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Archive for August, 2007

Crafts for kids of all ages

Friday, August 10th, 2007

Crafts are a fun and diverting activity for kids of all ages. Even young children can enjoy certain crafts, and older school-age children will have fun making crafts they can use or display later.

The following are a number of crafts for kids of all ages.

Pre school crafts
With pre-school aged children, it will be important to supervise. Don’t use very small items they could put in their mouths and choke on, like tiny buttons. Also, make sure you do the cutting yourself and don’t keep scissors lying around.

Some fun crafts for preschool children include the following:

Butterfly Masks:
Picture or drawing (big enough to cover a child’s face) of a butterfly
Four pipe cleaners for each mask (two to secure it on the face and two for antennas)
Markers and crayons to decorate masks
Scissors
Cardboard, such as from a cereal box
Glue

Directions
1. Have kids decorate the butterfly with crayons, markers, glitter, or other craft materials.
2. Glue the decorated masks to the cardboard and allow them to dry.
3. Cut out the shape of the butterfly.
4. Make eye holes for the child to see, then punch holes in the side of the mask (for the strap) and top (for antennas).
5. Feed the pipe cleaners through the holes to hold the mask on the child’s face.

Turtle Tambourine
Two paper plates, one for each tambourine
Beans, lentils, rice, or macaroni
Stapler
Green construction paper
Markers
Scissors

Directions
1. Cut turtle leg shapes and a head shape (include the neck) from the green construction paper.
2. Have kids decorate the bottom side of each paper plate, which will be the shell of the turtle.
3. Place the paper plates together, decorated sides out, to form the tambourine.
4. Staple the plates together, inserting legs and making sure the staples are close enough together so beans will not spill out. Leave the neck and head area unstapled.
5. Place a handful of beans or lentils into the turtle body, then insert the neck and head and staple closed.

Grade school children
Children in grade school are more likely to enjoy making crafts that are functional in some way. The following are crafts suitable for children in grade school.

Book covers
Brown paper bags
Scissors
Crayons and markers
Trading cards, comics, or pictures cut out from magazines
Glue or tape
Clear self-adhesive paper

Directions
1. Cut the bags so they are long, flat sheets of paper. Match the height of the paper to the height of the book by making folds of equal width along the edges.
2. Lay the sheet out with the folded edges up.
3. Place book on the paper, right-side up approximately 5 inches from the right side of the sheet. Fold the left side of the sheet up over the book, then trim the ends to about 5 inches.
4. Tuck the two ends inside the front and back covers of the book, and secure them by putting the book’s covers into the folds.
5. Have the children decorate the cover. This is a good time to be creative with markers, crayons, comics, trading cards, or pictures cut from magazines.
6. Secure the pictures by covering them with the clear contact paper.

There are many different crafts you can do with kids of all ages.

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FAQ’s for knitting

Friday, August 10th, 2007

Knitting is a fun and relaxing hobby. But if you’re just starting out, you may have quite a few questions about the specific of knitting. Luckily, this article will hopefully answer a few frequently asked questions that you might have about knitting. So keep reading and get your needles ready!

1. What information should I look for on the yarn label?
The information on the yarn label will help you select the type of yarn you want and the number of skeins you need for a project. It should include the yarn brand name, fiber content, color name and number, dye lot number, plies (number of strands), weight classification, ounces or grams or meters, knitting gauge, and home laundering and dry cleaning instructions.

2. What is meant by "Yarn Weight Classifications?"
The "yarn weight classification" refers to the size (diameter) of the yarn. The "yarn weight" required for a project and the amount of yarn needed to complete a project is specified in the project instructions. "Yarn weight classification" is a number and/or name assigned to yarn in the following designations:
1 or Super Fine (sock, baby and fingering yarn)
2 or Fine (baby and sport yarn)
3 or Light (light worsted and DK yarn)
4 or Medium (worsted, afghan and Aran yarn)
5 or Bulky (chunky, craft and rug yarn)
6 or Super Bulky (roving and bulky yarn)

3. What are double point and circular knitting needles used for?
Double point and circular needles are different from straight knitting needles and are used for seamless knitting or "knitting-in-the-round." Double point knitting needles come in sets of four or five and are used to make smaller round pieces such as cuffs, socks and mittens. Circular knitting needles come in various lengths and sizes, and are used for larger round sections such as sleeves, collars, and the body of a sweater. Circular knitting needles may also be used for knitting back and forth. The size on knitting needle required for a project is specified in the project instructions.

4. What is "gauge" and how is it determined?
Gauge is the number of stitches and rows in every inch of knitting. Each pattern you use should have a required gauge listed in order to determine the finished size of the project. It is very important that you make a gauge swatch and match it with the gauge specified in the project pattern because everyone knits differently. You may find that if you knit loosely, you may have to use a needle or hook smaller than the pattern specifies. Or if you knit tightly, you may need to use a needle or hook larger than the pattern specifies. It doesn’t matter what size needle or hook you use as long as your gauge swatch has the same number of stitches and rows per inch as specified in the pattern.

5. What is the best way to launder projects made from yarn?
The first step is to check the laundering instructions on the yarn label. This will tell you whether to machine wash and dry or hand launder and dry flat. Even if the yarn label indicates that you may machine wash and dry, remember that you are caring for a hand made item. It is recommended that delicate items be washed in a mesh laundry bag or pillow case and that you wash your hand made items separately from your other laundry.

6. Where can I get help when I have yarn questions?
In the yarn department you will find numerous yarn books that will be helpful. You can also find information at the following websites: www.learntoknit.com, www.learntocrochet.com, www.knit911.com, www.crochet911.com, and www.craftyarncouncil.com.

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Safety tips for making metal crafts

Thursday, August 9th, 2007

Here are safety tips for making metal crafts. Metal crafts are a fun art to make. The items you can make are amazing and beautiful. However, the craft or working with metal is also dangerous. Using smart safety is very important. Here are a few safety tips to keep your metal crafting fun and safe!

There are some safety basics, which apply to all sorts of crafting projects that we should start with. Here they are.

1. Make sure to read all instructions prior to starting the project.
2. Have all required tools, equipment, supplies and safety gear, before starting the project.
3. If a younger person is completing the project, remind them of the safety rules often.
4. Make sure that there is no need to leave the room during the work process that is being completed. This is a prime time for accidents.
5. Make sure that small children, and pets are not in the area.
6. Keep your tools arranged near you, this way you do not have to move around a great deal.
7. Keep food, drinks and smoking away from crafts and the general area.
8. Keep the materials you have for supplies in the original containers. This way there is no risk of mixing products up.
9. Use the right equipment for the job.
10. Keep the work area clean.
11. Do not be in a hurry. Crafting is to be fun, if rushed; you will not only likely make mistakes, but can get hurt.
12. Try not to work when you are tired, or distracted.
13. Wash your hands after crafting.

Now that we have some crafting basics, there are specific safety tips for handling the making of metal crafts. Here they are.

1. Never grasp metal pieces tightly. This will help to prevent cuts and slices. A light grip is better.
2. Never run your fingers along a raw edge. Metal can cause bad cuts.
3. It is a good idea to wear gloves for protection, especially if you are a beginner in metal crafting.
4. When you need to use a tin snip, it is important to always try to keep the cutter deep in the cut as you move along. Try to make sure to use long firm cuts, not short snips.
5. Do not use your hand to brush the metal scraps away or into the garbage. Use a brush, or stiff cardboard piece.
6. If possible, use a well mounted vice grip to secure the pieces of metal.
7. Make sure that you have the right gear on.
8. Use good light so that you can see what you are doing.
9. Make sure that you have good tools. Poorly made tools, or the wrong tools can lead to damage for you and your project.
10. Use a rag to hold the metal in place, between the vice grip and the metal. This way there will be no marring to the metal.

Always take your time, read the instructions as much as you need to, and do not get frustrated. Safety is the first and most important rule to having fun with metal crafting.

When you use these safety tips for making metal crafts, you will find that your art comes out more professional looking, and you are safer from incidents and injuries.

A great project is often times ruined due to poor planning. The wrong gear, or tools is often the cause for accidents and mistakes. The best way to prevent these types of issues is to use good practices for safety.

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Different ways to scrapbook

Thursday, August 9th, 2007

What are different ways to scrapbook? Whether you are creating a festive holiday scene for your scrapbook page, or if you are simply adding some color to a rather drab page of pictures. There are different scrapbooking ideas that can help your scrapbooks come out truly unique.

Starting with the type of paper you use. The type of paper, with different pictures, colors, shapes etc, will create a very unique way of telling your families stories to the future generations.

That brings me to the next part of this. You can scrapbook both in large albums, or small albums and on the computer with a virtual scrapbook that is saved on DVD or CD. The options for scrapbooking are growing all the time.

You can even do a little of each of these scrapbooking options. You can also use the scrapbooking techniques to increase the creativity used on the pictures you hang on walls, or give as gifts.

There are basic scrapbooking techniques that go along with different theme styles that create more artistic scrapbooking pages.

The color you use to create different types of scrapbooking pages really does matter. The colors will make the base for any pictures page, bright or dark, peaceful or exciting. The main thing is trying to get the colors of the pages to match the idea of the basics of the picture theme.

Also with the coloring, you want to include any stickers, templates, or stamps that add enthusiasm to the pages. With this you can also add on the cropping, ribbons etc.

With all the different decorations, keep in mind that no matter what type of scrapbooking you are working with, too much stuff will take over the vision of the pictures. Therefore lessening the greatness of the creative art you are trying to achieve.

In addition to the different types of art you can use for your scrapbooking pages, you can use journalism to create a storyline that will add to the creativity of your scrapbook. This is a skill that requires a little work, however it will tell the pictures stories for years to come.

It is a good idea to use short to the point paragraphs to describe the pictures being displayed in the scrapbook. This is the case in both the virtual world, and the hard copy scrapbooks you are creating.

There are also pocket pages that add a spice of difference to the scrapbooking options. You can use pocket pages to include all kinds of special items. In some cases a small pocket is create for the first baby hair, or maybe some flowers from the wedding bouquets. There are also many times that special tickets are in a pocket in the scrapbook or other memorabilia.

Whatever different choices you use to create the best scrapbooking for your families records and history, keep in mind that it is your creativity that will make it unique. Do not just follow the crowd. Use your own ideas to make something special for your family. Because your great grandkids will be reading these books or watching those DVD.

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What types of materials do you need to cross stitch

Wednesday, August 8th, 2007

Now that you have decided that you want to begin cross stitching, the next thing that you need to do is to figure out kinds of materials you are going to need to start cross stitching. When it comes to cross stitching supplies you have your basic cross stitching supplies, but you can also purchase supplies that are considered top of the line. Regardless of what brands of cross stitching supplies you are going to need to have certain materials just to get started with cross stitching, you can always add the extras, things that make cross stitching easier and more organized, at a later date.

Here are some of the basic materials that you are going to need to begin cross stitching.
Material – this is probably one of the most important things you are going to need in order to begin cross stitching. When you are choosing material for a cross stitch fabric you are going to want choose light colors, even experienced cross stitchers have a hard time cross stitching with darker colored fabrics. Not only will you want to choose light colors, you are also going to want to stick with eleven or fourteen count Aida rolled fabric. You want to avoid the folded fabric because you can end up with creases that can’t be removed.
Floss – this is another important tool that you are going to need in order to cross stitch. When choosing embroidery floss you are going to want to choose a floss based on the quality of the floss, how much floss you need, and how easily available the floss is. One thing you want to make sure that you do is to always buy the same brand of embroidery floss, if you do buy different brands you might notice a subtle color change with one brand which won’t produce the best results.
Needles – without needles you are not going to be able to do any cross stitching, so this item is just as important as the fabric and the floss. When it comes to getting needles you are going to want to make sure that you have at least a pack of needles, if not more, you never know when you are going to lose a needle. But when picking the right kind of needle you need to keep in mind that the fancy needles are going to be harder to work with. If you are just starting out you should use a size 24 tapestry needle for 11 count Aida fabric or a size 26 needle for 14 count Aida fabric. Once you have been stitching for awhile you can try out the different types of needles to find the ones that you prefer.
Scissors – one thing that you are going to want to do is to make sure that the rest of your family does not have access to these scissors. But when choosing scissors you are going to want to have two pairs of scissors, one large and one small. The larger pair of scissors is going to be used for cutting fabric only (if you use them to cut other things you can nick and dull your scissors faster and you won’t get as clean of a cut when cutting fabric). The smaller pair of scissors is going to be used for cutting your floss, you also want to keep these scissors sharp and free of nicks so that you don’t fray your floss when cutting it. You can purchase good quality sewing scissors at both craft and fabric stores.
Hoops – when you are first starting out with cross stitching you are going to want to use smaller hoops, and you are going to want to have more than one on hand at a time. But you want to make sure that you use a wooden or plastic hoop and you always want to make sure that the hoop is clean. As you start to do larger designs you can then make the transition into the larger frames.

Those are just the basic supplies that you will need for beginning cross stitching, once you have gotten started you can begin using medium count fabrics or even purchase organizing materials or quilt snap frames to help you in cross stitching.

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Where to get your items embroidered

Tuesday, August 7th, 2007

When it comes to embroidery, there’s virtually no limit to the items you can embroider. Embroidering initials, phrases, and designs make a beautiful, personalized touch to a number of things, including:

• Baby items. Some of the most commonly embroidered items are baby things. Blankets, bibs, and socks are perfect for embroidery and make lasting and appreciated gifts. Most people will embroider the baby’s name on the item, and many times the date of birth and other identifying information, such as weight and length. You can embroider on most types of fabric.
• Handkerchiefs. Handkerchiefs are other commonly embroidered items. Many people who begin embroidery will actually begin on handkerchiefs to practice. Typically, you would embroider a person’s initials on a handkerchief, but you could also do a full name or intricate border.
• Linens. Pillowcases, pillows, and tablecloths are also good items to embroider. These items you can get really creative with. Simple flowers, initials, or sayings are good things to embroider onto pillows and linens. Embroidering linens is also a good gift idea. Embroidered tablecloths and napkins with the bride and groom’s initials are also increasingly popular in weddings.
• Towels. Towels are a great thing to embroider. They are easy and typically involve initials, so they can easily be kept tracked of. More intricate embroidery can be reserved for decorative towels. Kids will also enjoy seeing their names on their towels as well.
• Clothing. Clothing can be a little more difficult to embroider, but personalizing clothing is something you will probably want embroider eventually. You can embroider a name, initials, or even a design across shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and other item of clothing.

Where to get your items embroidered
If you like the idea of having your items personalized through embroidery but don’t have the time to do it yourself, or if you don’t know how to do it, there are a number of places you can go to get your items embroidered:

• Friends. Perhaps the cheapest way to get your items embroidered is to ask a friend who is a seamstress or who has an embroidery machine. Many people who embroider do so because they enjoy it, so many times they will be more than happy to embroider your items for you.
• Seamstress. A seamstress also has access to embroidery machines or can embroider your items for you by hand. While it will cost you, you can expect an expert, professional job if you go with a seamstress.
• Online. If you need to order items to be embroidered as well, you can go online and find stores that allow you to pick out the hat, shirt, linens, and so forth you want, and will then embroider them for you for a fee. Some places will offer the embroidery for free if you purchase their items. Many famous retail chains will monogram their clothing, sheets, backpacks, and other items, so be sure to ask or look to see if they offer it.
• Logo stores. Look up “embroidery services” in the yellow pages of your hometown and you will find a number of shops in your area that will allow you to drop off your items and will then embroider them for you. In addition, they can also take your own designs from paper and digitize them, then transfer them to your items.

If the idea of embroidery for personalizing your things is appealing to you, there are a number of places you can go to get your items embroidered.

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Where to go for free sewing ideas and crafts

Monday, August 6th, 2007

Sewing is one a very old practice, and it has been a popular pastime (an occupation!) for many centuries. There are always new sewing ideas and suggestions that are being distributed throughout the sewing community. In some cases, you need to pay money to become familiar with these sewing ideas and crafts. However, there are many free sewing ideas and crafts which are also available for anyone to find! Here are a couple of places where you can go for free sewing ideas and crafts:

Local sewing store: If you are trying to hear about the latest sewing tips and ideas, you might want to try going to your local sewing store. Many sewing store employees are very helpful and are more than willing to explain different dewing ideas and crafts to people who visit the store. It is a good idea to go to the store with a specific question or idea of what you are interested in. This way, the store employee will know how to help you and will be able to inform you of the latest sewing ideas and crafts that he/she is aware of. Granted, the advice and ideas that these people discuss with you is going to be free, but you might want to prepare yourself to buy something at the store as well! Sewing store employees generally know exactly what products and things you will need to purchase in order to try these new sewing ideas and crafts, and their suggestions might be too difficult to resist!

Online websites: There are a lot of websites which are dedicated to providing free sewing ideas and crafts to the visitors of their website! You can find out a lot about free sewing projects and crafts by visiting sewing.about.com. These free sewing ideas and crafts are categorized so that you can pick exactly what type of sewing project that you would like to tackle! In addition, other sewing projects and patterns can be found on bellaonline.com. This is another website which has sewing patterns and projects, which range from beginner to more advanced! There are also free sewing projects from a website called pfaffusa.com. These sewing projects are free to download.

Sewing blogs and forums: With the popularity of sewing, there are many different types of forums and blogs where sewers can get together and discuss their ideas. This is one of the best resources to look for when you are interested in getting free sewing ideas and crafts. Sewing bloggers and forum visitors share their sewing ideas and crafts in great numbers – they are always willing to discuss the best (and worst!) ideas that they have found. If you are looking for the most up-to-date and revolutionary sewing ideas, then this is one of the best places to check first. Some of the best sewing crafts and ideas can be found within blog and forum pages!

Sewing club: Many local and college communities have sewing clubs or organizations. Sometimes there is a fee to join these sewing clubs, but this is not always the case. By joining a sewing club, you will be able to communicate with fellow seamstresses or tailors which share your interest in sewing. Club meetings often revolve around sharing sewing ideas and crafts. By joining one of these clubs, you are placing yourself in a position to get a lot of free sewing ideas and crafts!

If you are interested in getting free sewing tips and crafts, it is obvious that there is not only one place that you can look! Many different organizations and places offer great free sewing ideas and crafts for people who are interested! Don’t delay looking for some of these free sewing ideas – start looking now!

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How to choose your yarn for knitting

Monday, August 6th, 2007

If you have never walked into a craft store to purchase yarn then you probably have no idea how many different types of yarn there are available. Most craft stores carry shelves and shelves full of yarn, so sometimes trying to pick the right yarn for your knitting project can be a rather gruesome experience. Because of how many different types of yarns are available to choose from many people tend to buy the exact type of yarn that is listed in the instructions for their knitting pattern. But the good news is that if you know some basic facts about yarn you can choose different yarns, yarns you want to use, for any of your knitting projects.

Yarn weight system:
Basically what yarn weight refers to is the thickness of the yarn and it can range from super fine to super bulky. Currently there are six different categories of yarn weights and each weight should produce a certain number of stitches when you are using a certain sized needle. Basically the higher the number the heavier your yarn is going to be and you will get fewer stitches per inch.

The yarn weights are:
1: Super fine – the yarns in this weight are baby, fingering and sock. The needle size used for this weight would be between a 1 and a 3 and you can usually get 27 to 32 stitches per 4 inches.
2: Fine – the yarns in this weight are baby and sport. The needle size for this weight would be between a 3 and a 5 and you would get about 23 to 26 stitches per 4 inches.
3: Light – the yarns in this weight would be DK, light, and worsted. The needle size for this weight would be between a 5 and a 7 and you would get about 16 to 20 stitches per 4 inches.
4: Medium – the yarns in this weight would be Afghan, aran and worsted. The needle size that would be used for this weight would be between a 7 and a 9 and you could get between 16 to 20 stitches per 4 inches.
5: Bulky – the yarns in this weight would be chunky, craft and rug. The needle sizes that you could use for this weight would be between 9 and an 11 and you could get about 12 to 15 stitches per four inches.
6: Super bulky – the yarns in this weight would be bulky and roving. The needle sizes that you could use with this type of yarn would be from an 11 or anything bigger than that and you would be able to get anywhere from 6 to 11 stitches per 4 inches.

In order to choose the right type of yarn for your knitting project you are going to need to know about the different weight yarns or the gauge of the yarn. The gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch that the designer obtained when they worked the pattern. Having this information will allow you to choose different yearn than what is recommended because you can choose the right type of yarn.

But another thing that you need to know about when choosing the right type of yarn is making sure that you find the right fiber. There are numerous types of yarn and you are going to want to use a yarn that is the right fiber for your project. Here is some information on the two most popular yarn fibers.
Cotton – is a good choice for light, breathable, and/or utilitarian items, but can be hard to work with because of its inelasticity
Wool – this is one of the best types of knitting yarns because of its naturalness, the wide variety of colors and textures available and how easy it is to work with. It can also be used in projects that are for either winter or summer because the wool is full of air which makes it warm in the winter and keeps heat out during the summer.

Just keep in mind that the best way to choose your yarn is to choose the yarn that is best for the project you are working on, most of the times patterns will include what type of yarn you will need, but you can still substitute if you know what you are doing.

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Popsicle stick crafts

Sunday, August 5th, 2007

There are many different kinds of crafts that you can do with your kids. You can make a piñata or make cards to give away for holidays or birthdays, you can also make lots of things out of Popsicle sticks. You can either buy a package of Popsicle sticks from the craft store. Or save some of your money and let your kids enjoy a Popsicle and then use the left over Popsicle sticks for your Popsicle stick crafts. Here are a couple of different Popsicle stick crafts that you and your kids can make.

The first Popsicle stick craft you can do is a Christmas ornament. The first thing to do when making a Christmas ornament is figuring out what kind of ornament you want to make. For example if you want to make a sled to go on your Christmas tree you are going to want to cut the ends of the Popsicle to make them the shape of the front of a sled. Then paint the Popsicle sticks the color you want them. Then put two Popsicle sticks on the underneath on both ends to hold all of the Popsicles together. Then for the runners you can use jumbo paper clips. You then can paint them black. Or if you are doing something else you can add something simple like this to add some character. Then Attach twine or some other kind of string that you can connect to the front on both sides. This is what will hang it from the tree. No matter what type of ornament you want to make sure to have a point that you can hang it from.

The second Popsicle stick craft you can do is picture frames. This is a easy yet cheap way of making a picture frame. You can use two Popsicle sticks for each side of your picture frame and paint it whatever color you want. Then you can add glitter or little beads or other knick knacks around the frame. Then you just add the picture in the back of it.

The third Popsicle stick craft you can do are little critters. You can do this by making the body out of a Popsicle stick and the legs out of chenille sticks. You can paint the Popsicle stick the color you want the body and then coordinate the chenille sticks to match. Then buy two wiggle eyes and glue them on the front of your Popsicle stick and you will have a little creature.

The fourth Popsicle stick craft you can do is a log cabin. This can be done by taking Popsicle sticks and gluing them together to make walls. You can use a piece of construction paper and cut it out for the roof. After you have glued all the Popsicle sticks together you will want to let them dry. Then after they are dry take the separate sections and glue them together to make the exterior walls of the cabin then take the Roof and glue it on top and you will have a log cabin.

These are just a couple of different options that you have to make Popsicle stick crafts. There are so many different Popsicle stick crafts. For more ideas you can go online or even go to your local craft stores or even ask around to your friends. Popsicle stick crafts can be so much fun and your kids will love them. Every time they eat a Popsicle they might think about the Popsicle stick crafts they can make with the sticks after wards.

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Tips for learning to tole paint your wood crafts

Sunday, August 5th, 2007

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.

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