Wednesday, November 3, 2010

VTT - National Handcraft Garden Medley Apron



I have seen many postcards showing craft kits from National Handcraft Institute of Des Moines, Iowa. There is quite a bit of unused stock in the hands of postcard collectors and dealers. Until recently I assumed that these postcards were made to be mailed as advertisements. Now I think that most (possibly all) were made to be placed in the corresponding kit to show the completed product.

Some of the complete unused kits are also available on eBay and elsewhere, and most of pictures of the kits I have seen include the postcard. The front of the Garden Medley Apron kit postcard is shown above. The description below is from the postcard back. I find the descriptions on the postcards very amusing--the copywriters really got carried away.



Below is a picture of the complete unassembled apron kit and a scan of the first page of the directions (with even more of their amusing copy). These are "Copyright 1971, Fad-of-the-Month Club, Div. of NATIONAL HANDCRAFT INSTITUTE, INC., Des Moines, Iowa."





I'm participating in Vintage Thingie Thursday

17 comments:

  1. Great share. I just love old aprons. That is a great vintage card.

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  2. another fun & informative post..loved it!

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  3. What a fun find. I love vintage aprons.

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  4. I love that it is from the "Fad of the Month" club...Great find and great share.

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  5. I love old aprons. They have so much character!

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  6. How interesting. I never would have known this. I kinda like the apron. The postcard is pretty funny, with the few vegetables strewn about.

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  7. Now that looks like something my mom might have done. Looks just like my childhood! :)

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  8. I love the designs....they remind me of some of the things my mom had when I was younger. I love the apron, it looks like one my mom might have had. Happy VTT!

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  9. What a great post, I love that apron! Fad of the Month, very funny :).

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  10. I am loving this post!! a great apron and the kit is wonderful :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  11. What a fun post, never knew you could get craft kits to make things like aprons back in the 60's/70's! Imagine how fun it would be to receive such a fun kit in the mail each month. TFS, Nan

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  12. Yeah, they were really trying to make those aprons sounds so much more than just an apron. I can picture the copywriter sitting down with a beer and putting that together. I didn't know people still wore aprons in the 70's. I always think of them more as a 50's thing. Great post.

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  13. I can remember my mother in aprons similar to this one... she didn't use kits. She made everything herself including patterns! Great find. Thanks for sharing. Happy VTT!

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  14. I had no idea there were postcards like that around. I love the graphics on the old aprons too.

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  15. Hi
    I just came to say hi. Thank you for visiting My Cozy Corner. I love your blog idea. Postcards are wonderful. I buy postcards on my travels, because the photography is the best content and perfect focus. I scrapbook and the postcards are a great addition. I'm happy I found you.
    xo
    Betty
    p.s. I love vintage aprons too.

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  16. I recently ran across an entire crzate full of these kits some are unopened but they are all complete. I am so excited to find some information about them and also thrilled to find so many people that are as excited as I am. I have things from planters to coasters they are all pretty nifty.

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  17. I'm a Fad of the Month Club collector and came across your post while doing a search. You're right; the postcards came in the kits, starting with the March 1962 kit (the club started in 1947) and ending in the late 1970's (the club disbanded around 1981).

    Over the years a variety of aprons showed up in the kits. You can track colors and fashions, from "elegant" aprons in the 1950's through mod birds in the typical '70's colors of melon, avocado, and harvest gold. Hats were popular in the early years of the club, but by and large weren't featured by the time the postcards started up. Handbags and totes show up a lot in the postcards, and planters do, too. Lots of decorative knicknacks, some of them charming and useful, and some of them oh-my-golly-you-*HAVE*-to-be-kidding.

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