Easter Bunny DIY

Happy Easter! If you're looking for a fun and easy project to do with the kids, then look no further than this paper Easter bunny tutorial. Not only is this craft adorable and festive, but it won’t cost you a fortune in eggs (what’s up with these crazy egg prices anyways?!).

Supplies:

• 3 Sheets of white paper for the bunny’s body

• 1 sheet of color paper for the bunny’s ears, nose, and feet

• Scissors

• Ruler

• Pencil or black marker

• Twine or thread

• Glue stick

Let’s Get Started!

Step 1: Gather your supplies and take your two sheets of white paper and cut them into 8” squares.

Step 2: Using your ruler fold the both pieces of white paper accordion/fan style in 1/2” sections.

Step 3: Put glue on one end of each piece of accordion paper

Step 4: Attach the two individual pieces of paper together to make one longer accordion style piece of paper.

Step 5: Use your ruler to mark the middle (4”) of the paper, and take your twine or string and tie it around the paper to cinch it in the center.

Step 6: Use your glue stick to attach the flat ends of the paper fan to each other, forming a circle. This will be your bunny’s body.

Step 7: On your remaining piece of white paper, draw and cut out the bunny’s ears, eyes, nose, and feet. Then taking your color paper, draw and cut out smaller ears, and circles or hearts for the bunny’s toes and nose.

Step 8: Use your glue stick to attach the color paper bunny parts to the white pieces. Then glue the bunny’s ears, eyes, nose, and feet to the body.

Step 9: Using a marker, color in the bunny’s eyeballs, and some whiskers on it’s nose. For some added fun, you can glue a cotton ball to the back for a tail.

This paper Easter bunny tutorial is a fun and easy craft that's perfect for the whole family. With just a few simple materials, you can create a cute and festive decoration that will brighten up your home this Easter. So, grab your paper, glue, and scissors, and get ready to craft your way to a hoppy Easter!

Spring Clean Your Crafting Room or Space

If you're a crafting enthusiast, you know how quickly your workspace can become cluttered with materials, tools, and unfinished projects. Clutter not only makes it difficult to find what you need but can also affect your productivity and creativity. In today’s post, we'll explore some tips on how to declutter your crafting space and make it a more organized and inspiring place to work and have included a printable checklist you can download to help you get started.

Start with a Plan: Before you begin decluttering, it's important to have a plan in place. Decide what you want to achieve and how you'll accomplish it. Make a list of the areas you want to declutter, and prioritize them based on the level of clutter.

1. Take Inventory: Take inventory of all the materials, tools, and unfinished projects in your crafting space. Sort them into piles of things you want to keep, donate, sell, or throw away. Be honest with yourself and only keep the things that you know you'll use.

2. Create Zones: Once you've sorted everything, create zones for each type of material or tool. This will make it easier to find what you need when you need it. For example, create a zone for fabric, a zone for paper, and a zone for tools.

3. Invest in Storage: Invest in storage solutions that fit your needs and your space. This can be anything from shelving units to storage bins or even hanging organizers. Look for solutions that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

4. Organize Your Workspace: Organize your workspace in a way that makes sense for you. Keep frequently used materials and tools within reach, and create a designated workspace for each type of project.

5. Set Limits: Set limits on the amount of materials and tools you keep. This will help you stay organized and prevent clutter from building up again. For example, if you have a designated shelf for yarn, set a limit on how many skeins you can keep at one time.

6. Clean Regularly: Make it a habit to clean and declutter your crafting space on a regular basis. Set aside time each week or month to go through your materials and tools and get rid of anything that's no longer needed.

Decluttering your crafting space can be a daunting task, but it's worth the effort to create a more organized and inspiring workspace. By following these tips, you'll be able to declutter your space and create a more efficient and productive environment for your crafting projects. So, get started today and enjoy a clutter-free crafting space!

13 Tips for Shopping the 2019 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash Like a Pro

The highly anticipated Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash is November 9 at Gilley’s Dallas. Admission is free! We will have an adorable photo booth and fun make-and-take crafts. Here are a few tips for making the most of your Jingle Bash shopping experience ...

1. Bring your favorite shopping buddies and be sure your phone or camera is charged. There are fun photo booths in the works and you’re going to want those selfies. Don’t forget to tag @etsydallas so we can see too!

2. Prep a shopping list before Bash Day so you won’t forget anyone or anything. Don’t forget that Christmas, winter holidays, and wonderful family gatherings will be here before you know it. You can even browse the 2019 Jingle Bash Artists to plan your must-have stops for the day.

3. Grab a map when you arrive so you can head straight to your favorite booths. We will have some Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash swag at our information booth - get ‘em while supplies last! And be sure to visit the free make-and-take craft table hosted by the Creative Arts Center of Dallas.

4. Bring a tote bag for the goodies you buy to keep your hands free to shop all the gorgeous handmade pieces our artists will have at the Jingle Bash. We will have extra totes for sale but supplies are limited.

5. The first 50 adult shoppers in line get our coveted Bash Bags — it’s the first 50 who show up, y’all. Please don’t yell at our volunteers if you weren’t in the first 50. We promise there is plenty of amazing work available for purchase at the Bash. We’re all in this to support handmade artists, right? We are always excited with the contributions for the Bash Bags. Those 50 lucky shoppers who are first in line will love what they find inside.

6. Don’t stress if you arrive at opening to see people lined up outside the door. Experienced Bash shoppers may be there to get their hands on our Bash Bags or to get first dibs in the booths. Once doors open, everyone gets ushered right in without a wait. Pro tip: If crowds aren’t your thing, you probably don’t want to arrive in the first hour.

7. Our all-volunteer leadership team works on planning for our Bashes all year long! We are passionate about putting on an event you will love but we can’t control the weather or traffic. If you’re planning to wait in the line before the show, be prepared.

8. Expect traffic. Plan your route ahead of time. It’s downtown Dallas, y’all. Check the news for construction or any big events that may affect your route. Consider carpooling with friends or taking DART if driving downtown stresses you out.

9. Thankfully there is parking at Gilley’s for $5. We will have tasty food trucks and a bar onsite as well. 

10. Expect a crowd. We love how the community comes out to show support for our artists! If you want to browse with a little more elbow room, arrive after lunch. Don’t worry. Our artists are stocked for the whole day.

11. You may want to leave the stroller in the car or at home. If possible, wearing your little one may make shopping the Bash easier for you and other shoppers trying to navigate the aisles.

12. Find the Etsy Dallas table to find out how to win Bash Bucks (that’s money that only works at this Bash, y’all). We want to give you extra $$ to spend at the Bash, so don’t miss out!

13. If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter. We promise we only send out fun and happy emails. It’s a great way to get the scoop on all our upcoming events.

13 Tips for Shopping the 2019 Etsy Dallas Spring Bash Like a Pro

The highly anticipated Etsy Dallas Spring Bash is May 4 at Gilley’s Dallas. Admission is free! We will have a free photo booth and fun make-and-take crafts. We put together a few tips for making the most of your Spring Bash experience ...

1. Bring your favorite shopping buddies and be sure your phone or camera is charged. There are fun photo booths in the works and you’re going to want those selfies. Don’t forget to tag @etsydallas so we can see too!

2. Make your list before Bash Day so you won’t forget anyone on your shopping list. Don’t forget Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation and summer travel are right around the corner. You can even browse the 2019 Spring Bash Artists ahead of time.

3. Grab a map when you come in so you can head straight to your favorite booths. We will have some Etsy Dallas Spring Bash swag at our information booth while supplies last. And be sure to visit the free make-and-take craft table hosted by Craft Guild of Dallas.

4. Bring a tote bag for your purchases if you want to keep your hands free for browsing all the beautiful handmade pieces our artists will have at the Spring Bash. We will have extra totes for sale but supplies are limited.

5. The first 50 adult shoppers in line get our coveted Bash Bags — it’s the first 50 who show up, y’all. Please don’t yell at our volunteers if you weren’t in the first 50. We promise there is plenty of amazing work available for purchase at the Bash. We’re all in this to support handmade artists, right? We are always excited with the contributions for the Bash Bags. Those 50 lucky shoppers who are first in line will love what they find inside.

6. Don’t stress if you arrive at opening to see people lined up outside the door. Experienced Bash shoppers may be there to get their hands on our Bash Bags or to get first dibs in the booths. Once doors open, everyone gets ushered right in without a wait. Pro tip: If crowds aren’t your thing, you probably don’t want to arrive in the first hour.

7. Our all-volunteer leadership team works on planning for our Bashes all year long! We are passionate about putting on an event you will love but we can’t control the weather or traffic. If you’re planning to wait in the line before the show, be prepared.

8. Expect traffic. Plan your route ahead of time. It’s downtown Dallas, y’all. Check the news for construction or any big events that may affect your route. Consider carpooling with friends or taking DART if driving downtown stresses you out.

9. Thankfully there is parking at Gilley’s for $5. We will have food trucks and a bar onsite as well. 

10. Expect a crowd. We love how the community comes out to show support for our artists! If you want to browse with a little more elbow room, arrive after lunch. Don’t worry. Our artists are stocked for the whole day.

11. You may want to leave the stroller in the car or at home. If possible, wearing your little one may make shopping the Bash easier for you and other shoppers trying to navigate the aisles.

12. Find the Etsy Dallas table to find out how to win Bash Bucks (that’s money that only works at this Bash, y’all). We want to give you extra $$ to spend at the Bash, so don’t miss out!

13. If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter. We promise we only send out fun and happy emails. It’s a great way to get the scoop on all our upcoming events.

Our favorite local finds for Floral Design Day

It’s Floral Design Day and we have a roundup of some of our favorite handmade floral finds from makers right here in DFW. We are sure you will find something here that you love for yourself and your favorite people (and pets!)

La Rosa Loteria Tee by bbchez

Glass flower garden stake by CalisherGlass

Texas Sticker by Designs by Andrea

Rutilated Quartz Necklace by Earrings by Eryn

Yoga meditation lotus flower keychain by Expressions Bracelets

Baby Shower Printable by Favors & Stuff Designs

Funny Wedding Card by Kat French Design

DIY Watercolor Kit by Maya by Kiwi

Yellow rose of Texas wall art by Martolana

Calabrian Bergamot, Red Currant and Violet lotion bar by The Pig and the Peacock

Thinking of you notecard by Tokodots

Brigette over the collar bandana by Uptown Pet Wear

Texas Bluebonnet Digital Art Print Wildflower by Wandering Paper Co.

Sweet Texas Honeysuckle Perfume by Whipped Up Wonderful

Congrats greeting card by Whiski Designs

{Artist Spotlight} Our Interview with Emily of My Head Cozy

Emily loves booth design. She calls it an artform in and of itself and we couldn’t agree more. We are so excited to see My Head Cozy’s setup at the 2018 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash, sponsored by Etsy, on November 10 at Fashion Industry Gallery.

She works as a teacher by day, and Emily unwinds at the end of the day by crocheting hats for her shop. We love her work and are excited to see her new booth at the Bash. We caught up with her recently for an interview. 

What are you most looking forward to for the Jingle Bash?

Interacting with my customers is my favorite part of the Jingle Bash. There is nothing that sparks creativity like chatting with the wonderful folks who come through the show, and sharing my story and process with them. I also look forward to seeing all of the other wonderful sellers. It’s always an all-star cast at the Jingle Bash.

Is your shop offering anything new, special or different at the Bash?

My handmade Santa Hats are epic. They are warm, wonderful and oh so Christmas-y. I’ll be offering a special where you can buy any 2 hats and get $5 off. 

How would you describe your shop? 

It’s delightful. My mission is to warm hearts and noggins with handmade hats of the greatest quality, care and charm. And I think that describes my hat shop in a nutshell.

What do you most enjoy about working with your team?

It is just me, myself and I at the moment, although I have had many helping hands along the way. I love collaborating with my friend Paulina Martin, who does the photographs for the shop. 

How did you get into crocheting? 

Once upon a time, I read a story about a chef who started cooking when he was 4 years old. And at the time my little 10-year-old self said, “Oh man, I’m already 10! I need something cool that I can do and be able to say, ‘I’ve been doing this since I was 10.’ It won’t be as impressive as 4, but it will have to do.” I thought I was really behind. So on the next trip to the library, instead of checking out another Tin-Tin comic or Boxcar Children book, I went to the DIY section and checked out about 12 different books. Knitting, crocheting, quilting, beadwork, card making, plumbing, carpentry – you name it. At the end of the day, crocheting stuck. I learned from a book. Good decision, 10-year-old self! 

Shop from over 100 artists offering unique handmade wares at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 10. From original art, home goods, and artisanal soaps to local jewelry designers, leather workers and so much more! Check out the event on Facebook here. And find out how to shop the Bash like a pro here. We’ll see y’all at the Bash! 

13 Tips for Shopping the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash Like a Pro

The highly anticipated Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash is November 10 at F.I.G. Admission is free! We will have a free photo booth and fun make-and-take crafts. We put together a few tips for making the most of your Jingle Bash experience ...

1. Bring your favorite shopping buddies and be sure your phone or camera is charged. There are fun photo booths in the works and you’re going to want those selfies. Don’t forget to tag @etsydallas so we can see too!

2. Make your list before Bash Day so you won’t forget anyone on your shopping list. Don’t forget holidays are right around the corner. You can even browse the 2018 Jingle Bash Artists ahead of time.

3. Grab a map when you come in so you can head straight to your favorite booths. We will have some Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash swag at our information booth while supplies last. And be sure to visit the free make-and-take craft table hosted by Creative Arts Center of Dallas.

4. Bring a tote bag for your purchases if you want to keep your hands free for browsing all the beautiful handmade pieces our artists will have at the Jingle Bash. We will have extra totes for sale but supplies are limited.

5. The first 50 shoppers in line get our coveted Bash Bags. We are always excited with the contributions for the Bash Bags. Those 50 lucky shoppers who are first in line will love what they find inside.

6. Don’t stress if you arrive at opening to see people lined up outside the door. Diehard Bash shoppers are there to get their hands on our Bash Bags. Once doors open, everyone gets ushered right in without a wait.

7. Our all-volunteer leadership team works on planning for our Bashes all year long! We are passionate about putting on an event you will love but we can’t control the weather or traffic. If you’re planning to wait in the line before the show, be prepared.

8. Expect traffic. Plan your route ahead of time. It’s downtown Dallas, y’all. Check the news for construction or any big events that may affect your route. Consider carpooling with friends or taking DART if driving downtown stresses you out.

9. Thankfully there are several parking options for F.I.G. We will have food trucks and a bar onsite as well. 

10. Expect a crowd. We love how the community comes out to show support for our artists! If you want to browse with a little more elbow room, arrive after lunch. Don’t worry. Our artists are stocked for the whole day.

11. You may want to leave the stroller in the car or at home. If possible, wearing your little one may make shopping the Bash easier for you.

12. Find the Etsy Dallas table to find out how to win Bash Bucks (that’s money that only works at this Bash, y’all). We want to give you extra $$ to spend at the Bash, so don’t miss out!

13. If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter. We promise we only send out fun and happy emails. It’s a great way to get the scoop on all our upcoming events.

How to Plan a Craft Show

Have you ever wondered what happens between, “Hey, let's put together a craft show and call it the Spring Bash!” and “Whew, the Spring Bash is behind us now and I need a nap…”

The Etsy Dallas Bashes are a labor of love for all of us, so we thought it would be interesting to give you a glimpse of what goes into a show like the Spring Bash.

A line of shoppers wraps around Gilley's Dallas before doors open for the 2018 Spring Bash. The first shoppers arrived at 7 a.m. to wait in line for the event that started at 10:30 a.m. on May 5, 2018. Photos courtesy of Mirrorless Mind Studio for Etsy Dallas. 

Let’s start by picking a date and a venue.

Venues book up way in advance, so in November as we prep for Jingle Bash, we have already been planning Spring Bash. We usually know where we want to be and when we want to do the show. Oh, but wait, Gilley’s isn’t available both dates we want (we need to book two days so we can set up), and the weekend before/after is Earth Day, Mother’s Day, or the same day as some other show that many of our vendors may want to do. Or, as happened with our 2018 Spring Bash, the NRA Convention came to town and POTUS would be coming in to speak. What would that do to traffic? You can't plan for everything!

After some back-and-forth about the venue and dates, we make a decision and put down our deposit. At this point it's time to start cheering. Yay! We can start telling people to save the date!

Shortly after the holidays, people start asking when the applications are going to come out for Spring Bash. Before we can put out the call for vendors, we need a rough budget. Yeah, Bash prep involves a fair amount of administration, accounting, and budgeting.

The budget looks something like this:

Cost of Bash $$$$$ = Venue $$$$$ + Ads $$$$ + Bash Bags $$$ + T-shirts $$$ + Lighting $$$$ + Printing $$$ + Marketing $$$ + Photographer $$$ + Deco $$$

Next we’ll see if we can get some sponsors lined up to offset some of the costs. Big Etsy sometimes sponsors the Jingle Bash, but we are on our own for Spring Bash. This is the time where we hit up our day jobs, friends, former sponsors, and anyone else who might want to sponsor the Bash.

The next question is, “Will that many vendors fit in our venue?” After some measuring and mock layouts, we're good to go. 

Time to get some vendors.
We update the dates and info on the online application and make them live on the website. Applications come (hopefully) flooding in. Yay! But we can only take about 80 vendors and there are so many good ones to choose from. Boo!

It’s time to jury. Out of ~150 applications, we have to narrow it down to ~80. On top of that, we have to make sure there’s a good mix of product categories. Jewelry and home goods are 40% of the applications, so we have to make sure we have the right number of each category and that the one’s we pick are different enough from each other to make sure there is variety within the category as well. We just can't fit all the good shops in.

After a long day of deliberation, we get the vendors down to ~80 and now we need to see how many 10x10s and 8x6s are on our list. There are always more 10x10s requested than we can fit in our venue. A lot more. So we have to review all the vendors who requested 10x10 booths and narrow that down to the ~30 available 10x10 spots (imagine furniture vs jewelry type discussions). We’ve narrowed it down and have the final vendor list with the appropriate number of 10x10 booths. We celebrate with a glass of wine!

More administrative stuff happens.
During the next month or two we send and receive lots of emails about the Bash. Things like we need your logos, don’t forget to pay your invoice, remember to send your Bash Bag goodies in time, no really, we still need your logo, and so on.

We are also updating the Etsy Dallas website to add vendor and sponsor info and promote the Bash and deciding when Deco Party is and what we are going to make. Did I mention that we all have Etsy shops, children, and/or day jobs too… It’s ok, we can sleep again after the Bash.

Time to get the food trucks lined up. What about coffee… that's right, we can't serve food or drinks inside because it's Gilleys. But we can have donuts, right? Yep! Mmm donuts…

There’s also a lot of marketing collateral and graphics to create now. Every ad website wants a different size graphic. Plus flyers, postcards, Bash Bag art, t-shirt art, Facebook frames, Snapchat filters, sharable images for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc., parking passes, Bash Bucks, banners, maps, and more.

Whew…

Where's my booth?
If you have ever planned a wedding reception where your aunt Jo can't sit next to your Aunt Jane, your friend can't sit next to your other friend because she stole her boyfriend in high school, and this side of the family can't be in the same side of the room at the other side of the family because of that thing Uncle Bob did in '82, then you know what planning the Bash booth layout is like. Except instead of family, it's product categories.

We work hard to keep like products away from each other in the booth layout. This is harder than it sounds because we have to consider the booth sizes and products, then sometimes shops drop out, but the next shop on the waiting list sells the same product category as the booth next to the one that dropped, so now a couple people have to move around to make it work.

The day before. It's almost here!
We made it through all the planning and now we are just 1 day from the Bash. Woohoo? We show up the morning the day before and… umm, was that column there in the floor plans? Wasn't this a door last year? Welcome to the chalk game we call booth marking.

Ok, we got this. Move this booth here and those a few feet to the right, a couple more moves and we're good to go. Booths marked, signage up. We have 12 hours before Bash day load in. We are so ahead of schedule.

Bash Day! Bash Yay!
Back to the venue bright and early. I know it seems like we are yelling, "Unload on the curb and move your car" a lot, but we have to keep this traffic flow going. We've got to get about 30 shops an hour to load in. About 6 cars line up on the curb at Gilley's, that only gives us about 10 minutes per car.

By this time, the volunteers are running around, people are in line for the Bash Bags, and you can feel the excitement. It's time to have a great show!

Thank You for Supporting the 2018 Spring Bash

We want to give a huge thank you to everyone for supporting the 10th annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash. Thank you to the 80 artists who brought such incredible work to share with our more than 2,200 shoppers who came out to Gilley's Dallas on May 5. 

Thank you to Animal Rescue of Texas and to the adorable and very good boy, Nigel. 

Thank you to 7-Eleven for the yummy coffee, snacks and great coupons before doors opened. 

Thank you to Tacos, Bites & Beats, Dough Boy Donuts, The Hot Potato, and The Guava Tree food trucks. So much delicious food, y'all! We are still talking about it. 

And thank you to Julie and Beech-Nut for generously keeping our youngest Bash attendees full and keeping them (and their grownups) happy. 

Thank you to Craft Guild of Dallas for the fun make-and-take crafts. 

And a huge thanks to our photographer Cigi, of Mirrorless Mind Studio, for documenting it all. You can browse all the photos on flickr.

Of course, we couldn’t do it without our Bash volunteers. Thank you to Jan Allison, Rachel Timmons, Caitlin Miller, Amber Jones, Jenn Wells, Carisha Davis, Jenny Chang, Amberly Sisneros, Astrid Mendez, Ellie Pope, Sidney Kintzing and Marta Kihn. 

If you missed the Spring Bash, we hope to see you at the Jingle Bash in the fall. Stay tuned. We will announce the date soon. You can keep up with us and all our upcoming events on our social media and by signing up for our newsletter. 

And again, if we haven't said it enough already, from all of us at Etsy Dallas: Thank you!

13 tips for shopping the etsy dallas spring bash like a pro

The highly anticipated 10th annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash is almost here! Admission is free. We will have a free photo booth and fun geofilters. We put together a few tips for making the most of your Spring Bash experience ...

1. Bring your favorite shopping buddies and be sure your phone or camera is charged. There are fun photo booths in the works and you’re going to want those selfies. Don’t forget to tag @etsydallas so we can see too!

2. Make your list before May 5 so you won’t forget anyone on your Spring Bash shopping list. Don’t forget Mother’s Day, graduation, Father’s Day and summer travel are right around the corner. You can even browse the Bash Artists ahead of time.

3. Grab a map when you come in so you can head straight to your favorite booths. We will have some Etsy Dallas Spring Bash swag (hooray for pencils and buttons) at our information booth while supplies last. And be sure to visit the free make-and-take craft table provided by the Craft Guild of Dallas.

4. Bring a tote bag for your purchases if you want to keep your hands free for browsing all the beautiful handmade pieces our artists will have at the Spring Bash. We will have some totes for sale but supplies are limited.

5. Yes, the first 50 shoppers in line get our coveted Bash Bags. But, y’all. We got so many amazing contributions for the Bash Bags this year that those 50 lucky shoppers who are first in line will probably need another tote bag too.

6. That line tho! Don’t stress if you get there at opening and see people lined up outside the door. Diehard shoppers are there to get their hands on our Bash Bags. Once doors open at 10:30, everyone gets ushered right in without a wait.

7. Our all-volunteer leadership team works on planning for our Bashes all year long! We are passionate about putting on an event you will love but we can’t control the weather or traffic. If you’re planning to wait in the line before the show, be prepared.

8. Expect traffic. Plan your route ahead of time. It’s downtown Dallas, y’all. Check the news for construction or any big events that may affect your route. Consider carpooling with friends or taking DART if driving downtown stresses you out.

9. Thankfully on-site parking at Gilley’s is only $5, which is great for downtown. We will have food trucks at the Bash as well. 

10. Expect a crowd. We love how the community comes out to show support for our artists! If you want to browse with a little more elbow room, arrive after lunch. Don’t worry. Our artists are stocked for the whole day.

11. You may want to leave the stroller in the car or at home. If possible, wearing your little one may make shopping the Bash easier for you. Hooray for free hands and extra baby cuddles!

12. Pets shopping with their humans are welcome at the Bash but remember those crowds may not expect little paws on the floor so if your furiend will be stressed out by music and lots of people, you may not want to bring them along.

13. Find the Etsy Dallas table when you get there and fill out a survey to be entered in our hourly drawing for Bash Bucks (that’s money that only works at this Bash, y’all). We want to give you extra $$ to spend at the Bash, so don’t miss it! 

Gifts for Teachers: Show your appreciation with a handmade gift

Teacher Appreciation Day is May 8 and we have a roundup of handmade gifts teachers are sure to love from some of our favorite Dallas artists. We love these pieces and we know you will too. 

University of Texas Map - Joy Street Maps

Modern Gold Hoop Earrings - Kathleen Care Jewelry

Hand painted Canvas Clutch - Liz Wiley

Coffee Henna Art Print - Selah Vie Studios

Dried Wild Flower Pendant Necklace - Gnome Stones

Teacher's Quote Wood Sign - The Chatham Collective

Sea Salt Sage Soy Candle - Mythology Candles

Personalized Leather Journal - Ox & Pine

Dallas Skyline Print - Wandering Paper Co.

The Apple Pi Soap - The Pig and the Peacock

Personalized Teacher Appreciation Bracelet - expressions bracelets

Geometric Planter - DCD Design Co

Forget Me Not Cuff Bracelet - Whispers in The Glen

HELLO Boxed Note card Set - Hearts and Sharts

Upcycled Silk Tassel Necklace - Handing by Threads

Learn Arm Knitting with Woolly Element

We love Woolly Element. It's so cool to see Clare creating her extreme knitting pieces. We aren't ready for those giant needles just yet, but Clare was kind enough to share her pro tips for learning arm knitting. It's perfect for those of us who are new to knitting or just looking to try something different. Thank you, Clare! 

Learn A New Craft This Spring - Arm Knitting with Woolly Element, Inspired by Flax and Twine

At Woolly Element, we LOVE large scale knitting. But we also know that high quality, super chunky yarn and industrial sized needles come at high price points and may be hard to find.  Enter: arm knitting. With arm knitting, you can use a variety of yarn types, often layering up several strands at once to get that super bulky look. There is no need for needles - all you need is your arms and your yarn. Finally, arm knitting is perfect for first-timers and experienced knitters alike, and it is super FUN. So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started.

My arm knitting journey

I have the opportunity to travel A LOT and so I am always bringing along projects for the plane. When I traveled to Australia in 2017, I brought along a print out of arm knitting instructions from Anne Weil (Flax and Twine) and some yarn… and I learned how to arm knit on the plane. It took some trial and error (and it stirred a lot of interest from flight attendants and other passengers), but I got the hang of it, and by the end of my flight, I was well underway with my first arm knitting project.

Clare Kearney of Woolly Element arm knits a chunky scarf with Little Dandelion, K1S1 yarn, 100% merino wool, on a flight back to Dallas.

At about this time last year, I was looking to put this new skill to use. I was so excited to find Flax and Twine's adorable arm knit bunny and decided to make one for my niece for her 1st birthday (which happened to land on Easter!). Check out how adorable it is in this super short video: Giant Arm Knit Bunny

If you are at all interested in trying your hand at this, I highly encourage you give it a go. Here is the full pattern for this giant arm knit bunny, with step-by-step video instructions on how to arm knit (again, great for learners and beginners) and how to create and construct this lovable bunny for someone special this Spring.

The price point is $6, and Flax and Twine is offering a limited number of 20% off discounts -- just use the discount code: HOPPING

Through my own trial and error, here are some tips and tricks to help you make this beautiful bunny:

• If you are a traditional knitter but new to arm knitting, note that you don't "flip" your work with arm knitting. Instead, you go back and forth, moving the stitches from your left arm to your right, and then from your right arm to your left. So even though you'll use all knit stitches, you'll actually create a stockinette stitch (flat on one side, bumpy on the other) instead of a garter stitch. This is all you need to learn and do to create this bunny. Note: if you do in fact want to make something in the garter stitch, you'll need to knit one row, then purl the next row, and repeat. This is what I did to make the scarf above. 
• Who will be loving this bunny once you're done? If that "somebunny" is a young child, you'll want to consider certain modifications:
  • For the eyes - use a different color yarn (black, blue, brown, etc) instead of buttons.
  • For the ears - skip on the optional gauge wire. The floppy ears are super cute! 
  • Think ahead about the stuffing. You'll want to match the color of the filing to the color of your yarn. When I made my bunny, I had a polyester / fiberfill stuffing ready to use, but then I realized that it would likely fall out between the stitches. So I filled that stuffing in a burlap material and made a kind of handmade pillow, and then I filled the bunny with the stuffed pillow. However, I would recommend following Anne's recommendations here -- you can get a quilting batting as the filler or you can reuse an old blanket or comforter, if you have one available. 

As you start and progress on your first arm knit project, please reach out with any questions or comments. I would love to hear from you. You can reach me at clare@woollyelement.com or on Instagram. 

Happy knitting and happy spring!

The 100 day project

If you're on Instagram, you've probably seen many different iterations of 100 day projects throughout your feed. It's simple in theory, just pick an action, and commit to repeat it for 100 days. But THE 100 Day Project was started by Elle Luna and Lindsay Jean Thompson and it can be argued that the collective power of a community of people working their way through 100 days of *something* at the same time makes it even more meaningful. It starts on April 3 if you're thinking about joining in this year. You can read all about the project here but if you want some tips and ideas on how to make it happen for you this year, read on and let us know about your project in the comments so that we can follow along!

1) Look at your calendar
Think about what you have going on between April 3 and July 11. Are you going out of town for 2 weeks? If you, are you considering an action that you can only do at home, or does it work on the road too? Or does that even matter to you? You might be fine with missing a day here or there, but make sure you decide if it's important to you to finish on the same day as everyone else or not.  

2) Pick an action
This can be anything! Try to stretch yourself--it can be something you've been meaning to do for a long time, a new skill you want to work on, or something you need to get better about dedicating your time to. You may want to think seriously about your personal goals and how you can use these 100 days to take a step in a new direction, or you may want to pick something really light and fun and see where it takes you. Browse old posts from the #the100dayproject hashtag on Instagram if you are looking for ideas or inspiration.

3) Get your supplies ready
If you're doing an art or crafty project that will take some supplies, go out to Michaels, Asel Art, or wherever you like to stock up so that you have what you need on hand to get started. Maybe you even want to set up a corner of your home where you can go to work on your action every day--getting your life organized to make time for something new each day will help you stick with it for the first week or two and by then you'll have a great routine established to keep it going for the full 100 days.

4) Come up with an original hashtag
This is the fun part. When you post your images on Instagram, you can use the #the100dayproject official hashtag, but you're also encouraged to pick your own unique hashtag to post with all of your updates. Nothing beats taking a look at your 100 days of fun all together on their own hashtag (here are my past projects if you want to take a peek: #100daysoftokodotslettering (2017) #100daysoftokodotscrochet (2016)

5) Throw your insecurities out the window and get ready to go!
If you're not used to sharing a lot on social media, it can be unsettling to commit to posting your progress on a certain project every day, even if it's not "perfect" or "ready." In some ways this is the biggest challenge, but the best part, too. You will be surprised about which posts your followers love and the energy it will give you as you continue your project.  

See you on April 3!

Celebrate Spring with this DIY Easter Tree Tutorial

Sidney, of GnomeStones, is inspired by nature. You can find her jewelry on Etsy. Just in time for spring, Sidney is sharing this fun Easter tree tutorial. Follow along for all the steps in this fun DIY. Hoppy Spring, y'all!

Making an Easter tree is fun, and you probably have much of what you will need around your home already. Here are the supplies you want to round up:

• Sand
• A large vase
• Spray paint
• Clippers
• Trash bag
• Spring/Easter decorations 

Step One
Find a sturdy, well-branched limb to make your tree

Step Two
Use your clippers to collect your branch

Step Three
Place your vase in the trash bag; put the branch in the vase

Step Four
Fill the vase with sand to keep your "tree" sturdy

Step Five
Be sure the vase is covered with the trash bag and spray paint your "tree" (we used white spray paint)

Step Six
Let the "tree" dry for an hour before bringing it inside to decorate

Step Seven
Add your Easter/Spring themed decorations! 

DIY Valentine's Day Cards for Kids from Kat French Design

We have a really fun DIY Valentine tutorial for you courtesy of Kat French Design. Be sure to check out her smart, hilarious and spot-on stationery in her shop and follow her on Instagram for lots of fun posts. Thank you for letting us share your post with our readers, Kat! ...

As a lover of cards and all things handmade I decided that I wanted my son to make his own Valentine’s Day cards this year.

He is five years old and is at the stage where he loves coloring and cutting with scissors. He needed to be able to make 16 cards to give to his preschool classmates and, at first, I thought that would be way too many cards for a kid that age to make…until I realized that he could make 1 or 2 BIG CARDS and then cut them (which he loves doing) into smaller cards. BINGO.

So here's the process:

 1. Print two of these Valentine’s Day card sheets (8.5″ x 11″). They are double-sided so make sure to print the fronts then run them back through the printer again to print the back sides. I printed on watercolor paper that I trimmed down to size, but it’s not necessary. You can use regular printer paper or card stock.

2. Gather watercolor supplies and let your child go to town. We talked about what colors typically symbolize love (reds, pinks, purples) and I encouraged him to use those…but any bright colors will be just fine. Let dry and flatten with by placing a heavy book on top of them overnight

3. Sign name on card backs.

4. GLITTER! (optional) Apply glue with a cotton swab then sprinkle on glitter. My son got to do the glue and I handled the glitter because that stuff is just a hot mess otherwise. Let dry.

5. Cut cards out along dashed lines.

6. (optional) If your child goes to a school that allows candy or gifts to be attached you can go ahead and use some washi tape to attach a small treat. My son’s class wasn’t allowed to do this (which I am totally thankful for).

This was a fun project that spanned several days for us which was great because it was basically three afternoons worth of crafting. Hallelujah! It also incorporated a ton of fine motor skill builders with painting, cutting and writing.

The only thing I might do differently next time would be to possibly skip the glitter step because I’m pretty sure his teachers and classmates’ parents might hate me after he brings the cards to school and gets glitter on everything. Oops…

Feel free to download the card sheets and make your own. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Join us for Love Letters for Meals on Wheels + how to host your own Love Letters party

We are so excited to see y’all at our Love Letters Challenge event. Every year we team up with Meals on Wheels in Dallas to make Valentine’s Day cards for homebound seniors. This year, we have created a public event so everyone can join us to spread the love around.

Join us at noon on January 27 at Café Izmir in Plano. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Crafts are supplied. Please keep in mind that although this is a family-friendly event, there are a limited number of volunteers to help out so your kids will need your help.

If you can’t attend our event, here are some quick tips to get your own Love Letter Challenge going:

1. Set the date. You’ll want to get your tribe together before Valentine’s Day so the cards make it to Meals on Wheels (or your chosen destination such as a retirement home, hospital, etc.) on time.

2. Get some supplies together.

The fun thing about Valentine’s Day cards is the sky is the limit with creativity and you don’t have to be shy about your abilities. They can be simple and sweet and heartfelt or fancy and flowery!

Ingredients for a nice card:
Assorted construction paper or scrapbooking paper
Ribbon
Scissors
Pencils

Optional:
Glitter
Paper doilies
Stickers
Washi tape
Lace
Stamps

3. Grab some wine and get your friends together. Make it fun! Maybe host a kids party or a mom meet-up. Or host a craft night with your friends. Still need some creative inspiration? Check out this DIY Valentine’s Day card tutorial from The Pig and the Peacock.

4. Spread the love around! Once the cards are finished, deliver them to your chosen destination or mail them to your local Meals on Wheels.

Dallas’ local Meals on Wheels:
VNA Haggerty Center
1440 W. Mockingbird Lane
Dallas, Texas  75247
214-689-2639

Sneak a peek in the Bash Bag for the 2017 Jingle Bash

We want to thank all the generous contributors who provided these items. The 2017 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash will be at Eddie Deen's Ranch 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, November 11, 2017. We’ll see y’all at the Bash!

You can browse all the Bash Bag artists for more of their handmade work...

A Cheery Blossom

Ahava Home

April Hiler Designs

Blue Flame Studios

Busy Little Bug

Byndr Leather Goods

Catching Summer

Chachke Designs

ChetArt

Color Box Design & Letterpress

Covert Metals

CultGrrrl Creations

Dandelion Leather Co.

Door Decor by Nadine

Earrings by Eryn

Emily Jungmeyer Photography

Expressions Bracelets

Ginably

Hanging by Threads

HiRuna Island Soaps

Inviting: Letterpress Boutique

Land of the Thread

Lemon Glaze

Old New Middle

Onderkast Studio

Pretty Normal Media

Rainy Day Illustrations

Sasha’s Hand Poured / The Immaculate Beard

Shadowbox Inspirations by Dilania

Spako Clay

Spark of Change

Surly Bunny

The Pig and the Peacock

Valerie Morgan Designs

Wandering Paper Co.

Whipped Up Wonderful

Whispers in the Glen

We just wanted to drop in with a quick sneak peek at some of the fabulous and wonderful swag in our coveted Bash Bags. The first 50 adult shoppers at the 2017 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash get the bags. And this is just some of what the lucky early birds will find inside...

Etsy, Inc. sponsors 2017 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash

We are honored and thrilled to have Etsy, Inc. as our official sponsor for the Jingle Bash. As you can probably guess, we are huge fans of Etsy around here. Etsy was founded in 2005 and now boasts buyers and sellers from nearly every country in the world.

Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. Etsy’s mission is to Keep Commerce Human. You can read more about the positive impact Etsy has on people and the planet.

As Etsy’s website reads: People make Etsy possible. We provide a meaningful space for sellers to turn their creative passions into opportunity. We enable buyers to discover unique items made with care. And we treat our employees and our community with respect. We’re here because the world needs less of the same and more of the special.

We couldn’t agree more and we are so excited to have Etsy’s support of our Bash. The Jingle Bash provides savvy shoppers with the opportunity to shop the best handmade artists from near and far.

The 2017 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash will be at Eddie Deen's Ranch 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, November 11, 2017. See y'all at the Bash!  

DIY Halloween Costume - Monarch Butterfly

It is October! If you are the crafty type like me, it officially means you have been scrolling Pinterest for costume inspiration. Well, I have some happy news for you. Etsy Dallas is pulling their creativity together to share a homemade Halloween costume with you every week this month!

To begin, I’m sharing this show stopping Monarch Butterfly! This was my daughter’s costume last year, and you would not believe how many compliments and responses we had walking down the sidewalk. Some people even crossed the road to get a closer peek. She loved every second of it, and just beamed from door to door.

Now, I won’t lie to you and tell you this was fast and easy. It took some time to create, but the end result was so worth it and the supply cost was modest. If you have a Silhouette Cameo, these cut files (orange and white) will speed things up. If you don’t, print this file twice, and stick each to the backs of your scrapbook paper to cut out the shapes by hand. Our butterfly was about 2’ tall and just under 3’ wide.

Here is what you need: 

Silhouette Cameo 

or Scissors and Patience

4 Sheets Orange Glitter Scrapbook Paper - 12x12

2 Sheets White Glitter Scrapbook Paper - Letter Sized

A Pencil

Glue

Black Foam Core Board

4 Black Elastic Headbands

And, this Reference Photo

Here is how you do it: 

Use Silhouette Studio to cut out the wing shapes. There is a glitter paper setting, but you may have to play with your settings to get it right depending on the brand and weight of your paper. In the file, I have included the upper wing shapes and lower wing shapes. Cut two of the upper wing shapes. Then move the lower wing shapes to the cutting area, and cut two of those. After those have finished cutting, open the dots file, and cut two using the white glitter paper. 

It is a good idea to keep the shapes separated because they add up very quickly. So, use piles or baggies and label them to keep things organized. Once you have separated your shapes, use the reference butterfly to jigsaw the shapes together on top of the foam board like this.

Once you have everything spaced properly, glue the orange pieces down, and lay out the white pieces. This part is a bit tricky, but even if they aren’t an exact mirror, they look real.

Glue those down as well, then use your pencil and reference photo to draw the outline of the butterfly around the pieces. Remember to leave an inch+ border, and add the wavy details! (My pencil outline is a little hard to see in the photo, look towards the bottom left.)

Cut the butterfly outline from the foam board. I had best results with a serrated knife. Follow the steps on the other side with the remaining glitter paper.

Poke two holes in the center top and bottom for the straps. Inserting the knife or scissors and twisting is a good way to do this. Knot the end of two elastics together then string the loops through the hole to make straps. For stabilization, repeat on the second hole.

Pair the wings with a black outfit and shoes, and use pipe cleaners for antennae. 

We would love to see your Halloween crafting on Instagram, tag us @etsydallas.I hope to see you back next week for another handmade costume!

Etsy Dallas Craft Party hosted by Mudhen Meat and Greens

We hope you can make it over to Mudhen Meat and Greens from 2 - 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 9. The annual Etsy Dallas Craft Party features pendants, pompom keychains and leather earrings this year. It's going to be a fun afternoon. And it's free! Let us know you are coming on the Etsy Dallas Craft Party Facebook Event Page. See you this weekend!