the thrifty crafter

What to do with the leftover yarn from your Party Animals wire animal project? Pick up some cheap tin cans of varying sizes from your favorite discount store and turn them into coordinating centerpieces, that’s what! Flowers are a must for me at any type of event and when you can get them gorgeous and on the cheap from your local Trader Joe’s, this craft really is a no-brainer! We ended up using the smallest can as a utensil holder…another great way to add some texture and color to your table!

Here’s what you need:

• leftover yarn
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• washed and dried tin cans (I went to Big Lots and bought the cheapest cans I could with the best size variation)

Here’s what you do:

1. Remove outer paper label from tin can and thoroughly wash both inside and outside of can.

   

2. Once dry, use hot glue gun to tack end of yarn to edge of can.
3. Wrap tin can 10-20 times or so, keeping some tension.

   

4. Scrunch yarn down to cover up any openings and to create the textured look.

   

5. Continue wrapping in sets of 10-20 until you reach the upper edge of can.

   

6. Cut yarn and glue down on edge.  Voila!  Gorgeous vase in less than 10 minutes!

   

Cost: Under $4 for five vases.

Need a fun way to dress up your existing cake plate?  For a recent get together, I used patterned felt leftover from a multicolored bunting I made for the same party to create a scalloped edge decorative border for my dessert plate.  Such an easy way to add some extra festivity to your spread!

Here’s what you need:

• scrap felt
• Zots or photo mounting squares
• scissors

Here’s what you do:

• For my 12-inch cake plate, I started off with thirteen 2×3 inch rectangles. Fold each rectangle over in half and round off the corners with your scissors (as pictured below).  Use your first rectangle as a template to cut the rest.  *If you really want to go on a high school geometry trip, use the formula for the circumference of a circle, 2∏r, to determine what the length of your rectangles should be.  In this case, my radius was 6, so I needed a total of 38-ish inches to completely encircle the cake plate.  Using a 3-inch rectangle gives you a total of 39 inches, so there is some overlapping in one spot, but I actually placed this on the front for a focal point as seen in the picture above.

• Affix photo mounting squares (or Zots might be better and more “sticky” – I just didn’t have any) to the backside of your felt pieces along the edge that will attach to the rim of the cake plate.  Attach each felt piece to the cake plate, approximating the felt edges closely as you make your way around the plate.  Center the last felt piece, as shown above.

One last baby shower decoration to post!  Originally, I had planned to use jute twine and covered clothespins to string baby pictures along a wall, but after making my bunting, decided I didn’t want jute twine strung everywhere.  Instead, I went back to my square motif and cut cardstock into 4×4 squares, affixed color-copied baby pictures of the parents to be, and used twine to hang them from a beautifully natural fallen tree branch.  The parents-to-be had a gorgeous hammered copper vessel at home that served as the perfect display piece.  So easy to do, and so inexpensive!

Here’s what you need:

• a branchy branch (please use only ones that have fallen, do not pluck one from a living tree!)
• colored cardstock
• ruler and scissors
• color-copied pictures
• glue stick
• jute twine
• hole punch

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut cardstock into 4 x 4 squares, using a ruler and scissors or your Fiskars paper trimmer.
2. Crop pictures to fit cardstock and affix with glue or mounting squares.
3. On backside, glue kraft paper tracings (optional, please see A Fine Liner for the how-to).
4. Use hole punch at top of square.
5. Use jute twine to loop through hole, creating a hanger.
6. Artfully arrange your pictures on the branches.

Here’s the final product on display at the baby shower!

Need a cute, easy and inexpensive way to say thanks to your shower guests?  Generic brown paper lunch sacks transform into chic favor bags with the help of a little ribbon, rubber stamping and decorative cutting.  You could build on these in a number of ways – using white paper sacks with jute twine, or yarn for ribbon would also be cute.  Get creative!

Here’s what you need:

• 1 package brown paper lunch bags
• pinking shears or other decorative scissors
• ruler and scissors (or a Fiskars Paper trimmer)
• hole punch
• decorative ribbon
• rubber stamps and stamp pad
• gel pen
• decorative ribbon

Here’s what you do:

1. Trim bags to 7 inches tall.
2. Measure 5 inches up from bottom and fold over flap to make a 5×5 square.
3. Use pinking shears to trim cut edge.
4. Use hole punch to create holes for ribbon.  To create uniform placement, I placed the hole punch midway between the cut edge and the fold, and moved it inward until it stopped.
5. Thread ribbon through holes.
6. Write “thank you” near bottom edge of sack with your gel pen.
7. Rubber stamp your image onto bag.

Tips: I purchased my paper sacks at the 99 cent store and the decorative ribbon at Michael’s for 3 spools for $1.  I had my hole punch, decorative scissors, and gel pen in my armamentarium already, but look for these items in the office supply section at the dollar stores, as well. Use your Michael’s coupons or make sure you shop the sales for the more expensive materials like the rubber stamp and stamp pad.  Each was purchased for 40% off retail.

When I first set out to make decorations for an upcoming baby shower, I had no idea that what I wanted for decoration was called a bunting.  So first, a definition:

bunt·ing ¹ (bntng)

Many of the examples of buntings I’d seen were chevron-shaped, but I’ve always been in love with the simple, modern shape of a square.  I cut 6″ x 6″ squares, adding a 1/2″ seam allowance on one side for attaching to a strand of jute twine.  Strung along the wall of an indoor or outdoor area, this decoration gives a festive burst of color, perfect for celebrations.  It also would make a beautiful nursery decoration if shortened, and strung with ribbon instead of twine.

Here’s what you need:

One of the most important tenets of shopping at thrift stores is keeping an open mind.  I always try to look at found objects as having a certain amount of craft potential – whether or not I realize immediately what that potential is, is a different story!  Most times, I get my findings home and they sit for a while until inspiration strikes me.

Such is the case with this yellow floral retro shelving paper I picked up on a recent trip.  I wasn’t quite sure what I’d use it for, but loved the vintage look of it, and at $1.99 a roll, I figured I’d eventually make something out of it!

Well, along came a baby shower for a friend of mine that needs some decor help.  The cheery yellow floral of the shelving paper makes it’s craft project debut as a decorative facing for clothespins, used to secure cardstock-mounted baby pictures of the couple to a twine strand.

It is a modern co-ed shower, so I wanted to stay away from pastels and give it more of a fresh and bright feel.  The couple is having a girl, and while pinks aren’t always desirable, I found a contemporary fabric at Joann’s that incorporates pinks, greens, oranges, yellows and browns and used it as inspiration for a color scheme (be sure to watch for a future post on a fabric bunting made with the inspiration fabric). I chose cardstock based on the inspiration fabric and added charming little clip-art tracings (that I got for free from Microsoft Word!), drawn with a white gel pen on natural butcher paper for some added whimsy.

Here’s what you need:

• jute twine
• 12×12 cardstock sheets
• color copies of old pictures
• glue stick
• white gel pen
• natural butcher paper (I buy mine at the 99 cent store)
• enlarged copies of clip art and a nice bright window (free!)
• rounded corner punch (optional)
• clothespins (purchased at Walmart for $1)
• cardstock or some type of material for covering clothespins ( I used shelving paper)
• hot glue gun
• scissors
• paper trimmer (or use a ruler and scissors)

Here’s what you do:

1. Use your paper trimmer to divide your 12×12 cardstock into six 4×6 rectangles.
2. Use your rounded corner punch (optional) to round the corners of your 4×6 cards.
3. Measure the height of your clothespin, cut a long strip of shelving paper approximating the height and use your trimmer to trim to the proper height, then cut your strip into same-width pieces.  My finished pieces were 3″ x 7/16″
4. Use your hot glue gun to secure the strips of paper to the clothespins.
5. Use a window on a sunny day to trace your clip art onto the butcher paper with a gel pen.  Loosely cut around tracings.
6. Secure photo to cardstock and arrange clip art tracings artistically. (Note : my tracings are not fully glued down in these photos but they should be)
7. Use covered clothespins to secure cardstock-mounted photos to strung twine.

Note: I purchased my Fiskars paper trimmer a few years back from Michaels with a 40% off coupon.  I use it all the time for my paper projects and think it is an integral part of my crafting armamentarium – just make sure to buy one on sale! Cardstock often goes on either 4 or 5 for $1 sales at both Michael’s and Joann’s – stock up at these sales instead of purchasing them at $0.59 per sheet! And finally, I always purchase my jute twine, glue sticks and butcher paper (found in the office section) at either the Dollar Tree, 99 cent Store or Big Lots for $1 each.

Decorating with the pristine, pure white of milk glass is a refreshingly simple way to add some brightness to your home in the new year.  And the best part?  The vintage pieces are readily found at second-hand stores, which makes for a very thrifty decoration, indeed!  Cheery florals, like bright pink mini carnations clustered en masse,  provide a striking contrast with the chalky white and are a favorite of mine for bringing a splash of color into the home.

Hosting tip: Use this combination for a more modern twist on an upcoming bridal or baby shower, utilizing other brights like orange tulips, yellow ranunculus and lime green mums – each color in a different vessel – for a striking, yet simple, look.