- Glue strips of paper bags around the edges of cardboard to smooth them out and make them easier to paint. I prefer to use take out bags/gift bags as opposed to grocery bags, because they are thinner and easier to manipulate. See the full tutorial here.
- Keep small scraps from cloth and ribbons in a container. They work great as a cheap alternative to stuffing. I have used mine in my chalk eraser and bunny tail.
- Keep items that fascinate you. I love wine bottles and glass jars so I keep them and try to work them into organization and decoration. (You may have noticed).
- Check out the clearance section after holidays for cheap craft staples like Modge Podge, stickers, and paper.
- Save interesting magazines, calendars, junk mail, wrapping paper to use as cool backgrounds or to cover boxes and jars.
- Cover a recycled lid with paper (see previous tip) to make it look fancy (and hide the label).- See how here!
- If something you love breaks, save it! (within reason) If you can’t fix it, you might be able to make it into something new. I was devastated when my favorite headband broke, but I was able to transfer the bow to a new headband for a new variation of my favorite look. Embrace change!
- Use old newspapers to reduce messes and save your tables when you’re crafting.
- Reuse old Command adhesive strips as an alternative to buying Velcro- Just trim to desired size and hot glue on. Easy.