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Just wanted to share some of the things I was doing to save money with this habit (err..hobby, I mean). Also wanted to hear other's suggestions and ideas on cutting costs with scrapbooking, stamping etc...
I have been using Scotch Magic Tape to tape down the edges of my paper that I am cutting on the Cricut. I REFUSE to buy more cutting matts, and as long as you don't run your cutting blade over the tape, it works fine.
I use the clear containers that YoCrunch Yogurt has out now to hold some of my embellishments and sewing supplies.
I use cereal boxes and cardboard mailers to make chipboard looking letters and shapes with the Cricut. Although, you wouldn't have to have a Cricut to cut shapes out.
I took some of the poster's advice today. I repainted some brads and findings. Did several light coatings and applied some glitter paint to make them look sparkly like snow. I bought some glitter paint instead of stickles, as another poster suggested. I like it for brushing out on a page to create the look of snow etc.., but did not like the flow of the paint as well as the stickles. For some reason, the stickles comes out more smoothly and tiny. But I am definately going to use the glitterpaint. It's cheaper than the stickles and is good for bigger areas.
I like your ideas. I use shoe boxes for much of my storage. I am planning on eventually lining them all with clear sticky plastic (e.g. Contac - only perhaps a cheaper brand). I either paint the outside and stamp over it, or glue ripped up pieces of scrap DP and then stamp it. I stamp the name of the contents on one end and on the lids.
I use glitter glue. If you can be patient and let it dry it is dimensional as well, but you can smooth it out for a fine layer. They are so cheap and if you look around you can find a variety of colours.
I use cotton tips for daubing and colouring chalks. These are cheaper than buying foam. You can either reuse them on the same colour or chuck them away. I buy a cheap brand from a cheapy shop.
If you cut down cereal boxes they can double as magazine holders, and they also hold A4/letter size card stock. Paint over them and stamp or use scraps of DP and stamp. We have two growing grandsons living here, so we get through loads of cereal. lol. I have also used cereal boxes to make other smaller boxes, which i have decorated. You can also use cereal boxes to cut into the inner workings of frames. Cut the inner apeture of the frame a little smaller than your picture, glue some quilt batting strips and cover with DP.
I would like to get more reinkers for my stamps as I think it would be more economical than to keep buying new stamp pads. You can also combine colours and make you own stamp pads by getting makeup sponges and store them in a small plastic container. Put the colours onto the pad and you can have new colours.
I use toilet paper rather than tissues. Again, cheaper than tissues, and if you want to use only a tiny square you can.
If you hunt around the internet you can find recipes for glue, although to be honest I buy double sided glue, but you can hunt around and get cheap double sided rather than the poshy expensive ones. HTH.
I use empty clamshell cases for storage (all of my stamps are unmounted, backed with Sailor 2-in-1 glue and stored in the new Stampin'Up! DVD-style cases) of pretty much everything - flowers, buttons, ribbons (unspooled and rolled into a small coil), tiny punches, punched and/or diecut shapes - whatever! You can stack them on top of each other, upend them and line them up on a shelf, rack 'em up in a shoebox, whatever works for you!
I save every box that comes into my house and cut them down to make faux chipboard (punches and dies work great on cereal boxes) or even use the box itself (the attached thumbnail uses a Kleenex box). You can also make your own texture plates (other thumbnail) - details on my blog HERE.
I am a fan of nail polish to alter things - brads, frames, etc. - or to add shiny bits of color here and there (no pics to show you what I mean, sadly). You can get those little BonBon ones at WalMart for 88 cents to try out...
I'm another one that uses foam tape instead of dimensionals (if you need thicker, just stack a couple of layers) and cheap AdTech tape runners instead of Tombow or whatever (they seem to hold better, anyway).
I use Bic MarkIt markers instead of Copics, and supplement the colors with a couple of Prismacolor markers (like a light peach for skin and a 10% cool gray for shading and a colorless blender). I've recently started using the colorless blender to blend colored pencils instead of mineral spirits - see THIS THREAD).
I never buy anything unless it's on sale or I have a coupon (exception - I support my best friend in her Stampin'Up! business), and only buy what I have a definite plan for (as opposed to "isn't this so cute/pretty/trendy?"). I also scour the clearance areas - my favorite score was a gigantic jar of UTEE that had a crack in it (cosmetic only - nothing was spilling out) for $3. I'll never have to buy it again in this lifetime, I'm pretty sure...
I never use anything ONLY for its intended purpose (get creative and find other things to do with your stuff!) and try to incorporate as much of my tools and supplies into gift-giving and other ventures as much as possible. The galleries and resources here on SCS have great ideas to help you think outside the box and/or come up with new ideas.
Wow, I am loving all these great ideas. I love the one about using the Scotch foam mounting tape, the cotton swabs for chalk, and I read on another thread about them using the double sided tape for adhering their paper and pics. I am using the inserts (with the hole in the center) from the cd cases I used, as a painting palette. I just squirt my paint from the bottle onto the plastic and dip my brush. I am also going to use the back of the clear ones to dab ink from ink pads to pick up with my blending pens.
I'm just trying to be careful, as I see how this hobby can easily turn into a shopping addiction, and plus, I like recycling and repurposing things! If I actually sat down and figured how much money I've spent on this hobby, I would probably want to puke! My friend and I were talking the other day, and she was scrapbooking way before all the stuff became available to buy. I need to use my imagination more, and I can't believe how awesome an imagination all of you have!
I'm also trying to learn some delayed gratification. Like when the cat cricut cartridge came out, I drooled, but I persevered, and asked my hubby if he'd get it for my birthday. Waiting a few months did'nt hurt me a bit, and I got a cool birthday present!
Here is the blog where I got my idea for paper storage. It has great step-by-step instructions. Instead of hot glue, I diluted regular white glue and coated the box and adhered the fabric and let it dry. Pink and Polka Dot: Recycled Magazine Holder
I also posted on a blog about a recycled hanging craft organizer. My Frugal Life - Recycled Cardboard Box Paper storage or Craft and Sewing Storage or Scrapbook Storage
Last edited by hoptownracer1; 10-20-2010 at 11:34 AM..
Reason: forgot something
Oops, gave the wrong link for the recycled hanging organizer, that was one I posted about pinkandpolkadot's magazine/paper storage. Here is the correct link for the hanging organizer. My Frugal Life - Recycled Cat Food Bag Scrapbook Punch Organizer
Here is another post where I made a bag for wrapping paper, but you could change the pocket sizes and use it for scrapbooking/stamping storage. If you sewed on clear plastic instead, you would be able to see everything inside the pockets. http://www.myfrugallife.com/post9218...ownracer1
Last edited by hoptownracer1; 10-20-2010 at 11:47 AM..
One of the most ridiculously price item in scrapbooking/stamp craft is acetate sheets. But if you get clear stamps they are usually squeezed between two acetate sheets. You only need to store them on one. If you have any friends who work in an office, ask if they are allowed to recycle their Over head projector (OHP) sheets. If so, ask if you could have them. A little methylated spirits and voila! acetate sheets. And for free.
I do not have a die cutter at all. I looked at the expense and decided that in fact it was cheaper to invest in a few punches of the sizes I use regularly, and go from there. I sure would love one, but how expensive the dies are and how with the nesties shapes, you cannot just choose the sizes you like, but have to buy the whole lot.
I also use foam tape, and thank you for reminding me.
Thanks for sharing your ideas and links. Exchanging info like this is always useful. HOpe there will be more.
I re-use quite a bit of packaging materials and containers - especially containers. Any of the clear box containers that salad greens come in get washed up and they are used to store either ribbon or flowers. They work so good for this because they are see-through, so at a glance I can see what I need. I don't have to go digging through shoe or photo boxes.
I use the clear plastic containers that the 6 pack donuts come in from the Walmart bakery to store ribbon spools in - they're the perfect size (there's also a post showing pictures on my blog)
I have an old clear plastic hanging shoe holder that wasn't being used to hold some of my punches (I have them doubled up in the pockets). I need another one to store the rest of my punches.
I use the boxes that my A2 envelopes come in with the tops cut off to store my embossing folders.
I bought a real heat gun from the hardware store for less than 1/2 of what they charge for one at the craft store, plus it has two heat settings.
I make my own glitter clean up cloths (actually, the one I made is still working fine for over a year now) with cheese cloth and Aileen's TIO&O.
I haven't done this, but its an idea I had to use one of those sock drying things - they're a circular piece of plastic with clothes pins attached and a hook in the middle for hangning as a clip-it-up type of apparatus. I've seen them at the Dollar Store.
I just switched to using Scotch foam mounting tape rather than dimensionals or other pop-up sticky dots. Goes a lot further and can be cut to size.
FREE coasters from a local eatery (you know the sort) and glue make good dimensionals also I color the sides after I have cut it out to the size I want with blackmarker and it all but disappears from looking at it from the side! :mrgreen:
Wow! I am impressed! Using the donut packaging is a great idea!
I forgot to mention coloring page images; there are so many coloring pages on the net. And I love digis. Thanks so much for those that share their talents and the nice people that post them on here. They have quite a few free ones, and many of them are adorable! I color them with colored pencils and goo gone. Used some tractor coloring pages for some scrapbook pages; saved me from having to buy a tractor stamp for use on just one project.
I also made a bucket liner to go inside a small bucket. Used it for a while, then took it apart and put it away, but I think I'll stitch it back together and start using it again. Too handy for those crops with friends!
If I get it back together soon, I'll post a pic of it. Nothing fancy, but it has plenty of pockets on the sides. It's actually small enough that it could be sewn by hand. It was a free project, as I already had the bucket and the fabric. I've been keeping an empty washing detergent box to make a scrapbooking tote; would have to sew for it like the bucket and add covered cardboard for sectioning in the inside.
Just wanted to mention about my cricut. I put off a long time buying one, and my hubby kept asking me from time to time over a year if I wanted one. He bought me one for our Anniversary. We don't usually do big gifts, but I got the craze I guess. I got the personal one. I only have cartridges that I really love, and never pay full price; buy them off the internet. (with the exception of the cat one; it was exclusive at Walmart). I do like it, but I don't have any of the other big accessories, like the cuttlebug or any of the embossing machines. I have some Fiskars texture plates that I bought when a scrapbooking store was going out of business, and along with some stencils, I will use those instead. I've almost completely stopped buying new paper for this hobby, and bought a lot from someone who was selling theirs on the internet. The "tree hugger" in me had really gotten bothered about so many trees being used for a hobby. So at least I told myself, this was paper that wasn't in a store, that wouldn't be replaced by another batch, as the person got rid of it, as they are getting out of this hobby.
Another idea I loved was the one posted from the lady who made a stamp pad case from jewel cd cases. Actually, I am loving all of your ideas! I can't even take them all in at once; I'll have to read over this several times!
Last edited by hoptownracer1; 10-21-2010 at 10:12 PM..
OOOO something that the acetate sheets reminded me... If you buy the acetate sheets from the LSS its way expensive BUT if you go to an office supply store you can but a larger packet of plastic sheets that they use for comb binding which is thicker than acetate and much cheaper!!! SOOOO much better when it is thicker hey. MUCH easier to work with.
I, too, use the dimensional foam tape. A woman I work with knows I'm into scrapping and card making. She found some rolls of the dimensional foam tape at a yard sale for 25 cents each and bought two of them for me.
This time of year, DH and I are into apples. I've been saving the net bags the apples come in to use on cards. DH likes Granny Smith apples and they come in a bright green net bag while my red delicious come in a red bag. Perfect for Xmas cards and layouts!
About a year ago at Big Lots, I found these scrubbers made by Tide (the laundry detergent people). They're battery powered and they were only 50 cents each so I got three of them. They're perfect for cleaning stamps, especially ones with lots of detail.
I'm always on the lookout for cute, inexpensive storage ideas, always checking flea markets and yard sales. I got a cute pitcher that looks like a pair of overalls for $2 to hold all my deco scissors. My colored pencils and markers are in a flowerpot that looks like a dog that I paid $3 for. I found a picnic utensil holder that works well for other assorted markers and stuff for $2 at a flea market.
I use the photo storage boxes to store all my completed cards in. Also check the dollar store, they have lots of cute, cheap storage options.
I go to yard sales and thrift shops to find crafting stuff. I got patterns for .25 cents each and use those to make punched out flowers or use as back ground paper. I also look for teacups and nice cut glass containers to hold anything from buttons, to glitter, brads, etc. It's makes my working area a nice place to be.
Keep those great ideas coming. Looking forward to hearing what everyone comes up with.
One year after Christmas, I bought boxes of Christmas cards for about 50 cents a box. I bought them for the envelopes, not the cards! I have a ton of envelopes now that were virtually free. I just trim my cards if necessary to fit.
I also have several of those paper stacks that of course I couldn't pass up, but have not used very much of. They are usually white on one side and patterend on the other. I use them with an envelope template to make envelopes. Patterened paer on the inside for a nice surprise when the envelope is opened!
For the Cricut mats---by a can of quilter's basting spray and spray the worn out sheets. Works better than the original sticky it comes with! One can has lasted for 4 years now and still going! I love the stuff. I am teaching a card class soon and needed an old fashion flannel board...spray the felt, sprayed the science fair project board and voila! I have a fabulous flannel board for less than $5.
I rarely buy stuff that isn't on sale or that I don't have a coupon for to begin with, but I have found lots of stuff at thrift stores/garage sales. My desk came from Salvation Army and most of the shelves in my craft area were gotten for free. I have found 16 oz containers of clear and gold EP at goodwill for a couple of bucks. Another time DH saw someone post on Freecycle that they were getting rid of craft stuff, I ended up with 3 or 4 huge rubbermaid totes of stuff, ranging from papercrafting to ceramics and everything in between. I figured anything I am not likely to use I can either Freecycle or donate someplace.
__________________ Libby~ Proud Fan Club Member My GalleryMy Blog My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
Another thing to make paper go farther. If I'm going to mat something.......which I do almost all the time........I will cut a nesties shape out of the mat....it's going to be covered anyway. It helps my paper go farther and my cards thinner.
I make a lot of skinny rectangle cards. These are cards that are 5 1/2" x 3 3/8". They fit in the inexpensive letter envelopes that you can get like 50 of for $1.
I use string and twine a lot, especially when I am making bulk cards. I love the stuff so it's not really a far stretch. But it's a lot cheaper than buying a lot of ribbon to use on bulk cards.
Fun thread!
__________________ Teri
Retired Paper Craft & Scrapbooking magazine Go-to Gal & Contributing Editor
Retired Moxie Fab World Hostess All-around lucky girl
I use 2 display racks for carpet samples for my paper. A local carpet store was replacing their racks and these were sitting outside waiting to be hauled to the dump. I stopped and asked if I could have 2 of them. I can see all my paper at once and they were free!
Wow, what a find on the carpet racks! I will have to remember to cut the center out of the backs of cardstock matts etc..., I've never known to do this, so I've probably cost myself a lot of paper pieces.
I like the idea about making the skinnier cards to; saves on buying envelops. I'll have to write all these tips now in my scrapbooking notebook, so I won't forget them.
Last edited by hoptownracer1; 10-23-2010 at 11:06 AM..
I also use foam tape. My husband brings me home these ginormous rolls from work.. so I don't think I'll ever have to buy dimensionals again. He is a machinist, so he also made all of my acrylic blocks for stamping, complete with beveled edges.
I save lots of cute containers to re-purpose to give gifts in.. you know, the Frap bottles, International Delights or whatever brand tiny coffee cans, plastic bandaid boxes.. you name it. If it's sturdy, it stays.
I also haven't been above snipping those little annoying ribbons they sew into the inside shoulders of blouses to help them stay on the hangers.. and use those ribbons on cards.
I use the Zig 2-way glue pen to re-sticky my Cricut cutting mats, so no more need to buy new.
I get things from Freecycle.. my whole craft room is furnished with Freecycle finds. My wall cabinets, shelves, a HUGE ol' kitchen island (9' long!), a big ol' heavy desk, a book case, a computer desk, 2 Napa Valley cassette holders for my ink pads.. and lots more. Sure I'd love to have a beautiful coordinated craft room, but with all the thousands I have saved on the furniture, I was able to purchase more craft items. And if I ever get the time and motivation, I can paint all that furniture either chocolate or black, and it will coordinate nicely anyway.
And of course.. if I buy anything that costs over $10, I use a coupon. I scour the internet for coupon codes if I am shopping online, and I take advantage of free shipping whenever I can.
Oh, and I am starting to print out my sentiments instead of buying sentiment cards. There is every font imaginable out there, and most are free. I print the insert for my card out, and stick it inside, and it looks perfect. I was even able to find the font that I just love from an alpha set in SU's catalog..Sweet Shoppe, online. It did cost me $15 for the font, but for the upper and lower stamp set, it would have cost me $50 + s/h, and I don't have to worry about lining all the letters up. I was never a fan of alphas anyway. I can print any sentiment I want in any font I want.. and even mix and match. And I can make it as big or small as I want, and do word art with them in Word. I haven't really gotten that much into digi-stamping though.. just the sentiments. If there is an image I really am wanting to use in a hurry but don't have, I will print it out though. That would be the ultimate in stamping frugality-- however I do love stamping with ink, to me it's not a worthwhile trade in savings as of yet.
My ATG gun was a wise investment as it has probably paid for itself 1000 times now in the cost of adhesive ($1.25 or less for 36 yards).
I buy Georgia Pacific white cardstock from Walmart to use for layering and die cutting images.. when quality doesn't count so much, rather than my favorite super high quality Pure Luxury white CS. I save that for coloring with my Copics, making 3D items, and if I am making a card with a white base.
My craft room is a hodgepodge of goodies: I have a mail sorter from an old post office (free) that is 2 bins high by 6' wide. I stood it on its end and have all sorts of embellishments stored there. I have an index file cabinet ($10) that I got from an Air Force yardsale - it has 9 drawers that are 12" wide X 5" tall. My work area is an island made up of plastic drawers (4 drawers high X 3 drawers wide on each side) with a 4-foot square of plywood on top. I work on one side, and my Cricut and Cuttlebug are on the other side. I have a desk (free) that houses my paper cutter and my heat embossing supplies. One of my favorite things is my stamp cabinet which my husband made for me. It has 28 trays for wood-mounted stamps (not full!) The trays were also made by my husband. A metal cutlery tray sits beside my work station, holding glue dots, scissors, tweezers, craft knife - almost everything I use when working on cards. I have a huge stack of dot matrix ledger paper that was going to be thrown away. I use a small stack of this to work on, then when the top sheet gets messy, I just throw it away. I have medical clamps given to me by my husband's nurses when he was in the hospital (they use them once and then throw them away) which I use as a third hand. I have a roll of paper used to cover examining tables that I bummed from one of my doctors. I could go on and on...
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Wow, you all are amazing! Love the nail polish and skinny card ideas!
Renting stamps also gives you access to a large variety of stamps for less than buying them. Plus you don't have to buy storage units to keep them in!
__________________ Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
Stamp Revolution http://stamprevolution.com
More stamps for more people!
Wow, that is a great idea about renting stamps. My friends and I just borrow each others and switch back and forth. It has to be people I know well and really trust!
Found out on accident that the Aleene's Tack It Over and Over does make good Sticky Dots. I am so glad I got an extra bottle. Sticky dots are high. So I am so thankful for whoever thought of that idea!
Also, after reading on another post, I forgot one of the things I like to do, which is to print words, poems, verses, journaling on the computer. Comes in handy; don't have to buy all the sentiment stamps. I've also printed out journaling lines surrounded by borders on the computer using my Printmaster software. I have others, but that is the one I've used the most. Although, you can print out poems, sentiments or others on cardstock using Word, and most newer computer come with Word now.
I have two thing I bought recently that I am taking back to the store and exchanging for something I need; one is a binder that I can't use for the purpose I thought I could and another was a yellow ink stamp pad, still sealed and unused. In fact, I don't think I'll ever use it. I have some yellow in my Colorbox Paintbox set. I don't know what posessed me to buy it; what would I possibly stamp in light yellow that could even be seen. DER! It's too light to show up on white or black. Plus, I already have some yellow. I bought it before I starting thinking through my purchases better.
I always use two of those fuzzy paint pads inside a plastic pencil box for my version of a stamp cleaner! One has a little soap and the other is for rinsing. I blot it dry on a paper towel.
I make my own glue dots with the TIOAO. I too use the rolls of 3m foam tape. I've also started using Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue for almost everything. I LOVE that stuff! You don't need to have 7 or 8 different types of adhesive, that stuff works for everything! I haven't touched that clumsy ATG gun for months!
My best advice for saving money is this. Don't buy anything unless you've thought about it for 24 hours! You'd be amazed at how much stuff you decide you can live without, when you really think about it! So much of what we buy is impulse buying, and this helps to control that. I shop online, but you could do the same with store buying, by having a list and sticking to it.
I have a 1year old, so I aved a ton of her formula containers! I just washed them out, peeled the paper off and put a cute label on it! I have a bunch of them now for all my supplies. (My DH even uses them for his stuff on the "man cave" lol) Also I got a super cheap curtain rod (.99 cents at Ikea)! Mounted it on the wall and store all my ribbon on it!
Money savers...
