Wanted: The Best Crafting Tips
Our newsletter, The Craft Connection thought it would be fun to dig up some of the best crafting tips from some of the best crafters we know- you! We asked and you answered. We’ve received many wonderful responses from this. Some of your feedback gave us a good laugh, reminding us to always “make sure you keep your cats away while crafting!” CRC fan Renee sent positive vibes with her input: “My tip: craft as often as you can. Creativity keeps me happy :)” We’ve compiled some of the best tips and tricks sent in from our readers. If you think we’ve left any pearls of crafting wisdom out, don’t be shy, send us yours today!
As one reader wrote, “The ultimate goal of any craft project is the finish line.” To get to the finish line, we have to start at the beginning. We all know that it can be challenging to find time to complete a project. More times than not, the reason we start a craft project in the first place is because we’ve found some extra time on our hands to spend doing something we enjoy. We’ve seen this tip come across our desks quite a few times, and it’s a good one. Using a timer is one of the easiest ways to keep you on track with your projects. Here is a great tip from crafter Pama, “I set my timer to 30 minutes as soon as I start my project – I consider the start as having all pieces of the project ready to go (example – thread, cut pattern pieces, glue, leather, beads, etc.). When the timer goes off, I pull myself away from the project and walk around for at least 10 minutes. This allows for a trip to the kitchen for a drink or to take my dog outside. I stretch out my body kinks and then I go back to my project with a better chance at finishing the project! I continue setting the timer for every 30 minutes until the project is completed and I am very happy I didn’t end up putting the project on the “I’ll finish this someday pile”!”
Knitting and crocheting- some of our most popular topics of discussion. There are endless projects to create, and we’re always looking for insider tips on how we can sharpen our skills. Debbie had this helpful tip for beginners, “if you’re new to crocheting or knitting don’t be afraid to try new stitches or patterns. Use your scrap yarn and work up a swatch of the new stitch, that way if you make a mistake (and we all do) it’s easy to undo and try again. Remember, practice makes perfect.”
“Sometimes it’s downright impossible to get the sewing thread, crochet thread, or even yarn
through the eye of a needle.”
Is this a problem you’ve come across? Reader Bonnie gives us a time-saving hack: Stiffen the end of the sewing thread, crochet thread, or yarn with your choice of fabric stiffener, Mod-Podge, or even regular craft glue (not the tacky kind!) By doing this, it makes the end of your “thread” like its own needle and, in some circumstances, completely eliminates the need for a needle! Tip: works great for children’s lace-up shoes too!
Keeping crafting supplies and projects organized can sometimes be a struggle, especially when we are working on multiple projects at once. There was no shortage of organizational tips coming through, and we’re glad to share! Especially now that it’s officially spring; there is no better time than now to get organized! Here’s a tip from our reader Linda: “Organization tip: I really like to sort my scrap pieces of paper by color (using hanging file folders) for quick access. The same with extra die cuts
I made and didn’t use. I use the decorative boxes from Michaels (5/$10) to sort my dies, envelopes, and ready-made cards. 12×12 paper and 8.5×11 paper racks for all my paper.” We love these organizers from BagSmith! They’re great if you’re working on multiple projects and want to keep all of your supplies in one place. Keep your scissors, thread, needles, patterns, whatever you’re working with, in this stylish carry-all!
Looking for an easy way to keep extra beads neatly organized? Use inexpensive watercolor palettes to hold small items, and for those bigger beads- muffin tins work great!
We hope you can use some of these tips if you haven’t tried them already! And again, we love hearing from our crafters…give us a holler any time with your own crafting shortcuts, tips, and tricks. We leave you with these words of advice that we will be sure to NEVER follow, “My best crafting tip is to not let anyone know your secrets or how to make things.” Cut Rate Crafts will always share the latest and greatest in crafting!
Until next time, crafters! Stay inspired.
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