Craft Blog

There are a number of wood crafting projects that you can make using wood scraps and left over wood. If you have a piece or pieces of wood that was not used in a recent remodeling job, be sure not to throw it away.

There are several wood crafting projects that you can do using a thin piece of wood, such as pastel board. You can use it by cutting it into various shapes to make lighthouses and birdhouses.
To make a wood crafting project for holding a set of keys, glue three layers together, let dry. Then paint and allow to dry. Add one more layer of paint and again allow to dry. Then screw a small "C" hook into the wood at the bottom middle of the project, which is for holding the set of keys. Then attach hardware to the back so the you can hang your project on the wall.
You can also use pastel board or other thin pieces of wood to cut out a variety of different small shapes and then paint them. When they are dry, affix them on walls and/or dresser drawers in a child’s room. By letting your child help paint the shapes of wood, you can make this a fun wood crafting project for you and your child to do together.

A leftover two-by-four piece of wood can make several novelty guns. Begin by, drawing and cutting the shape of a short rifle out of the two-by-four. Cut a small notch across the gun barrel. Then using wood glue, glue a clothespin onto the top of the gun. If you want to you can paint it, but it is not necessary. However, if you do decide to paint this project, be sure not to get paint into the clothespin spring. It is now ready to shoot. To load your gun, use a rubber band. Slide the rubber band into the grooved notch at the barrel. Holding the rubber band tight, open the clothespin and catch the rubber band in the mouth of the clothespin. Just thumb-cock the clothespin when ready to shoot and POW! Be sure to remind the user to shoot at targets, never at people.

An old bookshelf can make a perfect coat rack. With a wood burning tool, stain or etch it. Then, attach screw dowels or other hardware, which will be used to hang your garments. For a brighter look, you can paint it a pastel color and/or attach rub-ons. Or you can try cutting small hearts or other shapes from wood scraps, and then glue them to the wood plank. The shapes can then be painted a different color than the plank. You can now either screw the wood directly onto the wall or attach hardware on the back for hanging. If you choose to attach hardware, attach one hanger in each corner of the back part of the wood. Do not use just one in the middle back because your rack will tilt when only one item is hung.

You can also use an old wooden plank to make a great sign. You can use the plank to make a sign that says "Mom’s Kitchen" or "Welcome". Begin by stenciling what you want your sign to say. Then, decorate it by gluing the front portion of soup, coffee and veggie labels onto the wood. And then attach hanging hardware on the back.

You can make many other wood crafting projects using wood scraps and leftover wood. Many of these projects are fun and easy projects that you can do with your children. For additional ideas, look online or check with local craft shop.

You can create the look you want in your wood furniture with the right care. Whether your furniture is new wood or old, fine antique or common, even if it has been neglected in the past, it can look great with the right care. Good candidates for restoration are furniture made of solid wood or veneered in fine hardwood. The combination of a soft beeswax to bring back the luster, carnauba wax for a durable shine, and solvent to slightly soften the existing finish and blend it with the new is what a high-quality restoring product contains. The friction caused by buffing warms the polish and helps push it into the grain of the wood, which restores the original patina. You can also fill in small surface scratches and chips on older surfaces or antiques by using a restoring product to tone up or tone down the new wood. You can also achieve special effects in woodcraft projects when you use a restoring product to tone up or tone down new wood. Select a product that is available in a clear coat as well as an array of light, medium and dark wood tones. This is so you can choose a tone that is close the original finish or so that you can create special effects with contrasting shades.

If you would like to give a rich look to unfinished furniture, begin by sanding the furniture piece with 150-grit sandpaper. Then, apply a small amount of finish product using a lint-free cloth. Be sure to rub in the direction of the wood grain. Allow to dry for three to five minutes and then buff with a clean, lint-free cloth, nylon pantyhose work well. For spots or scuffs, reapply a small amount of finish product and let dry. Then, buff again. To maintain this look, dust with a clean dry cloth. Avoid using household cleaners and commercial spray polishes.

If you would like to restore the look of finished furniture, begin by applying a very small amount of restoring wax and work in one small area at a time. Allow to dry, then use a clean, lint-free cloth to buff. Before applying restoring wax, test the wax in an inconspicuous place, such as the inside of a table leg. This is to be sure the color, finish and luster level are compatible with original.

If you would like to crate a whitewashed look that lets the wood tone and grain show through, apply liming wax to bare or stained wood, even to furniture pieces that have sealed surfaces. Woods such as beech, maple and rubber will benefit from opening the grain with a wire brush first. Using a cotton cloth, apply liming wax sparingly. Rub into grain and remove the excess. Overcoat with a clear wax polish or is you desire a more distressed, antiqued look, overcoat with a light brown wax. You can apply liming wax over water-based stains, old driftwood, and wood floors.

Use teak oil that is made for all types of wood to restore outdoor wood furniture. It will feed the wood and give it a rich, satin finish. This treatment will protect against moisture, but it will not protect against UV damage from direct sunlight. The wood should be dry and free of grease or wax. Sand the wood lightly, then apply teak oil liberally using a clean, dry rag or brush. Apply two or three coats and allow to dry for four to eight hours, depending on humidity.

You can create the look you  want by finishing, refinishing, restoring or reconditioning your wood furniture, which is lot cheaper than going out and buying all new pieces.

Burning patterns and pictures into wood requires a few special tools and a small amount of patience to learn and develop the skill in using a wood-burning pen. There are a few basic steps to help a beginner learn the skill of burning patterns into wood.

1. Find a surface that is suitable and prepare it for burning. The simplest and easiest way to find wood that is prepared and ready for burning is at your local craft store. You can also try searching on the internet for wood-burning supplies if there are no crafts stores in your area. When selecting suitable wood, look for round centers cut from tree trunks that still have the bark along the outer edges. If you would like a more sophisticated look, select sanded planks with finished edges, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can also use wood cut from a tree or use scrap wood or board that is found around your house. You should be aware that some species of wood are easier to burn than others. Two types of wood that are known for ease of burning are Basswood and Walnut. You are ready for the next step if you have selected a prepared wood. If you have collected or cut the wood you intend to burn, prepare it by sanding the surface in the direction of the grains. This is so you retain the grain pattern. Then, sand away any rough edges, blow off any excess dust and wipe gently with a cloth.

2. Select a design and transfer it to the surface of the wood. You can use any pattern or picture, including sewing or craft patterns, photos or art, and even images from your own mind can be used. Wood-burning design books can be found at your local craft store. These books feature patterns, designs, and pictures that are absolutely gorgeous. These books also have helpful hints and tips regarding specific ways to shade and draw the designs. Once you have chosen a design, place a piece of graphite paper on top of the wood, the ink side should be facing down. Then, put your design on top and draw over it, which transfers the design to the wood. If you decide to draw your own design using stencils or patterns, be sure to practice on paper first.

3. Choose a wood-burning tool. You can find a wood-burning pen, which is a tool used to burn the pattern onto the wood at your local craft shop or from craft suppliers on the internet. These pens are basically made up of metal rods that look very similar to a writing pen, which are fitted into a hand-friendly holder. Wood-burning pens come with either a fixed tip or interchangeable tips and control units can be bought to help control the heat.

4. Burn the pattern or design you selected using your wood-burning pen. Hold your pen lightly and move the pen towards you, rather than away. Use a pointed tip for making fine lines, a wider tip for fatter lines and for shading. Shading is done by making clusters of dots or lines to create a shaded effect or use a wider tip in a circular motion over an area to darken it.

5. Finish your wood-burning project by using a pencil eraser to remove any leftover lines from the graphite drawing that still shows. For coloring wood-burning patterns and designs there are oil pencils available at your local craft store. Avoid using too much color because it can take the focus away from the natural beauty of the burnt wood and grain pattern. Seal your wok with a varnish designed for wood-burning, when you are finished burning and coloring.

There are so many different things that one can get into when it comes to having hobbies. If you love crafts and love wood one thing that you might want to look into getting into is wood crafts. If you have considered getting into doing wood crafts but don’t want to pay for the wood craft patterns here are some tips on where to find free wood craft patterns.

The first tip on where to find free wood craft patterns is to go online. There are places online that offer free wood craft patterns. You will first want to decide what type of woods craft patterns you are interested in. There are so many different options out there when it comes to free wood craft patterns that you might be overwhelmed if you do not have an idea of what type of wood craft patterns you are even looking for.

The second tip on where to find free wood craft patterns is to join a wood craft club. Different clubs will have different patterns that they do each month. This is a great way to meet new people and to learn new techniques of different things to can do to improve your wood crafts. Plus you will get free wood craft patterns.

The third tip on where to find free wood craft patterns is to sign up on different wood craft websites. Different websites might have a news letter that they send out every so often that has free wood craft patterns in it. They might also have helpful hints on how to finish your wood crafts after you have got them all cut out.

The fourth tip on where to find free wood craft patterns is at your local hardware store. Different hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowes have yearly magazines that come out every so often during the year that have different woods projects in them. Depending on what type of wood craft patterns you are looking for will depend on if you want t subscribe to these type of magazines.

The fifth tip on where to find free wood craft patterns is to look in your home decorating magazines or on your home decorating magazines website. Different home decorating magazines have different things that they have display each month. Sometimes they have wood crafts for holidays. If they do they will usually give you the wood craft pattern in the magazine or give you a website where you can get it from. If it is there featured one they will usually have the wood craft pattern for free.

The sixth tip on where to find free wood craft patterns is to subscribe to a wood craft magazine. If you subscribe to a wood craft magazine you will be able to get free wood craft patterns each month. This is a great way to get new ideas for wood crafts along with get lots of free wood craft patterns.

These are just a few of the places where to find free wood craft patterns. If you have looked all these places to find free wood craft patterns and haven’t had any luck finding what you are looking for you might want to do some research. Go online and search different wood craft sites and see if there is a wood craft even available for what you are looking for. Once you have found the pattern you will be able to get a better idea of how you need to work your searches so you will know where to find the free wood craft patterns you are looking for.

There are so many different things that you need to take into consideration when you are doing wood crafts. One thing that you need to think about is what is the history of woodcrafting? Knowing that they history of woodcrafting is will help you to understand why it’s important to your wood crafts. Here is some information to help you understand a little better about what the history of woodcrafting is, and why it is that it’s important to your wood crafts.

The first thing is to know what is the history of woodcrafting? Woodcrafting has been around for centuries. There are so many things that have been crafted from wood that all came about from woodcrafting. There are so many stories that you here of a man carving a piece of wood on his porch. Woodcrafting is something that people for centuries have taken pride in.

The second thing is why the history of wood crafting is important to your wood crafts. The history of woodcrafting is important to your wood crafts because you need to keep in mind that the wood crafts that you are making today people will probably compare to the woodcrafting that was done before. You want to make sure that when you are making your wood crafts that you take as much pride in your work as the people who carved them centuries ago did. You want to make sure that your wood crafts are made with quality products. If your wood crafts have carving that is done in them you need to make sure that you take the time to carve them right and not just hurry to get your wood crafts done.

The third thing to know is the different techniques that were done in the history of woodcrafting and why it is important to your woods crafts. There are different techniques that might have been done in history that are still used today. For example a technique that is called burn through is used today just like it was used in history. Burn through is done by burning certain pieces of a wood craft to give it character or to shade in certain areas that you want to stand out. Another technique that has been used for years and years is sanding. If you are doing a wood craft and want it to look old a distressed you can paint it and sand it in different spots to give it a warn out look. People have been doing this to their woods crafts for a while to help add character and depth to their wood crafts.

These are just a few of the different examples of why the history of woodcrafting is and why it’s important to your wood crafts. There are so many different things that the history of woodcrafting has to do with wood craft today. If you want to learn more about the history of woodcrafting and why it’s important to your wood crafts you can do some research and see what different things you can find in the history of wood crafting and then figure out how you can still use it today in your wood crafts. Also learning about the history of woodcrafting will help to give you a better idea of how you can incorporate different ideas to help make your woods crafts better. It can also give you ideas on new wood crafts you can make. 

There are a lot of different materials that you use depending on what type of craft you are doing. If you are doing wood crafts you will have different materials then other crafts. If you have not done wood crafts before and want to get an idea of what type of materials you are going to need. Here is a discussion of the materials used for wood crafts.

The first discussion of the materials used for wood crafts is of course the wood itself. Depending on what type of wood craft you are doing will help determine what type of wood you will want to use. If you are doing a wood craft that you are wanting to look old and rustic yet still look like something you would find in the country you will probably want to think about using barn wood. Barn wood is great pieces of wood that is already old and cracked all you have to do is sand it down and paint it and make it into the particular craft you are wanting. Old barn wood can be found at a variety of different craft stores. In some areas you will actually see signs on the side of the road where people want to get rid of barn wood from a barn that they have torn down. This is a great way to get authentic barn wood.

The second discussion of the materials used for wood crafts is what you will need to sculpt your wood crafts. If you are making wood crafts that are signs you will need some sort of saw that is going to be able to cut the wood to the right size and be able to do the different edges you will want on your different signs. For example some wood signs you might want to have a routed edge while others you might not want an edge at all.

The third discussion of materials used for wood crafts is what you are going to finish them with. If you are doing a wood craft that you want to look distressed you are going to want to use crackled paint which is a type of paint that you stick over other paint to help it crack and split to make it look like it is very old and worn. Or you can use just normal acrylic paint that can finish your wood crafts, or just a sealant that will help your wood crafts from splinting.

The fourth discussion of materials used for wood crafts is if you are going to need to sand them or not. Some wood materials you are going to want to use an electric sander because there will be a lot of sanding involved. While others you might have to do a little bit of light sanding so you might just want to use a piece of sand paper and hand sand it.

These are just a few of the things that you will want to have discussions on when you are starting to do wood crafts. You can’t do wood crafts without certain materials. This is why it is so important that you have at least one discussion of the materials used for wood crafts. If you are going to sell your wood crafts you will want to make sure that you know what materials to use to make your wood crafts look the best. If you have questions on what materials to use on your wood crafts you can go online and join a discussion of the materials used for wood crafts.

Custom vinyl lettering is becoming rapidly popular for many applications. It is a great way to achieve a smooth, professional look for home décor projects. It can also be used for business advertising and public advertising. The ideas are endless, and the applications a lot of fun. Vinyl can be applied to walls, tiles, glass, and more. So, when you apply your vinyl to wood, make sure you do it right so that it sticks right and looks great like it should.

When applying vinyl to wood it must be a painted with a smooth, glossy enamel so the lettering/decal can adhere to it easily. Vinyl lettering is ready to apply self adhesive lettering, but it is not going adhere well to paint that is not glossy enamel.

Apply to painted wood using the following steps, but prepare all needed materials first:

1. Before applying be sure to clean the wood surface so it is dust free and clear of anything that would make the vinyl less adhesive. The lettering will not adhere if surface is not properly cleaned. So, take your time, sand down the wood, paint it well, and then use a damp cloth, or a duster to clean it. The cleaner the surface, the better the adherence.

2. Peel off the paper backing and put to the side. Your vinyl will be sticky on the back, so be careful not to let it touch or it will be hard to get it apart. Make sure everything is ready and close by before you peel the back off.

3. Mark the area where the letters will be applied and carefully place the letters on the wood making sure the letters are placed in the exact area and if needed they can be measured to assure they are centered. You would be wise to measure before hand so that it is easy and fast to apply.

4. Depending on the size of the letters or sign, the letters can be rubbed onto the wood by simply using a smooth popsicle stick. Carefully apply the letters to the wood with side to side even strokes to make letters stay on wood. This is a very important step to avoid any air bubbles as you apply the letters. Avoid any hard strokes as it could tear or damage the letters. The thinner the lettering, the more careful you need to be to get it to stick.

5. Once all areas of the letters have been rubbed on the wood the backing of the vinyl should easily peel off and the letters will be applied to the wood to create a professional look for your project. Smooth them over with your finger one time after the backing is removed just to ensure they are stuck down well.

6. Sometimes you may apply a final spray shellac to give it a shiny finish and protect the wood and lettering from dust and sun exposure, but it is not necessary. It will help your vinyl stick better, and protect it, but your vinyl will work fine without this step.

The best thing is that it is a simple process. If you follow the step by step instructions given above, it should very simple. So, get your popsicle stick and wood surface ready before trying to apply the vinyl.

Remember the things we treasure the most are the things we make with our hands. So happy crafting, and many more projects to come!!!!!!

Wood crafting is an enjoyable hobby for many people. Not only does it provide a good creative outlet that allows you to work with your hands, but the things you make can be both decorative and functional.

If you would like to get started with wood crafts, or you are already involved with them but just need some ideas, then consider the following resources that are available for woodcraft ideas.

Magazines
There are a number of magazines dedicated solely to wood working and wood crafts, and these are great resources for wood craft ideas. Not only do they provide ideas, but they also give you step-by-step instructions on how to make the crafts, from the type of wood to use to the tools needed to make the craft.

Many of these magazines can be purchased at a bookstore, craft store, or even the magazine aisle at the grocery store. If you are a wood craft enthusiast, it might not be a bad idea to get a subscription to a magazine or two. If you purchase very many wood craft magazines off the stands, you will often save a great deal of money by spending $20 a year for a subscription, as opposed to $4 or $5 an issue.  You can also save them and refer to them later.

Books
Visit the local library and you’re sure to find an entire section of books on wood craft ideas. These books, like the magazines, show you step-by-step how to make certain wood crafts. Often, there are books dedicated solely to one subject, including holiday wood crafts or toys. They are a great resource for wood craft ideas.

You can also opt to purchase books for woodcraft ideas. If you find one you like that has many ideas you’d like to try, it might be well worth it to purchase a copy of your own instead of checking it out multiple times from the library.

Craft fairs
One of the best resources for wood craft ideas is craft fairs in your area. These fairs are a great way to get wood craft ideas by browsing other people’s tables and products. From there, you can get ideas and then go back home and build off them to make your own unique wood crafts. Often, it is inspiring to see what other people have done.

Workshops
Workshops are great resources for wood crafters for a number of reasons. First of all, they help you to increase your skills, so you can learn new wood craft techniques and how to make your crafts better quality. Workshops are also a good idea because they can provide you with a number of new wood craft ideas. Check your local community center, YMCA, or local college to see if they offer wood craft or woodworking workshops.

Online
The internet is also a great resource for finding wood craft ideas. Simply type in "woodcraft ideas" into a search engine and you can get thousands of new ideas without ever having to leave your house. You can also narrow your search by typing in specific kinds of ideas, such as "holiday wood crafts" or "children’s wood crafts."

As you can see, there are many resources available for wood craft ideas that can help you improve your techniques while also learning new projects.

Tole painting, which originated in the 18th century as a way to paint on metal, is a popular craft hobby among many people even hundreds of years later. Told painting involves painting on wood.

If you’d like to learn how to tole paint your wood crafts, the following are a few tips to get you started.

Buy good quality brushes.

As a general rule, you will need a few basic brushes that will help you as you begin painting your creations. Brush sizes 10, 14, and 16 will help you with floating, used to shade and highlight. A liner brush 10/0 will help you outline, and you’ll need a good base coating brush or sponge brush. You can add more brushes to do different techniques as you develop your projects and skills, but for now these basic ones should be enough to get you started.

Other brushes you will eventually want include:
 Fan: this brush is used to create texture. Used dry or with only tips of brush loaded with paint, the bristles are shaped like a fan.
 Filbert: this brush has the shape of a flower petal or leaf and will help you to create soft edges and create leaves.
 Round: this brush has a pointed tip and is usually used for stroke and detail work like conuna strokes, writing, vines, or eyelashes. This brush comes in a number of sizes, which you will want to purchase eventually.

Practice your stroke work
This is learning to control the brush, which is fundamental for learning new painting techniques. The basic strokes you should practice include the "S," used for curving lines; the circle, for round objects; and the "C," for filling in certain shapes and for forming shadows or highlights.

These are other strokes and techniques you will want to learn as you become more advanced:

 Floating: one side of a flat brush is loaded with paint, and the brush is stroked on palette until you reach your desired blended color.
 Antiquing: this technique is used in finishing a painted item that gives an aged or darkened look to the paint and is usually applied to the wood, then rubbed off.
 Dry brushing: this technique uses a dry brush with a minimal amount of paint on it to add shading or highlighting to a specific design. The brush is dipped in paint, and then most of the paint is removed from brush with a paper towel or rag.
 Wash: with this technique, water is added to dilute the paint and make it either lighter in color or transparent. With a wash, the wood grain can be seen through the paint.

Use the right paints.
When it comes to paints, you’ll have a variety of choices. All you need to do is choose the paint that is best suited to your surface. Choices include watercolor, oils and acrylics, and others. Acrylics are the best for beginners, as they dry quickly and have a number of ready-made colors. They are also inexpensive, so you can easily experiment with acrylics without spending too much.

Tole painting is a fun hobby and a great way to decorate your wooden crafts. If you are interested in taking up tole painting, practice with various brushes, strokes, and paints. You can also take a class to improve your techniques and learn more.

Participating in craft fairs is an exciting way to showcase and sell your woodcrafts. Of course, the more people you bring in, the better your chance to promote your work and make more money. For this reason, it is important to advertise your wood crafts for upcoming craft shows that you are featuring your crafts in.

The following are some tips for advertising your wood crafts for a craft show.

Brochures
A brochure is an excellent, effective sales tool. Using inexpensive desktop publishing software or clip art, you can create your own professional-looking brochures from your home computer. In these brochures, it is important to include the date of your upcoming craft shows and where (if you already know) where your booths will be located.

You can place these brochures in a number of places, such as on car windshields in places that people interested in crafts would be, such as a craft store or wood working supply shop. You can also place your brochures at the checkout stand (with permission) of local craft stores. This is a good way to get publicity.

Newsletters
A newsletter is another great way to advertise your wood crafts for a craft show. You can make a paper one and distribute it, but a more effective and money-saving way is to create a newsletter and email it to people who may be interested. You can make newsletters as part of the email, or create it in a program and attach it. Be careful when doing this, however, as some people may not be able to open the newsletter without the program you made it in. For this reason, you should create your newsletter in a program people would be likely to have.

Information to include in the newsletter includes directions to the craft fair, information such as admission and parking fees, where your booth will be located, and what types of crafts you plan on featuring.

Post cards
Another great way to advertise your wood crafts for a craft show is through post cards. You can purchase a number of blank postcards for free and then print off custom designs for them on your computer.

Mail these to friends and family members, or drop them in mailboxes. You can also purchase mailing lists and mail to them, but this is often costly.

The following tips will also help you to advertise your wood crafts: 
 Word of mouth. Whenever you have a craft show that you are participating in coming up, be sure to let your friends and family members know and ask them to pass along the information to their friends and family members as well. Word of mouth is often the best way to advertise.
Make sure all your information is included. Whatever method of advertising you choose, make sure to include all the necessary information, including location, dates, times, parking information, direction, what you will be selling, and where you are located within the fair.
Make your material as professional as possible. The more professional your advertising looks, the better chance you will have of drawing people. If you are doing it yourself, make sure to use quality paper and printers, and be sure to proofread your work.

With a little work and creativity, you can advertise your wood crafts and draw more people to your upcoming craft shows.