We are rapidly heading toward Spring. We had a high of 79 degrees F here in Southern Indiana yesterday. Wow, that made me ready for Spring and Summer. A few people in my family love fishing. My daughter and son-in-law have a nice stocked pond on their property and fish often.
We also have a pickleball court right across the road from our house. When the niece and nephew come over we play pickleball and it is a fun game. The court stays pretty busy and it is usually older people on the court.
All those things above were the inspiration for these totally different patterns. I also get requests for both subjects all the time.
Both patterns call for 1/4" thick wood.
How do I make my patterns?
This article might be a bit lengthy, mainly catering to those diving into designing their own scroll saw patterns.
I often get the questions about my pattern design process and the software I use. Interestingly, there's no specific software for scroll saw patterns, but graphic design software works just fine. Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw are popular, though a tad pricey. I personally use Corel Draw due to its familiarity and my 20 years of experience with it. For those on a budget, Inkscape is a powerful free alternative.
Learning any of these tools may take some time, but there are loads of free tutorials online. Inkscape, being free, covers 90% of what Corel Draw does, though it might feel a bit clunkier.
Corel Draw's yearly subscription is $269, while Adobe Illustrator goes for $23 monthly. If you prefer to buy outright, Corel Draw costs $550. That's why I often suggest starting with Inkscape—it's hard to beat free!
All these programs fall into the category of vector graphics, meaning lines are defined by start and end points, providing scalability without loss of quality.
I create patterns through a mix of freehand drawing and using clipart. It's crucial to use noncopyrighted images or modify them significantly.
As for pattern ideas, they rarely come from entirely unique concepts. While I don't copy other designers, we all draw inspiration from shared ideas. Pinterest is a treasure trove for trends, and holidays are my go-to inspiration.
Now, regarding making money from patterns, my blog operates on the donationware model. It took me over six years to turn a profit. If you're looking to make a living, you need serious business skills. If it's just a side hustle, a few months of marketing might do the trick.
There are so many other considerations to selling anything that I am not even close to being qualified to talk about so I won't go there. I sometimes get asked at trade shows how to make money with crafts. My answer is disappointing. I respond, "Sell supplies to people who want to earn a living selling crafts". That usually gets a frown.
$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.
Fish Pattern
Email Newsletter Readers: Remember that the Newsletter is just a copy of the daily blog post. To see the post in its proper formatting click this link. If you ever misplace a pattern or any item you see here you can always find it on the blog. Everything stays on the blog forever.
Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2023 on USB drive, or Instant Download. Over 4,300 Patterns!
Purchase the entire Scrollsaw Workshop pattern catalog for offline access.You will never run out of fun patterns to cut.
Two delivery options.
After payment, you will receive an email with the download link. This is a large file. You should not attempt to download it on a tablet or smartphone. It is a compressed file that will need to be extracted to your hard drive. Basic computer skills are necessary to extract the file.
Click this link to order the USB Drive
The USB drive contains all the Scrollsaw Workshop Patterns. The drive is $25 plus shipping and handling. Now with the new distributor the drive ships to the US and many other countries. The shipping can get expensive to some international locations so the Instant download option above is probably more desirable.
My two "Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw" books make it easy.
The books are $12 each and available for instant download after purchase. Click for Video Demonstration.
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