DIY project

Of course, last night I ended up not working on the MT class like I was supposed to. I got interested in a DIY show and was fascinated by a project. I thought it all out in my head. I keep a journal book by my bed and I write craft ideas in it. When something on a show sparks my creativity or whenever I remember a project I have been wanting to try, when I see a commercial for something I think I can make, etc. I jot it down. So, I have a page now to this project I saw. It would be a great gift for a baby shower or for a new mom. I love scrapbooking and this basically was a store bought photo album which I am so normally against. But you customize it and get all the pages ready and all the new mom does is slip in the corresponding pictures. It sounds like a great idea because I have a hard time keeping up with scrapbooking and I don't have any kids yet. I can't imagine how hard it would be with a newborn.

This sparked my thoughts about a diaper bag I have been wanting to try and make. It was so darn cute I thought I could change the fabrics and use it as a tote bag. It had lots of pockets inside. I also reviewed those instructions. I think it seems pretty simple. The hardest part is going to be guesstimating the pattern for it.

This brought thoughts of another project actually already in the works. I apologize I can't remember which show I saw this on to give credit to, but I saw a really cute purse made out of an old sweater. The sweater had to be 100% wool. You wash it in the washing machine with hot water and liquid dish detergent. Then you dry it. This really shrinks the sweater up and "felts it". I have done this by mistake a time or two myself. So, one day last week I found myself going to a thrift store on my lunch hour. They have a bargain basement where they have three bags for a dollar. I grabbed every 100% wool sweater I could find! I have run them through the washer and dryer and they are all set for purse making. The gist of the program was using this felted wool for the purse and even for sewing on other colors for embellishments. I probably won't make the same shape purse they did, but I am anxious to try this. I love recycling and I love creating, so this a great project for me. I am not a salesman by any stretch of the imagination but am hoping if I make it cute enough and carry it to work, I might get one or two people asking me to make them one.

Would there be any interest in me posting instructions about how I make it as I go along? I can't take credit for the idea, but I would basically be making up the instructions as I go along.

You know, that would be really fun, to be able to teach craft classes. I can get so passionate about crafting. I keep trying to find a good salesman to convince them to sell my products. Once, I had this whole model thought up in my head. I went to a part that was crafty type items. They were not hand made, but a lot of them had that look to them. The girls went wild over them! At the end of the show, you filled out your order form and she handed you your products. That was so great! That was the first party I was ever at where you didn't have to wait weeks for your products. It got me to thinking if someone felt comfortable in front of people like that, they could do a home show of my products and I could have a few of each made up and people could buy and take that night with them. The "salesperson" could have a percentage from sales for their time and effort. I never really approached anyone about doing it. I never found anyone I thought would be interested in it. My one friend that really could use money like me, but is so not crafty, also is definitely not a salesperson and is much like me and doesn't like to be around people they don't know. That isn't true, I don't like to be the center of attention or have to speak around a lot of people I don't know. It isn't that I mind being around people I don't know. I also have told myself about the last ten years that I am going to sell at a craft show but I never seem to make it happen. Once at work, a girl suggested we go in together and sell crafts at a show and I said great, when, where, etc but she never did decide what craft it was she would make and sell and the idea never got off the ground.

What was successful for me in the past was ebay. I understand they have changed the rules and definitely the fee structure a bit. When I stopped, I was getting pretty sick and truly just had to but the demand was waning for my product anyway. I came up with this really unique product and started selling on ebay. Before long, people were asking me tons of questions about how I made, what I did this with, etc. Dummy me answered most of the questions before I caught on. Imitation is the truest form of flattery. Before long, ebay was flooded with lots of imitation or copycat products of mine. Eventually, they even began selling recipes or instructions for how to do this on your own. I even had several ladies from craft shows and craft stores that would buy from me in large bulk amounts regularly for use in their items. Needless to say, I keep trying to come up with that special product again. It was relatively inexpensive to make, I already had most of the supplies on hand I needed, and they were a big hit.

At this point in time, I have most of the supplies on hand to make just about anything.

At times, I get tired of making the same thing and need to find various things I can tweak or change about it to make it interesting for me. This is why the idea of a craft home party is so intriguing to me. I can change it up as to what I make. You would almost need to for repeat sales. Of course, if something was a big seller, I should continue to make it. Can't you see it, you could even do book or online parties with the use of a webpage or a sales pamphlet with pictures. Okay, enough daydreaming, it is again, way past my bedtime!