Craft Solutions

My niece is going to be in four weddings this spring and summer. She’s 19 and is quite excited about it, but that’s a lot of dress fittings, bachelorette parties, and bridal showers. Maybe I’m getting old, who knows. I’m sure she’ll have a great time standing up for her friends, but it got me to thinking about how much goes into a wedding and what a big business it is (like the craft industry).

According to the Association for Wedding Professionals International, the wedding industry is a $50 billion industry.  And the average cost for a wedding in the US is around $20,000.

That’s a lot of money. It takes a great deal of time and energy to put together that special day. And it can be stressful on the best of couples. Spending that much money and taking on that much stress seems like the wrong way to start out a marriage. In theory, anyway. But as we all know, the wedding is an important step, and who doesn’t want their wedding to go smoothly and be a joyous, beautiful day?

So one of the tips I told my niece to tell her friends is to go with simple, inexpensive touches that are beautiful but not extravagant and focus that savings where the difference is more noticeable. Spend more money on the photographer over decorations and favors. The photos will be around a long time. If they stink, you’ll have those “memories” forever. But will it really matter in twenty years if you went with the twice as expensive party favors or thank you cards? It’s more important to get those thank you cards sent out rather than worry over the paper they’re mailed on).

If you’re planning to do a lot of the wedding prep and details yourself (such as creating your own wedding decorations, invitations, favors, and more), go with simple and beautiful rather than over the top and showy. Something doesn’t have to be complicated to be beautiful.

Here are some links to pages in the Craft Solutions directory for web sites and project ideas to help get anyone started with how to create beautiful items for your wedding and save a little time and money on those do-it-yourself wedding projects:

Wedding Craft Ideas - links to individual project ideas

Wedding Craft Web Sites - links to sites that offer all sorts of creative ideas

Helpful links by topic:

• How to make a bridal headpiece
  Links for ideas, patterns, and much more for making your own wedding headpiece.
• How to make a bridal veil
  Links for patterns, inspirations, and instructions for making your own wedding veil.
• Wedding Centerpieces To Make
  Links to provide you with tips and instructions to create your own wedding centerpieces.
• Create Your Own Wedding Favors
  Links for wedding favor ideas and other wedding crafts.
• Patterns for Bridesmaid Dresses
  Links for patterns to create beautiful bridesmaid dresses.
• Wedding Reception Centerpieces
  Links for wedding reception centerpieces and other wedding crafts.

I hope this gives you some great ideas and helps you reduce cost and stress. Have a great wedding!!

My friend told me the other day that she was considering selling a few crafts at a craft fair that her work sponsors every year. She thought it would be a great place to get into the biz of selling her handmade items, a “safe” place to try out her crafts. It got me to thinking about all the work people put into that side of the business. Sometimes it takes years to perfect your sales process.

To be honest, I’ve never sold my crafts at craft fairs, farmer’s markets, or the like, but I’ve shopped quite a few over the years. The last one I went to had some top-notch professional crafters. The products were great but nothing overly unique, and yet, there were lines around their booths. When I checked them out, I noticed that each one was well organized and set up with the shopper in mind. That professional “look” really added something to their sales pitch. It got me to thinking of all the bloggers out there that must be talking about this subject, offering tips to people like my friend just starting out.

Here’s a few links that I found with advice on setting up your craft booth:

Indoor Craft Show/Trade Show Booth Advice

How to setup a craft booth at a weekly Farmer’s Market

Blog on Craft Show Success

Building A Successful Craft Show Booth

Rocking Holiday Craft Shows

There’s still a bit of snow on the ground where I live. I’m hoping the sun will take care of it today. But with all this white, I’ve really been wishing for Spring! I want to see green grass and colorful flowers. I want to walk outside and not feel the sharp sting of the cold winter air. I’m really ready for warmer weather, can you tell?

So today, I thought I’d share some of the Craft Solutions directory links that are all about Spring. Just looking at all these neat ideas gave me a smile today.

• General Spring Craft Project Ideas (anything from cards and scrapbooking to flower pots and picture frames)
• Craft Web Sites with a focus on Spring (links to various spring-themed sites or pages)
• Spring Craft Ideas for Kids (this page has both individual project and web site links with great ideas for kids)
• Craft Books & Magazines with a Spring Theme (visit our Amazon store to see our featured spring themed items)

March is National Craft Month and many of the major craft stores are offering great sales. My mailbox has been filled with flyers and ads. Here are some of the sites offering deals right now.

• Joann’s is offering free shipping on orders over $25 and 40% off the regular price of one item online. Check out their site for coupon codes.
• Also check out Joann.com’s weekly sales.
• CreateForLess.com also has great weekly specials going on.
• Herrschners.com always has some interesting bargains in their weekly sales section and National Craft Month is no exception.
• Also, check out the sales section of HSN’s craft and sewing products. You don’t have to be watching it on TV to get a good price with HSN.
• Hobby Lobby also has a section of weekly specials and coupons. Right now they have a 30% off coupon for Krylon Spray Paint.

I like to do a lot of different types of crafts (right now my favorites are scrapbooking and crochet). I’m also a consultant, and I write fiction. I’ve got so little time to spend on my crafts that I need that time to be spent being creative, not spent hunting around for the supplies I need. That’s why I’ve been looking into getting a craft armoire.

Craft furniture is different than any other type of storage furniture. It needs to include lots of useful space-saving storage options that fit your specific hobby. Furniture that includes a convenient work area is also a big plus. This allows you to work right near where you can get at your supplies. Specifically-designed craft tables and armoires are a perfect solution for every serious crafter.

I’ve been searching around and found some great options. I’ve included the links below. I think I’ve found the perfect craft furniture solution for me. Now, I’ve just got to find the extra cash. :)

• For Keeps Sake: Quality furniture designed to fit any space, any style, any budget. Whether you have limited space to work with, an existing spot to add to, or a whole room to design, STACKS offer a number of customized solutions to meet your organizational needs.
• Here’s an idea on how to transform an existing cabinet into The Perfect Craft Cabinet.
• Here’s another do-it-yourself project: Furniture Makeover: TV Armoire Turned Craft Cabinet
• Furniture for Creative Spaces: Great ideas for craft room furniture or scrapbook room furniture
• The Original Scrap Box™: a workspace and a storage solution that looks like a beautiful, high-end piece of furniture (look at this one last, ’cause you’re going to love it!)