Spoonflower Blog – Design & Sell your own Fabric, Wallpaper, and Gift Wrap

Earn Up to 15% With Spoonflower's New Commission Structure

2016-06-15T12:07:00-04:00

Huge news: we're taking our 10% designer commission and adding a bonus! For the month of June and every month hereafter, if your monthly commissions exceed certain thresholds, you will retroactively qualify for an additional bonus commission on top of what you've already earned. And on top of that, you will be paid out every 14 days (instead of once a month) with no waiting period. We've even added a new payout threshold of $10 (versus the previous $20) so you can transfer that cash to your bank account even faster than ever. Check out our infographic below which breaks down the new commission tiers.

There's no need to sign up or do anything differently, all you need is to make sure you are a verified seller on our site, and that your Paypal information is updated in your account. You can update that by logging in and clicking on "My Account" under "My Studio" and selecting the "Spoondollars" tab.

Sales not quite up to any of these tiers yet? You'll still earn 10% on every sale--all day, every day. From professional designers who use Spoonflower for their entire income to hobbyists wanting side cash, the Spoonflower Marketplace is for everyone. And you always keep the rights to your work!

The new bonus structure starts now with June being the first qualifying month, which means that if you made more than $300 in commissions by the end of June, you can expect your first bonus payment to come July 13th. Didn't make enough to qualify for a bonus but still earned more than $10.00? You can still expect a payout on July 13th.

When you thrive as a designer, we thrive. We are committed to providing a platform for you to be successful and share your designs with the world while being compensated fairly. Get to know fellow designers and learn more about all the vast ways you benefit from offering your designs for sale in our Marketplace, from free promotion, distribution through our sister brands, and exposure to our vast community.

Get Started

Turn a family treasure into a fabric design: DIY silk scarf from old newspaper clippings

2016-06-11T10:00:00-04:00

Are you a sentimental treasure hoarder like us? We love tutorials that allow us to bring family heirlooms and precious memories into our everyday lives. This week guest author Emma Jeffery from the blog Hello Beautiful shows us to do just that by turning a family keepsake into a beautiful scarf. We recommend using Poly Crepe de Chine for all the elegance of silk without the cost or animal impact of real silk.

Emma: I have never really been the kind of person who collects trinkets, hoards keepsakes or has many treasured family heirlooms tucked away in the attic, but now that I have children of my own, I am increasingly aware of the importance of keeping items that will one day tell our family’s story. Our family history is no more, or less, remarkable than that of the next, but it is unique in its detail and its narrative is a gift for future generations to treasure.

That said, I am not naturally predisposed to keeping things that do not serve a practical purpose so I’m trying to think of ways to preserve the memories of events and people without cluttering up my house with boxes that are never opened or with figurines that sit on a shelf and gather dust.

When my mum told me she was in possession of a newspaper published on the day she was born I was immediately inspired to think of ways to release it from its captive state at the bottom of a dusty drawer and to bring the printed material to life once more. After all, what good are treasures or keepsakes if we don’t stop to reflect upon them once in awhile?

My mum was born in England in June 1944, the day after the Normandy Landings when the allied troops invaded northern France, resulting in the decisive allied victory that marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War. The newspaper is only 8 pages long (presumably because of the shortages at the time) but despite this, I felt there was a wealth of material: adverts, news columns, satirical cartoons, movie theater announcements, letters, crosswords...

I decided to take photos of different parts of the paper that caught my eye and although there was no ignoring the obvious war reports and political references, I found I was drawn to aspects of the paper that highlighted regular humanity during wartime. For example, there was an advert for soap which asked the readers to consider, ‘Will he find you as young and lovely when he comes home again?” I also took photos of the date printed on the paper (my mum’s birthday!)

With roughly 100 photos of different parts of the newspaper, I transferred them onto my computer and used Picasa to create a collage of my favorite images. In the collage option in Picasa, you are able to set a custom size so I put in 36” x 36” as I intended on making a silk scarf of these dimensions printed on to one yard of Spoonflower’s beautiful silk crepe de chine.

I then positioned and repositioned the photos I had taken until I was happy with the design. At this point the colors were still their original yellowing newspaper with black text, but using Picasa’s Duo-Tone option under the image processing tab, I was able to select two colors for my print.

Though I tried a few test swatches before printing my yardage, all the color options I chose were within shades of my mum’s favorite colors, to make this scarf really personal for her.

When I received my yardage, I trimmed the edges and sewed a hand rolled hem around all four sides to complete the scarf.

This is beautiful fabric with such a special print that I know the scarf will become a family heirloom. And whilst the original newspaper may soon be returned to the bottom of the drawer and forgotten once more, the scarf will be worn and enjoyed, and will help tell part of our story for generations to come.

About Our Guest Blogger

Hi! I'm Emma from the Fiskars Design Team. I also blog over at hellobeautifulblog.blogspot.com/

I'm an obsessive sewer, often leaping into projects with more enthusiasm than talent, more bravado than skill and more good luck than anything else. This technique has worked well for me so far and more often than not, I make things I love, even if they're not absolutely perfect. And though I'm no expert, I have a passion for fabric, color and design. I know what I like and what I like makes me smile.

Register Today for the Spoonflower Handbook Master Class Summer Session!

2016-06-10T09:01:00-04:00

UPDATE: As of June 15, the Spoonflower Handbook Master Class Summer Session is full! Click here to join the waiting list.

After reading last month's Spoonflower Handbook Master Class recap by instructor Becka Rahn, were you itching to road trip to the Spoonflower HQ? If the answer is yes, you're in luck! We are excited to announce registration is now open for the summer session of the Spoonflower Handbook Master Class on August 26-28. This workshop will be an introduction to using Photoshop for fabric design, with a specific focus on using layers and seamless textures to add depth to your designs.

Ready to get designing? Click here to reserve your spot today!

Love is Love: DIY Napkins to Celebrate Pride Month

2016-06-09T14:01:51-04:00

Spoonflower embraces a love that exists for itself, not bound by color, gender, or geography. And to celebrate all love during Pride Month, Spoonflower has created two exclusive designs highlighting the colors of the rainbow and the values of inclusivity that make our vibrant world of color and surface design keep on spinning.

Join us in celebrating love with this DIY love is love napkin project, perfect for both crafty amateurs and experts. This project is easy to complete in about 30 minutes, so stitch together one for a friend or for yourself. Not sure how to finish your napkins? Check out our tutorial which breaks down the process step by step.

Our exclusive DIY Gift includes: - 1 fat quarter of Organic Cotton Sateen featuring our limited-run designs - A lovely postcard of printed instructions for finishing your project. Bonus: this project always ships within two days.

How an Electronic Music Festival Does Signage (Spoiler: with Peel and Stick Wallpaper)

2016-06-08T09:00:00-04:00

Moogfest is an annual 4-day music festival and technology symposium featuring artists whose music uses Moog instruments or ideas. It began a decade ago in memorial of Robert "Bob" Moog, the inventor of Moog synthesizers. This year Moogfest was held in Spoonflower's home city of Durham, North Carolina! With all the music and tech chatter surrounding the festival, Spoonflower was overjoyed to have the opportunity to provide the signage.

Our Woven (peel and stick) Wallpaper was selected by Moogfest organizers as the festival's signage material because of its versatility––it can adhere to a huge range of surfaces and can be peeled off and repositioned multiple times with minimal loss of stickiness. With venues scattered around the urban landscape of downtown Durham and surfaces ranging from corrugated steel, brick, and concrete surrounding festival-goers throughout, our Peel and Stick was put to the test. We are happy to report that it held up great, even through the sun, rain and wear-and-tear of constant festival traffic.

In the spirit of art and innovation, Moogfest organizers chose to print their official colors, cut out simple shapes, and playfully stick them to the surfaces around venues, as if handfuls of oversized confetti had been sprinkled about the entrances. We loved how much these bright shapes enlivened local Durham landmarks.

Even signage as simple as a rectangle banner can be difficult to set up when identifying anchor points or wrestling windy conditions. Since Peel and Stick doesn't need rope, grommets or bungee cords (since the banner is essentially a giant sticker), Moogfest's organizers had much more freedom to attach their signage. One of our favorite applications was this merch banner which started on concrete and bent around the curving glass blocks of Moogfest's mission control and merch area.

Moogfest check-in stations were also decked out in custom printed tablecloths, so attendees, artists, and volunteers alike could easily spot where to go.

Easels throughout the festival explained various workshops, displayed the daily schedules, and showed maps of downtown to help attendees get around efficiently.

The custom signage showed festival attendees where the music and technology workshops were taking place each day. Numerous buildings donned Woven Wallpaper signage on all weekend through the rain and sun, making it an ideal material for event signage in outdoor, multi-day settings.

For other similar project ideas, see our past blog posts about Woven Wallpaper calendars, and fabric party banners.

Turn your Photos into Canvas Wall Art with Spoonflower

2016-06-07T09:51:00-04:00

Are you looking for a quick, fun way to add some new art to your house or create a one-of-a-kind gift for someone special? Whether it’s pictures of a favorite vacation spot, a furry loved one or a family photo, the possibilities for DIY canvas wall art are endless with Spoonflower's custom digital printing process. Spoonflower staffer Alex is here to walk you through the process, from teaching you how to stretch canvas to finishing the edges of your piece so they don't snag. Follow along below!

This project can be completed in less than 20 minutes, for less than $30. We suggest using our Linen Cotton Canvas Ultra but you can also use our Eco Canvas. These sturdy fabrics provide a more natural and interesting texture, and help keep the image from warping as you stretch it.

If you like this tutorial, subscribe to our Youtube channel. Have an idea you'd like to see made into a tutorial? Let us know in the comments section below!

For this project you’ll need:

- a craft staple gun

- fabric scissors

- your fabric (I used a Fat Quarter of Linen Cotton Canvas Ultra but you can also use our Eco Canvas)

- canvas stretcher bars (I used a 16" x 24" frame)

As mentioned above, I used a fat quarter of Spoonflower’s Linen Cotton Canvas Ultra for this tutorial, but you could use our Eco Canvas, as well. Fat Quarters of both fabrics measure 18"x 27", so the image I printed fit with room to spare. You want something sturdy that will hold up to being stretched without warping the design. I suggest sizing your photo to be a couple inches larger than the dimensions of your stretcher bars to prevent white space from showing around the edges when your canvas wall art is hanging.

Step 1: Assemble the Frame

We'll start out by assembling the stretcher bars. Sand down any jagged edges to get the joints to slide together. Now, lay the frame onto your face down fabric. Position the bars centrally on your design and pull the fabric over the top edge and staple. Make sure to keep an even amount of surface area around all four sides of the canvas.

Use the leverage from the top staple to make sure that the fabric is pulled tight, tight, tight across the bottom. Repeat this process for the left and right sides, as well.

The first four staples on each of the sides are the most important part of the project to ensure even tension on your finished project!

Step 2: Stapling the sides

Start stapling around the sides, alternating one staple per side in a clockwise pattern. The number of staples needed depends on the size of your frame. Generally, one staple every 2-3 inches works fine.

Step 3: Finishing the Corners

Once you've made your way around the entire frame, it's time to do the corners. You want the fold of the fabric to lie along the bottom edge of the frame. This is more attractive and keeps things from getting caught on your canvas. Fold the outside edge over towards the inside of the frame and staple. Repeat this for All 4 corners and trim away any excess fabric on the back when you're finished flip it over and admire your handiwork.

Thanks for checking out this tutorial. For other ideas of fun DIY photo to fabric projects, check out this DIY photo pillow and this awesome canvas gallery wall.

Have a tip or suggestion that we left out? Let us know in the comments below!

Introducing our June Design Challenge

2016-06-01T11:42:29-04:00

We're teaming up with our friends at StoryPatches to bring you June's Design Challenge: Family Tree Coordinates! This Challenge seeks 4 coordinating designs that celebrate family, in all of its forms. No need to attach a story of any kind or create a quilt label, just submit four designs formatted in a one-yard sized file, that all go together and symbolize family to you. The winning coordinate designs will be licensed for an exclusive set of StoryPatches labels!

Not sure how your designs will look as StoryPatches labels? The possibilities are endless! The winning designer will work with the team at StoryPatches to create an exclusive set of quilt labels adapted from their Family Tree Coordinates – the perfect complement to any handmade project created with the winning designs!

Not sure how to design coordinates? Check out this blog post where our friend Bonnie Christine shows us just how easy it can be.

Need help with design layout? Download our coordinate template and instructions.

Still can't get your head around this challenge? Check out one of our previous "coordinate" design challenge winners.

Here's an example of four coordinating designs in the layout we're looking for for this Design Challenge:

An example of four coordinating designs, formatted to fit on one yard. All designs are by Bonnie Christine, and are not related to the theme of this Design Challenge

Prizes: Winner receives $300 cash prize from StoryPatches and a licensing contract to create a line of quilt labels, $300 Spoonflower credit + a press release. All remaining entrants in the top 10 to receive $100 in Spoonflower credit.

Click below to read more details about the Design Challenge timeline and official rules, as well as how you can be entered into a giveaway!

Announcing the BucketFeet Oceans Top 10!

2016-05-26T13:46:44-04:00

Congrats to "Under the Water" by Lavish Season!

We are excited to announce the winner of our Oceans Design Challenge: "Under the water" by Lavish_season!

BucketFeet will use this design to help build a collection raising awareness about the environmental issues and the impact of rising sea levels on ocean health. The Challenge winner received $250 from BucketFeet and $150 from Spoonflower, a licensing contract for a run of footwear, and a pair of shoes featuring their design.

Congratulations to the rest of our top ten winners who each received $150 in Spoonflower credit, and all who participated in our Oceans Design Challenge with BucketFeet! Hooray!

1. 951 votes for Under the water by lavish_season
2. 909 votes for lion's mane jellyfish of ocean by mary15
3. 815 votes for life_at_sea by mimipinto
4. 707 votes for Oh, the Hue-Manatee by spottedpepperdesigns
5. 682 votes for Jellyfish by phoebemik
6. 627 votes for Turbulent Oceans by indiepixels
7. 621 votes for Under_The_Sea_for_Spoonflower_Contest_resize by babyboulay
8. 582 votes for seastar-01 by laura_mooney
9. 575 votes for 200 Feet Below - The Teeming Ocean by vo_aka_virginiao
10. 565 votes for Deep Blue Sea by susannekasielke

11. 547 votes for open blue by castl3t0n
12. 540 votes for ocean watercolor, light ombre by holaholga
13. 514 votes for Amazing Ocean by beacapomaggidesigns
14. 511 votes for ocean-life by gaiamarfurt
15. 508 votes for Aquatic reflections of a super moon by orange_octopus
16. 495 votes for Aqua Ocean by thickblackoutline
17. 493 votes for ocean by adehoidar
18. 485 votes for lmir's letterquilt by lmir
19. 482 votes for Ocean by Dunia Nalu by dunia_nalu
20. 479 votes for Sea through the Looking Glass by cathrin_gressieker
21. 475 votes for Waitui by melarmstrongdesign
22. 473 votes for Deep Ocean by meliszawang
23. 470 votes for Sea meeting the sand by violetflamingo
24. 469 votes for oceanic variety by zapi
25. 461 votes for Whale Tribe by nouveau_bohemian
26. 455 votes for OceanWaves by ghennah
27. 454 votes for Blue Water Rising by kayvandyken
28. 446 votes for I whale always love you by ewa_brzozowska
29. 439 votes for coral field by mirabelleprint
30. 437 votes for Bucket Fish by jill_o_connor
31. 431 votes for One Fish Two Fish Blue Fish by katzdestext
32. 431 votes for Life on the reef by cjldesigns
33. 425 votes for How Blue Is My Ocean by robinpickens
34. 420 votes for Starfish Depths by magentarosedesigns
35. 416 votes for Tale of the Ocean by tiffanyheiger
36. 409 votes for Layered Ocean by joyfully_sewn
37. 407 votes for ocean_shoes_octopus by pauroyjj
38. 404 votes for Great Kelp Forest by marzipress
39. 398 votes for Tropical Lagoon by stephaniecoletextiles
40. 394 votes for Deep sea by cassiopee
41. 391 votes for ocean_wildlife by la_fabriken
42. 389 votes for Oceanic Deep Sea Blue Fish by heatherdutton
43. 384 votes for Turtle's Moonlit Walk by designs_by_lisa_k
44. 369 votes for Starfish and Coral by rubydoor
45. 368 votes for Life in the Great Barrier Reef by ceciliamok
46. 366 votes for BucketfeetOceans by michiko_design
47. 364 votes for save the narwhals by laura_may
48. 363 votes for Ocean waves by rachelmacdonald
49. 353 votes for Surf's Up! by snowflower
50. 350 votes for Ocean waves by svetlana_prikhnenko
51. 331 votes for Spoonflower-Waves by sunnykatt
52. 325 votes for ocean by minyanna
53. 325 votes for ShellPattern1 by krystalsmithing
54. 321 votes for So many fish by heleenvanbuul
55. 319 votes for Nautical Galaxy by lisa_guen_design
56. 316 votes for ABSTRACT OCEAN by lilybear_paris
57. 315 votes for Microscopic Current by erinrahill93
58. 313 votes for Ocean Waves by nethery
59. 309 votes for oceans // fish water whales sea block print by andrea_lauren
60. 302 votes for Ocean Dreams by pinkowlet
61. 300 votes for Save Our Shoals by stitchyrichie
62. 292 votes for Blooming Jellyfish by ceanirminger
63. 289 votes for OceansDeep by lissad
64. 287 votes for Ocean paradise by mimihammill
65. 281 votes for Pockets of Water by holly_mac
66. 271 votes for Surfin' Peonies by cynthiafrenette
67. 270 votes for New Fish in a New Ocean by emilyrosethomson
68. 259 votes for Movements by susan_polston
69. 252 votes for Ocean Paradise by bybeck
70. 248 votes for Pink Crown Fish on Gray by mariafaithgarcia
71. 247 votes for Wave Goodbye by seesawboomerang
72. 245 votes for ocean by gnoppoletta
73. 243 votes for Deep Love by papercanoedesign
74. 242 votes for A Walk on the Beach by noondaydesign
75. 242 votes for sea in a shell by mariaspeyer
76. 241 votes for wave by mariko_sg
77. 239 votes for coral_reef by valerinick_
78. 235 votes for Unicorn Of the Sea by namastemama
79. 232 votes for Sea Turtles Living Toward Extinction by salzanos
80. 227 votes for oceans in danger by perlesdepluie
81. 223 votes for Swimming with Sharks in Coral by figandfossil
82. 222 votes for Beautiful Ocean by ellila
83. 217 votes for Mermaid Lovers by tina_löffler
84. 212 votes for Moanaloha 1a by muhlenkott
85. 209 votes for ocean1 by radiocat
86. 208 votes for abstract_waves_grey_blue_beige_seamless_pattern-01 by erikakorma
87. 203 votes for Underwater Dance by amysnotdeadyet
88. 203 votes for Reef! by gasponce
89. 189 votes for Coral_Fish_Under_The_Sea by paper_and_frill
90. 189 votes for Let the currents guide your heart by gemmacosgrove-ball
91. 188 votes for Ocean Creatures by klingercreative
92. 184 votes for Crab Medley by topostarlight
93. 172 votes for Vibrant Ocean by wildnotions
94. 165 votes for Coral Reef Current by lulabelle
95. 165 votes for Deep by graceful
96. 159 votes for Ocean_Drops by owlsquirrel&twobirds
97. 138 votes for spoonflower-contest by katuno
98. 103 votes for sea-and-fish by thepatternparade
99. 94 votes for delicate sea life by booboo_collective
100. 75 votes for Ocean by andalouz

Meet the Fashion Designers of Tomorrow

2016-05-25T10:02:07-04:00

Here at Spoonflower HQ, we are lucky enough to live in an area surrounded by aspiring designers and astoundingly talented artists. Recently, North Carolina State University students put on their 15th annual Art2Wear Fashion Show, and Spoonflower was a sponsor of the event through our Emerging Designer Grant program. The theme of which was "The Virtue of Obsession." Today, we're getting to know some of the student designers, led by Assistant Professor of Art & Design, and Project Runway contestant Justin LeBlanc.

Angèle Gray

I'm Angèle Gray, an Art + Design student from North Carolina State University, currently pursuing my artistic dreams of fashion illustration and textile design. As a senior in the College of Art + Design, my self-identity has grown to encompass both my role as an artist and more importantly a designer. As a designer, I am interested in how The Formalist Art Theory can influence textile design. It suggests that the value of art is determined solely on the artist’s ability to use the formal design elements of color, line, composition, and texture. My design process starts by placing a hierarchy on the overall aesthetics I want to convey, I am then able to hone in on more detail-oriented works. I believe textiles should excite the viewer and open their senses. When creating, I strive to develop aesthetically refined designs that will intrigue and provoke a sense of connection to my work as well as an enthusiasm towards textile design.

Check out more from Angèle on Instagram @angele.c.gray

I have defined my collection using subdued hues, drawing inspiration from Paris during the rise of Formalism and Modern Art. Formalism showcases the basic design elements of color, line, composition, and texture and focuses on the artist’s ability to achieve a cohesive balance of the basic elements in the composition. The woman I design for can be many things, the garments reflect her taste yet she has nothing to prove. As a designer, I never want to speak for her, as Formalism is not interested in context. The construction of my garments segment the form of the body, reflecting on the deconstruction incorporated in Modern Art. The element that completes my collection is texture. These materials each have a specific value of texture and weight that when used in combination highlight their contrasting values. This collection is an obsession of Formalism in Modern Art and is a true test of aesthetic refinement.

Prints were a vital part of my collection “Vert.” I was inspired by the line work in the rooftop picture below, which was taken in Paris while I studied abroad. The line work in this picture served as the bases for the prints and silhouettes in my collection. I extracted and repeated shapes to create the two main prints you see in my collection. Playing with scale and subtle color variation I was able to achieve prints that captured Formalism in Modern Art and were uniquely distinct to my collection.

Susan Stephens

Susan used Silky Faille to create a 2 dimensional print inspired by the crochet stitch

Susan: My passion for creative making has led me to be a self motivated, ambitious individual while always ready to listen and learn something new. Intriguing textures, patterns and detailed qualities are captured in my work through the exploration of materials, scale and manipulated surfaces. Staying true to my personal expectations and aesthetics is something I value while dually never limiting myself in terms of experimentation and research. Over the past few years, I have profoundly learned about myself as a designer through process and failure, always reminding myself that every failed attempt makes for an even stronger success. I strive to bring my visions to life through well-crafted, intended techniques, typically handmade. My research and exploration are focused on finding solutions that bring the unordinary to life through design.

The statement for my art2wear collection is the following. (1919 is the name of the collection): 1919 marks the birth of my great grandmother, the inspiration of this collection and my heritage of crochet. This collection utilizes past traditions and techniques to bring contemporary ideas to life. A repetitive, obsessive technique is captivated through the shapes and forms crochet creates. Although it is not easy to keep traditions alive, creating is the solution for a revival. Crochet has engendered an opportunity to combine modern aesthetics with a historic tradition. This combination focuses on re-crafting delicate needlework into a fashion collection that is textural, bold and accessible for the modern woman.

As far as working with custom-printed fabric, my "obsession" (the theme for art2wear is obsession although you may already know this) is crochet and I have a lot of chunky knits and crochet in my collection. My prints imitate the literal crochet stitch. In the first 2 prints, it is a graphic simple layout and the newer print is meant to read as a textural crochet with dimension- I want the viewers to question whether it is actually a chunky yarn rather than a print. Working with custom printed fabric allowed me to bring texture to life through a flat surface because of all of the color and contrast possibilities. Spoonflower gave me to freedom to put whatever I wanted onto fabric which opened all kinds of new doors.

Meagan Shae

Meaghan Shea is a May 2016 graduate from the College of Design at North Carolina State University. She debuted her senior collection, TETRA, at the annual student-run fashion show Art2Wear [https://youtu.be/1iouqLQnTfQ] Meaghan's work focuses on graphic prints, bold use of color and fabric manipulations to create a style that is both striking and indisputable. She is passionate about using technology and the resources around her to maximize her creative process and yield the most innovate design solutions.

In Meaghan's own words: "I make rules but in the end I break them. I hold on tight to my aesthetic but can also be free. My design process is centralized around experimentation and precedent. I resolve design issues with a formula: almost a scientific approach. Through my current work I am focused on the harmonizing of color, print, texture and volume. I aim to transform the silhouette through the scale and placement of print."

Are you a Fashion Design or Interior Design student currently enrolled in university and planning to use Spoonflower materials in an upcoming collection or showcase? Apply for our monthly rolling Emerging Designer Grant. We pick one new winner on the first of each month.

How to Throw the Best Craft Party Ever

2016-05-24T10:24:09-04:00

We were so delighted to join our friends of Makers Collective at their annual business conference, The Makers Summit, in Greenville, SC in early March. The good folks of the Makers Collective sure know how to present an amazing event, and we're delighted to have them stopping by the blog to share a few of their favorite projects from this year's conference. Makers Collective co-founder Lib Ramos gives tips and tricks for how to throw the best craft party ever!

The Makers Summit 2016 from Makers Collective on Vimeo.

Lib: As part of Makers Summit conference each year, we host The Best Craft Party Ever. For the past two years, the party has actually been a series of progressive parties, where each stop features a craft project! If you’re looking to throw an epic craft party of your own, here are some of our tips for choosing the best kinds of crafts for a crowd.

Make it simple.

This is our number one rule – for several reasons. First, simpler projects tend to require fewer supplies, which makes transport and setup easier. Also, if it the craft is relatively simple, it allows for more conversation to happen alongside the crafting.

A little secret of ours: we’re not fans of awkward networking events. This is why we love crafting at events. It’s so much easier – and more comfortable – to get to know someone when you’re making something alongside each other.

Keep it clean.

In the case of The Best Craft Party Ever, people are making their way to and from multiple locations in their party clothes. We don’t want to ruin anyone’s evening by sending them home covered with paint. While this is a little different scenario than a workshop where you might expect to get a little dirty, we still recommend choosing relatively mess-free crafts — especially if your event is being held in a venue that doesn’t belong to you.

If there are parts of your project that are unavoidably messy, try doing those steps beforehand (unless it’s a crucial part of understanding the making process). For example, with our keychain craft, Jen dyed and painted various sized beads in different colors prior to the party.

Think portability.

This tip applies to your supplies as well as the finished craft. Ideally, your craft project won’t require a lot of special or heavy equipment, but if it does, have a solid plan for set up and tear down. For one of our crafts this year, we recruited our local screenprinter, Dapper Ink, to bring in their portable screenprinting station. Because they do this all the time, we were happy to let them handle all of the equipment logistics.

It’s also wise to ask yourself how party-goers will transport their projects home. For The Best Craft Party Ever, many of our attendees fly in for the event. This means the crafts can’t be extremely fragile or too large to fit into a carry on bag. If the project you want to make is large or awkwardly-sized, think about providing some kind of packaging to protect the finished piece – like cardboard tubes for oversized posters.

Consider your audience.

We do our best to come up with projects that are gender neutral because we never want anyone to feel excluded from making. Of course, your crowd may be different than ours, but there are plenty of great craft ideas that aren’t gender specific. The main goal is to choose a project that works for the greatest number of guests. At our British pub-themed party, we opted for a tea blend project, which we felt was more universally appealing than some of our other ideas.

Partner with the pros (optional).

This tip is purely optional, but might be worth considering. Depending on your craft, it could make sense to bring in a local business (like our Dapper Ink screenprinting station), an arts organization, or an individual maker to help make it happen. Be sure you’re seeking out a true partner, not just asking for free supplies or for an artist to share all of their secrets! Collaboration should create a win/win situation for everyone involved.

Because we’re usually planning multiple parties at once (alongside a conference), The Best Craft Party Ever is a great opportunity to seek out collaborative partnerships. This year, Spoonflower hosted one of our craft areas. We brainstormed about project ideas, focusing on crafts that could really take advantage of their products. The coaster craft we landed on (using their faux suede) checked all the boxes: it was simple, relatively mess-free, portable, and gender neutral.

Lib Ramos is the Co-founder/Creative Director for Makers Collective, a non-profit based in Greenville, SC. The Makers Collective empowers creative entrepreneurs while cultivating a supportive community around them. The organization hosts large and small events, including Indie Craft Parade and The Makers Summit.