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Our public library has used book sales 3-4 times a year. This past book sale they had some maps for 50 cents each. I don't know why but I bought two of them (just caught my eye but didn't really have a project in mind) Well a girl who worked for our store in the summer was going to Italy for 4 months for college. I thought I would make her a travel journal out of the composition books and lo and behold, what was one of the maps I bought? One of Europe. I cut the map down to size centering Italy over the front cover and decoupaging it in place. It turned out really cute and she loved it!!!! Sorry I didn't take a pic though!!!
I also repurposed a wooden picnic basket I found at a garage sale for 75 cents. I have many leftover scrapbooking stickers and am trying to find ways to use them up. I painted the top that flips open cream colored. It took 2 coats of paint. I then used my creative memories stickers of yarn and knitting needles and a basket. I cut letters out of black paper to spell "stitched with love" and decoupaged all of that on the top cover. I thought this would be a cute basket for my yarn!!!
I have from my college days several rolls of black paper artist tape. I love it, cause on folds and creases it works great for that distressed/vintage look. I use a lot of kraft paper and bare chipboard with it.
I make a lot of stuff from black on black foam core board from the office supply and black illustration/mount board. When I lived in Okinawa, they would make boxes and such out of chip board covered in washi paper and then lacquered. Well, several years later I figured out that paper weight scrapbook paper, high end gift wrap and Diamond Glaze works great!
Foam core board, black paper tape and lots of embellishments and it looks just like one of those expensive trays from the craft store!
BTW, the pumpkins are snippets of halloween trim, the papers cut from 8x8 sheets I got in a page kit. The ATC features a "spooky tag" that is actually from a Tazo tea bag. I plan to do one of these shadow box things for Christmas.
Me too, and if you unmount any woodblock stamps, keep the wood, add a strip of Velcro (hook & loop tape?) to it, and you have the tool for using with your alcohol inks. If you add Velcro to pieces of cut & dry foam, you can use them for that too.
I guessed. I have also used the old tape from glue runners to make my own cheap glue dots, made with Aleene's Tack It Over & Over. Just make dots on the tape, and let dry. Then I hang a strip next to my craft desk and use them to adhere gems and embellishments. They're particularly good for those slightly concave metal bits I bought on clearance at Michael's ages ago, called Bangle Bling.
I'm only on page 3 so I don't know if it's been mentioned yet but I love to use wallpaper samples as printed or textured paper on my cards. If you go into a wallpaper store and asked for their discontinued sample books they will give them to you for free. I have a couple wallpaper cards HERE.
The best frugally fun thing I've ever done is to stop buying stamps and go with free digitals. This has saved me thousands of dollars. If you search in google images for "Free Digital Images" or "Free Digital Stamps" or even better, "Free Coloring Pages" you'll come up with bazillions of free images. I have hundreds upon thousands of images in folders on multiple jump drives. It has become an addiction.
The two sites I found first for wonderful free digi images are Elizabeth O. Dulemba Coloring Pages and Beccy's Place Blog. Both have some of my most favorite designs.
Once I stopped buying stamps and started purchasing discounted ribbon I suddenly discovered I had a little spending money to purchase some of the things I really wanted.
Another advantage to the digi's is that my craft cave is already jam packed with all kinds of goodies, without an inch of space to spare. Digi's are a win, win for me!
Oh wow! That is genius! What a great way to reuse that!
Only new things I've tried, which I'm sure have been mentioned before is coloring brads by using nail polish, or versamark and embossing powder or Sharpie markers. I like sprinkling glitter on the wet fingernail polish if it is a duller color to sparkle it up.
I also colored some flowers that were gifted to me with watercolor markers, Crayola and off-brand, to create more colors of the flowers. Mentioned this somewhere before, but figured this was the perfect thread to share it too. Hope someone can use this, and it saves them some money.
Oh wow! That is genius! What a great way to reuse that!
Only new things I've tried, which I'm sure have been mentioned before is coloring brads by using nail polish, or versamark and embossing powder or Sharpie markers. I like sprinkling glitter on the wet fingernail polish if it is a duller color to sparkle it up.
I also colored some flowers that were gifted to me with watercolor markers, Crayola and off-brand, to create more colors of the flowers. Mentioned this somewhere before, but figured this was the perfect thread to share it too. Hope someone can use this, and it saves them some money. Attachment 242279
Oh wow! That is genius! What a great way to reuse that!
Only new things I've tried, which I'm sure have been mentioned before is coloring brads by using nail polish, or versamark and embossing powder or Sharpie markers. I like sprinkling glitter on the wet fingernail polish if it is a duller color to sparkle it up.
I also colored some flowers that were gifted to me with watercolor markers, Crayola and off-brand, to create more colors of the flowers. Mentioned this somewhere before, but figured this was the perfect thread to share it too. Hope someone can use this, and it saves them some money. Attachment 242279
Those are the brads that I colored with Sharpie markers. I tried the Bic markers, but they were streakier. I didn't have any red or green finger nail polish, so I tried the markers. I had read on here before that you could use Sharpies to color them. Learn so much cool stuff on here!
I use grocery store freezer paper ironed shiny side to cs paper to make masks. It peels right off and can be die cut into any design you want. I also use freezer paper ironed to muslin to make sheets to run through my ink jet printer. You can make some great sentiment and backgrounds this way. I often use fabric stitched to my cards and found that the fusible webbing used to adhere fabric to fabric works equally well to adhere the fabric to your cs. A shopping tip I have learned to is always check out the art and sewing department in the store as they often have the very same products as in the scrapbook section, but at a lower price.
Just an update on the flowers I colored. The ones I colored with the watercolor markers are showing the original flower color through just the tiniest bit. The one I colored with the bic or sharpie is still really strong colored. It is stiffer, but the color is the strongest. Just thought I'd let ya know. Also, going to wear gloves when I color the next ones, so I won't have 'marker fingers'!
Those are the brads that I colored with Sharpie markers. I tried the Bic markers, but they were streakier. I didn't have any red or green finger nail polish, so I tried the markers. I had read on here before that you could use Sharpies to color them. Learn so much cool stuff on here!
I want to add another thanks, Hoptownracer, for showing and describing the brads you colored! Now that I know how good they can look (especially the glittered ones) I'm encouraged to try it myself!
And yeah, I hear ya about working with the flowers and markers... pretty tough to avoid those telltale "kindergarten fingers" unless you wear some gloves.
Wow, thank you ladies for the wonderful and creative ideas. When out and about don't forget those church rummage/flea markets. I was able to get 14 pairs of decorative scissors for $ .50 a pair. And able to get silk flowers there cheap, I mean inexpensive.
I use coffee filters. I fold them in different patterns and then drip ink on them and when I unfold them they look tie-dyed. Very cool for back grounds. I also use bleach to stamp on dark paper for a nice back ground. This is a wonderful post! So many great ideas!
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“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”-Dr. Seuss
Hey how is this for a money saving idea! I figured out how to make honeycomb tissue paper like the honeypop pads from Inky anitcs but istead of paying $6 for a 5"x7" peice you can make it for about 30 cents! I also used coffee filters to make a larger honeycomb pom-pom. You can see my how to video:
It is really fun and great to make up while you watch TV Here are some of the projects I made with my DIT honeycomb:
thanks for looking!
I am wondering... did you dye the coffee filters before assembly or after?
TIA
- Tricia
You dye it before, it helps flatten it out so the glue will stick and I use a tombow fine tip glue bottle for the filter as it is heaver than the tissue paper.
lacyquilter posted this in the ways to use it challenge to use rub ons today and I thought people in this thread might like the instructions as well. Thanks for sharing lacyquilter!:
If you don't have any rub-ons, you can make your own...
The transparency technique works great: all you need is a transparency sheet, a popsicle stick and an inkjet printer. (You can use the same transparency sheet over and over; just wipe with a damp cloth after each use.)
Type your sentiment in Word. When you're ready to print, click on "Properties" when your printer screen appears. Choose "Reverse" or "Mirror Image" in order to print your sentiment backwards.
Use the plain paper setting (not transparency). Choose "Best Quality" print setting. You need to print on the SHINY side of the transparency. Let the ink dry for about 5 - 10 minutes.
Then carefully place the transparency where you want your sentiment to appear and burnish it with the popsicle stick.
Finally found the Aleen's tack it, yeah! Off to try making glue dots! Got it using my 40% coupon.
Just make SURE you're putting the dots onto something very non-stick, like the used tape from glue runners, or the paper from (real) glue dots. They work just fine. I've made & used them a lot. In fact, I use the glue runner used tape, and when they're dry, I hang strips of it next to my desk, where I can just reach over and get it.
Don't think I could make a card without double-faced tape. I use glue dots for an entirely different thing--like attaching button, bows, flowers. I have about 5 different adhesives and use every one of them continually.
I can't go without my double sided tape either. I do have an ATG gun. It's ok but I like the tape better. I buy rolls of double sided tape at the hardware store. It's the carpet tape with the smooth side. Even though the texture side makes really fun stickers.
How many of you go without double face tape? And what do you use in place of it besides glue dots?
I use doublestick tape everyday, I get mine at Sams Club, you get a box of 6 long rolls for about $10 and it lasts a lond time. It is permanent photo safe tape by 3M/scotch, that said, I use my glue gun tons!
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Here are some of the projects I made with my DIT honeycomb:
Linear Mode
