Paper Crafting Tip #43: Ten crafting tips that will save you money

During the holiday season, we're all looking for ways to save some money.  Here are 10 crafting tips for using things you already have around the house.

1.  Instead of buying those waxy sticks to pick up and place rhinestones and other small objects, look around the house for stray crayons.  They work like a charm!

2.  Don't buy one of those small irons to iron your ribbon.  Just rub it over a warm lightbulb.  Remember to make sure the bulb isn't dusty, and BE CAREFUL - IT'S HOT! This works well with satin and grosgrain ribbon.  I wouldn't try organdy or gauzy ribbon; it might melt.

3.  Save the backings from your stickers and Xyron to use as waxed paper when you're using glue, paint, embossing powder, or glitter.

4.  If you have a Cricut, don't throw away your worn-out mats.  Spray them with repositionable spray adhesive to freshen them up.  Just remember to use masking tape around the edges so that the part that goes through the rollers doesn't get sticky.

5.  Another use for the worn-out Cricut mats:  Once they get to the point where they can't be refreshed anymore, use them to hold small objects while you're painting them.  I've used them to hold buttons while I painted them.  They have just enough tack to hold the objects in place temporarily.

6.  If you don't want to spend money on Christmas/Holiday stamp sets, try using stamps that you already have.  For example, cirlces make great ornaments, squares make wonderful packages, and a bit of holiday ribbon can spruce up an otherwise tired flower stamp.

7.  Along the same lines as Tip # 6:  Use simple shapes cut with your die cut machine to make holiday cards.  Circles, squares, ovals, and other shapes can easily be transformed into ornaments, boxes, flowers, etc.  Use your imagination!

8.  Make your own tags.  If you don't have a die cut machine, you can use punches or your paper trimmer to cut squares and rectangles.  Punch a hole, tie some string or ribbon, and you're good to go.

9.  Instead of buying new stamp sets with phrases and greetings that you will use only once or twice, use your computer to print them out.  This is also a great way to get a lot of card greetings done in only a few minutes.  Yeah, I think it's "cheating" too, but no one else has to know, right?  (I won't tell.)

10.  Get together with your friends and swap crafting stuff.  That leftover Halloween orange ribbon might be just the thing she needs to finish a layout or card, and those Valentine's Day buttons might add the perfect touch to your project.

I hope you find these useful.  They work for me, and I hope they work for you too.  Happy Crafting!