Lap Quilting Lives
lap quilting lives Start a Quilting Business: Fundraising for Charity A quilting business doesn't have to be a store that sells fabrics, notions, kits, gives lessons, etc. It doesn't even have to ...
lap quilting lives
Start a Quilting Business: Fundraising for CharityA quilting business doesn't have to be a store that sells fabrics, notions, kits, gives lessons, etc. It doesn't even have to make money for you. Maybe your quilting business could benefit a charity or other organization instead. To start a quilting business as a nonprofit agency, check into your state's laws about nonprofits. You don't have to get into all the business paperwork hoopla if your real goal is just to help people. If, however, you'd like sales exempt status to buy fabrics and supplies for your charitable quilting business, you will need to check into it. There are many ways to change your love of quilting into money for your favorite cause. One way is to make a quilt and donate it to your favorite group to use as a prize in a fundraiser. Quilted postcards could be another fundraiser. You could sell your quilted postcards at holidays and donate the proceeds to your favorite charity. Another quilting business idea that could benefit charity is to sell subscriptions to a quilting newsletter you publish. A percentage of each subscription could be donated to your favorite cause. Unless you're wealthy enough, don't forget to hold out your expenses first, then donate the remainder. You'll be getting back the money you put into each project and donating the difference. Your love of quilting could also help an organization in a more hands on method. Get area seniors involved by taking your quilting or quilt piecing to the local senior adult center or nursing home. Spend some much appreciated time with the elderly and lead their quilt crafting time. On the other end of that spectrum, young children would love to learn to quilt too. Make sure you volunteer to work with children who can safely work with a needle and scissors! You could turn this idea into a money maker by charging a nominal fee for supplies. Parents are always seeking ways to enrich their children's lives. Many of them would love to see a "quilting day camp" for their kids! Quilts are often needed at nursing homes, senior centers and at day cares, children's hospitals and orphanages. Perhaps your project could be to make lap quilts for these people. Check with the marketing coordinator or manager to see if they'd welcome a donation of lap quilts. You might also check at local food banks and area chapters of the America Red Cross to see if they would like quilted donations. Team up with a group that provides holiday gifts to the needy. Make quilted throws, toys, kitchen accessories - anything! Make quilted holiday ornaments for area nursing homes, schools, hospitals to enjoy. You could also make a holiday ornament pack (or several packs) to donate to a group to give away in a drawing. If you are looking for a way your donations could give you some sort of financial impact, ask your accountant if your quilts can be charitable deductions. If you are thinking of forming a non profit, remember that the term doesn't mean you are not paid for your time, it simply means your business cannot PROFIT. Any profit must be turned back into the business. Again, check with your accountant and state laws for specific information that may affect you. Whether you want to start a quilting business to profit for yourself or to make money for your favorite cause, there's room in the quilting industry for you! Decide who you would like to help and develop a plan for how you will help them. Quilting for charity is a great way to share your love for quilting! Penny Halgren |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
No items matching your keywords were found. |
![Lap Quilting Lives! [Paperback]](http://www.craftingshop.com/media/images/i/510KLwFJPWL._SL75_.jpg)
Hope Chests-Tradition Is Back!
Americans are well known to be innovative thinkers and having the ability to make the most out of every resource available. Hope chests are no exception. Beautifully handcrafted wood chests are used not only to store our grandmother's favorite quilt and other family treasures, but to serve in many functional ways throughout the home. Hope chests also make fabulous focal points in every room.
As you enter your home, what better way to be welcomed than a treasured hope chest? Attractive in design and master crafted, these storage chest create a wonderful atmosphere in your entryway. Hope chests are created in highly varied styles ranging from intricately painted designs on the outside to chests with hand carved designs to chests with deceptively simple design flows. Hope chests serve to hold floral arrangements and the latest mail and of course, great storage for seasonal decorations. In times past, hope chests in front entryways held candles and the family Bible on top. In side, family heirlooms and other important items were stored.
The living room is the area where many Americans have come to really appreciate hope blanket chests. With the many styles and stain choices available, finding the perfect hope chest to serve as a coffee table, an end table or a side table is easy. You are able to find hope chests that can blend in with your furniture decor or you can find ones that can compliment or off set your existing room style. These well crafted storage chests are also highly used as cozy seating areas, especially next to bay windows where the outside vistas can be enjoyed more fully. In these rooms, better storage for games, lap blankets and magazines is an added incentive over the use of conventional coffee tables which normally do not have much in the way of storage space.
The bedroom has always been the conventional spot for hope chests. Newlyweds often placed these blanket chests at the end of the bed, not only for convenient storage of blankets,quilts and clothing, but to house items for safe keeping. Most hope chests in years past were made with lock and key openings. Since most are made with cedar lining now, they house our winter blankets and clothes along with being a wonderful place to sit to put on our shoes.
Moving onto the dining room, you are wondering in what way are could people possibly be using hope chests? Usually people think of hope chests as short furniture, but the reality is that many of the first hope chests created in America were actually tall, just as tall or taller than present day counter tops. So now you are seeing that hope chests of this style and height are easily used as side boards and buffet tables. At holidays and special occasions, these chests hold your favorite desserts and candles decorations to perfection.
If your plan is to have a piece of furniture that has the ability to show case itself and enhance the central area of your home, hope chests fill this desire. Many furniture wood crafters still create these wood chests made with heirloom style joinery, following the same design style used in centuries past. These hope chests are great conversational pieces since every style of chest has its own story to tell. Some hope chests were directly copied from European designs such as the Queen Anne style and the Baroque style. Others were created by German immigrants as a firm traditional statement to their heritage. As time continued, individual wood crafters in America made changes to these designs so that each piece can easily be traced back to the original maker. Since these hope chests have such innovative design styles, they are highly sought after as collector items.
Hope chests attract attention and compliments along with adding the warmth and cozy 'at home' feeling traditional furniture gives to your homes' decor. <a href="http://www.blanketchestheirlooms.com"> Blanket Chest Heirlooms .com</a> offers many different styles and sizes of <a href="http://www.blanketchestheirlooms.com"> hope chests</a> all master handcrafted using the best joinery craftsmanship.
About the Author
Charity Crouch is an Art History major.
I recommend Blanket Chest Heirlooms as a place where you will find the best in handcrafted hope chests made with the joinery styles created from beautiful hardwoods. There are many styles from which to choose along with optional choices. This company does have the ability to make specially ordered hope chests to fit your desires.