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Civil War Uniforms: Create Your Slouch Hat for 90% Off Retail!

Civil War Uniforms: Create Your Slouch Hat for 90% Off Retail!

by: Paula McCoach

You are probably thinking that making your own Civil War Uniforms Slouch hat for almost nothing is impossible.

But, you are wrong. It is very possible. And easy.

1. Frequent flea markets, thrift stores, antique shops, yard sales and look for a felt hat. They are great places to find a hat that someone wants to get rid of ? and for a cheap price! I found an unbelievable slouch hat at our local church thrift shop for about 25 cents.

2. If it is good quality felt, wet it and brush it down with a hairbrush to get the shape you want.

3. Stuff it with old towels to get it to a neutral shape.

4. Let it sit for a day or two and take the towels out and decide what type of shape you want to make it.

5. Look at original photos and decide which hat you want to duplicate.

6. Put a band on it or a hat cord. You may need to remove the modern band and put a band on made from a natural material like silk ? not synthetic.

7. If it is not trimmed in some type of ribbon you can put that on it but it is not necessary. Keep your eye out for real old ribbon to use on your hat. Check out sewing baskets in antique stores.

8. To find out if it is old, take a few strands out of the ribbon and put a match to it. If it does not ball up and burns clean, it is probably a natural material. If it balls up and smokes, than it is probably a synthetic material.

9. Keep the ribbons a solid color ? black, brown, gray ? not anything with stripes.

10. You can put a contrasting color band on your hat

11. Blend and use the same color ribbon as the hat.

12. Feathers can be added although that is not my style.

13. I personally do not like all the doo dads - the plain and generic look is the most authentic.

14. Good colors would be black, brown, and gray.

15.Your best bet is to look at original photos and train your eye to spot a hat that you could duplicate for your Civil War Uniform impression.

Making your own Civil War Slouch hat may cost you about $10. The last time I checked the prices of slouch hats at the sutlers, slouch hats were selling for about $110!

So, save yourself some serious money and make your own Civil War slouch hat. You will get exactly the hat you want!

Coach McCoach invites you to join the Civil War Uniform newsletter and receive 41 FREE money and time saving ideas for improving your Civil War Impression.

Discover ways to save as much as 80% on your uniform and get exactly what you want. Join now at http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

2005 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the contact information is included to coach@civilwaruniforms.net or http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

About The Author

Paula McCoach

Coach McCoach invites you to join the Civil War Uniform newsletter and receive 41 FREE money and time saving ideas for improving your Civil War Impression.

Discover ways to save as much as 80% on your uniform and get exactly what you want. Join now at http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

7 Powerful Tips on Creating Good Content for your Website

7 Powerful Tips on Creating Good Content for your Website

by: Jan Peterson

7 Powerful Tips on Creating Good Content for your Website

So what is all the talk about having a lot of "content" on my website? And what is "content" exactly? And how will it help my business grow and prosper? I get these questions from my internet students all of the time. Let me say this?Having a lot of great content is one of the key ingredients to those websites that are successful and profitable.

Once I explain the value of content to my students they almost always chime back with "but I can't write!" Never fear, there is always an answer for the creative mind.

1. Don't Like to Write - Find Those that Do

One of the simplest solutions if you don't like to write is to find those that do.

Where? Elance.com is a good place to start. They have all kinds of writers that write on all subjects. Sign up for an account and post a job. Try to be as specific as possible as to your writing needs. For example, topic, style, word count and so on. You will receive back bids from a numbers of authors. Read what they have to say and read their sample works. A little tip: if you go with the cheapest guy on the block, you will probably get poor work. So it is better to at least go middle of the road in terms of pricing. Expect to pay a minimum of $15 an article for about 400 words or so. Another little tip is to give 2 authors the same project and see which one produces the better work.

2. Press Release - Hear all About It!

There is a fine company called PRWeb.com that will distribute your press releases. It's not free and depending upon what kind of "contribution" you want to make, it will cost anywhere from $10 to $80. The key here is to study their website and learn. A Press release is not a sales letter and they post guidelines and even have a teleconference to let you know how to get the most out of your press release campaign. I highly recommend it. I would recommend doing a $10 press release to get started as a way of walking before you run. The first time I used the service I made a few blunders unknowingly and was glad I hadn't spent the $80! This tool can be invaluable to get your information out to thousands of resources with your website address on it.

3. OPA - Other People's Articles

You can go to any number of article directories and use their articles for FREE. But remember to use the author's resource box at the end of the article or you are violating copyright laws. A resource box has the author's name, small bio and their website address. Go to Google, type in 'Article Directories' and a whole slew of them will appear. I like to go with the better known ones that have quality content. I have all of my articles at tops directories like www.articles.com and www.ezinearticles.com. Those are two good resources and of course, there are about two dozen more or so. Most article directories are organized by subject matter or expert authors and you can do your searches quite easily. If you find an author you really enjoy, it would be wise for you to make contact with them. Let them know you would like to be on their update list when they produce new articles.

4. Clubs, Organizations and Trade Magazines

Let's say that you need content for your gardening website that specializes in perennial gardens. There are probably thousands of gardening clubs, organizations and trade magazines that have newsletters or materials you can reprint. Contact them and let them know you are looking for quality articles, newsletters, tips, secrets, ideas on perennial gardens. You might just be surprised how much information they would be willing to share as long as you give them credit for their work and publish their website address in return.

5. Start a Blog - Never-ending content

Try blogspot.com and set up your free blogger on your website. If you don't know how to do it, just get your favorite webmaster to set it up. It isn't that complicated but it can be invaluable. You can get it going by making your own posts. You can share your own information like " 3 Easy ways to keep your gardens bug free this summer" or you may have read something in a magazine that says " Ortho has come out with Zappit bug spray that will keep your gardens beautiful all summer long?I have used it and here is what I found that maybe useful to you." You can comment, question, inform on a blog. Keep your blog useful and people will come to visit and hopefully contribute regularly.

6. Testimonials - Why people should do business with you?

The more testimonials you can get the better. You may have to offer an incentive for people to take the time to write you a testimonial longer than a sentence or two. Let's say you sell custom made cowboy hats. You know people love them because they come back and buy more than one. You could offer an incentive such as "If you love our cowboy hats, we would love to hear about it. When we receive your letter telling us why you love our hats so much, we will send you a coupon for 20% off your next hat purchase." And then you have a testimonials section flooded with letters from your customers. If you can scan them in so people can see the originals, all the better for credibility.

7. Reviews - Your opinion counts!

Let's say you sell high end power tools to the custom furniture builder. You could write reviews on the different products pointing out the positive and negative features. Trade journals in this field probably have reviews of products as well and the companies who manufacture them. You can re-word them to fit accordingly. Or better yet, if you have used the tools, you are skilled enough to let people know what features are great and why they should buy it.

Hopefully, you now understand how to get great content on your site without picking up a pen or pounding away on the keyboard. Our next article will discuss why content is so important and how it can help you with your search engine rankings and ultimately result in sales.

About The Author

Jan Peterson founder of www.goldstarreview.com researches and reviews business opportunities including internet marketing, real estate investing, affiliate marketing, financial investing and more. Over 400 FREE reports available.

Why Custom Design Your Own Hat?

Why Custom Design Your Own Hat?

by: James McDonald

For starters, what exactly defines a customized hat? It is made to order suiting your specific requirements in regards to color and emblem (if required), and even can be prefitted for your head. You are assured that the product you receive will be one that precisely suits your tastes and is as original as you want it to be. You can apply your own ideas or use those of the company you're buying from. Either way your hat will be perfectly matched to you with just the styling you are looking for.

The process of customizing the design of your cap is not that difficult. You may think that it is a complicated process but when you learn more about it you will quickly be reassured. Once you find a good company that specializes in this you will be asked a series of questions regarding style, color, and emblem. Next, should you need to do so you can specify a size to make sure the fit is perfect. After all, the hat may look incredible but if it doesn't fit perfect you won't be comfortable wearing it. What you will be left with is fully customized, fitted headwear that sets you apart from the masses. And you will also not be left with an empty wallet from the whole process, as the solution is relatively affordable when compared to buying standard hats.

Here are some advantages to custom designing hats over other styles:

1 - The look is fully customizable to be exactly what you like

2 - It can be embroidered with just about anything you can think of

3 - Nobody else will have the same exact hat as you

4 - You will be viewed as original, and even complemented on your attire

5 - In many cases a customized fitted cap costs no more than an uncustomized one

So are you going to be an original person and create your own hat? It's fairly simple and easy to find companies that specialize in it, both online and off. And it does not cost much more than a comparable hat pulled right off the shelf. You can mix and match colors and styles, and be as creative as you want. After all, it will be a one of a kind custom hat designed specifically by you.

About The Author

James McDonald writes for Find Hats Online http://www.findhatsonline.com which showcases many types of hats as well as ideas on customizing them.

10 Powerful Ways To Grow Your Income

10 Powerful Ways To Grow Your Income

by: John Karnish

1. Don't forget to follow up with your customers. You could follow up with a related product, service or affiliate program. Follow up every month or so with a new product and watch your wallet grow.

2. You can always upsell to your customers. When they reach your order page, let them know about a few extra related products that you sell. This is a great way to squeeze more profit from each customer.

3. Let your customers refer new customers for a full rebate of their purchase. This could easily turn one sale into three or four.

4. Let your customers know about your affiliate program. Work in how they only have to refer a few people in order to pay back their purchase price and make a profit.

5. Sell resell rights to your product or even sell a brandable version. You can include an ad for similar products and make money off of the sales and also make money selling the resell rights to your product as a back end.

6. Create a package with other people?s products. You could include a sample and offer the product owners a portion of the referral sales from the sample. This is an easy way of having other people sell your product for you.

7 Offer your customers a discount on a related product. Since they all ready have built a relationship with them, you could push a higher ticket product.

8. Send your customers offers for add-ons to your original products. You could easily offer upgrades, related services, software and so on. If they enjoyed the original product, they?ll buy the add-ons.

9. Sell gift certificates for your products. You'll make money from the sales of the gift certificates and you can follow up with related products in order to profit from future sales.

10. Send your customers freebies. You could place an ad for your website on bumper stickers, baseball hats, t-shirts and so forth. Through indirect exposure, people will visit your website and purchase.

About The Author

John Karnish is the founder of OptInIncome.Net, a free membership site devoted to building responsive mailing lists. Get ?so many subscribers that your autoresponder demands a raise!?

==> http://www.optinincome.net

A Special Kind Of Love

A Special Kind Of Love

by: Kirsten Hawkins

My grandmother taught me to crochet the moment my clumsy, chubby fingers could hold a crochet hook. By the time that I was six, she handed me her sewing needles to thread for her because her eyes could no longer see the needle's eye. When I was eight, my mother spent all of her precious off-work night-time hours making me a spring wardrobe that I can still describe in minute detail, right down to the rick-rack that trimmed the red kerchief that matched the tulip sprigged sleeveless dress. I can recall precisely the colors and patterns of the nightgowns my grandmother sewed for me. My brothers will tell you that they've never worn anything so warm and comfortable as Nana's knitted socks. I even remember the weight of the stocking cap my mother knit to match the checkerboard cardigan - that matched the blue one she knit for my brother.

There is a magic in handmade clothing that transcends the colors, the styles, even the quality of the handiwork. It's as if every stitch and every knot was imbued with the love of the hands that crafted them. And so it was only right that when I was carrying my first child, I picked up crochet hook and thread and started making the clothing she'd wear home from the hospital.

I didn't stop there, though. Making clothing for babies is more than a way to save money or create unique clothing styles. It's a way to surround them with love, to weave your wishes into the fabric as you shape and create each piece.

Over the years, I have sewn, knit and crocheted sweaters, sunsuits, dresses, short sets, blankets, quilts, hats and pants for all five of my children. Beginning with their homecoming outfit, each of them had special clothes that I'd designed and created just for them. I would say that it is perhaps a conceit, a fond wish of my own that my feelings about dressing my babies with my own hands would have transferred themselves to my children - except:

A month ago, I dropped by my daughter's apartment. The baby girl I dressed in a strawberry printed romper - each stich carefully placed by hand, each with a whispered wish and a blessing for her good fortune - is 22 now, a college graduate with a home of her own. Tossed over a table in the corner is a blanket I crocheted for her when she was three from odds and ends of yarn. On her walls are pictures of herself wearing a sweater I made for her - the same sweater, at 3, at 5, at 7. The same sweater now clothes the teddy bear sitting on her dresser.

Except:

My 19 year old son, fully grown and living on his own, still owns the knit baby blanket that wrapped him on his trip home from the hospital. He creates and makes his own clothes - imaginative and unusual - and in the patches on his jeans and his jackets, I find bits and pieces of shirts and shorts and sweaters I made for him over the years.

My 15 year old has tucked away the first party dress I made for her - when she was six months old. She never said a word to me about - I found it in her 'treasure memory box'. And the two youngest boys? At 10 and 12, they each have their favorite blanket - ones that I knit for them when they were born.

There is magic in your hands when you create clothing for your baby, the magic of a mother's love that is never, ever completely forgotten.

About The Author

Kirsten Hawkins is a baby and parenting expert specializing new mothers and single parent issues. Visit http://www.babyhelp411.com/ for more information on how to raising healthy, happy children.

6 Powerful ways to Promote your Site Offline

6 Powerful ways to Promote your Site Offline

by: Matt Colyer

Far to many web sites are not advertising offline and it's costing them large amounts of money. Don't make the same mistake as those web site owners and instead learn from their mistakes! Below you will find six powerful ways to promote your web Site Offline and gain more exposure.

Flyers - Get some flyers printed out with your web site's address and tell them a little bit about what your service(s) or product(s) is and why they should choose it. Hang some of the flyers on bulletin boards. In most cities you can go to a local collage, Laundromat or store and put up your flyers. You would also be smart to place it in front of people's doors at their homes. Also keep a few, so when you meet someone that would be interested in your service(s) or product(s) you can give one to them.

Television - Advertising on TV can gain you huge exposure, but isn't cheap and isn't always the right place to advertise on for certain service(s) or product(s). Find TV programs that attract your target audience, many TV stations will provide you profiles of their viewers. If your on a real low budget, you may want to skip this one and try to advertise else where.

Business Cards - Have some business cards printed out, the nice thing about business cards is that they are cheap. Give your business cards out to people that might be interested in your product(s) or service(s). Give them two cards and tell them if they know any friends or family that may interested in your service or product, to give them a card.

Automobile Advertising - You may be thinking I am making this up, but I'm not. Think about it, how many miles an hour do you travel in a month and than think of how many people you have passed while driving? It's just like those big trucks that deliver goods to stores and advertise their company on it. You can stick magnetic signs, stickers or whatever on your card that advertise your web site's URL.

Promotional Items - Include your web site's URL on all promotional items you give away. This could be a T-shirt, coffee mug, keychain, hats or whatever you choose. It will remind people every day of your service(s) or product(s) and in most cases it takes more than one time for a visitor to see your site before they will buy something from you.

Yellow Pages - Place an ad for your web site in the Yellow Pages. You would be amazed of how many people will find your web site in the Yellow Pages.

About The Author

Matt Colyer is the owner of the www.superiorwebmaster.com. He also is a php, CGI and ASP developer.

5 Tips For Choosing Gifts

5 Tips For Choosing Gifts

by: Tracy Billings

We all love to receive gifts, whether it's at Christmas or birthdays, or even a special anniversary. But in order to keep getting gifts, we have to give them to others too. And happily we like that part of the bargain almost as much as the receiving bit. Here are a few tips that may help you choose the right gift for the right person.

1. To help make up your mind you can easily read reviews of gifts you are considering buying at places like Amazon.com, Buy.com, Epinions.com, BizRate.com, etc. And of course, you can even purchase from there too.

2. Price comparison for gifts is easy if you're switching between sites like Shopping.com, PriceGrabber.com and Cnet.com. The lowest gift price is out there. All you have to do is find it.

3. One problem with gifts that are wearable is getting the right size. You can overcome this by getting gift accessories, such as scarves, belts, hats, etc.

4. It's obvious, but keeping an up to date list of the birthday, anniversary, etc, dates of your friends and relatives will mean that you'll always know when it's time to buy a gift. That way, you'll probably receive more gifts too when it's your turn.

5. Always think about the recipient of the gift. Your maiden aunt is unlikely to appreciate a year's subscription to a risqu? glamour magazine, and your young nephew probably doesn't really want a pair of socks.

Gifts should not be just for Christmas and birthdays. There's no reason why you can't give a special gift to someone special just because you want to at any time of the year. It does wonders for a person's self esteem, and it does wonders for you too: we all really love to give. I hope you can find the time to give to someone today.

About The Author

Tracy Billings lives with her husband and her two young sons in western Oregon. When she isn?t writing freelance articles for local magazines, she likes to work on her website at: http://www.giftbrandnames.com/

Different Types of Hats to Hide Your Bad Hair Day

Different Types of Hats to Hide Your Bad Hair Day

by: Lewis Dakker

Stylish Hats For Bad Hair Days

Do not worry if you have a bad hair day. Just hide it with a stylish hat and carry on with your routine. But be sure not to remove your hat as it could expose your bad hair. Many hats are available in different style which can suit your taste. You can also choose from the many styles that suits you and your attire for that particular day.

In the cold winter months a wool hat, or toque, is a great way to cover up your head and keep warm as well. Not just for skiers or snowboarders anymore, wool hats are very funky and stylish. A new style that is very popular is wool hats with a bit of a brim. This gives the hat a bit more shape and it looks great on most people since it doesn't draw too much attention to the size and shape of the head.

Baseball hats are a type of hat that never seems to go out of style. However, the popular style of baseball hat has changed throughout the years. The fitted flexible hat was very popular a few years back, and this year it seems to be the trucker style mesh hat. These definitely don't suit everyone since they add height to your head and are not fitted. Many popular surf companies are making these hats for men and women.

Cowboy hats are not just worn down south, but are gaining popularity in other areas as well. Everybody wants to get into a rustic identity by preferring the cowboy or cowgirl style of hats as these hats come in a variety of colors, shapes and style. It comes in blue, pink and many other colors with art work of shells and other things embellished to give an appealing look.

Bucket hats are a great stylish cover up for the beach during the hot summer months. These hats are adorable and also suit almost everyone. You can find a huge variety of styles with fun summer prints on them. Half bucket hats are also becoming very popular and seem to be more versatile than the full versions.

Newsboy hats are another hit amongst both the sex. These hats are stylish and serve to cover your head in a sophisticated manner. You can have one of wool, as this hat never goes out of fashion.

Many high fashion designers are getting in on the popularity of hats. Coach, for example comes out with a stylish monogrammed bucket hat each year that is very popular and sells quickly. Fedoras are also seeing heightened popularity and many designers are coming out with their own take on these old-school hats for the spring season.

You have a variety of hats to choose from if you want to select one for yourself. You can use hats not just to cover your bad hair days, but also to improve your personality. You can choose a hat that fits you the best from amongst the many available.

About The Author

Lewis Dakker is the your host at FD Hats, the best place on the internet when you're after fresh up to date advice and comment to do with Hats. For questions or comments about any of our articles visit: http://www.fdhats.com/articles

You can swap links with us by going to: http://www.fdhats.com/links

Baby Clothes You Can Use All Year

Baby Clothes You Can Use All Year

by: Tim Henry

Few things seem more important at a baby shower than duckies, monkeys and theme colors. Once you get the baby home though, the most important thing about baby clothes is how well they protect your baby. Depending on the time of year that your baby is born, and the type of climate you live in, there are a variety of concerns to take into consideration for your baby's very sensitive nature.

For summer babies, or babies in warm climates, overheating is not the only concern. A baby's skin is incredibly sensitive to light, especially with the increasingly less protective o-zone layer. Sunscreen is not the only necessity for baby's sensitive skin. Keeping a towel or blanket over the baby's carriage or bassinet during summer play is a great way to keep the sun from harming your baby. Umbrellas and pop up tents are also great for beach days. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation but little to no sun?that way your baby won?t get sunburned or have to squint at the bright sun rays.

For daily summer wear, onesies that are made of a lightweight cotton are a great alternative to pants and shirts. In addition to being comfortable, they will easily fit in a small bag or purse that you can bring along in extra in case of a spill or accident. Another bonus of your baby being born in the summer is that it will keep shoe costs down, since a baby in a stroller in seventy five to eighty degree weather does not really need to wear shoes! Keeping a blanket in the stroller is important, especially if you're in air conditioned buildings a lot, since babies are a lot more sensitive to the change in air temperature.

For winter wear, bundling babies in layers is a good way to combat the difference between heated buildings and the outside. Avoiding long stretches of being outside in colder temperatures is probably a good idea, but for short walks or trips between cars and buildings, warm bundling is vital. If you live in a climate that has a lot of snow, the danger of sun burn is even more prevalent than in the summer, since it attacks from all angles. Warm socks, mittens, and hats will do a good deal to keep most of the baby's body heat in. Buntings that button down the front are a great way to let the baby escape from the heat a little bit when you are inside without too much effort for you or discomfort for the baby.

Layers work in almost every weather. As any New Englander will tell you, the ability to put on a layer or take it off is the key to combating shifting climates. This is particularly important for your baby, who is much more sensitive than you to slight changes in temperature or outside conditions. So keeping an extra sweater around, or putting an onesie underneath warmer clothing is a great way to prepare for anything that Mother Nature has in store. She likes to keep new mothers on their toes!

About The Author

Tim Henry

This article courtesy of http://www.baby-announcement-guide.net.

support@arundel.net

Current Fashion Trends in Costume Jewelry and Accessories

Current Fashion Trends in Costume Jewelry and Accessories

by: Michael Gietl

Color Trends in Costume Jewelry

The fall fashion trends are ushering in another excellent season for costume jewelry and accessories. Rich colors and bold looks dominate the trend. Teal, amber and amethyst are the important colors with olivine and green used as neutrals. Topaz and peacock are also important and all indications are that rich color will continue into the spring season. Metals are seeing a return to gold, but silver is still stronger.

Bold Designs Dominate Fashion Jewelry

Fashion jewelry thrives when bold designs are in vogue and that is very much the case this season. The high fashion look is popular in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with natural components contributing to the designs. Wood is continuing its second season of popularity with shell important even in the fall line. But the rising star in natural materials is gemstone, which provides the beauty of natural semiprecious stones to the costume jewelry designs. This will definitely continue and accelerate in the spring line. Also popular in neckwear are 48 inch and 60 inch ropes that are worn extended or doubled. Jet is strong in holiday jewelry and estate looks (antique designs) are becoming fashionable in bridal jewelry.

Traditional Costume Jewelry and Accessories

While costume jewelry in bold designs and rich colors forge the way for leading fashion, there is a larger market that shouldn?t be ignored in more traditional and classic looks. Theme jewelry in pendants, earrings, and charm bracelets has an appeal that goes beyond fashion alone because it identifies with what the wearer cares about. In addition, traditional rhinestone, bridal jewelry, evening bags, and formal gloves have a classic look with timeless appeal. There is a major market for these items that will always be present even as fashion changes.

Accessory Trends

Sequins and buttons are very big in all accessories, especially in handbags and evening bags. Beyond these, the looks of the larger bags introduced by leading designers are the trendy styles of the season. These are the bags the stars are carrying, which goes a long ways towards popularizing the styles. In evening bags, large sequins and buttons are very much in vogue, but traditional looks seem to be carrying the day.

Sunglasses are definitely big and bold with aviators the runaway favorite. Retro looks are also excellent and colored frames with matching lenses are very popular.

Hats and Headwear

In millinery, dress hats are an important part of the market, with ladies hats the dominant player. The looks are very traditional with a new element of pre-made bands allowing for the versatility of custom designs. Casual hats, however, account for the major share of the market and no design in 2005 is more important than the rollup cowboy hat. While the design is not popular in every region of the country, the sheer number of sales makes it the number one hat of the year. This rugged look that is typically American has risen to such popularity that it becomes an important fashion statement. After cowboy hats, the three most fashionable designs are wide brim floppy hats, ladies fedoras, and newsboys. The entertainment field has played a major roll in popularizing these designs and the fashion looks continue into the fall season with felt, leather, wool, and leatherette used as the material for the fall versions.

About The Author

Mike Gietl runs Accessory Wholesale New Orleans, a seller of Costume Jewelry and Rhinestone Jewelry and much, much more -- All at Wholesale Prices.