As the New Year approaches, we all tend to reflect on the accomplishments and failings of the waning year. I am no different. I started a new journey in 2022. The journey of being a blogger. I thought that it would be an easy and fun endeavor. I was partly correct it is fun. It also takes a lot of time, and here I am at the end of 2022 looking back at my “unfinished intentions”

Started Out Strong, and Then…

When I started the blog I worked hard to get two articles posted per week. Blogging takes a lot of time and effort. There is sometimes research, coordinating links, creating projects, writing the article, doing the project while taking photos, editing the photos and article, and finally posting the finished product. That is just the front end of blogging, thankfully for me, my husband handles the behind the scene or backend tasks (such as keeping this page running using all the programming tricks and magic).

Links to posts from the past year that I am most proud of:

1. Springtime Found Us Busy as Bees; ByVikki March 31, 2022
2. Harvest From the Backyard; ByVikki November 3, 2022

That all worked well for a while; but as it often does, life got in the way. Traveling, the birth of our first grandchild, regional tornados, and flooding (that left family and friends homeless), all left marks on my blog.

I do not regret for a minute spending time helping my family and friends, or being there to dogsit our grandpuppy Dianna, during the birth of our little grandson. What I do regret is not keeping up with my blog entries and projects.

Another Hoop to Jump Through

I got home from Texas at the end of October. I ended up starting to work part-time at Dollar Tree. In theory, this job was going to give me an inside edge as to what wonderful items the store had newly stocked that I could turn into blog projects. The reality was a bit different. I ended up working varied shifts and days that prevented me from forming a routine around which I could still produce the blog at all.

Do I regret the job? Not entirely. I have made new friends. I have a new and profound appreciation for how much work goes into keeping even a small store stocked, and in keeping it looking neat. On that note: Folks, please don’t go into a store and place items where they don’t belong! It takes the staff hours daily trying to return items to their proper place. Hours, I might add, that keep them from stocking shelves, etc.

Okay, back to the blog, where was I? Oh yes, the job. It offered me the chance to see how to stock a space efficiently, how to count money accurately at a faster pace, and how to greet those entering a store space. It has been a boost to my confidence in being able to move my crafting hobby into a full-time business. Working in a new field is always a learning experience. I will leave the adventure of being a store clerk with new skills and tricks.

What I Wish I Had Managed to Complete

By now you probably get that I didn’t follow through as well as I wanted with the expectations that I had for the blog. That is so true! But there are other areas that I fell short in as well. I was so busy trying to juggle the blog and life’s curveballs that I totally failed at preparing for fall and holiday craft shows. You heard that correctly. I did not make it to even one show! Also, I still haven’t made my mulberry jam, darn it!

Looking Back: A Gallery

Plans for The New Year

I may keep the store job if I can work two to three days a week. But my main priority for the coming year is to get the blog back on track. I love writing, and I miss it when I can’t sit down to compose a post to share with you all. Next, I plan to actually get a business license and start booking craft shows on a monthly basis. I even bought a printing calculator to help record sales! I am also planning to expand my offerings to include paint parties and paint-your-own art kits. My plans are to include my adventures of getting the business up and running in with my blog. So wish me well.

New Years Resolutions

I generally do not make New Year’s resolutions, but this year is going to be different. My resolution for this coming year is to be consistent and successful. What that will hopefully look like is a schedule full of craft events and painting projects, weekly and by-weekly blog posts, more adventures in backyard gardening, and crafting with you all. I do want to apologize for not getting the December blog posts out as planned. I ended up filling in for others at work. I also managed to get a severe sinus infection, and then Covid (more curveballs)!

What are Your Plans…

All of us make plans with the best of intentions of seeing them through. We are all perfectly imperfect, and that is okay. Life happens, some of it is good, and some of it is painful. It’s been that kind of year for me. But that’s okay too. That’s another thing that I am finally learning: It’s okay to not be perfect. We all make mistakes, fall short of the mark, or fail to complete a task. The thing is to try your best, and never give up. Then, try and do better in the future. Change direction when necessary, and keep your head up.

I know that for me, my daughter was my compass for progress. As she advanced in her pregnancy and then had our sweet little grandson, she had less time to have to keep me motivated. I realized this one day, that her coaching had kept me motivated. That is also an area that I have to improve in, self-motivation and accountability. I swear this retirement is like being a teenager all over again. But, that’s enough about me. What about you?

What are your plans for the new year? Do they include a job change, or moving to a new area? Are you planning on starting a business, or maybe a blog? Whatever it is, give it your all. Believe in yourself, you have got this! Let me know how things turn out.

Happy New Year!

Stop back by soon.

Vikki

The post Out of the Ashes: Starting the New Year by Reviewing the Past appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

Mountain folk did not have the luxury of going out and buying new ornaments. Appalachians “up-cycled” almost everything, including “paper pokes” aka paper bags, wild found treasures, and bits of rags.

Today I am going to show you two DIY Appalachian Christmas Paper Bag Crafts: paper bag angels, and paper bag ornaments. The simplicity of these paper ornaments embraces the beauty of most Appalachian Crafts, and I hope that you are inspired to not only try your hand at creating your ornaments but share them with others.

Paper Bag Angels

Tiny paper bag angels adorned many a cabin and coal camp shack wall during the holiday season. You would find them adorned with bits of scrap ribbon and lace. Often they were the work of little hands, and never “store-bought” perfect, they held a beauty that you can’t find in store-bought decorations. As you gather supplies to create your angels, look for items that hold special meaning to you and your family.

There is no pattern for these little beauties, as the skill to make them was passed along from mother to child. Hopefully, you will be able to figure out how to put them together by viewing the series of photos.

Supplies:

• 2 lunch-size paper bags
• Ribbons or scraps of lace
• hot glue
• string for hanging
• scissors
• pipe cleaner
• fiberfill

Directions:

Head and Arms

1. Cut one of your bags along one side, and then the other side. Remove the bottom section and discard it. You should have two long rectangles of paper. Lay aside for now.
2. Using your second bag, add a ball of fiberfill to the bottom of the bag. Scrunch the bag beneath the fiberfill. Using a pip cleaner, twist the area closed to create the “neck” of your angel. Do not cut the pipe cleaner, you will use the leftover length will be twisted together to form a hanger.
3. Use one of your two rectangles of paper, and fold it over and over lengthwise.
4. Twist the folded paper to create the “arms” of your angel.
5. Add a bit of ribbon or lace to the ends of the twisted paper. This will create the “cuffs” for the sleeves.
6. Find the center of the twisted paper, and secure it to the center of the angel’s back, just below the pipe cleaner.
7. Pull the two ends of the twisted paper to the front and glue them together to form the hands.

Dress and Halo

1. Starting at the center of the bottom of the dress, glue ribbon to the hem.
2. Take the second triangle of paper and starting at one end, bend it back and forth to form an accordion shape ( like one would do to make a paper fan). You can glue ribbon to the ends if wanted. Pinch the folded shape together in the center letting let create a butterfly-like shape, next glue it to the back of the angel to form wings. In the photos below I used ribbon on the smaller angel to create wings. On the larger one, I used a long thin paper bag, cut it to the desired length, and pinched it together in the middle, and glued it in place. I added lace to the edges to give it a finished look.
3. If needed, shape the head of the angel, gluing it in place as needed. Just take care to not burn yourself with the hot glue.
4. Add a bit of twisted paper, pipe cleaner, or other embellishments to the angel’s head to form a halo.

Paper Bag Ornaments

The folks in the Appaliacn mountains found a use for everything, including paper bags. You would see them used to hold dried fruit and nuts, note paper, toilet paper, quilting patterns, and more.

My favorite use for paper bags was making tiny stuffed ornaments for my Christmas tree. I have several paper bag ornaments that I use on my tree every year. Below are instructions for creating your very own paper bag treasures for your tree.

Supplies:

• paper bags (or brown paper used for wrapping postal packages)
• Acrylic paints
• puff paint ( if desired)
• hot glue
• paint brushes
• fiberfill
• string for hanging ornaments
• patterns to transfer to the bag: Gingerbread Man
• scissors

Directions:

1. Print the pattern
2. Cut out two gingerbread men shapes, or snowman shapes
3. Draw a face, bow, and buttons on one of your shapes
4. Place the other corresponding shapes together, and glue around the edge-leaving a space open at the top to insert the fiberfill stuffing.
5. Slightly stuff the ornament.
6. Glue the opening shut.
7. Paint on the features.
8. Once dry, glue a string to the back as a hanger.

Memories of Christmas Past

Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. The most perfect Christmas seasons that I can recall were spent stringing popcorn, making paper chains, and making homemade ornaments for our tree. Making crafts with my mom and siblings gave the season special magic. Our few gifts were not expensive., but it was such an amazing time of year. This year I encourage you to step back and enjoy the little things in life.

A Peek at My Next Blog Post

My next blog post will be on painting pinecones and using them as decorations around the house. It will include directions for a burlap garland and simple pinecone ornaments.

I had intended to show you the pinecone craft in today’s post. Me being me, I misplaced my pinecones and had to go out and pick up new ones.

Thank You

If you enjoyed this post on DIY Appalachian Christmas Paper Bag Crafts, you may want to check out my other posts for other mountain, holiday-traditions: how to create grapevine wreaths and how to make our Traditional Apple Stack Cakes.

I hope that you embrace the joy of the season by spending time with family or friends crafting and creating fun holiday decorations. This year can be the year that you start a beloved family tradition!

Thank y’all for stopping by. I’d love it if you decided to follow my blog or share it with others.

Wishing you all the joy of an old-fashioned Christmas,

Vikki

The post Homemade Appalachian Christmas Crafts appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

Ingredients & Prep

You will need:

• parchment paper
• cookie pan
• ingredients
• pastry knife
• grater
• oven
• knife
• baking spray/ oil
• One medium-sized sweet potato; washed and baked. Let cool before mashing to make your sweet potato puree.

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

Nuts:

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Oils:

1 stick of butter ( or stick of vegetable butter) grated, then chilled in the freezer for about ten minutes. If your butter ain’t really cold, your scones will not turn out right. Shortening doesn’t work well in this recipe.

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream- chilled
• 1 large egg- beaten
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• prepare a sheet of parchment paper that is at least a foot long (for patting out scone dough)
• Sift together dry ingredients; Using a pastry knife, cut in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles a course meal.

• Gently stir in the nuts (if using).
• Combine all wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Make a “well” in the center of the dry ingredients.

• Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stirring after each addition. Do not over-process the dough. Only mix it enough to combine the wet and dry ingredients. The dough should look like crumbly cookie dough.

• Turn the dough out onto parchment paper that has been lightly sprinkled with flour.
• Pat out the dough into a large rectangle shape. Cut in the center to create two squares. From there cut into small triangular pieces.

• Carefully move the scones to a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on elevation). I usually remove them at the 10-minute mark.
• Cool on a wire rack. Top with glaze when just warm.

Glaze Recipe

• 1 cup sifted-powered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon each: cinnamon & ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon each: nutmeg, & cloves
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

Mix together dry ingredients. Stir in butter until mixed. Add cream, and blend well. Can add a bit more cream if needed, but take care to not add too much as the glaze will be easily thinned.

A Note About Pastry Knives

If you are new to using a pastry knife, you can buy them at Walmart and other department stores. Here is a link to a stainless steel pastry knife similar to the one I use. Any of them will work.

Happy Thanksgiving Y’all

Thanksgiving to me is not about having a fancy meal. It is about getting together with family and friends. Growing up, we didn’t have fancy place settings, but our mom sure could make you feel special and loved. Those are the most precious memories for me of when all of my siblings came together. I miss those sweet days and cherish the memories. Remember, you don’t have to have a perfect house to have a happy home. Enjoy the little things, like sweet potato scones and a cup of coffee to start your Thanksgiving morning.

I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving. If you enjoyed this post, please pop over and check out my recipes for Appalachian Apple Stack Cake. It is another holiday favorite back home in the hills.

You all come back by real soon,

Vikki

The post Thanksgiving Day Breakfast:Sweet Potato Scones appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

The Most Amazing Gift Ever

Before the pandemic hit, I had made a bucket list of things that I had wanted to do but had not gotten around to doing. As the list took shape, I noticed a pattern emerge. I missed my childhood connection to the outdoors and foraging for wild foods and herbs (though I still do this in a limited fashion). I longed to once again grow organic foods for our home. My list evolved into ideas for possible blog posts. The problem was that I was not an experienced blogger or writer. I had no idea how to start. I just assumed that my dream of blogging would stay just that, a dream.

My husband decided to give me a gentle push. Without telling me what he was up to, he started building a blog site for me on Word Press. When he presented me with the site, it was still in a rough-draft stage. But the bones were there, ready for me to give it life. His confidence in me pushed me past my fears and into an exciting adventure.

Forward from a List

The blog took on a life of its own. I started pulling items from my “possible blog-post list” and went to work. My first posts were about making grapevine wreaths and other things I had learned as a child in Appalachia. I knew that I wanted to write about my experiences growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. And based on those experiences, I started blogging about frugal living, crafting, gardening, and nature. All of these topics were basic to life in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

The research and preparations that it took to write each post were very time-consuming. Then there was the planning for future articles. After writing those early posts, I started planning a small backyard garden.

I couldn’t wait for it to get warm enough to start working in the yard. My big project for the summer was going to involve garden-scaping and then recording my success or failure along the way.

How Does Your Garden Grow

With no-tiller, I had one choice and that was to do the work by hand. I pulled out a shovel, an ax, and a rake and went to work. We removed a dead tree from the yard the year before, so there were still roots embedded all over the yard. Using a shovel alone wasn’t going to cut it (pun intended!). Charles wasn’t too happy with my chopping the roots in the ground with his ax, there was just no other way to clear out the roots.

It took me several weeks to get the veggie plots dug, de-rooted, and raked smooth. The ground was hard and very compacted from foot traffic and roots. The texture of the soil was also very clay-heavy, it needed the soil loosened to aid aeration. I bought organic compost to turn into the plots as I turned the soil. Eventually, I was ready to plant. I visited a local Amish Greenhouse to buy the seedlings and got them into the ground.

Harvest

The growing season turned out to be very dry and I ended up watering the veggies nearly on a daily basis. I worried that I was wasting my time. But I refused to give up. My mother had often made use of a mixture of 1 teaspoon Epson Salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 sugar, and 1 gallon of water. Putting her old plant food recipe to use, I would use about 2 cups of the mixture around the base of the plants and then water the plants well. The garden took off.

Before long I had cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes coming in. I was able to can green tomato salsa, pasta sauce, zucchini bread-and-butter pickles, dill pickles, and garlic dill pickles. On top of this, we had fresh organic veggies to add to meals and salads. There was even an abundance of tomatoes for sharing with friends and neighbors. My experiment with growing popcorn was not as profitable. I ended up with a pint of popcorn (some little critters really enjoyed the young corn plants). The herb garden provided fresh herbs and tea. My pollinator garden was a joy to watch as little visitors buzzed about the blooms.

Was It Worth It?

I will admit that I made mistakes in my choice of how many seedlings to plant, and where I planted them. Meaning: I hated to throw away any seedings and tried to find space for them all which caused overcrowding of my plants. Even with the mistakes, the garden was well worth the work.

Investment vs. Payout

It is now the first week of November, and the time to pick veggies from the garden has passed. I have no idea exactly how much we saved by growing squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes this year. Looking at the prices of produce now, I know that we more than recouped the $65 that I invested in seedings and organic compost. That is not even taking into account all of the sauce, salsa, and pickles that we have on hand for use this winter.

Now as the days grow shorter, and the nights grow increasingly colder I am starting to plan for next year’s garden adventure. I dream of outings to the nursery with my dear friend Glenda, and days of planting seedings in the warm spring soil. I look forward to expanding my herb garden to include my favorites to make into tea blends, and for adding to my homemade soap. Did I make mistakes this year? Oh yes. Will I do things differently? Absolutely. Our mistakes push us to learn new skills and methods.

Harvest time is a time for reflection, a time to regroup and to plan, and for the soil and gardener to rest for a bit. The yard seems asleep now. The last of the flowers are nodding off for a long winter’s sleep. Halloween has passed, and the Holidays are approaching. The foods that I canned from my backyard garden harvest will not just give us quality organic foods during the winter, but they are going to provide unique gift-giving opportunities as well.

Planning your own adventure in backyard gardening? You can find heirloom seeds for starting your own seedlings at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Now is a great time to plan for next year’s harvest.

If you have enjoyed this post, you may want to want to read about the beginning of my adventure in garden scaping.

Thank you for visiting my site.

Come again soon, happy fall y’all.

Vikki

The post Harvest From the Backyard appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

I saw this amazing craft cabinet online. It was every crafter’s dream. It had a fold-out work table, storage compartments, and doors that closed to hide it all away. I looked at the price, and my dream was shattered. It was well beyond what I could afford to spend on storage. That left me pondering how I could create storage for craft supplies, create a workspace, and manage to do it for under $150. The answer was shopping for thrift store furniture and upcycling it into a crafting oasis.

My Goals

The first thing I did was sit down and list all the things I needed my craft center to hold, which was a lot. Short of buying a shed for the yard, I was going to have to work some upcycling magic. I needed storage for my machines. I have a sewing machine, a Cricut, a heat press, and a sublimation printer. Each of those would need a home that I could access easily. Sliding shelves that allowed easy use of the machines would be ideal.

I would also need storage for vinyl, ribbon, paint brushes, paint, stencils, material, and basic supplies such as glue guns. In short, I was going to need storage that provided both deep drawers and shelving. I also wanted a flat surface to work on. The problem was that we do not have a truck. Anything that we bought had to fit inside my small SUV.

Obstacles & Blessings

The Obstacles

Once I had pinned down what I needed in terms of space and size, I started visiting local thrift stores and online markets. I found several possible cabinet units that would work. Several of those were either out of town or out of our price range. One set that I simply fell in love with sold before I could contact a friend to get help with transporting them. I wasn’t in a rush; I knew that eventually what I needed would come along.

After several visits to my favorite shop, the Hosparus Thrift Store, I found the perfect pieces. Luck was on my side because I found a huge dresser that has 9 drawers of differing sizes. It has a matching armoire that also has two large drawers and shelving at the top for a TV and video player. And, I thought they would fit easily inside my SUV. Notice I said “I thought” because the armoire ended up being too large (by about half an inch).

The Blessing

The day that I bought the furniture and we returned to load it and bring it home, there just happened to be a kind-hearted gentleman there that helped my husband load the armoire. When he saw that it was too big to fit inside the SUV, he offered to bring it home for us. We were so blessed to meet Marc and Regina that day. I truly believe God put us on the same path. Regina and I are both avid crafters. It was a true blessing meeting people willing to help strangers, and it was an even greater blessing that I met a kindred spirit and made a new friend!

Giving the Furniture a Makeover

Starting to work on the furniture was a bit intimidating. I had never refinished pieces that large. I started by cleaning the dresser with a mixture of vinegar and water. After that, I rinsed it well with a lint-free cloth dampened with water.

The dresser has a decorative edge which meant that I had to sand those areas by hand. I used a rotary sander on the smooth surfaces of the drawers and sides of the unit. I worked on sanding it for over two days when I had the time. For instructions on scuff sanding visit How to Scuff Sand.

The dresser is one of two pieces that I am upcycling to use as a craft center.

After sanding, I carefully cleaned the surface again to remove any dust. Using a sprayer, I painted the dresser with washable latex paint. I applied a total of 4 layers of paint, letting it dry between layers. This video by Ray of Sunlight is a good tutorial on using a sprayer. You can find others on YouTube as well.

The paint was thinned slightly with water before use.

Finished Crafting Oasis: Part 1

Because of the high heat index and lack of air conditioning in the garage, I worked on sanding the dresser over a two-day period, about four hours total. Then I needed a third day to paint it. I am pleased with the way it turned out, but not thrilled. The electric sander left marks in places. I know that it is from me trying to get deep scratches out of the dresser top. Next time: better lighting and less sanding! If you are not an experienced sander, I’d subject that you practice on something you don’t care about before tackling your actual project.

Next Up Part 2: Painting the Armoire

Now that the dresser is in place in one corner of the basement, I am ready to begin work on the matching armoire. I intend to use a product on the armoire that is supposed to eliminate the need for sanding. Hopefully, this experiment works because I am running out of time to get this project completed (I am about to become a grandma and will be spending time will my daughter’s family in Texas).

Total Cost of Project to Date

I ordered apothecary-style drawer pulls from Amazon: The price is $15 for 16 drawer pulls. The pulls are very sturdy and are a great product for the price.

I used paint from Lowes ($25 for one gallon of paint). It was marked down for clearance due to being mistinted. Finding the paint on sale kept me under budget for this project.

Furniture: Luck was again on my side. I found a matching dresser and armoire at a local Hospuras Thrift Store for $75 for both pieces.

Sandpaper: I spent $6 on sandpaper at Harbor Freight.

I had an electronic sander and paint sprayer. The sander cost under $50 at Lowes and the paint sprayer ran us about $180. If you don’t have these gadgets, you can sand and paint the old-fashioned way. This was the first item that I refinished using power tools. It does go faster, but I think that the end result of sanding by hand is much better. The paint sprayer on the other hand is amazing!!

Total cost: $121! Not bad for storage for a craft area. I will post photos after I refinish the armoire, and when I finally get the craft area all set up and camera worthy. Depending on when my grandson decides to arrive, it may be a while before this adventure is complete.

Are you Dreaming of Creating Your Own DIY Craft Cabinets?

It takes a creative mind to be a crafter or artist. The problem is that our brains see potential in every item we encounter. My friend likes to say ” A creative mind makes for a messy house”. Needing to organize my mess was the inspiration for this project.

What are your needs as an artist or crafter? Do you have a dream storage unit in mind? Is budget a top consideration? Then maybe putting that creative mind to use and starting a DIY craft cabinet upcycling project is the answer for you as well. Dream big, create bigger!

If you are interested in thrift stores and frugal living, you may want to check out my post Living Big on A Small Income: Thrifty Shopping Tips.

Thanks for stopping in for a visit. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe and share. Stop back soon, and let me know about your great upcycling projects.

Until then, be blessed!

Vikki

The post DIY Craft Cabinets on a Budget: Upcycling Thrift Store Furniture appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

One Income and Counting Pennies

By taking early retirement, I lost a steady income. Even though my health insurance is paid, I still have to pay deductibles for any medical care. I do receive a very small monthly retirement benefit, but it is not enough to even buy food for two weeks. Now at the age of 57, I feel as if I’m starting over again. Employment opportunities are limited for anyone my age, especially if you do not have a marketable degree. Ageism can be a huge obstacle to overcome, but so can limited education. Not everyone can afford a college degree and sometimes it is just not an option. I understand that life can get in the way of your dreams and goals. I am in the same boat. Finding work from home opportunities, and affordable online learning opportunities was a must for me.

Researching Work from Home Opportunities

Below is a list of sources for work-from-home opportunities that range from a supplemental income to full-time, or part-time work.

Review Books for Pay

Online Book Club: If you love to read, this one may be for you. It is a site where you can sign up for free to get paid to review books. Right off the bat, they tell you that you will not get rich, or even earn enough to leave your day job. But they do pay you for each book you review, and you get that book for free. There are extensive guidelines that must be followed when writing reviews. You are scored on your ability to follow those guidelines and to produce accurate results as a reviewer.  I signed up to try my hand at this task. I plan to follow up this post with a report on how it worked out.

Virtual Assistant

If you are a person that is very organized, and good at multitasking, then working as a virtual assistant is something you would like to do. There are many businesses and entrepreneurs that are overwhelmed with daily responsibilities and better looking for a qualified assistant to help them with everyday tasks.

Virtual assistants work as administrative support or personal assistants. A virtual assistant may be asked to complete tasks such as answering emails and phone calls, scheduling appointments, assisting with online research, and performing data entry.

There are several websites where you can sign up for employment as a virtual assistant. Some that I have found include Upwork, Fancy Hands, and flexjobs. Flexjobs does require a membership fee which allows access to webinars and job coaching.

Online Surveys

There are legitimate sites where you can sign up to get paid to complete surveys. You will not get rich from taking surveys, but you can earn extra cash. Below are two that I have applied to.

Clear Voice Surveys

Branded Surveys

Teaching English Online

Teacher.QKids: This site offers employment tutoring English online. It does require a teaching certificate, and eligibility two work in either the U.S. or Canada. You can find a list of requirements on their site, and if employed you must sign a six-month contract.

VIPkids: offers employment opportunities tutoring children in English as well. It too requires a teaching certificate and two years of experience. They vet their teachers carefully, and from what I have read offer an excellent employment opportunity.

Note: Alison has a free course for those interested in teaching English as a second language. They also offer many other education-based courses including one the focuses on Effective Communication Techniques for Teachers and trainers.

Free Lance Work from Home Opportunities

If you want to look online for free-lance work, try Up Work. They partner with employers to match them with qualified applicants.

Linkedin is another search engine for employment that offers a networking platform as well.

Learning New Skills

I worked most of my adult life in the public school system. After taking early retirement I found myself unqualified for today’s workforce. At times I feel as lost as I did as a young adult trying to decide which path is right for me. I never thought that I would find myself in this place again. Learning new skills that promote self-advancement is easier and more affordable than it was in the past. In my search for self-improvement, I have found several sources where you can take classes for free, or at little cost, that can move you towards a new career. I’m sharing this list of resources in hopes that it will save you a lot of work and research.

Udemy: Udemy offers a wide variety of courses from programming to business management. There are fees for their courses. Udemy often offers sales where you can enroll at a lower rate. I am currently taking a course through Udemy.

Alison: This site offers free courses with either diplomas or certificates. Their courses range from personal development to social media strategy and social media marketing. I am very excited about this site and plan to utilize its marketing content. Alison has a guide for those interested in teaching English as a second language.

Coursera: Coursera has both paid and free courses. You will find a wide variety of offerings including those aimed at personal growth and happiness, business, computer science, and many others. Coursera offers certificates at an added cost that many find helping in padding their resume.

Typing Lessons: If you would like to teach yourself how to type, this site offers simple lessons for beginners. They offer free typing lessons and timed skill tests. It offers reviews of basic grammar and writing rules.

Wrapping It all Up

Today’s high-tech world offers many work-from-home opportunities. The problem is wading through countless sites in order to find those that are legitimate. Therefore, I recommend that you research any work-from-home opportunities before you commit.

Good luck on your journey to finding the right money-making gig. Remember that the key to success is determination and persistence. You’ve got this!

I am learning as I go as well. You can check in with my Pinterest site for updates on work from home and Online Learning Opportunities. I plan to pin them to my board as I find them.

If you have found this post helpful, you may also like my post 24 Free Online Courses That Teach Blogging and Social Media Marketing. Please subscribe and share. Stop back often for updates and new posts.

Disclaimer: Some of the links are affiliates of this site.

Best of Luck,

Vikki

The post Work from Home and Online Learning Opportunities appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

The monogram door hanger, featured in the header, is one of the first that I designed. I wanted a very simple design that was also welcoming to guests. I love it so much that after three years, it still graces our door at times.

These wooden hangers always sell well at my shows. I try to make each one unique, and some of them are made to be reversible. I have made them for babies’ rooms, Seasons, Holidays, and even weddings. They can be tailored to fit anyone’s style and decor tastes, making them perfect for gift giving.

After you have read through the institutions, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to guide you through.

Supplies

The instructions that I am providing are for the wood hanger with three separate colored sections. I know it is a little early for Christmas décor, but you can use this same technique on any of your designs. I just happen to work during the summer to get ready for a couple of holiday craft shows at I do, and decided to use the one I was working on as my example piece (and yes, I do catch myself singing Jingle Bells as I work).

Preparing Your Wood Circle

To prepare your wood circle for painting there are a couple of things that you will need to do.

1. Using fine-grit sandpaper, lightly sand your wood.

2. Next decide where you want your holes to be for your twine. Place a piece of masking tape across the diameter of the circle, making sure it is in the same direction as the wood grain.

Measure the same distance from the top on both sides. Now, measure the same distance from each side. Draw a dot to mark the place where you need to drill holes.

Note: My wooden circle is 14 inches round. I measured 1 inch down and 1 inch in from the side. You may need to adjust your spacing to suit the size of your wood.

3. Add tape across the back of your wood, pushing it down firmly over the front edge. This will help prevent splintering on the back of the wood as the drill bit punches through.

4. Drill your holes.

5. Use a lint-free cloth to remove any dust from drilling.

Blocking Off Sections to Paint

To block off a section to paint, you are again going to add a piece of tape across your wooden circle. Use the same method to measure down from the top on each side, making sure your tape is straight.

Once your masking tape is straight, add a second small piece of tape from the top edge of your wooden circle down to your tape (it will be in a vertical position). Then, move your small vertical section of tape to the bottom/center of your circle (This will act as your guide when placing your tape to mark your bottom section).

Playing Leap-Frog With The Tape

(Placing Your Paint Guides)

Starting under the first large piece of tape, that marks your top space to be painted, add a second and third piece of masking tape.

Now you are going to move the 2nd piece to be just below the 3rd piece (keep your 2nd piece of tape as close to the 3rd as you can without touching it).

You are going to repeat this step, now moving the 3rd piece to below the second. Continue until one of the pieces of tape has been moved into position directly above the vertical tape we used as a marker for our bottom painted area.

Painting Your Sections

Make sure that your tape is pressed firmly in place. Before you paint.

I used a stain on the top and bottom sections of my wooden hanger and used paint in the middle. I thought that the stain may bleed into the area below. For that reason, I stained the top and bottom sections first.

After the stain was dry, I went back and moved my tape up a bit to where it rested on the stained area giving me a clean line to paint in my second color. I then painted the middle section.

Note: The sooner you can remove the tape after your painting the sections are complete the better.

Drawing In Your Design

Once all the sections are painted and dried, you are ready to draw in your design.

At this point, you may also choose to use vinyl appliques instead of painting on a design.

I used a graphic and laid it over a piece of carbon paper to transfer my design. I often free-hand the designs, but I wanted to test and make sure the carbon paper would work before recommending it to you.

Finishing Your Master Piece

All that is left to do at this point is to paint your design and add any finishing touches. For the piece that I did as my model, I added glitter paint to the background and lettering. Then I sealed it with a spray sealer. For my finishing touch, I tied and added a bow, hot. The bow is hot glued in place.

Resources:

Note: None of the stores mentioned are affiliates of this site.

I purchased my 14-inch wooden circles from Michaels. I have also used the 12-inch wood circles from Lows. The price of the wood will depend on the size and thickness of the piece.

You can find them online, but be careful that they are at least 1/4 inch thick. If they are thinner than that they will bow or break easily.

I used Rust-oleum wood stain in Cognac for my top and bottom sections. Below is a photo of the other products that I used (I had all the needed supplies on hand).

Other Wooden Hangers that I Am Working On:

As you can well imagine, getting ready for craft shows takes a lot of work and self-discipline. By October I have to have at least thirty of these completed. I thought that I would show you a couple of the ones that I am working on now. Life is very exciting and busy just now. I am very behind schedule this year due to learning to manage this blog. We are also about to become first-time grandparents.

When I am stressed, painting and creating takes me to a peaceful place. I hope that you enjoy this craft as much as I did.

Start your project.

If you decide to create a wooden door hanger, I’d love to see your finished piece. Let us know if you are making these as a gift, for yourself If you have enjoyed this post, you are welcome to subscribe or share this post.

You all drop back by again soon,

Happy Crafting,

Vikki

The post DIY Round-Wooden Door Hangers for Beginners appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.