Professional lapidary services can be expensive. Luckily, there are a few ways to do lapidary work by yourself. It’s up to you!

We have outlined a few techniques and safety tips that make it possible for any hobbyist to polish and cut stones into beautiful custom jewelry.

What Is Lapidary?

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Lapidary is the art and science of cutting, polishing, and other techniques that involve work on precious or semiprecious stones, rocks, minerals, or other natural materials.

In some cases, it is possible to see the original piece of art in the finished lapidary piece.

The lapidary technique includes working with the natural surface of gems such as polishing, carving, inlaying, mounting, setting, wiring, and brazing.

A person using lapidary techniques creates something that is one-of-a-kind, and with a unique surface that reflects the master’s skills.

The lapidary technique is not just limited to rocks and minerals. A person can use virtually anything that has a faceted surface.

Origin of lapidary

Lapidary comes from the Latin word “lapis” which translates to “stonecutter” or “working with stone”.

Lapidary has its roots in ancient civilizations. The Egyptians started the lapidary techniques, and the Romans adapted them to create micromosaics.

There are several places that hold lapidary competitions where the lapidary community can learn and experience all that comes with the sport of lapidary.

Tools Required For Lapidary Work

Lapidary equipment is essential for beginners on their way to becoming a naturally skilled gemstone artisan.

Most beginners start crafting from scratch, using their own rock and their own slab saw to cut it. You could also try your hand at tumbling.

This is the easiest method and great for polishing rocks, as well as starting off with small rocks known as agates and jaspers.

Some of the basic equipment that is part of the lapidary process would be

gemstones or rock slabs, burnishing powder, silicon carbide, safety glasses(an absolute must), a trim saw or slab saw and more.

Popular Lapidary Techniques

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Designing or preparing the gemstone for the polishing process is not enough. We must also choose a machine that does it effortlessly.

Tumbling Technique

In lapidary, tumbling process is a common and traditional method of polishing rough gemstones. Tumbling gadgets are easily available, and these are designed to perform simple tasks like providing luster to the stone, removing small flaws, and also helps in cleaning stone dust.

Cabbing Technique

“Cabochons” are stones that are cut and polished with a convex, rounded top. Cabochons are typically fashioned into several symmetrical shapes, such as ovals, squares, rectangles, and hearts.

The most common use for cabochons is to make jewelry pieces. Cabochon include stones cut in many shapes and sizes, usually with a flat or a domed base.

Polished cabochons are often used as beads or pendants.

Faceting technique

Faceting requires highly specialized equipment and knowledge to safely facet gems- only qualified individuals should attempt to cut faceted gemstones.

New faceters often begin by practicing on inexpensive glass cut into shapes or on synthetic materials / man-made gems.

It is important to know that faceting is a very challenging and exacting art/science.

Faceting requires expertise regarding the nature of materials, proper safety equipment and tools, and skillful handling of stones.

Carving

Carving is an additional step that goes after faceting a gemstone. It is all about using the right equipment to give it a proper form after scraping away unnecessary portions of that material.

This process makes the most use of the rough gemstone’s design and removes excess weight.

It can add sparkle to a gemstone and also requires great skill and patience.

A cutter uses specific tools to craft a diamond with carved detail in it. Sometimes, there are mistakes in carving or in cutting, so using some backup plans like laser inscription can help prevent imperfections from being too visible to the naked eye.

Drilling

Drilling a gemstone is an important process which when done properly, will ensure that your gemstone has the best chance of surviving normal wear and tear.

When drilling into a gemstone, it is important to understand how quickly the drill will penetrate the surface and slow speeds cannot be overemphasized.

Taking Safety Precautions For Lapidary Work

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Wear safety glasses.

First, it’s important to remember that lapidary equipment is highly-sophisticated, and can cause serious injury if not used properly.

A full set of goggles and safety glasses are recommended for all lapidary work.

The goal is to make sure that you protect the eyes with goggles and safety glasses to avoid burns, abrasions, and other injuries.

Safety glasses are needed because of the extreme heat and light generated by the equipment.

Take elaborate and comprehensive training sessions.

A brief training on how to use equipment is very important.

Most professional lapidary work will require at least brief, guided safety lessons when using the equipment.

Extreme caution on the job while using lapidary tools and during the overall lapidary process are important for safety as well.

It is important to make sure that you do not use abrasive blasting for the work that you do, as it can damage the gemstones. It can harm the lapidary equipment, and cause damage in the surrounding work areas.

A light layer of non-toxic, lubricant sprays applied to tools is a good practice in using lapidary equipment.

The clean, porous feel of a lubricant gives it the ability to absorb the abrasive blasting. Hence, the lubricant coating gives a level of protection to the lapidary equipment while allowing it to remain sharp.

Use Protective Gear(without fail).

It is important that you always wear protective eyewear while using lapidary equipment. It is also important to use a helmet while using a stone tool.

A helmet offers protection for the face from shrapnel and abrasion, as well as from any dust that the stone tool may produce.

Some other tips include wearing a high quality glove. The thicker the glove, the less likely you are to lose your grip on the work equipment or stone.

By wearing a glove, you will feel less likely to have any abrasion or break the skin during the process.

Allowing the stones to melt with a torch during the process can also be very hazardous and should be done carefully, preferably under expert supervision. Stay away from marked danger zones.

Read labels carefully.

Try to use natural materials(wherever possible) for gemstone cutting and polishing. Natural materials tend to have a high “quality of touch”.

Are you aware that you can become sick from using the wrong coolants or chemicals on your lapidary tools? Lubricants made with paraffin or mineral oil, lard, and various emulsions of surfactants are the most commonly used chemicals.

However, these types of fluids can cause dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) if not handled properly under expert guidance.

While purchasing a lubricant, oil, or other chemical, the important thing is to read all labels and fine print. It does a world of good to be aware of harmful chemicals and compounds that may be listed in these products.

Clean Your Tools Properly.

When cutting stones, hold them up to the light with the stone facing up. Try not to get bits of dirt in your stones, and use clean cotton rags or paper towels to clean them.

If you are doing carvings or a great deal of carving, wrap your tools in a towel to protect them from sharp rock or glass. Also, any oil spills in and around the equipment area must be cleared away immediately.

Have an emergency plan.

A good emergency action plan will ensure that everyone in your team knows where to go and what to do in case of emergencies.

A fire extinguisher should be located on every floor in case of fire. A first-aid kit should always be available in the premises.

Do NOT bring food and water anywhere near the work area.

Lapidary equipment is very often dust-ridden and hostile to both food and drink. The dust can be abrasive and may contain toxic minerals.

Therefore, it is important to keep food, drink, and other combustibles away from the equipment area, in order to prevent accidental ingestion of grit or toxins.

Finding it hard to find quality lapidary information?

Our content is designed and written by experts within the field. We cover all aspects of the lapidary profession, from sourcing rock to crafting objects of beauty.

We also have a strong educational aspect too.

If you’re trying to decide whether lapidary is for you, or just need someone to talk you through your first project, we are here to help.

Our blog will help you carve out your skill and finally start getting those gems out of the ground and into your hands.

We are passionate about the community and enjoy helping others connect with something they love.

Jewelry making has been a popular hobby for a while now. While the art of jewelry making was traditionally restricted to professional craftsmen, many took up the skill as a hobby. The biggest benefits of jewelry making is that it helps you create your own personalized designs that are best suited to your taste. Apart from this, you can also get creative with your jewelry making and come up with unique gifting ideas. Whether its for gifting, building your own jewelry collection or finding an outlet to your hobby, making jewelry is a great way to develop your attention to detail and dexterity.

The market has opened up a great deal to jewelry making, not only as an exclusive craftsman’s job, but also a household hobby. You can find an endless variety of jewelry-making kits suited perfectly for the hobbyist’s pursuits. So much so that decision-making can get a bit confusing. Here are a few things you can do to make the job of choosing the right jewelry making kit a lot easier:

Personal factors

Before we can get into the types of jewelry kits to choose from, it is important to have a fair assessment of where you stand.

· How confident are you? Do you have an experimental attitude and are willing to try new things? If you’re okay with a few failed projects here and there, you can pick up a more challenging kit from the get go. This will help you learn on the job and express yourself to the fullest. On the other hand, if you’re looking to take things easy and build your skillset gradually, you can opt for a simpler jewelry kit made for beginners. Once you get comfortable with this, you can build up to more complex projects.

· What’s your skill and dexterity level? Whether it’s jewelry making or any other craft depending on fine motor movements, your dexterity is crucial. Many are naturally dexterous and have great control from the beginning. Others may require some practice before they can go pro. Have a realistic assessment of how good you are with your hands and make a decision accordingly.

· Do you have any previous experience? Both the above questions are closely related to your previous experience. If you have some previous experience, it’s bound to impact your confidence and skill level. With previous experience, you already have a clear idea of your comfort levels with different types of craft kits. This gives you better objectivity in your decisions. On the other hand, if you have no previous experience, you may be a little lost to start with. In that case, you can always check out jewelry, making videos and evaluate how comfortable you are.

· Are you good with following instructions? Most jewelry kits come with instruction leaflets with suggestions on how to make basic jewelry. If you’re a beginner, this can be the all-important bridge between experimentation and success. It is integral, however, to be able to follow these suggestions well. If you’ve got a logical mindset and can follow instructions to the tee, this should be easy pickings. Conversely, if you find written instruction leaflets hard to follow, you may require some outside help. This could come in the form of another hobbyist’s advice or instructional videos.

· How serious are you about jewelry making? Whether you’re choosing a jewelry making kit for a child or an adult, the level of interest matters a great deal. If you’re looking to casually try your hand on the skill, a basic starter pack with easy-to-execute designs should do the trick. For those looking to get serious with the skill, a more intricate kit that requires higher skill and commitment is a good pick.

· What are you looking to create? Are you specifically into making earrings or do you want to create a set? Is there a specific area of interest or are you looking to do it all? Knowing exactly what you want to create makes decision-making easier. If you are more specific with your requirements, there is no need to go all out with a large kit. On the other hand, if you want the kit to inspire ideas and see where it goes, having a larger kit with more options can be a game-changer.

Knowing what’s out there

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With all the variety doing the rounds, it helps to know what’s out there to take a good call. While beaded and woven jewelry are most common, you can also find jewelry making kits to create leather or resin jewelry.

· Beaded kits

Beaded jewelry kits are the most commonly available ones out there. Apart from beads, these kits include all the tools you would need to execute the perfect piece of jewelry. They usually include needles, thread or strings, and beads. Though most of these jewelry strings are flexible and need no bending, some of these kits that include metallic parts may also include clasps. Similarly, many of these kits also include pliers that are necessary to cut or bend wires.

There are also many of these kits that are designed to sew or weave beads together. They include seed beads and bead looms that can be put together in different combinations for a variety of designs. These kits, however, may not include other tools such as clamps or pliers.

· Weaving kits

Weaving kits are popular types of jewelry making kits that require a little more skill that bead kits. Unlike many other types of jewelry making kits, embroidery and weaving kits do not include too many accessories. These kits rely more on the skill of the user and offer a wider range of options to experiment with. That being said, these kits do come with basic instructions to get started.

· Resin kits

Moving on to more complex styles, resin making kits are on top of the list. These kits include a range of chemicals, making them best suited for adults only. Not only do these kits require a higher degree of skill, but they can also require a great amount of care to ensure the resin sets right.

· Leather kits

Leather making kits are equally less common types of jewelry making kits. They usually include leather pieces that are cut into desired shapes and can be assembled according to instructions. These kits are best suited for hobbyists who enjoy the assembly stage more than the actual designing part.

If you’re the kind of a craftsperson who likes variety, you can always find combination kits that have different types of materials and tools. For example, some kits may include a mix of beads and embroidery threads that can be used to create beaded jewelry with woven elements. Similarly, larger kits could include beads, embroidery threads, resin ornaments, and more.

Again, these kits also come with loads of add-ons that go a long way in lifting the look of your jewelry. Some of them include different types of ornamental stones, metal pendants and parts and so on.

Picking a kit with the right tools

While you may have all the raw material you need to make that perfect jewelry set, it is equally important to have the right set of tools to execute your design. Different materials require different tools so it helps to be aware of what you’re working with. For example, working with metal wires will require pliers for cutting and bending; however, this is not a necessity when working with simple strings and beads. Here’s a list of most commonly used tools:

· Pliers (crimp, flat-nose, or round-nose)

· Wire cutters

· Bead organizers

· Memory wire

· Beading thread or cord

· Ear wires

· Big-eye beading needles

· Clasps

· Crimp beads

· Headpins

· Eye pins

· Tape measure or ruler

· Adhesive

· Scissors

Please note that you may not need all these tools for every jewelry making application. All you need to do is to ensure you have the right tools for the right design.

Putting together your own jewelry making kit

While ready-made kits do make life much easier, they may limit your scope for application at times. If you are looking for a little more flexibility, you can also opt to customize your own jewelry making kit. It is, however, important to be well aware of all the raw material and tools you need to make this happen. It’s also equally important to look into the cost implications of putting together a customized kit. If putting together a hand-picked kit is working out to be costlier than a pre-configured set, you may want to put some more time into searching for the latter at an economical price.

Picking a customized kit can work the other way saving you valuable cash as well. For example, if available kits include create jewelry sets and you’re to create earrings, you don’t want to be spending on other elements. In this case, customizing yourself a kit is a better, cheaper option. Not only will it help you save cash, it will also get the most out of your creativity.

At the end of the day, choosing the right jewelry kit comes down to a combination of all the above-mentioned factors. The decision must take into account your personal taste and requirements. It should also consider the tools and materials you will need to bring your idea to fruition. Doing this right will go a long way in giving your creativity the boost it needs.

If you want your flowers and other plants to be used in a more lasting way, potpourri is the best alternative. Moreover, it will provide a natural scent and act as a decorative item in your house. It has been used in homes since ancient times in several ways. At times, it was just scattered on the floors or set out in ports with perforated lids to scent the places.

In modern times, potpourri is made from a collection of decoratively shaped dried flowers, with added natural or synthetic perfumes. You do not necessarily need scented plants for making a potpourri. Potpourri also has a great lifespan if made properly. It can last from 2 months to even 20 years, as per the chosen blend. It also lasts longer if stored in closed containers. It can be made from homegrown flowers or herbs or you can also use flowers from bouquets etc.

Potpourri has many benefits. It scents your home naturally and thus saves you from irritating chemicals that are used in other scented items. It will also help you save money that you might spend on buying scented candles or other scented stuff. Moreover, the ingredients needed for making a potpourri can be found in your own home and won’t cost you anything. You just need dried flowers, herbs, essential oils, or any spices that you want to include. You can also incorporate seeds, berries, dried fruit slices, seedheads, cones, and barks to add different textures to your potpourri.

Read on to find out the best plant species you should use to make a potpourri and how to make it perfect.

Best Plants for a Potpourri:

You have an option to use any aromatic flowers or plants to make your potpourri according to your preferences. However, here we have got you a list of the best ones that you should consider.

1.      LAVENDER:

Lavender performs well in almost every climate and thus is great for a potpourri. The best species to consider is Phenomenal, known as Lavandula x intermedia Phenomenal. It is a true hybrid hedge lavender. French lavender or Lavandulastoechas is also an easy to grow species of lavender. It has a strong scent and a good drought tolerance capacity. These purple flowers add color to the potpourri while their leaves will add aroma.

2.      CHAMOMILE:

Chamomile, more popularly known for its tea form, is a great flowering herb for a potpourri. It has small and pretty white flowers with big yellow centers and has a delicate and relaxing scent. It looks great in a potpourri and you can also use the leftover flowers for your tea.

3.      ROSES:

If you want to add pretty colors and nice fragrances to your potpourri, roses are your go-to option. You can use the peach-colored roses, known as At Last roses or the strawberry and cream-colored ones, called Double Delight roses. It is advisable to use the flowers before they open. However, you can also use fully grown flowers. You can use both small buds and petals and also, remember to keep the petals whole to add a beautiful look.

4.      MARIGOLDS:

Remember to choose marigolds if you want to provide beautiful color to your potpourri. These flowers are bright and cheerful. They might not add scent to the potpourri but will surely add pops of rich gold, red, and orange. You can additionally add other scented flowers or added scent to the potpourri.

5.      BASIL:

Being cultivated for over 5,000 years, basil is a perfect ingredient for home-made potpourri as it adds scents to it. Different varieties give different and interesting scents. They are a part of the mint family. Chocolate basil, cinnamon basil, lemon basil, and others add a nice smell.

6.      GERANIUMS:

Scented geraniums have aromatic leaves which can be used as a great ingredient for a potpourri. These geraniums are grouped into 5 fragrance categories, namely, citrus, rose, mint, spice, and pungent. The last one has overtones of eucalyptus, camphor, and other strong, medicinal aromas. They are very easy to grow and adds a nice odor to the potpourri.

These were some of the must-have ingredients for a potpourri. However, you can add any flowers or dried leaves of your choice to make your potpourri according to your preferences.

How to Make a Perfect Potpourri?

Now that we know the ingredients for the potpourri let us look at the techniques of making it.

Growing Potpourri Plants:

Growing all the plants you need for the potpourri is the first step. Most of the plants are common garden plants that can be grown in fertile garden soil and full sun. However, some tender plants need to be grown in containers by adding the required potting mix. Such plants include germaniums.

Drying Potpourri Plants:

Drying potpourri plants is the second major and very crucial step for making a potpourri. You need to be aware that any moisture in the leaves or petals can reduce the quality of the scent. If the plants are not dried well, fungus or mold can also grow on them. So, all the plants need to be dried thoroughly. You can choose any of the given drying methods to dry your potpourri plants.

1. Spread all the plants on a paper laid on a tray in a single layer. Place them in a cool dark place and let them dry. This process might take time ranging from a few days to a few weeks.
2. Hang the plants in a cool and dry place and allow them to dry fully. This can take from one to three weeks.
3. You can also use an oven to dry your plants. You can use this method for drying flowers with intricate details. Set the oven at 180 degrees Fahrenheit. You need to be very aware while using a microwave and keep on checking at short durations. Remove the flowers as they turn a little brittle.
4. You can use varying drying mediums like sand, silica gel, or oolitic sand.
5. The last way is to use a food dehydrator for fast and efficient drying.

It is advisable to dry more flowers and herbs than you might need to ensure that you have plenty of material while making the potpourri.

Making the Potpourri:

The steps to make the potpourri are listed below:

1. When your plants are fully dry, collect them, and gather all the ingredients in one place. Combine all of them in a mixing bowl and mix them well by tossing gently.
2. Add a few drops of essential oils to make the scent last longer.
3. Mixing should be done gently so that the petals don’t break.
4. You can use a fixative to keep the scent from fading. Vanilla beans, gum benzoin, oakmoss, or orris root works great as a fixative.
5. Using more than one fixative is also a great idea. It is advisable to use around 20% total fixative by its weight.
6. After mixing all the ingredients well, place it in a container, and store it in a warm and dark place for around 6 weeks.
7. You can also add a few drops of essential oils every week and stir it well until you get a fragrance you like.
8. Pick it up after 6 weeks and your potpourri is ready!
9. Place it in a bowl and decorate your living room with it.

This potpourri will usually last for several months but you will be required to add essential oils to it from time to time.

Ideas to Decorate your Potpourri:

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Displaying potpourri is also an art. Various potpourri display ideas are listed below:

• The best idea is to display your potpourri with brightly colored petals in an open glass bowl.
• You can also make a closed sachet from a fabric by stitching it and place your potpourri inside it. this can be hanged anywhere in your house.
• Choose potpourri containers with sealed lids. This will allow you to close the lids and save the fragrance of the potpourri when it is not in use.
• Buy some vintage candy bowls from antique stores and place your potpourri in them.
• Use any type of decorative jar, bowl, glass, or any other container which has a good design and place it on your center table.
• You can sue them as gifting items by placing them in a jar and wrapping a pretty ribbon on top.
• Another way to use the potpourri is by packing them in sealed packets and placing them in the wardrobes to add odor.

Making a potpourri is much more than just preparing something for decorating your home. The process of growing your own flowers, drying them, and then preparing your potpourri is a rewarding process in itself. remember the mantra of making the potpourri: “More the variety, better the potpourri.” Use varied plants, leaves, flowers, spices, and oils for making a great and aesthetic scented potpourri. Go ahead and prepare your fantastic potpourri to decorate and scent your house with your artistic skills.

Sea glass is the glass that is naturally found in the seashores and beaches. Sea glass is also sometimes called beach glass, sea gems, or sea pearls.

The real or genuine sea glass is formed from old glass bottles, jars, or other glass items disposed and washed off to the sea. These shards of glass may have reached the sea as waste, from shipwrecks, or any other human activity. Mostly, the waste pieces of glass come from commercials establishments selling juice, drinks such as beer, or companies that manufacture glassware. Over many years, these glass pieces get tumbled by waves, gravel, and sand in the sea. This way, the sea glass gets its color, texture, or appearance that is quite different from other man-made glass. The natural sea glass is considered more beautiful and valuable compared to man-made glass, especially when used in decorations or ornaments.

Figure 1: Sea glass seen in the beach

Image source: Pixabay

Characteristics of Sea Glass

Natural sea glass has many characteristics that make them unique and define their quality. This includes pores and texture, collection of frost on the surface, thickness and shape, color or presence of bubbles.

Pores and Texture

When you observe a sea glass under a microscope or magnifier, you can see small “c-shaped” pores or abrasions. These abrasions are formed as the glass undergoes uneven tumbling inside the sea over the sand, gravel, and water, and due to hydration over decades of exposure in saltwater. These pores are absent in man-made glass as the chemical processes used to make artificial glass leave no pores or abrasions on the glass surface. Also, in man-made glass, the machine used to tumble the glass is of uniform size, and it does not create any abrasions.

Image source: flickr.com

Frost on the surface

You can see the collection of frost or small water crystalline structures on the top of a sea glass.

This frost on the surface of a sea glass is the result of years of exposure to saline water under the sea. Due to this exposure to salinity, the structure of the glass breaks down and water leaches to the glass surface. This frost is not a salt residue but the result of the saline hydration process that happens in the sea over many years. The sea glass undergoes a natural hydration process. It becomes frosted as the sodium in the glass is replaced by hydrogen in the water.

In case, you have a piece of jewelry made of real sea glass, you can hide the frost by rubbing a drop of oil on its surface.

Figure 3. Bracelet made of Sea Glass

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Some fake sea glasses get the frost outside by artificial processes such as tumbling and acid etching. Artificial process may not be able to give the same results, and only the real sea glass can have the frost seen on its surface. The water current and exposure to saline water ages the real sea glass and its quality is different from that of fake sea glass.

Thickness and shape

The older sea glasses have mostly thicker shape. Sea glasses also have curvature if they are part of old glass bottles. They don’t have a definite shape, nor are they very smooth or very hard.

Fake sea glasses can be thin or rough with uneven shapes that give them an appearance of real sea glass. Fake sea glasses may have designed shapes such as a carefully designed triangle or an oval shape. A fake sea glass may not get the real curvature seen in the piece of a sea glass formed from a shard of glass bottle. You can use these characteristics to differentiate a real sea glass from a fake one.

Color

Sea glasses are formed from very old pieces of glass (typically 20 years old or more). So, the colors seen in the sea glasses are mostly unique and may not be the same as seen in newer man-made glasses.

Time Required for the Formation of Sea Glass

The formation of sea glass is a natural and slow process. In this process, the amount of time plays the most crucial role. Typically, it takes around 20 to 30 years’ time to form good quality sea glass. This is because the natural chemical and physical changes to the glass within the sea are slower when compared to man-made artificial processes.

Difference between sea glass and beach glass

Sea glasses are found from the salty seashores, whereas beach glasses are found on the freshwater beaches or seawater beaches. Beach glass is a term that encompasses both sea glass and fresh-water beach glasses. While all sea glass comes under beach glass, not all beach glass is sea glass.

Salt-water sea glasses are more tumbled and weathered compared to fresh-water beach glasses.

The geographical locations where sea glass is commonly seen include the northeast United States, California, Mexico, Australia, and Italy. An example of a location to find fresh-water beach glasses is the Great Lakes in the United States.

Iris Glass

The Iris glass represents the vintage glassware from the 1930s produced by the American firm named Jeannette Glass Company. The glassware was originally known as  Iris and Herringbone glassware. This glass was also called Iris glass or Iris crystal glass.

This glassware gets its name from the full-relief molded iris flowers with leaves on the main body of the glass, in the background of a fine-molded Herringbone pattern. There was a rayed-based pattern seen in the base of the glassware in all the productions. This rayed-based pattern is still used to identity the originality of the piece from the 1930s collection.

Figure 4. The Iris flowers seen in a Herringbone background in a typical Iris glass bowl

The Iris glass became very popular with many kinds of glassware available such as footed cocktail and dessert sets, dinner plates, bowls of all sizes, and flat tumblers. Sometime Iris glass was used along with metal as in a glass-and-metal-nut bowl. Or it was even used in the ruffled glass shades for ceiling fixtures.

History of Iris Glass

Jeannette Glass Company of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, produced the Iris and Herringbone glassware in 1928 and people used this glassware mostly in the Depression-era that followed. Hence, this glassware is also now known as Depression glass or Depression vintage glassware. Jeannette Glass Company existed from 1898 and continued to operate until 1983.

Design patterns in Iris Glassware

The Jeannette Glass Company produced different designs of Iris glass in the later years. These include the translucent Green and Pink 91/2″ Ruffled Salad Bowl or the Footed Creamer which were available only for a short period. These vintage Iris glass types are rare nowadays and are high-priced, if still kept intact without damage.

When the World War II ended, Jeannette Glass Company came up with the more popular “iridescent” finish in the Iris glassware. A special glaze, shade, and finish was given to the glass, and this was seen as a marigold shade in the glassware. This shade was seen in many items including 5″ cereal bowl, the smooth edge fruit bowl, or the 8″ luncheon plates.

By 1946, Iris glassware came with a new pattern—crystal decorated with Gold and Red—and was named Corsage. But this pattern was not a popular pattern. By the 1970s, Jeannette Glass Company produced more of their older design lines in different shades of red, yellow, blue, or green. An example of this Iris glass is the candy dish bottom which did not have the original “rayed” base pattern or covers.

Reproduction of Iris Glassware

Since the vintage Iris glassware became quite popular, there were efforts to reproduce the collection in 1999. This was particularly true about the 9” dining plate collection. It is possible to identity if the collection is original (from the 1930s), if you examine the base of the glassware for a specific pattern. The Iris glassware original production has a rayed-based pattern, that act as the signature to identify an original Iris and Herringbone glassware from a reproduced pattern in the later 1990s.

Source of Information about Iris Glassware

An excellent resource about Iris and Herringbone glassware is the American bestseller glass book, “Collectors Encyclopedia of Depression Glass” by Gene Florence, originally released in 1972.

Difference between Sea Glass and Iris Glass

1. Sea glass is typically old shards of glass seasoned in the seas due to natural chemical processes. They are man-made glasses that are naturally weathered. Iris glass are solely man-made glassware produced from the 1930s in America.

2. Sea glass is used mainly in decorations and in ornaments. Iris glass were used for making glassware such as tumblers, bowls, plates, etc., or in specific decorations such as ceilings.

3. Sea glass has a different quality when compared to Iris glass. Sea glass accumulates frost due to the chemical weathering it has undergone over the years. Iris glass is a man-made glass with the purpose of daily use, and hence it does not accumulate frost.

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Want to keep your house smelling great while Christmas is around the corner? Need to refresh the smell of your homemade fall potpourri that has lost its scent after Thanksgiving?

Wondering what the lifespan of homemade potpourri is?

Look no further! We have brought you the ultimate guide and FYI about homemade potpourri, its lifespan, hacks to refresh its scent and tricks to make it last longer.

What is Potpourri?

Originally a French term, potpourri means ‘rotting pot’. It is a mixture of dried organic items like flower petals, leaves, herbs, spices, fruit peels, and other plant materials. It is used as a dry decoration and room freshener. Potpourri has been in use since ancient times for decoration. It is stored in glass bowls or containers as a decorative item even today.

Potpourri is available in stores, but store-bought potpourri can be substandard with waste items. Homemade potpourri is great for a DIY home decor project. Simply decorate your tables and shelves with homemade potpourri, some lights and candles, and hey presto! You’re ready for the festive season!

Homemade potpourri is so easy to make, and it can also be an excellent Christmas or Thanksgiving gift for your dear ones!

Making long-lasting and aromatic potpourri at home

The best time to start making potpourri for Christmas and Thanksgiving is fall or autumn. An exquisite variety of flowers and brightly-hued leaves are available in this season. You can collect all sorts of fragrant barks, pine cones, dry fruits, and maple leaves to add more color and spice to your homemade potpourri.

Depending on availability or preference, you might make citrus or floral potpourri. You may also make a mix of both.

Get ready to embark on this short and elating DIY journey with the following prerequisite things:

• A pair of scissors
• Parchment paper
• An oven
• Seasonal flowers of your choice
• Essential oils (lemon/orange oil for citrus potpourri; rose/lavender oil for floral potpourri)
• Spraying bottle
• Baking tray.

Optional items to use: Citrus fruits, fresh herbs, whole spices.

Now that you’re ready with your ingredients, simply follow the steps below to make for your home some fragrant and beautiful potpourri:

Step 1: Get your choice of flowers for the potpourri. Flowers with strong scents such as lavender, lilac, or roses would be preferably better for the purpose. Flowers with small and individually distinct petals would also do great. But if that’s not possible, the whole flower head can be used too. Preheat your oven to 200 degree Fahrenheit (93.33 degree Celsius).

Step 2: Cover the sheet tray with parchment paper. Get your scissors and cut all the flowers from their stems under the heads and lay them out on the tray. If possible, remove the petals from some flowers and arrange them in one layer on the parchment paper. Leave some flower heads whole to give it a beautiful look.

Step 3: To add extra aroma to your potpourri, you may add thin slices of citrus fruits and their peels. Fruits like oranges, lemons and berries would do. Also put sprigs of lavender, thyme, rosemary etc. in the mixture. You may also add whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, star anise or allspice. These spices have a wonderful aroma. Another wonderful option is pine cones (depends on availability). They look and smell amazing!

Step 4: Take your favorite essential oil, preferably lavender, citrus, cinnamon, or other fruity smells. These last longer. Add 10-15 drops into a tablespoon of water and put it in a small spray bottle. Now spray it on the potpourri mix. Take this mix to the oven now.

Step 5: Bake your potpourri in the preheated oven for two to three hours. Keep checking in between to ensure it does not burn or overheat. The potpourri is done when the mixture is completely dry and crumbly. The spices should also smell roasted and amazing. Remove from the oven and spray the essential oil-water mix one more time.

Step 6: When it gets to the room temperature, mix the potpourri gently. Place it in a bowl or sachet. To increase the lifespan of homemade potpourri : mix 1 tablespoon(around 15gm) of orris root powder. It has been used for years in making potpourri. It is a fixative that helps preserve your potpourri and makes it keep smelling good. Other natural fixatives to consider are clove powder and coriander powder. You may also use corn or dried-oak powder.

Storing potpourri in moisture-free spaces keeps it from rotting. Keep your homemade potpourri in a bowl or jar for dry decor or in a sachet for your clothes closet.

Lifespan of Homemade Potpourri

Depending on your choice of flowers and preservation techniques, the lifespan of homemade potpourri is between 2 months to more than several years. Properly made and well-preserved potpourri can last up to decades. However, the scent of homemade potpourri can fade away over time. It needs to be rejuvenated from time to time. You also need to ensure that your potpourri does not get infested with bugs like termites and beetles.

Ideally, the lifespan of homemade potpourri, along with its scent, is between 2 and 4 months. After this time span, the scent begins to fade away. Your potpourri also starts to look old and dusty. This is when you need to rejuvenate your potpourri.

Increasing the shelf lifespan of homemade potpourri is simple. It can be stored in tight-lidded jars and sealed in zip-pouches. This helps it retain its perfume for longer. If your potpourri needs to be strong enough to refresh the bathroom or garbage area, you can consider putting a piece of charcoal in it. Charcoal absorbs any foul odor and also preserves your potpourri from smelling musty or old. It prevents moisture from being deposited in the mix and absorbs if any.

How to refresh the scent of homemade potpourri

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Refreshing the scent of homemade potpourri is almost as easy as making it. To begin with, you must always choose high-quality essential oils for a long-lasting fragrance. Dried potpourri easily attracts molds and starts to smell of mildew and moss. Keep it away from moisture, warmth and breezy areas. When not in use, keep it in tightly sealed containers and air-tight bags to preserve the scent. If the scent seems to diminish, gently toss and turn the contents of the container to make the fragrance emanate again.

However, after a few months of use, when your potpourri starts to lose its fragrance, you need some easy tips to rejuvenate it. We have some tips that you might consider when you want to refresh the scent of potpourri.

1. Use Vodka/Alcohol – Vodka is a great and handy method to refresh the scent of potpourri. Spraying some vodka on your old homemade potpourri will bring back its old scent and also prevent any other scents from invading it. It dissolves out other fragrances and keeps your potpourri smelling fresh and evergreen.

2. Witch Hazel & Essential Oil Combo – Mixing a cup of witch hazel with a few drops of essential oils will dilute the oil base and help them flow easily. Pour the combination in a spray bottle and spritz it over your old potpourri to refresh its scent. Toss the potpourri carefully with your hands and keep in a sealed bag or container. Let it dry for a few hours. Use whenever needed.

3. Essential Oil & Fixative Combo – Another trick to retrieve the scent of old potpourri is using essential oils with fixatives. Orris root, dried-oak, coriander and spice powder are handy and easily available fixatives. Make sure to coat your potpourri well and let dry.

4. Use any perfume – Spray a perfume of your choice, preferably citrus or floral scents, on your old potpourri mix. You can also spray the perfume on bits of Styrofoam and mix in between your potpourri.

5. Vanilla Bean & Other Spices – Remove the old spices and replace them with fresh ones. Keeping a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick or allspice bark in your potpourri will refresh its scent and make it fragrant again.

These are a few handy tips and tricks that can help refresh the scent of homemade potpourri. With these tricks under your sleeve, you’ll be able to reuse your potpourri over and over again!

Potpourri : For the love of flowers

Flowers in their full youth provide a rejuvenating aroma and make the environment lively. Potpourri is a great way to retain the full potential of flowers even when they are relatively dry. Homemade potpourri is your best substitute for the artificial store-bought air fresheners. It is also nature-friendly and biodegradable. The natural aroma of potpourri is a perfect deodorizer that keeps your household smelling warm and fragrant. It adds to the aesthetics of your household when kept as a decorative item. Keep customizing the fragrance as per your choice by adding different flowers and oils to keep the mixture fresh as ever. By following the above tips, you can increase the life of your homemade potpourri and keep it lively forever. In this way your homemade potpourri becomes your fragrant friend for all seasons and festivals to come!

Printmaking is one of the most rewarding crafts that you can do with kids.

It allows them to use multiple art materials to express themselves and document their work. There are numerous things that you can do with kids, from making art cards for birthdays or postcards for sending out their work.

Printmaking is a fun and exciting art form that not only teaches visual skills, but also helps to build confidence in children.

Creating unique and colorful patterns and illustrations with the help of prints is an interesting activity, one which helps children build their visual skills at an early age.

But have you ever wondered about how to introduce printmaking to children? Kids love to experiment and your home is the best place to undertake such experiments.

In this blog post, we will look at some fun tasks and activities that kids can do to learn printmaking.

Got Muffin Tins Stashed Away? Teach Your Kids To Make These Impressive Muffin Prints!

Image Source: Pixabay

Help your little ones see the world in a different way with colorful, abstract patterns. All you need would be a tin of paint, paper, and your muffin tins.

Have your kids turn the muffin tin upside down and paint the bottom of the cup with their choice of colors.

Alternatively, have them dip the muffin tins into a tray of paint and stamp the muffin tin to make print designs on the paper.

For a more even application of paint, they can use interesting brush strokes that transfer to the finished print.

You can push the paper down by hand and lift it up to show a new print, or rub it around and paint it over with a brush.

Printmaking With Veggies – Make Floral Designs With Okra

Image Source: Pixabay

How about making some prints with veggies? While any vegetable of your choice can work, let us consider okra for this experiment.

Okra is one of the vegetables that kids can use to create a multitude of patterns.

You need two or three pieces of okra, ink stamp pads in multi-colors, and some large pieces of plain paper to get started. You can get an impression of the okra design or pattern by simply pushing down firmly into the ink.

As all okra are different, the shape and texture of your flower will be unique. It’s important that your hands are completely clean when doing this activity (i.e. no messy prints, please!).

Paint and Soap Bubbles Prints- This One Is Such a Delight!

Children can create bubble prints by blowing colored bubbles, capturing their shapes and patterns in paint.

As the soap film evaporates from the colored bubbles, they will connect and reveal a secondary pattern. Soaps are nonreactive molecules because they are hydrophobic, or soluble in lipids as opposed to water.

When two different types of soap molecules are mixed together within a boundary (i.e., hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic), they form spherical micelles, or clusters.

This technique is not limited to water — we can use other liquids. For example, we can blow colored bubbles in perfume, soaps or oils to capture their intricate shapes.

Get Creative with Newspaper Printmaking

Image Source: Pixabay

With printmaking kids can create a range of crafts that encourages creative play through three main activities; painting, drawing, and coloring, and includes a set of dabbers for creating different textures.

Simply scrunch up newspapers, twist them around and tape them together to make a great paint dabber! Paint on paper, cork, card stock, or whatever you wish and watch as this fabulous dabber creates unique paint art.

Children can create a flower or abstract patterns, by scrunching up the newspaper dabbers and twisting them together to make a handle. You only need a couple of newspapers and paint colors of your choice, and that’s about it.

Convert Your Plastic Containers Into Beautiful Prints

Image Source: Pixabay

Teach your kids to recycle plastic containers from a variety of sources and get creative! They can make some make wonderful printing stamps.

What You’ll need:

A selection of containers and trays with various textures, patterns and bottoms.

Some paint and a paint bucket or container.

A few rollers and paintbrushes.

Sheets of paper

Wet cloth for cleaning up paint drips.

Look for containers with textured bottoms – you’ll be amazed by the range of interesting prints you can get. First, find some containers that have interesting bottoms.

Look for trays with different shaped indents, containers with ridges or lines, and even little containers like yogurt and ice-cream tubs that make interesting prints.

Paint the bottoms of these containers with a variety of colors. Try using rollers or paintbrushes to make imprints on large sheets of paper.

The Floating Chalk-and-Water Designs Would Be Great For Your Christmas Card!

A fun and easy art project to get your kids involved in coloring outside the box – literally. You only need a few colorful pieces of chalk and water- and you’re good to go!

Fill your tub up with water. Then gently sprinkle some colored chalk onto the surface of the water.

Place a piece of paper over the top of the tub, using your hands press gently all over where you want to print your design.

Spruce up rooms with Bolts-and-Screws Prints

Image Source: Pixabay

Put together an art print made with nuts and bolts. Blocks of color or patterns can be combined in endless ways to create a vibrant work of art. It can also be used to make brightly patterned bags and cushions.

These screw art prints on paper bring an interesting twist to the plain and simple layout of your living room, bedroom, or office. You can teach your kids to make creative designs, you could choose different words such as “Care” or “World Peace” to accentuate someone’s personality.

With its various shapes and colors in our multi-pattern screw art prints on paper, you will never have a boring room again.

Glue Gun Prints

If you’ve been having trouble with patterns, or looking for a new way to get out of a creative rut, I recommend trying out hot glue. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a quick and fun medium to work with that will help you create unique stencils, masks and stamps.

Use the hot glue gun to create durable plastic stencils by doodling interesting designs onto a Teflon sheet.

Turn your kids’ art projects into spectacular creations with this unique craft tool!

You can use these for mixed media work as well. Not only that, you can use them in oil paintings and other home decor items.

Potato Masher Prints(Yes, You Heard That Right!)

Image Source: Pixabay

Your creativity is the only thing that limits you. Use a potato masher to make colorful prints on paper to create your own masterpiece.

A potato masher leaves patterns on paper just like a typewriter, but adds an awesomely random, organic touch.

The potato masher is made of aluminum or other material with a fun geometric design. It allows you to apply paint or dye for different effects and colors.

It’s a great tool that will help you explore how dye can behave when it’s pressed into paper with this tool.

Use Rolling Pins to Printmake Gift Wrappers

Image Source: Pixabay

This is a great way to personalize gifts or to add to your decor.

It will require some effort, but in the end – your presents will be unlike anything else out there. What you’ll need is craft foam, spray glue, paper, tape, block printing ink, rubber bands, scissors and rolling pins.

Begin by covering your rolling pins in paper. You can even use textured paper if you like it so much or you can cut paper into interesting and original shapes.

Now, you can grab your ink and roll your rolling pin on it. Make some unique wrapping paper for your next gift! Try using different designs, colors, and materials such as rubber bands while making the pattern with your rolling pin.

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If you want to find information, tips and tricks, or products related to any aspect of printmaking then here’s the place! We have hundreds of resources on the website all about printmaking.

See our extensive range of printing supplies or check out the latest topics in the resources section.

We suggest you have a look at our tips for beginners, or pop by our forums for some friendly advice from other print makers.

Our aim is to teach you how to create with printmaking materials, to explore your ideas and have fun with art making.

From our money bills and newspapers to etching and lithographed artworks, found in the biggest galleries in the world, uses the versatile medium of Print-Making. This artistic process of transferring, recreating, or creating designs requires working with tools and chemicals.

Print-making can initially be intimidating because of all the heavy industrial equipment that the process involves. But once you learn about the different aspects of it, it is quite straightforward!

What do you need to know about print-making?

The four basic types of print-making include Relief, intaglio, planographic, and stencil. An important thing that is however important is to know the safety measures that need you will have to take before you begin. The printmaking process includes the use of industrial solvents, chemicals, and equipment. This makes it imperative to understand the nuances of this medium before working with it.

The article below illustrates the various safety measures, along with types and processes of printmaking. This aims to cover all you need to know about printmaking, focusing mainly on the safety measures you will need to take before experimenting or working with this medium.

The two most common forms of print-making include etching and lithographs, also the earliest forms of print-making. Etching, a form of intaglio printmaking, is where a powerful acid is used to dissolve the negative spaces or the unprotected metal surface, required to create the final design.

Lithograph, a planographic method that uses a metal plate or a flat stone and an ink-resistant material to create the negative space or the empty portion of the design. The counter-etch solutions used in lithograph printmaking contain different acids and so necessary measures to work with it is something you can keep in mind given its toxic nature.

First, let’s look at the most common chemical compositions and effects of the different materials that you will be working with

• The chemicals that you usually find in various solvents include Gasoline, Kerosene, and mineral spirits. The purpose of these chemicals in printmaking is to dilute the medium, wash out or correcting the images, or the central design.
• The concentrated acids, Gum Arabic, and counter etch might have corrosive components- Hydrofluoric acid and phenol being the most dangerous to use. Dilute acid solutions over repeated or prolonged use can irritate the skin.
• Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, is something you will use while making lithographs to remove the grease from the stones. Metal plates, on the other hand are prepared with solvent-based vinyl lacquers.
• Denatured alcohol and lacquer thinner and other such volatile solvents should ideally be used sparingly.
• Solvent inks contain a mixture of 12% pigments, 18% binders, 70% solvents, and other additives and ethanol acting as the main solvent. Now the solvent tends to mix with the air surrounding it as it evaporates, creating a perfectly flammable atmosphere that might be created within the printmaking studio.
• Etching inks contain linseed oil, making them highly flammable as the content used in print-making is quite high. This is something that you will have to treat with caution.
• Dichromate salts found in fountain solutions are used in lithograph type print-making. This can lead to allergic reactions, skin irritation, skin and/or nasal ulceration, and sometimes over prolonged exposure might even lead to cancer.
• Rosin Mixtures and talc are substitutes usually used in print-making where the talc is usually contaminated with asbestos and silica contents.
• Something to keep in mind would be the benefits of using a brush. This is because airbrushing drawing materials or using spray enamel paints automatically becomes more hazardous given the possibility of inhalation of the same.

Storing and Ventilation

Given the risky and flammable nature of the solvents and the medium used, storage and ventilation become highly important

• Powerful ventilation is a must. A second ventilator is also an option in the event of the primary ventilation source failing to provide enough, you can never be too cautious!
• Chemicals have to be stored in their respective hazard-proofed cabinets that you can then classify based on flammability, acids, bleach, and other such categories of chemicals.
• Rags used for cleaning up spillage also need to be appropriately disposed of in specified containers
• It’s important to make sure that the solvent containers are not left open.
• Using the spray booth while using large amounts of certain materials is another effective way of ensuring safety.

Tools and process-related safety measures

• While carving, using soft and easy materials like the Black E-Z cut printing blocks, might help in preventing slips and minor accidents,
• Finding appropriate tools for student users is also another thing that can perhaps keep in mind. Using certain cutters that require the pulling motion rather than the pushing motion might minimize the danger. The disadvantage of these cutters is that they are typically made for right-handed people, so you will have to work with the traditional cutters if you are left-handed.
• Using bench hooks while carving helps in holding the blocks in their place and keeps the hands away from sharp tools. It primarily prevents slippage and gives better support.
• Caution in knowing how and where to hold the different materials can be kept in mind, for instance, how to hold the metal ruler in place while using the razor.
• There are special operating instructions for working with the guillotines and plate cutters
• Training from an instructor is also the best way to ensure safety and give you confidence in working with this new medium.

Personal safety and protective measures

• Wearing closed-toe shoes is a must in a printmaking studio as opposed to flip-flop’s, sandals, and open-toed shoes- similar to an industrial environment.
• Using personal protective gear is highly recommended. Make sure you have equipment such as gloves, an apron, and a respirator to begin with. Goggles and dust masks are also essential while working with toxic materials.
• When working with equipment and presses, make sure your hair is pulled back.
• Remember, while working with the power washer to have ear protection on.
• While handling photo-sensitive emulsion, emulsion sensitizer, and emulsion remover, protective gloves will have to be worn
• While working in a print-making studio, make sure you know where all the emergency exits are fire extinguishers are located- first-aid kits must be accessible to all.
• Ensure that any spills or debris is taken care of to prevent fall situations or unwanted accidents.
• In the event of direct contact of the acid with the eye, it is important to immediately run the water for 30 seconds to flush the unit. Post which, hold the eye open and wash for another fifteen minutes. If there is an injury, examination by a physician is necessary.
• The acid drip bottle should be treated with care, wearing a face shield for safety measure and making sure to wash hands right after using the bottle
• Another measure is not eating, drinking, smoking, or consuming alcoholic beverages inside the printmaking studio.
• Lastly, make sure you don’t leave any personal items unattended and to secure them in your locker.

Screen printing is another method used in print-making that is slightly less toxic as it mostly uses water-based materials.

The haze remover paste used in screen printing should be used with protective goggles and gloves as it contains strong alkaline which could burn the skin under prolonged exposure.

The safety measures to keep in mind while working with Photomechanical Printmaking is slightly different. Make sure not to not look directly into the light exposure unit as it emits strong UV light, proven to be harmful to the eyes. It is also important to make sure that the ventilation is turned on while processing the film in the darkroom. As mentioned above, wear goggles and gloves while working with the required chemicals.

Printmaking has evolved over the years from etching to the very many digital forms of printing. Although, printmaking is mostly used for mass production of media and creating replicas of originals, it can also be used to explore creativity. Many famous artists have explored this medium in creating artworks.

It can certainly be confusing at the start with having to pick which method of print-making is suitable for you. If the chemical aspect of it is worrying you, then I’d suggest starting with screen printing as it is the least complex of the lot. But, of course, the best way to find out is by experimenting with them all before finding out which of them works best for you.

The aforementioned are only some major safety measures you will have to keep in mind if you are new to printmaking or if it’s a medium you’re willing to explore. The best way to tackle that anxiety of trying something new is to prepare for it, and I hope this article does exactly that for you.

Once you check these off your safety measures on your list, all that’s left to do is have fun with the process!

Creativity also plays a major role in brain development. It is hard to imagine any human innovation and progress without a creative mind. Art and crafts play a significant role in controlling stress, allowing for better handling of associated emotions.

Why is crafting good for the brain?

Traditionally, craft has been defined as the skill to make things, especially with your hands. The popularity of crafting has grown over the past few years as people have begun recognizing the enjoyment derived from craft activities. Crafting can provide both creative leisure and therapeutic effects.

• Crafting for health
• Why is crafting good for mental health?
• Health benefits of crafting
• How crafting affects your brain?

Several studies have also shown that crafting positively affects the brain by improving one’s social skills by fostering friendship, sharing, and a sense of belonging.

• The relationship between quilting and well-being
• Craft groups: Sites of friendship, empowerment, belonging, and learning for older women
• Older Women and Craft: Extending Educational Horizons in Considering Wellbeing

Among other positive effects of crafting is the ‘concept of flow,’ recognized by the Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Psychological flow has been defined as the intense involvement in an activity through which a person derives enjoyment and meaningfulness.

• What is Flow in Psychology?

People involved in crafting often use it as a means of identity and expression. They also enjoy the feel of the materials, the repetition, and the tempo during the process, which gives the feeling of enjoyment and engagement. It allows them to organize their thoughts and promotes a better understanding of self.

Crafting affects the psychological well-being of individuals

Crafting has been known to positively affect psychological well-being by having a protective or healing effect on the mental, social, and physical well-being of an individual.

Crafting can have therapeutic effects as it not only allows self-expression but also reduces stress, which, in turn, improves the immune system and reduces blood pressure. It has also been known to reduce anxiety and distress and helps cope with previously unresolved emotions and other issues in life.

Crafting has also been recognized as a means to achieve relaxation and enhance physical and mental well-being.

• The therapeutic effectiveness of creative activities on mental well-being
• Artistic tasks outperform non-artistic tasks for stress reduction
• The mental health benefits of crafting
• The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature

Crafting improves cognitive abilities

Our cognitive abilities are largely dependent on our motor skills. Studies have shown that restrictions on physical activities also restrict mental abilities. A study in which the participants’ hands were immobilized also showed that some part of their cognitive ability was also lost, indicating that human cognitive abilities are enhanced by the use of hands.

The starting point of cognition is the interaction between a baby and its environment. The human mind is constructed through an individual’s experience while interacting with their material and social environment. The material interaction that takes place during crafting has several implications and significance for psychological well-being.

According to Margaret Wilson, cognition has certain properties like

• Cognition is situated
• Cognition is time-pressured
• People offload cognitive work into the environment
• The environment forms a part of the cognitive system
• Cognition is for action
• Off-line cognition is body-based

Several other studies have also shown that crafts allow students to use their full cognitive abilities in grasping difficult concepts related to mathematics, architecture, and engineering design.

• Relationship between motor and cognitive learning abilities among primary school-aged children
• Teaching Engineering design through Legos
• Making Mathematics with needlework

Crafting and brain development

Neuroscience proves that crafting activates the motor, somatosensory, and visual areas of the brain. Stimulating these areas is especially crucial in childhood to ensure that they develop normally. Somatosensory stimulation and the use of hands also plays an extremely important part in the rehabilitation of the many disabled and elderly people whose sensory system may have been impaired.

During crafting, a person touches several different materials and surfaces that give a wide range of somatosensory stimulation. When used for this specific purpose, it is important to use different materials to improve the sense of opposites, such as soft and hard, light and heavy, or warm and cold.

When you touch different objects, surfaces, or materials, it activates both your cutaneous senses as your brain responds to pressure, vibration, and temperature and haptic senses that your brain uses to perceive shape, surface texture, and weight. Crafting, thus, creates higher levels of mindfulness that improves psychological health and reduces negative emotions.

Touching and forming crafting materials also activates the motor areas in your brain. Your brain needs both coarse and fine-grained tasks for the proper development of hand-eye coordination. The motor system begins developing in infancy and is also tied to the human visual system. Crafting benefits the development of the visual system through exposure to color, small intricate details, three-dimensional objects, and the effects of seeing one’s own actions.

• Art therapy and the brain
• Fine motor skill and cognition development in children
• Expressive Therapies Continuum: A Framework for Using Art in Therapy

Crafting and brain plasticity

Brain plasticity or neuroplasticity refers to the human brain’s ability to change through growth and reorganization and adapt as a result of experience. It means that the brain alters its function according to your actions and experiences, and whatever you do long enough will eventually change your brain.

According to a paper published by Kujala et al., 1995, in congenitally blind individuals, auditory information is processed by that part of the brain that processes visual information in sighted individuals. Neuroplasticity in blind people gives them an increased capacity for auditory processing, sometimes resulting in superior hearing skills.

Image credit: Britannica

Skills acquired by brain plasticity can be crucial for managing sensory impairments for continued learning and personal well-being. For instance, deaf-blind people who participate in ceramic crafting classes develop a new tactile skill of throwing clay on the potter’s wheel. Crafting’s multisensory qualities can be vital in facilitating communication and the development of new skills in people with sensory restrictions or impairments.

According to Tyler and Likova, crafting or other visual art depends on integrating different motor, cognitive, and perceptual functions. Hence, there is a strong potential for cross-transfer.

• The role of the visual arts in enhancing the learning process

Crafting involves a lot of fine motor movements that stimulate both the somatosensory and motor areas of the brain.

The mirror neuron system

A mirror neuron system is a group of specialized neurons that understand and learn from the actions of other people. It is an important neurophysical mechanism that is responsible for understanding, mimicking, and learning from other’s actions for the development of multiple psychosocial skills. It allows you to interact socially and emotionally with your friends and family and to understand their intentions. The art of crafting also is somewhat based on imitating others’ activities and building upon one’s own experiences.

• Brain basis of human social interaction: From concepts to brain imaging
• The mirror neuron system and the consequences of its dysfunction

When you learn a manual skill, simulating or imitating the actions of your teacher is important. It has enabled craft skills to be traditionally passed on from one person to another. The mirror neuron system of the human brain allows the knowledge of crafts to be passed down through generations.

Handling failures and emotions

If you have ever been engaged in a creative activity, be it crafting or other art forms, you learn to recognize the emotions that come with it. According to neuroscience, emotions are a key part of our cognitive abilities. Emotions also have the ability to affect the various cognitive functions, from attentiveness to memory to perception.

Crafting helps us guide our emotions by helping us assess the possibilities and risks of our actions and the affordability of the materials. When we face challenges during a creative process, we often develop the fear of failing. Failure, however, is not always a bad thing. Failure is a vital part of innovation and exploration. Crafting can be a good arena to practice failing.

In Mindset: The new psychology of success, Carol Dweck proposes two types of mindsets- the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. Those with a fixed mindset perceive failure as a permanent inability to function and complete a task. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset accept the challenges and look for new approaches to complete the tasks.

Crafting can help you overcome disappointments through motivation and a better understanding of the purpose of the activity.

Conclusion

Crafting can not just be an enjoyable activity but can also have a profound effect on brain development. It can play a key role in reducing stress, anxiety, and help to improve your overall quality of life.

Starting your own brand may seem scary at first, but if done right, the payoff is worth every bit of effort. The jewelry industry being as cutthroat as it is, can be especially rough for a newcomer. There are millions of people already selling homemade jewelry all across the world, but with the right strategy, you can see some serious success. As is the case with any new venture, the early days can be hard, but if you have the right mindset selling jewelry online can be very rewarding.

Here’s how you should go about it:

Advertise and Build your Brand

Advertising is one of the most important factors in determining your success online.

Even with a modest budget, advertising can significantly increase sales by making more people aware of your products.

You must keep looking for opportunities to maximize the impact of the advertisement. For example, some hosting companies give you free credits for Google ads when you sign up for specific hosting packages. Facebook and Google also offer free advertising credits now and then. Creating a social media presence via social media accounts can also go a long way in building your brand and reaching your target customers.

Although reaching your audience has become more plausible with online mediums, the various mediums also make it harder to come to a decision. The best thing you can do is try to figure out what works best for you and your brand through trial and error. To succeed in online mediums, knowing your audience and understanding both your brand and different mediums is an absolute must.

Once you get a formula that works, set up a few ads and see what happens.

Product Descriptions are Key

Product descriptions are a great way to express your brand and tell the story of your homemade jewelry. Knowing the reason behind the creation of each piece, its make, and why they should buy from you adds a personal touch to it.

Clear, concise, and well-structured, including everything that customers need to know before they purchase (shipping, packaging, exchanges & returns) shows professionalism. Specifying details, the jewelry’s purpose, its materials, and variants of certain pieces creates a good impression. Online Marketing tools like Search Engine Optimization will also come handy here.

Make Unique Products

The best way to succeed in a platform with millions of competitors is to find your niche.

Finding your niche will not only help you grow in a specific direction which will ultimately translate to superior quality, but it also helps with branding.

A niche will enable your product to stand out and make your brand more recognizable. This is what will ensure a steady inflow of your ideal customer.

For Example, there is a big market for customizable jewelry, but finding a niche within that sphere is what will really help drive sales.

The key is to be unique.

Whether you’re selling on Etsy or any other site, you don’t want to do what everyone else is doing.

Consider Selling Jewelry on your own Website

Even if you plan to sell mostly on Etsy, or another website, you should still consider getting a domain and investing in your own website. The key is to not put all your eggs in one basket and branch out.

God forbid if tomorrow the intermediary website you sell your homemade jewelry on were to shut down, what then? If that was the only place you were selling, all your information, listings, and ability to sell would be gone just like that.

Another benefit of having your own website is the creative freedom and customizability you get to enjoy. Selling websites do give you some freedom, but you cannot market yourself and express your brand and what it stands for the way you can on your own website.

Your website will be a hub for your business where people can go to learn more about you and your products.

It’s a great way to showcase your products online. Search Engine Optimization, web content, blogs, and landing pages will also let you attract more customers.

Image source

Invest in High-quality Photos

Photography is everything when it comes to selling – even more so when you’re selling homemade jewelry. Since you cannot see the jewelry in person, photos are the most convincing way to win over a potential customer. A photo that captures the feel and the minute details of the homemade pieces will really make the jewelry stand out.

Using minimalistic backgrounds will also allow the jewelry to pop on its own.

Customers should be able to see the jewelry both being worn and on display without other colors or patterns distracting from the pieces.

Hiring a professional to take high-quality photos will ensure the best possible outcome for you. However, you can also choose to acquire the resources and master the skill yourself if that interests you. Either way, this is one area where you don’t want to go wrong. – especially if you want to advertise them on Instagram!

Keep up with the trends

Complacency is the biggest enemy of success. The downfall of many ventures is after they find something that works, they become a one-trick pony. Their success becomes completely dependent on the sale of that one product. Success can make you stubborn to change, so much so that you turn a blind eye towards even the biggest of trends. In today’s day and age, staying relevant is more integral to long-term success than it ever has been. Recognising trends early-on and capitalizing on the right trends can drive sales, especially for newcomers. This is why trying new things is an absolute necessity if you want to succeed online.

Some additional tips for selling homemade jewelry online are:

• Price things appropriately.
• Determine your market.
• Always present your jewelry in the best way you can.
• Actively look for opportunities to collaborate.

At the end of the day, there are many ways in which you can sell your homemade jewelry online. But, it is up to you to figure out the formula that works best for you & your brand. To make the right decisions, you must understand what different mediums can offer to you, what your customers want, and what your brand stands for.

The word potpourri has an extremely amusing and likely surprising origin. It is an English word which is derived from the French “pot-pourri” which literally translates to putrid pot. The word is now more commonly accepted as describing a collection of dried flower petals, leaves, herbs, and spices used to scent the air. The history of potpourri dates back to the 12^th century, where its use in freshening up dank and musty medieval castles was most appreciated. The first documented use of the term “potpourri” was in 1749. Potpourri has a recorded history of over 6000 years as lack of plumbing and acceptable bathing practices made the need of scents and perfumes more urgent. Buildings and homes lacked ventilation and fragrant dried flowers, herbs and spices were strewn on floors to combat the worst of the odors.

In modern times, these perfumed bundles of dried flowers, herbs and spices occupy a wider role. Some herbs and flowers such as lavender and chamomile are considered particularly useful for their sleeping aid properties. Others help to freshen up lingerie and woolen clothes kept in closets from the musty smell of protective moth balls. Potpourri also acts as a festive and decorative accent during Christmas and other joyous occasions.

Facts about Potpourri

• It is pronounced poh‐pooh‐ree and means “rotten pot” in French
• The earliest use of potpourri in English was to describe a type of stew.
• The word appeared in its earliest form in Randle Cotgrave’s 1611 French-English dictionary in which he defined it as “a Spanish dish of many severall meates boyled, or stued together.”
• It was only in the middle of the 18th century that it attained its modern meaning to describe a fragrant mix of dried flowers.
• The word is also used to refer to the vessel which was used to create potpourri. A decorative ceramic vessel with a perforated cover was originally used to hold a wet blend of spices, flowers and herbs. This blend would over time emit a fragrance through the vessel’s vents, thus perfuming the surroundings
• In modern times, the term potpourri is frequently used to refer to an unusual or interesting mixture of things, a miscellaneous medley of objects etc.
• Potpourri was considered extremely valuable in the days before plumbing and even worn on the body. It was sewn into small cloth sacks which were known as sachets or sweet bags.
• In addition to its obvious use in disguising rotten odors, the blend of herbs, flowers and spices was also believed to ward off disease.
• Nineteenth century experiments at the Pasteur Institute in Paris showed that bacteria of certain diseases prevalent during the Middle Ages appeared to be destroyed by some fragrant herbs’ oils.
• The word also found a place in literature. In the novel Orlando, written by Virginia Woolf, the central character buries her face in a bowl of family potpourri.
• In 1977, in the US, Henri Bendel became the first high-fashion store to bring potpourri into its own boutique. The scent of choice was a woodsy blend from San Francisco called Agraria. Bowls of Agraria, studded with orange rinds and cinnamon sticks, turned up in department stores and living rooms of the rich and famous in Park Avenue.
• Early in the 1980s, potpourri became a part of the mainstream.
• By 2011, sales of potpourri had declined and the product became much less fashionable. Sales of scented candles and reed diffusers went up 5% to £41m, while pot-pourri dropped by 14%.
• In 2019, potpourri seemed to be experiencing a resurgence in the luxury markets.

Image Source: Pixabay

Potpourri over the ages

Prehistoric

Some form of potpourri is speculated to have been in use as early as the times of cave dwellers. While floral bouquets have been found in the graves of prehistoric people, the exact use of dried herbs and flowers is merely hypothesized. It would be understandable, given their austere and primitive lives with the accompanying odors that the prehistoric man would take advantage of flowers and herbs’ fragrant properties.

Ancient Egypt

Lavender, thyme and chamomile were used during the Egyptian mummification process. Evidence of their use can be found in the remains of ancient tombs.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages in Europe, potpourri was frequently used to freshen bed linen and clothing closets. The lack of bathing and laundering created a bigger need for substances that would mask the lingering smell. Even amongst the peasant class, it was common to hang bouquets of dried herbs outside dwellings to ward off insects and for their pleasing aroma.

15th-16th century, England

Bundles of dried herbs were burned indoors to fumigate rooms against the plague.

17th century, France

Potpourri became extremely popular in 17^th century France. Flowers that abundantly bloomed during the spring and summer were collected in ceramic vessel and mixed with salt. The salt acted as a drying agent. This combination was then layered in autumn with seasonal spices like orange peel and cinnamon stick.

Victorian England

In the Victorian times, dried flowers and herbs were combined with various fixatives like essential oils and orris root. The resulting potpourri was used primarily as a decoration. Since oils were more readily available in apothecaries, the process of making potpourri also became more refined and easy during this time. Victorian ladies were also known to carry small bundles of flowers and herbs as they travelled through foul smelling streets. Women also hid sachets of flowers and herbs within their petticoats.

Common Ingredients

There are a variety of ingredients commonly found in a potpourri recipe. Roses are the most popular flowers used in preparing potpourri as they retain their scent even after drying. Some other botanicals used in a traditional potpourri preparation include:

• All spice
• Cedar wood shavings (also acts as a moth repellent)
• Cinnamon bark and cassia bark
• Cloves
• Cypress wood shavings
• Fennel seeds
• Jasmine Flowers and Oil
• Lavender Leaves and Flowers
• Lemon Peel
• Orange Peel
• Rose Flowers or oil

Methods of preparing Potpourri

There are two traditional methods of making potpourri-the dry method and the moist method. The moist method is the oldest and produces more fragrant potpourri. However, the methodology doesn’t lend itself to visual appeal. Therefore, many modern crafters prefer the dry method.

The moist method involves using partially dried herbs and flowers and packing them within alternate layers of salt. They are then transferred to ceramic pots and left to cure for weeks or months. The dry method includes herbs, spices, leaves, barks and flowers. Dried citrus peel may also be added for color and scent. Some form of fixative and essential oil is then combined with this chip dry mixture.