Showing posts with label Thrifty Crafting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thrifty Crafting. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2017

For the Cost of a Donation: Upcycled Cabinet Door Tray


I dragged Mr. Chocolate to a flea market last month. It was held at an architectural salvage place in Seattle called Second Use. While the flea market didn't yield any treasures, a stroll through the Second Use Warehouse did. 

Of course Mr. Chocolate looked at the two cabinet doors and me like we were nuts. I'm used to it. He now loves the tray I made from one of the doors. All for the cost of a $5 donation to Habitat for Humanity. Two good things in one! 


This is what I started out with. I liked the panels and the way this door was framed. I mean I immediately saw a tray!  So I painted it with a white bisque acrylic paint. I didn't care about full coverage because I knew the look I was going for and it wouldn't matter. 

Back Side of Door

After my first coat was dry, I went over it with a coat of Espresso acrylic paint. Again, I didn't care that it was all streaky. In fact that was better. 


Then, using my tried and true glue crackle technique, I slathered on a thick coat of cheap white glue, let it dry until tacky, then went back over top with another coat of the Bisque White and watched the magic crackle process happen. 

Crackle Step 1 : Cover With Glue






One of my New Year's resolutions was to use things in my stash that I hadn't because I was hanging on to them for some irrational reason. So I pulled out a stencil that I'd never used and added some leaves using  Martha Stewart acrylic paint: Grey Wolf: 


To finish, I added a pair of door handles I picked up at Target ( the screws weren't long enough for the thickness of the door so I just glued on using extra strong glue) . 



The cup is one I painted at a paint your own pottery place. 

Not so crazy now am I Mr. Chocolate?















Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Thrifty Finds at Michaels: Easy to Make Birthday Card


I've always loved the "used to be a dollar" section at Michaels ( yep...still bitter that it's now the $1.50 - $3 section). So when I find things there that are 50-60% off, I'm ecstatic. 

If you've been a reader of this blog you also know that I just shake my head at the price of cards when it's so easy to make your own. 

On a recent trip, I stumbled upon some finds from Spring. Papers and pre-made tags 60% off which turned out to be $.60 per package. So for a whole $1.20, you can make at least 16 cards from these two things. 


The paper pack had 12 8x8 sheets of 6 different patterns. The gift tags came in a pack of 16 and coordinate with the papers. 

For the birthday card I made I used :
  • Light metallic gold cardstock
  • White cardstock
  • Embossing folder and embossing machine ( I used my Cricut Cuttlebug)
  • 2 papers from package
  • 1 gift tag
  • Self adhesive  pearls
  • 3-D Cupcake , candles, metal sentiment stickers from stash
Cut gold cardstock to 7x10 for 5x7 card. Score down the middle
Cut patterned paper 4.75 x 6.75 , attach to card
Cut white cardstock 4x5 and run through embossing folder
Mat on solid paper as shown
Tear solid paper scrap, adhere to middle of white panel
Attach tag, 3-D stickers as shown
Embellish with self adhesive pearls 


Even if you don't have extra stickers in your stash ( a concept with which I am completely unfamiliar!) picking up a package of birthday themed stickers will still put you way ahead of what you'd spend on a single card. 




Monday, June 2, 2014

Yes I Made A Card for $.50

Hello Card

We all have those things that soothe us right? For some it’s a new pair of shoes. For others it’s a spa treatment or digging in the dirt. For me ( in addition to chocolate of course) it’s a stroll through Michaels. I just like wandering the aisles ( sometimes talking to myself…this is completely normal so don’t call anyone!). It doesn’t even take spending a bundle to make me giddy. Case in point, a recent trip where I was elated to stumble upon a treasure trove of $.50 finds. Yes you read that right FIFTY CENT finds!

Michaels Finds

Well you didn’t think I was going to buy just one thing for $.50 did you? Silly.. They had this whole collection of coordinating elements and I may or may not have bought 1 or 2 of each.

I used one of the embellishment packs to make this just because card for a friend.

DCWV Lemon Stack

The colors went perfectly with a DCWV stack ( Lemon Flower) I had in my stash. I did have to will myself not to buy any more paper on this recent trip. SO hard.

Hello Card Elements

I chose a coordinating piece of paper from the stack and grabbed a couple of scraps from previous projects including a white embossed panel. Then I just sat and played and used up all the elements on the embellishment card. Should have thought ahead to include the card the embellishments were on since it matched but yes, saved it for another project TBD.

Hello Card

Sharing At:

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Cheap to Chic Pumpkin Transformation

Silver and Brown Pumpkin

So last week when I was playing with a foam pumpkin and wished that I’d bought another one, Mr. Chocolate heard me and went someplace he doesn’t ever go: Dollar Tree. I didn’t even have to ask. He surprised me and came home with a pumpkin. That’s what I call true love!
For this project you will need:
  • Small foam pumpkin
  • Acrylic craft paints
  • Embellishments
I started with my diamond in the rough cheapo foam pumpkin.

Dollar Tree Pumpkin

I knew I wanted a non-traditional look so I chose a gray satin paint to base coat the pumpkin. Two coats.
Dollar Tree Pumpkin Basecoat

I kind of liked it but what fun is just a couple of coats of paint? So I added a couple of coats of a coordinating glitter paint.

Glitter Pumpkin

Almost left it alone after that but …nope!

Glitzy Pumpkin

I had a bunch of chocolate brown paper roses in my stash ( the kind you find in bridal supplies) so I popped the heads off the stems and hot glued them around the middle of the pumpkin.  I also remembered these funky Industrial Chic knobs I picked up on clearance at Michaels. One of those things you have no idea why you’re buying but know there will come a project and an aha moment.

Dollar Tree Pumpkin Top

I just pushed the knob right through the foam and then secured it with a dab of hot glue and added some more roses. Finished with some  copper wire wrapped around the stem. 

I may have to make yet one more trip to Dollar Tree. I may also have decided upon my Thanksgiving color scheme.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Got Lunch Bags? Wrap Your Gifts In Them

Autumn Bags

Last week I shared some candles I made for a couple of girlfriends I’m having lunch with this week.  I needed something to wrap them in so I turned to my pantry and used brown paper lunch bags.
For this project you’ll need:
  • Plain brown paper bags
  • Inks
  • Brayer
  • Cosmetic sponge
Brown Paper Bag Mica Inks

I wanted my bags to have some texture so I scrunched them up, smoothed out, then scrunched up again.  I used this Mica Gloss inks but pretty sure any pigment re-inkers, alcohol inks, or acrylic paints would work.

Judi Kins Mica Gloss

Randomly scatter drops of inks on your surface. The goal here is not perfection! I was going for a natural look mimicking Fall leaves.

Brayered Ink

Using a brayer, spread your inks. I wanted a more blended look , so after I brayered, I used a cosmetic sponge ( Dollar Tree craft supplies !) to blend the inks.

Brayered and Sponged Inks

My bags ended up being very pliable and soft. Not sure if this is from the inks or all of the working of the paper or both.

Brown Paper Wrapping

This made it really easy to use them as wrapping. Tied the tops with some ribbon yarn and then adhered the tags I made last week with baker’s twine.

Finished with a punched leaf wreath. I’ll show you how I did that in another post.

Autumn Bags

Sharing At: