FRUGAL CRAFTING IDEAS - PART 1.

Of course I LOVE buying new stuff for my paper crafting, but I also LOVE being frugal and thrifty so I can afford more stuff for making more projects!

I've found some wonderful, fun ideas on You Tube lately, for thrifty crafting. Here are a few ideas that I've found and tried: 





First, shop at your local thrift or second hand store. I found some great deals at our local St. Vincent De Paul store here in La Pine, Oregon. It is a treasure trove of goodies.
  

How about some room border corrugated cardboard for 50 cents! It has scalloped edges just perfect for scrapbook layouts or cards.

I made a sweet little card using this corrugated cardboard trim. I used it for a "grassy" border on the bottom. Add some cut-out birdie stamps and a little balloon, and voila! you're done!








Here is another find from "St. Vinnie's (as we call it) that I was so EXCITED about and it only cost me $2.00!

I found a box of OLD chipboard embellishments - tags, circles, flowers, brackets, etc. and you would have thought I found a pot of gold!  Here's what I first saw when I opened the box, and boy was I thrilled.

 I mean, how cute are these?

But wait a minute!  When I turned them over, THIS is what I saw!

Oh my......... designs, phrases, stripes, flowers, swirls, polka dots........... on all of them! And the colors are so "now".  My husband thought I had just won the lottery!  How can a person get so excited over a box of pieces of cardboard for $2.00? But you crafters know what I mean, right?

Here's a money holder card I made using some of these darling embellishments:

I used CTMH Diecut Cards (3-1/2" x 8") (Z1738) and our For Always papers. They matched the chipboard accents so nicely. I used a little thin strip of our silver glitter paper along the bottom of the blue strip.

I used the lagoon paper in the For Always paper pack for the strips, and since it was too bright, I sponged it with our cocoa ink, and then did some stamping using a retired stamp set.... I stamped all the way across the piece of paper.

On the inside, I put more of the stamped lagoon paper strips and made a pocket on the left. I used a zip strip from For Always to trim the pocket. You could make some cute kraft tags to go inside......... or..............

Use the pocket to hold money or gift cards.













I didn't mean for this to be a "tutorial" but I guess it kind of is!  

I have many more thrifty and frugal finds that I'll put on upcoming posts.  Not all were found at our St. Vinnie's.

Stay tuned for those... and have fun browsing those thrift stores. Mix it up with your Close to My Heart products. Recycle and be frugal!