How to Make Felted Wool Soap Instructographic

Felted Wool Soap Instructographic Tutorial

When I sold at craft shows, felted wool soap bars were one of my most popular items. I sold out of them almost every show. Some people thought it was such a neat idea for an all-natural exfoliate and cleanser in one, some people bought them for holiday gifts and some people were intrigued by them just as an oddity. Whatever the reason, they were always widely popular at my booth. 

These are also very fun to make for all ages. Big or little hands will enjoy the process and results. Use any bar soap and wool roving you like for this project - even scraps work well. Have a good time making a batch for holiday gifts!

Click here for step-by-step instructions with photos.

(And, for those that come across this and may not know, felted wool soaps are bar soaps covered in a layer of felted wool. As you use the soap, the wool felts more and more leaving you with a small piece of tightly felted wool when the soap is gone.)

How To Make a Felted Hat - A Tutorial for Combined Needle and Wet Felting Techniques

Felted Hat Tutorial: Combining Needle and Wet Felting

There are many, many ways to create a felted wool hat. This method is one that I've used dozens of times over with excellent results. If you are experimenting with the wonderful craft of feltmaking, from one feltmaker to another, I personally suggest you try several methods for making 3D objects like hats to find what you prefer and enjoy most.

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There is no "right way" only the best way for you that gets the quality results you want. Now let's get our hands deep into the wool and make a hat!

MATERIALS:

4-6 ounces wool roving
Dense foam hat form (see tip below)
Multiple needle felting tool
Medium gauge felting needles
Large plastic bag to fit over hat form
Hot water and dish soap
Towels
Mannequin head or head-sized ball

SHALANA'S FELTING TIPS:

Looking for a foam hat form for felting? You can either make your own or purchase one online. I made my own set of two different size hat forms several years ago using round bolster pillows and sheet foam. Both have held up extremely well over the years and been used many times. If you are interested, check out this forum post on Craftster and scroll to the second entry for instructions to make your own felting hat forms. You can also buy one on fiber supply sites like Mielke's Fiber Arts.

 INSTRUCTIONS:

Before you start needle felting on your form directly, cover it with a plastic bag. This makes it easier to remove your felted hat and protects the form from wear.

Starting on top, lay crisscrossing horizontal and vertical layers of wool. Then use your felting tool to needle felt the layers together and lightly embed them into the form keeping them in place. Continue adding wool layers on top and around the sides. I recommend at least four layers of wool all over (more for a thicker hat). As in the photo below, you'll probably have a woolly mess at first, but continue to add layers and needle felt all over the hat form surface until you compact the fibers into a smooth texture. Mold the wool with your felting tool. (Please note the wool color varies on this photo because I was actually making a different hat than the example shown in the rest of the tutorial.)

Once the wool layers are compact and nicely needle felted as seen in the photo below, you'll need to remove the hat from the foam hat form. This is where the plastic bag covering comes in handy. The felted wool will be at least lightly embedded in the foam so you'll need to use the plastic bag between the two to gently pry it off the form. Start at the bottom and work your way up the form removing it from the top last. Then gently remove the plastic bag from the interior of the needle felted wool hat. The plastic may break up or tear, but do your best to get all of it off the felted wool without distorting the shape of your newly made hat. 

 

Now that the basic needle felted hat shape is formed, you will wet felt it to complete forming your hat. Using hot water, carefully wet your entire needle felted hat shape. I recommend gently pouring water over it in your sink until it is thoroughly wet. Then add a couple squirts of dish washing liquid to it and begin working the form with your hands to finish felting the fibers. Gently rub the interior and exterior hat sides between your hands and watch it shrink further as it felts. It is up to you how much you want to felt it shrinking and shaping it as you go. Continue to add hot water and soap as needed.

When you are satisfied with the final wet felting results, rinse the hat in lukewarm water to remove any soap residue. Then wrap the felted hat in a towel or a few towels and press as much water out of it as possible. Do not twist the hat, but simply press it to remove water to avoid misshaping it. Once the hat has most of the water removed and is only damp, mold it into shape and place it over a mannequin head or ball to dry. That way it will keep its shape as it dries. 

Check out more examples of my felted hats at my Flickr photo gallery and get inspired!

How spending just $5 can make Photos of your Handmade Arts and Crafts items look Professional

Quite a while ago, I built a home made light box to use with the help of my dad and husband.  Thus far, it has served me well and allowed for some great amateur photos of my handmade products.  Recently, I wanted to create more professional looking, polished photos of my hand felted fashion accessories for submission to an upcoming publication.  After doing a little research online, I came across a super cheap way to achieve that lovely black to white gradient background that is often seen in the photographs of art pieces and fine crafts.  If you buy a professionally produced graduated photography background it can cost upwards of $50 or more depending on the size, but I've found a way to achieve the same effect for just $5.

As a small arts and crafts home business owner, my budget is tight (actually slim to none most days!) so I always seek out inexpensive alternatives when possible.  While researching this topic online, I came across a forum discussion that suggested creating a printable file in a program like Photoshop with a simple black to white gradient and having it printed at a local print shop.  In the discussion, this link is provided to an already prepared file, size 24 x 36 inches.  I saved that file to my flash drive (right click and "save image as"), took it to my local Kinkos, and had it printed in black and white on their large format printer for less than five bucks!  And, it works!  I've been using it in my home made light and as a background for my dress form with wonderful results.  Granted, it probably will not last a long time because the paper is a standard printer weight, but it is easy to cheaply replace when it rips or creases.

I just thought that I'd pass along the information to those who might want to give it a try.  You do need a decent light box setup or good light source to work with.  In the images on this post, you can see a couple of examples of my new "professional" photography style.  If you'd like to see more of the photos that I've taken with my new (cheap) background, check out my flickr photo stream for a variety of my handmade felted wares.

Handmade Felted Soap Tutorial

How to make a bar of handmade felted woolly soap! 

(Please read all instructions thoroughly before beginning.   For a larger view of photos, click on each to open it full-size in a new window.)

Materials:

Approximately 1/2 ounce wool roving

1 rectangular bar of soap (3 oz.)
A small bowl
Access to warm water (a sink)
A hand towel or small cloth
A flat work surface

1 knee high stocking (optional)

Dish washing liquid (optional)

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Basic Instructions:

1. On a flat surface, lay out a thin horizontal layer of white wool, 8 - 10 inches long and 3 - 4 inches wide. (Figure A)
2. Put the soap bar lengthwise at one end of the wool and roll it up to loosely encase it in the wool. (Figure B)

3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 for the width of the soap bar. (Figure C)
4.  Now the soap bar should have one horizontal layer (interior) and one vertical layer (exterior) of wool. It should be fully encased.  (Figure D)

5. To add stripes, lay out two small pieces of colored wool horizontally. Put the soap bar lengthwise at one end of the wool and roll it up loosely. (Figures E & F) You can also add vertical stripes or abstract embellishments.
(Optional Tip: Especially for beginners and children, I recommend inserting the wrapped soap bar into a knee high stocking and loosely tieing the top.  This allows the fibers to stay in place better as you felt the soap.)

6. Hold the wrapped soap bar firmly. Sprinkle warm water over it until it is thoroughly damp.  Gently set aside. (Figure G)
7. Prepare a bowl of very warm water to finish felting the soap. 
(Optional Tip:  Add a drop of dish soap to the water to speed up the process.)

8. Continue to occasionally dip the soap in the bowl of water as you firmly hold the fibers into place. Press the fibers against the soap bar for 5 - 7 minutes. Do NOT rub the wool at this stage!  It will displace the fibers. (Figure H)
9. Once the fibers begin to mat together, you may gently pat and rub the wool for an additional 5 - 7 minutes.  (Figure I) (If following the first optional tip, you can take the bar out of the stocking at this stage.) The soap bar should be completely felted after a total of 10 - 15 minutes of continuous wetted agitation.  The exterior felted wool layer should be smooth and taut next to the soap bar when it is finished. (Figure J)

10. Thoroughly rinse the soap bar.  Pat with a cloth to remove excess water.  Lay flat to dry.  (Figure K) Allow to dry 24 - 48 hours.  Store in a dry place after each use.




Some More Examples...

You can find soap felting kits available in my Etsy shop and my ArtFire shop. It is a fun, easy beginning felting project for most ages.  It also makes a great natural all-in-one soap and scrubby to use or give as a gift.



Copyright © 2010 Shalana Frisby.  All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission.

How to Use Rubber Stamps to Make Easy & Creative Hang Tags for Your Handmade Gifts and Products

I've been meaning to post a tutorial on how to use my rubber stamps for a while.  This is the first post of a few that I have planned for a series of how to's highlighting my rubber stamps.  It is quite easy to use rubber stamps and make your own DIY style hang tags or gift tags for your handmade goodies.  Below you'll find a simple list of materials and instructions to get you started.  (And, by the way, you don't have to use my rubber stamps - any old rubber stamp will do of course!)

Must Have Materials:

Cardstock Paper
Scissors
Stamp(s)
Stamp Ink Pad(s)
Hole Punch

Optional (but helpful) Materials:

Paper Punches
Decorative Edging Scissors
Acrylic Stamp Block (if your stamps are unmounted)
Colored Pencils or Markers
Double-sided Tape
Decorative Ribbon, Thread, or String

 

Basic Instructions:

1.  Using your scissors and/or paper punches, create several sizes and shapes of small paper pieces.  Using your hole punch, create a place in each piece for a ribbon or string to go through for hanging.  

Handy Dandy Tip:  Do not limit yourself to simple circles or squares.  You can cut any shape that you'd like as long as it is fairly easy to do and is large enough for your stamp size.  Also, not all of your tags have to be the same shape.  Don't be afraid to experiment to find out what looks best for your purpose.

2.  If necessary, temporarily adhere your unmounted rubber stamp to the acrylic block.  (I use a little double-sided tape for this.)  Apply a liberal amount of ink to your rubber stamp using your ink stamping pad.  (You may want to test the ink color and consistency before applying it to your final tag paper.)  When the stamp is inked well, decorate your paper tags one at a time - re-ink your stamp between each stamping.  If your ink pad brand is not fast drying, allow the ink to dry for a while before moving to step three.

Handy Dandy Tip:  Not all images have to be symmetrical on your paper tag area, nor do they have to cover the entire tag.  Have fun with your stamping!  Experiment with placing the image off-center or letting it bleed of the edge of the paper.

3.  Once the ink is dried, you can embellish your tags further.  Add ribbon, thread, or string.  Use colored pencils or markers to color the stamp images and customize each tag.

Handy Dandy Tip:  You can use your stamping pad to create a colored edge around your tag by easily going along the edge of the paper.  It creates a nice outline effect.

 

(FYI - Click on any of the images above to get a close-up view.)

These are just a few of the hang tags that I came up with in one hour during a leisurely weekday afternoon.  If you are making hang tags for a show or special event, I recommend sketching out some ideas of what you'd like first to get organized and be consistent in your tag style.  I also recommend making up several (50 - 100) at once to save you time later on.  And, remember that it is okay to have some "Oops!" tags - just save them for later.  You never know when you might need a little tag for something here and there.

All of the stamp designs shown above can be found in my Etsy Stamp & Paper Shop as well as my ArtFire Shop.  I have close to 70 stamp designs available with many of them being specifically designed for creating tags and labels.  I also carry wooden block mounting kits and a limited line of hang tags and note cards if you aren't the do-it-yourself type.

C'mon help a gal out! Please take a few seconds to vote on my poll questions . . .

Today I come to you to ask a teeny weeny little favor . . . really it will only take a few seconds and will be quite painless . . . I promise!   But here's the back story before I ask my favor . . .

After much discussion and planning, my husband and I are seriously considering opening our own feltmaking and fiber art studio/shop.  It is still very, very tentative and up for debate because there is quite a lot to consider from the creative to the business itself.  Personally, I really want a place to teach classes on needle, wet, and nuno felting.  (I get quite a lot of requests for instruction on my techniques.)  We'd also like to sell my own creations along with some fiber art kits and supplies.  This is something that we've been discussing for a long time.  It is just recently that we've felt it is the right time to proceed and see what our options are locally.  Honestly, I'm not sure if anything at all will come of it, but I am enjoying the research that we are doing to explore the possibilities.

Now on to the favor . . . (since you have the inside scoop on why I am asking)

Pretty please take a few seconds to vote on your choices in the poll located at the top left side bar on my blog.  It is just a few basic questions that I've been wondering about when deciding how to expand my funky felter business online and with the prospect of having a public studio/shop too.  I would sincerely appreciate your input!  Thanks a bunch in advance!

Oh, and if you have any personal experience on having your own studio and/or shop, or just want to add your two cents about it all, please leave a comment.

P.S. it has come to my attention that you can't actually choose more than one option when voting, but you are welcome to vote multiple times for your choices.  I thought that I had set the poll up for multiple answers, but apparently not, and now I can not change the settings - bummer!

Artists and Crafters Guide to Preparing for the Holiday Shopping Season: Handmade Sellers Getting Ready for a Rush of Buyers! Its about that time!

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the . . ." Wait a minute! Does it seem a little too early to be singing a Holiday song. Considering that the weather where I live is still frightfully hot, I'd say "YES!" - but if you're the owner of a small arts and crafts business, you know that it is prime time to start preparing for the Holiday selling season. If you haven't already been hurriedly creating new things and getting ready for those Holiday shoppers, then you should be. It is not too late though! Below you'll find a few of my personal tips on how to get ready for a (hopefully) big Holiday rush of shoppers.


Ready, Get Set, GO!

1. Spiffy up Your Etsy Shop and Other Online Venues
Make sure that your overall shop is looking its very best! If you need to, invest in a new banner and avatar for your Etsy shop. Check out my previous article post to find some free banners. And, let your product photos speak for themselves and be at their absolute best because that is going to be your potential buyer's first impression. Also, be sure to have clearly defined shop policies and a nice, friendly profile. It is all those little details that add up to make your shop be as professional and welcoming as possible.

2. Stock Your Shop! And have more inventory on hand . . .
Because you just never know! Not only do you not know how many potential sales you might make, but you also don't know what kind of Holiday busyness will get in the way so that you don't have time to create new things. Stocking your shop and preparing item photos and descriptions early will make it easy to list new items when you're busy with other things this Fall/Winter. Now is the time to stock your online shop as well as stash some inventory away. Personally, I like to have 100+ items listed in my Etsy shop and some waiting in the wings to replace those that sell. It may seem like a lot to some, but the more items that you have, the more chances there are for you to be found in the pile of listings that are added each day on Etsy.

3. Organize Your Shipping and Packaging
This is perhaps what caught me by surprise last year, but this year, I'm going to be prepared! If you print your labels via PayPal and use Priority Mail boxes and envelopes provided by the US Post Office, that can make things a bit easier when it comes to mailing. Also, if you are a large volume seller (or a small one who doesn't like hassle), you might consider paying for a mail service like Endicia or Stamps, but I've heard mixed reviews about both of them so do a little research before you invest in such a service. Personally, I'm an old-fashioned girl when it comes to mailing. I like to print my own return address labels and write or print my shipping labels too. I also trek down to the local post office (yes, in person) and mail off my orders. Since I am so hands on about it all, I try to keep my packing/shipping area organized. I print several return labels at once to have on hand as well as keep my mailing envelopes and boxes in open face plastic bins for easy access. I also have my jewelry boxes, organza bags, and pretty gift wrapping supplies in similar easy access bins. I just finished ordering some mailers from my current favorite place to buy, Upaknship. You can also find good packaging supply deals on Ebay - yep, you heard me right - Ebay! And, don't forget to recycle! I always recycle whatever packing supplies that I can. It is an all-around good thing when you recycle!

4. Advertise, Market, and Publicize! Get the word out people!
Buy some online and print advertising on blogs/sites and in magazines that pertain to your target market. Also indie shopping guides are a great thing to take part in to boost your exposure. You can find good advertising space in all price ranges. Read more about all of this in my Online Advertising post. Also, tell your friends, family, and coworkers about your shop, and tell them to tell others! If you don't already, post in forums regularly as well as keep up with your social networking sites because there will be a lot more people trolling the internet for presents this Fall/Winter. There are many, many ways to promote so take advantage of every avenue that is available to you!

5. Pursue off-line selling too! Craft fairs and local events!
I must admit that I'm so much more comfortable sitting in my pj's and selling online from the luxuries of my own home, but it does pay to get out and do some fairs, festivals, and events. Often times, I have seen sellers make more at one show than they would make in a month or more selling online - especially during Holiday shopping season. It is not too late to seek out local venues in your area. Try checking these sites to see what's going on in your area: Festival Network and Craft Lister. And, even if you aren't planning on selling at a local event, visit a few to buy your own Holiday gifts and support local area artists and crafters.


Finally, I just want to remind you to continue to create and do things as usual - don't get lost in all the hubbub of the Holiday selling season. After all, hopefully you have a shop and sell your creations because you love what you make first, then the sales and money that come along with it.

A little peak at my home based fiber art studio and some organization tips for your own arts and crafts work space

I thought it would be interesting to share this photo today. It is of my wool stash along with some of my other felting supplies. It is just a portion of one of my walls in my home-based fiber art studio. Last December, my parents helped my husband and I renovate our basement into a work area for my felting obsession. (All paid for by my Etsy shop earnings! Yay!) We converted about one-third of our basement area into a comfortable space for all my fiber art and other craft supplies. I also have plenty of room to create and leave ongoing projects out as I work on them. Before I had my basement studio, I used a tiny dining room area on our main level. Needless to say, I feel very blessed to have a much larger space now with room for everything and room to work too.

In the photo, you can see how I've organized most of my wool roving and yarns. I actually use closet organizers that hang from a rod which is fastened to the ceiling. The square bin closet organizers float freely a few feet away from a side wall. This way, there is room behind them to walk, clean, and store other things. Also, I think using the cloth and plastic closet organizers are ideal for storing roving and yarn as well as other lightweight arts and crafts supplies. I can easily see what colors and kinds of wool that I have in stock, and I can clean and rearrange very easily with the open faced cubbies.

You can't really see it very well in the photo, but I have a four foot work table sitting in front of the right two closet organizers. This way, I can sit and work on designs with ready access to all my roving choices. Behind the work table, I have shelving to store beads, jewelry findings, tools, etc., that I need access to easily when creating. With my roving storage, work table, and additional shelving all in one central location, I have access to almost everything that I need when designing and creating. As a feltmaker, you do need a water area as well. For this, I have a wet area set up in a separate section of my basement studio along with a large six foot table to work on. I keep my wet felting area apart from my dry studio area, but it is just on the other side of a wall so it is not very far to go. I also have one other sectioned off area for picture taking and storage. Technically, my studio space has three segments, each with walls separating them. There are still many things that I'd like to do for my work area to be completely to my satisfaction, but I am very thankful to have a nice area of my very own to work and conduct business.

Perhaps you also have a well organized area for your arts and crafts endeavors. Or, maybe your "studio" space is merely the kitchen table or a desk with some storage space. I think the key to utilizing and enjoying your work space is in organization. This doesn't necessarily mean keeping it clean and tidy, but rather setting it up in a systematic way for your purposes. Below are some (hopefully) helpful tips to get you on the right path to organization for your work space.

Organizing Your Studio Space

1. Keep in mind what your purpose is. When designing the layout for your arts and crafts work area, no matter what its size, always remember your purpose. Hopefully, your purpose is to create. With this in mind, think about the placement of your most important supplies and tools. Can you easily access them? Are they where you can see your choices of materials?

2. Make all things important easily accessible. You must admit that there are some supplies, tools, etc., that just aren't as important as others. Perhaps there are supplies that you don't need access to every day, but there are going to be supplies that you do need access to on a daily basis or each time you create. Be sure to make these supplies clearly available to you. It will save you time and effort searching for them later.

3. Be sure to have a clear work space. When my work space was our tiny dining room area, I never seemed to have one open place to work. All the table tops and shelving were full of stuff. I often times ended up taking my project to our living room and taking over in there as well. Now that I have definite clear work table, I see its great value! Don't set up an obstacle for your creativity by not having an open place to comfortably create. Even if your space is terribly limited, make it a priority to have a small area that is always clear and open for you to begin a new project or continue an old one. Designate a work space area for yourself.

4. Store your supplies with care and thoughtfulness. My mother is an extremely organized and clean person. She always taught me to care for my belongings so that they would last a life time. I hope that I've taken this attitude into my crafting as well. Many of you, as I do myself, spend quite a lot on supplies and tools for your arts and crafts. Therefore, it is important to store and care for you supplies properly. Choose the right type of storage for your chosen art or craft. Then regularly check on your supplies to clean, organize, and care for them.

5. Put a personal touch on your studio. Regardless of how well organized your work space is, if it doesn't feel like your little artistic safe haven where you can be free to create, then you will probably not accomplish much. This is why you should put a personal touch on it! In my own studio space, I have things that make it feel comfortable and inspirational. For instance, I keep a rocking chair in it. It is not just any rocking chair, but it is the 30+ year old rocking chair that my mom and dad rocked me in as a baby. I know it is very sentimental, but it is really the only very personal item that I have in my studio space. I like to sit in it and rock when I'm feeling uninspired.

Do you need some visual motivation and ideas for your studio?
Visit these Flickr groups for photos of craft rooms and studio spaces:
Craft Rooms
My Crafting Room (private - must join to see photos)
Art Studio
Artist's Studios

All About Labels for Handmade Items: labeling and the law, a DIY clothing label tutorial, and helpful resource links for label makers and sellers

If you sell handmade clothing or accessory items, labels are a necessity. Not only because it is good branding practice to attach your company information to anything that you sell, but also because it is the law that you include information about the origin, content, and care of your products on an attached label. Even for the little guy or girl with a small indie business, the US Federal Trade Commission requires that you declare certain information in the form of a label on your clothing, fashion accessories, and some other handmade items. Most beginning artists and crafters don't realize this at first, but it is important to know the laws and regulations pertaining to what you are selling - labeling is just one. I am not going to go into details of what is and is not required to be on a label because it can vary. Instead, I'm providing several links for you in my resource information below. Please read for yourself what is required specifically on your own product labels.

After realizing that I needed to label my handmade felted wool items, I researched what was necessary to include on those labels for my personal items. Then I proceeded to research how to make labels and where to buy already made labels. There are many options for labeling your handmade items. You can make labels yourself. You can purchase labels from another handmade artisan such as those found on Etsy. Or, you can buy professional quality woven labels from a manufacturer online or locally. The choice is up to you. I initially had chosen to make my own labels, but eventually I plan to invest in some professional quality woven labels for my felted fashion accessories.

Since many beginning artist and crafters are on a tight budget, the do-it-yourself method for label-making is usually the best route for a crafty person. Below are some basic instructions on how I have made my own sew-in labels. There are many other ways to make your own labels so check my resource information for some helpful links. And, if you have the cash and aren't feeling crafty about label-making, then purchase some from a handmade artisan or from an online company. You'll find suggested sources in my resource information below.


Making Your Own Labels (the funky felter way):

Necessary Materials:
computer, inkjet printer, scissors, a ruler, a table top work space, an iron, a pillow case to lay on the ironing surface, about a yard of thick cotton fabric or cotton canvas material, and machine washable dark t-shirt transfer paper.
*You will also need a graphic image and/or text information to put on your label; you can do this yourself via a computer or buy a design off Etsy (see resources).


Step-by-Step Instructions

1. First you will need to have a layout page of your labels in the form of a computer file for printing. If you are a bit computer design savvy, you can make an image or images to use as your label and a label template to make a page of labels. If not, you can use a simple word processing program to make text only labels with a template. Or, you can buy a label design graphic from a talented Etsy seller to use. (If you are wanting to make the label graphics or text yourself, you can find some helpful templates at Avery.com - their label templates work well for this project.)

2. Once you have your file page of labels ready to print, you will need to have an inkjet printer handy along with your dark t-shirt transfer paper (as seen in the photo). Simply print your page of labels onto the dark t-shirt transfer paper by following the instructions given on the transfer paper's packaging. Since the transfer paper is pricey, you might want to only print one sheet at first and follow-through all the instructions to see how the labels turn out.


3. After you've printed a page of labels on the transfer paper. Follow the instructions on the transfer paper's packaging to iron it on to the thick cotton material or cotton canvas (as seen in the photo). I suggest that you cut your fabric to the size of the transfer page prior to ironing it on to make it easier to handle during the process.

4. Once you've ironed the transfer page onto the fabric according to the transfer paper's packaging instructions, let it sit for a few minutes to cool. Then you can remove the parchment paper backing before cutting out your labels. Once your labels are cut out, you can sew them onto your items.



Another Way to Make Easy Labels:
If you'd prefer an even easier way to make labels...... you can use a customized stamp, fabric ink, and ribbon. Simply ink up your customized stamp and put it on cut sections of ribbon. You can then sew the ribbon in as a label.


RESOURCE INFORMATION

US Label Law Information:
USA Textile Labeling Requirements When Selling Your Handmades on About.com

Tutorials for Label Making:
Craftster.org's Tutorial for Personalized Labels
Make your own labels by Allyson Hill

Etsy Sellers Who Make Labels:
Jennifers Jewels
Custom Courture Label Co
Mommie Made It
Rohm Custom

Etsy Sellers Who Design Label Graphics:
Color Fiesta Graphics
Pixel by Pixel

Commercial Label Makers:
Name Maker
Distinctive Designs 21, Inc.
Northwest Tag and Label
Heirloom Labels
General Label
Clothing Labels 4U
Lucky Label


**Please note that I, the funky felter, am not affiliated with any of the suggested label sellers, nor do I endorse or recommend their services. I am simply providing their links as resources for you to evaluate.

How to get started wholesaling your handmade arts and crafts items: a guide to the basics of wholesale for your indie business

When I first thought about wholesaling my handmade felts, the task of getting organized to do so seemed daunting. As I researched all that was necessary to be prepared for wholesale, there were a lot of varying opinions on how you go about it. I can honestly say that I've been reading article after article and forum post after forum post on the web about how to wholesale for the last six months or more. Every bit of information that I could find I've tried to evaluate how it relates to my small, independent arts and crafts business. Since I do make all of my items by hand, it is a very different situation than a large company that mass produces. The word "wholesale" has to really be defined in terms that are appropriate for the handmade artisan. This is what I've tried to do for myself, after much research and interpretation. I thought that I'd share some important things that I've discovered while setting up my fiber art business for wholesaling.

The easiest way for me to convey what I think are the most important basic things to know about wholesaling is just to list them for you. I also think that this is the easiest way for you to receive the information without feeling overwhelmed. I know that I felt very overwhelmed at times while researching articles on the web. I really just want to tell you the basics of what I learned as well as point you to some helpful online information and resources. The following is my recommendation list of where to start when wholesaling your handmade items. Then you'll find some helpful follow-up links that I've come across during my research.



THE BASICS OF GETTING STARTED IN WHOLESALING:

1. Set your retail prices based on wholesale. I see a lot of artists and crafters who sell online that do not account early on for the possibility of wholesaling later. I was one of those in the very beginning. I only charged a little bit for labor and tacked on a little more for materials cost, and there was my retail price. How wrong I was to think this way! I have since learned that I need to be a more scientific about calculating my wholesale price and resulting retail price. There are many formulas to use to do this so you need to find one that enables you to pay for materials and receive a fair wage at wholesale price which should be 50% off your current retail pricing. (In other words, your retail price should twice your wholesale price.) This brings me to the next point.........

2. True wholesale price is half, or 50%, off your current retail price. I know from many, many forum posts that I've already read on this subject that this statement will make some artists and crafters moan and put you into a state of denial. At first, my reaction was exactly the same because 50% off my original retail prices seemed very steep, and frankly quite ridiculous. I even tried offering 20-40% off my retail prices to interested brick and mortar shops, but the truth is that, in most cases, a shop expects the standard of 50% off when purchasing wholesale. If you look at it from their point of view, they have to be able to mark up your item to cover all their costs as well as make a profit. Also, they do not want you to be underselling them if you sell elsewhere. I admit that there are some shops that will accept a lesser discount, but the true wholesale price standard is at least 50% off your current retail pricing. The good news is that you are making your money buy selling in large quantities so if you've set your retail prices well in the beginning, then you should still make a great profit when wholesaling.

3. Decide your minimums: per item and per order total amount. Through researching this topic, I have found that how you set your minimum numbers is entirely up to you. As an artist or crafter, our items vary so much that the minimum number of items or order total amount for wholesale will be heavily dependent on what your specific items are, whether it be jewelry, potter, fiber art, etc. Of course, you will want to set your item minimums so that you are selling in a large enough quantity to constitute a wholesale price. For instance, on smaller, less costly items, you may require one dozen (12) per item style as a minimum order, but for larger, more costly items, you may only require half that amount as a minimum. Or, perhaps you want to require one set minimum for everything, say 10 or 15 per style. You also may want to set a minimum order total. For instance, maybe it is not worth your while to wholesale unless the minimum order amount is $300 or more. Then you would set your total order minimum to that amount. As you can see, it will all depend on what you choose to set so that you can make a profit from wholesaling and it be worth your time.

4. Put some policies in place to protect you and your buyers. If you have an Etsy shop, you probably already have some policies in place on payment, shipping methods, refunds/returns, etc. You need to do the same when presenting your wholesaling options to a potential buyer. Be clear to the shop owner or representative on how you will handle these important subjects by putting your policies in writing to go with your wholesale options.

5. The Wholesale Linesheet: present your wholesale options in the form of a brochure, catalog, or listing. Before starting to research the topic of wholesaling, I don't think that I'd ever heard the term "linesheet" before. It seemed very intimidating to me to have to come up with a linesheet for my wholesale items, but I have found that it is much easier than it seems. A wholesale linesheet is just a way to convey your wholesale options to interested shops. It can take on many different forms such as a small brochure, full-color catalog, or simple document listing. Whatever form you choose, be sure to include all the necessary information such as item name and number, description, sizing, colors, etc. Often times, prices are listed separately, but since I created my own linesheet, it contains pricing as well. You would also benefit from presenting all the information in a very organized way with item photos. It is also good to include some type of order form with it. Your linesheet can be similar to any mainstream catalog that you've seen or, if you're not that design savvy, a simple, yet organized, document with listings would work. Your linesheet is only a means to present your wholesale options so there are many ways to do this, but it is necessary to have something to present to shops. Also, I recommend that you have it in both digital and print quality form so that you can email or snail mail your linesheet as necessary. (Please see the resources listed below for links to much more information on linesheets.)

6. Make it easy for shops to contact you about wholesale options. Once you are completely organized for wholesaling with minimums and policies set and a linesheet ready, start making your desire to wholesale known wherever you have a presence. My main presence is online so I have made known my willingness to wholesale on all my online venues such as my Etsy shop, my blog, and my fiber arts website. If you have a personal website or blog, I also recommend that you integrate a wholesale request submission form or at least a list of your required information from shops to be emailed to you. This information could include the shop's name, contact name, physical and mailing addresses, phone number, email address, website (if applicable), a little about the shop itself, what their interest is in your items, and their tax i.d. number.

7. Know who you are wholesaling to. Perhaps you are only planning on approaching local area shops to carry your items, but more often than not, you will be approached by shops worldwide, especially if you have an online presence where you actively advertise your wholesale availability. If you do wholesale or consign at local shops, then you will probably meet with the shop owner in-person at some point and browse the shop itself. This is really the best way to get to know who you are selling to and who is representing you, but this is not always possible with a global market. If you do plan to wholesale abroad, I highly recommend that you get to know as much about interested shops as possible. You may not be that picky about who represents your products and how they are presented, and that is entirely up to you. I always like to know a little about shops that inquire for my wholesale options. It is especially nice when they have a website or blog with photos of their store front and a listing of other represented artisans. At the very least, you do need to the basic information that I listed in number six for your records and tax purposes.

8. Start selling! This part can take time (I know from experience!), but be patient and continue to promote. You may even consider approaching local shops in person about carrying your items, but be respectful of shop owners and try to call ahead for an appointment if possible. You may want to email shops or send out postcard announcements letting them know about your wholesale options. There are many, many ways to attract new wholesale accounts. You really just have to see what works for you and continue to run your business as usual.


I hope that the above information is helpful. Although I am certainly no expert on wholesaling my handmade items and have just begun the process, I am happy to share what resources I have found along the way and give you my take on how things work. There are many links below to articles and forums that I found to be interesting and informative when it comes to setting up your arts and crafts business for wholesaling. I hope you can pick and choose to find what helps you the most. Best wishes to any artist or crafter who pursues wholesaling! And feel free to add your personal experiences, insight, and information in the comments.



INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES PERTAINING TO WHOLESALING:

Wholesale Rep Sites for handmade artisans:
GreatRep.com
WholesaleCrafts.com
MyWares.com

Wholesale Linesheet Examples:
Fashion-Incubator's What is a linesheet? - a detailed description of what to include in a linesheet and how to organize one.

Fashion-Incubator's Line sheets revisited - a follow up to their original article above with added information and links.

Jewelry Line Sheets by Rena Klingenberg - although geared toward jewelry artisans, this has good linesheet information for any professional artisan.

Sales Materials: The Dreaded Line Sheet on StartUpKidsLine.com - shares the experience of creating a linesheet and what is involved.


Informational Resources for pricing, pursuing wholesale, and promoting:
Tips for Pricing Your Handmade Crafts - suggestions on how to price your items for both wholesale and retail based on labor, materials cost, etc.

How to Price Your Handmade Goods - an in-depth article on the business of art for the independent artist or crafter which contains a lot of good information presented with many aspects in mind.

Selling Wholesale - an article on wholesaling handmade items by Christie Beach, co-owner of Out of the Barn Primitives, with easy to understand basic information:

Home Jewelry Success Tips by Rena Klingenberg - although geared toward jewelry artists, this site's information can apply to other artisans as well.


Arts and Crafts Sites' Forums and Other Resources:
The Switchboards Forum - great info on wholesale, promotions, press releases, and much, much more!

Craftster.org's Forum section Opportunities for Crafters - some information on possible promotion opportunities involving web, print, and film as well as some listings for shops seeking handmade items.

Etsy's Forum - if you search for "wholesale" on Etsy's forum, you will come across many Etsy sellers' posts regarding their experiences with wholesale which can be very, very helpful.

The EtsyWiki - this Etsy resource has an entire section devoted to wholesale.



**the photo image is a portion of the front cover of my wholesale linesheet brochure. If you'd like to request a full linesheet of my wholesale items, please visit my wholesale request page.

Want to learn to wet felt or needle felt from the professionals? Have you ever tried the Midwest Felting Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin?

Okay, so the truth is that I have never attended this event and only heard about it fairly recently from a fellow Etsy seller and feltmaker. Debora, from lanadeflor, sent me a message about the upcoming felting extravaganza through an Etsy conversation. She highly recommended it for the learning experience as well as the array of traditional felting supplies. Now the only things standing in my way are the usual - time, money, and distance - or should I say the lack of two of those (LOL)! I'm not sure that I'll be able to attend this year, although I do want to pass along the great information to my blog readers. It seems to be a wonderful opportunity for all levels of feltmaker. There will be some very well-known professional felters there teaching their skills and techniques.

You can find all the information that you need to register at the Midwest Felting Symposium website as well as information about the host, Susan's Fiber Shop. If anyone's attended the event before or is planning to, I'd love to know your experience or expectations. Please leave a comment for this post, or you can email me directly via my website. Also, if you have a great felting event that you'd like to see me pass along to my blog readers, please submit it for review.

**the image is a screen shot of the the 2008 Midwest Felting Symposium website

Helpful Tips for Making Wool Felt Beads

It seems that wool beads are becoming more and more popular. Although I do sell a variety of wool beads and handmade supplies in my Etsy shop, you can easily make your own wool beads. This post is not a tutorial on how to make wool beads because, quite frankly, there are many, many places to find step by step instructions for that. Simply type in "wool beads" or "felt beads" on any search engine to find several good sources with complete instructions for making the beads. Rather, this post is filled with a few tips to make your wool beads better and to make the process of felting them a little easier for you. These tips are just little things that I've learned along the way after making literally hundreds (if not thousands) of wool beads.

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First of all, there are a few types of wool beads and ways to make them. I'll be referring to both roll or sushi beads as seen in the first set of photos and also plain round or ball beads as seen in the second set of photos. Roll or sushi beads are made through the wet felting technique with layers of colored wool rolled together while round or ball beads are made through either wet felting or needle felting (dry felting) with wool fibers matted together to form the ball shape. I actually use a combination of both techniques, wet and dry felting, for most of my wool bead making. As you will see in some of my list of tips, I find that using a combination of techniques gives me more control over the outcome and also speeds up the bead making process. As I stated in the previous paragraph, please do an internet search to find complete instructions for wool bead making as well as more information about wet felting and needle felting techniques.

Now on to the tips . . . I've done my very best to give you some helpful tips about wool bead making that I've learned along the way. Please feel free to experiment and add your own personal touch to any of my suggestions. Also, if you have a great suggestion or tip to add, please leave a comment about it. I'm always looking for new ways to make the process of wool bead making go a little faster or easier, or just produce a better quality bead.

Tips for making the process a little easier and faster:

• If you plan to make several round or ball beads in one or many colors, it saves time if you measure your wool ahead of time, or section the wool off into small piles with one pile designated per bead. This also makes it easier to achieve similar size beads in the end.
• For both ball and roll beads, I recommend lightly needle felting each before wet felting them as the final stage. It may seem like it would take longer to do both, but it actually saves you time on the more strenuous part, wet felting. By needle felting the shape first, it also allows for less lumps and a smoother textured bead all over in the end.
• Don't try to felt too many beads at one time manually. I've found that it is better to felt beads in batches while dividing the work into different stages if you use a combination of needle felting and wet felting. This makes is less physically and mentally strenuous and much more fun.
• Lay your wet felted beads out to dry on paper towels in the sunlight or a warm room if possible. Periodically change the paper towels as they become wet with moisture from the beads. I've also heard of felt makers putting their beads in the oven to dry on a very low temperature setting, but I've never tried this myself. I just let them air dry to reduce fuzziness, and they are very pretty laying out to dry on my kitchen table!

Tips on reducing the fuzziness on your wool beads:

• For wet felted beads, try not to handle them as they dry. This can loosen the little wool fibers on the surface and make them stick up even more which increases the fuzziness.
• For needle felted beads, start out using a heavier gauge needle. Then finish it with a fine gauge needle. I find this really helps in reducing the fuzziness. The finer gauge finishing needle will refine the outside and get rid of a lot of lumpiness and fuzziness.
• For wet or dry felted beads, you can use nail trimmers or small scissors to clip off those little fuzzy fibers, but be very careful not to cut into your bead while trimming it.
• For any type of wool bead, you can use a fixative on the outside such as hair spray - yes, hair spray! You can also lightly coat the beads with a solution of two parts water and one part craft glue, or an even more diluted mixture if you prefer. Be sure to use as little glue as necessary in your solution, or you will end up with hard, crunchy beads, and make sure to use a glue that dries clear so you don't get a white film on your beads. Also, be aware that, although a fixative can greatly decrease the fuzziness, it can also sometimes make wool beads feel sticky or hard to the touch. I recommend using any fixative lightly and testing it on one bead first to see if you like the results before you commit to using it on a whole batch of beads.

Tip on the type of wool to use for bead making:

• I have found that some types of wool work better for making beads than others. Ultimately, this is really a personal preference, but here's my opinion for what it is worth. I recommend choosing a wool that will felt quickly and can be handled easily. Ordinarily, I find that shorter haired fleeces work very well for making beads. I have also used merino for making beads because it felts very quickly and is a pleasure to handle. Really, any kind of wool that can be felted can also be made into felt wool beads. As I stated before, it is really just up to the felt maker and their personal preferences. You may want to test several types of wool by making a couple beads per type before you commit yourself to make a hundred beads of one kind of wool.

Well, I hope that my few tips are helpful to some wool bead makers out there. If you have any questions about making wool beads, please contact me via my website or Etsy conversations. There are a few techniques that I keep secret as any good fiber artist should, but if I can help, I will certainly try.