Bargaining Tips for Handicrafts Shopping at Indian Markets

Most of the tourists who come to India like to take back handicrafts from here due to their innate qualities. The shopkeepers in India know this very well. They know how desperate people are to get one or the other kind of handicrafts. This makes them keep the rates very high. The local people know about their strategy and so they bargain hard when shopping for handicrafts. However, those coming from different countries, due to the lack of knowledge, are trapped and pay much more than is the right price of Indian handicrafts. Here are some bargaining strategies and tips for you to follow whenever going shopping for handicrafts or for any other products at the Indian markets.

• Keep aside ample time for shopping. Never shop for things in a hurry.
• Before actually buying your choice of product from a shop, visit at least 4-5 shops with same product to get a rough idea about the product's price. Although all the shopkeepers will tell higher rates but will differ in their quotes. Take out the average of all these prices to get an idea about the actual price.
• Also visit some shops having fixed prices for their products. If possible, buy from there only. However, you may not get many options to choose from in these fixed price shops. If so, go to other places.
• After calculating the tentative price of your desired object, you can start negotiations for purchase at a shop. Always keep a range of price and just not a particular amount. For example, if you liked a wooden table and the prices for this type of table was told at various shops ranging between Rs. 5000 to 7000 whereas a similar type of table at a 'fixed price' shop was around Rs. 4000, you can keep your buying rate at around Rs. 3500- 5500 depending upon the craft work on table (more detailed and fine work will cost more).
• When seriously asking for the price of product, ask for the best price or some discount on it. The shopkeepers will generally cut the price at 10-20% of the quoted price.
• Tell them, the thing is still too expensive. The shopkeeper will then ask you to quote a price.
• When asked, always quote somewhat lower than what you intend to pay. For example if the shopkeeper told the price to be Rs. 6000 and after your survey, you know that its price should be around Rs 4000-4500, tell them you will pay R. 3000 for it.
• The shopkeeper will first deny but will keep on negotiating. Don't be very rigid. When the shopkeeper comes down a little, you go up a little. However, if the shopkeeper becomes rigid about the price, stand up and pretend to leave the shop without buying the thing.
• This will, in most of the cases, make the shopkeeper quote the best price. If that matches your intended payment, you may proceed. For example, if you are ready to give Rs 4000-4500 but the shop owner demands Rs. 4800, try a little to take it to your level. However, if he doesn't agree, settle the deal there.
• Remember, if you come out of a shop without buying, the shopkeeper will then offer his best price. If you really like the piece, don't leave it because if you come back, you may not be in a position to bargain further.

Now when you know the shopping tips & how to bargain at the Indian markets and plan to go to Delhi- the capital and the heart of India, know about the Top Delhi Shopping Destinations for Handicrafts

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Tips on Storing Beads and Beading Accessories

Beads are great to make beautiful jewelery and crafts. However, they are a little messy when it comes to work with the beads. You have to be extra careful about not spilling them. Moreover, you need to store them rightly otherwise you might not get your stash when needed the most. Here are certain tips for storing your tiny as well as large beads securely to find the right bead when you want to finish the exclusive piece of that beaded bracelet or the earring!

Vials- vials or very small containers are available in the market and through online shopping. They are perfectly right for storing your seed beads. These vials mostly come in handy bead case having a nice snap closure that keeps your vials secured inside. The vials have top for easy viewing so that you open just the right container and not the others and save the risk of spilling them.

Bead Cases- There are different varieties of bead cases with novel features for keeping your bead treasure secured. Some of these cases have slots for storing bead. Some other bead boxes have acid-free tacky surface on top and bottom areas. Beads can be easily placed on these surfaces and they don't slip from there. Needles are then used to pick up beads from the surface. Some of them even have magnets to hold the needles. It makes them perfect for travel or for using at home.

Bead Organizers- There comes these bead organizer cases that are made with the purpose of easily carrying beads. These are in fact collections of boxes of various sizes. The large box or the beads organizer has some medium sized, small and mini boxes to store beads of different sizes. They also have bead scoops and tweezers in them to make the bead artists' work simpler.

Bead Storage Drawers- Clear drawers are also very good for storing beads. They can be used individually for one type of beads or the beads and other accessories can be stacked in them. The drawers pull out for easy access to needles, beads, tweezers or other small items.

Plastic Tubes- Plastic tubes are good for storing seed beads. Bead stores mostly sell smaller seed beads and cylinder beads in plastic tubes only. They can even be used for storing smaller gemstone and glass beads. However, the tops should remain firmly closed while traveling or storing beads.

Plastic Bags- The strands of larger beads like those of gemstone or glass beads and even animal beads can be easily stored in plastic bags. However, loose beads that are small in size should be avoided to be kept in bags as they can spill over when trying to take them out.

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Beaded Jewellery Trends- 2010

For all the fashion conscious women who are eagerly waiting for trends declaration- here is a good news. Yes you can now know what will be the jewelery trends for the year 2010! All said and done, skyrocketing prices of gold and effects of recession (though slowing down gradually) will make beaded jewelery the most popular style statement of 2010. Here are some pointers for you to note down about the trends of beads jewellery in 2010!

• In 2009, ethnic jewelery was popular. African beads, seed beads were liked by the people. In 2010, although the fashion trends will be international in flavor (that means, designs will be more or less similar all over), the cultural mark will be there. Native materials and locally found beads will be used extensively for jewelery making.
• People will search for individual fashion and style statement. Therefore, custom made beaded jewelery will remain popular. A search for meaning will result in creation of pieces that have greater symbolism. One and all jewelery pieces will tell a story – unique to its creator and wearer. Thus, 2010 is also a year of  symbolic jewelery.
• Hand made jewelery will continue to be hugely popular among masses. People will express their creativity by wearing own hand crafted beaded jewelery- necklaces, pendants, rings, bands- whatever they can make. Brides too will like to be DIY kinds. They will definitely wear bright, bold statement wedding jewelery but they don’t have to be expensive. Bright colored beaded necklaces will be preferred over pearls or diamonds.
• Small, light bracelets; subtle beautifully beaded pendant; dangling earrings with glass beads or a central focus piece will become immensely popular. All will be in symmetry with clothing fashion trends.
• As far as colors are concerened, cold colored beads will be more popular in 2010. Blacks, whites, blues and grays will be extensively used. If color forecasts of Pantone are to be believed then, Violet (Soft purple) and Aurora (other name for yellow) will lead the way in Spring/Summer 2010.

If you too are excited enough about beaded jewelery then why wait till new year? Make some for Christmas itself- for yourself and for gifts! Get some clues for making beaded jewelery. Read Beaded Jewellery for Christmas Gift- Tips for Buying Beads

Related Articles
» How to Make Acrylic Jewellery
» Beginner's Guide to Handmade Beads Jewelery

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How To Sell Crafts During Recession?

Tough times are tough for everyone- buyers as well as sellers. Fancy items like fashion accessories,  arts & crafts are certain things whose purchasing is postponed during recession or financial downtime. However, not all experience financial crunches at the same time. There are many who want to buy specific crafts, even during economic downtime. There is the need to find out those buyers. Here are some tips for marketing your crafts during recession to such buyers.

• Do a lots of personal networking- Keep in touch with friends, vendors, customers. Leave your business card at grocery shop counter, restaurants, in the envelope containing payments of bills and the like. You'll be amazed to get calls making inquiry about your products.
• Respond Quickly- Never take any business enquiry for granted. Immediate respond to client inquiries.
• Women crafts persons can be a member of some women's networking group, particularly if her target customers are middle to upper income group. Give presentation of your craft making process to generate interest about your crafts in the group. Male crafter can join recreational or some other groups to formally or informally promote his products.
• Join online craft artists’ forums and discussion boards. Follow peers, customers, gallery owners and even your competitors on social networking websites. If possible, make your own website, either for showing off your work or as a retail sales outlet. If you can't afford a website- make a blog to promote your business.
• Take help of auction and sale sites for selling wholesale crafts as well as for retail selling.
• Advertise on cellphones. Followers of many sites willingly let them advertise through SMS in exchange of some offers. Explore such more avenues to advertise your work.
• Design and sell handicraft for charity auctions or fundraising. Keep some share with you and give the rest as charity. Many people just buy things to help others. This way your business can help the needy too.
• Join institutes like Museum Store Association and get listed on their website as a vendor. This list is often referred to by buyers from museum stores, antiques or collectible stores, zoos, national parks, etc. You can even get listed on online business directories who offer a free listing to businesses. For example, if you are in making wood crafts, you can get listed on Wooden Handicrafts B2B marketplace. And if you deal in beads or beading craft, get listed on Beads Manufactures Marketplace. Just a Google search on net and you'll find many directories pertaining to your niche market.
• Leave a tourist brochure with hotels having large tourist traffic. They prove to be promising buyers of local crafts.
• Organize home craft parties at your and friends', relatives' homes and present your work there. Make arrangements for profit sharing with them for regular organizing of such parties.
  

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Wrought Iron Wind Chimes - For Style, Luck and Prosperity

Wrought Iron is mostly associated with decorative furniture, gates, and railings etc. However, the tough, malleable, and easily welded wrought iron is also used to make various handicraft items. One of such very popular wrought iron handicrafts is the wrought iron wind chimes. Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese knowledge about the flow of “chi” or energy, also uses wind chimes as a very effective tool for bring luck, prosperity and positive energy in a house. And as these iron wind chimes are so beautiful that they render unique style to one's home. So, if you want to bring good luck, prosperity, energy, popularity and all the good things to your home, just read on to know how to use these chimes in a proper way.

Choose the Right Wind Chime

First of all, you must select your wind chime according the size of your room or garden, wherever you wish to hang it- small size for small sized rooms and big one for bigger spaces. After size, sound is the most important consideration. In fact, sound is what makes a chime effective. Metal chimes produce the most penetrating sound and thus, wrought iron wind chimes are just perfect for the purpose. Now comes the Feng shui as wells Vaastu consideration- the directions best suited for wind chimes.

Place Wind Chimes in Proper Directions

Wind Chimes are mainly used as Feng Shui tools for circulating positive energy and as such they should be placed in those directions of the house where there is most of the negative energy. The north and west sides are considered such negative energy prone areas of the house.

North facing windows and entrance doors: Whenever windows and doors are north facing, a very little or no sunlight reaches the interiors of the house which in turn leads to cold, dark and depressing atmosphere. Thus, metal wind chimes placed in the north, west or northwest areas of a home can bring positive energy in the house leading to ultimate prosperity.

Western area of the House: Western direction is generally regarded to be children's area. A wind chime placed in this direction promotes the chances of having children and positively influence their health, behavior and studies. Hollow metal wind chimes hanged in western direction particularly brings more energy in the house.

What more! Wind chimes can even cure depression and laziness. Get some Feng Shui Tips about the same.

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Wrought Iron Chandeliers- Buying and Caring Tips

Chandeliers add charm and style to our homes. From among many varieties of chandeliers, wrought iron chandeliers are considered to be classic. Whatever style of home decor you chose, they look good with all. As these chandeliers are made of tough wrought iron, they are durable too. Thus, wrought iron chandeliers are stylish, durable, classic and compliment any style of home decor. So why wait? Go and buy some beautiful wrought iron chandeliers. Just keep the following facts in mind while buying one.

• Measure the height of the room where chandelier will be hung. At least 6 feet 5 inches headroom should be left from the floor.
• A room smaller than 10' by 10', can have a chandelier with 17" to 20" diameter. A room of 12' x 12' will need one with 26" or 27" diameter whereas the same should be 24" to 36" for a room of 14' x 14'.
• If buying for dining room, the chandelier should be approximately 12 inches shorter than the width of dining table. Also, the chandelier should be 30" from the surface of the table. This will ensure sufficient light and to avoid bumped heads.
• Wrought iron is very heavy. As such, the ceiling electrical box should be such that can support its heavy weight.
• Although wrought iron chandeliers are classic then also some style are more suitable to particular decor styles. A simple chandelier having square or rectangular base with candle style lamp shades goes well with a contemporary or transitional look whereas a grand multi-tiered chandelier suits best to traditional style of home decor.

After you've bought your wrought iron chandelier, now comes the question of its maintenance, you sure want it to look as good as it was on the first day it entered your home. It is, in fact, very easy to maintain a wrought iron chandelier, just follow the tips given below

• Dust the chandelier with a clean, soft cloth in every seven or ten days.
• For a more complete cleaning, soak the cloth in a mild detergent and water solution. You can even use 4 tablespoons baking soda and 1 quart of water or a cleaner solution. After wiping, rinse and dry with a clean, soft cloth.
• A thin coat of liquid wax can also be applied on the chandelier with the help of a clean cloth. This gives added protection to your chandelier.
• Never hang a wrought iron chandelier in a damp area, it leads the iron to rust over time.

These simple tricks can keep your wrought iron chandelier shining.

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B2b Marketplace for Handicrafts

This is one of the first B2B blog dedicated specifically to the various aspects of wooden handicrafts and wooden furniture. This is an online resource guide that contains information about the new product launch and various other events related to the industry of wooden handicrafts and leading furniture manufacturers and suppliers. Browse through these informative verticals to know more about these wood artifacts that reflect the true spirit of craftsmanship even while maintaining the traditional beauty and style. To know more about the handicraft items, wooden handicrafts and wrought iron crafts, read through. Wrought Iron Crafts ? This is the perfect online platform for all those who are looking for information related to the wrought iron crafts, that depict high imagination and immaculate craftsmanship. Various tips that can help you in perking up the interior design of your homes are also available on this website. The main product line discussed includes hand forged wrought iron products that are the perfect amalgamation of traditional designs and contemporary styles and elegant looks. Wrought iron hardware, wrought iron furniture and garden d飯r handicrafts have also been discussed. Go through this B2b directory to gain extensive information on the leading manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of wrought iron products. Wood Furniture Manufacturers ? Be it the need of redecorating your home furniture or just adding that extra glitz to your interiors with the timeless and classic wooden furniture, this is the place to get all the requisite information. Highlighting exclusive talent of Indian artisans, bulk trading zone along with the manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of finest quality wood furniture, this vertical showcases a variety of product catalogs for even the most finicky buyer. Various trade associations, manufacturing regions, trade leads and assortments of wood work has been detailed perfectly yet elaborately, even for the most avid furniture lover. Wooden Handicrafts ? Wood Handicrafts enjoy a special privilege in almost every house and it is their wide fame that has made them important enough to be discussed under a separate head. To gain comprehensive information about the various tips, latest product launches and much lore about the world wooden handicrafts, browse through this website. Focusing on an incredible array of artifacts chiseled out of wood, one can also get details about the various associations, industrial overview and publications that deal with these handicraft made from wide variety of wood. This B2B marketplace for Wooden Handicrafts also provides details on the wood furniture like kitchen accessories, garden decorative, wooden gifts for corporate purposes and antique wooden gifts and toys.

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Wooden Garden Furniture : An Insight

Garden is one of the most conspicuous areas of a household today, as it is not quite visible these days. In this world, where space to be shrinking every second, getting a home with the leisure of a garden is like a dream come true! Since garden is known to speak a lot about its residents, its becomes an important area in the decorum agenda. A well-done up garden also plays an important role in rejuvenating the depleted mind and body. Apart from different wood furniture one can also use a host of other decorative to enhance the looks of the garden.

For all your queries and worries related to the garden furniture, here is the answer. This is the platform where you can find umpteen number of delightful ides for making your garden the perfect one. Browse through the list of various wooden garden decorative like garden flower pot, fountain, mini waterfall, a small pond, a miniature landscape etc. to add that tinge of surrealism in your gardens.

Besides, various varieties of sculptures made from wood have also been highlighted. Unique ides like wooden logs to make a very natural sitting, small wooden bridge or a mushroom shaped garden umbrella in wood and hand wooden hangings or baskets with equally complementing lighting effects have also been discussed with details.

Made from a combination of soft and hard wood including Mahogany, Walnut, Cherry, Oak, and Maple, Pine, Cedar, Redwood etc., these wooden garden decorative have been embellished with finest finishes to make them look contemporary and exceptionally sophisticated. Along with this, various gardening tips and wooden garden furniture have also been included.

This is a unique platform that provides comprehensive information of various wood garden accessories and decorative along with details of their manufacturing regions, suppliers and exporters. Following are some of the most popular garden decorative whose export import policies have also been discussed at length. Click below to get more information on them.

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Garden Redecorating – Tips and Tricks

Garden is one of the most striking area of any house, as in todays, compact life owning a garden is not a privilege for everybody. Therefore it is extremely critical for the owner to take extreme care of the wooden garden decorative and accessories, especially wooden furniture. This write up gives away various maintenance tips and caring tricks that will not only keep your garden furniture good in looks but will also improve their longevity. Follow the below mentioned tips about the basic care of the wooden garden decorative especially furniture.

1.Climate is a very important consideration when planing to invest in an outdoor wooden furniture. Besides, the kind of wood that will best suit your need as well as climate is also an important tip to keep in mind.

2.Make sure that you keep your garden furniture stored and covered when not in use. You can keep them in the garage or under any overhanging wall as this will prevent them from climate disaster.

3.Reading the manufacturers instructions is also important. Don't become the ignorant masters of these furniture as they require a lot of maintenance. It is important that you are aware with all the nuances before you set up your garden furniture.

4.Sun and rain might be the ideal situation for spending some time in the garden, but they are surely not the best of agents for your furniture. To avoid losing the sheen of the furniture place them under an overhanging or garden shade can do the trick.

5.Before the commencement of a new season, one can use various kinds of protectants in order to save the furniture from climatic changes. Depending upon the type of furniture, you can use paints, tar, oil, wax or even preservatives. Wiping is a very common and convenient method that can be used by the owners. All you need is just a dry cloth to keep the furniture free of moisture.

6.To keep the legs of the furniture free of unwanted mud and dirt, place four cups beneath the chairs. This is a very helpful tip, especially when there is a lot of grass in the garden. Out some wood preservatives in the cups and allow them to absorb completely for good effect.

7.To keep your furniture clean, ensure that you wash them with soap and water at least once in a month. Just take a moist or soapy cloth and wipe them. But do not allow the water to stand. Make sure that it is completely dry and use a wood cleaner if required.

These were some of the basic tips that can hep you curb the multitudinous problems that can trouble you in case you are not sensitive towards your garden furniture.

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Wooden Furniture Decoration Tips – Enameling the Furniture

Furniture is always a subject of utmost pride for anyone who owns them. But if they are wooden then taking excessive care of them becomes an important responsibility. This write up tries to highlight one such process involved in the wooden furniture, that can not only help in decorating newly finished furniture but also refurbish an old piece without causing it to strip - Enameling. Though there are many processes like enameling, antique wood glazing or flyspecking, wax gliding etc that can be used to add some sheen to your not so shiny furniture. In this write up we will try to focus on enameling process along with various nuances associated with it.

Enameling – What is It?

Enameling is that process which can be used for both new and old furniture and have the advantage of low maintenance. Enameling not only covers the flaws and bad quality of the furniture but also help in maintaining various other defect and is applicable to a vast variety of wooden surfaces. If one wants to create a striking piece, then enameling bare wood or an old furniture is the trick to do it.

Different Types of Enamelling

Although enameling is a unique process but often people substitute it for painting. While paints are composed of pigments in an application vehicle or any medium, enamels install pigments in a varnish, lacquer, or oil base.

Enameling Techniques and Applications

before beginning with the process of enameling, it is important that the whole furniture is sanded properly and a filler should be applied to ensure that the pores are filled and the surface is smooth. Make sure that you clean the surface with a tack cloth before starting with enameling.

Coating the furniture with the commercial enamel undercoater is a must. Is is white in color and ensure that the under coater is applied in a smooth manner. After applying the undercoat its important to leave it untouched for around 3 hours and then it should be cleaned again with a tack cloth. This is where the application of enamel begins. Begin with applying it in strips and then further level the surface ensuring that there are no thin and thick spots. Spread it evenly and the brush marks will disappear as soon as it dries.

While working on a vertical surface one needs to be a little cautious. Here one needs to brush the enamel in a tipped position and move form the dry surface to the wet part. Brush lengthwise along rungs, spindles, and other turnings. After you are though with application of the enamel, allow it to dry for several days.

These were some of the tips that come handy while enameling is being done to your furniture. The best way however, is to engage a professional for this purpose to make sure no stones are left unturned.

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Wooden Toys – Rising Back to Glory

In this fast paced moving world, almost every person seems to be in a sense of nostalgia. They long for those ideal times of childhood when there was almost nothing to worry about. The television shows of today also are not the ones that were aired earlier. Nor can one relate to things that were their close to their soul, once. One such belonging that everyone cherishes even till they grow ripe are the toys! Earlier only wooden toys were available for playing. Made from wood every detail was taken care of. However, those days seems to have gone past. Look around and you will hardly find children indulged playing with wooden toys anymore!

But thanks to the recent trend of antiquity and environmental concerns that most of these art is being revived. As plastic was cheaper and easier to maintain, it was replacing wood but the realization of the advantages of wooden toys and finally changed the scenario. Today, people are aware that wooden toys are not only non toxic toys and environmental friendly but are pollution free and also help a lot in developing a child's growth much more as when compared to an ordinary plastic toy. They also have the advantage of being more durable and thus can be passed from one generation to the other. The presence of a large variety from toy trains, puzzle blocks, to rocking horses, also adds to the popularity of these wooden toys.

Today, the toys made from wood are making a comeback and for many good reasons. Their asset includes low cost and energy for maintenance. One only needs a wet cloth or tissue to clean them. As they are non toxic, the cost of paint can be checked. These toys can be used for both indoor and outdoor purposes without much hassle. Also toys like wooden furniture, houses for dolls and kitchen sets can increase the imagination and develop a child's mind to a great extent.

Another advantage of wooden toys over plastic toys is that most of the plastic toys use battery to work. Exposing a small child to the hazards of battery is not the most ideal thing to do. It not only bars their thinking capacity, but they are also subject to a major risk of leaking. Plastic toys are also easily breakable. Develop in your child the habit of collecting toy and trust me, they wont look forward to gather anything other than wooden toys.

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B2b Marketplace for Handicrafts

This is one of the first B2B blog dedicated specifically to the various aspects of wooden handicrafts and wooden furniture. This is an online resource guide that contains information about the new product launch and various other events related to the industry of wooden handicrafts and leading furniture manufacturers and suppliers. Browse through these informative verticals to know more about these wood artifacts that reflect the true spirit of craftsmanship even while maintaining the traditional beauty and style. To know more about the handicraft items, wooden handicrafts and wrought iron crafts, read through.

Wrought Iron Crafts – This is the perfect online platform for all those who are looking for information related to the wrought iron crafts, that depict high imagination and immaculate craftsmanship. Various tips that can help you in perking up the interior design of your homes are also available on this website. The main product line discussed includes hand forged wrought iron products that are the perfect amalgamation of traditional designs and contemporary styles and elegant looks. Wrought iron hardware, wrought iron furniture and garden décor handicrafts have also been discussed. Go through this B2b directory to gain extensive information on the leading manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of wrought iron products.

Wood Furniture Manufacturers – Be it the need of redecorating your home furniture or just adding that extra glitz to your interiors with the timeless and classic wooden furniture, this is the place to get all the requisite information. Highlighting exclusive talent of Indian artisans, bulk trading zone along with the manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of finest quality wood furniture, this vertical showcases a variety of product catalogs for even the most finicky buyer. Various trade associations, manufacturing regions, trade leads and assortments of wood work has been detailed perfectly yet elaborately, even for the most avid furniture lover.

Wooden Handicrafts – Wood Handicrafts enjoy a special privilege in almost every house and it is their wide fame that has made them important enough to be discussed under a separate head. To gain comprehensive information about the various tips, latest product launches and much lore about the world wooden handicrafts, browse through this website. Focusing on an incredible array of artifacts chiseled out of wood, one can also get details about the various associations, industrial overview and publications that deal with these handicraft made from wide variety of wood. This B2B marketplace for Wooden Handicrafts also provides details on the wood furniture like kitchen accessories, garden decorative, wooden gifts for corporate purposes and antique wooden gifts and toys.

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Yarns! Yarns! And Yarns!

Have you ever thought, why some of our clothing, say for example, scarves are sheer, soft and ornamental while others like shawls are thick, coarse and rough (though not all of them). This is because of the different yarns used for making them. Yarn formation is a fine skill and with variations in the spinning process, one can make various types of yarns. So what are the different types of yarns?

Single Yarns: To make these spun yarns, single strands of fibers are held together by twist. They are either given S-twist or Z-twist. Single yarns are used for making most of the fabrics.

Ply Yarns: Two or more strands or yarns are twisted together to make ply yarns. In two-ply yarns, two single strands are twisted together, and three-ply yarn is made up of three single strands and so on. The strands are generally twisted in one direction and then combined and twisted in opposite direction.

Cabled Yarns: Two or more plied yarns are twisted together, usually, around each other continually in the opposite direction of the previous twist. Thus, it may be twisted in an S/Z/S form or a Z/S/Z form These yarns are hard, rough and strong.

Doubled Yarns: In the weaving process, two or more strands are treated as one but they are not twisted together as when making ply yarns. Doubled yarns are used for giving ornamental effects due to their lustre and softness.
Novelty Yarns: For making novelty yarns, decorative effects are produced by giving different amounts of twists while spinning. Sometimes, yarns having different diameters are twisted together to make them. They are used for making ornamental fabrics having various textures and color combinations. There are many types of novelty yarn, each having difference in its making process. These novelty yarns include slub yarns, boucle yarns, spiral yarns, chenille yarns among others.

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Ceramic Yarn- Clay's Journey From Pottery To Textile

You might have heard about ceramic art, ceramic pottery or bricks but have you heard about ceramic yarn? Yes, in fact, there is a yarn made of ceramic or clay which is used for making various textile products! These wonder ceramic fabrics are also used to protect NASA's space shuttles and satellites! They are incredibly strong, fireproof and excellent heat resistant fabrics.

Ceramic Yarn

Ceramic yarn is one of the man-made mineral fibers, popularly known as mineral wool. They are made from natural or synthetic minerals or metal oxides. Ceramic yarn is noted for its high temperature resistance above 1000°C. Textile made from ceramic fiber yarns have outstanding characteristics of lightweight, low thermal conductivity and chemical stability that can resist attack from most corrosive agents. The ceramic fiber yarns are used in high temperature sealing and in producing ceramic fiber tape, rope or fabrics. The ceramic fabrics are widely used in thermal insulation industry.

The Making of Ceramic Yarn
To make ceramic fibers, chemicals like silica are heated until they are molten, and then they are spun into hair-like strands. To make ceramic yarns, ceramic fibers are carded with a blend of organic fibers to make rovings. Rovings are soft strands of fiber that have been twisted, attenuated, and freed from foreign matters such as dust etc. before converting into yarn. Then a reinforcement of glass filament or steel wire is introduced to it. This combination is then spun to produce the ceramic yarns. In applications where tensile strength is significant, textiles manufactured from a glass filament reinforced yarn may be used up to 550ºC. Textiles manufactured from steel reinforced yarn may be used up to 1050°C. Where tensile strength is not so important, yarns and textiles may be used up to 1260ºC.


Industrial Applications of Ceramic Yarn Fabrics
Ceramic yarns and textiles are mainly applied to a wide range of high temperature sealing and insulating applications. It means that they are used in materials that come in contact of high temperatures so as to prevent or reduce the passage, transfer, or leakage of heat and electricity. A good example of this type of product is ceramic blankets. Ceramic fiber ropes are also used as heat insulation materials and a substitute for asbestos rope. NASA engineers had used ceramics for Shuttle tiles that could stand up to the heat of reentry. The fibers were used to fill gaps between orbiter tiles and were woven into insulation blankets, heat shields and other protective items.

General Uses of Ceramic Yarn Fabrics
Apart from being used in industries as insulating material, ceramic yarn is now also used for warm weather fashion clothing due to its cool nature. However, such fabrics have ceramic in very low percentage. For example, one of such ceramic fabrics is made up of 95% rayon & 5% ceramic. They keep the wearers cool and protect their skin from harmful UVA & UVB rays. They are, in fact, capable of dropping the surface skin temperature by at least 5 degrees. Due to their soft sheen, anti-static and washable qualities, they are gradually becoming a choice of fabric for babies & infant wear. Ceramic yarns are also fast becoming popular for knitting projects due to their same properties of being cool, soft and silky apart from UVA & UVB rays protective.

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Drying Processes of Textile Industry

Textile drying is one of the finishing processes, which removes the water and moisture from the fabrics (accumulated while its manufacturing) through evaporative heating. As evaporative heating is very costly, initially mechanical methods are applied to remove as much as moisture from the fabric as possible. After that, heated dryers are used to evaporate the remaining water from the fabric. Mechanical methods include centrifugal extraction of water and continuous methods applying vacuum suction rolls. After mechanical extraction, various types of dryers are used to dry the textile which are categorized as thermal processes. The thermal processes transfer heat by convection; infrared radiation; direct contact; or radio-frequency.

Drying can be applied to loose fibers, yarns, or fabrics. When drying fibers, centrifugal extraction is done to reduce the water in loose fibers before evaporative drying is applied. The evaporation dryers consist of many chambers and fibers pass from the hottest to the cooler chambers. Fiber is carried through a conveyor belt or on the surface of a series of “suction drums”. Yarn packages are dried by two methods - rapid (forced) air drying and the radio frequency drying. In forced air dryers, hot air circulation is followed by conditioning. Radio frequency dryers operate on the conveyor principle. Fabrics are dried with various types of dryers like stenters, cylinder dryers, drying conveyors etc. The relaxed fabric is conveyed through a chamber while festooned in loops. The fabric travels through the chamber, passing over a series of hot cylinders. It is very important to dry textile without over drying otherwise the fabric may get a harsh hand.

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Corduroy Fabric- Can it be Worn in Summers?

Sometimes it happens that we unknowingly put a fabric in certain category. For example, we say cotton, linen etc. are summer fabrics whereas wool, cashmere etc. are winter fabrics. Have you ever thought of the fabrics that are categorized as winter fabrics but are made from summer fabrics? Corduroy Fabric is one such fabric which is popularly called a winter fabric but is originally made from cotton- it is a cotton fabric with texture.

So, do you wear your corduroy skirt and pants in summers or pack all of them to be used in winters alone? Can you, in fact, wear corduroy in summers? To know this, first of all you'll have to know about the basic corduroy fabric.

What is Corduroy Fabric?

Fabric characteristically having parallel, lengthwise cords or ridges is the corduroy fabric. It looks much like twill fabric but there is a basic difference in appearance. Twill has diagonal rows while corduroy has parallel ridges. While weaving, its fibers are normally twisted resulting in long, parallel ridges. Initially, corduroy was made from cotton only. Now many other fibers, such as polyester, rayon and acrylic are also used to make corduroy fabric but essentially it remains a cotton texture fabric. Also, the modern versions of corduroy are composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between the tufts. In essence, corduroy is a ridged form of velvet.

How is Corduroy Fabric Used?

Corduroy fabric is mostly used for making casual to business casual clothing usually for colder climates. They are widely used for trousers but not very uncommon to be seen as skirts, jackets, caps, bags and even upholstery for chairs and sofas. In fact, the application of corduroy fabric is decided by the width of cords appearing on it. The width of the cord is usually referred to as “wale”. The Corduroy fabrics having narrow wales are generally softer to touch, and are often used for shirts, skirts, jackets or caps. Corduroy with wide wales is commonly found on pants or furniture.


Can We Wear Corduroy in Summers?

Although considered to be a fall/winter fabric, corduroy can even be worn in summers, of course, if you do not go by strict fashion norms. However, the fabric for summer has to be chosen very cautiously. It should be narrow wale (thin width cord), lighter weight corduroy (if superlight, it's best) in a light color, something like white, beige, pink etc. For choosing such corduroy you must know how to count the wales? Corduroy fabric’s wale count per inch varies from 1.5 to 21. However, the traditional standard falls between 10 and 12. 11-wale corduroy, that is to say 11 wales per inch, is the corduroy with narrower wales. There are pincord, pinwale, and needlecord types of corduroy from among which pincord is the finest cord with a count above 16 and has a feel that is as soft as velvet and it is superlight. So, if you find this corduroy, wear it in summers without any other consideration!

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Coated Fabrics: Benefits and Drawbacks

The most significant development of our times, in the field of fabrics, can be called the development of specialty fabrics. These specialty fabrics have many characteristics that make them suitable for specific applications. Coated fabric is one of the important specialty fabrics of our times.


Many chemicals and materials such as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride),PE and other Poly olefins, PU (Polyurethane), acrylics, rubber (natural or synthetic) and waxes are used in the coating process of fabrics. Color dyes and pigments can also be added to these chemicals for giving desired colors and shades. Through coating, many characteristics are given to the fabrics, such as water resistance, fire retardance, UV resistance, flexibility, surface gloss, surface texture, etc.

Different types of coated fabrics are there which include PVC coated fabrics, Teflon coated fabrics, Rubber coated fabrics, Vinyl coated fabrics and the newly developed Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) coated fabrics. These coated fabrics are used for manufacturing various products including protective clothing, gaskets and seals for automotive industry, conveyor belts, bags, tents and tarpaulins, roofing membranes, sporting tents, light weight sport field covers, agriculture coverings, automotive interiors and many other such highly functional products.

Although coated fabric provides high functionality to many industries, its disposal poses a threat to the environment. They can't be recycled even by applying high temperature or pressure or by dissolving in solvents. They have to be burned, of course after having taken precautions to save the environment from such disposal. However, innovations are being introduced in the field of coated fabrics also. The TPO coated PP fabrics come labeled as “PVC free”, “halide free”, “Green product” etc. They are lighter than PU or PVC or rubber coated fabrics and are melt recyclable. We can hope that in near future more such innovations take place so that the useful coated fabric also become environmental friendly.

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Jacquard – Complex Patterns for Beautiful Fabrics

From among the decorative fabrics, jacquard fabric holds a very important place. Jacquard is a very beautiful fabric with unique patterns woven into the fabric itself. Jacquard is, in fact, one of the various types of fabric weaves which is used to make complex fabric patterns on the specially designed jacquard looms.

The Jacquard Loom was invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801 which was controlled by punchcards. Many cards were strung in a continuous row to develop a pattern. These mechanical Jacquards were smaller in size and could control independently only a few warp ends and thus the process had to be repeated many a times across the loom width. The larger capacity machines and multiple machines allowed relatively greater control and also needed fewer repeats. The electronic jacquard looms, introduced in 1983, had greater capacity which could handle more than 10,000 warp ends simultaneously. These computer-controlled machines significantly reduced the time wasted in changing punched paper designs. But they were viable for those factories only which manufactured jacquard fabric with specialized designs, due to the cost involved in installing these machines.

Jacquard weaving uses many types of fibers and fiber blends and create complex patterns on fabrics. The jacquard loom can be programmed to raise each warp thread independently of the others giving a very high level of warp yarn control. There are many types of jacquard fabrics that are used for fine jacquard clothing and upholstery. The examples of jacquard fabrics include brocade, damask, matelasse and tapestries etc.

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Linen Fabric- So Common Yet So Unique!

Some of the fabrics are more than liked in summers. Linen fabrics are one of them. Linen is so familiar term to all of us but do we really know enough about this smooth, cool durable fabric? Did you know, apart from making garments and home furnishings, linen is also used for making many other things including paper? Yes indeed! Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp. This is why, many countries including the United States, print their currency on paper made from 25% linen and 75% cotton! Does this interest you to know more about this fine fabric- the linen fabric!

What is Linen?
Linen comes from one of the strongest plant fibers- the flax, which is obtained from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum. Flax fibers are of two varieties- longer line fibers and shorter tow fibers. The fine and regular long flax fibers are spun into yarns for linen fabrics of which 70% goes into making clothing with extraordinary coolness. They are also used for high quality textile furnishings. Shorter flax fibers make heavier yarns that are used for kitchen towels, sails, tents and canvas. Lower fiber grades are used as reinforcement and filler in thermoplastic composites and resins used in automotive interior substrates, furniture and other consumer products.

Why Linen is Unique?
The 'so-cool-to-touch' linen fabric is about two to three times stronger than cotton yet it is soft and smooth when felt against skin. There are many properties of linen fabric that go to make it unique.

• Linen is a very good conductor of heat- the reason for its being so cool.
• It is smooth, soft and lint free- in fact, wash it more and it will get more softer.
• It has high natural luster having shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or Grey- if its pure white then it is heavily bleached linen.
• It has a crisp and textured feel. However, it can range from stiff and rough, to soft and smooth.
• If properly manufactured, linen fabric can highly absorb and rapidly lose water- it can gain up to 20% moisture without even feeling damp- that's why it is one of the the finest cool summer fabrics.
• It is very durable and strong- in fact, it is more stronger when wet than when dry.
• It is abrasion resistant and also resistant to moths and carpet beetles.
• It can be easily taken care of as it resists dirt and stains and also don't have lint or pilling tendency. It can be dry cleaned, machine washed or steamed without any concern.

However, as it is said that nothing comes with all good, linen too has some features that call for a little concern. Linen has poor elasticity. As such, it wrinkles very easily and wears away if folded and ironed at the same place repeatedly like collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during laundering. Regardless of its tendency to wrinkle, linen has become the most favorable fabric for elegant summer clothing, otherwise what's the justification of 70% linen production being used for making apparels? In fact, a lot of linen garments nowadays are designed to be wrinkle free that can be air dried on a good hanger and worn without the need of ironing.

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Fabric Painting- Creating Magic on Fabrics

Fabric is such a medium that can be used in a wide variety of ways to express oneself. Wear it as clothing to make your own style statement or make them into astonishing home furnishings to decorate homes- they are always amazing! Not only fabrics come in a variety of colors and textures, they can even be embellished in different ways to make them all the more beautiful. Embroidery is the most accepted and widely adopted means of embellishing them. However, fabric painting has there since ages and is one of the adoring crafts that people love to do with fabrics. In fact, fabric painting is one of the means that can be used in innumerable ways- the only need is to let loose one's imagination.

Mostly, natural blended fabrics such as 50-50 cotton-polyester blends are chosen for doing fabric painting. There is a set process for fabric painting where it is first washed and dried to let it shrink and for cleaning any dirt, dust, or textile finishing chemicals from it. Then paints are chosen from among fabric paint tubes, fabric paint pens, paint pots and brushes. Designs are also chosen according to one's interest which include free hand designs, that is to paint without any design laid out beforehand. Many draw the designs with pencils on the fabric to be painted and others use iron on transfer method in which they use a colored transfer pen to trace over a simple lined picture. The design is then applied by placing the drawn lines directly onto the fabric and gently pressing a hot iron on top. The fabric is then painted through different techniques like stamping, reverse stamping, screen painting and others. Once fabric painting is finished, it is allowed to dry for about at least 24 hours to 72 hours so that it is thoroughly dry and set. The finished item is then again washed and dried.

However, there are certain considerations that should be kept in mind while fabric painting. This will be clear with tips for fabric painting. So read these tips and create magic on fabrics with fabric painting.

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Nano-Camo: Chameleon-like Camouflage Outfits in the Offing

In the near future, just in five to ten years, the adventurous people can see some of their fantasies come true. They can own outfits that will turn blue when at sea and brown when in a desert environment. The same effect could be used in making everyday chic fashion clothing for fashionistas that automatically changes color to fit different visual settings. Sandia National Laboratories researchers have demonstrated that, in theory, they could cause synthetic materials to change color just like certain fish species which blend with their environment by changing color.

The Basic Principle Underlying Nano Camouflage Clothing
The researchers have followed the mechanism that the fish use to change colors. The power source for the whole process depends upon the basic cellular fuel called ATP, which releases energy as it breaks down. Around 50% of the power is absorbed by the motor proteins, the tiny molecular motors that can move along surfaces. When fish change colors, motor proteins aggregate and disperse skin pigment crystals carried in their “tails” as they walk with their “feet” along the microtubule skeleton of the cell. They rearrange the color display through this.

The on/off switch
The scientists are also introducing on/off switch to control the motion of the motor proteins. The effect is controllable, and even reversible. “We essentially reengineered the protein structure to introduce a switch into the motor,” says the principal investigator George Bachand. “So we can now turn our nanofluidic devices on and off.” Previous efforts at regulating motor activity have used fuel intake as a control mechanism which operated on the principle- the less the fuel, the slower the process. However, the Nano-camo switch operates independently of fuel changes, resembling the improvement in early automobile technologies when a simple ignition switch took over for more complicated rheostats.
So, just wait and watch for the amazing chameleon-like camouflage 'Nano-camo' for fashionistas and environmentalists.

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Top Three Fashion Accessories for Women

Just imagine a world where women do not get 'so-loved-by-them' fashion accessories! They have to be satisfied just by the clothing and simple bags for carrying things, a simple flip-flop to protect their feet and the worst part- no jewelery at all! Does this frighten you? There's no need to worry about, as all these true fashion companions of women haven't gone anywhere. They are right here with all their versatility and glitter to make women more charming. I just imagined the condition to underline the importance of these three top fashion accessories for women- Jewelery, Handbags and Footwear.

All these fashion accessories make a woman complete. Their dresses look so dull without these accessories. You get to know, how the lady is, how she takes life, and what's her basic personality- just by seeing the fashion accessories donned by her! Whether she is fun loving, glamorous, elegant, perfectionist or just a simpleton. And the fun part is that most of the time, this perception turns to be true. However, if a woman doesn't pay attention towards choosing the right kind of fashion accessories which matches her personality, she might end up attracting all the wrong people towards her with whom she can't gel up. So know how to project yourself just in the manner as you are along with attaining comfort, style and charm all at the same time! Read- How to choose top three fashion accessories....

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Fiber Testing Techniques

The manufacturers of apparels, home furnishings and other textile products must know the fiber contents of the fabrics they use in order to meet the specific requirements of the said products. Retailers too are bound by the 'Textile Fiber Products Identification Act' to check the labels of the products before selling them. The consumers too need to know what fibers are they using in all the products so that they may put them to their expected use. Thus, fiber testing becomes very important.


Nontechnical Tests
There are many tests for fiber identification. They can be broadly classified as nontechnical tests and technical tests. The nontechnical tests include feeling test and the burn test. The feeling test is the most simple one which requires identifying fiber just by touching the fabric. For example, wool will feel warm whereas cotton or linen will feel cold. However, this is not a very reliable method as many fabrics are made of different fiber contents. In the other test called the burn test, a sample fabric is burnt and observed for the various characteristics shown by it after burning so that its fiber contents can be determined.

Technical Tests

There are fiber testing techniques that are carried out in laboratories. These technical tests for fiber identification are the microscope test and the chemical tests.

Microscope Test: In this technique, powerful microscopes are used for testing and identifying the fiber contents of different fabrics. Different fibers show specific characteristics regarding shapes, length, marks etc. under the microscope. It is very effective for testing the natural fabrics. Since many synthetic fabrics have similar appearance, sometimes, it becomes difficult to test them under microscope. Dark color fabrics also can't be tested as light doesn't pass through dark substances. Additionally, dyes of the fabrics also have to be removed by stripping, bleaching etc. so that they can be seen clearly and without any wrong effects that can misguide and result in incorrect test reports.

Chemical Tests: They can only be conducted in well equipped laboratories. There are two key techniques for chemical testing- stain and solvent. The stain method uses acid and alkali on different fabrics to identify the fiber contents. A fiber stained with acetic acid turns to a specific color but when the same fiber is stained with mild alkali, it turns to a different color. For example, acetate changes to light green color when acetic acid is used and turns orange when dilute carbonate of soda is used. In the solvent method, different solvents are used to distinguish one kind of fiber from another. There is no single solvent or chemical that can be used on all fibers. The fabric has to be cleaned thoroughly and the finishing chemicals have to be removed completely before immersing sample fabric in solvents. Animal fibers are destroyed in strong alkalies while plant fibers destroy in acid.

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Beachwear For Fashion Conscious Men

Although fashion is synonymous to women, men too have shown that they are no less fashion conscious. Designers constantly present various clothing lines to match the desires of men of all ages. One of the mens clothing segments- mens beach wear- is the hottest among the list of mens fashion clothing. Through beachwear, men try to wear what all they can't wear anywhere else. Lets analyze what kinds of beachwear are there for men and how they are comfortable, relaxing, fashionable, and trendy- all at the same time.

Men's Shorts

Men's shorts, available in a wide range of styles, patterns, colors and fabrics are the topmost favorites of all men. They are relaxing and comfortable beachwear to match the soothing environment of beach. They come with wearing options having full elastic waist or drawstring or both. The popular styles of mens shorts include

Bermuda shorts: They are knee-length shorts for casual style generally having pockets and waist loops for an optional belt.


Board shorts: They are loose-fitting shorts with the leg length going down to the knees. Initially designed for the surfers, these shorts are now a popular beachwear for all men. They can be called a combination of shorts and a bathing suit.


Boxer shorts: They are also called loose boxers or simply boxers. Their popularity rests on a variety of styles and design as also on unhindered leg movement for the wearer. They come in a variety of fabric types and print designs.

Cargo shorts: They are typical khaki shorts with cargo pockets though now they come in other colors too. Similar to cargo pants, but around knee-length, they not only make wearer free and comfortable but give him cool trendy look.
Fabrics that are commonly used for giving fit and style to shorts include cotton, cotton blends, nylon, polyester, cotton silk, Lycra etc.

Swim Trunks
Yet another popular man's beachwear, trunks more or less look like shorts. They cover the mid portion of the body- from the waist to the mid-upper leg and are normally shorter than board shorts. They come in various styles and designs though most of them are made of nylon fabric with a mesh lining making them quick drying so that other than swimming, playing ball or just walking on beach too remain a pleasant activity.


Beach Pants
Beach pants are different from regular pants. They are made ultra comfortable, mostly by using linen in their manufacturing. They can be easily rolled up due to their wide straight legs and the casual regular fittings. They mostly come with elastic waist just like beach shorts and trunks which makes them easy to wear.

Beach Shirts
These shirts are specially designed for beach using some comfortable fabrics like cotton, cotton blend, cotton silk, polyester, Lycra, twill, etc. They are mostly liked with half sleeves and come in both plain and exotic prints. They go well with a pair of Capri, pants, jeans or beach shorts for making beach experience a pleasant one. Bright colors and unusual prints like floral, geometrical, flora and fauna especially palm tree give them distinguished look.
Apart from all the above men's beachwear, swim briefs, popularly known as Speedo are also very popular among men.

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