DIY- Make a Candle!

Candles are so nice! And they light up whole of your environment so beautifully! Why not try making candles yourself? You'll just need a handful of supplies and it's not at all messy!

Supplies Needed for Candle Making

1. Wax- you can even use the plain white candles or crayons. However, if going proper way, then get some paraffin wax, soy wax or beeswax.
2. Wax melter
3. Thermometer- Specific candle making thermometers are there and they are just essential for candle making.
4. Mold- If not, then use any container, may be a glass, bowl or a tin.
5. Fragrant Oil- if, of course, you want some aromatic candles. Its optional.
6. Dyes- optional, only if you want colorful candles.
7. Putty- for molds
   

Steps for Making Candle
Select the type of wax to be used. If beeswax, you don't need to melt it. It is just wrapped around a wick and sealed using the thumb. If using paraffin or soy wax, they have to be melted and double-boiled.

Place the wax melter in a pot half filled with water which should be kept on a burner with low-medium heat. Now place the wax pieces into the melter. When the wax melt, add dyes or fragrance. You can even place glitters to make a decorative candle. However, very little quantity of oil should be mixed( 1 tablespoon or ¼ of an ounce or 3% of the candle's weight of oil for each pound of wax melted) otherwise, the candle will not burn properly.

Measure the temperature of the wax with the help of the thermometer. If you have selected a mold of cardboard, plastic or glass, keep the temperature at 130 degrees Fahrenheit and if the mold is made of some metal, then heat the wax up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the wax is in the process of melting, prepare the mold. You can do it even before you begin to melt the wax- just prepare the mold beforehand- before the wax reaches the right temperature. For preparing it, keep the length of the wick 2 inches more than the candle. Pass the wick through the hole at the bottom of the mold and fix it with putty. Tie the wick at the other end of the mold with something like a stick or a pencil.

Pour the wax into the mold. Let the wax cool for at least 12 hours. For better results, refrigerate it for another 12 hours. Remove the candle from the mold. Your home made candle is ready.

Thrilled by it! Want some more of it? Then make a floating candle centerpiece!
Hope you'll enjoy the creative candle making experience!!

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Ways to Wrap Gifts

When everyone on the earth is screaming green, how can an artistic mind remain untouched by the movement. So, if you are that creative person who loves to wrap gifts in unique ways, just be a little more aware and think of some eco-friendly ways to wrap your gifts. Save the earth and be proud of it! Here are some ways to go eco-friendly with gift wrapping, rest you can think yourself, the creative man as you are!


Find Corporate Gift Companies with Eco-friendly Wrapping Process
If you are thinking of wrapping up the most awaited corporate gifts, find a brand or company that will use recycled paper gift bags or even jute gift pouches to wrap up these gifts. Take help of Internet, search and search more - demands will sure make these companies adhere to your requirements.


Make Daily-Use Items Your Gift Wraps
Utilize your money as also your efforts buying daily use items such as pillow covers, beach towels, decorative bed sheets or organic cloth bags that can be creatively used to wrap up the gifts. This way, gifts as well as the wrappers can be use- double bonanza- did you say!


Reuse the Brown Bags, Holiday Gift Bags and Gift Wrappers
Next time, you get a gift, ensure you don't throw away the gift wrapping bags or papers. Store them. Reuse them to wrap the gifts you'll give away to your loved ones. If you don't like the idea of using brown paper bags, just try your hands on finger painting or stamp painting (make stamps with as common a thing as erasers and potatoes). Dip your fingers or stamps in paints and make beautiful designs on the brown paper bags. Now use them for gift wrapping.


Unique Gift Tags made from Old Business Cards
Need gift tags to scribe on? Just get hold of some old business cards. Take two of them at a time and glue them on the printed sides with craft glue. Tie a string using the unused wool yarn or ribbon lying around, by punching a hole on the tag. Paint or paste some interesting graphics on the tag and now write whatever your heart wishes to communicate to the gift receiver.


Don't just Wrap up the Attractive Containers
The manufacturers so interestedly choose and make the designs of their containers. Why waste all the efforts. Let them be attractive as they are. If giving something like cookies or chocolates, fill them in attractive bowls with lid – great gift container. Buy a watering can and fill it with gardening supply for your nature loving friend- he'll sure like the gift as well as the gift holder. If they don't give the looks of a gift like this, just tie a ribbon or a scarf in an innovative style around the container, hang a gift tag made of old business card and just give it away.

Don't forget to attach a note with each gift to explain what you have done. Personalize them with tiny paintings, messages and crochet touches, etc. Also request the recipient to recycle or reuse your wrap. It's their turn to save earth now!

How to Choose the Right Necktie

The women-dominated fashion arena has changed a lot. Now men are giving a tough competition to women when it comes to fashion accessories. Mens Neckties, although not a new fashion accessory for men, have come to take a prime place. Now men give more attention in choosing the right necktie that suits their outfit perfectly. Here are certain tips to polish the art of matching neckties for men, especially for novice who have just started to acquire the skill.

1. Choose a necktie made of quality fabric. The best fabric for ties is silk or satin that is labeled 100%. The shine of these fabrics go to make your entire attire attractive.
2. Choose a necktie with just the right length according to your height. Tall guys should choose a long tie and the shorter ones should choose short ties. The triangular edge of the tie should meet your bucket when tied properly around your neck. Try to tie the necktie in such a way that it extends i/2 inch past your belt line.
3. Match the color of your necktie with your shirt's or suit's color in order to achieve balance and harmony.
4. The easiest selection of tie comes when you wear a white shirt. It goes with any tie having whatsoever color under the sun. When wearing a colored shirt, try to contrast it with the tie color. If wearing a dark color shirt, go for a light colored tie. If wearing a light color shirt, then choose a dark colored tie. You can even select shirt and tie of similar color but the tie should be somewhat lighter or darker than the color of the shirt.
5. If you wear a shirt having stripes or checks then choose a tie having color that matches the dominant color of the stripes or checks.
6. Ties with patterns can also be selected for stripped or checkered shirts but you'll have to be ultra cautious about selecting the patterns. A tie having box pattern, pin or polka dots can match a stripped shirt and the tie that has diagonal stripes can go with checkered shirts. However, ensure that the color of the tie complements well with the dominant color of the shirt otherwise you can end up looking funny.

The selection of your necktie will go waste if you don't know how to tie a necktie. So learn the trick and see how all heads turn towards you!

2009 Top Trends for Toy Industry

With the economic crisis faced by all the industries worldwide, toy industry is also tightening purse strings and the prevailing trends of the year 2009 is showing this very well. Lets check out the toys and games that will be manufactured by the toy industry and looked for by the consumers this year.


Budget Toys
While the consumers becoming tightfisted, cutting back on avoidable expenses, the toy manufacturers are introducing economically priced toys and games. The basic toys will all the more become popular. Classic toys will make a comeback. So, this year, the remote controlled cars and snack machines could be found more easily than the last few years.


Movie Toys
Movie- licensed toys based on popular movies such as Iron Man, Superman and Batman were some of the most popular toys in 2008 and they will continue to be so in 2009 too. Movie makers keep aside a considerable promotion budget and also there is much liking for action figures in the target market. As such, the reel action heroes will rule the real world of toys too.

Organic and Green Toys
New laws for toy safety will force the toys manufacturers to make green and organic toys from eco friendly raw materials and also from reused or recycled materials. Rising environmental awareness among the general public will also lead the parents to go for green toys.


Interactive and Digital Toys
Toy manufacturers will continue to incorporate the computerized or virtual world into the toys of 2009. Computers and web searching abilities have greatly influenced children’s play patterns in recent years. Links to website and added content will be offered through websites dedicated for this purpose only. Video games will alo try to inspire the couch-potato kids to get up and do some activity or exercise while playing.

To sum up, the toy industry in 2009 will focus on toy safety, value, cost and product durability.

Handmade Paper - Do It Yourself

Recycling is the norm of the day. So, if you too want to contribute to the cause of environment and if you are interested in doing some craft yourself then here is the simple method of making handmade paper. Do it yourself and see how good it feels to use a paper made with your own hands!


Selection of Raw Material Papers

The basic material required for the project is paper that can be any thing- unprinted computer paper, magazines, egg cartons, toilet paper, paper bags, office paper, typing paper, napkins, construction paper etc. Just remember that old cards will make heavier paper while tissue paper will make finer paper. If using non waxed boxes then pre-soak them in warm water. Avoid newspapers as the chemicals and ink in them lead to a handmade paper which is a muddy -looking sheet of poor quality. If possible, combine a recycled base with equal amounts of abaca or cotton pulp. Buy it in semi-processed form so that it can be used in a household blender.

Tools Required for Making Handmade Paper

• A blender
• A laundry tub
• Handmade paper mold and deckle
• Torn pieces of recycled paper or cotton pulp
• Fabric square (felt or flannel square)
• Sponge
• Newspaper or absorbent towels for a couching pad

Steps for Making Paper

• Tear the selected paper into small bits and put them into blender with warm water. Make it about half full. Run the blender, increasing its speed slowly, for about 30 -40 seconds until the pulp becomes smooth.
• Make a mold by stretching fiberglass screen (plain old door and window screen) over a wooden frame and stapling it. Make it as tight as possible.
• Fill the tub about half way with water. Add loads of pulp and stir the mixture. The more pulp you add the thicker the paper will be.
• Place the mold into the pulp and level it out keeping it submerged. Gently shake it side-to-side until the pulp on top of the screen appears to be even.
• Now lift the mold up slowly until it is above the level of water. Wait until most of the water has drained. Add or remove pulp to obtain the desired thickness of the paper. If so, you'll have to stir the mixture again.
• After draining the water, slowly place one edge on the side of a fabric square and gently ease the mold down flat, with the paper directly on the fabric. With the sponge, press out as much water as possible.
• Hold the fabric square flat and gently lift the edge of the mold in a manner that the wet sheet of paper stays back on the fabric.
• Make more wet papers by repeating the steps above. Stack the fabric squares on a cookie sheet and place one fabric square on the top of the stack in order to cover the last piece of paper. With another cookie sheet, press out any remaining water.
• Now gently separate the sheets and dry them either by hanging on a clothesline or laying out on sheets of newspapers.

And here's your own handmade paper ready!

Top Tips for Trade Show Booth Display

Trade shows are the effective and proven method for marketing and selling crafts. Although due to economic downturn, many crafters are cutting back on these shows by adopting exclusive ways for marketing crafts during recession, trade shows can't be done away with altogether. So, if you are also among those who haven't lost hope and plan to display your products in a trade show, you must do it in proper and effective ways. It just needs a careful planning and attentive handling of minor issues.


Make your booth safe: Pin up the corners of the table covers. It will be best if you make hospital corners so that no one can trip on excess fabric lying on the floor. Make the display booth level and firm. Use shims for table legs on uneven floors.

Avoid printed display cover: Although printed covers look beautiful, they'll attract people more than your products. Use solid color fabric as display cover. You can even drape fabric on the back of your display. Use double-knit fabric that drapes well and doesn't wrinkle.

Arrange for sufficient lighting: People will buy what they see and with proper lighting you can make them see your crafts beautifully. If your budget allows, get professional help to set the lighting otherwise you can yourself set it by following some trade show display lighting hints and tips.

Place your crafts effectively: To make people see and notice your craft, display them as close to eye-level as you can. If you put all your works flat on the table, nothing will stand out. Place them at different heights. Something like stair steps or racks at different levels will be great for displaying products. Framed photographs, paintings, wall hangings etc. look good if they are hung on a hinged vertical display. You may use inexpensive room-divider screens, hinged shutters, etc. for the purpose.

Top Interior Decor Trends 2009!

Home is amongst the most important assets of one's life that is preserved for lifetime. Home is also where comfort and relaxation is achieved. As such, interior decor is given high importance by almost everyone. So what small or big changes you need to introduce this year? Let's know what the top interior decor trends of 2009 are!


Nature Connect: With everyone speaking about environmental protection and going organic, everything that is natural, eco-friendly or has connection with nature will take prime place. Linen and cotton textiles for home furnishings are top picks. However, eco-friendly fibers such as soy, hemp and especially bamboo will be there right in the front. Art works used for decorating will also reflect nature with paintings focusing on nature with trees, flowers, rural and natural landscapes.

Color Palette: Bright colors and metallics with low luster levels will prevail. Gold and silver will give way to platinum, rose gold and copper. Also, yellow ( zesty lemon, orange, and lime hues) will hold strong. Purple will continue to remain popular with a shift towards red shade. Paintings will be seen with bold uses of primary and other bright - reds, greens, yellows, blues and so on.

Patterns: Bold geometrics will dominate the interior decor scenario. However, symmetry will be maintained to bring balance everywhere. Florals will also be there. As far as art work is concerned, watercolor techniques and cheerful wildflowers are the prime focus. Flowers would be seen in 3-D bouquet like embellishments, sewn onto furnishings.

Recycled Decor: With economy taking back seat, people will focus on refreshing, redesigning and renewing instead of going all new- the same trend that was there throughout 2008.

The In-things: Here are some things that will be “in-things” for the year 2009. Venetian, etched or graphics printed mirrors; traditional prints in larger scales & bolder colors; marvelous serving pieces;
leather; Animal prints; Rustic touch; copper and bronze; Gray, charcoal, pewter having clear bright colors; Velvets, linens, cotton, silk and bamboo fabrics; green color in all shades; organic materials; natural fibers; preference to comfort; value; bigger lamps, interesting shades and bases; etc.

Bamboo Craft – Plane Bamboo Weaving Technique

The natural, durable and attractive bamboo not only makes mats, baskets and other handicrafts but is also used for high-grade packaging, decorative panels, curtains and window blinds. The bamboo window blinds, in fact, not only give a classic touch to the interior decor of a room but keep it cool as well. Bamboo craft is based on its specific weaving techniques. These weaving techniques can be classified as plane weaving, dimensional weaving and mixed weaving. To begin with, a bamboo crafter must know the plane weaving technique for bamboo craft.



Plane bamboo weaving creates two dimensional or plane products like woven mats or carpets. It is different from method of making three dimensional products such as baskets, lampshades, figurines etc. Before weaving, the bamboo culms are processed as follows to make them apt for weaving.

Processing of Bamboo for Weaving

• Green skin of the bamboo culm is removed by scraping off its green surface
• with the help of a blade. Force is applied evenly along the culm surface to ensure uniformly colored bamboo.
• The upper edge of the culm section is flattened to facilitate stripping. A sharp knife is used to cut evenly around the edge.
• The culm section is divided into slivers of an equal width. The number of slivers depend upon the diameter of the culm. Cutting is done carefully from the edge downwards along the length of the culm.
• The slivers are then completely separated to form individual pieces.
• Slivers are striped into fine layers. The knife is held with the blade horizontally against the upper 1/3 of the cross section sliver. First cut is made by nipping the blade into the sliver. Then the blade is placed 0.5 to 1 mm away from the first layer. After repeating the process for a required number of times, the layers are peeled off. The thickness of the layers depend upon the need of the intended woven product.
• Layers are separated into fine strips by using both the hands. The strips may be lighter or darker in color from one another. They are arranged accordingly.
• The bamboo strips are then dyed and bleached with the help of various materials such as dyes, sulfur, hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals. Soaking, boiling, washing, air drying etc. methods are used for the purpose.

Plane Weaving of bamboo

Before moving on to the process of plane weaving of bamboo, there are two basic terminology that need to be understood by the novice bamboo weaver. These two terms are – Warp and Weft. Warp is the set of parallel bamboo stripes providing the foundation on which plane weaving is done. They are positioned lengthwise on the work bench or work area. Wefts are the bamboo stripes that are inserted widthwise under and over the warp in order to make a design.

The basic technique for plane bamboo weaving is that of weaving dots into pattern. It involves combining two colors of bamboo- one light and other dark- along the warp and weft of the bamboo strips. Color intensity and contrast in the patterns are created by changing the density of the dots woven under and over the warp.

There are many other traditional methods of bamboo weaving that are also interesting to know.

Top 5 Essential Tools Every Home Should Have

Whether you are a hobbyist interested in some or the other craft or about to take on the home improvement project, you'll sure need some basic tools to carry on the simple tasks. Moreover, if there's no craft project or home decor project on your list then also something will happen once in a while- you might need to fix the burst pipe or the leaking tap- so better be prepared with your home tools set. Here is the list of some basic tools that are essential for any household.


First of all you must get a toolbox that is about 20 inches long, 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep with a durable handle and a removable top tray with compartments for nails, screws, washers, picture hangers and so on. Now get the following basic tools.

• Hammer: From among the different varieties available, the appropriate one for basic tasks is the 16 ounce, straight claw hammer with a fiberglass handle. It will be heavy enough to drive a nail and light enough to handle without any problem.
• Screwdrivers: You need several sizes screwdrivers but thanks to the market that has a set which includes most of the sizes you'll need. Select those having comfortable grips and quality material.
• Pliers: Get a slip joint or a groove joint plier for trivial tasks demanding a wider grip like plumbing issues, and a needle nose plier for smaller, tight jobs. If your budget allows, you may go for adjustable pliers whose jaws have a range of adjustments, letting them to grip anything from tiny nails or wires to large pipes.
• Utility knife: Don't run to the kitchen every time you need a knife, just include a utility knife in your home tool set that has a razor-sharp blade for cutting everything from drywall to cardboard.
• Wrench: You'll need it for turning nuts and bolts. Get an 8-inch adjustable wrench which will be able to turn small- to medium-sized nuts and bolts.

While buying your basic home tool set don't try to scrimp on quality otherwise you'll get frustrated when they'll need fixing instead of doing the jobs for which they had been bought. After you collect the basic home tools, you can gradually make specialized tool sets such as that of plumbing tools.