Don't get me wrong, clotheslines are great, but help me make one AWESOME!

May 27, 2009 8:10 AM

Items weighing less than 1lb that make you think "WOW that's cool!" or "GOT to buy that!" on first glance? Catch: items already in your home or could do a bang-up job of creating in two weeks.

The bartering comm I belong to (which also uses local alternative 'currency') is having a community centre sale. Theme: anything you can hang up on a clothesline (celebrating National Clothesline Day). I have to book a table ASAP for June 10- time to create but not much to decide if I have enough ideas or not. Food is the only forbidden item.

I'd love to participate because the theme sounds fun. I have a half dozen brand new blouses (with tags on), knitting patterns, and sheet music that I could have up. I'm willing to trade/sell these and anything else I have up for token amounts just to participate. All profits/exchanges go to me, the group considers my mere participation to be their return on giving me the space :)

Any ideas for other hangable things I could sell? Token items are fine, not looking for a huge return, just a full display of useful/fun items. I've got tons of used books but they aren't clothesline friendly.

Skills: sew, knit/crochet, papermaking, calligraphy, photography, etc., generally crafty and creative but help me brainstorm some basic and/or crazy out-of-the-box ideas!

posted by variella to home & garden (16 comments total)

I've know some people using knit cell phone/mp3 player covers...
posted by hellogoodbye at 8:16 AM on May 27

some hanging mobiles?
posted by Think_Long at 8:16 AM on May 27

Knitted swiffer covers? I just made this one and it's great. I would totally buy another if I saw it on sale. You may have to take a swiffer with you to show off what it is.
posted by cabingirl at 8:28 AM on May 27

stencilled/silkscreened t-shirts

calligraphed (is that a word?) calling cards

zines, maybe some photocopied little booklets of B/W photography or doodles or little comics about everyday life or recipes with drawings of happy cartoon muffins

if you can sew, hemming the edges of squares of raw cotton takes basically no time and no money. they're either reusable napkins (for the hippy crowd!) or bandannas (for the hipster crowd!)
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:28 AM on May 27

Some fun homemade soaps or bath bombs hung in really pretty see-thru pouches? Windchimes? Hand-painted scarves? Just trying to think of things that would look pretty while hanging.
posted by bristolcat at 8:31 AM on May 27

Along the lines of mobiles, little sun-catchers? Bits of mirror and sparking glass? Tiny wind chimes? Little hanging ornaments suitable for a Christmas tree? Rosary/Chotki chaplets? Little hummingbird feeders?
posted by jquinby at 8:31 AM on May 27

I would buy a pretty fabric organizer to keep my pens and whatnot together in my messenger bag.

Also, my girl scout troop used the back pockets of old jeans to create neat little purses.

If you made some plain fabric tote bags, you could hang your books, and the buyer could reuse for groceries.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:32 AM on May 27

Handmade greeting cards? What about doing this hammered botanical print technique on some (handmade? Don't know how it would hold up) paper, then attach it to folded cardstock? I don't know, that seems insufficiently crazy and out-of-the-box.

Handmade paper bookmarks, with calligraphy "inspirational quotes"?

I don't know how well they'd attach to a clothesline, but what about vinyl record bowls/platters/coasters?
posted by Janta at 8:35 AM on May 27

herbal sachets? single servings of spiced tea? Handkerchief dolls?

Ok, stopping now.
posted by jquinby at 8:36 AM on May 27

I'm in the market for a little bag to keep my small camera in. Something lightly padded, water resistant, easy to get the camera out of, not bulky. So that's what I think you should make.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:11 AM on May 27

Blooming Tea. All over the place when we visited Hong Kong. Very cool.
posted by electroboy at 9:51 AM on May 27

Origami crafts, maybe? Something like Moravian paper stars or peace cranes. You could make a lot of interesting things.

It'd be a nice draw to your table, too. There's a shop near us that sells paper stars and cranes, and they have them hung up all over the ceiling and the walls. The effect is AMAZING.

Otherwise, Etsy may be a good site to browse for craft ideas.
posted by anthy at 11:33 AM on May 27

Crocheted dish rags seem to sell well on etsy.

Everyone seems to love the felt placemats I use, and felt is super-easy to work with because it needs no hemming. One example (though mine are just plain rectangles).

I recently bought some wine-drip preventers like these. Literally all they are is round pieces of mylar about 3 inches in diameter. You roll it to make a tube, stick it in the bottle neck, and voila -- absolutely no drips. Mine are just the silver color and they look quite nice. Here is what they look like in use. People may need a picture to imagine how well the 'discs' actually work.

Things for pets. I don't know what, but I do know that people love to buy things for pets.
posted by wryly at 11:45 AM on May 27

Felted dog/cat collars/tug toys from bits of left over wool. The tug toys are almost indestructible. Ditto felted catnip mice.
Needle and hook rolls, small/large knitting bags (I'd like a small one for socks/hats/mitts, please, with an extra long strap for slinging over my shoulder.)
Dog raincoats - ever try to buy one? ripstop works for light rain
Dog/cat bandanas, perhaps with a bit of dried fleabane or lavender rolled inside.
Crocheted dangle earrings, perfect for summer. Crocheted choker necklace.
If you can bake, dog cookies, esp ones with mint in them.
Coupon to buy for x number of cards/invitations/whatever written out by you in choice of x number of calligraphy scripts. or by number of lines of writing?
Safe, washable baby toys like knitted/crocheted balls, kittens, what have you - or felt them for cat/small dog toys.
Holey crocheted beach cover-up.
Crocheted beanies.
Crocheted long skinny scarves or small triangular scarves.
Headbands, those ones that are narrow in back and wide in front, can't remember the name, either crocheted or knitted, perfect for summer.
Wallets and sunglass cases from bright cottons.
Crocheted/knitted wide bracelets with or without added beads.
Store bought plain umbrellas with waterproof caligraphy 'rain,rain,go away', 'the sun will come out tomorrow' or whatever written on them.
Flowers, crocheted/knitted, huge ones, with a pin back attached.

Not exactly an off the wall list, but add bright colours.
posted by x46 at 2:26 PM on May 27

Glass blob magnets. Check out this AskMe. Lego thumb drives would be pretty fun, too.
posted by theora55 at 3:07 PM on May 27

Wow. just WOW. I have to say, tons of ideas without a lame one in the bunch :)

I'll do a quick update and mark some answers in the next few days, but thank you to everyone.
posted by variella at 8:04 AM on May 28