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Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Ideas and Techniques to Create Unique Collage Work

You can create endless collage projects to impress others. As there are variety of materials or mediums which you can use to create a collage, your art or crafts work is always a unique piece of art. You can use your collage work for making cards, decorate gift boxes, making wall hangings and etc.

Ideas and techniques to create collage work:

  • A collage is your personal canvas, yours to decorate in any way that you please, and hence it becomes unique art piece.
  • You need some basic materials on hand in order to get started, including poster board, scissors, colored pens and pencils, and some glue sticks.
  • Arrange each picture and two dimensional object on the poster board before you glue. Try different arrangements until you get one that looks just right.
  • For light weight and flat materials (paper, canvas, etc.) use Liquitex using the fluid or the gel.
  • For heavy weight and 3-D materials (beads, rocks, etc.): Use Liquitex Gel Mediums.
  • Collages are a great way to show the bigger picture, like a baby’s first year (or month!), or marathon training, or even your garden’s progress over the summer.
  • After a fun vacation or a wonderful event, use collage gifts to enjoy your most-loved photos all together.
  • Highlight your family trip or share a collection of your wedding photos with family and friends.

More ideas and techniques:
Continue reading

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Paper craft making ideas and tips

Paper is probably the most versatile and universal material available. But do you know that we can use paper in many wasys to create different crafts or art projects?
There are lots of uses of paper in crafts which can easily transformed into gift or decorative products. There are many forms of paper craft which can keep you busy for hours like paper folding, origami, scrap-booking, collage etc. This post would help you learn paper craft making ideas and tips.

* Decoupage

The word “decoupage” has its origin from the French word “decouper” which simply means “to cut out”. The art of decoupage involves cutting out small paper objects and arranging them in a decorative way on another object such as wood. The final step is to glue them and seal them with numerous coats of varnish for a smooth result.

* Paper Maché

Paper Mache is a versatile craft technique and so fun for adults and kids alike. As it can get quite messy, it is recommended to cover your working area with an old plastic tablecloth and to wear old clothes.

All you will need are strips of newspaper, glue and your base object or form. You can create your glue by using 1 part flour to 1 part water and adding a spoonful of craft glue. When combined, this mixture then resembles a thick paste with the consistency of cream.

You can also mix wallpaper glue powder with water according to manufacture’s instructions. Wallpaper paste has an advantage that it keeps for days in an airtight container. If it thickens, add some water and mix well.

A typical base object to cover with the paper strips is a balloon. With this, animal bodies or even a Halloween masks can be created. Other items can also be taped to the balloonsuch as toilet paper or kitchen paper rolls. These in turn become arms and legs.

Ordinary plastic bowls are another source of base object. When wrapped with cling wrap, you can apply the strips of newspaper and once dry, the base bowl can be removed leaving the paper mache shell. Paper maché objects becomes firm and durable when dry and can be easily painted over.

* Collage

The word “collage” comes from the French language and means to “glue on”. To create a collage picture you need different elements or pieces such as photographs, drawings, letters, newspaper clippings or other objects and these get arranged and glued on an underground such as a canvas to create a completly new picture.

* Origami

Origami originates in China and is a very old technique of folding square shaped paper into small 3-D works of art such as animals or other figures.

* Lacé

Lacé is a paper cutting technique in which the cut pieces, for example in the shape of triangles, are folded back and then interlinked in each other, creating a new design which resembles fish bone or a braid. You can buy metal lacé templates or print out this example here >>> Lace Pattern

What are Artist Trading Cards???

Artist Trading Cards or otherwise known as ATC’s are created in the size of 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches or 64 x 89 millimeters. These are small and self-made miniature works of art. Other than the size, there are no particular rules to follow. Combine different materials and elements to create unique and one of a kind cards. Sign, number and date the backs of your cards. These cards are not meant to be sold but if you like, there are groups that trade and collect these cards. You can find them on the internet in different craft forums.

Tips to make paper projects from available materials:

* Save old cards, calender pages, pretty pictures found in magazines or catalogs, music sheets, old letters with pretty or interesting writing, maps, wrapping paper, stamps, stickers, labels, paper napkins with designs, seed packages, etc..... almost anything out of paper can be used and recycled again into something new and beautiful.

* Save cereal boxes, cardboard inlets from shirts or the grey cardboard backings from writing pads. These can be useful to make sturdy templates that can often be reused.

* Scrapbook paper is not just for scrapbooking! With so many lovely designs and colors, you can use it for many other paper crafts as well such as card making or other general paper craft projects needing paper or cardstock.

* Information and definitions provided with thanks by : 'Craft Ideas'

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Learn to design your own house

Do you believe that 'The basic elements of good home design can be learned and achieved by all?' I believe that you can make good changes in your home design yourself, and you just need some brain storming to do it. Internet can help you discover many sites which provide ideas, tips and home decor articles. These tips, and ideas can be easily adopted or re-designed according to your need or choice. Most of the DIY (do-it-yourself) sites offer easy to learn free tutorial or posts to design your home while saving money as well.

'Re-nest' offers “green” movement and the “home decor” ideas. It helps people to connect the resources they need to improve their homes, while saving money.

They believe that 'A calm, healthy, beautiful home is a necessary foundation for happiness and success in the world. Creating this home requires inspiration, connection to resources and motivation to do something about it.'

Mission: Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.

These are few (sample) article headlines:

• The Best Easy & Cheap DIY Home Tech Hacks
• 5 (More) Uses for Citrus Peels
• LA Go Green Expo: 10 Great Finds
• A Unique Use for Old Newspapers: Make Yarn
• Green Style: Daniel and Valeria's DIY Plywood Bedroom
• Soothing Paint Colors for a Relaxing Bedroom
• Urban Clothes Lines: One Stop Clothes Drying Shop
• Reusable Sandwich Bags: Lunch Skins

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Cet the crafts news at 'Craft gossip'

I have a good collection of books about crafts. Few of those books are gifts from my cousins who encourage my crafts activities. I also search at the net for more ideas, tips and projects which can be easily adopted to teach my reception years kids. Online communities and forums are a good place to share and get links to more ideas or tips to crafts or related topics. Crafts activities are the best time pass for me and I always enjoy doing it with my young students.

'Crafts gossip' offers news, reviews and projects covering various kind of crafts.

You get lots of craft ideas and projects and reviews at the site. Blog is dividied into many sub-blogs, covering topics ranging from knitting, crochet, bath and body, jewelry making, scrapbooking, sewing crafts, recycled crafts, needlework, edible crafts, indie crafts, stamping, lesson plans, glass art, quilting, polymer clay and felting.

I have searched for 'craft' links and found that you can get the links to 'Craft Competitions and Give Aways', 'Craft Competitons', 'Craft Events Craft Groups', Craft Chats & Craft Forums'. So you don't need to use search engine for related links.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Useful links for crafts and do-it-yourself lovers

This post is useful for crafts and do-it-yourself lovers who want to spend their time wisely doing some creative work. Parents or teachers who want to do these crafts activities for themselves or to teach to their younger ones can get lots of ideas, tips or simply follow the step by step instructions to make many crafts. Crafting and making things by hand is a fun and entertaining way to spend time and it helps you to be creative and innovative.

* 'All Free Crafts' offers crafts for kids, nature, bath and body crafts, easy homemade gift ideas, gardening tips and projects, Christmas, Valentine, Easter or Halloween crafts and candle making ideas.

* 'Craftbits' is a site with lots of ideas, tips and crafts projects. It is created by a mother and daughter having experience in crafts, teaching and selling it via their own gift store. Both launched it to provide resources for teachers, therapists, and craft enthusiasts in the year 1999.

* 'Amazing Moms' has many crafts which can be searched according to catagory starting from yound children to school going kids.

* 'Craft Place' online space for crafters to connect with other crafters, share projects, ideas, make suggestions, and find inspiration. Craftplace is owned and operated by the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) which is an association of companies within the craft industry.
Through the Creators Exchange, the Craftplace social networking community, you can create your own crafty place on the web. also brings you the best crafting content, resources, ideas and inspiration from around the web. But this is your site, designed around your passion for all things craft with most pages providing you the opportunity make content suggestions and interact with the site.

* At 'Kabooze' you can find posts and ideas about crafts, holidays, family-fun, recipes, parenting, health, and lifestyle.

* 'Tipz Time' is a site offering Home and Garden Tips and Ideas.

What you can find at the site?

- Household tips, spring cleaning hints, organizing, and stain removal.

- You can search for holiday crafts, food tips, frugal money and timesavers.
Free printable calendars, and charts for parents, family, moms, teachers and homeschoolers.

- Tips for bathroom, kitchen, diningroom, livingroom, bedroom, babies, computer, crafts, food, sewing, kids, family, holiday, home, money, moving, pets, photography, travel, outdoor, bugs, health, cleaning stains, and more!

More sites with crafts ideas or projects:

* 'Craft idea' has hundreds of free craft ideas for the whole family. It is crafting with paper, wood, fabric or basic craft materials, you can find here over 80 step-by-step illustrated tutorials explaining basic techniques and showing you how a particular craft got created from the beginning to the end.

* 'Crafty tips' offers free crafty tips.

* 'All free crafts blog'

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Get the backpacking ideas and tips


Backpacking is a form of travel and in simple words 'backpackers' are usually single travelers with low budget to discover the world with small travel luggage which is called 'backpack'

Start Backpacking is for backpackers and vagabonds offering news, tips, ideas, guides and all necessary information which one may need to start 'backpacking'.
They says:

'It is not as expensive or as difficult as people think, and no matter what your age its never too late to start vagabonding. You aren’t alone. Loads of people know that waking up and making rich old men richer is not the way to live.'


The site is for backpackers and vagabonds. The site explains the term meaning very well!

Vagabonding
:

Rolf Potts, author of the book Vagabonding, describes it as:

“The act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time” and “A deliberate way of living that makes freedom to travel possible”.

So put simply, vagabonding is the act of choosing experiences and travel adventures over working away your life for material things.

There is a difference between vagabonding and vacation: A vacation is an attempt to squeeze a year’s worth of enjoyment, relaxation, and adventure into a 2 week or 10 day package. What often results is an expensive distraction, and then an unsatisfied return to reality, which is always waiting at home. In fact, after vacation, you find yourself worse off than before you left, playing catchup with work, mail, chores, etc.

Someone that is vagabonding never really returns completely from their trip. They may be home, earning money at work, etc… but always they are in the mindset to leave again. A vagabonder works only to provide the fuel for travel and adventure, not to build a lifestyle of fashion and toys.

Their 'backpacking guide' has been helping people since 2007 and explains it many steps like:

1: Get a Passport for Travel
2: Planning a Travel
3: Getting Visas for Travel
4: Vaccinations for Travel
5: Find Cheap Flights
6: Backpacking Travel Insurance
7: Travel Preparation
8: Trip Purchases
9: Packing a Backpack
10: Before Leaving Home
The Journey Begins!
The new backpacker forums are full of both experienced travelers offering advice as well as fellow rat race escapees that are looking for some inspiration and brotherhood. The forums are the living heart of our site and there are new backpacking tips posted daily.
You can join the forums

Monday, January 26, 2009

A site with tips and ideas for home improvement and repair - 'Do It Yourself"

Home improvement or repair is one of those money saving hobbies which gives you a feel of satisfcation of personal touch alongwith a sense of creativity. Many of us consider 'do-it-yourself'as a favourite time pass or hobby. There are many sites on the world wide web which offer community based forums, communities where you can find lots of free tips and ideas for home improvment and repair.

DoItYourself.com is one of the top 50 sites on the web dealing with home improvement and repair topics. It was named "One of the Top 50 Sites in the World" by Time Magazine. It gets over two million unique visitors per month.

Mission:

To provide consumers with unbiased home improvement and repair information in a community environment.

How to topics covered on the site are: Air Conditioning, Automotive Repair, Crafts and Recreation, Decorating, Electrical and Lighting, Exterior Home Improvement, Gardening and Patio Going Green, Hardware and Tools, Heating and Ventilating, Household and Cleaning, Interior Home Improvement, Painting Personal Finance and Legal Plumbing, Real Estate, Remodeling, Did It Myself Projects

"DoItYourself" provides advice from professionals in over 100 subjects at their forums. Currently the number of members is 156,285 alongwith 1,341,772 posts. You can estimate from few forum topics which kind of information you can discuss or find there:

Automotive Repair, Crafts and Recreation, Decorating, Electrical and Lighting, Exterior Home Improvement, Personal Finance & Legal, Flooring, Gardening and Patio Going Green, Hardware & Tools, Household and Cleaning, Interior Home Improvement, Plumbing Real Estate

There is a section where you can watch videos showing do-it-yourself projects.

Related posts:

* 'Online Tips' for home improvement and gardening

* 'Make Stuff Sites' helping you make projects yourself

* "Do-It-Yourself" - hobby
*

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Scrapbooking ideas and tips

Scrapbooking ideas and tips can help us learn more about this fascinating hobby. The more we are involved in creating projects from it, I believe more ideas would come to mind and the process of creativity would be very satisfying. This article would help you learn from other peoples and sites enabling you to start this hobby or develop more ideas for scrapbooking. Beside many benefits of this craft or hobby, scrapbooking maintains links among the past, present and future.

Scrapbooking ideas:

Cheryl Menders is one of the women who have broken into the scrapbooking business. Two years ago, the longtime scrapbooker created the Croppin' Companion--plastic folders for pages in progress. They have a large pocket for storing a scrapbook page and two smaller pockets--one at the top and one at the bottom--for photos, memorabilia and other items.

The mother of three runs the business from her Stafford County basement. The folders are available at croppincom panion.com.

Menders, who has a master's degree in physical therapy, never expected to become a business owner. But she's glad scrapbooking has provided the opportunity.

"It's a God-sized project. It's been his since the beginning," she said. "I couldn't do it on my own."

  • DO scrapbook the pictures you most recently developed and then work backward as you get more comfortable.
  • DON'T buy too many supplies before you actually need them.
  • DO be sure all materials including the adhesive are acid free and photo safe. 
  • DON'T scrapbook every photo--just use the ones that help you tell your story. File the rest.
  • DO make photos the focus of the page. Be careful when choosing decorative papers and embellishments like stickers, which can easily overwhelm the photos.
  • DON'T forget to include not only details like the place, date and the people involved but also emotions attached to the photos, when appropriate.
  • DO use photo corners to position photos or documents--like birth certificates--you might want to take out of your books later.
  • DON'T be afraid to crop your photos to emphasize the person or detail in them.
  • DO scan or take photos of 3-D items like trophies, medals or school projects so they can be used in your books without adding bulk.
  • DON'T wait until you think you have enough time--start today. 


Scrapbooking trends:
The trend these days is toward simple and clean pages, said Kanak of The Cropper's Corner. Many scrapbookers are using fewer photos and fewer embellishments per page, she said.
The emphasis is on photos and backgrounds that capture a feeling. "It's the less-is-more approach," she said.
Black and white pictures and geometric shapes are other big trends, said Theresa Buzsta, a manager and buyer for Scrapdoodles in Central Park.
Embellishments made with felt and velvet ribbons are also popular now, Buzsta said.

Source: Fredericksburg

Sites with scrapbooking ideas and tips

* All Scrapbooking Ideas offers useful stuff for not only beginners but for intermediat level scrapbookers who are in need of new ideas or tips for their favourite hobby. There are catagorized ideas like as baby, christmas, military, wedding, vacation, computer, graduation, and valentine.

* Scrapbooking Ideas provides ideas and tips for many occasions.

* Your Scrapbooking Tips has around 100 tips for scrapbooking.

* 'Texas Scrap Mania'

* A scap Affair A blog for scapbooking lovers.

* "We Scrap" is an online scrapbooking community with full of resources providing wholesale discounts to members and promote scrapbooking in a fun, friendly environment.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

"The Family Travel Files" - Ideas for travel with family


Travel with family is a fun trip, but you need to learn and search a lot before planning for your family vacations. There are many destinations which are suitable only for singles or couples and you need special arrangements or preparation if you want to plan a trip with your family.

The Family Travel Files offers family vacation ideas, travel articles, family vacation advice, news, deals, specials and family vacation packages.

They focus on those leisure destinations that provide exceptional family vacation opportunities.

FamilyTravelFiles.com was established in 1998 and one of the reliable source of information from many years.

Why is a website dedicated to family travel important?
Adults with kids living at home do not have time to spend searching for family vacation ideas. While large travel booking sites provide dozens of travel “deals,” few are really for families and those that are provide limited information about the vacation experience.

What they say about themselves?

'Our pages showcase family vacation ideas 24/7 and 365. We do not book tickets or make reservations. Instead our business model maximizes vertical linking providing the best experience for our readers and the maximum results for our travel partners.

We research, travel, and interview, with the intent of improving the online planning experience for families. The information is showcased several ways. Our homepage is an electronic magazine with new and interesting vacation ideas for families. Our vacation directory is loaded with members which are part of the family travel niche. They offer family vacations and family vacation packages that are truly for families.'

Friday, November 14, 2008

"Travel Ideas For Women" - A place to get travel ideas for women

The concept that women cannot travel alone has become a fantasy. New age women have learned to enjoy their lives with or without partners. Travel is one of the recreation activities, they can now afford and manage themselves. There are many site around the net which offer tips, ideas and advice for travelers and women traveler as well.

Travel Ideas for Women is created with the female traveler in mind.

Travel Ideas for Women is an online resource for many useful ideas and tips when women travel alone or with other women. It provides common sense information that every woman needs to know before crossing the county line or the world.

You can find travel safety tips, tips on what to wear, advice on what to pack, travel secrets and travel safely. Searching online for a travel guide is made easy with Travel Ideas for Women.

In 'Travel Safety' section they suggest:

'For drivers, you should start your trip by checking the air pressure levels in your tires and your spare (even in a rental). Also make sure that you have the proper equipment to change a spare if needed. If you have roadside assistance, make sure all of your information can be found easily.

Whether you drive, ride, or fly, you should arrive at your destination in daylight. This will ensure you can find where you are going, and be able to enter all buildings safely. Be careful talking on the phone when you are walking to or from your car. This distraction can make you a prime target for theft or abduction.

Always make sure your keys are in your hand. If your purse is snatched with your keys in it, you can't get in your car or home. When you are on vacation, only bring a small handbag that you can keep close to your body.

Only carry a minimal amount of valuables with you on a trip. It is not necessary to bring all of your jewelry, electronics, etc. If you do have valuables, store them in the hotel safe that is provided.'

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Have Fun While Saving Money at - "Thrifty Fun"

"Thrifty Fun" have a slogan 'Have fun while saving money' and while saving money you are in touch with like minded people. The site also offers a lots of hobby ideas, projects and tips. Browsing the site is itself fun as there are many ideas and tips to save money as well.

Their goal:

"Our goal at ThriftyFun.com is to provide valuable information to help people save money, save time and solve problems. ThriftyFun and its predecessors have been online since 1997. ThriftyFun has grown from modest beginnings to become a vibrant online community. Today, ThriftyFun.com is an interactive Web site where you can post questions and contribute answers to others who are trying to have fun while saving money."

* In 'Craft Project' I found many interesting crafts ideas and you can search for these relating topics:

- Baby Items
- Bath & Beauty
- Beadwork
- Candlemaking
- Centerpieces
- Christmas
- Clothing
- Crafts for Kids
- Crochet
- Decoupage
- Doll making
- Easter
- Floral
- Framing
- Furniture
- Garden & Yard
- Gifts
- Halloween
- Home Decor
- Jewelry
- Knitting
- Needlepoint
- Painting
- Paper
- Party
- Pottery
- Quilting
- Recycled
- Rugs
- Sewing
- Soapmaking
- Thanksgiving
- Toys
- Valentine's Day
- Wedding
- Wood Burning

I really enjoyed browsing the "Craft Tips" section becasue there is a lot of hobby stuff. The list is long so better if you check the link yourself and remember to check the left side bar links. Each link takes you to more article links.

Subscribing to their newsletter is a good idea to keep in touch with tips and ideas about saving money and fun craft or hobby stuff.

FREE Newsletters offered by the site!

- Tip of the Day: A new thrifty tip sent out every day, 7 days a week.

- ThriftyFun Crafts: A weekly crafts newsletter full of tips, ideas and requests. A must read for frugal crafters!

- ThriftyFun Recipes: The ThriftyFun Recipes is published weekdays, Monday through Friday. We feature between 5 and 10 recipes submitted by our readers as well as recipe requests.

- Daily Thrifty Tips: The Daily Thrifty Tips is published weekdays, Monday through Friday. We publish tips, photos, craft ideas and requests that have been submitted by our readers.

- Saving Money On Newsletter: The Saving Money On... Newsletter is published weekly. Every week we pick a new topic and look for ways to save money!

- Happy Garden Newsletter: Weekly gardening newsletter is full of gardening advice and growing guides as well as gardening requests from readers.

To subscribe to their newsletters click at this link

Monday, July 28, 2008

Crafts sites for hobbyists

Making crafts is a creative hobby, which is very popular among women and children. Many of the crafters are making good earning from their crafts. So this hobby can be a work at home opportunity for you. I am reviewing few crafts sites, which are about different crafts. You can get ideas, tips and more site links from their sites. Hobbyists who love to create or make crafts at their leisure for personal satisfaction or for selling can get useful information from these sites.

1- Crafts hobbies is a blog with a focas on crafts articles.

Start your search from right side bar post titles or from site map where you can get all the post links to search easily.

Few of the titles are:

Learn Origami
Make Origami
Origami Instructions
17 Tips For Getting Balloons to Last Longer in Hot Weather
Making Your Own Bird Feeder
Bartering: A Modern Day Phenomenon
Bookmarks As Unique As You
Why You Need A Display Case
Setting Up Your Display Case
Make Your Own Citronella Candles
Learn Exactly How To Repair Your Sewing Machine At Home!
A Few Tips About Comic Book Bags
Invitation Envelopes - Make or Break Your Party
Make Your Own Lampshades
Link to the site:
crafts hobbies

2- The Artful Crafter is an article site about crafts. In Craft Tips you will find ideas and suggestions to help you work smarter, faster and better. Throughout the pages of The Artful Crafter, you will find suggestions about good tools to use, about good books to read, about good computer programs to use to help you do everything from graphics design, scrapbook creation or even website setup.

There are articles from Craft Plans & Patterns, Craft Tips and Craft Letters. All crafts articles are listed on the Crafts Ideas page.

They also provide you guidance if you want to make this hobby profitable, and do a business, site provides tips and ideas about it.

Few crafts you can find at the site are:

Beading
Candles
Collage
Computer Crafting
Cross Stitching
Decals
Decoupage
Digital Scrapbooking
Embossing
Fabric
Gift Bags
Gourds
Holiday Crafts
Homecoming Mums
Home Cured Clay
Jewelry Making
Leather
Mason Jars
Paper Crafts
Party & Wedding Planning
Quilting
Ribbon Crafts
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Soap Making
Stamping
Teen Crafts
Wall Coverings
Wood Working

Eileen Bergen, the creator of the site was a special education teacher for 15 years. The rest of the story she tells:

My husband, Chris, and I retired a few years ago. It didn’t take long for me to get bored with full retirement. Looking for something to do with my idle hands, I started designing my own greeting and calling cards using some user-friendly computer programs - since I had zero graphic design background.
My friends said they loved them; but I thought they were just being nice. When they started saying, “I’d like you to design some for me. How much would you charge?” I thought I might have the makings of a home-based business.

Since we live in a sparsely-populated rural area, I knew the local calling card market would quickly be saturated, so I moved on to place cards, invitations, and fliers. Soon my friends were bringing me completely unrelated product ideas. They said, “Eileen, you can make this!” So I started sewing again. I hadn’t sat at a sewing machine for about 30 years! Next came oilcloth tote bags, wine gift bags, panadières (fabric bread baskets), double eyeglass cases, etc., etc. I named my company … and life was good!
Two years later, after I had added beaded jewelry, fabric painting and woven bamboo placemats to my product line, Chris said, “Why don’t you put up a website? I can do the tech stuff … and with all you’ve learned in this business – what to do and, just as importantly, what not to do! – it would be very valuable to other home crafters.”


Resource link page.

Monday, June 23, 2008

A craft blog from a hobbyist

I love to search for crafts blog because there are lot of ideas and tips which you can use to create crafts. Only browsing through crafts projects and ideas is really enjoyable for crafts lovers.


Ann Wood.com is a craft blog from a hobbyist "Ann Wood", who is from Brooklyn New York. This blog is really different from other blogs or siters, because everything which she made is exceptional and personal. And she is ready to sell some products also.

Blog was created and started around February, 2006 and it seems that she uploads all the craft objects on the site. So for crafters and craft lovers, only watching the models of the things she makes is fun, as each and every piece of craft is an art itself.

She says:
"I make things, paint, and draw for my life and livelihood.

Some of my favorite things ( in no particular order) are : ships and shipwrecks, paper mache, birds, books about exploration, dioramas, swamps, the out of doors in general, magazines, libraries, felt, flea markets, horses, dogs, cats, things that are victorian and things that are small."


She made paper mache products mostly and all the objects can be found the site (pictures) with description.

Few posts about the topics she prefers to make:
- 100 cardboard horses

- birds

- ships

Saturday, June 14, 2008

"Your happy site" - A hobby blog helping you find hobbies

There are not many blogs or sites which are about hobbies. I would be reviewing the blogs/sites which are helpful in finding or suggesting hobbies/pastimes, offering tips, ideas or resources.

Your happy site is a blog helping you find hobby. Site is under construction, but may be in future we can get good content at the blog. Site is from a young college student, from Ohio, USA.

There are some good posts at the moment.
For example I liked the post with the title "Why you need a hobby?":

Why You Need a Hobby?

When someone decides they need a hobby it is usually for one reason: theyre bored. Being bored is, besides being extremely boring, often not all that healthy for you. While Im not a doctor, I do believe that having nothing to do in your free time can lead to lower energy levels, and often depression. Just think about it, or on second thought, dont think about it! If your mind is not entertained one way or another, your thoughts tend to wander aimlessly. For some reason, many reasons, people tend to let their minds wonder into a pessimistic, or apathetic attitude / state; causing depression, or at least making you feel down in the dumps. Who in their right mind wants to feel down in the dumps? Shoot, who wants to be bored for that matter? So, eventually, many people come to the realization that they need something to occupy their free time.

Hobbies do not only prevent people from entering that "down in the dumps" state of mind though, they actually help you get into a better one, too. If you have a hobby which you really enjoy, practicing that hobby will make you feel better about yourself both while practicing it, and afterward. Hobbies allow for people to achieve a form of fulfillment; a personal form of fulfillment. While doing well at your job, and helping people are common things that make people feel about themselves, they are a form of social fulfillment, not personal fulfillment. Its great if you do what you do well, and even better if you help people in some way. However, you must give yourself time to please yourself. Chances are, without doing some things to please yourself, instead of your boss, or other people, you will never be completely happy. In fact, if you please your boss, and you help people, you deserve time to yourself to do what you want to do.

Having a hobby can be extremely rewarding. So far Ive explained how having a hobby can prevent depression, low energy levels, and boredom. Ive also briefly described how a hobby can make you feel better about yourself mentally. Thats not all hobbies have to offer though.
Depending on the hobby you choose, you will not only feel healthier and better about yourself. You can also acquire new skills through hobbies. These skills can often be applied to social matters. So, lets say that youve learned to play guitar. Now youve gained a skill that will allow you to entertain people, and meet / make new friends who share interest in music. Entertaining people, and making new friends are two very nice things to do indeed.
What about animal rescue? Do you think learning how to care for wounded animals could help you to better understand how to care for another injured person given an emergency? Maybe, maybe not; its just an example. So you see, having a hobby can be very valuable and rewarding in many different ways.

To read more: Your happy site

* find a hobby links provides list of hobbies.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Hobby ideas for kids at "Indian Child"

Kids need some activity or hobby ideas to keep them busy. And being an educator I know that as a parent or teacher your interaction with kids or children is very important. When you feel like playing or keeping them busy with a

Indian Child is an education and entertainment site for children, parents and teachers. The hobby section provides number of articles on variety of hobbies.

At hobbies page it says:
"Hobby is any leisure activity that diverts an individual from their daily strenuous like. Or it also plays the role of keeping the unoccupied, occupied with something to do. As, in the latter case an empty mind is a devil’s workshop. Indulging in a hobby actually does away with the boredom that sets in due to the monotonous life one gets used to. Certain hobbies also help release pent-up frustrations. Whatever the hobby maybe, it should be an activity that de-stresses and not add onto stress.

Maintaining a healthy mind and body is far more essential. Picking up a hobby and spending some time each week keeps the mind and body fit for all battles and struggles like offers"


Hobby ideas page provides interesting ideas for children and kids and at each page there are many useful links to other sites:

* Interesting hobbies

* Interesting Crafts & Hobbies for kids and parents: Hobbies for kids

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Activity ideas to spend your free time

I remember the time when I was student and during exams, there were a lot of ideas to spend the free times, but as the exams were over everything became boring. At that time I kept myself busy with penpal, collecting stamps, coins and playing board games like scrabble, ludo etc. So it is a good idea to look for the ideas or tips, which could help us to choose a hobby or activity for our free time.

How to do things.com provides articles on ideas about hobbies or activities to enhance your past time. There are many "how to do?" posts which can guide you to start that activity.

Some of the article links:

* How To Learn Glass Blowing

* How To Macrame

* How To Collect Autographs

* How To Sell Model Trains

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

From where to get ideas for hobbies or other leisure activities?

What you do when you have nothing to do at your leisure?
(Even you are bored with your hobbies)

Better to look around for hobby ideas. Because hobbies help us spend our spare time in a better way and many hobbies provide us joy or satisfaction.
There are times when you really feel and say,"I’m bored"

Idea helper is a site where you can post your ideas, add or look for ideas about hobbies.

The topics catagories are: Birthday, Business, General, History, Lifestyle, Wedding and you can search for recipe ideas, making gift basket, wedding anniversary, money saving, presentation, marketing, kids activity and a lot more ideas.

* List of hobby ideas provides you a long list of hobby ideas, so when you are short in ideas or look around and can't decide which in hobby you should engage yourself, then this list can help you.

More idea pages:
- Student idea list

- Kids activity ideas
- Children's party craft ideas

- Welcome home ideas
If you have good ideas about any occasion, any topic and want to add to the site: add your idea

More links to get ideas:

- Find some creative and hobby ideas at "Creative world" site from "Camlin: Do it yourself

- "Hobby University" is for Hobby ideas, education, and other hobby-related information for all. You can find craft techniques, gift, skill, tips and tricks at the site.
Link: Hobby University

- At "HG TV": site Hobby Ideas for Kids

- At your finder tips provides ideas to hlep make children more creative.

- For a lot of hobby ideas and articles: Hobby only.net

- Hobbyist project ideas at Staedtler.co.uk

- Get ideas and tips, articles on hobbies: Hobby craft- hobby guide

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

"Hobby University" -A site for hobby ideas and education for all

I would be reviewing sites and blogs which are hobby related, and where you can find useful information. Mostly I prefer to write about the sites, which provide FREE content.
Hobby University is for Hobby ideas, education, and other hobby-related information for men, women, and children. You can find the best web resources on many hobbies and crafts.

Hobbiies mentioned are "scrapbooking, stained glass, candle making, quilting, knitting/crochet, jewelry making, kid's hobbies, crafts, RC's, digital photography, model trains, geneology, robotics and electronics, origami and home brewing.

About scrapbooking site says:
Scrapbooking is an experience for the builder to preserve the past and tell the story so it can be relived in the future. Recently, scrapbooking has become very popular due to some of the new tools and techniques that enhance the presentation of your memories and ease the experience of constructing a scrapbook. Because of the love that is put into them, scrapbooks wind up becoming valuable family heirlooms.

Link to the page: Scrapbooking

Site link:
Hobby University

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