FRUGAL CRAFTING BASICS
By Kim Tilley
editor@frugal-moms.com
Copyright 2002

 

Have you ever gone into a craft store for one item and come home wondering how you managed to spend so much? Being a craft-a-holic used to burn a hole in my pocket too! Out of necessity, I started looking for ways to do crafts cheaper, and sometimes better. Here are some of my strategies. Feel free to send in some of your own, let's make this a group experience!

Use what you already have- this is a good rule of thumb when doing anything frugal and especially applies to crafting. If you already have a stash of fabric, then choose to make something with it- a quilt, a toy, a dress-there are tons of things you can make! Have a lot of yarn? Consider knitting or crocheting yourself a scarf, some jewelry, a sweater, stuffed animal, etc. Draw from what you already have, this keeps your cost to a minimum.

Use things you would normally throw away - try to figure out new ways to use something that is considered trash, especially the "clean trash" items like packaging, product boxes, wrapping paper, etc. Here are some items that are very useful to have on hand: brown paper grocery bags, cereal boxes, tin cans, egg cartons, coffee cans, newspapers, dryer lint (see our mache' this month), worn out clothing, plastic containers, junk mail, old magazines, milk jugs, etc. Of course, keep what you can without becoming overrun with junk. Only you know your own limit!

Buy seasonal items for less - wait till they go on clearance and then stock up! Force yourself to save money for those "Day-After-Christmas" sales. Stop by the craft stores and the supermarkets the day after any holiday. I bought wrapping paper for pennies after Christmas and made sure to pick up solid colors that could be used year round for birthdays,etc.

Don't overlook reds and greens at after Christmas sales. One year, I picked up some containers of green and red decorating sugars that were a quarter each . I used these for Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day cookies. I have also used solid red Christmas paper for Valentine decorations, you can do the same with the green for St Patty's day, and don't forget the golds and silvers (of anything- fabric, paper, etc)- they are classic colors all year long.

Keep it cheap- Look for craft supplies, fabrics, etc at garage sales, thrift shops and other charity places. Don't forget those free boxes at yard sales and your local "Junk Day".

There is one place near me that gets so much donated that they cannot use it all, so they put things out for anyone to take. They have free clothing (perfect for many sewing and quilting projects) and sometimes they have other things-an overflow of food donated from people's gardens, books, toys, etc. All of this stuff goes in the trash if no one takes it!!

Unexpected resources- Don't forget to look in your kitchen for great craft ingredients. You can create bread dough (for crafts, not eating) , baker's clay, egg shell mosiacs and decorations, etc. There are many fun crafts to do from your kitchen! Don't forget the laundry room -dryer lint can be used in many things, as can some laundry detergents.

Business waste - consider asking an upholstery shop for their fabric scraps, or a wallpaper store for their old sample books.

Get ideas from teachers - they have to be some of the most resourceful people on the planet when it comes to cheap, easy classroom activities! I have seen my kids' teachers come up with some of the cutest, cheapest crafts I have ever seen. One class at my childrens' school does gingerbread houses out of milk cartons for Christmas. The teacher says this project is a big hit. Other teachers have told me about how they order the powdered tempera paint in bulk and then mix it up themselves. They save a bundle and it goes a long way. Let your children's teachers educate you!

Look to nature - Nature crafts can be free if they are in your yard. If they are in your neighbor's yard or the park, better ask. Most people won't mind if you pick up their pinecones or acorns, but you might want to save flowers for drying from your own garden. Consider using plant and tree trimmings in your crafting too. Evergreen branches make nice wreaths and twigs can be made into all kinds of things. Get creative!

Look at history -This may sound flaky, but many "crafts" today were necessities back in the "good old days", which actually was not that long ago! Candles were the norm 100 years ago, not light bulbs, so candlemaking was a common practice and people found ways to do it cheaply.

Sewing was also necessary unless you could afford a tailor. People often patched their old clothes, and there are many stories of recycling these fabrics by taking them apart at the seams and making smaller clothing for children. These fabrics could be turned into baby clothes when they got worn or outgrown. If the fabric were beyond using again for clothing, it could go into something else for the home: quilts!

Quilting was invented in America, out of necessity! Remember, fabric was expensive, so it was reused. The dyes, colors and weaves that we take for granted were expensive, even considered to be treasures long ago (particularly purple fabrics).

My point is, these things -candles, soaps, fabrics, quilts, sewing, etc, were done and made everyday long ago, now they are more recreational (which seems to make them more expensive too). Take your hints from history and learn about how the craft you like originated. You may pick up some wonderful frugal tips on how our ancestors made and reused things for less!

Kim Tilley, a tightwad at heart, is a wife, a mother of three active boys and the founding editor of Frugal-Moms.com. Frugal by force and later by choice, Kim cut her income by 60% to stay at home with her children and discovered that anyone can live better for less. Her work has appeared in print publications such as The Tightwad Gazette. In her free time, she entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to create something from nothing!