Saturday Craft Site - eHow

Sometimes I try out a new craft and get stuck with some fiddly bit or have no idea how to apply the goo I bought and then I search for the answer online. Very frequently, the craft videos on eHow comes to my rescue. The search function is exhaustive, you can search for keywords, authors, skill levels or rating and filter the results to show video or text articles. The videos I have watched were all of a very good quality and informative. Enjoy!

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Tastebook

This isn't really a craft site, but it's a goodie. I love collecting recipes and have a couple of favourites that I can always rely on. I'm sure you have some too. Betterrecipes.com offers a Tastebook feature that allows you to make up a beautiful personal recipe book that they will print and send to you for a fee. I have not had one printed yet, but I have created a Tastebook of recipes I'd like to try out. You can view your Tastebook online and add recipes to it very easily. I had a lot of fun compiling my book and "paging" through it online. For the craftiest among us, Tastebook can serve as inspiration for creating your own recipe book.

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Knitty

Knitters with internet access are very fortunate. Buying knitting patterns at a store will cost you a bundle and there is no need to do so with the variety of free patterns available online. One of the first sites I discovered when I started browsing for knitting patterns was Knitty. There are some really incredible patterns suited to every type of knitter, from beginners to advanced knitters.


Happy knitting!

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - STYROFOAM Crafts

The items we sell on Etsy are made out of Styrofoam. I really enjoy working with it. Styrofoam is best cut with a hot wire, which melts the polystyrene, creating a smooth edge. STYROFOAM Crafts has tons of ideas for crafts using the material. Click on Projects to see what you can make.



Of course you don't have to cut it, you can use the ready made balls and cubes sold in all craft shops.

Mandie

Saturday Craft Sites - Papercraft World and Papercraft Paradise

The first thing I had to learn when I started scrapbooking was to never buy cardstock without having the photos you intend to use with you. Otherwise you're going to end up with a lot of gorgeous cardstock that you may be unable to use. This was a tough lesson, because I go gaga for gorgeous paper.

When I first discovered the world of papercraft on the internet, I nearly passed out with amazement and glee. This stuff is AMAZING. There are tons of papercraft resources online. Today I'm sharing two blogs, Papercraft World and Papercraft Paradise, blogs with links to some of the best papercrafts out there. Papercraft World also has links to some Metacafe videos, which is how I first got into papercraft. A lot of these crafts are great for children. And you can always use your bought-on-a-whim cardstock to create beautiful and incredibly entertaining paper toys.

(No direct link to post, clicking the image will take you to the main site.)


Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Not Martha

Anyone who has a recipe for making bacon cups is a genius in my books. Not Martha doesn't have a whole lot of craft tutorials, but what she's got is worth a look.

Yes. That is candy sushi. And Twinkie rolls at the back. See what I mean?

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - CraftPOP

CraftPOP is a craft directory with the option to rate the listed craft sites. You can also add links, so if your craft website is not on there, you might want to go add it!

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Cut Out + Keep

More craft tutorial goodness at Cut Out + Keep. Over 10 000 projects, in fact.


I think I've mentioned those cupcakes on my StumbleUpon blog, I might have Twittered about it and I know Daneel sent me the link once. Finally I have a way to incorporate it into this blog! Rainbow cupcakes are made of awesome.

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Craftzine

I'm not sure what to call this one - it's CRAFT, from the makers of MAKE, it's a real magazine and also an e-zine, a blog, has podcasts and tutorials and a forum. I've decided to go with the URL name, Craftzine, but whatever we're calling it, it's great! I'm subscribed to their email list, so I regularly receive lists of cool projects to make.

Right now they have a robotic scorpion listed under projects that I find both gross and intriguing:

Icky, yet awesome!

Happy crafting!
Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Instructables

Instructables are tutorials added to the site by users and will show you how to make just about anything. You can save your favourite crafts and create your own instructable for anything from drawing a cat to baking chocolate cake. Here are some instructables I like:

Harry Potter magic wand made from paper, glue and paint.

A picnic blanket with a lit perspex center to act as a little table.

A lamp made from paper.

Feel free to post a link to your favourite instructables in the comments!

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Craftster

I know, I know, I'm Captain Obvious, but let's just get the easy ones out of the way before we start looking at more obscure craft sites. Craftster is another community crafting website that will make your bookmarks folder cry. Here you can share your own crafts, find inspiration, follow a tutorial or ask questions about crafting techniques.

Pictured: Monokuro Boo, Cupcake Bath Bombs, Peruvian Thread Earrings, Knitted Mouse.

Also, for inspiration, just look at this "cute as a button" bag!

Gorgeous!

Mandie

Saturday Craft Site - Ravelry

There are so many great internet resources for crafters. I'd like to start sharing some here on this blog. So this is the first post in a new weekly blog feature. Maybe you already know about Ravelry, but if you don't, you're about to go to knitting heaven. Ravelry is a wonderful knitting and crochet community site with loads of free patterns and user comments on those patterns. You get to learn from and laugh at others' mistakes and share your own insights into particular patterns, eliminating your stash, or whatever you're interested in discussing. Join a group, have some fun and knit something! If you're already a Ravelry member, leave a comment about your favourite aspect of the site. Personally, I enjoy being able to see my stash at a glance and also to have a list of favourite projects easily accessible.

Mandie