I wanted to set out some basic knitting instructions as a refresher so here it is. All knitting instructions use basically two stitches, the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Once you know these two knitting essentials you will be able to follow most knitting instructions which are just combinations or variations of these two stitches. Read more…

Sewing has been around for many years. Bone needles were discovered from as long ago as the Ice age. It wasn’t until the last 200 years and the advent of the Industrial Revolution that sewing using a machine came about.

Industrial sewing machines were a turning point in the history of the industrial age. Industrial sewing machines changed the way clothing was made and also more importantly the speed in which garments could be produced.

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Advertising crafts online is a great way to reach a larger audience of shoppers that you might other wise miss if you only advertise your crafts offline. Many handmade artists overlook the benefit of marketing crafts online or they don’t believe it is worth their while. But with more and more people shopping online everyday, advertising crafts online is definitely a smart way to go.

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When selling handmade crafts online, most people instantly think of etsy.com or artfire.com. Both are absolutely great places to set up an online handmade craft shop. But simply creating a shop won’t get your handmade crafts noticed by shoppers or the sales you want.

You must use effective marketing techniques that will drive targeted traffic to your shop. Sounds easy right! Well online marketing isn’t as easy as it may sounds. There are a variety of techniques, search engine optimization, link building, pay-per-click campaigns, social networking, email campaigns and the list goes on and on.

Some handmade artists believe that simply having a blog where they blog about their handmade crafts will get them noticed. And unfortunately blogging doesn’t always get you noticed either.

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There are many ways that individuals can inexpensively obtain the clothes that they need. Some of those ways include shopping at discount stores, shopping at thrift stores or going to garage sales. In addition, if the individual is so inclined they may wish to make their own clothes. This process involves the use of fabric, a pattern and sewing thread. With regards to thread, it is important to select the right thread for the garment that is being created.