Tips for Crafting

Do you like to craft or take on projects?  Cleaning and staying organized can be the worst part of starting a new craft or project.  We have some tips on how to keep your work station clean and organized while completing your latest creation. This can make the project less overwhelming and a more enjoyable experience.  You can learn more at apartment therapy.

Start with a clean surface.

Every project will have different requirements. You might need a small table for a quick paper project, or an enormous area to layout quilt pieces — either way it's a good idea to clear off your surface and wipe it down before getting out your supplies. It only takes a minute and ensures you won't set your materials down in a puddle from your water glass, breakfast crumbs, stray threads, or any of the dozens of household perils for craft supplies.

Gather all of your materials and tools before beginning your project.

This is a common cooking tip that applies to crafting as well. By gathering everything together you're checking to be sure you have all of the necessary supplies, and preventing mess-making mid-craft mad shuffles through the bins, baskets, closets and drawers that house your supplies. Now, I will not be so obnoxious as to say that having all of your supplies stored in an organized manner is a tip for staying organized while crafting, but I will say that if the ribbon you need is tucked in a drawer with other ribbons instead of tangled around eight half-wound skeins of yarn studded with hazardous fabric shears and knitting needles, it will be easier to get started on the right foot.

Corral small items.

Anything tiny that comes in multiples should be corralled into bowls or other small containers. Things like beads, sequins, scrapbook eyelets, and screws have a tendency to roll off everywhere and then be impossible to find. I occasionally realize I must have dropped some beads when I hear my vacuum struggling near my project table. Of course, I feel I have to mention glitter. By all means corral it in a container of some kind, but if you're working with glitter my best advice is to learn to love glitter, because you will be living with it until the end of time. I have been married three and a half years and I still find glitter from the place cards at my wedding, and I've moved twice since then!

Place a scrap receptacle right at your feet.

Any sort of basket or bin to drop scraps into as you go will help keep things tidy. I like to put all of my sewing or paper scraps into my bin while I'm crafting, then go through at the end to see if I have any scraps large enough to keep. If you're working with glue, paint, or other messy/sticky items, it's a good idea to have an actual trash can nearby to throw away anything that can't be salvaged.

Clean up immediately upon finishing your project.

This is where I get into trouble. It's important to immediately put away all of your leftover supplies and tools. That way everything is back where it belongs when you want to start your next project. It's amazing how cyclical organization is! Once everything is put away you can wipe down your surfaces again. If anything has spilled, or you've marked your surface, it will never be easier to clean than when it's fresh. You can even take care of a fair amount of the aforementioned glitter mess with a damp towel.

Following these tips should help you have a tidy crafting experience, and set you up to start your next fun project!

Valentine's Day Creative Ideas

Valentine's Day is coming up, and we want to know what you have planned?  Here are 11 great creative Valentine's Day ideas for you and your loved one. You can learn more here.

I don’t consider myself a romantic, so celebrating Valentine’s Day really isn’t my thing. It’s certainly one of the more popular romantic date nights of the year, and it’s obvious love is in the air that night.
If you and your partner have been together for a while, like me and my husband, and if you’re able to get a rare night out — you don’t want to spend it doing the typical. Say goodbye to the generic “dinner and a movie” dates, and make this year’s Valentine’s Day date one you’ll remember for years by doing something a little more unique. The romance will still be in the air, but you’ll have a better story to go with it.
Here are 11 Valentine’s Day dates that go beyond dinner and a movie:
1.) Recreate the first date you ever had together
First dates are always a little awkward, but chances are since you and your partner are still together, you made it past the awkward stage. Relive it all for Valentine’s Day without the awkward by recreating that first date. If you went to a movie, rent it and make out at home like you did that night. If you went out for dinner, go back to the same restaurant or one-up it by making the same recipe at home.
2.) Take a boxing class together, and throw punches
It’s kind of the anti-love date, but I bet the two of you will be laughing the entire time. The endorphins from exercising are a bonus, too. You may end up finding a new passion or, at the very least, you’ll lie in bed the next day and nurse your bruises. If you’re on the hunt for a good boxing class, read how to find a good gym on ExpertBoxing.com
3.) Give back some love by volunteering at a local charity.
Doing good always helps us feel better, and what way to both give each other the love vibes plus help those in need? Find a local animal shelter in your area that needs some help. And if you’re an animal lover like me, find a local shelter in your area at The Humane Society of the United States.
4.) Try your hand at funny!
If you’ve always been the funny couple in your circle, try your hand at comedy for real! Sign yourselves up for an amateur night of stand-up comedy. If you’ve never done stand-up comedy, be sure to read up on your performance first by reading 6 Tips for Performing Comedy.
5.) Rent your or your partner’s “dream car.”
Take your partner and your dream car you’ve rented on a weekend adventure, and enjoy the fast pace while reconnecting! You may want to check out something like Gotham Dream Cars to find something that will have all eyes on you.
6.) Play “Truth or Dare.”
Stay home, and play a fun game of “truth or dare” and see where the night takes you. Forget how to play? Brush up on your rules, and check out these must-ask questions for your romantic game for two.
7.) Change up your bedroom.
Spend the day shopping at home decor shops for upgrades to your bedroom. Take care of quick-fixes during the day, and then enjoy the new room in the evening.
8.) Play paintball, but in the dark.
It’s fun, exciting, romantic, and again, the exercise will get those endorphins rushing! You don’t want to actually hurt each other so be sure to read up on how to play safely while still having fun.
9) Do something scary!
Think about the one thing you’ve always wanted to do, yet seem to be a little too afraid to do. Think skydiving or bungee jumping! Who better to take that plunge with than your partner on the most romantic day of the year?
10.) Live it up!
Go out to a fancy bar in your best getup, and sip on a fancy cocktail with your beau. Try something new off the list of exotic cocktails and find your new signature drink!
11.) At-home art class!
Go to the art supply store, and pick up big canvases and all the paint you need. Spend the next few hours doing finger-painting portraits of each other, and laugh or marvel at the artwork you’ve created. Don’t forget to hang it in the house afterward!