chiptooth

Seems like our goodwill has gone up in price as well. I wanted little milk glass type bud vases to put my wooden rose boquets in for our 9 female basketball and cross country coaches and they were all $1.99 each. Not bad I guess If it wasn't coming out of my pocket. I think it is the first and third fridays though that they have 50% off any donated merchandise and I forgot to look at those when i went the last time. I did get a couple nice baskets cheap but again never thought of looking for coffee carafs.

I am about 45 minutes from an amish community and I mostly see them in Kmart and their shopping carts are always full...a lot of toys. At our Goodwill they have half off the donated items on the first and 3rd fridays of the month and if you don't get there right when it opens, the amish beat ya there. This is where I get most of my baskets. I 've seen our amish with vegetables, plants, quilts and wooden things but that's about it. I'll have to remember to check for other things the next time I am out that way.

Thanks again Lyn...you'll get there. My problem is that I have too many interests. I have several projects going at once because I get bored. I am not one to sit still, even when I'm watching television. Have to be crocheting or something. When I started the craft shows it was with all floral stuff. My aunt taught me some floral design. She used to run the gift shop in the basement of the dept. of the treasury. That kind of stuff got to be a pain taking to craft shows...the displays etc. Then I got into just doing it for weddings and got sort of fed up with the brides getting very nit picky..like one boquet looked like the flowers were in a different position..etc. I've looked into a store to rent in our downtown area, but too expensive. Once I get into our new house, there are no zoning laws as long as my shop doesn't cause a traffic or parking problem with the neighbors. Won't be a problem..there are acres in between and one of them is my sister! Anyway, once you get going you will get a following and repeat customers. I have many people hounding me about getting into my place. We are in desperate need of a "craft" type supply and learning place in our area. I just hope I can get it going before someone else takes my idea. Hang in there. I'm sure we'll all want to see your store front when you get it.

I forgot to add that I've done this festival in the past, probably 10 years ago but with my glycerin soaps and glove dolls. It went really well considering we had horrible heat and humidity all 3 days and the paramedics were taking people out left and right due to exhaustion. Mostly everyone was coming to buy food and leaving, but we still did well. The craft director is very excited about there being something different this year. They are placing my booth so I have room behind to put the "work" table. I will be sure to post and let everyone know how it went and hope I remember to take pictures.

Thanks Lyn for the advice. I consider myself a seasoned crafter. I've been doing craft shows for about 25 years. I know all about having enough help. I have my helpers all trained and lined up because the catch in this whole thing is along with having my own booth I have to put in a little bit of time at the booth my kids school runs and also the football booster booth. I am not going to provide glitter for the fresheners but glitter glue pens this way the glitter won't be falling off so much. The whole purpose of the do it yourself is to give the people something new to do themselves instead of the things I have mentioned that have been at this festival since it started 28 years ago. My ultimate goal is to attract people to thewhole make it yourself concept. We are remodeling our new house and I have intentions of opening my shop in my basement. I want to offer craft classes for kids and I've had adults inquire about things such as crochet, sewing, etc. I am hoping the do it yourself air fresheners will be a "spring board" advertisement sort of to get people interested in my upcoming shop and to see how much of a market I will sort of have for the craft classes. We are not close to a Joann fabrics or a michaels that offers classes. I have already had a lot of inquiries as to when I am opening. If my current residence wasn't so small I'd already be doing it. I am also starting to do "soap" parties where a group can make their own glycerin soaps. We did this for my daughter's birthday with a group of 8 girls and it went over quite well. The boys wanted to know why they couldn't join in. Again..thanks for the responses. I think I have it under control all except for guesstimating how many blanks I should have. I have picked 12 shapes from oak court that I am ordering. I will order more of the t-shirt shape and oval as these are the ones I use mostly for putting photos on.

I already have my fragrances picked out. I guess I wasn't clear in my posting. I am letting patrons decorate the blanks themselves and then I will paint the fragrance on (so I don't have any waste or spills). I am using raffia as the hanging cord (have a bunch left from my daughter's cousin IT costume a couple of years ago. I am not packaging and labeling in polypropelene bags unless the person is making the freshener as a gift or don't plan on hanging it right away.I am providing cheapo dollar store baggies for others to put their freshener in and let them know not to keep it in the bag too long for loss of fragrance. In the kids section of the festival there is already spin art, aqua art, sand art, and candlemaking (with the granulated wax). The craft director is really excited for me to be offering something different for the kids to do and since I will be in the main festival, maybe some of the parents as well. I am getting myself into a tizzy trying to decide how many to have available for each day. The director of the head start who offers free crafts for kids usually sees 100 kids a day, but that booth is only open from 1-7 whereas my booth will be open 11-9 for 3 days. I am thinking I should have at least 100 available for each day, but don't know if I'm going to be too many or maybe not near enough. It's not like I can run out and get more blanks if I run out. I guess I am trying to get opionions on how well these sold for others. I made fresheners for my kids elementary cross-country track team and ironed their pictures on them and most of them hung them in their lockers. The kids absolutely loved them and the parents wanted them for themselves.

I typically use a htp104 or htp105 with my jelly jars. I use soy from bluegrasscandle

Okay.. I've already posted in the fragrance section because I've gotten myself into a tizzy deciding which fragrances to offer, now I'm tizzying over which shapes and how many. I am getting ready for a large (usually 50-60thousand people over 3 days) arts/crafts/food festival over the 4th of July weekend. I am planning on offering a "make it yourself" air freshener as part of my booth. I am offering the cardboard shapes, glitter glue, fabric paint, and markers and probably 10 different fragrances for patrons to decorate and then I'd paint the fragrance on. I think I have my shapes narrowed down but I don't have the slightest bit of an idea of how many I should order. I will be in the main part of the park instead of the children's section since I will also be offering my hurricane candles, tealights, votives, aroma ornaments, hot pads, and sachets. I am thinking at least 100/ day but my husband keeps arguing saying he doubts I sell 100 over the 3 days. UGH!!! what to do what to do. Ideas anybody?

I've been busy getting ready for my son and daughter's sports banquet (cross country and basketball) next Sunday. The boquets were the easiest of my projects. I had no luck selling the wooden roses so I figured I'd get them out of my craft room. I made 3 boquets with 3 roses for the 3 female head coaches, 4 with 2 roses for our female assistants and 2 with 2 roses for our 2 concession stand mothers who ordered everything and got the gym set up.You can't see in the picture but I have a silver basketball player or silver running shoe charm hanging down off the bows. I guess the men coaches are out of luck. I haven't fragranced them yet. I have Golden Rose which is nice and light but I may go with Plumeria or Lavender Vanilla. I can't decide. I also have 11 little felt t-shirt ornaments to blanket stitch around for our 6th graders who will be leaving for the high school next year (no middle school) and lastly I have to "wing" sewing a piece of satin into robe and attach it to a little fur stole to present to our youngest cross country coach who missed almost every friday practice due to having a social life (golfing, dating, friends, movies) thus she garnished the name "our princess" the cross country team will presenting her with a sash "our princess", the robe, a crown, pillow with glass (plastic) slipper and wand. She will just die. Guess I better get busy. If anyone wants to travel to western PA to help out...I could sure use a hand or just some "extra" time.

I tried the little tins (watchmaker cases or something like that I think they were called) I purchased through a co-op several years ago. They were great sample things, but I noticed after several months the fragrance was all but gone. I'm guessing that the ones from candles and supplies is the plastic that won't suck the fragrance out, but you have to watch with organizer type cases that are plastic

I was hoping to get more responses as I am still in a FO lull. I am preparing for a large 3 day festival over the 4th of july weekend. I am not taking jar candles as there are too many candle booths already. I am taking my hurricanes and soy tealights and votives. The FO tizzy I am experienceing is for air freshener type things (aroma bead ornaments, bears, and sachets) I am making hot pads with kitheny/holiday type fragrances apple pie spice, pumpkin fudge, gingerbread etc.) My best sellers in the aroma bead ornaments are apple pie spice, red hot cinnamon, Ocean Mist and clean cotton. I got my beads, jars, colors out several times to get them prepared and just sort of stare into my vast FO cupboard trying to decide which fragrances to do. I was hoping to get some opinions as to what sells best for you guys so I can narrow my choices down a bit. I am also setting up a table behind my booth for patrons to decorate their own cardboard air freshener. I am gearing this toward the kids. There is a specific children's area but it is the same old spin art, sand art, etc. I wanted to offer something different and the festival director is really excited about me doing this. Anyway....PLEASE HELP before I pull all of my hair out (I've started with just the grey ones)

the wax division of the company has been sold but they still carry the fragrances. I started my candle making career with them and haven't had a bad FO yet. At times I am disappointed that some of the oils I use have been out of stock but I've never had a problem with customer service and have always gotten my orders quickly. My standard stock fragrances from them are:

apple pie spice

hot blueberry muffin

coconut mango

I have these directions printed somewhere in my stash so I'll have to look for it but if you type in tunisan crochet in your search you should be able to come up with it. It is either the same or very similar to the afghan stitch (I can't remember if it is another name for the afghan stitch or not). I've never done this stitch myself but have a graph of a gymnast that I want to do for my niece and just never got around to learning how to do the stitch. I will look for my info as well as it is very informative on how to do the stitch. You can also join www.crochetville.org and there are a lot of very helpful people on there that can lead you in many directions (careful..this site is addicting)

Thanks for the response Darbla, I think I was misunderstood in my post.The festival is during the 4th of July weekend so I will be missing mother's day. I know when I visit this festival I look for little xmas gifts for a few people to put away but lately there really hasn't been too many xmas type things, so that's why I was thinking of maybe offering the xmas shaped/fragranced ornaments. I am not selling any candles other than the tea lites and votives for the hurricanes. I guess I'm trying to figure out which fragrances I should lean towards... I know what I like, but l what do people like to have hanging in their cars or windows etc.

I am preparing for a large 3 day festival over the 4th of july. I am not bringing any jar candles due to too many of those booths already. I am however bringing my hurricane globe candles and selling the soy votives and tea lites to go with them. I am also bringing my "fraggles" (fragrant animals) and "sniffers" (aroma bead ornaments) I am getting myself in such a tizzy thinking about which fragrances to make. So far big sellers for me have been apple pie spice, strawberry, ocean varieties, clean cotton, and cinnamon. I am not sure if I should include some fall/ xmas ones in case people are shopping ahead. I would love some input on which fragrances are popular for the wax animals and the aroma beads so I can sort of get myself narrowed down. I am also letting patrons decorate their own cardboard air fresheners with markers and glitter glue pens and then choosing their fragrance (mostly gearing this toward the kids so they can buy something that they can call their own) so I am kind of sticking to the bubblegum, cotton candy, etc. for these. Anyway...I'll take any suggestions I can get. I'm starting to get more beads ready as I am typing.

wow.. I'm paying $120.00 for a 3 day festival over 4th of July weekend for a 16x16 space with electricity and it usually yields 50-60,000.00 people over the 3 days. You are right about the women spending at convention type things. I have to go to lectures for continuing education credits and sometimes there are fun things to spend money on and it does get spent. If you decide to do it..Good Luck hope you do well.

Not sure if any crafty ones can help me out with this but I thought I 'd give it a shot. I lost a bid on Ebay for an out of print Annie's Attice crochet booklet that included patterns to crochet kittens and some holiday accessories. There was christmas wreath with kittens hanging out of it and I think some kittens hiding in a poinsettia. I'd love to find this book somewehere, but have searched high and low.

Thanks for the responses. I'm going to look tomorrow but I think I may have diverted my plans and am not sure if I'm going to need the ribbon.

I am in desperate need of some ribbon with a track and field, running, etc. type theme. Does anyone know if there is such a thing. I am making up small wooden rose boquets for our female cross country and basketball coaches for the upcoming banquet. I found basketball charms and shoes with wing charms to hang off of the ribbon that I'm tying the boquets with. I found several kinds of basketball ribbon at JoAnns and on Ebay, but I'd love to find something with a shoe. If all else fails I'll just tie them with our blue and gold colors. Any other suggestions would be great.

Not sure about paper air fresheners but you can buy sheets or pre-cut shapes of cardboard for air fresheners at www.oakcourtcreations.com

I'm going to paint the fragrance on myself to avoid spills and "wasting". I'm using plain ol' sandwich baggies unless I come up with a great deal on some polypro ones. When I make the cardboard fresheners to sell, I put them in polypro, but I made a t-shirt one for my son and daughter's cross country track team with the kids individual pics on them and I just put them in a baggie 'cause I knew they'd be taken out right away and used. I may keep both kind of bags on hand and ask if the freshener is going to be a gift or used right away...if it is meant to be kept for awhile I can put it in the polypro. I'm hoping it will be fun..I'm hoping it is going to be a sort of springboard in advertising for my shop. We should be into our new house this fall (after 5 yrs. remodeling) and I am planning on a shop in my basement, not so much for my candle business but I am planning on offering crafting classes for kids and I've had adults inquire about sewing and crocheting classes. Eventually I would like to offer crafting supplies as we have no place close to buy that kind of stuff since walmart got rid of most of it and our closest Jo Anns is 40 mins. away. I will be volunteering at the school next year for a few craft projects for the kids. They are going to start offering clases after school on Fridays (scrapbooking, chess club, science lab, etc.)

The festival is in Ellwood City which is about 60 miles NE of Pittsburgh. It runs from Friday 7/4 - Sunday 7/6. The festival opens everyday at 11:00 and runs to I think 9:00 at night. There are plenty of food booths with a lot of variety (our school booth sells macaroni shells with meatballs and pepperoni puffs), there is entertainment all day long, the festival concludes with fireworks Sunday night at the football stadium. There is a bocci ball tournament all 3 days, a man that carves wood with a chainsaw (he is really good) and of course many craft booths. The kids section has some free things as well as some paid activities. Parking is usually $3.00 but there are several free parking lots where you can park and ride a free shuttle. Maybe I should post all this info in a seperate post.

Thanks..I am definately setting up in the main park but last year they put the kids section at the one end at the perimeter near where the kids section usually is. We have a large playground that was built for the kids and it is across the road from the main park and that's where the kids stuff has always been in the past. The festival coordinator couldn't tell me where they would set it up this year..it depended on how many booths they got booked. Anyway thanks for the fragrance input. I am waiting until closer to then to order bulk frgrangce and my blanks (for lack of storage space) but in the meantime when I get time (after preparing favors and wooden rose boquets and such for my kids sports banquet) I'm pre-labeling the bags with my info and instructions and pre-cutting all the raffia so I'm prepared. I like the idea of the name "twists" that always grabs attention.

Not sure if I'd get more answers here or off topic or the fragrance secion so mods feel free to move if you think this would be asked better in a different section. I am contemplating setting up at our town's very large 4th of July arts, crafts, and food festival. Crowds are usually estimated at 40,00.00 + for the 3 days. I am planning on taking my hurricane candles, tea lights, and wax bears. I am planning on offering the aroma bead ornaments, fragrant hot pads and sachets. I was planning on setting up in the children's section because I am also offering do your own cardboard air freshener. The kids section is only $50.00 to set up for the 3 days as opposed to the $120.00 in the main park. The other kids things that are routinely offered are spin art, stupid put beads in a selected container/ vase add colored water and choose your own silk flowers, candles using that granular type wax, and there is something else that I can't remember. Anyway...I thought I would provide markers, glue pens and glitter or glitter glue, maybe paint pens and then they could decorate the shape and pick the fragrance to be painted on. I'm using leftover raffia (from my daughter's Cousin IT costume that we made a few years ago) for the hanger and am packaging in a baggie to save some of the expense. My big question is I have no idea which fragrances to offer. I wanted to stay geared to the kids 'cause there isn't much for them to do within a reasonable price and I know with my own kids they always want to buy something, but I'm sure adults would probably do them to. The director and my husband convinced me that I need to be in the main park. I am thinking I should have a few kid (bubblegum, etc) fragrances but what do you think of some others. I also don't know how much variety I'd like to offer. I'm also in a tizzy wondering how many blanks to order. I'm not worried about having extras as they won't go bad. Some thoughts please!!!

Before spending money on one try www.pcstitch.com I use this website to make graphs for afghans. It is a pretty good program.

I've used both container and pillar soy...it just depends what I'm pouring. Both seem to work and I don't add beeswax.