Elevate everyday objects-use a gorgeous bowl to hold sponges and brushes next to the sink or add a marble tray to set soap and other necessities on. Frame fabric or wallpaper scraps, use pretty jars to store dry goods and try other budget friendly ways of elevating basic kitchen items.

1. Embroidery

Embroidery is one of the oldest plastic arts and has been practiced since ancient times across cultures. It has a wide variety of techniques and forms. It can be done by hand or with embroidery machines. It can even be woven into fabric like crochet or knit. Embroidery is used to communicate ideas, monograms, and logos or just add embellishment to a garment or other fabric item.

The most common embroidery designs start on paper and then are transferred onto the fabric. A light source, like a window or a light box is used to help with this. Then the design is traced with a pen, water-soluble marker or pencil. Transparent fabrics require special treatment and embroidery technique, as do looped or piled fabrics. Cultural fusion is also a popular embroidery technique, combining patterns and symbols from different places to tell stories.

2. Photo Editing

Photo editing involves enhancing digital photos or traditional photo-chemical photographs by applying different tools and software. This is an important part of any image production, as it allows photographers to achieve a more polished final product and tell a story through their imagery.

Some common edits include cropping images and removing spots and other imperfections. This is called cloning or spot healing and can be done in most image editing programs.

Changing the brightness or exposure of an image can be helpful if it wasn’t quite bright enough during the shoot. This is also known as balancing an image and can be done using curves or other tools.

More complex editing may involve altering the pixel structure of an image. This is often referred to as parametric image editing (PIE) and is recommended for beginners to gain skill before moving on to pixel editing.

3. Logo Design

A logo is often the first impression a customer will have of your business. It should communicate your values and be a good fit for the audience you want to reach. The font style you use is a key factor in this process as well. You can browse the best fonts for logos to find the one that speaks your language.

A reliant and adaptable logo must work across multiple platforms, sizes, and formats. It must also be able to tell your brand’s story. Moreover, if you want to hire dedicated graphic designers, it is important they should know the ABC about logo design.

To achieve this, a designer will start by asking questions and posing preliminary design ideas to help get a feel for the desired look and feel. This is called the discovery phase. From here, a basic style guide can be created. Then, the fun can begin. Add value to your logo by integrating subtle animation.

4. Business Cards

Business cards are a tried-and-true marketing tool that’s great for growing your network and creating a recognizable brand. Add your contact information to custom business card templates that reflect your personal or professional style.

Include a headshot for a more personal touch. This is especially important for professionals like realtors, photographers and caregivers who work closely with clients. Don’t forget to include your name and title, too. It’s a great memory jogger and helps people understand your role.

Choose from a variety of colors, layouts and fonts to design standout business cards. You can even add unique touches like eye-catching foil overlays and textures for added dimension. Hand them out at events and meetings or slip them into goodie bags, folders and more. You can also turn your business cards into a handy referral tool with scannable codes that link to your online profiles.

5. Postcards

Postcards are a great way to promote your business and draw in a broader audience. Whether you’re announcing a new store branch, a sale on your products, or a new event at your company, postcards are a cost-effective and creative way to communicate with your audience.

Many people use postcards to write greeting cards or send messages to friends and family members. They can also be used as souvenirs to remember a trip or vacation.

Postcards have been in existence for over a century. They first appeared in 1873, with the first government-issued postcards containing imprinted prepaid one-cent stamps. By 1907, privately-printed postcards featured divided backs, allowing for the address and message. Then came the emergence of photochrom postcards in the 1930s. These postcards were printed using high rag content and brighter dyes for richer colors.

6. Flyers

Whether your business is a goods-selling enterprise such as a used car lot discount store or a service-based entity like a restaurant or massage parlour, flyers are an effective tool to raise awareness. A good flyer follows the AIDA principle of attention - interest - desire - action, with a call to action to drive potential customers your way.

The use of images and graphics helps attract the eye, while consistent branding and short and clear copy keep it all together. If you're promoting an event, for example, the date and time is essential information to include, while a product sheet may benefit from customer testimonials.

It can be challenging to stand out among the crowd of competitors, but with a creative flyer, your brand can leave a lasting impression on your audience. You just have to know where to look.

7. Banners

While the digital age may have lowered the monetary entry-point for eye-catching signage like LED displays and LCD monitors, banners are still one of the best ways to turn heads. And they’re also much quicker to put together and print than other types of custom signs.

Web banners are a great way to promote your brand online. They are often used in conjunction with call-to-action phrases that imply a time limit on your offer, which helps to create a sense of urgency and increase click-through rates. Additionally, a well-designed banner ad is “sticky” and remains fixed on the screen while a user scrolls down a webpage. This makes them ideal for retargeting campaigns. Banner ads are long strips of fabric that display a logo, symbol, or message. They are usually used to represent a business, organization, or government.

8. Poster Printing

Posters are an easy and cost-effective way to showcase photos or designs in a larger size. They can also be used to decorate a room or celebrate a special occasion.

When printing posters, it’s important to choose a high-quality paper with a weight that suits its location and longevity. You should also use a vector-based program (like Adobe Illustrator) when designing your work so that it will print at the highest resolution possible.

It’s also essential to be aware of colour formats. It’s best to design your poster in CMYK, as RGB colours are less precise and can look dull or pixelated on the printed sheet. Using Photoshop’s gamut warning tool will help you identify which colours are unlikely to convert properly to CMYK. Then, you can change them before sending your file for printing. This will save you time and money in the long run.

9. Brochures

Brochures are a marketing tool used to share information about products, services or events. They can be printed or digital and can include a wide range of visual elements, including images, charts and graphs.

When designing a brochure, consider your audience’s interests and what they would want to know about the brand. This will help you create a more effective message.

If you’re creating a digital brochure, make sure it’s easy to download and view on any device. Use high-quality images that tell a story and avoid pixelation. Then, add interactive elements that allow your audience to engage with your content. This could include scroll animations, quizzes, calculators, checklists and videos. These will keep your audience engaged and build a stronger connection with your brand. This will also boost your digital conversion rate. You can even add a call to action so that your audience will take action after reading the brochure.

10. Posters

Posters, in effect, are a blank canvas and offer a great deal of design freedom. So, if you fancy using bright, attention-grabbing colors or want to play with word-play such as puns and double meanings – go for it!

They can communicate a variety of marketing messages, including building brand awareness, promoting a product or service, showcasing a special event, or supporting a local charity. They are a creative and eye-catching way to reach a large audience in high footfall and car traffic areas.

Posters can also help to create symmetry with your other marketing initiatives, by ensuring that customers see the same look and feel across all of your communications channels. Appy Pie’s free online poster maker makes it easy to create a unique and effective poster for your business. Give it a try today!