One of the best ways to tell if it’s time for a new air conditioner is to simply check how old your current model is. Craft work does require a dry atmosphere to preserve it for the long term.

In rainy areas, it’s a good idea to check on the dampness of the air before storing your crafts, especially paperwork and fabrics.

The older your air conditioner is, the more problems it will likely have, which means you’ll probably be requiring a new one soon. A good rule of thumb is to replace your air conditioner every three presidential elections (every 12 years). If you live in an area like Jacksonville, Florida where your A/C unit gets a lot of use, you might need to replace it sooner.

Not only is your air conditioner subject to problems if it’s older, but it simply just might not be as energy efficient as newer models. In fact, it likely doesn’t even compare in the energy efficiency department, and a new one can be a great way to save a ton of money on the cooling section of your energy bill.

What’s the repair man say?
If you’ve had some issues with your air conditioner lately that require a visit from a technician, ask for his or her honest advice as to whether you should replace the unit. If it’s a serious problem, it might be worth it just to purchase a new one rather than spend money to repair it if you’ll experience more issues down the road.

Your technician will likely give you an honest answer, and if you feel like you’d like a second opinion than you should feel free to get one. The technician likely isn’t a salesperson and won’t receive commission if you purchase a new air conditioner unit, so don’t worry about being swindled.

Efficiency
Do you feel like you’re spending more and more on your cooling bills every summer? This could mean your air conditioner is losing efficiency, and that might be a sign to replace it. Even if you haven’t noticed a serious decline in efficiency, replacing your old unit still might be a good option.

Replacing your air conditioner unit with an Energy Star certified appliance could save you 20% on your energy bills. That alone could be enough to switch, especially if you live in a hot area like Jacksonville, Florida. Calculate what you could save if you purchase a newer, more efficient model, and base your decision on whether or not you’ll see significant savings.

Image credit: Energy Vanguard

Engaging in craft projects with the kids is a great way to spend family time together. It provides parents with an outlet to nurture their child’s creativity and encourage them to get more involved with art.

Having a special place designated for crafting will help channel creativity while making a space special and unique just for this purpose. The dining room table may be a great choice for some families. However, this area is most commonly used for eating and doing homework. Therefore, finding another location to heighten the specialness is justified.

Outdoor studio
Making crafts in the outdoors is a great way to gain inspiration. The patio or deck may provide ideal places for kids and parents to make crafts together. One thing the outdoor studio will need is furniture.

Three things to know before buying patio furniture includes selecting something appropriate for your local weather conditions, choosing the right fabric and purchasing through a quality manufacturer. Since crafting areas tend to get messy, having fabric or materials that are easy to clean is ideal. Also, going through a reputable manufacturer will ensure that you are buying well-made furniture that will last for years to come.

You can also pick up some storage cubbies to keep outdoors that can be used to store all your crafting tools such as paints, glues, and materials. Be sure to keep these storage bins under a canopy or type of overhang protection.

The basement
So long as your basement is finished or partially finished, this could be an ideal place to make a crafting studio. Your children can hang their completed projects on the wall thus feeling a sense of accomplishment. Seeing their artwork will also encourage and inspire them to keep getting creative.

The only challenge in this may be lighting. Some basements don’t have windows and therefore use artificial light that can be tricky for seeing true color in paints. Other basements only have small windows that let in little light. Invest in good lighting for an art studio that showcases the colors of the art but that also makes crafting easy on the eyes.

If you get some natural light coming into your basement consider a non-glare light that blends well with daylight. These options can offer good color rendition and most bulbs are long-lasting.

The garage
If the garage isn’t being used to store the car or “man stuff” it can make for a great arts and crafts studio. By going to a wholesale fabric outlet you can pick up some inexpensive brightly colored fabrics to hang from the walls to add splashes of color to liven the place up.

You can even put drywall up on one wall so the kids will have a place to hang their creations. Another wall could house a chalkboard where your kids can draft blueprints of their projects before getting started.

Get creative to be creative
Finding the right arts and crafts space for your projects will not only allow for better concentration and focus, it will inspire heightened levels of creativity.

By finding a space and making it unique for the sake of art, your family will have a long tradition of making creative projects with the kids for years to come.

Image source: NLM Studio

Are you looking for some new arts and crafts projects for you and your kids?

Why not use your next arts and crafts project to teach your children an important lesson about the environment and going green? Teaching your children green habits is important, and teaching them through arts and crafts is a great way to do it.

Green arts and crafts projects are fun for the whole family, and best of all they are inexpensive because many require recycling products that you use everyday! If you are looking for some fun and environmentally friendly arts and crafts projects for your family, look no further, and check out below to get some ideas!

Bird Feeder
Making a bird feeder out of recycled materials is a great way to show your children how to be green and reduce, reuse, and recycle. It’s very simple to make, and your children can decorate it however they’d like. It will look great in your backyard whether it’s day or night, and your solar spotlights can light it up at night.

All you need is a few simple materials that you probably already have in your house to make the bird feeder. First, take an old plastic bowl that you have laying around and sand down the outside of it. Then, take a hole punch and punch four holes near the top of the bowl so they essentially make a square, and hang yarn or string through the holes. Tie the string at the top, and you’ve got a bird feeder. Have your kids use biodegradable non-toxic paint to decorate the bird feeder, and hang it in your yard (filled with seed of course)!

Pencil Holder
Your kids will love making a recycled pencil holder that they can take to school to show off to all of their friends. Take some old, small milk cartons and wash and dry them. With scissors, cut off the top of the milk cartons so you have a tall, square box. Using wallpaper or construction paper, line the inside and outside by gluing the paper to the carton.

You can let your children pick out the colors of construction paper or wallpaper, and then color them however they’d like. It’s a great way to recycle milk cartons, and it’s a great activity for kids at a birthday party so they have souvenirs.

Leaf Prints
Another great idea for a green arts and crafts projects for you and your children to do is creating leaf prints. Have your kids go outside and collect a few of their favorite leaves, and then spread out some newspaper onto the table or floor. Take a single leaf and flip it to the side so its veins are raised. Then have your child paint the leaf, and press the painted side onto some white paper. Then, all you need to do is flatten the leaf and lift it off to reveal a beautiful print.

You can use the same leaf multiple times, or opt to make a collage with multiple leaves. You can use it as an educational opportunity to teach your children about the different kinds of plants and trees in your backyard!

Image credit: http://thehappyhousewife.com/

Many crafters dream of turning their work into a business but don’t know how to go about it.

Now there’s a new four-weekly British-based magazine that makes it easy for you. Craftseller is for everyone who wants to create and sell.

“Make money from your crafting today with this brand new magazine featuring quick projects and how to sell them. Now’s your chance to: try new crafts – knitting, cross stitch, papercraft, sewing and more, learn how to turn your hobby into a business, discover how to sell online and find out how to donate your makes to a good cause. Discover the latest best buys, useful apps and top websites with ask the experts features and reader stories.”

Subscribe here: immediatemediaorigin@servicehelpline.co.uk