Ancient Crafts of Rajasthan - Hand Painted Wooden Furniture & Marble Painting

By Chip Tolaney

Want to spice up your living room? A single item of ha-painted furniture from Rajasthan, India, could be just the thing you're looking for, adding rich color and interest to your home.

Like other myriad crafts from this Indian desert state, hand-painted wooden furniture has a long tradition. The cities of Kishangarh and Jodhpur, in particular, are famed for their distinctive styles of furniture.

Acacia arabica, mango and rose are the woods favored by artisans. An item of furniture is first made and then finished. Painting is done over the finished piece, which is finally given a coat of varnish. A host of products are available: small, low chairs (with detachable seats) that are surprisingly comfortable, stools, trunks, wine racks, cupboards, doors, paneled screens, cabinets and decorative, carved 'windows'. A wide range of bright colors are used to decorate these products.

Paintings from the Kishangarh School of Art present human figures with highly stylized features - elongated necks, wide, almond-shaped eyes, slender fingers and muted colors. This style - like the pretty, symmetrical floral motifs - bears the stamp of the Mughal influence on the artforms of Rajasthan. Such motifs, which were traditionally painted on silk as miniatures, find their way on to furniture as well. Kishangarh furniture also features embossed and painted designs.

Wooden furniture from Jodhpur has a quaint, antique charm, with typically ethnic color combinations. A cabinet, for instance, might feature red and green floral motifs with a border of cobalt blue and ochre. Decorative wooden wall pieces often feature richly carved borders that frame paintings of Hindu gods or Rajput kings and queens.

Rajasthan's painted furniture evokes the rich traditions of its glorious past and makes for unmatched conversation pieces.

Marble Painting in Rajasthan is the other popular craft. From the mines of Makrana in Rajasthan (western India) came the marble used to build the Taj Mahal. Now you can own a piece of history too! Painting on marble is an ancient craft in Rajasthan that comes down to us in an unbroken tradition. Today, with worldwide demand, artisans produce a variety of exquisite creations that have both decorative and utilitarian value.

Whether it's a vase, a traditional Indian water pot, bowls, jewelry boxes, pipes used for smoking, lanterns or more contemporary products like bathroom ware, marble painting renders the products breathtakingly beautiful. Gorgeous, stylized floral designs, delicately picked out with gold foil are used to turn out stunning pieces in eye-catching combinations of red, green, black, yellow or deep blue.

Rajasthan's marble paintings are fit for a king's palace. The art was patronized by the ancient rulers of Amer-Jaipur, now the state capital. The traditional motifs used show a strong influence of Mughal art. This is due to the closeness that existed between the Rajputs and the Mughals. The difference lies in the brighter colors used by the artisans of Rajasthan.

Miniature paintings on marble tiles are also a great buy. Most miniature marble paintings represent Hindu gods and Rajput kings and queens clad in their traditional finery. Often, the paintings also feature a fine, net-like carving of marble around the painting, a special technique used by artisans in Rajasthan. Fine gold leaves were also used in these paintings enhancing their richness. A more contemporary use of marble painting can be found in photo frames, with techniques like embossed paintings and enameling being used to turn out exquisite pieces.

Chip Tolaney operates Ethnic Gifts Store called Cultural Elements. He shares additional info about the world crafts at Cultural Elements Blog

------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information on Wooden Crafts, see www.myguidetocrafts.com.

Free Carpet Square Samples - Great Craft Supplies For Any Project

By Lance Winslow

When we make crafts and gifts we are often limited by the materials we have but generally not our imagination on how to arrange them to make cool stuff and great gifts. Still, if you really want to have the most awesome crafts, then it is all about materials and supplies.

One nifty material to have around to do your craft projects is carpet. It does not make sense to have giant rolls of carpet in your garage, because you would never use it all anyway, but it does make sense to have various sizes and shapes of carpet in all types of colors.

It is very easy to get free carpet square samples from a local carpet store. Often they give them away. You see, they get in samples, that they let people take with them to see if the carpet matches their furniture. Then when they sell out of that shade of carpet they have no use for those samples anymore and they often have boxes full of them that they give to the recycling center.

Now some carpet stores sell them for one dollar each, others just give them away in a giant box labeled; "Free." Why not pick all your favorite shades of carpet squares for future projects that way you have them available when you're ready to start on your next big craft art piece.

Let's face it even though "Free" is a four letter word, it is probably one of the best four letter words that you've ever heard. Therefore, it makes sense to get all you can, and all the shades that you want before you need them. Please think of this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is also Founder of the Car Wash Guys, a cool little Franchise Company; http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html/.

-------------------------------------------------------------

For more Great Craft Supplies, see www.myguidetocrafts.com.

How to Sell Your Crochet Or Knit Items - Hot Weather Favorites

By Evelyn Mayfield

Selling your hand knit or crochet items online means facing a lot of stiff competition. One way to stay ahead is to take advantage of the seasons. Here are three tips on what to sell during the hot weather, an easy way to check your competition, and how to create attention-getting item titles.

In the hot weather, three hand knit or crochet items stand out as in-demand: coasters, beverages cozies or sweaters, and decorated flip flops.

Check the Competition

A great site for researching current offers is Etsy, an online handmade crafter's mall. Do a search. Be specific. Try "crochet coasters" or "knit cozies" or "decorated flip flops." You can see prices as well as descriptions which help you to choose the right designs for your own offers.

Coasters

Coasters are always needed in hot weather. Glasses, cans and bottles of water sweat, indoors as well as outdoors. When you make these, be sure to use cotton thread or cotton worsted. The cotton absorbs the moisture longer and better than acrylic yarns do. Try to find a way to make your items different, a way to make them stand out by way of color, size, or design.

Beverage Cozies

These are known by many names: glass (or can or bottle) cozies, sweaters, or sleeves. They are knitted or crocheted "cups" that allow you to slip a can or bottle or glass into them, containing the moisture and keeping the beverage cooler longer. They are great for both indoors and outdoors. Be sure to check the competition and try to find an angle no one else is using. This can be color, style, or size. Like the coasters, these should be cotton thread or cotton worsted to better absorb the moisture

Decorated Flip Flops

Bare feet beg for cute, funky, or pretty decorated flip flops. A quick check of the Etsy site will show you the many ways this is done. Some are small add-on's attached at the toe strap. Others are decorated all along the top thongs. As in coasters and cozies, find a niche, something that nobody else is doing, either in color or style.

Item Titles Attract and Sell

Don't just list your items as Crochet Coasters. Look at the color or design. Try "Coasters - Lemon Delight." For Decorated Flip Flops, try something like "Flip Flops - Sweet Pink Feet."

Finally, remember that the seasons help you sell your hand knit or crochet items. Work with the long, hot summer and be pleasantly surprised.

See an example of how I made beverage cozies a little different by adding popcorn stitches at the top so hands won't slide up the can or glass, and "packaged" a set as a "family assortment," in my shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26538361

Evelyn Mayfield ha been writing and editing for over 30 years, and crocheting all her life. She spends her time writing, crafting, and blogging. She is the author of the paperback, The Busy Person's Prayer Book, and sells her handcrafts on Etsy. Etsy Crafts -- http://www.evelynmayfield.etsy.com

-------------------------------------------

For more information on Selling Crafts, see www.myguidetocrafts.com.

If you enjoy BirdHouse Decor, see www.kamsgifts.com.

Preschool Crafts For Kids - 3 Important Tips

By Mary Robinson

Preschool crafts are an essential part of any preschool lesson. Without crafts, young students will lose interest, not be able to fully understand and appreciate the lesson, and will miss out on important social time to make friends. Preschool crafts must be easy to complete, safe for children, and tie into a lesson or theme.

Easy Does It

Above all, preschool crafts for kids must be easy to complete. Young students do not have the attention span for long craft projects or ones that do not show immediate results. For this reason, multiple-day craft projects should be reserved for special occasions or be used in conjunction with shorter, more concise craft activities.

Besides being short, crafts need to be easy to set up and take down. Because there is usually only one or two teachers for a preschool class, there is not enough time for a lengthy setup process. Easy craft activities are those with few materials, little preparation time (i.e. not much cutting, organizing, or arranging beforehand), and simple instructions.

Step by Step

Preschool craft projects must be able to break down into steps. When preschool teachers create their own lessons or pull from another resource, they must take into account how they are going to explain the craft to their students. Teachers must be able to tell students what to do in one or two sentences for each step.

By breaking things down into steps, students can stay more focused, and teachers ensure that all students are working on the same part of the craft at the same time, keeping everyone on track and making the craft look uniform.

If a teacher chooses a particularly difficult craft project or one with many steps, they should practice the craft before bringing it to class. This includes not only completing the craft but practicing what to say when so that students understand the task. Providing clear instructions sometimes requires outside practice, but it will save the class time and much frustration if the teacher knows how to explain what he or she wants.

Play it Safe

Above all, preschool crafts must be safe for the students involved. Some craft projects include small objects, such as sequins, feathers, or buttons. It is up to the teacher to determine the maturity level of their students and decide if the students can be trusted to use materials appropriately.

If there is a question about the safety of part of preschool crafts but it is essential to the project, teachers can separate that step and enlist an adult volunteer to oversee that portion of the activity. For instance, if anything needs to be hot-glued in place, an adult should be in charge of the gluing. Students should only receive their crafts back when the glue has cooled sufficiently to prevent burning.

If possible, teachers should choose preschool crafts that do not put students even questionably in danger. Materials should always be non-toxic and washable, as young students are often messy. Small or dangerous objects, such as scissors, should be supervised by a responsible adult to prevent accidents.

Mary Robinson has been teaching preschool for well over a decade. You can get instant access to her preschool activities, crafts, and lesson plans by visiting her website: http://www.mypreschoolplan.com For a limited time, all visitors to Mary's site will also get a free copy of her special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Preschool Teachers and Parents Make". Go get your free copy today! ------------------------------------------------- For more Kids Crafts, see www.myguidetocrafts.com.

Top Ten Reasons Arts and Crafts Helps Boost a Child's Self Esteem

By Elena Neitlich

A child's self esteem is built throughout the course of childhood. Although ultimately the child develops her own perceptions of self and builds her own self esteem, reinforcement from the outside world is crucial in fortifying the child's self assessment. Appropriate responses to the child support the child's opinion of herself, "I think that I did a nice job completing this arts and crafts project." "Yes, you did a terrific job completing your arts and crafts project. I can tell by the quality of the finished piece that you really put your all into it!"

Praise just for the sake of praise isn't effective in building a child's self esteem. Kids are very insightful, especially teens, and even the most enthusiastic praise will ring hollow if it is not attached to something meaningful. "Wow, you are amazing!" "Why, what did I do?"

Creative activities such as arts and crafts provide an outstanding opportunity for adults to help bolster a child's self esteem. As the child works the observant adult has almost unlimited opportunities to point out what the child is doing well.

Top ten reasons arts and crafts helps boost a child's self esteem.

1. Arts and crafts invites the child to experiment with supplies, techniques, and directions that are often foreign and intimidating. Tackling and becoming adept at creative new tasks brings satisfaction and gratification to children of all ages.

2. Arts and crafts encourages children to push themselves to plan and finish an entire project. Children feel a great sense of accomplishment when they are responsible for completing an entire task from A to Z.

3. Arts and crafts classes produce a fertile environment for meeting and interacting with new people. It can be difficult for some children to venture beyond their comfort zones and intermingle with children they don't know. It is very flattering and a boost to self esteem for children to hit it off and work with new friends.

4. Arts and crafts classes force children to take risk and put themselves and their work "out there". It is a gamble to create something and show people because there is the possibility of receiving criticism. Children, especially teens are averse to this type of hazard. A supportive arts and crafts trainer creates an environment where children feel comfortable exposing their work. Children who learn how to tackle risk are better suited and more comfortable tackling appropriate risk as adults.

5. Arts and crafts teach open mindedness. Creative questions do not have finite answers like math or physics problems. When doing arts and crafts children learn how to explore the many different possible solutions to the problems that they face. Being imaginative and open minded allows for them to invent solutions that are exciting and inspired. Children gain the confidence to tackle many problems in creative and ingenious ways.

6. Arts and crafts aid in dispelling a child's "limiting beliefs". It is very common for children to create ideas about their own abilities that restrict their activities. Thoughts like, "I am not smart enough to do this," are destructive and chip away at their self esteem. Craft projects teach children how to change damaging preconceived notions. Children learn how much they truly are capable of and build on each experience gaining confidence with each project.

7. Arts and crafts projects illustrate to children that they can achieve success. It is good for children to discover that they can be victorious. Success feels great and inspires children to reach for more and attempt harder and harder tasks.

8. Arts and crafts allows an opportunity for children to let loose and have fun. In a relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere children can explore their carefree and imaginative side. Seeing that they are multidimensional beings contributes to their overall sense of well being and a healthy sense of self.

9. Arts and crafts classes permit children to see themselves in a fresh, new light. It is important that kids have the opportunity to survey many different pursuits. Allowing kids to choose the activities that excite and delight them gives them the confidence to later pursue their own interests and eventually choose meaningful careers and pastimes.

10. Arts and crafts promote a passion for learning! Kids who have expanded their confidence through creativity and developing a healthy self esteem are curious about learning new things. The self assurance that they build doing arts and crafts overflows into all of their endeavors making for a rich and highly satisfying childhood.

Elena Neitlich is owner of Arts and Crafts Moms at http://www.artsandcraftsmoms.com If you want to follow your passion for creativity, start your own business, and have a lasting impact on kids and teens, become a certified Arts and Crafts Trainer Take the steps to make a difference in the lives of kids and in your own life. ----------------------------------------------------------- To see more information on Crafts for Kids, see www.myguidetocrafts.com.