Christian InTech Articles - Crafts & Hobbies

Informative Articles

10 Slam-Dunk Crafts For Little Kids -- And Bigger Kids Too! Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be. For young children it's more important that they have the opportunity to play and... Feng Shui Guidlines for Storage Spaces Professional organizers and helpful-hint sources often recommend storage solutions such as shelves above doors and in corners, hooks on the backs of doors, and peg-board or tools and small appliances. They are masters at maximizing every square... Scented, Spiritual Waters Water is an important tool for magic rituals in many religions and spiritual beliefs. Although it sounds redundant, most cults, sects or spiritual beliefs use it to represent the cosmic element of water for purifying, scrying, and even starting... THE TREASURE IN "USED" You’ve spent the entire day shopping for new furniture or accents for your home and yet nothing seems quite right. You come home exhausted and in ill spirits. You grab the newspaper to check out the ads and possibly something there will light up... Unique Storage Ideas for Your Home to Help You Organize With Style Just by browsing antique shops or flee markets on a weekend, you can discover many unique storage ideas for any room in your home. And what better way to not only add beautiful storage items to your decor, but to add some charm and history as well!...         Bracelet Making Birthday Parties: Beading for Fun and Profit You can have fun and make money at the same time by serving the "birthday party activity" niche. Make-and-take gemstone beaded bracelets are a very popular party activity. A birthday bracelet beading party for girls age 5 and up is guaranteed to be a big hit. Most girls are thrilled with the opportunity to make jewelry, and parents appreciate that you're providing both the party favors (the bracelets the girls make to take home) and the party activity (making the bracelets). I discovered this profitable home beading party niche by accident a few years ago when I was asked if I could do a jewelry make-and-take craft at a 9-year-old girl's birthday party. The girl's mom and I decided on gemstone bead bracelets because necklaces would be too expensive, and not everyone has pierced ears for earrings. So I came to the birthday party with my bead boxes, bead boards for everyone, a tape measure, accuflex beading wire, little sterling silver toggle clasps, velvet pouches for everyone, and a couple of example bracelets. I couldn't believe what a huge hit it was! The girls absolutely devoured the project and were thrilled to have real pearls and gemstones on their bracelets. Now I get calls regularly asking me to come do a bracelet birthday bead party for another girl, and every time I do one, more parties get scheduled from it because the girls enjoy it so much. Bracelet birthday parties are very easy to do, and they can also earn you a nice profit. I charge $15 per girl for parties of 9 or fewer girls, and $14 per girl for parties of 10 or more. I include a small velvet pouch for each girl to store her bracelet in. I bring bead boxes that are organized by bead color - and as you might guess, pink and purple are DEFINITELY the most popular beads every time! Fortunately, rose quartz is very inexpensive! :o) Blue beads are the next most popular color. My birthday party beads all cost me $5 or less per 16" strand, and my average profit is around $10 to $12 per girl. It usually takes me about an hour to get things ready to go to the birthday beading party, drive there, and set up; about another hour to do the bracelet activity with the girls; and another hour to put everything away, chat, eat a piece of birthday cake, give out bracelet birthday party flyers and business cards, and then drive home. So for 3 hours total, I usually net anywhere from $70 to $200 and have a lot of fun with the girls. Birthday party activities are a very hot market niche, I've discovered, and I recommend trying it out if it sounds at all interesting to you. For successful birthday bracelet beading parties, the keys are to: - enjoy kids, - have a sense of fun, - bring a lot of pink and purple beads (along with other colors), and - wear comfortable clothes because you'll be sitting on the floor. While I'm helping the girls make their bracelets at the party, they always want to know how I got into making jewelry. So I tell them about how doing something I love turned me into an entrepreneur, that I build my own websites, and that I invent my own job for myself every day by following opportunities that come up and thinking creatively about things. I can tell they're inspired by that, and I'm glad to plant seeds for future entrepreneurs! To reach the bracelet beading party niche, I recommend making a nice flyer with a few enticing bracelet photos, a photo of a selection of beads, a brief party description, and your contact info. Include a flyer for each birthday party guest to take home (most of the girls who are guests at one of my birthday beading parties want to have their own parties). Also inquire at your local elementary schools (public and private schools) about including one of your flyers in students' weekly take-home folders. Many schools are happy to do this if you provide the flyer copies. Other likely places to distribute birthday bracelet beading party flyers (with permission) include ballet / dance / gymnastics studios where girls take lessons; soccer / softball games; local bead stores; craft stores; and pottery painting stores. For thousands of tips on marketing your handcrafted jewelry, visit Rena Klingenberg's website, http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com . You can also subscribe to Rena's newsletter, http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/subscribe-to-newsletter.html , for updates on the business of jewelry art.