how to get ideas for crafts and projects

How to Get Ideas for Crafts and Projects.

Crafters, makers and builders create beautiful items out of raw materials. If you are a crafter that is unable to think of your next project, there are many ways that you can get new ideas. Crafting is one of the most popular subjects of blogs, magazines, classes and more, and its popularity has only risen as the Internet has become an easy way to share methods, techniques and projects. Depending upon how you like to learn, you can choose the most comfortable option. Select your specific area of crafting and search for the newest crafting projects using these avenues. Read more to find out how to get ideas for crafts and projects.

Steps.

1. Join a quilting bee, knitting circle or scrap booking club. Monthly meetings give the opportunities for exchanging ideas, showing off projects and doing group projects.

This is also a great way to meet people with similar interests and form lasting friendships. Crafting often allows you to talk to other people and learn their stories. Many rural communities have quilt guilds, knitting bees and craft circles that stay intact for decades.

2. Take night classes. Most cities have a group that is devoted to community education and gives a catalog of classes at a small fee. These can include anything from jewelry making to scrap booking to wood working.

Search online for "Lifelong learning classes" in your town or "Community education." Most classes happen once or twice a week over a period of months and they teach you new skills and give you many ideas for projects.

3. Get a subscription to a do-it-yourself magazine. Depending upon your preferences, there are many options. Magazine subscriptions can be bought from a website, Amazon, or a magazine prescription service, and it is a good idea to look for the best offer.

Good options for crafters include Martha Stewart Living, Card Maker, This Old House, American Style, Creative Knitting, Do-It-Yourself, Ready Made, American Craft, Crafts and Hobbies, Quilter, Paper Crafts, Creative Woodwork and Crafts, Car Craft. Knit'N Style, Sew News and Creating Keepsakes.

You may want to go to a supermarket and buy a few issues of each of these magazines to decide which one would be the best monthly subscription.

4. Get involved with Blogger, WordPress and other blogging platforms. Once you have a profile you can subscribe to craft blogs and check back whenever you need a fresh idea.

You may hear of craft bloggers referred to as "choggers." Start by checking out popular blogs, such as Bakerella, Cuteable, Dollar Store Crafts, Not Martha and the Pearl Bee. There are thousands of blogs to choose from, and they may also provide an email newsletter.

5. Sign up for email newsletters from magazines like Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens and Ready Made. They will send you weekly or monthly issues depending upon your preferences, filled with new ideas from their crafters-in-residence.

6. Inquire at local stores if they do classes. In order to drum up business, stores often provide classes for a small fee as long as you buy the materials. For instance, a knitting business may teach their patrons how to use a new set of knitting needles in order to sell more sets.

7. Go online and simply search for patterns or templates. If you are looking for children's crafts, this is the fastest and least expensive option. If you cannot afford patterns for quilting and knitting, there are a number of free online templates that you can find using an Internet search and a printer.


Things You'll Need.

Community craft circles.

Craft magazines.

Craft blogs.

Email newsletters.

Printer.

November 25, 2019

how to write a pet memoir

How to Write a Pet Memoir.

A pet memoir is an endearing and lasting way to create a memento that honors your pet's life. A memoir for a pet can take many forms, depending on whether it's just for creating your own keepsake, a special gift for the family or maybe a memento for a wider audience. This article is mainly focused on the personal level memoir for yourself and/or your family members.

Part 1 Choosing the design and layout.

1. Think about the way in which you'd like to present the memoir before writing. This can have an influence on the way that you write the memoir. For example, if you wish to accompany the writing with images, this will require a greater focus on the specific images and why the images are of importance to you and your family. Or, if you want to write an essay style, this will require more of a story, which may or may not be accompanied by images, either retelling the animal's life or perhaps picking out key happenings that you identify with as being most indicative of the personality of your pet. Consider some of these possible ways for presenting the memoir:

A journal style with a retelling by years, from the beginning to the end of your pet's life.

A scrapbook of favorite images of your pet, accompanied by text explaining relevant things about the pet related to the image and its date.

An essay, letter, poem, etc., about your pet. This could be produced digitally, in book form, or both. It could be accompanied by images, or be mostly text, perhaps with one photo of your pet.

An online piece of writing (on a website, social media site or a tailor-made memorial site).

2. Design the look of the document or format you're producing as a memoir. It's best to leave actually forming the design after the writing has been completed, to ensure that the writing is the feature, and the design work simply boosts the memoir material.

If it's going to be digital, consider using borders, background images, occasional photos, etc. to brighten it up.

If choosing a hard copy version, use quality materials that are long-lasting. A lovely hard-covered notebook or a quality scrapbook might be ideal.

If making a scrapbook memoir, also find scrapbook pieces that are relevant to the pet's life, such as a collar tag, a piece of fabric from a favorite toy, photos, cut-outs of the animal species, etc.

Part 2 Writing the memoir.

1. Decide what form of writing you'll use to write the memoir. There are no hard and fast rules on how a memoir should be written. The best approach is to choose the writing format that you're most comfortable with and that reflects the things you really wish to capture about your pet's life. This could be:

An essay, short story or long piece of free-writing about your pet's life

A book that you will have published.

A poem or a series of poems.

A combination of writing and poetry.

A blog post or Facebook update, and so forth.

2. Start writing. A memoir is about memories of your beloved pet, the ones that move you, remind you of time spent together and the ones you want to capture for the future. Some of the things you might like to write about in your pet's memoir include:

When you first got your pet and why you wanted the pet.

Any identifiable features, quirks or personality traits of your pet that you noticed early on, or that grew over time. Describe your pet as best you can. (Images or self-made drawings might help you with this.)

Interactions with other people in the household or neighborhood; interactions with other pets or animals.

Eventful situations with your pet, such as rescuing the pet/the pet rescuing you or someone else; losing your pet and finding it again; showing your pet in a show; traveling with your pet; having your pet at your wedding, etc.

How your pet made you feel. Did your pet help you feel better when you were down? Did your pet bring you joy even when you felt the rest of life was hard? Was your pet an important companion to you?

Ways in which your pet inspired, enlightened or informed you.

Things you want to always remember about your pet.

Favorite activities together, such as going for walks, singing together, doing tricks, eating together, dancing, riding, etc.

The circumstances surrounding your pet's death, such as its age, an illness or an accident. This is optional, as you may not feel ready or desirous of adding these details to the memoir.

3. Consider asking others to contribute to the memoir. If the pet was a beloved member of your family or household, it's likely that the pet developed special and differentiated bonds with them. Ask family or household members to contribute their writing (or other mementos) to the memoir too.

You could make separate sections of the memoir devoted to each person's take on the pet's life and how they interacted with it. This can make a lovely memento for everyone if you make copies.

4.
Keep copies of the memoir where it can be easily accessed. If hard copy, place it on a bookshelf, or perhaps rest it on a book stand, with the pet's name and photo clearly on the front. If in digital format, name it so that it's easy to find again and be sure to back it up. Email it to others, if appropriate.

Tips

Images of your pet can provide you with inspiration as you write the memoir.

If you're artistic, consider painting or drawing a portrait of your pet and adding it to the memoir. You can scan it in if making a digital memoir.

If you want to write a pet memoir that gets published for wide readership, you'll need to follow the rules of writing good memoirs, including focusing on key moments in the pet's life that serve to enlighten or inspire readers. Do not make the mistake of trying to document your pet's life chronologically, in every little detail, or you'll bore the reader instantly. Also, if writing for a public readership, be careful not to write in terms that are too sentimental or that equate your pet with a human being (anthropomorphism), as this can spoil the gravity of your writing.

Things You'll Need.

Writing or typing tools

Book, scrapbook, notebook, etc. if making hard copy memoirs.

Photos, portraits, drawings, etc. of the pet.

Decorative elements, such as stamps, ribbon, glitter, etc.

Desember 27, 2019