead embroidery to either enhance an existing feature of the newly refurbished garment, or to create a new feature or embellishment on the garment.

The technique involves one of three approaches: sew beads in strategic or prominent places within an existing design to add sparkle and shine, enhance regular embroidery stitches with beads, or create embroidery stitches with beads.

In the first approach, simply add single beads or clusters of beads to highlight details of a print fabric or strategically placed along seams, hems or edges of solid-colored items. Add beads to the centers of flowers in a floral print, or highlight just one other aspect of the particular print. On solid-colored fabrics, beads in contrasting or the same colors should be added following the lines of the garment, as a highlighting feature. One of the best ways to do this is to add them to the neckline of a top or dress.

If you like to embroider and want to add sparkle and shine to your stitchery, add a few strategically placed beads to your design. Use them sparingly in this application, seeking to highlight and enhance your embroidery with the addition of the beads. Try to consistently highlight the same aspect of the design, such as the tips of flowers, or their centers, or some other aspect of the stitched embellishment.

One way of creating traditional embroidery stitches entirely of beads is to string the required number of beads to make each phase of the stitch, and then stitch that phase before moving on to the next phase of the stitch. Or each bead can be individually sewn onto the fabric in its proper position to ultimately form the beaded version of the embroidery stitch.

Bead embroidery remains a popular craft for artisans and hobbyists alike.

Copyright Sharon Shares, 2011

What come to your mind when you hear the word flowers, yes splendid colors mixed in one and refreshing to say the least. Be it real flowers that grow in your garden on the the neighborhood park or even artificial ones that are available in multiple colors and also prints.

With all the different colors and aura they come with can help lighten the mood of the most distressed too. Flowers lighten my mood too. And the fact that I know crocheting it allows me to make stupendous craft things with flower theme like fashion accessories for my beautiful daughter, which she can wear outdoors, and hat pins as well. Such designer flowers are rather easy to craft provided you have knowledge of Crochet.

If you can find time to surf the net you will be able to find website that provide online tutorial for easy crochet flower. There are many websites or blogs out there on the internet which should provide you great content and tips on this subject alone.

Here I shall teach you how you can make a simple yet attractive crochet flower.

You can start with a plain crochet hook and 2-3 colors of yarn. Why yarn? This thing can be made with threads too but I simply prefer yarn. Ensure that the dimension of the yarn is fitting well with hook size. Take your first color and use chain six.

Revert to chain number one and do a dc and next go to chain two. Do this time and again and put all these into chain number one. You have eight spokes in hand. Attach the circle with sl st in chain number 3 at your left (this is chain 3 from first spoke) Now build (sc, ch 1, 2 dc, ch 1, sc) and then attach all arches you have made. In this way you learnt to make a petal.

Do this in all eight arches and this will give you your 1st flower. Attach a sl st with 1st sc on the 1st petal. Rotate the flower. Pick another color of your choice, and then create a slipknot and place a crochet hook beneath the color spoke and then draw the 2nd color yarn through.

You are left with two stitches on the hook, draw the hook besides to create one. Chain number six & work a dc through subsequent spoke, chains number three. Redo this dc, chain number three on every spoke. Now create a sl st through 3rd chain of the 1st row that you have already done.

Now turn it to its flip side on right hand side. Place the 1st color petals a little ahead and then do (sc, chain 1, 3 dc, chain 1, sc) above every arch. Put together sl st through 1st sc. Cast off.

With this your flower is prepared. Applying similar steps you can create 2,3,4 or even 5 with have different or similar colors. With every new whirls the flower size will grow bigger. So make one the way that you really want to do.

Its fun to prepare crochet designs. It's as fun and exciting for a beginner as to an expert crothetier. "CROCHET" the word comes with a lot of potential of creativeness and possibility to explore designs laterally.

The crochet craft can be used to make anything, almost everything; both the thread and hook can be used creatively to make things like scarves, bandanas, pullovers, Hats, gloves, dresses, jewelry and many more accessories.

Just think about it and most probably a crocheted form of it should exist and if not you are in for a new concept, that's creativity!. Creativity, now that is a term that we often come across but most often we neglect it as if we were alien to it.

Everyone has the potential to be creative and it is not limited to some people only, you start being creative the moment you do things yourself and then gradually as you can mix your ideas by implementing them in a particular fashion you can call yourself creative. There are many online resources in the form of website that offer various designs and patterns that can be made.

My destination shall be http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com central.com for the simple reason that's its database of designs is the largest I have came across and the best I would say. It can surely keep you occupied for the next 3 years.

Now what makes me think so, let me explain it has a wide range of hat patterns to offer , lets count it to reach to figure, It's Difficult to be a Green Hat,Instant Enjoyment Hat, Lacey Casey Cap, It Striped Me Funky Hat, J.T.'s Favorite Stitch Chemo Cap, Julie's Fulled Cap, Cool Rock Ski-Beanie, "Mushroom" Cap, Kinky Reggae Hat, Jacqueline Modern Flapper Bonnet, Kalispell Hat, Lace Cap Kitty Cat Hat, Lace Juliet Cap, Kathleen Contemporary Flapper Hat, Kitty, 4 Star Cloche, 3-Way Cap and and list goes on!!!! Actually the most valuable resource I came across.

But before you involve yourself in a difficult project you should ensure that the basics are clear in terms of the technique and accessories used like the knitting process and its application on fabrics.

Take one thing at a time and do not hurry to get things right on your first attempt, have a picture of the design in mind and then try it out practically when your are satisfied then take the next step towards completing your project.

Some other basic of the process include chain making, single crochet or a slip stitch Be sure that you know the art to make solitary crochet or slip, chain, trebling, a double treble, braid with double treble, half treble, buttonholes (Both vertical and horizontal), chevron strips, decreasing, increasing, scallop edge and chevron pattern (arches, angles, triple treble, twisted switch, lattice switch, liitle leaf, little leaf, up and down, raised basket weave, crab, cluster, picot leaf, picot lace, steps,) Afghan or Tunisian crochet is a different field.

Joining a training program is good idea as well. Internet sites provide such training manuals as well. Once you are done with your basics try your hand on these free websites for further resources they can keep you occupied for quite some time.

There are many different types of paper which can be used for making paper flowers. For instance Pith paper which is smooth and white as a bone, it comes from the pith of the Tetrapanax papyriferum plant (Hook). This plant remained a mystery for years until samples of the pith paper were carried back to England to be studied by Botanists among them Sir William J. Hooker, hence the nickname (Hook). In the 1950's a living specimen of this plant was exported to England. It originated in the swampy forest of China and Taiwan where it is referred to as "tung-tsao" which means "hollow-plant", "toong-tsao" or "bok-shung" and has been used for making artificial flowers and decorations for centuries however, it became popular in the eighteen hundreds as a surface for watercolors paintings.

In order to produce the Pith paper, the boughs have to be boiled and freed from bark and the cut up core of the pith is then rolled on a hard flat surface against a knife, where it is cut into thin sheets of fine ivory-like material. The white sheets are used mainly for watercolor surfaces and the dyed sheets are used solely for the use of creating artificial flowers.

Mulberry is used to make the paper which is commonly mistaken for Rice Paper but is not actually made from Rice at all but from fibers of the bark of the Mulberry Tree. It was called Rice Paper because it was used to make packets for rice. The fiber comes from the bark of the tree and not from the pith or inner wood and the paper is traditionally made solely by hand. This type of paper is also known as (washi, kozo, gampi or mitsumata) depending on which type of Mulberry Tree is used to make it. The branches are harvested in the fall so the fiber is processed and the paper formed during the winter months, because the fiber goes bad in the heat.

Paper flowers can also be made from Tissue Paper, which is the easiest and cheapest paper to work with on these projects. Tissue paper comes in different grades and colors so there is quite a variety to choose from. For example you have tissue paper napkins, toilet tissue paper and paper towels which are also made of a stronger type of tissue and which comes in different patterns and colors making for brighter and more colorful flowers. It is so simple to use that even young children can make paper flowers with them, without much adult supervision. Another type of paper is Cupcake Wrappers, which is a sort of grease proof paper, which is also easy to manage and suitable for small children. Cupcake Wrappers are usually used to make cupcake flowers and Cupcake Corsages.

Whether you are an expert or beginner at crocheting, beanies can be a load of fun to make. Beanies make great presents for you and for others. Nevertheless, they will keep your head warm. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Skills Needed: Knowledge of basic crochet stitches is a plus, however isn't necessary. You can always learn as you make the beanie. There are great internet sites and books that provide patterns for beanies and teach you to crochet at the same time.

Materials: All you need is a crochet hook and yarn. It does not matter the size of the hook or yarn, since beanies come in all sorts of designs. Note that some beanie patterns may require you to use a particular weight of yarn and hook size in order to create the exact size of the beanie in the pattern. Remember to create the gauge swatch if there is one provided in the pattern. Since everyone crochets differently, you may need to choose a hook that is smaller or larger than the hook specified to obtain the right gauge.

Crocheting the Beanie: To crochet a beanie there are many different crochet patterns that you can learn and explore. The basic idea is to start by making the top of the beanie by crocheting multiple stitches into a circular shape. Then the number of stitches is slowly increased each time you crochet around the circle to form the shape of the beanie. Once the crocheted beanie is as wide as you want it, keep crocheting without increasing the width. Continue to crochet in circles around the rim of your beanie until it is the length that you desire.

When babies are born, the body is very sensitive from the heat and the cold. To make sure that the infant is protected at all times, getting clothes that have double stitching can really help.

Since most of the clothes are cotton or made of thicker fabric, clothes with crochet patterns will do the trick and make the baby look fashionable in the outdoors.

Some good designs for the baby could be represented in the form of farm animals. An example could be a little lamb, a rabbit and a chick. Others could be about nature in the form of a flower that symbolize the birth and growth of the infant.

The baby can have clothes from top to bottom using crochet patterns. The hat can be entirely covered in using a single color then a few things can be added on the sides. The most common even for adults is having lines, shapes or other figures along the sides. A design on the top like a star or circles will also make it stand out.

The person should also give the baby gloves but should choose strong fabric that will not tear away easily and is inhaled by the infant.

The top can be like a cape or a sweater to give added warmth for the baby. Giving it some double stitching and perhaps using multi-colored fabric is a good idea making it unique. The bottom for the baby can also be made using light and dark colors. This should also be thick to give protection from the temperature outside.

Crochet patterns are not only limited on the clothes for the baby. This can also be used to accessorize the things that are used. A good example is the milk bottle. Some plain color stitching can make it easier to hold and not slip when it is used to feed the infant.

Since the baby is covered from head to toe, crochet patterns can also be made for the socks. The person should first measure the feet of the infant then after drawing it on paper, can start working on it. There should be some allowance perhaps a size bigger so that the infant may still use this for more than a year.

To complete the collection from clothes to all the other baby essentials, the person can also make a wash cloth using crochet patterns. This is easy to make since special add-ons are not necessary to make it work. The holes in between can be big or small and depends entirely on the taste of the parent.

As the baby grows older, other things can be made. A very good example is the swimsuit. A lot of these ideas are used for older women and if these people can do it, so can the baby. Infants can have this in bright colors with creatures like a fish on it.

Sweaters and a hat can now have better designs which will be very similar to the versions of grown-ups.

The parent has the option to buy these ready made crochet patterns in the mall or do it in the comforts of home. There are many instructional books and designs that can be downloaded free from the internet to make this happen.

This task will be easy if the person has done some cross-stitching in the past. The instructions given are very similar and with a little practice, this can be done right away.

The materials for this project can be purchased at the specialty store that sells threads of different widths and different colors. Some are multicolored which will make it easy for the person to finish it faster. This place also has needles of various lengths to be used for the job.

Crochet patterns for babies are cute. All it takes is for the person to be imaginative and look at some material to have an idea on how to make it. The clothes and other accessories are just smaller versions that people normally do which will cut the production time.

By taking the time to sit down and do it, the parent will have a wardrobe for baby that is unique and provides warmth as well.

The early development of the craft of crochet is linked to the imitation of lace and lace making.

The word crochet comes from the French 'croche' or 'croc' meaning to hook.

In the 16th century nuns taught the craft to their students and it became a recognised accomplishment of a high-born lady. Crochet was considered to be suitable only for the rich with the poorer people having knitted items.

In the 1840s crochet instructions began to be published and so crochet became more popular. Before this time crochet had been handed down through families with each generation passing on the skills.

Many older patterns contained just a picture with just a few of the more complicated sections explained, as a consequence you were expected to work from the picture for the majority of the pattern!

Irish crochet is often considered to be crocheting at its highest expression and is done with the finest thread and hooks in intricate patterns, usually displaying a motif of leaves or flowers set in an open web-like background.

When trying to imitate lace very fine threads and hooks were used but nowadays it is more usual to use soft yarns to produce clothing, home furnishings and wall displays.

How to Crochet

When you begin to crochet you start with a slip stitch on a hook. However, unlike knitting, crochet uses this single starting loop to work a row of individual chain stitches. So each new loop is formed by catching the yarn and drawing it through the previous loop.

Then you work back along this series of chain stitches, each new stitch being looped through a stitch in the previous row.

Each stitch is completed when only a single loop remains on your crochet hook, and then the next stitch is worked. Although this may sound complicated in practise it is very easy to do.

By using various combinations of stitches it is possible to create a variety of textures and patterns. These combinations can have descriptive names such as pineapple and popcorn as well as the more usual chain, double, and treble.

An Ideal Craft for the Busy Person

Crochet can be done with the minimum amount of equipment and mess, and is very quick to tidy away.

This makes crochet an ideal craft to do when you're travelling. There is only your yarn and a crochet hook, and possibly a crochet pattern, to carry. If you drop a stitch or make a mistake it is easy to pull the work back to a 'correct' single loop and restart from there.

Crochet Pattern e-books

Crochet pattern e-books are great value and very convenient. You can print out just the instructions for the pattern you are making.

This allows you to have only a page or two for your pattern and you do not need to carry a whole crochet book.

If the pages you've printed get damaged or lost it is easy to print the pattern again from the e-book allowing you to complete your project.

Crochet is an interesting hobby. You can crochet straight forward items almost immediately and once you've mastered the basics you can go onto the more complicated patterns when you fancy a challenge.

Do you have a baby or have any babies in your family? If so, then this article is a Must Read! In the economy that we are living in today, one of the most financially savvy things we can do is learn how to make our own things. This way, we can at least save money in that area. For example, if you have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or friends with children, knowing how to crochet baby headbands and give them as gifts can be a great money saver. Plus, they are adorable, are useful, and really cute!

Aside from making them to save money, making your own crochet baby headbands is a fantastic hobby. It allows you to be creative and save money at the same time. (Some of us, myself included, have actually even MADE money making them!) It's the type of hobby that doesn't cost much to get into and can actually save you money, at minimum.

I have three granddaughters and one grandson. I can tell you honestly I've been making crochet headbands for over the past 30 years!

To this day, I still absolutely love them and thoroughly enjoy making them myself. I enjoy making crochet pieces and using crochet baby hat patterns so much that I have actually made a business of it.

My favorite styles of crochet baby headbands are vintage needlework. I absolutely love vintage needlework and all the vintage patterns for babies and adults.

Each year, I make vintage crochet pieces like shawls, hats, scarves, and tons of other things for my children and my grand children. And, each year I get tons of compliments for them!

My family is basically a walking commercial for each piece that I've made. Every time they wear a piece whether it be crochet headbands, or shawls, or sweaters, they are showing off my creation and inspiring others to buy a piece from me.

I actually learned how to make money knitting and have never turned back.

Today, I sell my own vintage crochet baby headbands among other crochet creations and I teach others how to crochet. This is my favorite past time and I am just extremely lucky to have found a way in which to make a living out of doing what I love most!

Amigurumi means "knitted or crocheted stuffed doll" in Japanese. It also defines this unique art form, which is conquering the hearts of many enthusiastic crafters and designers by storm allover the world.

Knitting or crocheting these character dolls or cute animals out of yarn is simple and can be tackled even by a beginner. The designs are uncomplicated and the patterns, which suggest working in spirals - not rows, or joined rounds -, are easy to follow.

For the best results, Amigurumi crafters use a hook, or knitting needles, smaller than usually suggested by the yarn manufacturers. This is done intentionally. Using a smaller size hook or needles produces a tidier, denser fabric, a foundation that will not allow the stuffing to pierce through.

With the exception of those funky creations that have no limbs, most Amigurumi are worked in sections and then sewn together. If there is only a head and torso, the doll will be worked as one piece. The body is usually stuffed with fiber stuffing, while extremities can also be shaped with plastic pellets. This will give them more weight.

Depending on the materials used, some of these toys, or collectibles, with an over-sized spherical head, a cylindrical body, embellishments, and often small extremities can be machine washed. Others should only by cleaned by hand, especially those created from materials other than yarn. These miniature dolls should NOT be given to pets and small children, especially if they are decorated with buttons, beads, plastic eyes, felt pieces, or other, easy detachable, parts. They may turn into a choke hazard.

TIP: The crocheted dolls are done in single crochet stitch. Use a stitch marker to mark the end of each round. This makes it is easy to remember where another round should be started. The marker is moved up as the work progresses.