Free Articles in English

How to Craft a Bonnet

To create a porcelain doll bonnet, first determine the size of your doll head. Once you have the size you will need materials. You can use wire to mould your bonnet if it is less than 10 inches. You can use any type of material you choose to make your bonnet, including batiste.

The materials you will need are 6 inches of fabric (white), such as the batiste. You will need a couple of edge laces, say around 2 ½ yards and ½ inches of lace edge. Gather 36 inches of smooth craft wire. You will need 28 inches of dual side rayon fabric, such as satin ribbons and a set of wire cutters, and pliers with a long muzzle. Once you gather your materials, you can start your methods in creating your bonnet.

You will need art paper to create your patterns. Once you finish you will carve two sou’ westers: (i.e. bonnets) you should have two rows of lace, which one is on top and the other. Once you have your patterns make a wavy edge forming the scallop near the lace edge and continue to the middle of your bonnet. Stitch together the right side and form a straight-line stitch to lace the edges in order and to connect to the edges of the neck and the edges at the top. To show lace when the bonnet is turned, the lace should jut out over your seams at the finish of your hat.

Now, use your lining and place it over your sou’ wester and begin stitching it collectively over the prior stitch lines to the edges of the neck and edge of the crown. Leave open your ends, turn your bonnet at the inner recesses, and out so that the lace shows at the crown edges and neck, and then press.

Use your pattern and stitch along the lines. You want to create a cover for the wire. Next, sew one more edge of lace underneath the hat on the left side and continue to the right. Stitch in the direction of your line and cover near the edges of your crown. Stitch your wavy lines at the crown into the lace and continue to the outer edges.

Now you will need to cut the ends of your hat. Use your wire cutters and cut along the lines of your wire so that it fits 11 inches of the edges of your crown. The last edge of your crown will need 8 ½ inches of wire. The center should be 7 ½ inches and the edges of the neck should be 7 inches. About ¼ inch, curve the ends of your wire. Next, weave your wire into the covers evenly at one finish of your untreated edges. Bend the wire ¼ inch with your pliers and another quarter over until the wire is secured. Pull up your fabric at the edges of the crown, including the other crown edge and add your wire to the center and at the edges of the neck wire.

The wire will extend to the other finish area, which you will need to trim the curved ends once you check to make sure that the area is balance. You want to avoid allowing the wire to ride to the cover. Next, bend the wires ¼ inch twice and secure your ends. You want to even your decorative fabric edgings, which once your bonnet is completed you can trim your ribbon, creating dual 14 inch lengthwise cuts and fix your ribbon to the side of the hat. If you would like additional designs, such as the rose-shaped badge (Rosette) you will need to use rose grubs and embroider them onto the ribbons.

How to Choose the Basics in Quilt Craft

Quilts are often made up of quality fabrics. The fabrics include cotton, which polyester is often avoided. Once you purchase top-quality cotton fabrics, you will need to consider style.

How to choose style:
Quilts are crafted in the Feminine, Cottage, Victorian, Country, Scrappy, Lodge, and Conventional Amish, Modern, or Juvenile style.

The female and Victorian often has a mixture of flowery and smaller scales of coordinating patterns and colors. Cottage quilts have brighter pastels and prints on a smaller to average scale with off-white solids, such as beige, manila, fawn, or camel. The Country quilts include the reminiscent of dusty shades that stretch along scales of solid shades. The colors are solid and a couple of colors, such as off-whites, or flag colors integrate to make a fashionable quilt.

Lodge style quilts are made up of reticent, or silent shaded prints, or reminiscent of woody colors that are deeply imprinted in the quilt. The colors are offset by shades of plaid, and the variations combine green, brown, rust, orchra, red, navy blue, tan, black, etc, blending it to make the Lodge quilt.

The scraps means you can create any type of quilt you choose, as well as shades, tones, colors, etc. Conventional Amish quilts combine the penetrating shades of gemstones on a solid background with a mixture of black.

Modern quilts include the colorful novelties whereas simple lines are used to make up its squares.

Juvenile quilts is often made up of brilliant pastel, or crayon shades, colors, tones, etc, and includes prints as well as a solid background.

Once you choose your style, you will need to purchase your materials and measure your fabric. The fabric should be machine washable. Sometimes however, the fabric will bleed, which in this case you will need to continue wash, rinse, and continue until the dye remains in tact.

Once you purchase your yard bolt, or fabric you will need to learn steps to cutting your parts “On the grain.” This is a common phrase used by quilt makers. In addition to cutting, you will need to purchase fillers and learn how to craft them so they blend into your quilt. In quilt maker terms, “batting,” is choosing your style so to speak. For instance, if you wanted to create a traditional quilt you would choose ‘flatters” that match your material. When choosing batting it is ok to purchase polyester. You will have a choice of wools, cotton, and so on available as well. To help you make a decision consider the following questions.

How to choose:
Do you intend to craft your quilt on a sewing machine, or by hand?
What is the size?
How much time can you invest in making your quilt?
Do you intend to wash your quilt regularly, or design a fashionable quilt for your showcase?
Do you plan to make a quality quilt?

Asking the questions can help you choose your materials. You can find additional help by visiting craft shops and reading recommendations by the manufactured written on the batting label. In the meantime, visit the Internet to choose your patterns.

You also have the pre-packaged options, which you can purchase your batting, including the yard of batting. If you choose the pre-packaged, you will have convenience, such as elimination of cutting. The pre-packages are already cut to fit the average beds.

If you purchase yards of batting, be ware that it has not been pre-shrunk. This means, you will have bulks of batting to carry to your home. You want to keep in mind that yards of batting is suitable for smaller projects only, and is difficult to cut your patterns.

How to Choose Film for Crafting Scrapbooks

Pictures make up scrapbooks, since the photos is what delivers a story. Of course, you need journals, lettering, titles, captions, dates, names, etc, yet the photos will make up your book. To create photos for scrapbooks it is wise to choose the proper film speed.

Film as on its label the marks ISO and ASA. If the ASA mark has a high number behind it, the quality of film is good in particular settings only. For instance, if you were taking pictures outdoors where the sun is reflecting brilliant light, you would likely use the ASA 64 to 125 films to avoid sunlight exposure that affects your film. If the light is low, you would use ASA 400 to 800.

If you are capturing movement, use the film with faster speed. The downside however, using this film you may pick up grit and the specific details may be lost. You could use slower speed to pick up the details, yet the film will not do well when picking up motion. Therefore, you need recourse.

Medium film speed is in the range of 64 to 125. The film may blur motion, yet if you take a few steps, you can avoid blurring. For instance, if you are taking a picture of puppy, try holding the camera steady. You can practice a few steps to catch your puppy in action. Better yet, trying supporting your puppy against something to encourage stillness and quickly snap your shot.

The fast speed film includes 200 to 400 ASA. If you are snapping shots in low-lighted areas, use this film. The fast film will capture motion and will not cause blurring.

The best outdoors film where the light is glaring from the sun is the 200 ASA series. This film will not blur when capturing motion.

When snapping shots try to make sure, the subject is relaxed before taking the picture. You can choose lighting also to catch special affects in your photos. For instance, lighting can catch background effects, including silhouette figures.

The 400 ASA series is great for using in low-lit areas. The film is also great to use when you are snapping photos that involve replicated motion. The problem is when you enlarge the photos you may see course, or gritty background.

ASA has the series 800 to 1600. The film works best in low-lit area. The 1600 series is best used in areas where darkness shadows low light. You may have course or gritty texture still.

The day you intend to capture photos for your scrapbook, you should consider carrying along with you a variety of film for all occasions. When you start to take, your pictures consider props, backgrounds, position, directions, etc. If the subject is small, you want to move closer in position to snap your shot.

Professional photographers often tilt their camera, change their direction, or angle and so on. Sometimes the photographer will stand, kneel, or sit when snapping shots. When you prepare to take photos for your scrapbook, try to work as a professional would so that you achieve the best results.

Professional photographers use the “Law of Thirds,’ when snapping photos. The law states that you should move your, subject to the right or left third. This means you do not move the subject to the center at all times when capturing pictures.

When you snap shots outdoors, you may want to use a flashcube. If you have one of the newer cameras, likely the flash is built-in. Work your camera so that you become familiar with the flash actions. When using “fill flashes,” i.e. the outdoor flashes make sure that your subject is at a distance before snapping the shot. (15 feet)

How to Choose Craft Threads

Threads are important when crafting quilts. You will need certain threads that match your fabric, as well as suitable supplies and needles. Yet, when you consider matching threads to your fabric, you will also need to consider a few other details.

Types of threads:
You have choices of thread, including rayon, buttonhole-twists, silk, all-purpose, cotton, nylon wool, monofilament, metallic, exceptionally fine, mercerized cotton and so on. To consider threads, first you must ask if you are intending to create your quilt by hand, or machine? Do you prefer to darn or to bast?

If you are sewing fabric piece onto fabric, using shaped pieces to form your pattern, you may want to choose the monofilament nylon thread. On the other hand, if you are sewing your fabric by hand, sewing the pieces to form a pattern then the silky threads, or the all-purpose threads may be a good option.

If you are hand crafting you may want to consider other threads than the all-purpose. For instance, you may get more from the threads with polyester cores and wrapped in cotton. The polished 100$ finished cotton is also available. If you use the thread with finished polish, it will reduce wearing if you are sewing by hand. The thread will help you stitch smoothly without worrying about tangles, creases, etc.

TIP: Buy beeswax cake to minimize tangles.

Once you finish choosing your threads, you will need to create a craft basket. The basket will include thimbles, scissors both for cutting paper and fabric, (a few pairs) threader, hand needles, pencils, tailor chalk, seam ripper, and a measuring device. You will also need straight quilter pins, pincushion, glue stick, and a few safety pins. (Large)

Once you gather your basket, you may want to add supplies, such as rotary cutters, iron/board, masking tape, press cloth, spray bottle, graphing/tracing paper, hoops and frames, colored pencils, plastic sheet, ruler, cutting mat, and so on. You may even want to toss in a few band-aids to cover those pokes and sticks you will get from hand sewing your quilt.

When you purchase your needles choose the “household assortment” kits to sum up your sewing needs. Otherwise, needle sizes are opposite, i.e. if you purchase the larger numbers, you get a smaller needle.

If you are hand, sewing you may want to consider “sharp” needles. The needles make it easy to stitch through heavy-duty material. In stores you might look for sharps, or “household needles.” To shorten your field trip on the mind tangler, just purchase a couple of 8’s and 9’s, as well as the variety packages. The needles with slotted eyes are called the “easy-threader,” which you can use also if you have problems using other needles.

You will need the seam ripper to correct your mistakes. The rippers will cut your thread, yet you should practice before you use them on the actual quilt, especially if you are new at making quilts.

You will need markers as well as a ruler to measure seams, patterns, fabric, etc. The needle threader will make it easy to thread. Remember the tips of some needles are small, making it difficult to get the thread pulled through the eye. Thimbles are designed to reduce the need for band-aids. You will need to test a few thimbles to fit them to your fingers.

In all, each item in your basket will help you complete your quilt. If you are new at quilting, visit your library, or go online to learn more steps to help you create a fashionable design, or a traditional style if you choose.

How to Choose Craft Stationary Paper

Stationary paper makes a great design for any scrapbook. Stationary paper helps you to craft fun pages, basic layouts, extraordinary captions and more. Crafters can purchase stationary paper at any craft shop, stationary store, or scrapbook department. The paper is available in a variety of size, colors, designs, etc.

How to choose stationary paper:
You want paper that matches your scrapbook theme. The paper should harmonize with the colors in your photo, as well as the subject.

How to create dividers:
Dividers are crafted to add little amazing features to your scrapbook. Dividers are designed to allow your to separate seasons, events, travel, etc. In short, you can use dividers to create a storybook. Use your pictures and make them come together while crafting your dividers to separate the photos. Again, you want to choose coordinated stationary that matches the theme of your storybook. For instance, if you’re creating a Christmas them, choose snowmen, pine trees, lights, Santa Clause, or related patterns. On the other hand if you are creating a fall theme, then choose orange, yellow, green, and brown patterns, such as those with leaves fallen from trees.

Tip: When you prepare to mount photos on stationary paper, you can cut out the interior region, which will not be apparent when showing your photos, to use as extra paper for the next pages.

When you use stationary to craft your scrapbook, try learning steps in die cutting, punching, or use stickers to create additional patterns to set off your photos. For instance, if you are creating a theme, and your pictures have off casts, such as sun, sky, trees, etc, buy stickers, or cut to die cuts or punches to set off your theme.

Tip: If you are announcing the birth of a child, try using rubber stamps and print your baby’s fingerprints, handprints, or footprints on your stationary. Add your baby’s date of birth, name, and so on to setoff your card.

Creating scrapbooks is a fun adventure. You can use your creative mind without worrying about being a pro artist to create anything you choose. When you choose patterns and stationary however, always try to make sure that the designs coordinate with your theme to invent a lasting memo.

You will find colors and patterns at craft shops, stationary stores, and so which will match your theme. The paper includes decorative patterns. The patterns include the holiday paper, travel, birth, and more. You will find checkers, stripes, dots, plaids, floral, sports, and other designs online as well. Specialty patterns are designs that offset cardstocks or scrapbooks as well. You will find corrugated or ridged cardstock, handmade paper, vellum, and fabric resembling velvet (Velveteen) at craft stores.

If you are crafty, you may want to make up your own patterns, designs, stationary, etc. You can purchase do-it-yourself kits online or at craft stores. The kits will provide you instructions, guides, etc, that help you to create your own patterns. Keep in mind however, if you are creating your own paper, use the paper approved by P.A.T. or CK OK. Acidy-based paper will cause ruin to your photos, embellishments, etc.

The scrap you have left from your patterns, stationary, etc, you can use to create letterheads for your title page, header, and so on. Otherwise, you can use the scraps to start your next pattern on the following page.

Crafting scrapbooks is a fun adventure that keeps those special moments alive. Once you have purchase your pens, paper, patterns, protectors, stationary, etc, it is time to move on to craft your scrapbook, bringing it alive.

How to choose Craft Paper for Scrapbooks

Now that you have your pen, glue, protectors, etc, you will need to choose paper for your scrapbook. Craft paper with seals of approval is ideal when creating scrapbooks. Craft paper includes the CK OK products. Paper designed for photocopying, journals, or albums are the choice papers. The paper that most crafters use is the pH that does not go over 8.0. The ideal level is 6.5 and/or 7.5. Un-buffered paper is the choice for many crafters, yet some recommend buffer paper with alkaline base. Paper should have an acid-base; therefore look for the lignin-free products. Paper without dyes, and are colorfast are choice products also. P.A.T. approved paper is the Photo Activity Test products, which is ideal for scrapbooks.

The paper outlined is ideal for photos. If you intend to add extras, consider pH levels no higher than 7.5 also. Buffer paper should have a very low content of zinc, magnesium, and calcium carbonates. Use the lignin-free and colorfast papers that do not dye as well.

Paper includes the basic of decorative designs. Pattern is a type of paper that has designs that replicate throughout the page. You can find conservative bold, tasteful designs, funky stuff, and so on. You can also purchase matching stickers to setoff your scrapbook.

When you create pattern scrapbooks keep in mind you are creating a book that brings your past to the future. You are creating a memo that tells a person about your past. In view of the fact, when choosing pattern paper try out the general patterns. If you choose extreme patterns, it will only rob viewers of seeing what you crafted to promote in the first place.

How to choose patterns:
“General pattern paper” has a variety of designs, including floral, stripes, and dots. You can choose the general patterns if you want variety. General papers are ideal for those who are searching for versatile results as well.

If you are designing holiday decors use the general patters with minuscule red dots. The dots will blend well with the holidays design, such as those during Christmas.

Once you choose your paper, you can craft some ideas, such as using your patterns to fit in with small and large photos or embellishments. Paper mounts may include single mounts. You can use die cut layers to shape.

How to choose die cuts-
Die cuts for shaping may include small and large-scale patterns. You can also use scraps, punch holes in the patterns to create borders. Patchwork is also made up of scrap patterns.

How to pierce:
Paper piercing is an adventure. To finish the process you merely create layers, such as the matching templates, trace, cut, and join the layers together. Use solid patterns along with general scraps to finish the process.

You can also use scraps from your patterns to create letters. Of course, you can mark your pages, including dates, names, locations, etc, with craft pens, yet the letters you create with patterns will enhance your scrapbook. Try using the patterns to create a title page.

Use patterns also to create letter headings for journals, captions, title page, and so on. If you want to produce a basic layout, use two different patterns. The first pattern should mount your photos while the other is used as a background setting. You can add matching stickers to enhance your new decorative scrapbook pages.

As I said, once you choose your paper search for the designs that match your scrapbook layout. Patterns include the framed designs. In fact, the framed designs can off set your photos dramatically, especially if you choose frames that set off your photos. For instance, if you have a photo of your child playing soccer, why not choose the framed patterns with soccer as the title in the lower box, and soccer balls around the frame.

How to Choose Craft Materials for Scrapbooks

How to choose adhesives

Adhesives are important to keep your scrapbook materials together. Buying the correct adhesives is just as important to keep your photos safe. Scrap bookers want to adhere to the “CK OK” seals when purchasing adhesives. Some people use rubber cement to create scrapbooks, yet recent studies has shown that the material will damage photos. You can choose glues, paste, or tape to create your scrapbook, which is your choice. The best materials however are provided to you in this article.

How to choose adhesives:
Adhesives include P.A.T. (Photo Activity Test) materials. P.A.T. has tested the adhesives to make sure that it will not damage your scrapbook. Adhesives include acrylic based or starched based products, which are safe keeps. Reversible adhesives, white and/or colorless, odor free, chemical additives, migratory, non-toxic, neutralized pH sever or higher, etc are safe keep adhesives to create scrapbooks.

Any glue you purchase should not run, relax, or have any odors once it dries. It should not transfer either. Moreover, the glue should not distort, color, or damage your photos.

TIP: Use heavy paper when crafting your scrapbook.

In craft stores, you will find a selection of glues, including sticks, bottle liquids, glue pens, etc. You can test the products to see which are best suited for your scrapbook process. The glue sticks are ideal if you want to produce a scrapbook with less the muddle. For smaller projects, you may want to use the pens. You will need to apply enough force to stick your smaller objects. Use the bottled liquid glue to stick die cuts, fragments, or scraps.

If you want to embellish, you can use the two-way pens. When the pens are moist it provides are stern adhesive, yet you can remove your scraps, papers, photos, etc, at your convenience.

Scotch tape is great to use as adhesives. Tape is easier to use than glues. When choosing tape however makes sure, you have a tape roller. Tape will provide you a reversal along with quick processing. Reversible tape includes the double tape also. To use tapes merely consign the scotch tape or double tape on your pages. On the opposite side, stick your embellishments, documents, photos, etc.

Glue and tape is cheaper than the Xyron machines. The machines will make up quality scrapbooks. The machines are ideal if you plan to create multi-scrapbook projects. You can use the machine as a laminator. In addition, you can make stickers with the Xyron machines

In addition to the machines, glues, tapes, etc, you may want to invest in photo splits and precut glue, paste, cement, etc.

How to use splitters:
To use photo splits you can drag out your tabs. Once you tug out your tab(s) submit them to your scrapbook page. You will need to skin, or unpeel the layers at the top.

Once you decide which adhesives you want to use you will need to consider ink. In the meantime, the glues should not have acids incorporated into its substance. In addition, the adhesives should be lignin-free.

Scrapbooks are a way to bring your family together. Down through the years you can review your scrapbooks to recall lost memories, or to spark fragmented memories, bringing them to a full picture. To craft your scrapbook however, you want to “Keep Safe” in mind. Keep Safe means to purchase materials that protect your certificates, photos, letters, news clippings, and related embellishments.

As I said, once you purchase your glues you want to consider ink. Ink is your writing tool that helps you to add journals, storybooks, records, names, dates, etc.