There are a number of reasons why you might want to create a repeating pattern. From the graphic elements and background textures of your own website or blog to designing art licensing fabric, scrapbooking, giftwrap and more. Photoshop has some fantastic tools to help you create seamless patterns (aka tiling textures).

Learning to use the built in tools will really make the process so much easier. Here are some resources to help you learn how to make your own repeating patterns using Photoshop.

Step by step guides to creating patterns for artists by Tara Reed:

• Learn to create repeat patterns in Photoshop
• Learn to create Half-drop Patterns in Photoshop

Online information and tutorials to create patterns in Photoshop

• Photoshop tutorial – creating seamless tiles
• How to make a repeat pattern using Photoshop
• Generate a pattern in Pattern Maker (CS3 – CS4 and CS5 also available)
• Peachit reference guide: Creating patterns (CS3)
• Mastering repeat patterns in Photoshop
• Complex repeat patterns in Photoshop
• Symmetry and Pattern design resources at Artlandia
• Photoshop tip: Easy to create stripes and plaids
• The remarkable world of patterns in Photoshop
• Make a custom repeating pattern in Photoshop part 1 (YouTube video)

Why you need to know how to make repeat patterns for art licensing:

Books about pattern design:

Pattern Factory – book review by Joan Beiriger

Art is everywhere and not all art that is sold hanging or painted on a canvas. There is an entire facet of selling or licensing art revolving around fabric. The quilting industry, fabrics for clothing and home decor as well as fabrics for crafting look for art to print on the fabric.

If you are looking to design art suitable for fabrics, Joan Beiriger has shared an article with fantastic information about Licensing Designs to the Quilt & Craft Fabric Industries. Find out the key points to creating art for fabric, who uses these designs, what types of designs they are looking for and where to find more about manufacturers.

Tara Reed also offers a great course to learn how to make repeat patterns that you can purchase directly online.

Artlandia has a tutorial on Half-Drop and brick patterns and more information on types of patterns and even more information and visuals for type of patterns can be found at Trueup.net

If you are a true do-it-yourselfer like I am, you probably believe that you can do just about anything you put your mind to. You might even think that you can do it just as well, or even better than the professionals. That’s the way I am, and I have to admit that this attitude has gotten me into some trouble over the years. When I moved into my first apartment I couldn’t afford any decorations, so I tried to make them all myself. Some of my projects were pretty cool and some were pretty awful. Over the years I’ve discovered what works for me and what doesn’t. One thing I’ve learned is to approach each new do-it-yourself art project in a more methodical way. Methodical art? Does that even make sense? Well I think it does. It’s not sanitized, it’s just organized. Here’s what I’m talking about. It’s my four step approach to successful do-it-yourself art.

Step 1: Research and Learn
Before diving into a new art project, you should do some research to learn how it’s done. Sometimes there are two or three simple tricks that can mean the difference between success and failure. If you’re planning a faux painting project, buy a detailed book that you can study carefully before you begin. If you’d like to paint your own oil paintings, order a DVD painting program, or follow a step-by-step painting guide on the internet. Learning to paint is a great joy, but it’s not as easy as you might think.

Step 2: Experiment and Learn
Don’t jump right into a real project that you care about. Allow yourself to make mistakes and enjoy the learning process. Start with some experimental pieces and work your way up to the real thing. If you start out expecting great results, it can be very discouraging when you fail. Take it slow and learn as you go.

Step 3: Start Small and Learn
Michelangelo didn’t start out by painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (over 10,000 square feet), and you shouldn’t start out with an overwhelming large project either. Start with something fairly small and learn as you go. The big projects will come with time.

Step 4: Just Do It (and Learn)
So far we’ve taken things slowly and learned along the way, but there comes a time when you just need to go for it. You can’t research, experiment and start small forever. When you feel fairly comfortable with what you’re doing, it’s time to Just Do It! Plan out a real project using the knowledge and skills you’ve gained during the first three steps. This is it. It’s GO Time! And remember; don’t expect your first project to be perfect. It takes time, patience, practice and more practice to become a great artist. Stick with it and keep learning.

Example Project

I recently decorated my bedroom with some awesome wall decals. The stickers I put up are beautiful artistic floral pattern wall decals with many delicate thin branches, leaves and flowers. The tiny sections were very intimidating and they threatened to turn my project into a horrid nightmare. I followed my 4 step plan to success, and the wall decals look fantastic.

Step 1: I read articles and watched videos on how to apply wall decals. I also carefully read the instructions several times.

Step 2 and 3: I took some of the small pieces and experimented with them. How well do they stick to my walls? Can they be repositioned? What happens if they get twisted? I created many small controlled disasters and learned how to recover from each.

Step 4: This is the biggie! These wall decals were intimidating and complicated. I was afraid, but the confidence I had gained during steps 1 through 3 helped me to bite the bullet and tackle the monster. Everything went smoothly and the project was a success.

What I’ve described here is not rocket science, and it’s mostly just common sense. When you try something new, don’t forget to spend some time and effort on each step of the process. If you take your time and learn as you go, your DIY art projects will turn out great.

Go ahead and express yourself …. All over the place!

Your wedding is a unique expression of the bride and groom and every detail is an opportunity for to share a little more about the happy couple. It’s been said that guests remember the bride’s dress and the wedding cake above all else.

With this simple project idea you can quickly create a unique center piece for your wedding cake that is nearly as beautiful as the bride! When the wedding if over, this pretty little glass flower vase will be a wonderful piece of memoriabilia for years to come.

Square Glass Photo Vase $30.00 The possibilities are endless with this versatile and chic square glass photo vase.

Additional Resources:

Same Day Delivery available at 1-800-Flowers.com!

Save up to 63% on pre-paid photo prints at Snapfish!

Garden stepping stones are a beautiful addition to any garden, not to mention a fantastic gift idea for any gardener. Add your own special touch by including hand prints, or hand stamped messages. Each stone is a one-of-kind art piece that will last for years to come.

Once your stone is decorated and all paint has dried, you’re ready to find that special place in the garden for your new hand made decor!

Note: handmade garden stones are not ment to be used as regular walking stones. Although they are sturdy and weather resistant, try to keep them out of high traffic areas to prevent damage.

Jewelry is art that we wear, and Art Deco Jewelry is absolutely a style which speaks volumes. You don’t have to be a master painter to create an art piece, the jewelry you wear can be the paint while your body is the canvas… show off your beauty within with beautiful jewelry of days gone by!

Art Deco Jewelry (1920s-1930′s)

The Art Deco period is perceived by many as being modern in look and style but in actual fact dates back to the days of King Tut. When in 1920, they opened his tomb and found enticing features such as stark lines, bold colors and zigzags. Since then Jewelry, as well as art and fashion has been influenced by these specific features.

Art Deco became popularized an exposition held in Paris in 1925. The geometric art forms of cubism, machine style art forms of constructivism and futurism, the intense colours from the Parisian Fauvism and the Aztec and Egyptian art were all an inspiration for this period.

Therefore, this style of jewelry is usually of clean cut, geometric shapes and well defined lines. About this time, the “flapper style” became the fashion such as the bobbed hair cuts which marked the long dangle style earrings coming back in fashion.

Other examples of jewelry of the era are convertible sauters which are long necklaces, when taken apart, convert to form bracelets, choker and pendants. Automotive themes, planes, arrows and panthers are also characteristic of the Art Deco period. Set encrusted in diamonds, onyx, rubies, sapphires or emeralds in combination was cleverly used to form the lines and shapes in geometric design in white or yellow gold. Stylish clips, jabots, straight line eternity bands, tutti-frutti, enamelled border jewelry are other examples.

Egyptian influence followed on and was evident with the use of scarab beetle carved gemstones of coral and jade, as well as the use of colored stones. Another style of the period is the softer feminine conservative look such as the flower and bouquet design jewelry.

Tiffany and Co, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels were the jewelry houses of the time, the later two patented the invisible setting in 1933. The modern brilliant cut diamond was also introduced in this period.

It can be concluded that, art deco jewelry accessories are varied in design but perhaps the most popular is the black and white combination in geometric design as seen today. There are a whole range of Art Deco jewelry that you can find on this site.

I recently took my daughter, Nell, to Fry’s Electronics here in town. I’ve been wanting to get her a home science kit, something with age-appropriate experiments in physics, nature and the like. My wife and I have always tried to stress hands-on activities with our kids over watching television or playing games on the computer, and science kits like the one I brought home provide many hours of learning fun. My daughter loves activities like this; we’ve been doing them since she was very young.

One of the earliest projects we did with her was sculpture casting. She began learning American Sign Language when she was about 10 months old (seriously, she was that young!) and when she was old enough to be patient for a few minutes at a time, we decided to cast her hand. We used a DIY body sculpture kit, which is great for casting hands. The kit made things simple, which is important when you’re asking a three-year-old to make a sign and hold it.

The process was easy, even for someone who had never tried it before. We mixed up the molding powder with water in a plastic cup big enough to hold Nell’s hand. We had her make the sign for “I love you”, and then put her hand into the molding cup. A few minutes later, he pulled her hand out of the rubbery mold, and we mixed up the casting powder with some more water. We poured the casting solution into the mold, and wouldn’t you know it – about an hour later we had a permanent reminder of our daughter sitting on our shelf.

Advice for body casting:

1. Make sure your child can hold still for a few minutes at a time. The mold is forgiving, but too much wiggling can throw the whole thing off.
2. Make sure you have plenty of space to work with. The process isn’t very messy, but working on a clean table with enough space can make it more comfortable.
3. It’s best to lay down some newspaper or an old cloth on your work surface. Nothing will get damaged from the materials you’re using, but it helps with cleanup in the case of spilled powders or water.

Much like a photo or a painting, statues and sculptures are great ways to preserve memories of your loved ones. Casting your little one’s hand performing a sign is a treasure!