American ’s Handmade Store

Anyone that has ever been to the beach has spent a little time checking out all the different sea shells and treasures that have washed ashore. Most of us have even picked up a few “pretty ones” with the thought of doing something creative with them later. Of course, just like so many other things in our life, we put them away only to forget about our “treasures” until spring cleaning some year. Again we think of all the possibilities we could use the sea shells for, only to repeat the previous cycle. Fortunately, all it takes to break the cycle is a little excitement and motivation.

The potential of sea shells is limited only by your imagination. One common problem of working with shells is how fragile and brittle they can be. The easiest way to alleviate this problem is to attach the shells to a hard surface such as wood. Great examples of this method are frames, jewelry boxes, and mirrors. All it takes is glue that bonds well with wood and organic material, some unfinished wood products, your shells, and some creativity. To finish your design off, a non-yellowing clear gloss will keep the shells shiny and provide some protection and durability. Most of the products you need for these projects can be purchased at your local craft store.

Another use for your beautiful sea shells is handmade jewelry. I know beading has become a very popular hobby and business venture; sea shells can be used in the same way. You may have to take a jewelry making class or spend some time practicing techniques and designs, but the end results can be amazing and very satisfying. Again, what type of jewelry you make and how you use the sea shells is nearly limitless. So it’s time to find that old shoe box of sea shells and start making you own works of art.

Tags: beading, craft ideas, handmade jewelry, sea shell jewelry, sea shellsbeading, craft ideas, handmade jewelry, sea shell jewelry, sea shells

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Baby shower invitations are one of the most important pieces of planning for a baby shower. Why you might ask? Well, the baby shower invitation is the first impression that your guests will have of the event. It is therefore the first chance you have to set the tone and theme for your wonderful baby shower. By carefully planning ahead and making a handmade baby shower invitation you can really wow your guests before they ever get to your doorstep. By using simple materials your probably already have or purchasing a few extra things you can easily make a handmade baby shower invitation.

The theme is the most important guiding principle in making your baby shower invitation. You will want to carefully consider ways to pull the theme into the invitation. Be it through the graphics, colors, or wording of the invitation you want to be sure to use your theme.

This can be a very easy process and by following some of the ideas below to spark your imagination you should be off and making your own unique and handmade baby shower invitation in no time.

Handmade Paper - It is not very difficult to make your own paper at home or even buy handmade paper at your local craft store. This combined with a few of the other techniques discussed below can really make for a handmade baby shower invitation that has quality written all over it. Honestly there is nothing quite like the touch and feel of handmade pieces of paper. When your recipients of these invitations open and read the invitations they will be delighted with the sensation of handmade paper. These types of papers will work well with stamps, calligraphy and other handmade baby shower invitation techniques.

Stamps - More and more people are getting into stamping and scrap booking. The supplies and techniques that are available in these fields is growing exponentially. It is really a lot of fun and can be a wonderful way to enjoy your hobby while make a handmade baby shower invitation. So simply go to your local craft store and pick up some fun stamps, pens, and even embossing powder and get started making your invitation. Try to find stamps that fit with your theme. A very fun theme can be baby building blocks and there are also many stamps that you can use to make an invitation with baby building blocks or Alphabet blocks.

Stickers - Stickers can be another fun way to make a handmade baby shower invitation. You can easily buy stickers from your local craft store that will fit well into your theme. Pick carefully and use high quality products. You might also want to think about how you can integrate handmade papers, stamps and stickers to make a really unique handmade invitation.

Wax Seals - Wax seals with an initial can be a lot of fun to add a quality finishing touch to your handmade invitation. You simply close and seal the envelope closed and then melt a little bit of wax on to the outside of the envelope. Then press a seal with your initials or family crest into the hot wax. This is a very nice finishing touch to a handmade baby shower invitation.

Computer - There has been a huge proliferation of computers in recent years and almost every household now has a computer. Many of the computers come with wonderful printing and page layout software. For example some popular titles are Printmaster, Microsoft Publisher, Print Artists and many others. If you do not have one of these programs they can easily be purchased for under $15.00 dollars and they are very easy to install and get up and running. The great advantage of doing a baby shower invitations this way is you can make each one unique and custom. You can add in the recipient’s names and even change the colors of each invitation to make them all individual and unique. Also with the templates that are often included with these types of programs it should be easy to find a template that will fit your purpose and theme. You can easily find a template that fits in with your theme and then make a few changes to customize it like changing colors or inserting different graphics.

These are only a few of the ideas that can be done in creating a handmade baby shower invitation. It might help to have your friends or close family member’s pitch in and help with making them or even gathering materials and ideas for the invitation. Just make sure you plan well ahead of time and leave yourself enough time to be creative and not under a lot of stress.

Chris Ryerson is the webmaster of Baby Shower Guides. A great resource for: handmade baby shower invitations

Tags: baby, custom, handmade baby shower invitations, ideas, invitation, shower, tips, unique, wholesalebaby, custom, handmade baby shower invitations, ideas, invitation, shower, tips, unique, wholesale

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