Add a little sparkle - DIY glitter tutorials

1 - Glitter clutch

2 - Glitter Heels

3 - Glitter love mug 

4 - Glitter Champagne bottle

5 - Glitter mason jars

Lolly a Dawn Pointon Creation

What do you love about running your own hand-made business?  

It's all mine!!  Being in control of creating from my own ideas and receiving the loveliest personal comments about my work.

What is your favourite product to make?
I started with my aprons and must admit I still love creating them.

How did you learn your craft? 
Both my parents were tailors.  My father owned a manufacturing business as well as being a tailor.  My mother had her own business making for society ladies in 1930's or 40's Brisbane.  My mother taught me to sew and wouldn't accept less than the best from my work.

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?
Believe in yourself and your abilities.  Follow your dream.  Start with a small range and test its success.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year? 
I have many ideas in my head, but at this stage my aprons are still taking precedence. 

Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz?
I guess my sewing machine would be the practical part but it is nothing without my own inspiration taking a very important role.

Visit Lolly a Dawn Pointon Creation on Hand-Made

Frankensteins Fabrics

What do you love about running your own hand-made business?

The
 one thing I love most about running my own hand-made business is seeing
 what customers make from the supplies they purchase from me Whether its
 adding a tiny piece to a doll's dress or making a whole quilt from 
scratch I love seeing my customer's creativity. It inspires me and gives
 me insight into the styles and themes that they are after - enabling me
 to purchase with more focus for future fabric ranges.
Piece of Cake - magazine commission







What is your favourite product to make?

Lap
 quilts are by far my favourite item to make - either for magazine 
commissions or as custom orders. They are the perfect size to design as 
the maths needed is fairly straightforward (always a plus!) and they are
 a good size to teach as well. I love lap quilts because they are a 
staple item in my house now. There's always one on the lounge in case 
someone gets cold - in winter especially. I saved money last year on my 
electricity bill by having a lap quilt on the lounge as we didn't need 
to have the heater on much at all. 



How did you learn your craft?

I
 mainly taught myself, learned a few techniques here and there from 
friends, classes and online tutorials. I am always striving to add to my
 skill set, always pushing the boundaries with my designs and how to 
achieve them. I don't consider myself a 'modern quilter ' or a 
'traditional quilter', I just quilt what I like, when I like. I do 
follow the rules however to achieve the accuracy that is needed in this 
craft.
Little Red Riding Hood - magazine commission



What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?

Have
 a plan, some goals and set yourself some schedules. Organising your 
time is key but also learn to take advantage of your feelings and 
motivations - I am a night owl and work better between 8pm and 3am - so 
even though I work during the day I use those times to do things that 
require my best thinking - website updates, writing and designing. 
Sewing quilts is like breathing to me - second nature - so piecing 
something doesn't take much of my mental capacity. 



What plans do you have for your business in the next year?
Blue Winterfly - custom order

I'd
 like to see more quilts go to good homes this year and next. I will 
undertake more training (have to keep some of it secret until it's 
done!) and I will be expanding more into custom quilt work - currently 
I'm only doing edge-2-edge quilting with pantographs. Custom quilting 
will allow me more creativity in my designs and be able to bring more 
texture to customer's quilts. I'll be looking more at teaching - whether
 it's in a physical or virtual classroom I'm not sure yet and I'll also 
be working on more of my patterns with the goal of eventually writing my
 own book. 



Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz?

Besides my crafting tools, mail order stuff and stock it would have to be a 






notepad
 and pen. I am always writing notes, jotting down ideas, drawing 
sketches and taking orders. I write lists like mad and always have at 
least 3 going at one time. 



























Visit 





Frankensteins Fabrics on Hand-Made.com.au

Introducing BoonlellBags

What do you love about running your own hand-made business? 

Being able to be creative and doing something I love. I find creating my bags very therapeutic and it is my way of relaxing! I work as a casual teacher so it's great that I have the time to put into my business by creating items regularly for my store.

What is your favourite product to make?
At the moment my favourite product is the hobo bag. It's a popular bag and very versatile.
I love choosing the different fabric colours and themes and having something that appeals to all.

How did you learn your craft? 
I have been playing around on the sewing machine since I was in primary school when I started sewing dolls clothes for my cabbage patch kids!
That then evolved over the years into making myself clothes, curtains, doggie coats and other crafty bits and pieces such as cushions and door stops.
About a year ago I discovered bags. I first made them for myself to use, then as gifts, and then decided to start up a little business so everyone can enjoy them!

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?

Never give up! Keep creating and making new products regularly, especially if you have a little online shop. Read, learn and research as much as you can about online craft businesses and eventually you will start seeing progress. It takes time and patience though.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year? 
To develop growth through more sales and regular new products and to expand and improve my range.

Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz? 
Definitely my trusty sewing machine!

Visit BoonlellBag's hand-made shop

DIY Easter tutorials

1. Fabric Easter Basket

2. Easter basket alternative

3. Bunny bunting

4. Bunny table runner

5. Linen bunny

6. Bunny jars

Carolinas Creations

What do you love about running your own hand-made business?
I am my own boss and that certainly makes life easier. I am a WAHM with 2 young boys so the flexibility to work my own hours is a must. You know when you buy handmade that you are buying something that someone has but their heart and soul into creating, that makes it extra special.

What is your favourite product to make?
I love all things lace. My Mum being from Nottingham and having visited there myself back in 1998, I fell in love with the stunning and beautiful handmade Nottingham Lace, it is just divine. So creating Carolina's Free Standing Lace Bookmarks and Coasters is a passion. I also love creating original pieces of handmade artwork, so Carolina's 'Sew My Memories' is a close second.

How did you learn your craft?
My Mum use to be a seamstress when she worked as a young girl in Nottingham England before she came to Australia, so I learnt from her at an early age to do basic sewing and mending. I have always been creative and built my knowledge and skills as I grew up. Being a WAHM was a great option for me with the 2 children and this is something I love to do, so it's a hobby as well as a job.

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?
Be patient. Just like anything, it takes time and experience to succeed. Network with other businesses, get ideas, listen to suggestions and be perseverant and enjoy.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year?
To grow and develop new products. I love to create so coming up with original designs is high on the list.

Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz?
My Scissors, all 12 pairs LOL :)

Find Carolinas Creations here on hand-made.com.au

DIY Light Tent

Building your own light tent
(1) What you need
- a cardbaord box larger than 30cm in size (square is better)
- white tissue paper
- tape
- pencil/pen and ruler
- knife or scissors
- large sheet of white cardboard

(2) On the top of the box, use your ruler and pen to mark a line approx 1inch from the side of the box and cut this out.

(3) repeat this for two of the sides so all together you have 3 sides removed. Also remove any top 'flaps'

(4) Get one sheet of tissue paper and sticky tape it as tight as possible (without ripping) across the opening you have made it in the roof of the box. Trim off any excess

(5) Repeat this for the other 2 sides.

(6) Take your peice of cardboard and lay it across the opening of the box (touching the side of the box) so you can figure out how wide your cardboard needs to be and put a line. Measure this and cut your cardboard to size. Sticky tape the top of the cardboard to the top back corner of your box. Now you have a continuous background!

Grab some nice white lamps and your ready to have a go!