FaveCrafts

1000s of free craft projects, home decor ideas and DIY tips

Twitter Party with Handmade Charlotte & Plaid

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We are hosting a twitter party on September 4th at 9p.m. EST! We would love for all of you to join us  and our special guest, Rachel Faucett from Handmade Charlotte for this fun filled event.

Craft-Tweet-Chat-Handmade-Charlotte-Plaid

8-stencils 5-mermag-kids-room 3-diy-party-hat

2-diy-stencil-dress6-stencil-pillow7-stencil-play-mat

Rachel is the author of the well-loved DIY blog, Handmade Charlotte and she will be sharing all her tips for stenciling and using paint on your projects. You can create everything from home decor to stylish clothes with her new stencils and paint, now available at Michaels.

 

Join us and ask Rachel any questions you may have about paint crafts, stenciling or any other craft questions.

Giveaways!

As a special bonus for our lucky tweeters, we’ll have special prizes! All you have to do to be entered is follow along and chat with us! Just send out at least one tweet during the chat with the hashtag #craftychat and you’re automatically entered to win -easy right? You can start entering right now by using #craftychat! Contest ends September 4th 9pm EST. Winners will be announced at the end of the chat.

Want to Join The Party?

Wondering how to join in on the fun? Joining a Twitter party is really simple. We’ve created a help article on How to Join a Twitter Party for you if you’ve never done it before! Add yourself to our event page on Facebook! You can share the image below on your site or across Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to let your friends know so that they can join the fun.
Craft-Twitter-Party-125px-HandmadeCharlotte-FaveCrafts

Twitter Contest Tomorrow: Win with FaveQuilts and Dritz Sewing!

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You’re invited to the first ever FaveQuilts Twitter contest!

FaveQuilts Twitter Contest

Join us tomorrow, Thursday June 27, 2012, at 12:00 p.m. EST for a fun chat with your fellow quilters and enter for your chance to win some must-have prizes!

Entering is easy. Here’s what you have to do:

  1. Follow @FaveQuilts and @DritzSewing on Twitter. Be sure to follow both! If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can easily create one for free!
  2. Log on between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. EST.
  3. We’ll post a question on our Twitter feed and provide our special hashtag for the giveaway – #FaveQuilts101. Click reply, answer our question, “What quilting tool(s) could you not live without?”, and don’t forget to include the hashtag! Only tweets that include #FaveQuilts101 will be considered eligible to win.
  4. Check back at 2:00 p.m. and find out if you’re a winner!

GIVEAWAY

Twitter Contest Prizes

We wanted to bring the best of the best out for this exciting giveaway, which is why we asked our friends at Prym Consumer for a prize! To go along with our topic of must-have quilting tools, they graciously provided us with a Pressure Sensitive 45mm Rotary Cutter, a 12″ x 18″ inch Mat, and a 6″ x 12″ inch ruler from Omnigrid. These quality materials will make the first steps towards making your quilt much easier. You’ll be able to make clean, straight lines with a safe, but precise cutter on a durable ruler and long-lasting mat. Everything from applique to zigzags will be no problem at all with this select group of Omnigrid tools.

Good news! Prym has given you even more to be excited about, because they provided two sets of materials, meaning we’ll have two winners for our contest!

 

Giveaway rules:

  • Contest open to U.S. and Canada residents 18+.
  • Contest closes June 27, 2012, at 1:59 p.m. EST.
  • You must use the hashtag #FaveQuilts101
  • Winners will be posted on this blog and on Twitter.

So make yourself a reminder and follow us on Twitter, because the contest is tomorrow! See you all then!

 

Congratulations to Linda and Debbie, our Twitter contest winners!

Holiday Twitter Party!

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Do you miss our last Twitter party? Well, no worries because we’ve set up another one for you just in time for the holidays! We’ve also partnered up with Plaid Crafts to do it! So if you love Mod Podge, Martha Stewart paint, and crafting ornaments for the holidays, you won’t want to miss our little holiday chat. Bring your tinsel!

We’ll be chatting about crafting for the holidays so bring your best ideas and tricks. No ideas lined up for handmade holiday decor yet? No worries! That’s what this chat is all about. We’ll be chatting all about homemade Christmas ornaments, holiday home decor, and your favorite crafting products to use when you’re creating your handmade holidays.

Joining in a Twitter Party is very simple, and we created a How To Join a Twitter Party post to help you get started.

Giveaway!

 

Just joining in on the chat gives you an entry into our giveaway! The more you join the conversation, the more chances you have to win. We’ll be giving away a special Plaid prize pack to one lucky winner to give you a jump start on creating those wonderful holiday decoration ideas you pulled from the chat! The prize pack will include:

  • 1 Mod Podge Formula Sampler Set
  • 1 Bottle of Dimensional Magic
  • 1 pack of Podgeable Shapes
  • 1 pack of of Podgeable Papers
  • 7 Martha Stewart Glass Paints

Giveaway Rules:

  •     Giveaway open to US and Canada residents 18+
  •     Contest closes November 14, 2012 at 4:00p EST.
  •     Send out a tweet along with the #craftychat hashtag in order to be entered.
  •     Winners will be announced during the chat.

Halloween Twitter Party Highlights

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If you missed out on our Halloween themed Twitter party Wednesday, you missed out on some fun! We got together with some of our favorite crafty people and some new friends and talked Halloween decorations, Halloween costumes, and Halloween recipes!

Craft Twitter Party 400px Halloween FaveCrafts Pumpkin Decorating, Halloween, Recipes, and More in This Twitter Party!

Since we didn’t want anyone who couldn’t make it to feel left out, we pulled some of the highlights from the questions we asked for you to scroll through.

Q1: Welcome! Let’s do intros. Tell us a little bit about YOU.

@CraftyChica: Q1: i’m Kathy and I like to make stuff. Lots of stuff. All the time.
@CynGagen: Q1 I’m Cyn from Creative Cynchronicity. I love to craft and I love Halloween!
@cristinfrank: Hi. I’m Cristin from Eve of Reduction. I love to decorate with recycled materials – and especially upcycle
@MyPaperMoose: Q1: I’m Jacqueline. I love crafting, especially with paper! Just wish I had more time to craft 😀
@LionBrandYarn: Hey, crafty chatters! This is Jess from Lion Brand Yarn. 🙂 I love to knit and crochet.
@MarkMontano: I’m a Gemini and cat hoarder and I love long walks in the 99c store. That’s me in a nutshell.
Great response from @CraftyChica! Im a Sag, a Chihuahua hoarder and I love long strolls in the Mexican grocery store ceramic and candy aisles!

Q2: Halloween- You like it scary or cute?

@shala_beads: I like it both ways, scary and cute. Preferably glittered as well!
@MyPaperMoose: Q2: How about a little somewhere in between? But more cute than scary I suppose!
@spazzgirl: Q2: Scary all the way! The creepier the better. Am I right @Markmontano? (lover of baby doll head crafts)
@cristinfrank: I like cute Halloween decorations but tend to do more Tim Burton-ish crafts. I want to do a candy corn craft – open to ideas!
@MarkMontano: I do love ripping off a baby doll head and dipping it in plaster. Kind of creepy, but satisfying at the same time.
@LionBrandYarn: Q2. Both! You know, a knitting needle saves the day (briefly) in John Carpenters Halloween!
@FreeKidsCraft: Q2: A little of both! This kids’ Halloween craft roundup is a great mix of cute & creepy: http://bit.ly/WAsWgr

Q3: What’s one thing you always make for Halloween?

@SewCalGal: Q3 – Pumpkin bread, pumpkins, embroidered dish towels
@MyPaperMoose: Q3: Im creating fun packaging for the candy Im handing out. Gr8 way to get my name out locally
@shala_beads: Q3- My family always makes pumpkin butter with our jack-o-lanterns. Yum yum.
@cristinfrank: Halloween sculptures out of sidewalk chalk

Q4: Do you have a favorite Halloween recipe?

@cristinfrank: I always make pumpkin soup on Halloween. There was a recipe in Parade (sunday insert) that I’m going to try.
@RecipeLion: These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are our favorite. They’re super yummers! http://ow.ly/eyDIU
@FreeKidsCraft: Q4: Apple Candy Monsters! http://bit.ly/QswNZt
@spazzgirl: Q4: There’s lots of yummy recipes with leftover candies too but I rarely have a leftover!
@RecipeLion: The lion lurves these “scream” cheese brownies, too. You know where were coming from @favecrafts ? http://ow.ly/eyDWq
@ShesNachoMama: No pumpkin, but my QUESADILLA DE LOS MUERTOS is an easy Halloween recipe! #vivacultura #craftychat #diadelosmuertos

Q5: Costumes: do you make them or buy them?

@JudiFrew: Q5: Make my own, buy the kids
@shala_beads: Q5- MAKE! It’s the only way to go.
@SewCalGal: Q5: I prefer to make costumes vs buy them.
@LionBrandYarn: I almost always make my own costume. I have more freedom that way!
@CraftyChica: We always make our own costumes, or do a halfway handmade and alter a store-bought version.
@FreeKidsCraft: Q5: DIY or die! We have 25 cute & creative homemade Halloween costume ideas here: http://bit.ly/PKVe28

Q6: Last one! Haunted Houses, love them or hate them?

@CynGagen: LOVE THEM!
@AFHolidayCrafts: hate them! They terrify me. I like these better: http://ow.ly/eyG4l
@craftyvanessa: I have a love/hate relationship with haunted houses! I always say I’m never going back, but I always do.
@CraftyChica: I love the concept of them, but Im too chicken to survive one!
@SewCalGal: Q10 – I love haunted houses even though many still scare me. Still get a kick at Disney’s Haunted House.

Sad you missed out on the fun? You can still read most of the tweets in Twitter, but next time be sure to join!

Don’t forget you still have 2 days to enter your fabulous pumpkin decorating ideas in our Pumpkinpalooza contest!

Introducing Crafty Kid Creations, the AllFreeKidsCrafts Newsletter!

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Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed the occasional mention of AllFreeKidsCrafts, our latest craft site full of DIY projects and craft ideas for kids! I hope you’ve had a chance to check out the site, but if you haven’t, now is the time! Click here to check out AllFreeKidsCrafts now and subscribe to Crafty Kid Creations, our soon-to-be released newsletter for parents, teachers and crafty kids! You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Vintage Map Blocks

AllFreeKidsCrafts is the ultimate source for craft ideas from the best kids craft bloggers and designers on the web, and each is tailored to help children learn and explore their creative potential. Children are our future, and you can ensure a brighter future by enhancing the learning process through a hands-on exploration of art projects and kids crafts.

We add new projects every day, so keep up with the latest kids’ craft projects and activities by doing the following:

These crafts facilitate learning by providing a tactile approach that helps each individual child innovate and create as part of the learning process. From kids outdoor crafts and activities that get kids on their feet and moving, to educational crafts for school kids and homeschool lessons, AllFreeKidsCrafts has you covered.

Here’s a peek at some of the fun projects you’ll find on AllFreeKidsCrafts:

AllFreeKidsCraftsClockwise from top left: Storytime Stones, Plastic Bottle Bowling, Platonic Solids Geometric Paper Shapes, and Egg Carton Caterpillars.

If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, Crafty Kid Creations, to receive all the latest kids craft news and projects right in your inbox. Crafty Kid Creations is a phenomenal resource for the parents and educators of creative and clever children. Each project is designed to promote creative innovation so that kids will have a blast through experiential learning and creation!

Drip Painted Rainbow Pots
Don’t forget to subscribe to the kids’ craft newsletter, Crafty Kid Creations, and check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

What would you like to see on AllFreeKidsCrafts? Let us know in the comments below!

DIY Photo Contest from Kollabora Craft Community

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Hey folks! Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Kollabora, a new online social platform and craft community that features the latest and greatest trends in DIY. Named from the Latin “collabora,” meaning “to work together,” this site is dedicated to bringing crafters together through DIY inspiration, supplies and how-tos. Head over to Kollabora, get your invitation, check our their Tumblr, and enter their latest contest! Keep reading for more details.

Kollabora

This week, Kollabora is wrapping up an exciting contest for craft enthusiasts. Today through Monday, June 11, they are giving away an exciting daily prize to crafters who upload photos of their dazzling DIY projects to Twitter and Instagram and enter the contest.

Here’s the challenge:

Upload a photo holding, wearing, or using a handmade project (it can be something you made, or something that was made for you) to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #kollabora. Make it, Snap it, Share it and Win!

Each day from now until Monday, June 11th, our friends at Kollabora will choose their 3 favorite photos. Those winners will receive amazing prizes from companies like Wool and the Gang, Colette Patterns, Mood Fabrics, and more! The prize for today’s contest is an Epic Letters Embroidery Kit, so check out Kollabora for more information and submit your project photos to win cool crafty prizes for your hard work.

Kollabora is the latest social platform for the contemporary crafter, and it promises to be an exceptional resource for everyone, from casual creative types to hardcore DIY dynamos. I can’t wait to see more from this awesome site, and I hope everyone takes a moment to enter the contest!

As the folks as Kollabora say, “We are what we make,” so head over to Kollabora to check out the contest and all of the exciting DIY tips, tutorials and products. Make something as incredible as you!

What crafts will you enter into the contest?

My roommate made me a cool beaded necklace, so I think I’ll get her to enter!

Until you get your invitation, don’t forget to check out the latest and greatest from FaveCrafts and more!

 

FaveQuilts Twitter Contest Sponsored by Fiskars

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Want to win a quilting prize package from Fiskars? Does a new pair of fabric scissors, a rotary cutter, and a cutting mat sound lovely? Enter the FaveQuilts Twitter contest today for your chance to win!

FaveQuilts Twitter Contest

Join us Tuesday, May 22 from 11a.m. to 2p.m. EST to enter the contest and meet tons of other quilters on Twitter!

Here’s how to participate:

  1. Follow FaveQuilts on Twitter. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can easily create one for free!
  2. Log on between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST.
  3. We’ll post a special tweet just for the contest. When you see this message, click Retweet. Make sure your tweet includes the special #FaveQuiltsWin hashtag and the @Fiskars_HQ mention. Only tweets that include these two components will be entered in the contest.
  4. Check back after the contest is over at 2p.m. to find out if you won!

And now we’ll get to the part we’ve all been waiting for…

Fiskars Giveaway

Fiskars Prize Package

Fiskars is sponsoring the FaveQuilts Twitter contest, so the winner of the giveaway will receive a Fiskars prize package. The prize package includes a pair of classic orange-handled scissors, a 45mm Titanium Softgrip Comfort Loop Rotary Cutter, and an 18″ x 24″ cutting mat. These tools are invaluable to any beginning quilter, and I’m sure some of the more experienced quilters could use some new supplies too! With this package, you’ll have everything you need to cut fabric efficiently and accurately for all of your quilting and sewing projects.

See you Tuesday at 11am!

Eco Crafting Twitter Party Re-Cap!

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Did you miss our Twitter party yesterday? Well you missed out on some fun! The highlights? Crafty ways to use left over jars, thrifting items to use for beads, sequins, and buttons, and creating jewelry out of bones! Yep. You really missed out.

So we asked some really fun questions and got some inspiring and interesting answers. I’ve pulled the questions and some tweets for you guys to scan over but you can view the entire conversation here if you want to read through.

Let’s get to the good stuff:

We asked: Besides lovin’ the earth, why do YOU craft in an earth friendly way? #craftychat

Some answers:
@glueandglitter: I like the challenge of reclaimed crafting & thinking about waste in a new way. “How can I reuse this?” is my favorite question! #craftychat

@modpodgerocks: @FaveCrafts Q2: If you want the honest truth, I love eco-crafting cause it’s budget friendly!! Also a great challenge. #craftychat

@cristinfrank: I craft with recycled products because it’s cheaper and I don’t have to run to the store

@condoblues: @FaveCrafts Q2. My favorite source for project materials is my recycling bin. #CraftyChat

@thezenofmaking: Q2: I’m incapable of throwing away cute things. Spice jars? Cool wine bottles? I just can’t do it, so I have to craft! #craftychat

@Lu_and_Ed: @TiffanyWindsor @spazzgirl I love when I find sheet sets – so much fabric for so little money, and so many possibilities! #craftychat

 

We asked: Q3: What’s your favorite material to recycle into your crafts? #craftychat

Some answers:

@TheSewingLoft: Q3-I love to reclaim linens. Think chenille bedspreads, napkins & bed sheets.#craftychat

@janejoeyxo: @FaveCrafts Q3 tissue paper #CraftyChat

@modpodgerocks: I love using cereal boxes! Goes so well with MP

@jmpm1037: @Mellistrinkets I hate throwing cards away! sometimes they are so cool! so many little embellishments you can play with #craftychat

@EclecticMamma: A3: Oh geeze! Uhm… I have used thrifted fabric a lot, but my fav is taking apart outdated jewelry to make multiple new pieces! #craftychat

@AllFreeKnitting: Q3: I LOVE turning old t-shirts and sheets into yarn. #craftychat

@DavidLeonMorgan: Q3: I love collecting old beads from thrifted purses, beaded seat cushions etc http://t.co/DGLr6lax #craftychat

 

We asked: Q4: What is the craziest thing you’ve recycled into a craft? #craftychat

Some answers:

@Lu_and_Ed: @FaveCrafts Q4 Hmmm, probably computer memory sticks! lol! I made tree art from them with buttons and thread! #craftychat

@crafttestdummy: My bestie @creativegoddess upcycled a Viactive container into a gift box. And it was CUTE! #craftychat

@kissingbunnies: @FaveCrafts Hmmm, the craziest thing I have ever recycled while crafting has got to be old sewing machines. #craftychat

@IlonaHavenaar: Q4 a hubcap. Decorated with scrapbookpaper and all kinds of interesting stuff for the babyroomn #craftychat

@CynGagen: My mom recycled old bones (from dinner) into jewelry – I thought that was a pretty crazy thing to recycle LOL. #craftychat

@condoblues: @FaveCrafts Q4. Made mid century raised dog feeder from shadowbox & napkin rings http://t.co/ZmSNRenu #CraftyChat

 

We asked: Q5: Where do you find eco-friendly crafting supplies? #craftychat

Some answers:

@go2kauai: @FaveCrafts q5: i look for them @MichaelsStores #craftychat

@modpodgerocks: The recycle bin. Hahaha! RT @FaveCrafts: Q5: Where do you find eco-friendly crafting supplies? #craftychat

@WeightWars1: @FaveCrafts – Q5 – I troll online for most of my stuff. #craftychat

@kissingbunnies: @FaveCrafts I usually raid family and friends houses. There is so much you can do with so little, and it makes it fun! #craftychat

@KaratewithaZ: A lot of Etsy sellers also offer eco friendly supplies #craftychat

 

We asked: Q9: Anyone ever have a recycled craft fail? #craftychat

Some answers:

@go2kauai: @FaveCrafts q9: we tried to cut up a plastic 1 liter soda bottle for a craft, but we had trouble cutting through it #craftychat

@glueandglitter: @FaveCrafts Oh yes. There is a Refashioned Dress of Shame in a drawer in my studio at this very moment. #craftychat #recycledcraftfail

@kissingbunnies: @FaveCrafts Recycling craft fails are common place for me. I prefer to call them examples of what is to come. #craftychat

@cristinfrank: yes, I tried to make a weaving loom with tp rolls and it was a disaster. Ha. Move on. #craftychat

 

These are just some of the topics that came up in our chat. If you don’t want to miss the next one, keep checking back and follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss a beat!

Crafty Business Twitter Party Re-Cap!

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Were you there? Did you miss it? I hope not! Thank you to everyone who participated and made this the biggest Twitter Party we’ve EVER had! It was so exciting to see so many of you joining in and chatting with us!

Having everyone talking about their craft and how they have or would like to turn it into a business was such a great way to celebrate National Craft Month! Some craft industry veterans like Mark Montano, Crafty Chica, and our very own FaveCrafts Radio host Amy Anderson joined in to offer up their advice to all of you! We asked some tough questions, but got some great answers.

 

Q1: Would you consider yourself a crafty businessperson? What is your crafty business?

@ISpyDIY said “My blog is my job and I treat it that way, it is important to stay consistent and keep giving good content daily.”

@thezenofmaking said “Reach out to established bloggers who’re already where you’d like to be. If you’re friendly and honest, they’ll help you!

 

Q2: For the bloggers out there, what is a tip you would give to newbie bloggers?

@CraftyChica said “Biggest mistake I see in budding bizfolks is WAITING. Just dive in, take action. Doing=learning.”

@Creative_Income said “Guest blogging is a great way to get your name out there when you’re starting out!”

 

Q3: It’s social media time, what form of social media “works” best?

@CynGagen said “I think different types of social media work in different ways and for different purposes. That’s why I try to use them all.”

@modpodgerocks said “My most loyal readers are in my Facebook group! I like interacting there.”

 

Q4: Describe your business model in one word.

@Ninth_Street said “progressive”

@ISpyDIY said “Busines model in one word: DIY, haha does that work?”

 

Those were just a couple of the hundreds of answers we got for each question. If you want to see the whole chat and read through, you can do so here.

Thanks again everyone! If you didn’t join in this time, be sure to like us on Facebook for news on when we have our next #craftychat!

Crafty Business Chat Today at 3pm EST!

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Hey all! Just a reminder that our Twitter Party will be happening this afternoon at 3pm EST! If you missed the details from last week, keep reading to find out how you can join in.

We’ll be talking about crafty business with our favorite craft business celebrities as well as our friends over at the Creative Income Blog!  We’ve invited craft companies, bloggers, and designers to join in and help us answer all your craft business questions. You’ll be able to benefit from the knowledge of Craft Test Dummies, The Crafty Chica, and Mark Montano! So if you’ve been thinking about turning your hobby into a business, this is one Twitter Party you won’t want to miss!

Never joined a Twitter party? It’s really simple. We’ve even created a help article on How to Join a Twitter Party to make it a breeze!

Giveaways!

As a special bonus for our lucky readers, we’ll have special prizes for participating tweeters! All you have to do to be entered is follow along and chat with us! Just send out at least one tweet during the chat with the hashtag #craftychat and you’re automatically entered to win -easy right? You can start entering right now by using #craftychat! Contest ends March 21st 4pm EST. Winners will be announced at the end of the chat.


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