Crafts

If you are new to embossing, here is a quick how-to guide to get you started. In this case, we’ll take you through the process of heat embossing on paper or card stock, but you can emboss a variety of other materials too, including ceramics, fabrics, glass, and wood.

The process for embossing on paper is very straightforward and fun to learn, and when you feel confident you can try hand-drawing your own designs or even make your own stamps. The first thing you’ll need is a heat gun. I have written a buying guide for that.

Just so you know you will need a heat gun, a hairdryer wont reach the temperature required to melt the embossing powder. It’s more likely to blow the powder everywhere than to give you the results you want.

Here are the other tools you need to get started:

• Card or paper stock
• An anti-static pouch
• A stamp or embossing pens
• A VersaMark Watermark Ink Pad
• Embossing powder

First, lightly rub your anti-static pouch over your card stock.

If you are using a stamp, load your stamp using your pigment Inkpad. Stamp the design onto your card or paper stock.

Coat the area you have stamped with your embossing powder, tipping away excess powder onto a spare sheet of paper. If you do this you’ll find that you can easily funnel/pour it back into the powder pot for reuse.

Check that there are no stray particles on your card. You can use a fine paintbrush to make sure everything looks neat and tidy.

Now it’s time to set the embossing powder with your heat gun using circular motions. After a few seconds, you will start to see the embossed effect appear.

You can also use embossing pens to hand-draw your own design. Just remember to use the anti-static pad first. Once you have drawn out your image, the process is the same as above.

And that’s it, very simple but very effective.

Crafting is something that you dip into now and then or it can become a lifelong passion? But the main thing to take away here is that you don’t need any special skills to paint, draw or create. The idea is to immerse yourself in the process. Whatever you create will be perfect because it was made by you.

So if you are feeling creative and really want to try your hand at making something fun and crafty or, are finding things a little difficult right now and would like a gentle, healing project to take your mind off things.

We’ve got you covered. We’ve put together this handy resource for you. At the end of the list, you’ll find photos of some of the crafts and projects I have made using the resources below.

Art and Crafts Resource List:

I have tried to include as many free courses and tutorials as possible. Not all the courses listed are free, but I have endeavored to ensure the paid courses listed are low-cost to suit all pockets.

• Aromatherapy
  • Lavender Massage Oil Recipe – Our free recipe

ART

• Online Art Courses
  • Charcoal Drawing with Aaron Blaise
  • Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib, and Pen Style with Yuko Shimizu at skillshare.com
  • New Masters Academy | fine art course
  • Digital Painting 101 | FREE course
  • Learn to Paint a Textured Abstract Art Painting with KR Moehr
  • Learn Loose Watercolor | FREE course
• Free Classes (YouTube)
  • How I Draw Faces | Updated Tutorial with Filipa – Pypah’s Art
  • How to Draw a Male Eye with Darlene – RapidFireArt
  • Learn how to paint a portrait in oil paint with Ben Lustenhouwer
• Tools
  • Best Screen Printing Kit
• Blogs and Inspiration
  • ChrisOatley.com

Bead Weaving and Jewelry Making

• Tools and How-tos
  • Best Bead Loom (for Easy Beautiful Bracelets and More)
  • How to Finish a Beaded Bracelet (On or off Loom)
• Free Classes (YouTube)
  • Beautiful Wirework Jewelry – Free Class
  • Beaded Lace Necklace – Tutorial
  • Bronzepony Beaded Jewelry – Tutorials
  • Manualidades y Entretenimientos – Tutorials
  • Milla’s Beading – Tutorials
  • Spoilt Rotten Beads – Tutorials
• Free Patterns
  • Just Let Me bead
  • Around the Beading Table – Deb Roberti

Candle Making

• Tools
  • The Best Candle-Making Kit
• Free How-tos and Classes
  • Candle Making Demo Course | Nearly Free Course
  • Nature’s Garden Free Candle Classes | Written Tutorials

Fiber Art and Yarn Crafts

• Needle felting
  • Free Projects
    • How to Needle Felt a Bird – Tutorial
    • Needle Felting for Beginners: Make a Sweet Felted Bowl – Tutorial
• Knitting and Crochet
  • Free Classes
    • Knit-Along: Socks
  • Free Patterns And Tutorials
    • Learn To Knit – Tutorial
    • Free Knitting Patterns
    • Crochet Basics – Tutorial
• Macrame
  • Free Macrame Feather Pattern with Video
  • Best Macrame Kits (for Easy Chic Projects You’ll Love)
• Weaving
  • Information and Buying Guides
    • Best Looms for Beginners
    • Best Rigid Heddle Loom
    • Cricket Loom Tips
  • Free Patterns And Tutorials
    • Free Weaving Patterns – 20+ Free Weaving Patterns
• Spinning
  • Information and Buying Guides
    • Best Spinning Wheel

Paper Crafts

• Scrapbooking and Journal Making
  • Free Classes (YouTube)
    • Tracie Fox LoveJunk Journals – Tutorials
    • Attic Lane – Tutorials
    • Crafty Cat – Tutorials
    • Scrapbooking With ME Crafts – Tutorials
    • Mrs Cog – Tutorials
    • nessies journals – Tutorials
    • The Graphics Fairy LLC – Tutorials
    • 49dragonflies – Tutorials
    • Harvinaisenkauniselama – Tutorials
  • Free Resources for Images
    • publicdomainpictures.net
    • pixabay.com
    • thegraphicsfairy.com
    • picryl.com
  • Pintables you can buy on Etsy that don’t cost the earth:
    • My Porch Prints Printable kits – Printables
• Decoupage
  • Free printables for decoupage projects
• Paper Making and Dying
  • Tips and a recipe below
• Embossing
  • Best Heat Gun for Crafts
  • How to Use a Heat Gun for Embossing

Pottery

• Tools
  • Best Pottery Wheel

Sewing

• Free Classes
  • The Midnight Quilt Show – Quilting Classes
• Free Patterns and Projects
  • Free Patterns – 70+ Free Sewing Patterns
  • Free Sewing Class – Bag-Making Basics

Soap Making

• Soap Making Kits

Craft as a Therapy

• Studies
  • The Influence of Art Making on Anxiety: A Pilot Study –Taylor & Francis Online
  • The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature – PubMed
  • Reclaiming and Proclaiming the Use of Crafts in Occupational Therapy – The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy
  • What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? – World Health Organization

More Online Courses and Classes

• NC State University has online classes (via zoom) for all levels and abilities.
• Class Bento – lots of craft classes with prices clearly listed.

My Favorite Crafts and Hobbies

Below are all the crafts that I have tried from the resource list

Illustration

I’ve always loved painting and drawing. You may have noticed a few of my illustrations dotted around Comfy Zen. I am a digital illustrator, mostly producing book covers. You can grab some free art on my printables page if you wish.

Diamond Painting

Diamond Painting is quite a new craft, it’s only been around for a few years but it’s enormously popular. If you already like cross-stitch or painting by numbers, you’ll love diamond painting. 

Some kits require you to fill the entire canvas to complete the project, but the kit shown above is a partial kit that I recently completed. It has an inked background to which lots of diamonds (or drills) are added.

Scrapbooking

Journal-making is my latest passion. You can see the one I’m working on right now below.

Macramé

The most popular craft of the 1970s is back! But there’s nothing out of date about this new trend. So if you’d like to try your hand at making something boho-chic and contemporary with fiber, this is the craft for you.

I highly recommend you start with a macramé kit (similar to the one I made the wall hanging with, above). I also recommend you choose a kit that also comes with video instructions if possible.

Speaking of videos… Here is a macramé feather that I made.

Needle Felting

Needle felting is a fabulous way to express your creativity.

There are two basic processes:

• Wet Felting | This process uses water, soap, and agitation to tangle and shape the fibers.
• Dry felting | This is the process of tangling together the loose fibers of wool roving with a barbed needle. Poking the fibers multiple times compacts the fibers to create structure and form.

I’ve posted a tutorial here on Comfy Zen for the sweet needle-felted bowl, that you can see above. And we also have a tutorial on how to make a mid-century modern bird.

The angel, which you can see in the top image is my latest project. It was my first attempt and it was honestly so quick and easy to make.

I’ll post how to make one very soon.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a wonderfully interesting subject to study. Especially if you are a true lover of nature and feel and sense of peace being around plants, and herbs.

I was inspired to learn more about aromatherapy after watching a wonderful BBC documentary called The Frankincense Trail several years ago. It’s well worth a watch.

I only make very basic and safe recipes.

Here is a free recipe for Lavender Massage Oil to get you started. And if you what to know more about this sweet plant, here’s an article about the use of lavender for sleep.

Crochet and Knitting

Ok, so knitting is not my strong point. And while I’d absolutely love to be able to knit, frankly I find it a bit frustrating. I have to concentrate 100% or I just drop stitches.

And it takes me about an hour each time, (not to mention, various illustrated diagrams, and a YouTube tutorial or two) to work out how to pick it up again.

But that’s probably just me. Both my mother and grandmother knitted beautifully (that’s actually my grandmother in the photo, right).

Above is my attempt at a lovely simple free pattern from the resource list above.

The dark green hat was crocheted just following a simple tutorial I found on YouTube. It actually turned out really well.

Decoupage

Paper Dying

I just wanted to quickly add this one in because I’ve been doing a lot of paper-dying lately for my journals.

And it’s a super easy and fast way to get very unique, pretty paper to make into journals notebooks, or to use to wrap small gifts.

You’ll just need a shallow tray large enough to fully immerse your paper in. It’s not an exact science – well actually it probably is, but I’m not going to pretend to be an expert. I basically just wing it when making mine (I love the surprise).

Generally speaking, the longer you soak the paper and the more concentrated the dye, the deeper or brighter the result will be. Here are my most successful recipes:

Avocado | Boil avocado (skins only) and the stones in some water. I tend to leave it overnight. Soak the paper for up to an hour (if it’s not delicate paper).

The results will be a surprisingly soft pink.

Red Onion Skins | Outer paper skin only – same process as above.

The results will be a surprisingly a soft green.

Kool-Aid or squash concentrate | OK so saying “this is hand-dyed Kool-Aid paper” doesn’t sound as sophisticated as “this is hand-dyed avocado paper” but it totally works.

I used blackcurrant and apple concentrate straight out of my kitchen cupboard. The paper came out a lovely soft pink and smelled divine for about a week. I worried it would eventually smell off, but it doesn’t, after several weeks it doesn’t smell of anything.

Do you enjoy a craft that you think we should add to this list? Tell us about it in the comments below and we’ll add it and give you a mention if you’d like.

In this super-easy-to-follow guide, we’ll cover absolutely everything you need to know about getting started with diamond painting. We’ll give you full instructions with tips and tricks along the way, and we’ll also take a look at some of the best diamond painting kits out there, with quick recommendations for choosing the perfect kit, whether you just want a quick project or are up for a bit more of a challenge.

So if that all sounds good to you, let’s get started.

And no problem, if you just want to choose a diamond painting kit and skip everything else – our recommendations are all right here in the table below.

Type of Kit	Our Picks	Scroll
Partial Drill Diamond Painting Kits	5D DIY Diamond Painting by Number Kits, Mandala Flower By Windale This is a gorgeous partial kit which means you won’t be filling the entire canvas with drills, but there are still tons of drills to add to keep you busy. An excellent choice for a first diamond painting – not too much of a time commitment but very sparkly and pretty. You can see more of this one in the video above. Size: 12 x 12 inches 5D Diamond Painting Kits for Adults – The Kiss Gustav Klimt This is another fabulous option if you are just getting into diamond art. Lots of sparkles and what’s not to love about a Klimt. Size: 15.75×19.68 inches	Read More
Full Round Drill Diamond Painting Kits	Eiflow 5D Diamond Painting Kits for Adults Sunflower With this one, you will be filling the entire canvas with round drills. Round drills are a little more forgiving than square drills when it comes to lining them up straight. You will see a tiny bit of the printed canvas in the background around the drills. Size: 12 x 12 inches	Read More
Multi Pack Kits	4 Pack 5D DIY Diamond Painting Full Drill by Nurkul A fabulous set of animals. With good detail when completed. And get 3 more to complete the set. This is a full-round drill set. Size: 12 x 16 in (approx each)	Read More
Full Square Drill Diamond Painting Kits	ANMUXI 5D Diamond Painting Kits Full Square Drills for Adults This is a full square drill kit. So you will be filling the entire canvas to make up the image. It comes in a range of different sizes and you get 2 drill pens with 3 drill placer heads for placing a line of drills in one go. Size: 12 x 12in	Read More

Let me start out by saying if you are new to diamond painting, it’s pretty new to me too. It’s only been around for a few years, so it’s definitely not something I grew up with.

It was invented by a company based in China back in 2010 and took several years to really take off. Now it’s hugely popular and this is only the beginning.

How Easy is Diamond Painting and Will I Like It?

Below is a very short video to give you an idea of what diamond painting is all about.

If you already like cross-stitch or painting by numbers, you’ll love diamond painting. The principle is basically the same. Diamond painting even uses the same DMC color system using the 489 colors that you will be familiar with if you’ve ever done cross-stitch before.

But even if you’ve never done anything like it before, it’s just about the easiest craft you could choose. While it looks super impressive when your painting is completed, it’s one of the most stress-free creative activities you could do.

It’s also very easy to just dip into it every now and then – especially when you compare it to knitting or crochet for example. You see with diamond painting, you can see at a glance where you are up to and what you need to complete next.

And you can start or carry on anywhere on the canvas that you like.

Lastly, it’s so relaxing and meditative, and you don’t need to fully concentrate on it, so you can listen to music, a podcast, an audiobook, or watch something on tv at the same time.

And what a lovely activity to do with your children or grandchildren!

So what’s not to love?

How to do Diamond Painting

It’s super easy:

1. Your canvas will come with a key. The key will be numbered and/or it may have symbols next to it. There will also be a corresponding DMC number. Match, and stick your diamonds (or drills as they are called) to the sticky surface of the canvas using the color key provided.
2. Pour some drills into the tray provided in your kit and give it a gentle shake. This will turn all your diamonds the right way up.
3. To make picking up the drills easy, a drill pen is provided with a hollow nib. Each kit also comes with a small piece of (usually pink) wax. Press the end of the nib into the wax.
4. Pick up and place your diamond drills onto the canvas.
5. You will notice that the canvas has a piece of film protecting its sticky surface. Uncover only the small area you are working on at any one time. This is to keep the canvas fluff-free and clean.

How to Choose a Diamond Painting Kit

There are really three basic types of kit you can choose between and we’ll run through those now:

A Partial Kit

A good way to dip your toes into a diamond painting is with a partial kit.

By this, we mean one that has the high-quality inked background to which you add sparkle and detail with your diamonds.

And just so you know, these kits don’t just give you the odd diamond to add here and there. They have tons of diamonds in them for you to place. And the final effect is stunning.

Another good reason to choose a partial kit is that it’s generally much easier to see the symbols or numbers on your canvas.

Serious diamond artists tend to prefer full drill kits. The finished result of any type of kit has the potential to look stunning. But the full drill kits offer present more of a challenge.

A Full Round Drill Kit

These kits require you to fully cover the canvas with diamond drills. They are a little easier to line up because their circular shape means there is a tiny bit more space around them.

That means you will see some of the canvas in the background – but it will be printed the same color as your drill, so won’t be very noticeable.

A Full Square Drill Kit

Square drills are a little harder to line up straight. But there’s a handy tip to making it easier.

You simply place your drills in a checkerboard pattern and then go back and fill in the gaps.

If you choose a full drill kit, either round or square, you may find it a little difficult to see the symbols. Working over a lightbox or light pad can make things so much easier to see. They are surprisingly cheap too!

If you think you need a lightbox to see what you are doing, try to go for a dimmable one if you can.

Now it has to be said that if you are filling an entire canvas with drills, your finished picture will inevitably look pixelated to some degree or another. As a rule of thumb, the larger the canvas, the more detailed and less pixelated the final image will be.

Of course, unless you are up for a challenge, that’s not necessarily what you want to hear if you are just starting out. It’s a huge time commitment for a start and you may feel a bit overwhelmed with a large canvas and tons and drills.

The best advice I can give you is not to choose a canvas that’s too big unless you already know you’re going to be hooked, but do choose kits where real people have posted a photo of their finished piece. That will make it easier to judge whether or not you’ll like the final result. …And that, of course, was an essential factor in choosing our recommendations.

Partial Drill Diamond Painting Kit

Multi Pack Kit

Full Square Drill Diamond Painting Kit

Other Kits

If there’s anything good that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, then let us know down in the comments below.

Join me in making a beaded lace necklace.

I’ve been in full-on work mode for the last couple of weeks, so decided to down tools on Sunday and spend the day beading which is both fun and relaxing.

I love that you can take a few beads and create something really pretty and unique. And when you don’t get your thread in a knot, or realize you missed a bead way back, it’s a great way to unwind take your mind off the stresses of everyday life.

So I thought I would share with you the simple beaded lace necklace I made.

The inspiration for this necklace, in case you were wondering, was simply that I wanted to make something pretty and delicate but still casual looking, to wear with a couple of things I bought recently. And I just love the color combination of the Picasso Seafoam green with the watermelon.

The beaded lace necklace is super easy to make. In fact, if you look at it closely you can see that it consists of just two units that repeat.

I’ve added an 8mm faceted round bead and a loop clasp. It looks really pretty in real life and costs much less than buying a metal one. And don’t worry about it coming undone. I’ve made several necklaces using a bead and loop closure and have honestly, never had a problem with one coming undone.

How to Make a Beaded Lace Necklace

I made the video below so you can see how I made it – and below that is a materials list and my notes on the project.

I’ve also included a PDF download below with tips on how to thread your beading needle – the easy way. Plus a few notes on needle sizes and beading threads.

And don’t worry even if you’ve never tried bead weaving before. If you are looking for a creative hobby, and you’d just like to give it a try, you’ll be happy to know you don’t need any special skills, to begin with. You’ll pick things up easily and if you find a pattern you like you’ll find you will simply learn new techniques as you go along.

Materials You Need to Make Your Lacy Necklace

• 11/0 Miyuki Seed Beads Main Color
• 11/0 Miyuki Seed Beads Accent Color
• 3x 15/0 Seed Beads
• 3.4mm Drop Beads
• 2x 4mm Bicones
• 1x 8mm Round Bead or Rondelle
• Beading ThreadSize 10 Beading Needle
• and a Stop Bead.

Notes:

I designed the Lacy Necklace using just two colors, Opaque Matte Picasso Seafoam Green and Watermelon. But you can of course use any color combination you like.

Bead Links to Etsy:

• Opaque Matte Picasso Seafoam Green
• Watermelon

Adding New Thread

Start with a new thread in the previous unit and follow the bead path making a half hitch knot on your way make sure you come out of the same bead you left your old thread and continue beading. You can sew the loose ends back in later.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Please do leave me a comment down below.

Here’s a sneak peek of my new stash of craft supplies. I have a couple of craft projects lined up that I have never tried before. I love trying new crafts so I will share what I make mistakes and all.

Happy beading!

This collection of Fairy Gift Ideas and Keepsakes for All Ages is a celebration of hand-crafted fairies, and all things fairy related. Let’s face it, we could all use a little sprinkling of fairy dust in our lives – something sweet and joyful to make us smile – whatever our age.

And just so you know, this fairy gift ideas guide is not just a selection of random, commercial (and usually overpriced) fairy merchandise. We’ve only selected the most thoughtful gifts created by talented craft makers and authors.

So with that in mind, we will be taking a little break from the everyday stresses that come with being a human and enter the enchanted world of fairies.

Here’s what’s on our wish list, so you can scroll straight down if you want to:

Fairy Gift Idea	Details
Needle Felt Fairies	These sweet, handmade Waldorf style fairies are suitable for special occasions or just as a stocking filler.
Fairy Books	Written in 1923, The Flower Fairies is the ultimate fairy book.
Fairy Costumes	Stunningly beautiful fairy costumes – all hand-made by talented designers and makers on Etsy.
Small Fairy Themed Gifts to Capture Children’s Imagination	Fairy doors and tooth fairy gifts.

Why Give a Fairy Gift?

There’s a reason why so many children love fairies. Fairies are the gateway to their creative imagination -as well as a welcome break from the everyday rules of life we all have to follow.

But I think that’s also the reason why adults love them too and the reason why fairy art prints, needle felted fairies, and other fairy themed items are so attractive to all of us.

Needle felted fairies, make especially decorative and thoughtful gifts for a best friend or for a special event such as the arrival of a new baby, baptism, or other special occasions. And honestly, they really don’t have to cost the earth!

Fairy Gift Ideas No 1 | Needle Felt Fairies

You can find beautifully handcrafted, themed needle felted fairies on Etsy, and in many cases, you can request to have one custom made especially for you or for a friend if you have one in mind.

Below are a few very affordable and beautiful new mom themed fairies on Etsy.

Waldorf Style Fairies

You may have noticed that many needle-felted fairies all have a similar and very distinctive style? That’s because they are based on the educational philosophies of Waldorf (or Steiner).

Waldorf inspired needle-felted fairies are designed to be minimalist, allowing the imagination to fill in the extra details. They are simple, yes, but at the same time, they are incredibly expressionistic and convey so much more emotion than you would think their simplicity would allow.

Below is one I made myself. It was my first one so I’m over the moon with how well she turned out.

Our Favourite Fairy Fiber Artists

Here are some of my favourite fibre artists with a few examples of their work:

Petra Vengar is from Slovenia in Europe. She is an incredibly talented mother of two daughters, both of whom attend a Waldorf school. It was through them that she was inspired to create these stunning needle felted fairies.

They are all as exquisite as the ones you can see below. And if you ask her, she will even make you a custom fairy.

Petra says “you can choose a hair color, color of dresses, hairstyle …actually, you can decide what story you want to tell and I can help to create one…”

You can visit Petras Etsy store and see more of her work, there.

Rebecca Varon owner of Nushkie on Etsy.

A native of New York and now living in California, the very talented Rebecca Varon, shop owner of Nushkie on Etsy was inspired by her daughter to make natural toys. She uses organic wool, merino wool fibers, silk fiber, and wire to make her wonderful creations. Rebecca will also make you a custom fairy.

You can see examples of Rebecca’s work below and more of her work here.

Sophie Streit owner of LivelySheep on Etsy UK

Sophie started needle felting just after the birth of her first daughter and quickly became hooked. She has recently moved to Irland where she makes exquisitely detailed, Waldorf style faires, inspired by nature.

Here are some more stunning examples of needle felted fairies, made by Sophie and other European fiber artists on Etsy.

Fairy Gift Ideas No 2 | Fairy Books

Books make wonderful gifts for children. I think I am not the only person who still owns a few much-loved childhood books. Richard Scarry‘s Animal Nursery Tales is one of my keepsakes. I loved the illustrations (still do) and I also have a very old, but beautiful copy of Alice in Wonderland – passed on to me by my mother, from her childhood.

So if you’d like to give a gift that a child might want to keep forever, what book could be more worth treasuring than a Flower Fairies book?

Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies books have delighted children and adults for almost 100 years.

And no wonder. First written in 1923, her books were filled with botanically accurate illustrations, and her fairies were all based on the sweet faces of real children that she sketched at her sister’s nursery school.

I think she has a very sweet face too, don’t you?

Accompanying each fairy illustration is a short song or poem – admittedly they are very old fashioned, but still charming.

You can meet Cicely’s fairies on the Flower Fairies website, and if you’d like a free coloring activity, you’ll also find a selection of black and white illustrations to print off.

Eight of her books are contained in The Complete Book Of The Flower Fairies that you can see below.

The Complete Book Of The Flower Fairies is available both in the US and the UK.

The Pop Up Books

When I was a child I loved pop-up books. Pop up books made me feel part of the story itself. The flower fairies series also has a selection of completely enchanting pop-up versions of the flower fairy books.

If you are in the US you can view them on Cicely Mary Barker’s author page here. If you are in the UK, you can view them here.

Fairy Gift Ideas No 3 | Fairy Costumes

We couldn’t have a fairy gift ideas guide without a few fairy costumes.

Children love to play at dressing up and rather than buying a cheaply made outfit that falls apart and looks a mess, you can find stunningly beautiful, handmade fairy dresses that are completely affordable.

Ideal for a party or special occasion, these dresses won’t go back into the closet to be outgrown before they get the chance to be worn again.

And did we mention how affordable they are?

So there’s a range of prices depending on what you go for, but if you compare some of the prices from FuzzyDucklingDesign‘s range to this one on Amazon, you’ll get the idea of what I’m talking about.

You can see more of Lisa Garcia’s wonderful creations at FuzzyDucklingDesign.

There are some beautifully handcrafted fairy costumes on Etsy. Above, is the Woodland fairy costume by Iowa, based designer and maker, Lisa Garcia from the United States.

And here is a stunning LILAH flower fairy tutu by British maker and designer Jade, owner of AramintaBoutique.

You can add some wings here.

Small Fairy Themed Gifts to Capture Children’s Imagination

For this section of our fairy gift ideas guide, we’ve put together a selection of small fairy related items to spark a child’s imagination.

Fairy Doors

I would have loved one of these when I was little, I think every bedroom should have one, and there are some that you can place in the garden.

And here is a selection from UK based sellers on Etsy.

Another idea from mapleandgrace, I love the description on this listing “perfect for writing notes to the fairy behind your fairy door”

And lastly, (until we add some more finds).

We all know that fairies have a very important job to do. So we’ve added some tooth fairy kits for girls and boys, from LittleLetterUK to our fairy gift ideas guide.

The History of Fairies

Though little is known of the true origins of these sweet little spirits of nature, they have endeared themselves to us over the years and ignited the imaginations of both children and adults alike.

I just wanted to show you this painting below, I think it’s completely stunning and sadly one of way too few famous paintings by women. Sophie Gengembre Anderson entitled the painting Take the Fair Face of Woman, and Gently Suspending, With Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending, Thus Your Fairy is Made of Most Beautiful Things.

If you’d like some decorative butterflies of your own, you can find some really pretty ones like the ones shown below.

Some Famous Fairies – A Fairy Timeline

• 1595-96 | William Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Nights Dream and everyone – apart from Samuel Pepys ( I’ll put his comments below, reading them always makes me laugh)* – is mesmerized by the fairies in the play. Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, and Puck. Puck is technically a sprite and he serves Oberon and Titania (the Fairy King and queen).
• 1697 | Charles Perrault writes a version of an age-old tale – Cinderella. But his version which is a lot more palatable than some of the other (gruesome) tales of the time, includes the adorable fairy godmother (and pumpkins).
• 1911 | J. M. Barrie publishes Peter Pan, and we are delighted by Tinkerbell.
• 1917 | The famous Cottingley fairy hoax hits the headlines of the day. Two little girls who claim to have seen and photographed real fairies caused a huge stir and convince many, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that the photographs were proof of the existence of fairies. (Everyone knows they can’t be captured on film).
• 1923 | Cicely Mary Barker is inspired to write a series of Flower Fairies books with more than a hundred botanically accurate illustrations. Drawing the faces of real children she sketches at her sister’s school, she brings the characters of her fairies to life.

_{* An extract from the Diaries of Samuel Pepys Monday 29th September:}

_{“and then to the King’s Theatre, where we saw “Midsummer’s Night’s Dream,” which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life.”}

We hope you found this Fairy Gift Ideas guide helpful. If you think there is anything fairy related that we should add to this list just let us know.

Here’s our guide to choosing a heat gun to use for your crafts. Our top recommendations are based on the most suitable options, to help you get the results you want for whatever type of craft you are into.

If you are new to embossing, you’re going to find a heat gun is an essential tool to heat the embossing powder to the temperature required to melt it.

The same goes for curing a screen print, and there are other crafts that require higher temperatures to work too, including melting beeswax/soy wax, for candle making, applying HTVs, removing bubbles from epoxy resin, shrink wrapping, and removing decals, etc.

A hairdryer just won’t do, it will blow a much higher volume of air at a much lower temperature not what you want. Especially when you are working with embossing powder – there’s more chance of the powder blowing all over the place than of it actually working.

So safety first! This is obviously a crucial factor when choosing a heat gun, so we just want to point out that all of the heat guns we’ve reviewed here, conform to the highest safety standards.

If you aren’t going to be using a heat gun very often, need one for travel, or need to keep your craft supplies from taking over by taking up much space, the ENGINDOT Mini Heat Gun has the smallest footprint. It’s also our cheapest option.

The advantage of our other choices is that they have dual or multiple heat settings, to give you more control over the temperature you use.

Our top pick is the Wagner HT400. We have featured Wagner’s products here on Comfy Zen before (they also make exceptionally good paint sprayers for furniture).

We were particularly impressed with Wagner’s new heat gun design, not least because you are much less likely to catch your hand and burn it on the hot nozzle. The upright stand means it’s not lying horizontally on your craft desk where you could accidentally knock it with your hand.

If you need a heat gun that is also suitable for a wider range of crafts, can handle larger projects, or that you can emboss with but also use around the home for DIY projects, Wagner’s Spraytech 550 Hot Air Tool is the heat gun that we recommend.

Our Top Pick: Wagner Spraytech Hot Air Tool

What We Like:

• Suitable for all kinds of crafts – The upright stand design keeps the nozzle away from the surface of your tabletop. This means there’s no risk of accidentally burning your hand on the nozzle while you are working.
• Dual temperature settings – 450°F (230°C) 680°F (360°C).
• Three Usage Positions – palm, pencil, and hands-free.
• Long Cord Length – 6-Foot

Weight: 0.7 lbs.

You can see it in action in the video below.

Runner-Up: Chandler Tool Embossing Heat Gun

What We Like:

• Safe and Reliable – this one is perfect for embossing. We think it would make an ideal gift too, you can even get a matching glue gun.
• Dual Temperature Settings: 392°F (200°C) 572°F (300°C).
• Nozzle Safety Shield – You can’t accidentally touch the hot metal.
• Cord Length – 6-Foot is a good length if you aren’t near an outlet.

Weight: 0.8 lbs.

Also Great: ENGINDOT Mini Heat Gun

What We Like:

• A Great Budget Option – For its compact size, it’s powerful and efficient.
• Compact Design – It’s one of the smallest models out there.  
• A Long Cord Length – At 6.56 Feet this is longer than its competitors.

Buying Factors to Consider:

This one only has one temperature setting: 662°F (350°C).

Weight: 0.6 lbs.

Another Worthy Mention: Wagner Spraytech 503087 Furno 550 Heat Gun

What We Like:

• Suitable for a Wider Range of Projects – This one is especially versatile. It’s suitable for stencil wood burning, acrylic paint pouring, wax crayon melting, paint removal, sublimation and candle making, and more.
• 12 Temperature Settings – Ranging from 150°F to 1200°F th
• It Comes With Accessories – Five Nozzles Accessories mean you can customize it according to the project you want to use it for
  

Cord Length: 5.25 Feet.
Weight: 1.984 lbs.

Other Worthy Mentions

We hope this review has been helpful.

If there’s anything good that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, just let us know in the comments below.

Would you like to print promotional material for a band/gig or a new business or sell, t-shirts, posters, and more? Maybe you are looking for a new hobby to unleash all that pent-up creativity.

A screen printing kit is the easiest way to learn this craft. And we’ve recommended kits for several other crafts over the few past months.

Why? …Simply because they are the quickest way to really get to grips with what you are supposed to be doing. You’ll learn way quicker with a good starter kit – not least because they take out all the guesswork, and hours spent trying to work out exactly what materials you are supposed to buy to get yourself set up.

Everything will arrive all together in one box – including easy to follow uncomplicated instructions. So you can open up your kit and start screen printing right away. Kits also make great gifts for like-minded creative friends!

This is a full guide to the best screen printing kit, with our top recommendations to get you started.

Up for that? Let’s dive in.

Editor’s Award	Product	Scroll
Best Photo Emulsion Kit for Fabric Printing	Speedball Advanced All-In-One Screen Printing Kit View on Amazon or Blick.com*	Review
Best for Artists, Printmakers and Fabric Printing	Daler-Rowney System 3 Screen Printing Set View on Amazon or Blick.com	Review
Best for Printing T-Shirts and Small Business Set-Up	DIY Print Shop Screen Printing Kit View on Amazon or Blick.com	Review
Best Introductory Kit | Best Budget Kit	Speedball Introductory Screen Printing Kit View on Amazon or Blick.com	Review

Click to jump straight to each topic.

• What to Look for in a Screen Printing Kit
• The Best Screen Printing Kits Reviewed
  • Best Photo Emulsion Kit for Fabric Printing
  • Best for Artists, Printmakers and Fabric Printing
  • Best for Printing Posters, Flyers, and T-Shirts for Gigs
  • Best Introductory Kit | Best Budget Kit
• Other Worthy Mentions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Different Types of Kits

Below is a brief explanation of the different types of screen printing that you can try and I’ve also provided a glossary of terms which includes the tools and the types of media that a screen printing kit will typically contain. The contents of each kit will vary according to the type of kit you choose.

My only criticism is that they don’t come with a sheet of glass or acrylic to keep transparencies in place. And for most kits, (with the exception of the DIY kit) you will also need masking tape to keep the ink from running inside the edge of the screen and the frame.

You will also need a good heat source – like an iron, a heat press machine if you have one, or a heat gun. This is an important step you’ll need to take in order to cure your print, once it’s dry.

Here’s is a simplified rundown of the different methods of screen printing you can use – just so you get the idea of what’s involved.

• Stencil Method | The most basic method, but still very effective. The stencil paper creates a masked-out area which effectively prepares your screen for printing.
• Drawing Fluid and Screen Filler | Draw or paint freehand (or trace directly) on the screen, then use screen filler to create a mask. Once the drawing fluid is washed off, the screen is ready for printing.
• Photo Emulsion | This method requires the screen to be pre-prepared with a light-sensitive emulsion. The design is then UV exposed onto the screen. Once the design is washed off, the screen is ready for printing.

What do the Kits Come with?

A Wooden Screen Frame and Base | Sizes vary between the kits. The Speedball kits are smaller, so check what size comes with each kit to make sure it’s suitable.

Sensitizer | This is a type of activator used in the photo emulsion method. Sensitizer is a dry paste to which you will need to add water and mix well. Just so you know, the bottle may feel empty before you add water, but be assured, it does contain the sensitizer.

You will usually need to mix and use activator in a darkened area unless otherwise stated. (Speedball’s Diazo Photo Emulsion does not require a light safe environment.)

Photo Emulsion | When correctly mixed with a prepared sensitizer, above, photo emulsion will turn from bright blue to green. It can then be applied to the screen. Pro tip – Refrigerating sensitized emulsion will give it a shelf life of 4 months, just make sure it doesn’t freeze.

A Squeegee | Suitable for fabric or paper/card screen printing. Fabric squeegees have a rounded edge and a graphic squeegee will have a square edge.

A Scoop Coater | The DIY kit includes a scoop coater. A scoop coater has a reservoir to hold emulsion. This enables you to apply a nice even coat to the screen more easily.

Screen Printing Inks | Some kits have more of a selection of colors than others. These may be water-soluble inks, fabric inks, or acrylic paints (with a medium that makes them suitable to use). Some kits contain white plastisol (a plastic paint) for a high opacity when printing white on to dark fabrics.

Photo Emulsion Stripper/Remover | Not all kits contain this, but it is used to remove the emulsion and restore your screen back to its original condition for future use.

Exposure lamp and Photoflood Bulb | Your kit may or may not come with a light source depending on whether the print method uses the photo emulsion method or not. If included, kits may contain a UV Bulb and a light safe bulb for a darkroom environment.

Accessories | Kits may also include craft sticks, card and drawing fluid, screen degreaser, and transparencies, etc.

Full Instructions | All kits come with good instructions and there are tonnes of youtube tutorials to follow.

There are lots of helpful youtube tutorials out there. And I’ve included a youtube demonstration video for each kit where possible.

If you’d like to watch a quick video to see what the process involves, I recommend this one from Blick Art Materials as a quick introduction to screen printing on a t-shirt. In this case, using a Speedball kit.

So, putting all of this together, let’s look at our recommendations for the best screen printing kits out there right now.

The Best Screen Printing Kits Reviewed

Best Photo Emulsion Kit for Fabric Printing: Speedball Advanced All-In-One Screen Printing Kit

Ideal for t-shirt printing, this kit has everything you need to screen print on fabric. The kit includes an exposure lamp with a 200-watt photoflood bulb and a clamp.

Note, it doesn’t come with a yellow light-safe bulb, and that’s precisely why we love this kit – Speedball’s Diazo Photo Emulsion is formulated so it doesn’t need to be used in a light-safe environment.

That means you can work under normal lighting conditions and this saves you from having to blackout your windows or resort to just working after dark.

It comes with four, 4oz. jars of water-based fabric ink in black, red, white, and blue, and you get a 10 by 14-inch frame. Not the largest printing area out there, but perfectly fine for most people’s needs. If you take a look at the guy’s t-shirt on the box, you will get an idea of the print area we are talking about.

What We Like:

• Ideal kit for t-shirts -You can print line drawings, lettering, and photographic half-tone positives on fabric using the photo emulsion process.
• A good size screen – 10 x 14 inches gives you plenty of room for a wide range of projects.
• Inks – You get 4 Water-based inks.

The kit also includes:

• Black, red, white, and blue water-based inks.
• Sensitizer.
• Emulsion remover.
• 2x Transparencies, craft stick, and black card.
• Lamp, photoflood bulb, and clamp.

Check the latest price on Amazon. Price is currently lower on Blick.com.

Best for Artists Printmakers and Fabric Printing: Daler-Rowney System 3 Screen Printing Set

If you are arty and like the idea of creating freehand designs, or aspire to become a printmaker, this is the kit for you.

The kit is specifically set up to enable you to hand draw (or hand trace) your designs directly onto the large 16.14″ by 21.65″ screen – using the screen drawing fluid, provided.

The screen is then prepared for printing with a removable screen block which also comes in the kit.

You can see how this kit works in the short demonstration video, below.

What We Like:

• Print hand-drawn, hand-traced artwork for posters, ads, artwork, greeting cards, and fabrics using screen drawing fluid.
• Large Screen – 16 x 21 inches.
• Includes a good range of inks: The kit comes with 5 water-based acrylic paints and screen drawing fluid.

The kit also includes:

• 5 Full-sized acrylic paints.
• Textile printing medium.
• Screen printing medium.
• Removable screen block.

Check the latest price on Amazon. View and check the price on Blick.com.

Best for Printing T-Shirts and Small Business Set-Up: DIY Print Shop Screen Printing Kit

Now first let me say, you are going to need to do a bit of DIY to put this one together, (no pun on the name intended).

The instructions say the 14 x 14-inch platen should be fixed to a table, (so if you don’t have a designated craft table, you might want to consider fixing it to a wooden board instead).

And just in case you didn’t know, the purpose of the platen is to allow you to mount and hold your shirt in place (tacking adhesive is provided) so that you get a perfect print every time and the ink can’t run through to the back.

With this kit, you’ll get a generous 16 × 20 inches screen, allowing for larger prints, a professional 70 Durometer squeegee, and, something the Speedball kit doesn’t come with – a scoop coater.

Just so you know, a scoop coater is a black-colored tool you can see in the image below, it helps you easily apply a nice even coat of emulsion to the screen via its built-in reservoir design.

Unlike the Speedball kit, this kit comes with a sensitizer that is light sensitive – so it needs to be prepared and applied in a darkened room away from light.

For that reason, the kit includes a light-safe bulb and a UV Bulb.

The kit also includes:

• 14 x 14-inch platen.
• 16 × 20-inch screen.
• Screen degreaser and emulsion stripper.
• Black water-based ink.
• White Plastisol ink.
• Emulsion.
• Cleanup cards, sponge, tape, gloves, pack of 10 parchment paper (so you can cure the shirts with an iron), 2 sheets of Rite Film WP film, and an instruction manual.

And again, you can see how this kit works in this full demonstration video, below -it is quite long so you may want to bookmark it for later.

What We Like:

• A professional kit for t-shirt printing – ideal for a small business setup. (Poster kit also available.)
• Large Screen: 16 × 20 inches.
• Includes a starter press with 14 x14 inch platen.
• Inks: White Plastisol ink (for dark fabrics). Black water-based ink.

Best Introductory Kit | Best Budget Kit: Speedball Introductory Screen Printing Kit

It’s basically a two-in-one kit:

You’ll be using paper stencils (x50) to make prints. I recommend getting a good die-cutting machine if you want to take this method to the net level.

You can also draw freehand (or trace) using drawing fluid and screen filler to create and print your designs.

What We Like:

• A fabulous starter kit for a bargain price using paper stencils and the drawing fluid/screen filler methods of screen printing.
• Good Size Screen: 10 x 14 inches not too big or too small.
• Inks: You get Red, and black fabric ink, plus acrylic black drawing fluid

The kit also includes:

• Screen degreaser and emulsion stripper.
• Red and Black ink.
• Acrylic black drawing fluid.
• Screen filler.
• Screen Cleaner, marker paper pad, knife*, paintbrush, mixing sticks, and instructions.

* The kit would make a lovely craft gift – but be aware, it contains a knife.

Check the latest price on Amazon. View on Blick.com.

Other Worthy Mentions

---

We hope this list of the best screen printing kits has been helpful.

If there’s anything good that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, then let us know down in the comments below.

If you are wondering which pottery wheel to choose, this straight to the point guide will take you through some options to help you choose the most suitable, and therefore, the best pottery wheel for you.

The table below contains a summary of our top choices. But we also provide full reviews and information about what to look for as well. You can jump to each section from the table of contents below the table.

Choosing Your First Pottery Wheel

If you are just starting out, or just want to have fun and try your hand at throwing some pots, you probably don’t want to spend too much, and the good news is, the most expensive wheels, (which have centering capacities of 150 lbs and up) are frankly way more than you would need anyway.

So if you just want to have fun and not spend too much, for well under $200, our budget option is a pretty solid choice.

Alternatively, even if you have never thrown anything before, you may prefer to go for a step up from a basic pottery wheel. The Speedball Artista is an excellent choice for starting a new hobby.

It’s suitable for all skill levels. It’s practical and priced at under $500 it’s a lot more affordable than the full-sized ones. It also comes with a two-year warranty.

Tabletop Pottery Wheels

Tabletop pottery wheels are usually compact, and easily portable – the Speedball Artista and the Aspire Pottery Wheel by Shimpo are good examples. You can take them outside when the weather’s nice, and they’re convenient to carry with you to a pottery class.

Even as an experienced potter, you may just prefer to specialize in smaller pieces, so a compact tabletop pottery wheel may be all you ever need.

Some people do, however, struggle to find a suitable surface to place a tabletop pottery wheel on. You will need to find somewhere to position it at a comfortable height to work. But you may be able to find, or even make, a table that’s suitable for your tabletop pottery wheel.

Hand Operated vs Foot Operated Pottery Wheels

Tabletop pottery wheels may be hand-operated or foot-operated (via a foot pedal). On balance, hand-operated pottery wheels are generally easier to work with for a beginner. The simple reason is that it can be a little difficult to get the co-ordination right between changing the speed with your feet while working the clay with your hands. (The same is also true when learning to spin on a spinning wheel.)

Full-Size Pottery Wheels

If you’ve tried throwing on a wheel before, maybe you’ve taken some classes and, you know you’re not a quitter, I recommend you invest in a Brent EI.

Brent models may be more of a considered purchase but they outperform the cheaper ones by a mile.

They are ideal for a home studio set up and are built to last – well, basically forever.

Brand	Details	View
Speedball Artista Potter’s Wheel	The Perfect All-Rounder Speed: 0–220 rpm Wheel Head: 11″  Bats: 2 included. Centering Capacity: 25 lbs Warranty: 2-years Read Full Review	Blick.com
Shimpo Aspire Pottery Wheel	Small and Portable Speed: 0–230 rpm (hand-operated version) Speed: 0–250 rpm (foot-operated version) Wheel Head: 7″ Bats: 2 (9- 3/4″) Centering Capacity: 20 lbs Warranty: 5-year limited manufacturer’s warranty Read Full Review	Blick.com
YaeTek Electric Pottery Wheel Machine	Ideal Starting Kit for New Hobbyists Speed: 0-300 rpm Wheel Head: 9.84” Bats: 0 Centering Capacity: (Approx) 20 lbs Read Full Review	Amazon
Brent Mode IE, B and C Power Wheels	The Enthusiast’s Dream Setup Model IE Speed: 0–240 rpm Centering Capacity: 75 lbs. Bats: Plast-Bat 12″ Warranty: 5-years Models B and C Speed: 0–240 rpm Centering Capacity: (B)150lbs | (C)225 lbs. Bats: Plast-Bat (B)12″ | (C)14″ Warranty: 10-years Blick.com Amazon Read Full Review	Model IE Blick.com

Click below to jump to each topic in this guide.

• Full Product Reviews
  • Our Top Pick | The Perfect All-Rounder
  • Best Portable Pottery Wheel
  • Ideal Starting Kit for New Hobbyists
  • The Enthusiast’s Dream Setup

Our Top Pick | The Perfect All-Rounder: Speedball Artista Potter’s Wheel

Best Portable Pottery Wheel: Shimpo Aspire Pottery Wheel

The Ideal Starting Kit for New Hobbyists: YaeTek Electric Pottery Wheel Machine

The Enthusiast’s Dream Setup: Brent Models IE, B, and C Power Wheels

As you can see from the video above, the Brent pottery wheel is a huge step up from the cheap imported pottery wheels out there.

But considering the sheer quality of their build, they are a worthwhile investment for anyone wanting to set up their own pottery studio at home.

To give you the best idea of how to use your heat press machine, I’ve written this easy how to use a heat press machine guide. I’ll take you through a typical process for printing a cotton t-shirt.

You can scroll straight down to any of the sections in this how-to by using the list of contents below.

Just so you know, I have put links to Amazon for any supplies you might need throughout. And if you haven’t already, check out our guide to buying a good heat press machine.

Table of Contents

• How Do Heat Press Machines Work?
• What Types of Transfer Can Use With a Heat Press Machine?
  • Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)
  • Sublimation Paper
  • Heat Transfer Paper
• How to Use a Heat Press Machine – Instructions

How Do Heat Press Machines Work?

Heat press machines basically apply heat and pressure to an image to permanently transfer it onto whatever item you are printing.

The reason it’s so popular is simply that it’s such an easy process. It’s something that can easily be done at home without stress or mess. And you’ll get a beautifully heat printed item, that’s professional enough to sell if you want to.

Though there are differences in the types of heat press machines, they all work in basically the same way. But essentially they are using the same principles you would use to iron a heat press a transfer onto fabric with a regular iron.

But really don’t try that! You’ll waste a good transfer and ruin your t-shirt.

Why’s that?

Because an iron creates hot and then cooler spots as you move it back and forth over your fabric. You’ll also be stretching the fabric a little here and there in the process as it’s just not possible to press it flat all in one go. That means your transfer won’t stick to the fabric properly. It’ll end up peeling and looking a bit smudged.

So you can see that’s less than ideal.

A heat press machine, on the other hand, applies completely even pressure at the precise temperature you set it to so that your transfer will stick and become an integral part of your fabric.

What Types of Transfer Can Use With a Heat Press Machine?

I’ll now run through the different types of transfers that you can use. Any of the links will take you to where you can get them on Amazon.

Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

This is basically just a fine layer of vinyl, backed onto a carrier sheet. It’ll look something like the image to the left once the design has been cut out and the excess weeded out.

These sheets come in sets or rolls of single colors or bundles of multi-colors. You can even get a bit fancy with flock, glitter, metallic and more.

HTV is great for lettering branding and simple block color designs. You wouldn’t try to recreate a painting with it but there’s beauty in simplicity and there are no limits on your imagination.

If this is the look you are going for, you should definitely invest in a good die cutting machine.

If you don’t know what one is, it’s a special type of printer. It cuts out designs that you create for you, using the free software included, either on your computer or through an app on your phone. You can easily upload and use your own images and fonts too.

HTV works best on cotton, polyester or cotton/polyester blends. But you can also apply it to mugs, hats, footballs, and wood.

It’ll work well on both light and darker colored fabrics.

As you can see in the image to the left, you should get instructions with each type of transfer you choose. So don’t be scared to go for that glittery one if you want to.

Sublimation Paper 

For this method, you’re going to need an inkjet printer that can take sublimation ink. If you already have one that’s great, you’ll save yourself some money because you can easily convert it to take these inks.

Sublimation paper is designed to absorb the sublimation ink and then release and transfer it when you apply heat with your heat press.

Sublimation transfers work only on 100% polyester fabrics or very high polyester content blends. But if you want to go for the vintage look, you can use a 60% poly blend.

If you’re feeling experimental, it is possible to apply a polyester coating to pre-treat any cotton or other less than ideal material.

You can also print mugs, plates and other ceramics. Aluminum also works well.

But remember there’s no white ink. That means the natural color of your fabric will show through in those areas. So this method is only suitable for white or very light-colored fabrics.

Here are a few tips:

• Use heat resistant tape to hold your paper in place so you don’t get any ghosting effects.
• Remember to reverse your image when you print it out.
• You should place your image face down.
• Sublimination requires a higher temperature to print than vinyl or heat transfer paper – around 400°F.
• You will need a Teflon Sheet to put between whatever you are pressing and the platen.
• And do make sure you place copy paper inside your shirt before pressing to prevent any ink from bleeding through and spoiling your shirt.

What I love about this method is that you can create beautiful full-color highly detailed designs with this method using programs like Adobe illustrator.

I’m an illustrator myself so I love the versatility of this method. You can see the kind of detail you can go into in my illustration to the right which was created in Adobe Illustrator.

If you follow your instructions, you’ll get a vibrant and highly professional result, not least because when sublimation inks are printed, the image doesn’t just sit on top, it becomes integral to the fabric itself.

If you wash your sublimation printed garment inside out on a very cool wash using a mild detergent and no fabric conditioner. Your fabric will last indefinitely.

Heat Transfer Paper

This is a little different from using sublimation paper. You can use either an inkjet or laser printer.

With an inkjet printer:

• You can print a transfer that’s suitable for cotton, polyester, and blends.
• You can get transfer paper for dark fabrics as well as light fabrics.
• If you print using dark transfer paper you’ll need to trim close to the edges or your image will be on a white square.
• If you print using light transfer paper there is a clear film that will transfer as well so you should again trim close to the edges for a better finish.
• You must use pigment-based rather than dye-based inks. Dye-based inks will wash out after a couple of washes.
• Your print will feel slightly rougher than the other methods.

Laser printers do have an advantage in that:

• You can print light fabrics and dark fabrics and can also get hard surface paper, which is designed especially for printing on hard surfaces so you don’t need to pre-treat them first.
• You can buy either non-self weeding or a self weeding paper. Self weeding paper will eliminate the background for you so that you don’t need to trim around the edges of your design.
• Your print will feel smooth.

Heat transfer paper printed shirts using either inkjet or laser printers will only give you 25 to 30 washes before the image fades and starts to crack. And that’s even if you do wash it inside out on a very cool wash using a mild detergent and no fabric conditioner.

How to Use a Heat Press Machine – Instructions

Here’s your guide to printing a t-shirt using a heat press. In this case, we’ll be using a pre-cut vinyl design on a cotton t-shirt. If you are using sublimation or heat transfer paper the temperature and times will be a little different so this method is just for vinyl.

And just so you know it doesn’t matter whether you have a swing-away or clam style heat-press, the basic principle of how they all work is much the same.

Ok, let’s begin:

• With your heat press machine closed, turn the pressure adjustment knob to set the pressure to firm. There’s really no exact formula for this, it basically comes down to how much pressure you’d use if you were ironing it by hand.
• Lift the lid and switch the heat press machine on.
• Set the temperature on the digital timer to 320°F/160°C or follow the temperature instructions that come with your transfer paper.
• Set the time – in this case, to 16 seconds.
• Lay out your t-shirt over the thick pad on the bottom plate (platen) evenly and make sure it’s completely straight. Try to keep the shirt collar off the edge of the pad so that you don’t have an uneven surface to press. And do keep your hands away from the top plate (platen), it’ll get hot.
• Wait for the machine to heat up to temperature. This usually takes around 6 minutes.
• Close the lid to but don’t clamp it shut, for around 6 seconds to pre-press your shirt. This will iron out any creases and remove the moisture so that your transfer will stick to it more easily.
• Now place your transfer onto your t-shirt lining it up evenly. You can use a T-square to help you.
• Place a Teflon sheet over your shirt and clamp the lid shut and press for around 4 seconds this is enough to make the vinyl transfer stick to your shirt.
• Peel the clear plastic sheet away from the back of the transfer, which should now be stuck to your shirt, and place the Teflon sheet back over the t-shirt.
• Clamp the lid shut and press for the remaining 12 seconds.

Lift the lid and that’s it, grab yourself a coffee put your feet up, and admire your work of art while you let it cool!

Being able to design and print your own line of clothing and homeware is an absolute dream – and it’s way less complicated than you’d think. This is a guide, to help you find the best heat press machine out there.

You might have seen a lot of terms like clam, swing-away, platen, die-cut, sublimation, HTV, and screen-printed transfers without any explanation of what they are or what they do. It can all get a bit too much to get your brain around.

This guide will help you sail through what you need to know in order to get yourself up and running. So before you know it you’ll be ready for the fun bit – whether that’s the excitement of starting your very own clothing and homeware line or just the pure joy of seeing your own custom-made designs come to life for yourself, family, and friends.

If you want to just skip all the extra information and you just want to know which heat press machines are currently the best to go for, then they’re all right here in the table below for you.

Editor’s Award	Product	Scroll
Best Heat Press Machine for Under $200	TUSY Heat Press Machine From Amazon	Read More
Best Mid Range Heat Press Machine	Siser Digital Clam Heat Press From Amazon	Read More
Best High-End Heat Press Machine	STAHLS HOTRONIX Auto-Open Clam From Amazon	Read More
Best 5 in 1 Heat Press Machine	TUSY Heat Press Machine 15×15 inch Swing Away 5 in 1 From Amazon	Read More

Click to jump straight to each topic.

• What to Look for in a Press Machine
• The Heat Press Machines Reviewed
  • Best Heat Press Machine for Under $200
  • Best Mid Range Heat Press Machine
  • Best High End Heat Press Machine
  • Best 5 in 1 Heat Press Machine

What to Look for in a Press Machine

The main two styles of heat press machines you will notice are the clam style and the swing away style.

• The clam style has a top lid that closes over the top of the bottom plate with a handle.
• The swing-away style lifts horizontally and swings to the side and out of your way.

One isn’t better than another it’s purely a matter of personal preference but the clam style takes a few seconds less time to operate and saves more countertop space too – but well talk more about that in our reviews below.

We’ll now take a look at the reason they vary in price so much and what you get for your money.

The Best Heat Press Machines Reviewed

Best Heat Press Machine for Under $200: TUSY Heat Press Machine

Having this bottom handle really helps because it gives you something to grab onto with your other hand while you’re opening or closing the lid – much like if you open a book, opening it with two hands is easier than one.

It’s also got something in common with the more expensive models including our high-end pick – and that’s a double-bar top handle. Other machines at this price point usually only have a single arm handle, just like the one you can see in the image to the right, but this sturdy wide handle is more rigid, making it more durable and easier to grip.

This will give you more stability when you’re actually using it and reduce the possibility of a wobble at that crucial moment when you’re clamping the lid shut because that’s the last thing you want when you’re trying to do precise work.

And that platen gets hot so having two handles helps keep your hands well away from the hot surface – after all, you really don’t want to burn your fingers by sticking them anywhere near while trying to prize the thing open.

So considering there isn’t much difference between the models this one is just easier to use and it doesn’t cost any more.

If you’d like to be able to print larger areas such as large adult tees rather than just smaller ones, you should go for a 15″x 15″ size which is the version we’ve chosen here. At this price point, they don’t come any larger than this but it would be unusual to need one any bigger, and don’t worry, it’s not too big, you’ll also be able to fit toddler tees on it too.

However, if you know you’ll only need to print smaller areas this won’t matter too much to you and you might prefer to go for a heat press machine with a smaller heat platen like the one above right and save a few bucks.

In case you are wondering what you’ll be able to print with this machine, you’ll be able to print more than just t-shirts here are a few examples of things you’ll be able to print:

• Sweatshirts, and other garments,
• Tote bags,
• Mouse mats,
• Banners,
• Throw pillows and much more.

The downside to this machine, though, is that it can’t print mugs or caps and that’s because you would need mug and cap press attachments for that. If that’s something you’d want to do, scroll down for our 5-in-1 review.

If you’d like to know what printing materials you can use with this machine, here’s a quick list, but if you don’t know what any of these terms mean yet don’t worry we explain all of that in our guide to using a heat press:

• Pre-cut heat transfer vinyl (HTV),
• Sublimation paper
• Heat transfer paper
• Embroidered patches
• Screen printed transfers, otherwise known as plastisol transfers.

The machine will even handle rhinestones well. You simply use light pressure and a piece of cardboard to prevent the glue from sticking anywhere other than to the back of the stones and the fabric you’re sticking them to.

This heat press is a clam style heat press which is one of the two main styles you’ll see out there, the other one being the swing-away style.

Now the difference between them is that with the clam style, the lid which is not actually attached to the bottom platen, lifts up, much like a clamshell, while the swing-away style lifts horizontally, and then you swing it to the left away from your workspace.

At this price point, the swing-away style is more often sold as a bundle with other attachments such as in the 5 in-1 in our review below.

There are advantages to each, but if your focus is just to pint t-shirts, etc. and you’re not going to need all the attachments to print mugs hats, and plates, you’ll find the clam style much better as it’s such a great little space saver taking up much less room on your work table than the swing-away.

Another advantage is that it’ll also take less time to operate since you don’t have to swing the heat platen away from your work each time you make a transfer, and then back again for your next one. Admittedly you’ll only save yourself a few seconds but these seconds start to add up when you have quite a few tees, to work your way through.

Now for the last bit, let me just run through some of the extra things that I’ll need to say about the other features this machine has. I won’t go into too much detail as this is pretty much standard for all of them.

First of all, it has an LCD control panel on which you can set the time and temperature that you need. The temperature ranges between 0 and 500 degrees and the time range are 0 to 999 seconds. The required pressure is set by turning the pressure adjustment knob.

Here is a short marketing video about it so you can see it in action.

What We Like:

• The Handles Provide Stability and Support | Unlike its competitors, the TUSY Heat Press Machine has a handle on the bottom which gives you added stability and support when lifting the lid. There is also a double-bar top handle which provides stability and support when closing the lid.
• Low Price | It’s very affordable in comparison with higher-end machines making it ideal for beginners, hobbyists, or new small business ventures.
• Easy to Operate | This machine works in just the same way as the much higher-end models without the high price tag. You still get an LCD panel with a timer that lets you set the time and temperature that you need, and the pressure is set by turning the pressure adjustment knob. The clock time is spot on for this machine and it only takes around 6 minutes to heat up to full temperature, that’s pretty quick. That’s basically it, and just so you know, your sublimation, or heat transfer paper, etc should come with instructions on the settings you will need.

Best Mid Range Heat Press Machine: Siser Digital Clam Heat Press

The Siser Digital Clam Press is a step up from the TUSY Heat Press Machine we’ve just looked at, in terms of precision and quality and although it does cost more than our cheaper option, it’s a high-quality machine, it costs much less than Stahls Hotronix, and it will give you years of use.

It’s super easy to operate with its digital time and temperature readout that will let you know by bleeping when your transfer is done.

For even edge-to-edge pressure, it has an over-the-center pressure adjustment. The upper flotational platen isn’t rigid, but don’t worry it’s designed that way to for accurate placement and it will provide a flat, even press every time.

The upper heating element has a non-stick coating to prevent your transfers from getting stuck and cast tubular heating elements are placed every 2 inches apart to eliminate any cold spots. So your transfer will look perfect every time.

Key Features:

• It has cast-in tubular heating elements spaced every 2 inches to eliminate cold spots.
• It features a high-quality platinum RTD (Resistance Temperature Detectors) heat sensor.
• The upper heat platen has a non-stick coating.
• The upper flotational heat platen is designed for the ultimate even press.

Best High-End Heat Press Machine: STAHLS HOTRONIX Auto-Open Clam

The only issue with that though, is there’s a big step up in price too. That’s why this one is more of a high-end pick. This one is better, but it sure reflects that in its price tag.

Now I’m not saying that the cheaper Chinese import machines are not well made, most are pretty durable and will get the job done for you, no problem. But if something were to go wrong, there’s only Amazon’s returns policy that you’ve got to depend on. With this one, however, you’ve got the backup of a lifetime warranty on the machine’s heating block, a 1-year warranty for parts and labor, and excellent technical support.

This heat press is also a clam-style machine, it works in the same way as the TUSY machine we have looked at. At the risk of repeating myself, this style is much better for saving you counter space, and it takes (admittedly just a few) seconds less time to operate since you don’t have to swing the heat platen away from your work each time you make a transfer, and then back again for your next one.

When it comes to the printing side of it, the thing that’s going to matter most to you after you’ve spent all that time carefully preparing your artwork is that it transfers evenly all over. I mean the last thing you want is it peeling up at the corners or looking faded out in places and ruining your t-shirt or whatever fabric you’re printing on in the process too.

This can happen in other machines if the platens don’t meet evenly so they end up pinching in places, giving you uneven pressure, or if the heat platen develops cooler spots so that there are areas where there isn’t enough heat for the transfer to take properly.

With this machine, they’ve thought of a couple of clever ways to get around this and prevent it from happening. Firstly, they’ve given their heat press a patented over-the-center pressure adjustment, and that together with a floatation top platen that adjusts itself as the lid closes, will give you, edge-to-edge heat and pressure no matter how thick the surface you are printing.

Secondly, they’ve eliminated the chance that any cold spots will develop and ruin your transfer, by adding cast-in tubular heating spaced at 2″ apart. This increases the thermal conductivity of the heat platen. And that means every part of it stays just at the temperature you need.

And what particularly impressed us is the accurate digital pressure readout on the console. This takes all the guesswork out of medium or light pressure etc.

So if you’re a beginner and have the budget, this machine will give you the absolute best results every time.

The defining factor about this machine for me though, is how effortless it is to open and close.

You see with other machines the action of repeatedly opening and closing the top platen after multiple prints can get pretty tiring on your shoulder and arm. After a while, they’re really going to start to ache.

This machine’s going to take all the hard work (and weight) out of heat printing for you. It has a smooth auto-opening action – and means it will do just that! It’ll open all by itself when the time’s up (and give you a satisfying pop in the process).

With a printing area of 16″ by 20″ it’s big enough to heat print much larger areas than most. Giving you a wide range of design size possibilities.

The bottom plate is straightforward to remove and replace with a different size when you need to – no tools are required, and it takes just seconds. This is something you’ll find extremely useful as your orders start to increase.

Lastly, I need to mention a little feature that’ll make a big difference in how much room you’ll have to work with when you’re preparing your transfer. Where other machines only open to around 45° to 50°, the top platen on this machine opens to 65°. Now that’s significantly wider than other machines and those extra degrees are important.

You see, the most time-consuming bit of the actual printing process is, more often than not, simply the time it takes you to lay your fabric out and accurately place your transfer into position. Rather than actually waiting for the timer to count down. So the last thing you need is to have to negotiate around a hot platen that’s a little too close to your hands for comfort. Those extra degrees will give you just that. A bit more space to work with which will help speed up your workflow – as well as make sure you don’t end up with any unwanted burns anywhere.

Now for the feature that I need to mention which pretty much comes as standard for all these machines – the digital time and temperature readout that lets you set the time and temperature that you need – and just so you know, it’s spot on with this machine. The pressure is set by turning the over-the-center pressure adjustment knob.

If you’re wondering what this machine will print, it’s pretty much standard to all of them. If you missed the list, scroll up to see it here. The only exception with this one (and our top pick) is that it doesn’t print caps, plates, or mugs, etc., Although there is a completely separate cap heat press machine designed by Hotronix specifically just for that purpose.

Weight: 96lbs

What We Like:

• Made in the US | Unlike the cheaper Chinese imports, with this machine, you are getting a quality heated press machine made in the US. You also get the backup of a lifetime warranty on the machine’s heating element and a 1-year warranty for parts and labor. You also get great technical support.
• Smooth Auto Opening | It has an easy open-close action, helped by a gas spring that gives the machine a smooth shock auto opening, so you’ll never have to struggle to open or close it for that matter.
• Patented Over-the-Center Pressure Adjustment | Together with the floating action of the top platen that adjusts itself as the lid closes, this machine will ensure that you get even, edge-to-edge heat and pressure.
• Built to Last | The Hotronix Maxx has a scratch-resistant, baked-on powder coat finish. It also has a non-stick coated heat platen and it complies with the strictest US safety standards.
• Cast-in Tubular Heating | Set at 2″ apart, this will ensure you never get any cool spots.

Check the latest price on Amazon.

Best 5 in 1 Heat Press Machine: TUSY Heat Press Machine 15×15 inch Swing Away 5 in 1

These 5-in-1 heat press machines come with four different attachments. These attachments actually adapt the basic t-shirt press part of the machine into a completely different cap, cup, or plate heat press machine – depending on which one you want to use.

You can see in the image above, that the main top and bottom platens have been switched out for the hat press attachment.

Now, here’s the thing: it’d cost just the same as this five-in-one machine if you were to get the first pick in this guide and a separate mug machine for example. That, of course, would mean missing out on the other attachments as well. This makes this five-in-one machine far more cost-efficient if you’re a crafter that’s going to actually use them.

You can also say that it’s nice having an all-in-one machine rather than two machines. It’s a little more space-saving at the very least.

The difference between, the TUSY 5 in 1 heat press and others out there is that this one comes in a 15″ by 15″ platen size. Now what this means is you’re not just restricted to having to make do with the one size that all the other 5 in 1’s offer.

You see most of these 5-in-1 heat press machines only come with a 12″ by 15″ platen for the regular t-shirt printing side of things and not this larger size. This size is usually only an option with stand-alone machines. So basically, with most of the 5 in 1 machines out there, what you’re actually doing is sacrificing a few inches that you might need to get those extra attachments.

The one defining thing that you’ll notice about this and all the other 5 in 1 machines out there, is that it’s a swing-away style – rather than the clam style that was our top pick.

The reason for this is a purely practical one, and that’s because the design of the swing-away machine is what actually makes it possible to partially dismantle and reassemble the machine with whichever extra attachment you want to use.

But don’t worry, there’s no compromise on quality here, one style isn’t better than another. It’s just that with a stand-alone machine where you’re using just the basic platen over and over again, it’s a little quicker to use a clam. And since you’re not swinging the platen out and away from the machine and you don’t have any attachments, you’re going to save yourself some counter space too.

With this one, you are going to need a bit of worktop space to use it. And, of course, you’ll need room for the additional attachments too. But if your workspace is a bit limited, remember you will only be using one attachment at a time. So it’s going to be much more economical with your space than having lots of different machines.

The only downside to adapting the machine rather than having several separate ones is that with the exception of the cup press, which pretty much just pugs in as-is, you’ll need a cross-head screwdriver, to adapt the machine and fix the other attachments to it.

But don’t worry if you don’t know what a cross-head screwdriver even looks like, they’re the ones that look like an ” x” on the end – you know, the really common standard type you see around. Anyway, it’s really very easy and straightforward to assemble the different attachments.

Also, it’s worth me mentioning again, that these machines that come with the extra attachments are all pretty similar, and that’s because, like our top pick, they are imports from China. Don’t let that put you off, because that doesn’t mean they’re not durable. If you’re a hobbyist or are even starting a small business, they work pretty darn well, and they’re affordable simply because you do get a lot for your money.

One thing that impresses me about TUSY’s new 15″ 5 in-1 heat press machine is that they’ve given it a thicker double-layer mat. The single black dense foam one that comes with their other models is a little too thin in my opinion so it could curl or may not stay put as easily while you are placing your fabric over it. That said, it’s no big deal to replace it s, they don’t cost much and if it does start to degrade over time you can easily get a replacement mat here if you need it.

But it’s just good to know that with the new version, TUSY has thought about it and given the mat a bit of an upgrade.

What We Like:

• Good Build Quality | The TUSY has a lot more metal parts than plastic ones. That’s something that is not common to all of them. That vertical bar that supports the top platen is quite often just plastic covering an inner metal tube. Which means it can be prone to splitting. The TUSY has a much stronger all-metal bar making it way more durable.
• Low Price | It’s very affordable in comparison with higher-end machines making it ideal for beginners, hobbyists, or new small business ventures.
• Easy to Operate | This machine will give you the same results as a high-end one without the high price tag. The attachments are all straightforward and easy to attach and, of course, you still get an LCD panel with a timer that lets you set the time and temperature that you need, and the pressure is set by turning the pressure adjustment knob. It only takes around 6 minutes to heat up to full temperature, that’s pretty quick.

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We hope this review of the best heat press machines has been helpful.

If there’s anything that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, then let us know down in the comments below.

If you haven’t tried macrame before, and you like the idea of creating something a little boho chic and contemporary with fiber, you absolutely should try macrame, you will love it! There isn’t a huge expensive outlay or a ton of equipment to buy, just to get going. And you can make something you’ll actually be proud of – your very first try.

There’s a lot of choices out there so we looked at more than 30 macrame kits and narrowed our search down to find the best macrame kits in our four main categories.

Type of Macrame Kit	Top Pick
Best Macrame Plant Hanger Kits	Macrame Plant Hanger Kit by ReformFibers
Best Wall Hanging Kits	Beginner macrame KIT by CordPlusQuartz
Best Home Decor Macrame Kits	Macrame Hanging Shelf Kit by KnottyCotton
Best Mini Macrame Kits	Macrame Keychain Kit by KnottyRopeCollection

Table of Contents

• The Best Macrame Kits Reviewed
  • Macrame Plant Hanger Kits
  • Wall Hanging Kits
  • Home Decor Macrame Kits
  • Mini Macrame Kits
• Other Worthy Mentions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Macrame Plant Hanger Kit by ReformFibers

Wall Hanging Kits: Beginner macrame KIT by CordPlusQuartz

Home Decor Macrame Kits

Best Mini Macrame Kits: Macrame Keychain Kit by KnottyRopeCollection

Other Worthy Mentions

Weaving is a fun and rewarding hobby that allows you to create beautiful textiles using a variety of techniques and materials. If you’re new to weaving, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which tools and equipment you need to get started. One of the most important pieces of equipment for a weaver is the loom. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the best weaving looms for beginners.

None of the looms we tried were costly so they would make beautiful gifts- in fact, they are perfect for anyone who would just like to try their hand at weaving.

But above all, they are well made. They are not going to fall apart – because that’s the last thing you want when you’re halfway through a project you’ve lovingly put so much work into.

There’s a lot of choices out there, so we looked at more than 20 looms that were suitable for a beginner and narrowed our research down to our top 5 picks. Our recommendations have the perfect combination of design quality, durability, as well as aesthetic charm.

So, whichever one you choose, you will treasure, and find an absolute pleasure to use.

Our Top Choice	Lap Heddle Loom by Craft Boutique NYC
Also Great	Frame Loom Weaving Kit Blush by Oake&Ashe
Best Pocket Loom	Pocket Weaving Loom Kit by Amubleu
Best Tapestry Loom	Tapestry Loom by Stephen Willette
Also Consider	Circular Weaving 2-Loom Set by CraftSanity Circular Weaving 3-Loom Set by CraftSanity

Unlike some looms, that come with just a yarn needle, this one has a heddle bar – though it’s much simpler in design than the heddles you’ll find on traditional rigid heddle looms.

But don’t worry if you don’t even know what one is yet, I’ll explain. It’s that separate bar with notches that you can see at the bottom of the picture below.

You simply thread your warp threads through the notches.

Twist the bar one way, and one set of warp threads lifts to form a shed (the area where the shuttle stick passes back and forth). Twist it the opposite way and the shed closes and alternative warp threads lift to form a second shed.

It’s such a simple idea, it just makes weaving in and out of the warp threads so much easier.

With this lap loom, you also get two shuttle sticks, an adorable wooden loom comb (to comb your weft yarns into place) and the kit even includes a bar for hanging your first piece.

Made from 100% authentic beech wood, which is known for its aesthetic colors and durability, this weaving loom has a high-end contemporary look and feel.

Although no yarn is included with this option, there is an add-on option to purchase a 50g ball of white cotton warping thread. You can see it on the loom in the photo above.

The frame loom we’ve featured here is the 14″ by 16″ lap loom. But there are two additional sizes to choose from. See below.

• Lap Loom 14 inches x 16 inches
• Large Weaving Loom – 19.6 inches x 19.6 inches
• XXL Loom – 35 inches x 34 inches

You can visit the Craft Boutique NYC store here.

The kit is perfectly designed for a beginner. But you can use it to make some beautiful pieces.

A good kit is always a great choice for a beginner. It means you don’t have to spend time researching and ordering everything you need in order to get started, and you’ll already know exactly which supplies to buy when you’ve used everything up in your kit. (We’ve written our soap-making kit guide and our guide to candle-making kits for that reason).

The Oake&Ashe loom is very easy to assemble and super easy to warp and set up making it one of the best looms for beginners.

The frame comes with a set of beams that have strong plastic hooked teeth to prevent the yarn from slipping off and to accurately space your warp threads.

The loom we have featured here is the 10″ by 10″ lap loom and because there’s no external frame around it, this space-saving design means you can create weavings right up to those dimensions.

And if you want a larger loom? That’s no problem, there are several other sizes to choose from. I’ll link them for you below.

With this kit, you don’t get a heddle bar like the Craft Boutique NYC’s one we have just looked at, but you do get a pickup stick.

To use a pickup stick, you thread it in and out of your warp threads. Then with the pickup stick laying flat, you weave your yarn in and out of the warp threads, as you would normally, using the stick shuttle or weaving needle provided.

In the opposite direction, you simply turn the pickup stick vertically to automatically lift some of the warp threads. This will create a shed for your stick shuttle or weaving needle to pass straight through. (Pickup sticks are also commonly used to make more complicated weave patterns in weaving.)

The frame of this kit is beautifully made from sustainably sourced hard maple wood and the kit also includes:

• Beginners’ instructions
• Small scissors
• 800 yds cone of warp yarn
• 4 balls of 100% wool yarn – in Blush, Beige, Ash, and Taupe, but there is also a grey option if you prefer.
• 1ozs of wool roving
• A maple wood weaving comb and a 10″ hanging rod.

The great thing is, that you can practice mixing colors and yarns and create mini (sample) patterns before you apply them to a large-scale project.

So even when you are hooked on weaving (and you will be,) and have years of experience as a fiber artist, you will still want to use this little kit to make samples for your bigger weaving projects.

The fact that it also comes with a mini muslin storage bag also makes this an ideal travel loom to take with you to the beach etc.

The loom itself is made from wood and measures 4″ x 6.75″ giving you a finished cloth of 4 inches by 6 inches.

The kit also comes with:

• 1 weaving needle made from a thorn from a honey locust tree. ( I just love the names of trees.)
• 2 mini skeins of hand-dyed DK weight yarn. In a choice of colors from pinks, oranges, and golds to greens, blues, greys, and black. That’s about 20 grams in total and enough yarn for your first project.
• 1 muslin bag to keep your supplies together when you travel
• And instructions to help get you started.

Check the price of the Pocket Weaving Loom at amubleu’s store on Etsy.

Tapestry Loom: Tapestry Loom by StephenWillette

Made from solid cherry, this tapestry weaving loom has an original design that takes its inspiration from the best features of the Tapestry Loom, Navajo Loom, and Sprang Loom.

Where the design of this one really stands out, is that you choose your own natural sticks for the top and bottom of the loom.

They then become part of the weaving process. The loom will allow for a piece to be woven up to 21.5″ in length and 13″ wide. But if you have longer sticks, you can make weavings much wider than this as it’s possible to weave outside the loom.

When the tapestry is finished, you simply remove the pegs and you are ready to hang your weaving.

Natural sticks are available, at Stephen Willette’s store both with holes drilled (approximately 1/2″ apart) and without holes.

The loom folds to a compact size of 28″ tall x 16″ wide x 4″ deep and the handle makes it great for travel or taking with you to a weaving class.

No shuttle, shed stick, or tapestry needle comes with it but they are all available from the store.

Vsit the Stephen Willette store.

They are just as easy for a beginner as a regular frame or tapestry loom. But the fiber art you’ll create will have anyone believe you are an experienced fiber artist.

The set includes:

• One, 3 1/4″ diameter scalloped loom
• One 7″ diameter scalloped loom
• One 11″ diameter scalloped loom (this item is in the set of 3 only).
• Full-color instructions for basic weaving in the round and a warping diagram for you to follow – making it a great choice when choosing the best looms for beginners.
• One metal yarn needle.

A nice touch that will only find from a friendly small independent business is that for $5 (or less for the 2 sets) you can even, choose to have your looms warped for you – so when they arrive they are ready to go.

Other Worthy Mentions

In conclusion, there are many great weaving looms on the market for beginners. Whatever you choose, be sure to consider factors like size, materials, and accessories when making your decision.