Thrift crafting

Day 8 Living without

A chilly blast of air brought in much colder weather today, looks like it is time to pull out some of the warmer clothes and get ready for drinking hot chocolate. 

To day is a no spend day.

It's no secret I'm a thrift crafter. I have the most fun making items when I don’t have to go out and buy a thing except maybe for bigger items like say if I’m making quilt and then I buy for the batting and the backing. I like to recycle materials that someone else may count as worthless, I like to make an object of lasting beauty out of scraps. With that said here are some of my tips for making the most out of less money for crafts.

 How To Have More Crafts For Less Money

* First, find a store that sells craft items at a greatly discounted price. Usually you can find scrapbooking paper in the cheaper stores, and fabric remnants are sold in pieces of less than a yard and this can be an economical way to increases your fabric selection and your paper stash.

* When it comes to paper you can print digital scrapbooking paper found on the web. The main thing is to consider is if printing will cost more than to buy a sheet of scrapbooking paper, you’re really not saving any money if in the long run the printing becomes expensive. 

* The same can be said for fabric, many stores sell 1/4 yard pieces of fabric but when buying these quarters make sure that the price you are paying is less per yard than you could buy it off the bolt.

* All craft stores generally have sales and it is worth the time to investigate end of season sales.  It may mean many of the items are seasonal like scrapbooking supplies could be winter sales such as Christmas and fabric sales might mean only lighter fabrics are sold. It is still worth while buying to stock up for when you do need those sale items.

* Consider alternate sources for your craft supplies. You can find some wonderful finds at garage sales and thrift stores. Most of all, don’t forget to shop in your own stash, fall in love again with your own craft stash.

* Also, don’t feel guilty about cutting up old clothes, or books (if it isn’t a first edition) for craft supplies. Rescuing old items will stir up some nostalgic feelings for those thrifty quilters and crafters of yesteryear.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.