Crafting and Traveling for the Holidays

Many of us will be traveling for the holidays in some ways. Whether we are making a long vacation out of the holidays, or just visiting relatives for a holiday dinner. Of course, many of us crafters want to make use of that time to work on our latest project.

That means carrying along craft supplies. And it means keeping them organized during travels as well. As a long term crafter, I have my solution to this.

Travel Craft Supply Organizers

Personally, I make use of travel craft supply organizers. I use tote bags that have plenty of extra pockets to keep all the tools and extra supplies that I might need.

In fact, I have several craft supply tote bags. Each one I chose just for it's perfect organization for different crafts.

I have one that is smaller, chosen just for it's ability to hold and organize my cross-stitch and needlepoint projects. Typically, when I travel, I don't take my biggest craft project with me. I take a smaller one. One that can be easily handled in the confines of a car or plane.

Also, I have a larger tote bag chosen just for my yarn craft project. Again, I don't tend to take a full sized afghan that I'm knitting or crocheting. Instead, I take along a smaller project. Maybe a baby blanket or wrap scarf that I'm working on. Crafting on the go is an important part of my own world.

Different Features for Different Projects

One of the things that I look for in choosing my craft supply tote bags is the features that it has to match my particular project or craft. For a cross-stitch or needlepoint project, the pockets that I want are small. I have little needles, small scissors and beads to carry along. I don't want them getting lost in a big pocket.

With craft projects like knitting, I want to have a very large center space for the yarn and the project in process. But, I also want a few extra pockets to hold things like stitch counters, scissors and extra needles or hooks.

Keeping Everything Together for Craft Supplies

Now is the time to think about what craft projects you want to work on while traveling during the holidays. Plan for what you want to take with you and gather all the supplies you will need into one tote bag.

In other words, have your craft supply tote bag ready to go. As you pack the car for your trip, all you need to do is grab your craft project and go.

Organizing Holiday Crafts

Are you a holiday crafter? Do you love taking advantage of those after-holiday sales for great deals on project kits, holiday fabric, all the little extras that make a craft special? I know I do.

Now is the time I'm pulling out all those craft supplies that I got from last year's sales. Now is when I'm looking at what I want to make this year and what I may still need to get. It has been easy for me, because I am the world's best organizer when it comes to my craft supplies.

After each of the holidays last year, I ran to the stores for those after-holiday sales. Halloween craft kits, Thanksgiving fabrics and plenty of Christmas goodies to add to my supplies. Then I really did put them all in their proper places ready for me to pull out this year and get started.

If you haven't gotten your holiday craft supplies organized, it's time to do that. Do it before you start working on a craft. Do it before you find that you might be missing a supply or two. Didn't you get that last year at a sale? But you can't find it, so you run out and pay full retail price because you need it complete this project.

That's what organizing your fall and holiday crafts is all about. Having everything you need ready to go when you are ready to go. Plus saving you lots of money, not just on craft supplies, but on gas to get to the store! Save your time for your crafting, not for searching for a particular supply, then running to the store to get it.

In other words, get your craft supply organizers, get your stuff organized and do it before you start in on those holiday crafts. You will be much more productive!

Do You Have Your Honey Can Do Cart?

I will admit it, I am in love with my Honey Can Do craft organizer cart. In fact, I have 3 of them. Have you tried and enjoyed your own, yet?

Never have I found a cart for my craft supplies that is so convenient and easy to use. This is a nice size, with plenty of different sized drawers to hold lots of supplies for my different crafting project. There is plenty of good features for this particular cart, but I think my favorite feature is the top.

I do have a work table that I do most of my crafting on. It's big enough for just about everything, but there always seems to be times when I could use another surface handy to my work space. That's what a Honey Can Do cart has. The top of the cart is a flat, strong surface that I can use for that extra work space.

And talk about handy, this is it. I can roll the cart around to where ever I need that extra space. The rolling feature of the Honey Can Do cart is valuable for me. My carts stay in a closet when not in use, then I can just roll the one I want out to my work space and I have all my supplies ready to go for my project. That is convenience.

If you don't have a Honey Can Do cart, you need to get one and try it out for yourself. Nothing is as handy and useful to me in my crafting work.

Have You Discovered Smash Booking?

I found a fun new and exciting craft. Smash Booking. For some of you this probably isn't new, based on the number of YouTube Videos about Smash Books. For me, it's a new and exciting paper craft that I had never known about.

Smash Books are the creation of K & Company which makes papers and supplies for the scrapbook industry. They found the need for a smaller version of a scrapbook. But these books are even more than that.

The books are designed to be about 10 inches tall by 7 inches wide. Quite a nicer size than the traditional 12 inches square scrapbooks. They are spiral bound. The pages of Smash Books are designed so that they can be written directly on. That means your Smash Book can become a journal, or you can just add your own notes to the fun momentos you gather.

My first Smash Book is designed to be an book of inspiration for me. It's also a great outlet for my creative juices. Quilting is one of my favorite crafts. With my Smash Book, I can design "paper quilts." Now how fun is that?

I'm having a great time working through the pages, adding in beautiful, charming or whimsical papers, then embellishing to my heart's content and creating my own inspirational masterpiece.

Whether you enjoy scrapbooking and want to try something just a bit different, or you want to get into papercrafts, but not in such a huge way, Smash Books may be your best bet. I am certainly enjoying the creative work on mine!

March is National Craft Month

With March coming up on us sooner than we like, it's time to start thinking about what you will do during National Craft Month. I have two suggestions for you. First, learn a new craft. Maybe one you have always wanted to try but just never found the time or one that a friend knows how to do and may share with you her or his experience.

The second suggestion is to get your craft supplies organized. We all know how many little pieces, extra supplies and equipment that goes with most crafting activities. When you have them organized you not only save time but money, too.

I've talked about this often. When I finally got my craft supplies organized, I no longer wasted time searching for something that I was sure I had, but couldn't remember where I put it. Nor did I end up wasting time and money rushing to the local craft store to get that one thing I needed to finish off that particular craft project. My crafting time is more efficient and my crafting budget is under control. What could be better than that?

So get planning for March and celebrate National Crafting Month by learning a new craft and getting your craft supplies organized. You really will thank yourself for taking that time.

Start the New Year With New Craft Organization

With the arrival of the new year, it's time to think about getting your life more organized. As a crafter, all those supplies you have around really do need to be organized. That makes your life easier, allows more time for you to work on your crafts and actually turns out to be less expensive for you.

Think about the last time you went searching for something you needed for a craft you were working on. You took time away from your project to search, then gave up looking and rushed off to the local craft store to buy that something again.

If you are organized, you know what supplies you have and what you need, you know where to find them immediately and you know that the next time you are shopping in your local craft store, you can pick up what you do need, BEFORE you start your project.

Getting your craft supplies organized is not difficult. It just takes some planning on your part. Find out some of those steps at Organize Craft Supplies. Then get yourself the craft supply organizers that you need and get going. You'll thank yourself later, I promise!

Take Advantage of After Halloween Sales

With Halloween just around the corner, many stores are already, or will be soon, putting their Halloween craft kits, supplies and fabrics on sale. Now it the time to take advantage of those sales for great deals.

Understandably, you might not be making any more Halloween crafts this year, but if you plan ahead for next year, you can get some great savings this year.

As a quilter, I love to have holiday fabrics to work with. Buying lots of the fabrics that are put on sale after the Halloween rush saves me lots of money. Not only the fabrics, but the other types of craft supplies that I can use in Halloween decorations for my home.

Think about things like the stuffed toys that are bats, spiders and black cats. How many craft ideas could incorporate those items?

When you have all those craft supplies, you need to keep them organized. Halloween crafts may sit in your closet or craft room for many months. You want to be ready with them all organized and easily able to determine what additional things you will need to get next year.

So enjoy a little sale shopping this Halloween and save money on your craft supplies that you can use next year. You may even thank me!

Organize Winter Craft Supplies and Projects

If you are anything like I am, last year you purchased a bunch of holiday craft supplies and project kits right after the holidays when they went on sale. Now it's time to get them out and start working on them for the upcoming holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, do you remember where you put everything? Can you find all the right items and kits at your finger tips?

That's why it's important to get an system of organizing all those craft supplies. So you can find them easily and make use of the discounted pricing you got last year.

One of my favorite things to use is the Honey Can Do cart. It's made up of a number of drawers, larger ones on the bottom and ranging up to the small at the top. I keep my fabrics, yarns and larger items in the bottom drawers.

Then the top drawers hold a small pieces organizer for things like the beads, needles and threads that match my holiday craft projects. Finally, all those kits for making little Christmas tree ornaments, Thanksgiving placeholders and mini-Halloween decorations take up the middle drawers.

Getting you holiday and winter craft supplies and projects organized is not hard to do. It just takes some thought about how you make use of your crafting time. And remember, you'll have more goodies coming in after these holidays. So it's best to get everything organized and ready to go.

Small Pieces Craft Supply Organizers

When you work with a crafting project that uses small pieces, you need a way to keep them organized. It doesn't matter whether you are a jewelry maker and have the tiny little pieces that go with that type of craft, or you have a collection of googly eyes for crocheting fun animals. All of these little pieces need to be kept sorted and organized.

Small-piece organizers come in a variety of types and sizes. You need to consider what variations of craft supplies you want to keep sorted. Some may have different color combinations, sizes or physical variations. How sorted to you want to keep them? For instance, you may want to have all your googly eyes in just one bin no matter what size they are. Or you may prefer to keep the small ones in a separate bin from the larger ones.

Also, you need to consider how you like to work. Do like to keep everything you need open and ready to grab when you need it? Or do you prefer to keep everything closed up and open only the one you need immediately.

These kinds of things will help you determine which kinds of small-piece craft supply organizers you need and will enjoy using. And the whole purpose of organizing your craft supplies is to allow you to enjoy your projects more.

At-Home Craft Supply Organizers

When you have space in your house for doing your crafting projects, you want to keep those supplies organized, but you may not have places to store smaller organizers. The answer is larger ones, that can sit on table or desk tops, or those that can be rolled into closets or off to a corner of a room.

At-home organizers are usually large enough to hold supplies for multiple craft projects. You would, of course, keep things like yarn separated from beads, but lots of at-home organizers provide you with plenty of small space and plenty of larger space. Some of my favorite ones are those with drawers.

For some of my even smaller pieces that I want to keep sorted out, I just add that to one of the drawers. Then I still have the supplies I need for working on a particular craft project.

I happen to have a room that it is devoted to my crafting, so I've added furniture pieces that I can store extra supplies in. For others of you, the kitchen table often functions as your working space. In that case, a rolling cart is perfect for you. Organize all your supplies and tools in the cart. Then roll it out when you are going to be working on your project and just roll it back away when you are finished.

At-home craft supply organizers can help you get and stay organized no matter what kind of craft you enjoy.

Christmas Crafts Planning

I know, I hear you. It's only July, why would I be talking about planning for Christmas already? But, remember this is all about crafts and crafters know you do start early to plan for Christmas or any holiday. Craft projects take some time. Organize Craft Supplies has found a perfect site for you. It's Sylvestermouse's Christmas Craft Kits. She has wonderful craft kits to help you make just about anything you can think of for the holidays.

Personally, I am a fan of kits when making holiday projects. Everything you need is included and you rarely have left over scraps to deal with. The projects are so well designed and the instructions are usually geared to a novice so I can try my hand at many new or different crafts.

At Christmas Craft Kits, the choices are incredible! She shares all the fun of making different or unique items. But you better hurry over. Many kits are one of a kind, and they won't last long as we get closer to Christmas!

This year, I'm making these adorable Gingerbread placemats for all the grandkids. Won't they just love using those at Grandma's special Christmas dinner, then getting to take them home as a little holiday favor? I'm definitely looking forward to that!

Threading the Needle Day is July 25th

OK, who would have thought they could have such a wacky holiday as Threading the Needle Day? But, it's true. July 25th has been designated by somebody. Can you imagine that? Well, I'm planning to celebrate this illustrious holiday by getting all of my craft needles and tools organized.

How many times I have finished a project and not quite gotten every thing put where it belongs, I don't think I can count. So every once in a while, I need to go back and put stuff away. For Threading the Needle Day, I'm putting my crochet hooks all back in their special organizer. I'm sorting and putting away all my knitting needles, including those circular ones that don't seem to fit in a regular needle organizer. And I'm organizing all my sewing needles and embroidery needles.

I recently bought a small pieces organizer just for my little needles. I have so many of them! Not only do I buy special sizes and types for the projects that I work on, but they also come in every kit I get. Ergo, I have tons!

What a great project this will be to celebrate Threading the Needle Day! Hope you come up some fun way to celebrate, too.

Crafting Paper Dolls Grows Up

Do you remember playing with paper dolls when you were a kid? I sure do. Paper dolls were so much fun as a child, but they have grown up. They have grown into a fun and creative craft for adults. Making paper dolls has become an art all in itself. Paper dolls from the past, historical figures, even 3-D paper dolls are becoming very popular.

At Organize Craft Supplies, the new fun of crafting paper dolls is discussed, along with offering up some free patterns to make clothes for a Victorian girl and boy. It's definitely worth the fun of trying out this charming craft.

Books about creating paper dolls as a grown up craft can help you get started. Here are a couple of my own choices. Just click on one to see more about it, purchase it, or browse more.

 

So when you are looking for a new craft to try, think about paper doll making.You can end up with a fun and creative talent from it.

Special Ways to Organize Craft Supplies

Organizing your craft supplies doesn't have to be hard. It just needs to be, well, organized. A coordinated way to get your supplies under control and in appropriate places is how you go about it. At Organize Craft Supplies, you gain lots of information about what process to use. How to Organize Craft Supplies gives you the kind of tips and process that you need to get yourself started.

Delaying this process will only cause you more cost. Cost in terms of your time as you search for something that you need, but don't remember where you put it last. And cost in terms of money. How often have you run to your local craft supply store to buy something you need, only to find out later that you already had it in your stash?

That was my problem. When I finally got all my craft supplies organized and under control, I was shocked at how many duplicates I had bought. It was totally unnecessary for me to have spent that much money on supplies that I already had.

So save yourself some trouble, time and money, by getting your supplies organized. With all of your craft activities, knowing exactly where to go to get what you need is a great way to keep motivated and keep crafting.

We're Crocheting in May

With summer on it's way, we are taking the month of May to learn crocheting. It's not hard to learn and it makes great Crafting-on-the-Go projects so easy. The only supplies you need are a crochet hook and some yarn and you are ready to go.

Think about summer time where you may be traveling for family vacations, waiting for kids to finsh summer sports practices, or just sitting on your patio enjoying some sun and fresh air. All of this time gives you the opportunity to craft some cute projects.

At Organize Craft Supplies, we have two great friends who are helping us all learn crocheting. Syvestermouse, at How to Crochet, helps us learn the very basics, what it takes and how to learn the stitches, along with lots about the terminology.

Then Happy Nutrionist gives us lots of basics about crocheting and tons of free patterns to practice with. She shares lots of cute and easy patterns.

We are going to be crafting on the go this summer and enjoying many new projects with our newly learned crochet skills. So grab your yarn and your crochet hook and get started learning. Then come on over and try your hand at making an adorable baby octopus, or two.

Crafter's Business Cards

If you enjoy making crafts, even if you don't sell them, it's fun to have business cards just for your own use. A business card can be added to a gift that you have hand crafted. If you do sell your crafts, then you definitely want to have business cards for your crafting business.

We consider them part of our supplies. Every crafter deserves to be able to leave a lasting impression and memory of the gifts we make and those we sell and give away. A crafter's business cards does that.

My daughter ordered a great gift for me from an Etsy shop and had it shipped to me. With the gift came the woman's business card. I was thrilled and ran right to her shop. Actually, I bought a few other things from her. So the business card paid off for this Etsy shop owner.

The easiest way to get business cards is through Zazzle. We have a nice selection of those that we like and think you might like, too, at Organize Craft Supplies. These are easy to customize, just for your own business or craft hobby. We ordered ours and were thrilled with the quality when they arrived. I've since added two more designs to go with different crafts that I make. It turns out to be a fun way to show off my ability.

Crafter's business cards make great gifts for the crafters in your family and friend circle. So pick out a few just to have on hand!

DIY Craft Baskets for Mother's Day Gifts

Alright, I will admit I have ulterior motives for writing this post. I'm a Mother who would love to get a DIY Craft Basket this Mother's Day from one or all of my kids. These will make great gifts for any crafty mother. I will also admit that the idea is not mine. I wish I could take the credit - it's such a great idea, but no. It comes from My Favorite Things. Well, it's a favorite thing for me, too.

Click on the picture!

Author Mandee Sears tells you how to put together some interesting gift baskets for mothers. She talks about a basket for scrapbooking moms. Well I'll take that a bit further. Try starting with her idea - use a craft supply totebag - then add the kinds of things your own mother would like in her favorite crafting projects.

Think about a knitting or crocheting mom. Yarns are the first thing you think about, but try adding some unique or fancy yarns that your mom might not typically get. Add in some sweet little extras. A crochet hook organizer, stitch markers, even needle tips will work well in your DIY craft basket. Maybe a book of new patterns will be just perfect for your mom.

Click on the picture!

If your mom is into jewelry making, a new bead organizer, loaded with plenty of unusual beads, makes a great gift for her. Of course, this idea works great for just about any craft project. Art brushes, pencils or paints all lined up in a new craft supply organizer.

So get your thinking caps on and give your crafty mother a charming and welcome gift this Mother's Day. DIY craft baskets are ideal!

Crafting On The Go

With summer just around the corner, and warm weather already hitting my neck of the woods, I'm thinking about the lazy days of summer. Vacations, traveling, even just enjoying some time outside. With all of this, I want to have some easy crafts to carry with me. I want the supplies to easy to carry along as well.

At Crafting on the Go, we have spelled out how to pick and handle the crafts and supplies that we take with us. It's easy to find the fun and simple craft projects to take along, but maybe not so easy to make sure we have everything we need with us. One of the things that really enjoy working on are cross stitch designs.

The kits for cross stitch always include everything but the scissors. So I add my own tiny pair of scissors. I like to carry all of this together in a small tote bag. That way all I have to do is grab my little tote bag and toss it into my handbag or travel case. Simple isn't it?

Take a look at Organize Craft Supplies for lots other suggestions, as well as fun little tote bags to carry your crafts and the supplies needed along with you.

National Craft Month is March

March is the month to celebrate crafting. National Craft Month is a favorite time for us. We enjoy all sorts of fun ideas to celebrate this special month. Here are some of our favorite ways to celebrate

Get those craft supplies organized. When you have your supplies sorted and put away where you can find them when you need them, you can spend more time on your crafts. Not on the search for a particular supply. This is one of my favorite organizers. It is so useful for so many crafts. Once you have your supplies organized in this, you can roll it into a closet when not in use and bring it out whenever you want to work on your project. Just click on the image to see more about or purchase it.

Treat yourself to a new tote for crafting on the go. We love to craft every where we can. I personally, have many little totes that I can grab quickly on the way out the door. Making Christmas ornaments is a favorite way to craft on the go. I make use of little kits so all the supplies are included. I just tuck the kit and a small pair of scissors into one of my totes and I'm ready to go.

Here is one of my favorite totes. It has room for whatever supplies I want to carry with me and keeps them organized for my craft project. Click on the image to get one for yourself.

Enjoy yourself for National Craft Month and celebrate all month long. Commit to work on your favorite craft or learn a new one. There are lots of fun ways to share your love of crafting at Organize Craft Supplies. Come on over and join us for crafting talk and crafting fun.

Time to Get Our Craft Supplies Organized

Now is the time to get those craft supplies organized. Don't just hate wasting time searching for just the thing you need to continue working on your project? I sure do. That promoted me to get my craft room organized and ready to go. Now all my craft supplies are exactly where I need them. I know what I have and what I need thanks to the great folks at Organize Craft Supplies.

When you visit that fun site, be sure to check out some of the great stuff:

• learn a new craft
• pick out a favorite craft supply organizer
• see what's going with new craft trends
• find a holiday wall decoration to make

You can even see how to create and organize a craft room, along with many great options for the furniture to fill that room. Find the best storage options for the kind of crafts you enjoy.

And don't forget to leave a comment to say you stopped by Organize Craft Supplies. We sure are enjoying our time there. Hopefully, you will, too!