Craft Tips

For easy application thin TOP COAT by placing the bottle in hot water for a few minutes before using.
BASE COAT dries in about 30 minutes while TOP COAT takes several hours.
It is not advisable to try to speed up drying time by placing any DECOUPAGE projects in the sun. Allow to dry at normal room temperature.
In hot, dry weather, products will dry quicker and cracks will be smaller.
In cold or damp weather cracks will appear slower and may be larger.

Beading on a budget. Some beads are not all they are cracked up to be. It happens. You are in a good groove, so close to the end of a project and "snap!", a glass bead breaks. The best thing to do, when you are still learning and on a budget, is to buy plastic beads in bulk. Good quality plastic beads are made of acrylic. Once you have perfected your techniques switch to Czech glass beads.
Stringing with Acculon or gut. Cut the number of strands you need, be sure to leave 1 or 2 cm extra length on either end for attaching the crimp. Use a crimp bead that will hold all the strands on one end or a couple of crimp beads to hold multiple strands. Use crimping pliers or your flat-nose pliers to attach the crimp.

Before you start painting, run your finger over the bristles a couple of times to get rid of the starch as well as any loose bristles.
Brushes should never be left standing in water - water will be drawn up behind the aluminium band, the glue will eventually weaken and excess water will make the wood spilt and ruin your brush.
Clean old paint off brushes with Polyclens Paint Brush Cleaner.

NEVER leave wax unattended!!!!
Keep a close eye on the wax, when it is melted it is ready to pour.
Do not continue heating after melted, unless you have a thermometer and know the wax that you are working with.
Rather use an electric hot plate and not an open gas flame.
If the wax has got water in it, rather throw it out. Using wax that has got water that has settled at the bottom can cause a steam explosion as the water heats quicker than the wax.
In the event that the wax catches fire DO NOT use water. Cover the pot with a lid, damp cloth or use a fire extinguisher.
Don't pour melted wax down the drain as it will cause a blockage
KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN
Do not heat wax over 100 ºC as it will catch fire
Pre-dip your wick or your candles will not burn correctly.

When buying wool or cotton for a project, make sure you buy enough and don't have to go back and buy more later. Different batches (and therefore dye lots) of the same thread might not be exactly the same and your garment will have two distinct colours!

If you are going to use a gold pen to line the edge of your paper or tray, it is a good idea to apply modge first.
Turpentine on the tip of an earbud will remove gold pen lines.
Modge colour photocopies to retain colour and also to prevent paper from tearing. Delicate pieces that have been cut out should also be modged.
Use a toothpick to get glue in under a picture that is not properly stuck down.
Use vinegar/water on a nappy liner to wipe away excess paper glue.
When you cut out your picture, move the paper not the scissors.
Look out for interesting pictures in old books, magazines, etc. and build up your own library.

An easy way to determine whether material is suitable for fabric painting is by burning a corner and putting out the flame immediately. Feel the burnt section between thumb and forefinger. If this section feels thicker than the rest of the cloth then it has polyester or another man-made fibre in the mixture and will therefore not be suitable for fabric painting. The higher the percentage of polyester in the material, the greater the chance of the paint running. Always check the material by burning it first. Polyester also smells like burning plastic when burning, while cotton smells like burning paper.
It i very important that the material be pre-washed in hot water and then dried and ironed before painting. The reason for this is that all fabric is pre-treated with starch to enhance its appearance and to make it appear crease-resistant. This layer of starch prevents the paint from penetrating the fibres of the material, with the result that the paint could in fact be washed off after the first wash, leaving the product looking worn and washed out. Fabric painting is mainly done on white or off-white material.
The colour of your cloth will have an effect on the colour you get once painted on.

Never leave masking tape on a surface for more than two hours as it can become extremely hard to remove and can ruin the surface.

Always use a clean container and put some modge podge into it before you start, don't put the unused podge back in to the container.
Modge podge can be coloured with acrylic paints.
Don't work with modge podge in direct sunlight or try heating it with a heater, it's best to work with it at room temperature.
Modge podge takes about 30 minutes to dry between applications, depending on the thickness of application.
Do not use directly over KWIK CRACK or ANTIQUE CRACKLE.

Once you have dipped the brush in the paint, dab it on a piece of paper towel to work off the excess paint (the brush should be almost dry). This will help prevent paint from seeping under the stencil and messing up your project.

Shop