5 Tips on Being Crafty with Your Significant Other

Alright, so before you dig into this article, note that I’m not a crafty person. In fact, I consider myself quite bland and uninspired when it comes to creativity. I enjoy unique and creative ideas, but my skills in creativity with art and hands-on activities are very lacking.

But let’s be honest, getting crafty with your wife, husband, significant other, soul mate, or what have you is something that is great for growing together, expressing yourselves, and simply bonding together. Even if you also consider yourself as uncreative as me, you can do these few things to bond with your bae and have lots of fun doing it, too.

Do something you both want to do.
Whether you choose to paint silly portraits of one another together, create ornaments for the holidays, or string together some cheap friendship bracelets, just make sure you’re both having fun and it’s an activity you can both do, not just one of you.

Limit the time.
I think we all seem to think that craft time requires a lot of time to think, do, refine, and clean up. You should really only spend time setting up, getting at it, and cleaning up. Art is messy and art is fun because it’s messy. Don’t overthink whatever it is you’re doing, as you may be less interested in doing it again with your special someone in the future. Spend no more than 30 minutes doing something and get to cleaning up.

Prepare a mess-free area.
You don’t want paint, glue, and paper scraps everywhere on your nice hardwood table, do you? Buying some sort of cheap plastic tablecover will protect your furniture (and even the floor). This also saves you a lot of time during the cleanup process.

Be cheap.
There’s no reason to spend a lot on art supplies or specific, high-dollar tools and paint when you can use a lot that you have around the house already. You’d be surprised at what all you can get out of your assortment of things at home, such as packaging supplies: scissors, packaging tape, cardboard boxes, and bubble wrap are all things that you could use to get crafty together.

Have. Fun.
Don’t stress about the mess. And don’t even begin to worry about the time or think about the next project. The whole point should be to have fun together and encourage one another to have fun. Bonding and laughing and being creative together is very beneficial for your relationship.

No matter how much you lack creativity, it’s easy to set aside time to just do something new and hands-on. You’ll love it. They’ll love it.

See? Craft time isn’t as hard as you thought. Bust out the packaging supplies you cast aside long ago. Grab some cheap paint and plastic table covers. Get to crafting.

Why Brown Paper is One of My Favorite Packaging Supplies

Brown paper is one of the most versatile packaging supplies out there, if not the most versatile.  From wrapping presents for a birthday party to sending off home-made crafts and trinkets, it can come across clean, strong, fun or serious.  Until I discovered the potential of brown paper I was a “newspaper” kind of gal.  Don’t get me wrong, newspaper is still in my top five list of packaging supplies, but it absolutely has a different feel from brown paper.

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When I get a box in the mail and they’ve used yards and yards of brown paper as cushion, I take the strip and tape it to the bottom half of the wall and let the kids draw on it and sticker it and finger paint at will.  I love having my own, custom design mural.  I usually leave it hanging for a couple months, and by then its about time to start all over again!

Brown paper makes for a really classy bouquet paper.  Some deep burgundy marigolds, some dark green ferns, some white roses: accent them all with the brown paper and it looks just great.  Not to mention you can write a little personalized note directly on them.  Or a delicate spring colored bundle, with light purples and blushes and bright greens, wrapped in the brown paper and tied with a string.  It’s like going back in time.

Gift wrapping: brown paper makes the best gift paper.  Hands down, without a doubt.  You can literally anything with it.  Need to wrap something for a pre-teen girl?  Sweet.  Wrap it in brown paper, and then accent it with some brightly colored and designed ribbon.  Need to wrap something for a little boy for Christmas?  Great.  Draw a car on the side and tape a little tree to the top so it looks like a car is driving home from the tree farm.

Finally, my favorite thing to do with brown paper is this:  I hang a fat roll of butcher paper up in the dining room, which is more or less connected to the kitchen, and this is where I write the weekly menu and any other important tidbits (Johnny, don’t forget to drop the library books of.  Or, Mary, please fold the laundry.)  When that week has passed we just rip off the sheet and pull down another one.  We have had family games of tic tac toe and hangman going for weeks.

Shipping Supplies: How the Right Materials Can Help Grow Your Business

Whether you’re planning on opening an online shop to market your crafts or selling old collectables after cleaning out your attic, you need the right shipping supplies. Packaging materials are often an overlooked aspect of selling items online, but they can actually be one of the most important things to stop and consider.

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A portion of your budget should obviously be set aside for packaging supplies, but on top of that, you’ll also need to think about how the materials you choose to use will portray your brand. Customers notice everything, packaging included. It’s crucial to be mindful of every aspect of your business.

1. Decide What You Need

The packaging supplies you should choose depend on what you’ll be selling, how fragile the items are and how you want your packing to look. If you’re not sure how you should package your products, think about the last time you purchased something similar to what you sell. How was that item packaged? If you liked the packaging, think about how it could be improved upon to suit your products. If you didn’t like it, make a quick list of what you would change.

2. Consider Ease of Use

You want your products to arrive safely. That is your top concern. However, you should also consider how easy or difficult it will be for your customers to open their package. Ideally, you want your packaging to be as easy to remove as possible while still providing protection. Try to find the balance between the two. You may have older customers with arthritis or other issues that make difficult packaging frustrating. If you can avoid that and make things as easy as possible on your customers, they will appreciate and remember the effort the next time they wish to order a similar product.

3. Focus on Protection

Another important factor you’ll need to take into consideration when designing a packaging strategy is the cost. You might be tempted to cut corners to save money. It’s understandable, especially in a tough economy and highly competitive marketplace. However, if you cut corners and don’t get the packaging you need to keep your products safe, you’ll likely end up spending more in the long run. If a product arrives damaged, you’ll need to replace it.

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4. Make it Beautiful

Packaging isn’t all about protection. It can also be a great way to show off the personality of your brand. It’s important to think outside the box when it comes to packaging. You don’t have to stick to basic cardboard or a simple mailer. You can use bright colors or patterns if you like. The point of selling products is to offer something unique to the world. Don’t be afraid to show off what makes you special.

If you’re struggling to figure out a packaging strategy for your business, consider jotting down your biggest priorities and keeping the list in mind while shopping for packaging materials. This should help you stay organized and find just what you need for your business.