How to Sharpen Your Tools – Part 1, Concepts

What You Need to Know

One of the quickest ways to bring frustration to your craft table is to try to use dull tools. Instead of cutting, they tear. Instead of being easy on your hands, you push or squeeze harder and fatigue sets in. It is more difficult to move though the material, and it is more dangerous as you apply pressure, and the tool slips. It is expensive to keep on replacing tools that are too dull to use.

Sharpening your tools is a necessary skill to learn. Not only do you save money by not replacing tools, but a sharp tool makes crafting fun.

I can teach you how. It will take 3 posts to cover what you need to know. Continue reading »

Fire Starters

The BEST fire starters you will ever use are also so easy to make.

I bought a lot of muffin tins at garage sales and thrift stores, and found a roaster at a yard sale. If you don’t want to use a roaster, get an old double boiler and use it. You’ll need to work in smaller batches, but the fire starters will still be perfect. I save all my old candles, and also ask a few friends to save their candle stubs for me as well. Continue reading »