Creating the Perfect Craft Tutorial for Your Blog

8 Steps to Creating the Perfect Craft Tutorial for your Blog
from:  http://www.handmadeology.com/8-steps-to-creating-the-perfect-craft-tutorial-for-your-blog/

8 steps to creating the perfect craft tutorial

Writing a tutorial is a great skill for any craft blogger. According to Invesp’s Blog Rank, tutorial heavy craft blogs are amongst some of the most successful, so it’s definitely worth perfecting your technique.

There is something inherently generous about sharing your knowledge or talent with others, and in thecraft world, that generosity is often rewarded by a loyal blog following. But it’s not just an effective way of building an audience. Having a few ready-to-go tutorials stored up is also useful for those days when you’re all out of blog inspiration.

Follow these simple guidelines and you’re on your way to crafting the perfect tutorial. 

1. Title – Needs to ‘say what it does on the tin’. Instead of a clever, abstract title you need be clear about what the tutorial will teach people to make, so be exact and concise i.e. ‘Crochet daisy’ or ‘Decoupage lampshade’.
2. Photo – Don’t forget to put a photo of the finished project at the start of your tutorial. You need to engage your audience straight away and the best way to do that is to show them a beautiful, aspirational photo of what they will be making.
3. Basics – List the difficulty level, materials and approximate length of your project at the beginning of the tutorial so people know what to expect.
4. Step-by-step instructions – Again, there’s a need to be clear and concise but don’t be afraid to include as many steps as necessary to complete the project. Number steps for clarity, use one action verb per step, and highlight important tips. Don’t forget to offer alternatives for difficult to find materials or options for personalizing the project. Assume everyone is a beginner and they know very little. There’s nothing more frustrating than big gaps in tutorials that assume knowledge. They wouldn’t be there if they knew how to do it!
5. Great pictures – Unfussy, clear photos are a must for each step of the process. Look at photos from tutorials that you like and aim to emulate them in style. For really tricky procedures a drawing or diagram may work better.
6. Don’t use brand names and be aware that in the blogosphere, as in the world, there are various words and terms for products or techniques.
7. Layout – Think about whether your page is easy to scroll through. Can it be printed out? Do you need to provide a separate pattern that can be downloaded?
8. Remember to use social media networks to link to your tutorials and use a search engine like Find and Craft to list your tutorials and share them with a wider audience. You’ll attract new visitors to your blog and have a chance to engage more with an international craft community.

So now you know how it’s done, what’s stopping you? Start planning that tutorial today. Good luck.

Jennie

Jennie Sandford is a blogger and crafter, specializing in contemporary hand embroidery. She also organizes and curates the Bearwood Handmade craft fairs and works as a Community Managerfor Handmake.Me, a UK based online marketplace for customized and bespoke handmade products.

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

http://cassiecraves.blogspot.com/2011/02/creamy-chicken-lasagna.html

   

I’ve been holding out on you guys. I’ve made this incredible chicken lasagna at least four times now, but I just haven’t been able to get an appetizing-looking picture of it, so I’ve been putting off sharing the recipe. But I can’t hold out on you any longer. You have to make this. My family absolutely loves it, and I can practically guarantee that yours will too.
The sauce for this lasagna is so unbelievably creamy -- a combination of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cream cheese, and milk. Italian seasoning adds earthy flavor, and four whole cups of cheese make this incredibly gooey and delicious. You can use reduced-fat everything for the lasagna to make it at least somewhat healthy. I will keep going back to this recipe again and again, especially since it’s one of the few things my two-and-a-half-year-old actually requests for dinner. We love this recipe!

Creamy Chicken Lasagna
adapted from Krista’s Kitchen
1 pound chicken breast, cubed into small pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

2 cans cream chicken soup

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

2 cups sour cream

1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

4 cups shredded colby-jack or cheddar-jack cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, cook chicken in olive oil and butter until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and keep warm.

3. Add garlic to pan; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add cream soup, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and chicken broth to the pan. Stir until ingredients melt and thicken slightly. Season with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and continue to stir. Turn heat down and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.

4. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer noodles, then cream sauce with chicken, then cheese. Continue to repeat until your pan is full, ending with cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Summer Vegetable Tian A delicious blend of summer veggies and cheese.

Summer Vegetable Tian

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/08/summer-vegetable-tian/

4.6 from 19 reviews

summer vegetable tian

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

Total Cost: $6.60

Cost Per Serving: $1.10

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.11
• 1 medium yellow onion $0.70
• 1 tsp minced garlic $0.08
• 1 medium zucchini $0.71
• 1 medium yellow squash $0.85
• 1 medium potato $0.91
• 1 medium tomato $1.65
• 1 tsp dried thyme $0.05
• to taste salt & pepper $0.05
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese $1.49

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
2. While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
3. Spray the inside of an 8×8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Step By Step Photos

This is what I started out with: tomato, potato, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and garlic.

Dice the onion and get it cooking with the garlic and olive oil in a skillet.

Meanwhile, slice the veggies very thin. (I didn’t dare try to use my mandolin again!)

When the onions are soft and translucent, place them in the bottom of a baking dish (8×8 or round pie size). I sprayed the inside of my dish to make sure nothing would stick… I have a hunch that rubbing it with butter would add amazing flavor but I didn’t think of that till just now.

Alternate the vegetables in the dish. They don’t have to be pretty. I started out with it looking nice and in a distinct pattern but then I realized that I had a bunch left over and just started jamming them in there… I didn’t want to waste any precious veggies. It all worked out in the end. Oh yeah, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme. GENEROUSLY.

Cover the dish with foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and golden brown. ENJOY!

Pringle Can Bangle Bracelet Tutorial for Crafty Wednesday

Pringle Can Bangle Bracelet Tutorial

www.http://hazelandcompany.blogspot.com/

Yes. That's right. You can upcycle Pringle cans or water bottles or some other plastic bottle you can easily cut with scissors or an exacto knife into *Awesome Bangle Bracelets. 

Ready for the tutorial? Alright here we go......

Find something your hand easily fits into. Now, I don't mean an oatmeal canister. Or a kleenex box.  Come on people. We're looking for a nicely proportioned cylinder. Stay with me....

Pringle cans work perfectly for me.

Next we need to thicken the bracelets and sturdy them up a bit.

Some people like to use strips of quilt batting. I prefer newspaper which I always seem to have on hand, especially now that my son has a paper route. So, grab the news and your Mod Podge, turn on a good movie (like The Importance of Being Earnest....anyone else LOVE that movie?) and go to town...

Now let them dry and you'll end up with something like this...

Now comes the fun part. Embellishing your new bracelets!

Add ribbon and some fun trim...

Strips of fabric, rosettes and lace....

I know, right? Pringle Can Bracelets. Who would have thought this was even possible?

Beads, bias tape and more lace (I love tying a sassy bow on the side. yeah, that's right. I said sassy.)...

Bright fabric, paper and ribbon....

Maybe even Mod Podged sheet music (ack! I love this one. It's my favorite. Come on, right? It's so cool)...

Or wrap them in embroidery floss...

There are so many options. Why not grab some maps? Or dictionary pages? These are so stinking cheap that you can make armfuls to match every outfit in your closet! (Ok. This might be a bit excessive. And, really...if you have this kind of time on your hands....you should come clean my house. I'm just sayin'.)

Hydrogen Peroxide "Magic"

Homemade Tater Tots!

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE MAGIC!

This post is brought to you by Amazon where you can get deals on health & personal care products!

Ever since I started using Hydrogen Peroxide to get rid of armpit stains, to clean cookie sheets, as a miracle cleaner in my kitchen and bathroom, and to make my own “oxi clean”…I ALWAYShave at least one bottle of the stuff under my kitchen sink, under my bathroom sink, AND in the laundry room. This stuff is amazingly versatile!

But it wasn’t until recently, after doing some IN DEPTH research on the subject, that I came to realize what a “miracle substance” hydrogen peroxide really is! It’s safe, it’s readily available, it’s cheap, and best of all, it WORKS! It works for a LOT of stuff!

Hydrogen peroxide should really be called oxygen water, since it is basically the same chemical make up as water but with an extra oxygen atom (H2O2). Because of this it breaks down quickly and harmlessly into oxygen and water.

Some other interesting facts about hydrogen peroxide:

• It is found in all living material.
• Your white blood cells naturally produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to fight bacteria and infections.
• Fruit and vegetables naturally produce hydrogen peroxide. This is one of the reasons why it is so healthy to eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
• It is found in massive dosages in the mother’s first milk, called colostrum, and is transferred to the baby to boost their immune system.
• It is found in rain water because some of the H20 in the atmosphere receives an additional oxygen atom from the ozone (O3) and this H2O2 makes plants grow faster.

Next to Apple Cider Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide ranks up there as one of the best household remedies.

Besides the obvious (cleansing wounds), did you know that it is probably the best remedy to dissolve ear wax? Brighten dingy floors? Add natural highlights to your hair? Improve your plants root systems? The list goes on and on!

There are SO many uses for this stuff that I’ve started replacing the cap on the hydrogen peroxide bottle with a sprayer because it’s easier and faster to use that way.

I have compiled a rather impressive list of uses for 3% hydrogen peroxide that I hope will have you as thrilled and bewildered as I was!

In no particular order…….I present…….

JILLEE’S BIG LIST OF USES FOR H2O2:

Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.

In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% H2O2 to the bottle.

Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.

Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste for brushing teeth. Helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.

Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu.

Clean your cutting board and countertop. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. (I’ve been using it for this a LOT lately!)

Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.

Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.

Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off.

Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times.

Clean the toilet bowl. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.

Remove stains from clothing, curtains, and tablecloths. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% hydrogen peroxide before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well.

Brighten dingy floors. Combine half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of hot water, then go to town on your flooring. Because it’s so mild, it’s safe for any floor type, and there’s no need to rinse.

Clean kids’ toys and play areas. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis.

Help out your plants. To ward off fungus, add a little hydrogen peroxide to your spray bottle the next time you’re spritzing plants.

 

Add natural highlights to your hair. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide so the solution is 50% peroxide and 50% water. Spray the solution on wet hair to create subtle, natural highlights.

According to alternative therapy practitioners, adding half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to a warm bath can help detoxify the body. Some are skeptical of this claim, but a bath is always a nice way to relax and the addition of hydrogen peroxide will leave you – and the tub – squeaky clean!

Spray a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide on leftover salad, drain, cover and refrigerate. This will prevent wilting and better preserve your salad.

Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags.

Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.

Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system.

Remove yellowing from lace curtains or tablecloths. Fill a sink with cold water and a 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Soak for at least an hour, rinse in cold water and air dry.

Use it to remove ear wax. Use a solution of 3% with olive or almond oil. Add a couple drops of oil first then H2O2. After a few minutes, tilt head to remove solution and wax.

Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry. Or try soaking your feet in a peroxide solution to help soften calluses and corns, and disinfect minor cuts.

Spray down the shower with hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria and viruses.

Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water to clean humidifiers and steamers.

Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.

Use for towels that have become musty smelling. 1/2 cup Peroxide and 1/2 cup vinegar let stand for 15 minutes wash as normal. Gets rid of the smell.

Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.

De-skunking solution. Combine 1 quart 3% H2O2, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon Dawn dish detergent, 2 quarts warm water. (See Cynthia’s comment below)

Whew! That concludes MY list (for now at least!)……

what do YOU use hydrogen peroxide for?