Handcrafted Harvest Time
Autumn is a time of beautiful sights, sounds and smells. With leaves turning every colour from golden brown through to crimson reds. There is an abundance of stunning colours that can be used to inspire any number of craft items for the autumn and harvest season. Crocheted and knitted items are particularly popular at this time of year as they help to create a feeling of cosiness and homeliness that we all crave as the darker nights start to draw in.
If you run a handcrafting business, there are a number of items that you might want to consider creating for this time of year. It is important that you also think about your insurance cover and Ian Wallace Craft insurance can help you to get the right cover for your business type. In the darker months there are many other things that you may need to consider and ensuring that you have adequate cover is the best place to start.
If you are looking for some harvest time inspiration, take a look at some of these crafting delights.
Scarves
Nothing says autumn cosiness like a nice scarf. These can be knitted or crocheted, and you can bring some of the colours of harvest time through in your design. Rich, earthy and warm colours such as oranges, browns, and deep reds are reminiscent of everything that is best about autumn. If you are feeling particularly adventurous you could even create a pattern inspired by the season. Sales of items such as this increase dramatically from September onwards and it is a good time to increase your sales towards the winter time.
High street fashion can often reduce the ways in which people individualise their look and as a result of this more and more people are looking for ways to add some of their own personality to their outfits. Handcrafters such as those that create knitted and crocheted items can provide a more personalised look for people.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are synonymous with autumn and harvest time and although it might feel that Halloween has highjacked the vegetable somewhat, there are lots of ways that they can be used in creative products.
Not only can you create a harvest time display in your home with pumpkins and other squashes, but you can also create these from wool. These woolly pumpkins can be popular items to sell at craft fairs this time of year as people look for ways to bring some autumn colour into their homes. Crocheted and knitted pumpkins can be created as stand alone items or they could be incorporated into other designs such as the wreaths mentioned below.
Wreaths
We often think of wreaths as a Christmas decoration but they can look beautiful at any time of year and are a great way to change up the feel of a room with the seasons. These wreaths can be made of real or artificial flowers, or even from wool and other yarns. The creation of crocheted and knitted wreaths has increased dramatically over the last few years and the love for the trend doesn’t seem to be decreasing.
The beauty of a knitted wreath is that there is an almost endless supply of colours that can be used in the creation of the final design and the huge variety of stitched both in knitting and crocheting, mean that the design can be unique. Using these methods to create a wreath also allow you to use a number of different products to create the circular shape. These could be foam rings or even toy makers stuffing. In some cases you may also like to use off cuts of material that would other wise be thrown away. It is important that you adhere to any safety regulations linked to your products and also look at and Ian Wallace Craft insurance to ensure you are covered should an issue occur as a result of your product.
When it comes to adding some decoration to your wreath for harvest time you can create everything from leaves in all shade of red, brown and orange and you could even use amigurumi to create small woodland creations that can adorn your wreath.
Bunting
Once seen as the decoration of the wedding or birthday party, bunting has started to become a staple in home décor. Whilst this may traditionally be made from cotton and other materials, it is possible to also make bunting from wool. This is particular popular in the autumn as wool gives a texture to the bunting that gives a feeling of warmth. When it comes to thinking of designs for autumn and harvest time bunting it is best to take colour inspiration from nature. This will mean using colours such as brown, red, orange and yellow. These can be used individually or in a combination in your design.
Other design options also allow you to include patterns and autumn inspired décor such as pumpkins and leaves to make your bunting come to life.
Autumn and harvest are important times in the crafting calendar as it marks the start of a business season running up to Christmas. If you have only just started to think about what products you are going to make and promote, choose items that will be quick and easy for you to make and that you know will sell well. Don’t forget that if you are heading out to craft and Christmas fairs that you need to ensure you have adequate insurance to protect both yourself and members of the public. Take a look at Ian Wallace Craft insurance to find out what cover options are best for you and your business.