Garage sales are great. There is such an endless variety, and you never know what you will find. If you're into crafting the garage sale can be a goldmine. The goldmine is the joy you feel when you see a table full of fabric, a box filled with skeins of yarn, dozens of frames and pictures, and all priced from 10 cents to a dollar.
I found these little frames 4/$1.00, in perfect condition. I could have put little pictures in them, but opted to place my pressed flowers in them and use them on top of gift boxes, in place of cards. It was a pretty touch, and cheaper than a card or a bow.
By Deb from East Brunswick, NJ
Here's a way for crafters to save money. I use wallboard joint compound as a dimensional paste in crafting. You can buy it at hardware or home improvement stores. At Lowe's I bought a 3 lb. container for $2.
I'm a professional artist and like Cheryl of Missouri I have found another use for the plastic hangers you can receive from purchasing clothing.
Spray your child's art work with hairspray to keep it from fading or getting dusty. By ElectricChameleon
I just found a way to get free copper wire. I went to a construction dumpster. The contractor has to pay by the pound to have it hauled awayl
After going to the post office to buy stamps, sometimes they put them in one of their envelopes. They are often made of a material very similar to tracing paper. Keep these to use for when you need to make a pattern or tracing of some item, either for your child's school work or a craft project.
Snatch up Christmas craft supplies at dollar stores as soon as they come out. If you wait til closer to the holiday, you might have to go to a craft store and pay full price.
Hold a monthly party and invite all your crafty friends to exchange items they no longer need or use. This can save hundreds of dollars and you can get fresh ideas as well.
I love to do crafts, but on a tight income it is often too expensive. Then I hit on the idea of entering them in the county fair. I use the premium money for more craft materials to enter the next year.
When you need templates for any kind of crafting; plastic sheets are available at most craft stores. However here's what I discovered: go to any "dollar" store and buy a pkg. of cutting board sheets.
To cut your craft costs, it's best to stock up at Target during the summer when they have their back to school sales. White glue bottles, crayons, markers, rulers, and kid scissors are all the best price.
Tips for saving money on beads for doing beadwork. If you make costume jewelry using beads, consider shopping in thrift stores. Some of the best quality beads, such as crystal, can be found that way for restringing. All are much less costly than in craft stores.
Tips for finding craft materials at thrift stores from the ThriftyFun community. Post your own ideas below.
By Jeanne
I just love the idea of NOT wasting but even making use of left over scraps for blankets for animals at the shelters! What a great idea! Oh, and you could make little stuffed animals to, maybe even put a little cat nip in a little stuffed mice for the kitties!
By HungryArtist
By lmr5140
By Susan
The back panel of a thrift store or outgrown shirt, folded in half and stitched and stuffed makes an excellent throw pillow for a kid's room. I used to make them out of favorite shirts which no longer fit.
This is a shopping tip for beaders and other crafters who use beads in their craftwork. I always try to hit the after-holidays ornament sales and stock up on beaded ornaments.
I recently purchased a tank top sweater with beaded fringe around the bottom edge at a local thrift store for $3.75. When I got home and carefully inspected it, I noticed that two strands of the beads were missing.
