Buying Guide to Craft Supplies

Scrapbooking is a newly growing hobby that is fast becoming popular. An inexpensive craft, Scrapbooking allows you to collect and store memories, or interesting tidbit that you come across in an organized and creative manner in a scrapbook. Decide what all you want to store in your scrapbook. You can have several scrapbooks for each kind of memory that you want to preserve for posterity. Or you can make several sections in your scrapbook for different things. For instance, you can have a collection of poems, songs, jokes, short stories, quotes, news clippings, stamps, cards, and rare photographs, cutouts of your favorite stars and sports personalities and lots more.  Turn your scrapbook into an album with anecdotes and text for each picture to capture the mood of that moment so that when you look at it in future, you are swiftly transported back to that moment. You can write with hand or cut text from a computer printout. If it is an important event like a marriage or birthday party, you can collect even decorations, gift wrappers, confetti etc and paste it into the scrapbook. You can even make a photo collage. Embellish every photograph with an outline or a paper trim. In short, frame each photograph creatively in your scrapbook.

To begin with you can either buy a readymade scrapbook from a stationery store or make one yourself with cardboard and colorful chart papers. Decorate it the way you want with pictures, stickers, laces, ribbons and whatever you can think of. Scrapbooking is an inexpensive hobby and requires some basic tools that are easily available at home. All you need is a pair of scissors, glue, photographs, old magazines etc. If creativity gets the better of you then go for advanced scrapbooking supplies such as stencils, sets of color pens of different thickness, colored glue, templates, die cut machines, readymade mats, frames, borders, textured papers, etc for decoration. Remember there is no right or wrong way to create a scrapbook. The idea is to reflect your memories and express yourself.

Christmas craft items are used for creating a vast array of Christmas decorations. While some buy readymade decorations, the creative ones may want to make something unique. Christmas craft can be simple or elaborate, but preferably something that the whole family can participate in.

Check out stores that stock Christmas craft supplies and look for ideas. Hanging decorations such as drums can be made from toilet rolls that are covered with felt on both ends and sides. The seam is decorated with rick-rack and braids. A looped braid makes an ornamental hanger with crisscrossed toothpicks as drum sticks. Multiple colored drums hanging on the tree and around the house looks very pretty. Other popular tree decorations are Fabric lollipops. Using pinking scissors cut several 3-inch squares from Christmas print calico or other colorful fabric and stuff them with polyester fiberfill. The ends of the square are drawn up and loosely tied with a thread. A lollipop stick is finally inserted in the opening after which a decorative braid is used to give the final touch. Baked gingerbread men and other salted dough ornaments are also popular hanging decorations, peppermint candies are used to create wreaths, popcorns and cranberries garland are some Christmas craft ideas that one can use. For more ideas and inspiration that suit your taste and budget, explore the net and online sites.

Woodscape is an interesting craft that helps you create beautiful picture frames and artworks. Using these wood craft supplies you can create beautiful items for home décor within a few hours and that too without any skill or prior training. You can make decorative mirrors, traditional landscapes, lighthouse, beaches, flower or animals pictures, etc. Two types of woods are used in woodscapes basswood and spruce. The woodscapes kit comprises of numbered and precut pieces of wood, paints, paintbrushes, glue and an instruction guide. Assemble these pieces as you would a jigsaw puzzle and glue them onto a backer board and paint them as per the instructions or by using your own genius. A thin coat of varnish applied after the paint has dried, will protect your woodscapes for years to come. Few kits also feature a readymade frame for displaying your work, if not; you can get a frame made from a local frame-maker.

Beads are small decorative objects have been in fashion since ancient times and are used for making jewelry as well as for decorative purposes. Beads come in many shapes and sizes and the ones used for jewelry are pierced and strung onto threads or soft wires that are flexible. Beads are also used for fabric decoration and in artworks. Depending upon the material it is made from, you have glass beads, wooden beads, plastic beads, and beads made from precious and semi precious stones as well as sterling silver.

From plain, patterned, textured to rustic-looking, from light colored to dark colored, from glazed to unglazed, there are many variations in wooden beads. Shape-wise you will find them round, oval, square, cylindrical and in many other shapes. You will find varieties in sizes as well. These are often used to create patterns in dresses or in jewelry. Almost all gemstones such as coral, jade, ruby, etc are made into beads and are mostly used for making jewelry items such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings and as inset in gold or silver jewelry pendant sets. Glass beads are used for decorations as well as fashion jewelry. Depending upon the making process, these can often resemble polished stones. Glass and porcelain beads can be painted with swirled patterns, flowers, etc. From tubes, circles, squares, animal to heart-shaped, glass beads are available in many shapes and sizes. You can create your own artistic pieces of jewelry to go with your outfits by creatively mixing a variety of beads. Look at pattern books, fashion jewelry books or the internet for ideas.

Sewing supplies: Right from baby clothes, to clothes for their dolls, from appliqué work to embroidery, from making soft toys to dolls, the sewing supplies has unlimited options to offer. Choose from different colored threads and different textured fabrics. A sewing machine with options for embroidery, appliqué work and other decorative functions can help you create a wide variety of decorative and useful items that you can proudly display around the house or give away as gifts. Create a colorful appliqué for your baby’s dress, or stitch doll clothes, embroider a yoke, make wall hangings, there are so many things that you can do with sewing supplies. For ideas look into books, self-help videos or search the net.

For those small emergencies like a missing button, a rip in the fabric or seam, an open hem, a sewing basket or sewing kit can be a lifesaver. A basic sewing kit containing several needles, multi colored threads spools, buttons, hooks and eyes, different sized metal snaps, scissors, pins with colored ball heads, a pincushion, a tape measure, a seam ripper, a hem gauge, etc for mending purposes. Larger than a sewing kit, a sewing basket consists of all these and much more. It can contain all your embroidery stuff, like multicolored threads, needles of different sizes, embroidery pattern book, different types of scissors including a fabric scissor, holding ring etc. Knitting and crochet enthusiasts can put in all stuff related to this art like yarn, wool, knitting and crochet needles and pattern books. A sewing basket can also store your sewing machine supplies and thus becomes a single storage place for all your thread crafts supplies. Your sewing basket can be a readymade basket or a box brought from a shop or you can make one from an old cane basket or plastic basket. You can also convert an old shoe box or a big gift box into a sewing basket. You can use old fabric, left over laces, decorative buttons, fabric flowers etc to creatively decorate the box or basket.

Similarly, there are plenty of ideas available in making unique gifts to friends. Kids ranging from preschool to teenage and beyond can make creative craft items to gift to their parents, teachers and friends. There are plenty of kids craft kits available for making photo frames, collages, embroidery patterns, cross stitch frames, cards, etc. There are plenty of options in kids craft supplies that let you choose individual items and create something unique. Arts and Craft help to develop motor and cognitive skills in a child. Kids in particular take great pride in their creations and a little appreciation from parents goes a long way in building self confidence and boosting self esteem.

Final word:

Like mentioned earlier, there is no age limit and one can pick up a craft hobby at any age. Check online for ideas, or read related magazines or simply observe your surroundings for ideas. This guide will assist you in picking up the right craft supplies.