Glitter & Glue

glitter + glue learn how to make this bow on page 15!

Locker decorating: How to make your space yours

Exclusive interviews with

Kendra Scott & Fluxe Jewelry

Extra: Plenty of DIYs to try!

Biographies Letter

Catherine Dickey

from the

Catherine Dickey loves musical theatre and has been in 11 musicals and four straight plays. When Catherine isn’t acting she is rereading the Harry Potter series or watching Castle. She loves making crafts that turn out perfectly, which doesn’t always happen.

Editors Dear Readers, thank you for picking up the first and final copy of Glitter & Glue. inside, you will find many DIY projects for you to try, and articles on the crafting world in general. It’s been a fun ride getting to this point, and we’ve enjoyed every step along the way. We hope you enjoy our finished product, and stay crafty!

Aidan Evans-Strong

Aidan Evans- Strong plays viola in orchestra and is joining the tennis team in the spring (but she’s not as preppy as that all makes her sound). She decided that it would be perfect to team up with the other awesome craft lovers in her E-Zine class and share some DIYism with the world.

Winter Lomme

Thanks,

Winter Lomme loves listening to music, whether its Capital Cities or Classic Rock. She is outdoors in her free time, going on hikes, camping, and having fun. the Avengers and Paranormal Activity are in their top list. When it comes to crafts you will find her decorating mason jars.

She loves being active and keeping her creative side thinking.

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trong

Zoe Wills is an avid fan of many British and Sci-fi TV shows, including, but most definitely not limited to, Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Supernatural. When she’s not listening to her favorite Korean Idol groups or watching her favorite shows, you can probably find her needle felting, sewing, or crocheting at home in between.

Photos by Aidan Evans-S

Zoë Wills

Table of Contents 2 Biographies 3 Table of Contents 4 DIYer vs. BUYer 5 Lace Hair Bows 6 Turning Soup Cans into Planters

16 What DIY is right for you?

18 Crafting Businesses 21 Galaxy Sweater 22 10 DIY Gifts 24 Kendra Scott & Fluxe

7 Recycling in 27 Galaxy Shoes Crafts 28 Mason Jar 10 Needle Felting 29 Eco-Friendly Materials 12 Locker Decorating 31 Indoor vs.

15 Watermark Tee Outdoor 3

DIYer vs. BUYer A lot of things that you buy in the store can easily be made. Making things can be really fun, and good for your wallet. If you are a busy person, though, it can be hard to have enough time to do anything. This page will give you the pros and cons of making something or buying something.

DIYing Pros • Making can be cheaper • You can put your own twist on it • You can design it yourself • You can make it exactly how you desire it to be • Gives you something to do • It can be very fun!

Cons • Making can take up a lot of time.

• It takes more patience and effort to make something • Things can go wrong easily • It can be tedious to make things • Iay not turn out exactly how you want it to be

Buying Pros • Doesn’t take as much time as making something.

• Comes out perfectly • Will be done right when you buy it • No effort necessary • Nothing will go wrong when buying things • You can return things

Kendra Scott is an amazing jewelry maker. She has been in love with the fashion industry since she was a child. She is now famous for her beautiful jewelry, but she used to be a hat maker for people with cancer, who were going through chemotherapy. She says that when she makes her jewelry she thinks about what kinds of things are new and in style, and how she can put her own finger print on it. She said that her company would definantly be expanding in the near future hopefully with shoes, handbags, more accessories and maybe even clothes.

By Catherine Dickey Sources: Kendra Scott http://www.kendrascott.com http://themerrythought.com

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Cons • Not many options • May not be avaible for you when you want it • It can be more expensive • Things can’t be easily replaced, because sometimes they go out of stock • Not as unique or fun!

Here’s some DIYs for you Since this is a DIY magazine, we decided that putting in a few pages of pure, undiluted tutorials wouldn’t be a bad idea. We hope you enjoy.

Lace No-Sew Bows What you’ll need: • flat lace • fabric glue • hair clips • Cut your lace into a seven-inch strip and a four-inch strip • Glue the longer strip into a circle • Fold the shorter strip four times over • Wrap the thin strip around the looped one, so it looks like an accordian • Slip a hairclip through

Origami Heart Bookmark What you’ll need: • origami paper • Take the paper and fold in half, then cut • Take that and fold in half • Fold the paper vertically, and unfold • Flip over the paper

• Fold the top third on the folded section • Fold the corners on the folded sections

Dip-Dyed Shoes What you’ll need: • • • • •

white sneakers fabric dye (in your choice of color) Vaseline baking powder old toothbrush

• Mix the fabric dye as instructed • Add Vaseline to the parts you don’t want dyed • Wet the shoes slightly • Dip the shoes halfway into the dye • Keep dipping until you reach the heel • Let it dry • Run the shoes through water until it runs clear

Needle-Felted Puppy What you’ll need: • felting roving (black, brown, grey, white) • felting needles • a mat • Create a sphere, an egg, and 4 thick cylinders with roving • Felt the sphere to the egg, and then the 4 cylinders, so it looks like a sitting dog • With a thin piece of black roving, roll eyes and a nose • Rirm up your puppy!

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Turning Soup Cans into Planters

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or outdoor DIY’s, vases can be pretty expensive and a lot of the options that are actually affordable kind of suck in the “looks department,” say the people at Papernstitch. Don’t want to spend the extra money to buy one? Pots can easily be made out of old soup cans. Fabric is a good material when decorating the cans. This is an easy idea that is much cheaper than buying a pot at a store online like the websites below, or in any store.

The finished product!

Spray the adhesive.

The materials you will need: • A spray-on adhesive so the fabric will stick.

• Any fabric that can be applied to the can.

• A soup can of any size.

• Flat surface to roll on your fabric.

• A plant small enough to fit your can.

• Soil to fill the can and place your plant in.

• Other things that you’d need to decorate the planter Roll the fabric on using a smooth surface.

Tuck in the leftovers.

Close up on the rim. I let the fringe stick up.

1. Cut fabric to match the can size but an inch longer all the way around the can.

2. Using the spray-on adhesive, apply this to the soup can.

3. Roll the fabric onto the can so that it aligns evenly with it. Leave extra at the top so that you can fold it into the can.

4. For the fabric to stick to the inside of the can, spray the inside with adhesive as well.

5. While applying the fabric, smooth it out and let dry.

6. Add soil, water and a plant and you’re done.

By Winter Lomme Sources: http://www.williams-sonoma.com http://www.papernstitchblog.com

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The finished project!

Recyling in Crafts L

iving in Austin is a great place for green and reusing materials.

Making things brings out your creative side and lets your brain run wild but it can get expensive.

Recycling the old things you have laying in the back of your closet can be used for many things can help save that money lying around.

All you have to have is the motivation to make something and old stuff!

If you buy something for your crafts don’t just throw away the leftovers when you can use them to make more things When making crafts people use all sorts of materials this will show you how some people like Rebecca Stuch and Amy Renea reuse and save money.

Amy Renea does freelance writing, designing and is an editorial photographer.

Her blog is based in Pennsylvania and is about Food, Photography, DIY Design and Modern Garden Living.

Renea is a blogger who works with other bloggers on crafts teams. “ I actually started my blog many years ago as

a way to keep lessons online for a design class I was teaching (before Google Drive in the dark ages!). It changed into a family blog after I stopped teaching and then changed into the craft and lifestyle blog it is today. “ said Renea.

With crafts there will be some things that you buy. After making a craft what happens to the leftovers matters.

“There are too many leftover supplies and trash around that make perfectly good craft supplies! There is no reason to spend resources on new materials when recycled materials work just as well” said Renea.

Rebecca Stuch has the same idea about reusing carts too. Rebecca Stuch is the board president and founder of this organization. “ Austin Creative Reuse is a non-profit basin and our website and our blog is apart of our means to communicate with our community, customers and friends and supporters. “ said Stuch.

To give a little more about Austin Creative it is a nonprofit organization

that collects and sells donated materials that can be reused and distributes them to people.

“It is a way to provide them information about what’s happening with us and also to inspire them its apart of our mission to educate people around reuse and creativity and one way to inspire that is to show people how to make crafts” said Renea.

Renea thinks that “There is a pride in making something yourself and a joy in creating. There is some money saved, but that is not the main impetus for creating”said Renea. Doing something yourself and reusing material can save money, but there is other benefits as well.

Stuch has a more science and fact view on the subject. “ When you make things you use different parts of your brain and a lot of times it opens yourself up to creativity versus the other side of your brain which is very logical and numbers oriented and it makes you view the world a little differently.”

When making crafts they can be just for

Tissue paper flowers.

Water Color Flower DIY.

Amy Renea getting

creative.

Austin Creative Reuse at the Upcycle Challenge.

Egg carton flower craft.

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fun, or for a purpose. “ Almost all the crafts have a purpose, whether it is making my home function better, giving the garden some oomph in winter or giving my kids something to keep themselves busy and engage their minds,” Renea said. So whether you want to make something for fun, for a friend, or for a certain purpose there are plenty of things to make and using recycled material is a cleaner way to craft for the enviorment.

Using natural material you can find outside, to an old sweater or the junk hiding in your closet.

When enjoying what you make it can make it easier, interesting and more fun. Crafts is about enjoying the things that is made and the process, when something isn’t enjoyable people don’t really want to do it.”

I like working with my hands and I like exercising my creativity.

I get too bored without them!” said Renea.

There are many communities to that are involved in reusing community and crafting.

“I work with a whole network of other bloggers that craft and we keep in touch via private facebook groups, blog conferences and work opportunities

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“Austin Creative Reuse...helps bring the community together and ...we share what we know.”

like the American Made Martha Stewart event in NYC. I also work on several teams with crafters including the Looksi group and the Crafts Unleashed blog” said Renea. The website url to Looksi Group are Looksisquare. com and Looksibite. com to check out these groups. Stuch at Austin Creative works with many different groups as well. “There are a lot of different art groups or art organizations and also environmental organizations that use recycled crafts in their programming, but we are probably the only ones that focus on that. many people um it’s just one part of what they’re doing, “ said Stuch.

Having free time is when crafting is usually done.

Crafting can be done at any point but having free time can be important.

Different people manage their time in different ways. ”I have to craft in between the lines of my day. There is not truly free time when raising four children. They often help me with food crafting and the easier crafts.” said Renea.

The amount of time a craft will take will also depend on what is being made, and how eccentric it will be. “Typically not long!! The faster I can complete the craft, the

more I can produce and the faster the craft is, the better it does online.

People do not have time to devote huge chunks of it to crafting. That said, once in awhile I embark on a huge project that DOES take a lot of time” Renea said.

Creativity is key when crafting. Being able to make up an idea for a new craft or make

something out of the old stuff laying around your house is helpful when making things.

But having the right spark of creativity and inspiration is a factor that should be considered as well. “I come up with ideas based upon materials. I see what I have, what nature is producing this particular season and

what I find either free, on clearance or given to me from brands/ sponsors. Then I think about the needs of our household -- what is lacking, what doesn’t function well, what we need and what holidays are coming up. I try to stay off pinterest because the ideas there can actually hinder creativity by making a

kind of creative overload that shuts down your own creative thoughts and ideas.” said Renea.

By keeping this in mind it can become easier to know what craft to start next and how to get creative, inspiration, and imagination going.

Story by Winter Lomme

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O

Needle Felting Penguins

nce quilting, crocheting, knitting, painting, collaging and other crafting mediums have all been broken in, there are still more methods of crafting to try. Needle felting is a fun method of creating figurines, embellishing pencil cases, and adding extra details to previously made crafts. It only requires a small investment, patience, and a few band-aids to patch up any wounds from accidentally being stabbed with the needles. It doesn’t cost much to get started–needles start at $6 at Joann’s, and colored roving goes for $3.25 per color at any crafting store. Keep reading for a quick tutorial to get started in the world of needle felting.

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tart off with some Black, White, and Orange roving, as well as a felting mat to protect the workspace. Using a tool with multiple needle will make the process faster, but individual needles are important for detailing.

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ake an oval shape with the white roving. Roll the roving into a cylinder, and tuck in some of the ends to round it out. Then stab it with the needle to get it to stick to itself. This may take some time, and be sure not to get stabbed with the needle–they really hurt. To avoid being stabbed, slow down and use the mat to provide a soft landing space for the needle.

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nce the body is done, make the head. It’s the same process as before, just tuck in the ends a bit more to make a sphere. If that’s all done, attach the two pieces together by stabbing the pieces together with an individual needle.

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T

ake some of the black roving, enough to cover the back and sides of your penguin form, and lay the sheet over the body. Leave the head alone for now. Just stab it into the white roving to create the regular body color of the penguin. Repeat for the head, but try to lead the roving down into a point.

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ow there’s something that’s starting to look like a penguin!

All that’s left is details, like wings. Take the black, and fold the sheet over on itself, then stab. This is far more efficient with multiple needles at once, so use the appropriate tool. Once the basic wing shape is made, make another and felt them to the sides of the penguin, leaving it semi-attached to let it stand out from the rest of the body.

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lmost done! All that’s left is the face.

Take the orange, and form it into a triangle for the beak, Felt it to the center of the face, and then use a very small amount of black to make the eyes. Roll the black into circles, and stab them onto the face, possibly reshaping them if need be.

By Zoe Wills SOURCES: http://www.marthastewart.com http://www.lilblueboo.com http://puffylittlethings.blogspot.com

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Lockers & How to Decorate Them

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Photo by Zoe Wills

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To Roxy,

however, that’s okay.

Why doesn’t Roxy use her locker more, though?

To her, it’s just not helpful. “I spent all of middle school carrying everything around in my backpack, it’s what I’m used to doing. I’m not comfortable with leaving things in my locker Roxy’s locker from outside between class periods The inside of her locker or using it for anything have your locker reflect other than storing Would Roxy use her that. textbooks so I just—I locker more if it had really don’t ever use it” been decorated, though?

Some people who This isn’t uncommon “I wouldn’t decorate it are new to lockers may with LASA students. because it’s not part of not take the extra time Many students coming my day. Going to my needed to decorate their from middle schools locker is not something locker and use it often. which didn’t use lockers that I do.” Maybe if Take Roxy Bonafont, a Roxy had decorated it I spent all of freshman at LASA. She is first, she would use it an avid Whovian, plays now. “Well I think it’s middle school Cello in Orchestra and the other way around. carrying everything I think if I visited my participates in Model UN. What she doesn’t locker more I would around in my do, though, is decorate have that, but because backpack, it’s what her locker. “The only I don’t really use my thing I really use my locker, it’s not anywhere I’m used to doing. locker for is storing a that I hang out it’s not couple of the textbooks still don’t feel the need anywhere I store any of that I might need in to use them now that school things or any of class at some point.” they’re in high school, my regular possessions While she may hold her even though they may so I—I just. It’s not a textbooks in her locker, hold their textbooks place for me to store that’s the extent of its there if they aren’t used any of my personal use. often. belongings either.”

Photo by Zoe Wills

hen freshmen come into orientation during the summer and get their locker number, some people can’t help but plan how they’ll decorate their locker.

Coming from different middle schools around the district, everyone has a slightly different level of familiarity with lockers. Some people may have never used a locker before, with lockers not really being an option at their middle school. Others may have had experience with them since they were in sixth grade. Whichever category any particular student falls into, there are ways to make their locker work for them.

Everyone knows that lockers hold textbooks, and for some people, that’s the extent of their purpose. For others, though, their locker becomes not only a storage space, but an expression of their personality. If a given student happens to really love One Direction, for example, it’s entirely possible t

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Not for school, but helpful

Photo by Zoe Wills Have to check the hair!

Dresden’s locker contents

“I made a magazine bowl for my locker.

It’s more like a basket, where you weave it together and make a basket” Does the future hold any change? For Timco, probably not.

“Well, I think it’s decorated, so I guess,” she said. “There’s no Taylor Swift poster,

Photo by Zoe Wills

who have to go through that process. Not all students have to go through this process, though. Some just know what they’re going to do straight away, or are hit with inspiration quickly afterwards.

Photo by Zoe Wills

ther people at LASA do decorate their lockers. Take Dresden Timco, another Freshman at LASA. “I have a shelf in there, and a mirror, and snacks.

I went to Target and I saw what they had, and they had a shelf so I thought that’s be good, and they had a mirror so I got that. ” She decided to decorate her locker as soon as she got news that she could use one. “I keeps snacks in there so I go there pretty much everyday...

[But] I don’t really keep any books in there.”

Dresden’s locker— simply decorated with a shelf, mirror, and snacks, shows how she thinks: it’s simple and uncluttered.

Students who do decide to decorate their lockers, of course, are then maybe faced with the question — how am I going to decorate it and make it unique? There are many different approaches to decorating a locker that is unique to any given student, and there are a selection of students

though, but that will be later.”

While Timco and Bonafont may not want to change their locker setup, you might. If you do, there are many quick and easy homemade and store bought ways to do just that. Another bonus: They’re either really cheap, or free!

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I

f you are the type of person to want to stitch things up, here are a few ways to do it.

the normal level of just choosing your color.

If you want to make your own chandelier, you need a base, made with a sturdy plastic or metal, with a hook so you can hang it in your locker. If you have paint chips lying around your house, or you just happen to be near a paint store in the future, pick some up and hole punch them. If you have thin wire, you can string them together and to the base, then you have your own chandelier with far more customization and far less expense. If you want to add a light, just add a cheap LED candle

which you can buy from any home decor store for $6.

All of these options have their advantages and disadvantages, but then again, that’s the point.

Take these ideas, change them to your liking, and then have your locker show who you are, if you visit everyday or not.

If you do decide not to decorate, it’s of course, up to you. But lockers aren’t only a place to hold your books, remember that.

Sources: Roxy Bonafont, Dresden Timco, www. michaels.com & www. brit.co Story by Zoe Wills

Photo courtesy of all-things-christmas.com

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Store Bought vs.

Homemade For everything you can buy in a store, there’s a homemade alternative.

Sometimes, the added touch of homemade items makes it worth the occasional extra cost.

Here are things you will often see in lockers, and ways to easily replicate them for less.

Chandeliers: Normally you can buy a chandelier at Target, Walmart, or any other general store for up to $24.50. If you make your own, however, you can increase the level of personalization above

Photo courtesy of realisimple.com

Burst into Color: If you are getting sick of the boring gray of your locker, why not concentrate some color into your locker. Dry Erase markers come in a variety of colors, and the background of the board can be colorful too. If you have magnets, there’s always the option of getting colored versions.

Photo courtesy of michaels.com

Holiday Cheer: If it’s the holiday season—be it Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, or the lovely summer vacation, you can brighten your day when you open your locker.

Say it’s Christmas approaching. You can add mini stockings and tinsel to the top of your locker, and if you have plenty of extra space left over, you could even decorate and add your own mini Christmas tree. If it’s Halloween, why not add some small pumpkins and ghosts?

Here’s some more DIYs for you Here you’ll find four more awesome DIYs. We tested these ourselves in our top-secret craft lab, just to make sure they’re worthy of our readers.

Watermark Tee What you’ll need: • fabric dye • old t-shirt • blue gel glue (not white) • soak your shirt in cool water • slip shirt onto a water resistant board • write/ draw what you want to in glue, will take several hours to dry • create your dye bath using cool water • lay it out to dry

Sporty Headband What you’ll need: • old t-shirt • scissors • cut three thin strips from the shirt • cut each one once so they’re long strands instead of loops • braid them together • measure around your head and mark the length on the headband • cut accordingly and tie off

Bath Salt Jar (Recycled!)

What you’ll need: • an old, clear plastic jar • any strong, clear glue • beads and glitter in coordinating colors • add glue to the bottom third of the sides of the jar, keeping the glue off of the bottom • sprinkle beads and glitter on the jar and the lid • let it dry, then put in whatever bath extras you want

Button Magnets (For Your Locker) What you’ll need: • buttons • hot glue gun • magnets • put a dot of hot glue on the magnet • press on the button (or whatever decoration you want) • done! an awesome locker decoration!

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What DIY is right for you?

by Aidan Evans-Strong With so many DIYs in this magazine, there’s one for everybody. Take this personalized quiz for a quick a shortcut to that perfect how-to.

Do you have lots of free time?

n

Maybe a little artistic talent?

y

Looking for a clothing DIY?

n

n

Looking for a quick fix?

n

A home decor upgrade?

n

Leather’s more n your n style? n

Want a longer project?

y

y

y

y

Fashion Something for n isn’t your n thing? school? y

MASON JAR DIYS pg. 28

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Have you ever DIYed before?

n

Do you like a y little glitter?

y

y

LOCKER GLAM pg. 12

y y

n n

y

Are you making this for yourself? n

Is it going to be a gift?

Are you into sewing?

y

y

STUDDED SWEATER pg. 21

Sources: Visual.ly, Blog.Iavara.com, HuffingtonPost.com

SPORTY HEAD BAND pg. 15

10 DIY GIFTS pg. 22

Glass Petal Glass Blowing Lessons & Studios for Rent 4794 Bassett Lane 78756 Austin, Texas

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n astronaut, a pro athlete, the president. These are, traditionally, what come to mind during that “what do you want to be when you grow up?” discussion. Maybe, as you get older, it becomes a little more realistic: a teacher, or a doctor.

But never crafter.

Crafts are for little kids in kindergarten or the artsy girl at school. It’s never in the mix for your professional future. But what if it was? What if money could be made from doing something you love, something you’d do anyway? More and more people are taking a chance and opening new businesses, either through websites or real brick-and-mortar stores. The market for it is growing, especially in Austin. People want to create, and crafting, however juvenile the

DIY a Business word and its connotations might seem, is the perfect outlet for that.

And not just the conventional craft stores that come to mind. The white walls and elevator music of Michaels and Hobby Lobby are fading into the background, and more interactive (and awesome) stores are coming into the spotlight. CRAFT, an Austin store, offers a new experience in DIYing.

“At CRAFT you can come and use our stuff, and what you’re buying is the access and the experience,” Elisabeth Winkleman, one of the store’s creators, said. “You can come to CRAFT and use the space and use all the supplies that you need.”

The store has everything imaginable — clay, paint, felt, cardboard, fabric, glitter, wood,

stamps, markers, crayons, card paper, lace, wire, screen printing materials, and more. You can make pretty much any craft you can think of. And the best part — well, there are lots of best parts, but the best in my opinion — is that they clean up for you.

“I kind of think of us as the anti-store,” said Winkleman. It’s not a place where you go to buy materials. You can go with nothing in mind, or with a specific craft you want to do. They give you a table and let you choose as much as you want of any material in the entire store. And then you make. Whatever you want, whatever you can think of. They have materials you probably don’t have at home and wouldn’t buy in the store otherwise. And, Winkleman said, that’s pretty much where the

Photo courtesy of CRAFT

Photo courtesy of CRAFT

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idea came from.

“Instead of having to go out and buy all of those supplies for that one specific project, you can come to a place and use the space and use all the supplies that you need and not have to go out and spend all the money on something that you only need one sheet from, or one color,” she said. “You don’t have to plan ahead, you don’t have to commit, you can change your mind and go back for more, or something different.”

It came from lots of hard work, of course, but by real people — not a corporation. Winkleman even works with the customers on the floor.

“I think teamwork is really important in starting a business,” she said. “Teamwork and communication, in any project you go into. And

Photo by Aidan Evans-Strong

especially with a crafting business — or any business — know your subject matter.”

So the business is started. That’s the hardest part, but what happens next? What’s it like to work in a business you created on a

daily basis? It’s different in every situation, to be sure, and different dayto-day in some cases.

“For me, it’s hard to have a typical day because I do all this business stuff,” said Winkleman.

“One day I’ll work on bookkeeping, and one

day I’ll do marketing and helping customers, and the next day I might make crafts for us to put up as samples….But for everyone else — or for the other people who work there — it’s probably a lot of crafting your own projects and help-

ing other people craft.”

Winkleman had a new perspective, and she wanted to share it. Now anyone and everyone can have a new experience in crafting. She worked hard, and it paid off.

It might seem unrealistic right now to think

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that you could start your own business, but it’s really not. Thanks to the Internet, almost anyone can make a website and start selling something, with minimal work necessary. All you need is a domain name and a little passion.

Paige Deshong also knows what it takes to start a business. She got inspired the way everybody gets inspired — through another person’s art.

“A friend of mine had a gallery in Houston, and I was working for her,” Deshong said. “She was selling some art by a guy [who] used a lot of glass and tin, but to make sculptures, bigger sculptures. And I kind of thought, oh, that would be cool as a pendant or earring, that sort of thing….And then I started selling at that gallery.” It’s a simple but beautiful process that happens every day. And if you’re open enough to it, you can ride it all the way into your very own business, like Deshong did.

“Now I sell [my jewelry] through my website, and then I sell to a couple stores in Houston...I have one little store here that sells it, but mostly I sell it on my own,” she said. And that’s impressive. Starting a business is one thing, but maintaining

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its success is another.

You have to have drive.

But one thing Deshong says you won’t have trouble with is finding an audience of people to support you and buy from you.

“Go with your own designs,” she said. “If you like doing it, you can

Deshong’s business isn’t just like any other.

She sets an extra hurdle for herself by keeping it green. She uses found materials and does her best to minimize her business’s impact on the environment.

“I’ve always gone on long walks and picked up

“I like that spontaneity and the synchronicity of using just what you happen to come by.” definitely find a market, find a way to make it work.”

And you might not have to look as far as you think.

“Your friends, people you know, are a really big resource,” Deshong said. “A lot of the people I sell to are people I know, and that’s kind of an easy way to get started.”

little things, like bottle caps and bits of windshield and bits of bottles,” she said. “Whatever I find, I just pick up things that I like...a little bit of a reflector or a tail light and use that in my jewelry. Anything I come across, really. I like that spontaneity and the synchronicity of using just what you happen to come by.”

Starting a business is a challenge, but it isn’t impossible. And crafting businesses are fairly different, since it’s about other people’s creativity, not just your own. But with all the technicalities and difficulties of actually starting up, it’s easy to get caught up in mainstream, nameless marketing. That’s something Deshong has artfully avoided.

“It’s hard to sell retail….There’s a lot of competition price-wise,” she said. “ If you want to sell it to stores you have to be a really good marketer of yourself, and that’s never been my thing….To be successful retail-wise you need to really market and create a brand and an image and all that, and I refuse to do that.” Her business is hers, and it always will be.

No matter what you like to do, there’s a place for you in the crafting world. “We just want to be a place where you can be creative in almost any way with almost anything,” Winkleman said. And that’s the goal everybody should reach for when they go into any crafting business.

It’s the beauty of crafting — there’s no minimum or maximum to what has to be done, and the possibilities are endless.

Story by Aidan EvansStrong

And a few more DIYs We just can’t stop! I guess we love sharing our favorite money-and-time-saving DIYs with the world too much. We won’t apologize for it.

Tin Can Pencil Holder What you’ll need: • Old tin can • Ribbon (or any other decor you want) • Hot glue gun • Cut your ribbon to the circumference of the can • Then hot glue the ribbon to the base of the can • Repeat with another strip of ribbon • Once you reach the top, you can leave it be, or add tassel to the top for extra glam.

Classic Headband What you’ll need: • Old t-shirt • Needle & thread (or glue gun...)

• Felt • Cut out a strip of the t-shirt and sew the two ends together.

• Cut out another piece that can wrap around the width of the headband, and sew it on • Cut a thin piece of the felt, and roll it and glue the end of it.

• Repeat and then glue onto the same color felt, and cut around the edges • Glue on where the band is thinnest

Studded Sweater What you’ll need: • Old sweater • Studs (with feet) • Pliers • Put a piece of cardboard in between the front and back of the sweater • Poke the feet of the studs through one side of the sweater • Use pliers to bend them back, securing the stud in place • Be careful washing the sweater!

Duct Tape Phone Charger What you’ll need: • Duct tape (any colors you like) • Scissors • Phone charger cord • Keep in mind a pattern you want • Start cutting and arranging the duct tape in that pattern • Have fun!

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10 DIY Gifts

Maybe Christmas is coming up, or it’s a friend’s birthday or your parents’ anniversary. We’ve all had those moments: you’re broke and you don’t want to disappoint. And here’s the solution.

Mason Jar Cutout

1

What you’ll need: mason jar, sticker, spray paint. exacto knife/scissors

Framed Jewelry

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What you’ll need: plastic toy animal, scrap wood, spray paint (high-gloss looks best), picture frame, cut-to-size plywood, super glue, eye hooks, paint

• Trace whatever image you want onto the sticker and cut it out • Stick it on the mason jar • Spray paint all over • Wait till dry and peel the sticker off • Fill with flowers, candy, etc.

• Screw in the eye hooks where you want them on the plywood • Attach the wood to the frame with super glue • Paint it and hang it!

Animal Book End

3

What you’ll need: plastic toy animal, scrap wood, spray paint (high-gloss looks best), glue

Painted Tea Towels

4

What you’ll need: piece of plain white fabric (cotton works best), pen, paper, fabric marker, iron

#Instagram Coasters

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5

What you’ll need: 4-inch round cork pieces, glue, cardstock paper, Instagram printouts, foam/felt dots

• Glue the animal onto the scrap wood • Spray paint

• Cut the fabric to desired size and hem edges • Draw/print out the shape that you want and cut it out from the paper • Trace the shape onto the cloth and color in • Iron the fabric to save the color

• Trace the cork onto the printed picture and cut it to size • Spread glue all over the top of the cork • Stick the picture on • Stick four mounting dots on the bottom

Mini Terrarium

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What you’ll need: mason jar, pebbles, cardstock, activated charcoal, small ziplock bag

Peppermint Scrub

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What you’ll need: sugar, almond or coconut oil, peppermint essential oil, red food coloring, container

Studded Phone Case

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What you’ll need: phone case, iron on studs (make sure they don’t have “feet”), super glue, pencil, ruler

Paper-Mâché Bowls

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What you’ll need: foam brushes, newspaper, balloons, Mod Podge glue, gold spray paint

• Put about an inch of pebbles into the bottom of the jar • Write the instructions down on the cardstock and put in the jar • Pour a few tablespoons of activated charcoal into the bag and put in the jar • Seal and tie off with twine • Mix two cups sugar with onequarter to one-third of a cup of oil • Add a few drops of peppermint oil • Divide mixture into two equal parts • Color one half red • Alternate layers of color

• Roughly sketch where you want your studs to go • You can draw a grid with the ruler if you want • Glue on the studs

• Blow up the balloons • Cut newspaper into strips and paint/stick onto the bottom of the balloon • Let it dry • Remove from the balloon and paint

Painted Mousepad

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What you’ll need: plain black mouse pad, fabric paint, paintbrush

• Plan your design (we like a simple tribal print) • Paint!

By Aidan Evans-Strong

Sources: buzzfeed.com, pleasenotepaper.com, pinterest.com, witandwhistle.com, natalme.com

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Kendra Scott J

ewelry is something that can let you express yourself in a small way, but an efficient way. The jewelry that people make can be a great hobby or job for someone to do.

The passion is a real thing that I have seen firsthand. Some people start doing things like this because they have a love for designing things, some want the fame, but every once in a while you find someone who really loves their customers, and wants to do great things for their customers. A perfect example of that is Kendra Scott, of Kendra Scott jewelry.

Kendra Scott has been designing things for around 13 years now.

Kendra’s jewelry is now sold in many different stores, all over the country. Even though she is widely known for her high quality jewelry, she didn’t always make jewelry. She started out making hats for women who had cancer, and were going through chemotherapy. She wanted people who had no hair to still be able to have the confidence to be happy out in the world. She made hats

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Kendra’s old jewelry next to her new jewelry

for a while until she decided to focus more on making jewelry. It was a huge decision to stop making hats, which was a successful business, and start making jewelry. Kendra had no idea whether if this would turn into a success or fail. She was willing to take a chance though because she knew she wanted to have a successful jewelry company. In 2002 she set out with $500 and decided to start designing her own jewelry, by herself.

At the beginning she wasn’t making a lot of

jewelry, and it was a long process, but slowly the word got out and she was getting more customers. Her first customers were her friends, and family who would always be excited for gaining her amazing talent. Now, in 2013, she has a multi-million dollar company that is a huge success, and has customers all over the nation. Since she now has the money to afford other designers, she has a creative design team to help her. They help her with coming up with amazing designs that turn into jewelry.

She now has the ability to have more free time but still make the final decision. When I talked to her she said that she wanted people to have the opportunity to have high quality jewelry for an affordable price.

Many other stores that have a high quality like her charge more. She always wanted to make everything affordable enough for everyone to buy. Her customers are so thankful for her prices, many people who wouldn’t be able to afford her jewelry can now.

Kendra has always had a

One of Kendra Scotts Stores is popular and uses it to passion for fashion. She inspire her. “You have said she always knew to put your own finger she wanted to be in the print on it” she says. She industry, she’s known it since she was a young encourages other people girl. When she was little to make things of their own. She enjoys being a Kendra would go and designer, and wouldn’t visit her aunt in New York. Her aunt was the one who showed her all about it and from that moment on she knew that’s what she wanted to do. She has been inspired by her aunt every day.

Kendra Scott has a great sense of style that really shows through her jewelry. She told me that she looks at what

change her job for the world.

All though Kendra is very successful where she is right now, she wants to expand her company even more.

Kendra Scott has ten

“You have to put your own fingerprint on it.”

stores, and four more coming soon. She exclusively told me that her plan was to expand to more than just jewelry. Hopefully Kendra Scott will be offering all types of accessories, like bags, headbands, and that could even lead to clothing. Kendra Scott is ready for the future; let’s hope we are ready for her.

Story by Catherine Dickey

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All your craft needs for less

Discount Craft Supplies 2214 Baker Lane Austin, Texas dicraftsupplies@gmail.com 1.512.555.4242

Just a couple more DIYs ...And last but not least, one more page chock full of crafty goodness. Don’t miss the last installment of our collection of DIYs.

Hunger Games Hairpins What you’ll need: • hair clip or bobby pin • glitter (bronze or gold) • cardstock • scissors • hot glue the hair clip, then sprinkle the glitter • cut a triangle out of the cardstock • hot glue the other side of the triangle, then attach • cut 4 strips out of the cardstock, glitter and glue them, and then attach them at an angle

Melted Crayon Art What you’ll need: • hair dryer • 64 box of crayons • hot glue gun • blank canvas • take off the crayon wrapper • glue the crayons to the canvas in rainbow order • use your hairdryer to melt the crayons • let it dry, and enjoy

Galaxy Shoes What you’ll need: • old black shoes • variety of purple, blue and white paint • sponge • old toothbrush • start blending the purples and blues together, there’s no right or wrong way!

• splatter paint on the white with a toothbrush • optional: paint one lace black

Coffee Mug Sweater Sleeve What you’ll need: • old sweater • needle & thread or sewing machine • decor (like buttons and lace) • cut the end of the sleeve off the sweater • turn it inside out • sew on any decorations, like the lace and button in this picture

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3 DIY Mason Jars When you think of mason jars, you might think of canning fruit. Well, now you should think of pencil jars, cute cups, flower pots, and much more. On this page you’ll find three ways to make a mason jar new and unique! You will never have to have a boring mason jar again.

Paintbrush Holder

F

irst, pick out the size of mason jar you want for your craft jar. Next you should choose an acrylic paint; pastel colors tend to look more desirable.

Then you will paint the top of the jar with a sponge brush, but you need to make sure you paint it the way that the cap will turn so the paint won’t rub off.

Next you will pain the remainder of the mason jar. You may need to paint the jar with more than one coat, if it is a light color. The last step is to paint over it with sealer to make sure the paint will stay. Once that it done, you have a new and fun craft jar that you can put on your desk!

Flower Pot

Y

ou’ll need a large mason jar, some broken seashells or broken colored glass, Decou-Page and twine. This one is very simple and doesn’t take long.

You need to put a layer of the Decou-Page on the mason jar, however far up you want it to go. Then place the shells or glass on top of it. Let it dry. It will take around twenty minutes. After your mason jar is dry you can wrap the twine around the top to add a modern accent. Now you can place the jar as a centerpiece in your house or in your yard.

Distressed Jar

T

he last DIY here is a continuation of the first. Once you have a painted mason jar in front of you, it’s time to rough it up a little. If you want a more rustic and outdoorsy look, then this step is the perfect choice for you. Take a nailfile (it’s better to get in small spaces and easier to control than a piece of sandpaper; also, it’s gentler on the paint) and rub off paint on any elevated spaces, like the logo and rim, so it’s darker or see-through. Enjoy your new vintage mason jar!

By Catherine Dickey Sources: www.lollyjane.com www.apumpkinandaprincess.com www.thecountrychiccottage.net

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Environmentally Friendly Crafting Materials

L

iving in Austin, the city notices its environment more than others. DIYs in this city should reflect that too. Keep reading for new ways to create crafting materials with materials found easily at home that will help out the environment and customize new crafting projects.

D

ye custom felting roving. Using food coloring, vinegar and the stove, take regular white roving and turn it into a custom color. Add a quart of water to a quarter cup of vinegar, and let it sit for two hours. Then mix food coloring with warm water, and pour it over the wool. Add the vinegar from before and the dye into a pan and bring it to a boil before adding the wool. Let it heat for half an hour, then remove it from heat and let it cool before draining the dye in a colander with cool water. Place it on a towel and let it dry overnight, then it’s ready to use!

M

ake crochet or knitting needles.

Using some old, mismatched chopsticks lying around the kitchen, or even some spare wooden dowels in the garage, carve knitting and crochet needles by tapering out the ends into a point with a sharp knife. If there’s a crochet hook to use as reference, even better. Make sure to take your time, because the knife is dangerous.

With time and patience, and possibly a lot of chopsticks or dowels, old chopsticks will have a new lease on life as crafting materials.

W

hat are the advantages of making environmentally friendly materials? They’re a way to make customized materials that help the environment by reusing materials and using household items which are generally less harmful. There’s also the advantage of saving money, as the materials used can be found in the average home.

By Zoe Wills Sources: http://handmadefelttoys.com http://fabricfolliestwo.com http://serendipity.gpvm.com http://feltingsupplies.livingfelt.com

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hi te a te r Woo l co.

Na tura l, e nv iron me n ta lly frie n dly wool from ha p py, we ll tre a te d she e p.

906 R oc k L e dg e Pa th, K e n n e b u n kport, M a in e , 04104

1 . 80 0 . 5 5 5. 786 5 whi te wa te r wool@me . com

Indoor vs. Outdoor Crafts O

utside there is rain, sun and snow. Depending on where you live, different crafts will be better for outside than others. Indoor activities can be done at anytime, especially when there is time to spare. The weather doesn’t have to be good. It could be terribly hot or snowing but since you are inside it doesn’t have to affect the project at hand. When trying to figure out which one would be the best choice take into account where the location is, and what the climate and weather is like.

Indoor Outdoor • They can be worked on at anytime • There are more things to make that belong inside • It will not be damaged from the weather • You can have the exact temperature needed • More access to electric devices and things that are inside • Ventilation may cause problems • There may not be enough space • If it gets messy it might be hard to clean

• Have as much space as you need • Air circulates, fumes would not cultivate • More major projects and renovatiuons • Power tools and such are easier to use outside • Weather can be bad and prolong the time needed to craft • Nature may be able to damage your DIY • Some indoor appliances aren’t easy to access from outside • Constant light may drain the color from the project

By Winter Lomme Sources: www.getrichslowly.org www.billshrink.com www.diynetwork.com www.craftsreport.com www.articlesbase.com

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Gl it t er + Glu e