25 Days Until Christmas Count Down : Day 3

Welcome to my 25 Days of Christmas Project! I will be posting Christmas related themes everyday until Christmas such as recipes, crafts, decor, movies, books, activities, shopping, trends, gift ideas, carols, parties, games, traditions, holiday cards, resolutions, lights, etc. 


Day 3 : DIY Christmas Gifts

Now is a good time to start thinking about gifts for others. Today is Sunday December 2, 2012 and if you're like me you have not even begun your Christmas shopping. Today I will be attending one of my daughters' girl scout meetings. I will be teaching the girls to make small candles. They are excited about making the candles to give away as gifts. These are perfect for teachers, grandma, mom, or even to keep for themselves! 

There is something special about receiving a handmade gift. Rest assured it will be much appreciated! There are a countless number of gifts you can make yourself to give away as gifts.

Here are some ideas:

*Ornaments
*Fudge and/or cookies
*Candles
*Bath Salts
*Crocheted scarves
*Quilts
*Jewelry
*Family pictures put together in a handmade frame
*A pre-made scrap book
*Gifts in a jar (such as layered ingredients with a recipe attached)

There are numerous other ideas and instructions located on the internet, books, and magazines. Here are a few of my favorites that I found online:

~ Hot Cocoa Snowman ~ Thanks Acadiana's Thrifty Mom

~ Cute Candy Gifts ~ Thanks Passion for Savings

~ Vinyl Wall Art ~ Thanks Ask Anna


In conclusion, consider making handmade gifts this year. Especially if you never have before! Your gifts will be sure to impress. Make your plans now and start making those gifts! Don't wait til the last minute. There are only 23 days until Christmas. Make a list of everyone you can make gifts for: teachers, grandparents, neighbors..

25 Days Until Christmas Count Down : Day 2

Welcome to my 25 Days of Christmas Project! I will be posting Christmas related themes everyday until Christmas such as recipes, crafts, decor, movies, books, activities, shopping, trends, gift ideas, carols, parties, games, traditions, holiday cards, resolutions, lights, etc.

Day 2 : Christmas Lunch & Gift Exchange

Today is Saturday December 1, 2012. Wow.. The first day of December! How exciting! We have only 24 days until Christmas. This would be a nice time to arrange a get together with friends or family. During the first week of December, I know I am not nearly as stressed out as I will be towards the end of the month. Before the hustle and bustle of last minute plans swing into motion, why not exchange gifts with your closest friends now?

Here's what I'm doing today: Meeting with 10 other women at a nice Italian restaurant for lunch around noon. Just a nice relaxing get together where we can spend some quality time together and have our food served to us. This is really nice every once in a while, right!?

After we are done eating, we will be traveling about one block down the road to a greenhouse & garden center. This greenhouse is absolutely gorgeous around this time of the year. I remember always visiting here at least once during the season every year when I was little. The lights and decorations are breath-taking! It truly is a winter wonderland, with fascinating characters, decorated trees, lights everywhere, a gift shop that sells gorgeous ornaments, and even their own reindeer!! If you have a place such as this to visit during your day out, I highly recommend it!

With Christmas nostalgia in full bloom after spending a good amount of time in the "winter wonderland", we will continue our day at one of the ladies' houses. Where we will be exchanging Christmas socks!! I am so excited! If you choose to do a gift exchange with your friends, consider a themed gift. It really narrows your options (in a good way) so you are not spending hours wandering around from store to store searching for a gift. It can be very challenging to purchase a gift for someone when you don't actually know who will end up with it. 

Here are some ideas for a themed gift exchange:

*Christmas socks
*Christmas books
*Christmas ornaments
*Christmas cds
*Scarves and/or gloves
*Picture frames
*Wreaths
*Water globes
*Christmas decorations
*Robes and/or slippers
*Towels
*Kitchen Utensils

Summary: Have a fun and relaxing day, hopefully surrounded by friends, family, and Christmas cheer!        

25 Days Until Christmas Count Down : Day 1

Welcome to my 25 Days of Christmas Project! Starting today, I will be posting Christmas related themes everyday until Christmas. I am so excited to get started! Here is what I have in mind: recipes, crafts, decor, movies, books, activities, shopping, trends, gift ideas, carols, parties, games, traditions, cards, resolutions, lights, etc. So you see how this will easily fit into a 25 day series!

Day 1 : Advent Calendar

Okay, so I just announced to my kids last night that we will be beginning a new tradition this year for Christmas. I am calling it our 25 Days of Christmas. It is an advent calendar. I came up with 16 ideas/activities, and the kids came up with the other 9 activities. We will be sure to keep the Christmas Spirit in our hearts and minds as we count down to Christmas!

I have three daughters. They are so excited to get started with this project. I had them make these envelopes last night. I will be assigning each activity a date, writing it down on a card, and placing each one in its envelope. The girls will be taking turns each day with opening the envelopes.

I'm sure most of you already know what an advent calendar is. But just in case you're not sure, allow me to explain. An advent calendar is a fun way to count down the days til Christmas. You may choose to give a treat such as a piece of candy each day or you may decide to celebrate the holiday by doing some kind of activity each day..

Here is a list of our ideas in no particular order:

*Craft ~ Create a paper chain
*Attend a Christmas concert
*Attend a Christmas party
*Drink hot chocolate
*Bake & decorate cookies and gingerbread
*Read The Night Before Christmas
*Drive & look at Christmas lights
*Watch a Christmas movie
*Create Christmas cards & deliver
*Visit the town square event and see Santa
*Read Christmas Story from Luke (Bible)
*Spend the night at grandma's & bake cookies
*Make crafts
*Make egg nog
*Make paper snowflakes & hang on the windows
*Listen to Christmas music & sing
*Draw pictures of Santa or coloring pages
*Go gift shopping
*Make decorations
*Manicures and pedicures
*Finish decorating
*Game night (musical chairs with Christmas music, pin the nose on Rudolph)
*Do something special for Fergie and Milo (our pets)
*Make reindeer food
*Make bird feeders

To make our advent calender, I printed out numbered tags. Found here. The girls cut them out and pasted them to envelopes. I have not decided yet whether I am going to attach the envelopes to a poster board or have them strung up as part of our decorations.                

Craft Show Newbie 101 : Labels & Price Tags

How to prepare for your first craft show: Labels & Price Tags

Preparing for your very first craft show can be very exciting! It can also be very stressful and nerve racking. I have decided to put together a series that will consist of 5 parts discussing the main ingredients of a fun and successful craft show. We will be discussing my experiences as I prepared for my first craft show. 

As some of you may already know, my area of expertise is selling my handmade candles and soaps. My pictures and examples will reflect this, but the lessons may be adapted to whatever your own craft is. Let's get started!

Welcome to Part 2 of a 5 Part Series!

1. Price your items. You need to know your sales price for each item you wish to sell. To come up with your sales price, you will need to break down your cost for each item by each material that goes into each individual item. Take your cost and multiply by 2 or 3. You will then need to decide on a fair price. A price that customers are willing to pay and also making sure you make a reasonable profit. For instance, it costs me $2.17 to make an 8 oz jelly jar candle. Double that cost and come up with $4.34. That is my bottom line price to charge because I want make a profit of at least $2.17 for each of these candles. Triple the cost and come up with $6.51. I have decided to price my 8 oz jelly jar candles at $6, which I believe is a reasonable price for my customers and also gives me a pretty good profit. Come up with a formula that works for you.

2. Price Tags. I like to tag each of my items with their price. You can do this or print out a sign with a price list. Customers may not want to ask how much something costs and you may be busy with another customer, so having your prices displayed eliminates confusion and saves time, making for a faster check out process. I use marking tags for my larger items and all-purpose sticker labels for my smaller items. The marking tags can be found at a local craft store.

3. Labels. You may be selling a product that requires labels. I label all of my jar candles. For candles, you may choose to provide the name of the fragrance, the size of the candle, your website address and/or business name, candle warnings, and directions for proper use. A professional looking label will ensure your business appearance is professional.

4. Extra Step. Taking an extra step, such as adding ribbon to jar candles, will give your products a nice appearance. And customers like to know that you spent that much extra time preparing their new found treasure. Just think about what you can do to change a plain looking product into a show room worthy product. This will also make for a better looking display at the show.

Summary: Labeling and pricing your items can be very time consuming, but well worth the effort. Your customers will appreciate the extra time you take to pay attention to detail. Keep in mind you may need to reconsider and change your prices after your first or second craft show if your products are not selling as much as you would like. You will get better at pricing your items with experience and the price you can sell at also has a lot to do with the area you live in. It may also take time to perfect your labels, but eventually your customers will come to recognize your brand. Always pay special attention to the appearance of your items and never try to sell anything that you yourself would not want to purchase.

Stay tuned for Lesson 3: Table Set Up & Display

Previous Lesson

Lesson 1 : Craft Show Newbie 101 : Inventory

Shop HANDMADE this weekend..

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's now the busiest shopping season of the year. I thought I would stop by and let ya'll know that I am having a sale over at my Etsy Shop through Monday Nov 26th. Use coupon code BLCKFRDY40 to not only receive a 40% discount but also receive a FREE gift with your purchase!! Everyone likes free, right!?!?

Also, today is Small Business Saturday! Are you supporting the little guys? Check out these other great sales going on now! 

Craft Show Newbie 101 : Inventory

How to prepare for your first craft show: Inventory

Preparing for your very first craft show can be very exciting! It can also be very stressful and nerve racking. I have decided to put together a series that will consist of 5 parts discussing the main ingredients of a fun and successful craft show. We will be discussing my experiences as I prepared for my first craft show. 

As some of you may already know, my area of expertise is selling my handmade candles and soaps. My pictures and examples will reflect this, but the lessons may be adapted to whatever your own craft is. Let's get started!

Welcome to the first of a 5 part series!

When I received a letter back from the facility who was hosting the craft show I had applied for my first order of business was to make inventory. The show was to be in October, the beginning of the Fall and busy holiday season. 

I decided to make my candles in three separate categories: Fall, Winter, & Everyday. These were my new product lines. In each group I chose 4 different fragrances. Fall: Apple Pumpkin Strudel, Pumpkin Spice, Candy Corn, & Caramel Sensations. Winter: Peppermint, Bayberry, Amish Quilt, & Christmas Village. Everyday: Midnight Pomegranate, Twilight, Blueberry Cobbler, & Love Spell. 

I then decided which types and how many of each type of candle I was going to make. This is what I came up with: For each fragrance I made (4) 8 oz jelly jar candles, (2) half pint wide mouth jar candles, 6 tart melts, 10 tea lights, and 8 votive candles. It worked out to be 4 pounds of wax per fragrance. 

With 12 different fragrances to choose from, I was able to offer (48) 8 oz jelly jar candles, (24) half pint wide mouth jar candles, 72 tart melts, 120 tea lights, and 96 votive candles for my customers. I came up with a schedule of making 8 pounds of wax per day and was able to pour everything within one week of my supplies arriving. This was plenty of inventory to take to the show.

I added all of this new inventory to what I already had on hand. Which, at the time, consisted of some 8 oz and 16 oz candles from my Spring and Summer product lines. And of course, there were left over tea lights, votive candles, and tart melts from Spring and Summer as well. I combined all of these products and sat down to make a very big list.

This list I am referring to is my Inventory List. I highly recommend having an updated inventory list at all times. It can be a very simple list stating everything you have on hand. I include type of candle, fragrance, quantity, and price on each line for my list. This way I can add up the price of each item I have available and come up with a total value of what I am taking to the craft show with me. After the craft show, I make a new list and add up the new total. I can then compare the list and subtract the difference to know exactly how much product I sold at the show and what my profit is.

Here is an example page from a product list:

Summary: Be sure to decide asap what categories or types of your products you will offer and how many of each you will make for the show. You will need to decide this and figure out what supplies you will need. Order your supplies asap and get to work! Once your products are made you still have a lot of work to do! 

Lesson 2: How to prepare for your first craft show: Labels & Price Tags  

Fall Collection Handmade Candle Creations

Here is my all new Handmade Candle Fall Collection! The collection includes 4 fragrances. I'm hoping these fragrances embrace the fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. And the colors are sure to fit in with your seasonal decorations. The colors include orange, brown, yellow, and butterscotch.

Apple & Pumpkin Strudel

Perfect combination of pumpkin, fruity apple, buttery nutmeg, spicy cinnamon & clove, creamy maple, caramelized sugar and vanilla. Smells so good!

Caramel Sensations

A deep, true caramel, warmed and sticky. Yummy!!

Candy Corn

This scent is amazing! It smells sweet and yummy like the favorite holiday treat!

Pumpkin Spice

A perfect fall blend of cinnamon & clove with vanilla & coconut. Get the fall season started with some pumpkin spice!

 All of these fragrances are available in my Etsy Shoppe.

Available products include 8 oz Jelly Jar Candles, Wide Mouth Half Pint Jar Candles, Wax Tarts, Votive Candles, and Tea Lights. 

I also offer Goats Milk Soap Bars 

Available in Monkey Farts, Creme Brulee, Candy Corn, Unscented, Sweet Serenade, Apple & Pumpkin Strudel, Twilight, and Love Spell

Goats milk soap contains natural creams, vitamins A, E, C, and some of the B vitamins, amino and citric acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and zinc. Contains no harmful chemicals. There is no dye added to my handmade goats milk soap. Colors may vary depending on the type of fragrance chosen.

Also check out my clamshell wax melts:

Available in Peppermint, Cherry, Midnight Pomegranate, French Vanilla, Apple Jack & Peel, Caramel Sensations, Sexy Little Thing, and Vanilla Bean Noel.

Colors vary for the wax melts depending on the fragrance.