Not only does a well-made scrapbook protect and preserve your photos, it also makes the photos themselves more fun to look at. Most people would much rather thumb through a scrapbook with its extra, fun touches than a plain photo album.

Scrapbooks Make Great Gifts

Because they are so personal, scrapbooks make a great gift for a loved one on a special day. Some especially good occasions to give a scrapbook as a gift are: weddings, anniversaries, milestone birthdays, graduations, and retirement parties.

Scrapbooks show that you put a lot of time and thought into your gift and can be a wonderful keepsake for the receiver.

Scrapbooking Is a Great Creative Outlet

Did you know that you have an artistic, creative side? Everyone does, it's just that not everyone uses it. Scrapbooking, with its colors, themes, cutting and pasting, writing, and arranging, is a great way to express your creativity. The best part is that all of that is enjoyable and so much fun!

Maybe you are one of those people that don't believe you can do any of that very well. Guess what? You're wrong! Even the most un-artistic person can copy a page layout that they found somewhere and really liked. Besides, it's hard not to be inspired when you have some great photos and some fun scrapbooking materials in front of you.

After a while you'll be adding your own personal touches to your pages, and soon you'll be creating your own completely unique layouts that you can be proud of.

Other Scrapbookers!

Nothing will help you make new friends faster than sharing a hobby with someone! Scrapbooking is an especially great hobby for sharing with friends. Many communities have scrapbooking clubs where scrapbookers can get to together to scrapbook, share ideas, show each other photographs, and talk for hours. Some craft stores also have a scrapbooking night for this same purpose (usually with the hope that people will buy a few things).

These scrapbooking nights or "crops", as they are called by scrapbookers, are a great way to get out of the house and spend some time socializing with other people. If you really need some time for yourself, get your club to put on a weekend scrapbooking retreat. It will be two days of nothing but scrapbooking fun!

Your town doesn't have a scrapbooking club? That's easy. Find some friends who scrapbook and start one! If you don't have some other scrapbookers in your life, you're missing out.

Scrapbooking Captures Precious Moments and Memories

In my opinion, this is the most wonderful thing about scrapbooking. The best way to explain it is with a quick story.

When I first started scrapbooking, my grandma was the person in my family most interested in my layouts. Every time she came over we would look through them together and she would point out the things she liked the most.

She was so interested that I finally decided to make a scrapbook with her. We put in photos of us together along with mementos of all the special times we could think of. It took a few weeks to finish, but we had a great time.

Two short months later she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and quickly slipped away. I'm so thankful that we were able to make that scrapbook together. Because now, whenever I miss her, I can just look through that scrapbook and smile at all the precious memories.

5 Reasons Why Scrapbooking Should Be Your Next Hobby is a post from: Watthamai Crafts

Most hobbyists are not born with an instinct to pursue their chosen crafts. They may have learned their hobbies from someone close to them, or they could have gone through a lot of trial and error before they found something they liked. Perhaps they learned to knit from spending weekends at their grandmother's, or they learned woodburning from summer camp trips. These type of experiences tend to stick with us when we do something we enjoyed doing.

Here are some quick tips to help you find a hobby you can call your own:

** Think back to your childhood. Were there any creative things that you recall and enjoyed doing? If so, why not give them another try? This is the most common and fastest way to think of a hobby. Those summer camp projects, or mother's day gifts that you made when you were a kid are probably floating around in the back of your mind somewhere.

I can even give you a personal example here, because this is how I found my passion in cross stitching. I did my first cross stitch project when I was 8 years old. It was to earn a Girl Scout badge! My entire troop stitched a christmas goose on red sweatshirts using waste canvas. It was actually a really over-zealous beginner project! I was the first one done, and I helped other girls in the troop finish their projects by showing them how to keep the thread untangled and move along the different lines. I asked my mom to buy me a new project, and it just continued from there! I'm still cross stitching at the age of 30 and I love it!

** Consider the things you buy the most. Do you follow all the latest fashion trends? Consider trying knitting or sewing. You could make your own fashion accessories. Scarves are hot and trendy right now! Do you love scented candles? Maybe you could make your own and experiment with new scents and colors.

** Take a walk around at the local craft store. Browse pattern books and project kits and see if anything strikes your fancy. You can usually find beginner kits and books on just about any subject at the craft shop! If you're unsure what type of craft you want to try, then pay a visit to a broad subject craft shop like Ben Franklin, Michael's Crafts, or Jo-Ann's. If you're specifically looking for a needlework related project then you may choose to visit a Local Needlework Shop (also referred to as an LNS) in your area. They'll carry a great selection of needlework projects and the shop owner's are usually very knowledgeable in the area of needlecrafts so they can help you find a beginner level project that's right for you.

* See if your local community college or craft store offers any craft courses that interest you. The tuition and fees are usually quite reasonable, and you'll learn from someone who really knows what he's doing. Classes like these are a great way to learn new skills for your hobby as well. Most commonly you'll find quilting and embroidery classes when it comes to needlework categories. General crafts are often offered as beginner courses as well, such as floral arrangements, wreath making, basket weaving, painting, ceramics, etc...

Finding the right craft could happen right away, or it could take months of trying different things. But once you find something that makes you happy, you'll be glad you took the time to look. Crafting gives you a sense of accomplishment, not to mention lots of nice stuff to keep or give as gifts!

Choosing a New Craft Hobby is a post from: Watthamai Crafts

First, you will need to sell them on the idea and the best way to do that is to ask them if they would like to have a new piece of jewelry; something special that they can create with their own personal taste and to match some of the outfits they have.  The answer will be yes of course!

Then, set your date for the event – maybe even set a week of Sundays that you will meet together to continue to learn this new hobby.  Once the date(s) are set, then go on the Internet and browse with your teenager in search of wire jewelry making supplies – best to start at:  www.wire-sculpture.com.

Look at beads and stones and wire – plus don’t forget to look at training products, design pattern kits and DVD’s for instructions, especially if you are a novice yourself.  You might also consider buying a book or ordering a magazine.  The chances are that if you help your teen learn a new skill, he/she will continue to want to learn more.

Also, remember, jewelry making is not just for “girls.”  Guys can have fun with it too.

So, next time you want to get an activity planned to spend time with your kids, remember wire jewelry making – and plan a piece for yourself while you are at it.  You will enjoy the time together, discover new things about your teen and get a new piece of jewelry for yourself!

Teach Your Kids a New Hobby – Wire Jewelry Making! is a post from: Watthamai Crafts

This article is to help you make the leap, albeit small in comparison to many other “startup” businesses that require capital, an office or store, and probably other people.  This business is more of a shift of focus from what you love to create to “packaging and marketing” what you love to create.  And on top of this you will need to account for the expenses of doing so and for the income derived from your wire jewelry making activities.  Beyond that, it’s pretty much the same as you’ve been doing before.  You may decide to make more pieces faster, streamlining your processes but still, it’s pretty much a replication of what your hobby required of you to design, create, and share with your audience.

You will still have to buy wire jewelry making supplies.  You will still need inspiration.  You’ll also still need to do the work itself and then make sure someone is going to wear it.  So, given that these are natural to you as a hobbyist, let’s focus on the new things that will be required of you.

Packaging and marketing are often scary elements of “going into business.”  Yes, it can be intimidating but the best way to learn how to do it is to look at your competition.  See what they are doing that you like and what they are doing that you don’t like.  Decide how you want to sell your pieces.  Do you want to sell online, at events as a vendor, or through retail stores / boutiques?  Do research to determine the requirements of doing each and figure out what fits your style the best.

You may need to hire someone to create packaging for you, designing also your logo, business cards, and product information as well as publishing a website for you.  You may exchange help from a friend or family member for some jewelry pieces.  After you have created your packaging for marketing, you’ll need to market yourself and your jewelry.

Discover what your competition does to “get out there” and design your own plan.  Ask for help from others and learn about low cost methods to get found (if you are going to sell direct).  Hire a marketing consultant for a few hours to get advice.  If you are selling wholesale you will need to learn how to find distributors of wire jewelry but in this case you may have to produce more pieces than you are willing to do.  But again, this is up to you about how you want to proceed with your business, in your own way that fits your personality.  Some people like to go out big; others take it one step at a time.  Do what works for you.

Finally, the accounting piece is very important.  When you begin, start with accounting software or hire a bookkeeper on an hourly basis.  Meet with your bookkeeper prior to starting your business so that you set everything up right from the beginning and know exactly what kind of paper trail he/she is going to want from you.  Get advice about establishing your business properly with required license(s).  Being organized will save you time, money and stress.

So, all in all, starting a business rooted in a hobby is not hard to do as long as you are open to asking questions and getting help.  There is SO MUCH free help out there if you just do a little research.  Take your time in your startup and most importantly, retain the joy of wire jewelry making throughout the process!

Getting serious about your Jewelry Making Hobby is a post from: Watthamai Crafts

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Jewelry Making as a Profitable Hobby is a post from: Watthamai Crafts

Are you a hobbyist quilter or a part-time quilter looking to make money from your quilting passion? Are you having a difficult time selling your work? If the answer is yes, then check this out.

Study the market before you begin

If you are serious about turning your quilts into money, it's very important that you research the market before you begin trying to sell. Studying the market helps you find what types of quilts are currently in high demand in your area. Once you know this, you may think about making those quilts which are in high demand in your area. This makes it easy to sell your quilts while getting a good enough price for your quilts.

Those who take quilting only as their hobby don't need to spend much time researching the market as the results from the research might end up in a conclusion that the demand for their favorite type of quilts is very low. If your choices are flexible or if you are ready to produce any quilt that the customers might want then there shouldn't be any problems for you to generate a good amount of money from your hobby.

Setting the price for quilts

Determining a price for a quilt consists of a few steps, the first one being market research which you should have already done prior to sewing quilts.

Keeping track of the time spent

The second step in pricing should be performed during the creation of the quilt, which is "keeping track of your time". You should write down or keep a record of the time spent on the quilt; this includes the total time you spent on the quilt (from choosing a design to finishing the quilt).

First, find out the total time you spent on different steps in quilting (preparing the paper pattern, piecing, basting, quilting, binding, putting your studio back in order after the quilt is completed etc.), then estimate the total time it takes on all these steps and divide it by the size (in sq.ft) of your quilt. Now you have calculated the time it takes to produce one square foot of a quilt in that particular style.

Determine how much your time is worth to you

The next step in pricing is finding out the price of your time, or deciding how much the time you sped on making a quilt is worth.

If you are a beginner or if you are doing an unskilled job then the minimum wage can be between $6.00 and $7.00 per hour. If you are a seasoned quilter or doing difficult tasks, your time is worth more than that. Something on the range of $10-$15 per hour should be reasonable rate in this scenario. Nevertheless, it's up to you to decide how much your time is worth. The market research you should have done can help you in making a decision about that. You may also contact other quilters in your area and talk with them about this and reach a conclusion.

Quilt appraisal

An appraisal is a formally written document about the price and other attributes of a quilt. Things which should be included in a quilt appraisal are, a description of the quilt, a defined price, system used in determining the price, the reason for the appraisal (sale or resale, insurance purposes, IRS requirements, equitable division of property etc.) and the signature of the appraiser.

Selling quilts

After your quilt is done, you would likely want to sell or market it so that you can generate money for the time and effort you had put in crafting your quilt. Small scale quilters, new quilters, part-time quilters, or someone doing quilting as a hobby usually find that the promotion of their quilts is tougher than the stitching part. So let's list a few quilt promotion methods which will be very helpful for the above mentioned group.

Quilting brokers and shops

It's difficult for amateur quilters and part-timers to open their on quilt shops and sell their pieces there. For these types of quilters it will be useful to look for other ways of promoting their work. There are quilt brokers and handicraft shops who would be glad to sell your pieces upon paying a cut. It should be easy for you to find such brokers and stores in your area and offer your products through them. Once your quilts become popular and when the demand for your quilts increases you might want to step up to larger scale or full time quilt work and think about directly marketing your products to customers.

Selling your pieces at online auction sites

Another option available for amateur or part-time quilters is to display their work on online auction sites. There are many of them available on the internet. Online auctions make it possible for a quilter to find a way to sell the quilts at maximum price. Some of these websites even give you options to sell your quilts at a fixed price instead of listing them for auctions. It's up to you to figure out whether you want consumers to bid for you quilt or just buy it at a price you fixed.

Some websites might even allows you to specify a "Minimum Bid" so that you can prevent your work from being purchased at a lower price than you see fit. This is a really efficient way for part-time or hobby quilters to sell their work.

Other quilting related income avenues

There are many other ways to generate cash from quilting related things. Next you'll find two of such ways which require a certain amount of expertise.

Teaching quilt lessons

If you are an expert in quilting and have very little time (just a couple of hours a day or less) to spend on quilting, you might wish to choose this option. You could find some schools offering quilting lessons and contact them offering to teach a quilting class for beginner quilters. If you have a unique quilting technique about which you can give classes, it would be easier for you to get a contract as a quilting instructor. Another option is to offer quilting lessons at your own place. You might use your spare time like this and you should be able to earn good enough money from this.

Designing brand new quilt patterns

If you are good at making new and unique quilt patters, you can easily make lots of money selling them to other quilters as demand for fresh patterns will always be high. For marketing quilt patterns you design, you could use the same methods described above for marketing quilts.

Like in any business, if you use your time and resources in the most effective manner it's not hard to make a good quilting career or generate good income from quilting.

Turning your Quilting Hobby Into Money is a post from: Watthamai Crafts

Share your Hobby with Others ~ Teach Jewelry Making Classes

Our family relocated after my husband changed jobs. I left my teaching career and took some time off to get my family settled in our new community. During this time I started making jewelry as a hobby and soon found that my friends wanted me to make jewelry for them. I was overwhelmed with the response I got and found that there are many different avenues to pursue when selling jewelry. I have found many different avenues to selling jewelry, one has been through my website www.justforyoujewelry.com.

Over the past few years I have collected many email and mailing addresses for notifying my customers as to the events I will be selling which has been the key to helping my business grow.

Developing a website to sell your jewelry, selling at craft shows, holding boutiques in your home, and having others hosting jewelry shows are all ways to build your jewelry. business.

I also found that I could combine my love jewelry making with my love for teaching. Teaching community education classes, and putting on beading birthday parties have really increased my business. Some of my most popular beading classes have been ones that have been held right after school for about an hour. This summer I have been hosting Kids Beading Open Houses where the parents drop of their kids for a couple hours while I keep them busy beading. The kids have a lot of fun while the parents enjoy the break!

Share your Hobby With Others ~ Teach Jewelry Making Classes is a post from: Watthamai Crafts