Crafting on the Cheap

As I said before, I am one of those people who likes to make stuff and if I can make it for free or cheap my satisfaction doubles.

 Maybe even triples.

 Spiderman would say that my smugness quadruples.

 I love to make cards and send them to people through the post. This has been particularly important since our move to Wales. I have been a bit cut off and isolated since we arrived and sending and receiving mail has really perked me up.

 As we are on a budget (I have just applied with an agency who is helping me to get work in schools--I just haven’t started yet) I am always happy to get stuff for free or cheap.

 One thing that I have a large collection of is old, interesting cancelled postage stamps. These make great decorations for cards and ever so often I look though all my boxes of stamps and inevitably some leap out at me with a creative idea and I make them into cards. But is also nice to have some other bits and bobs to put on them.  

 Enter Pound Land. This is like the Dollar Store to my American peeps. We are lucky to have a Pound Land and 99p Store and a B&M Bargains in Carmarthen--all places where I have been able to buy stuff we need at a low price. B&M does a lovely large tub of cinnamon for 99p. But I digress.

 

At Pound Land I found all sorts of lovely crafty stuff for…well….a pound. Duh! The clue is in the name!
Look at these lovely Hessian (a.k.a. burlap or jute) flowers and butterflies! They came in muted tones as well as bright colours. Cost: £1 each

 I also found these little brown paper flowers which were perfect for enhancing old photos I have of Victorian ladies--a little 3D flower in their hair is very fetching. Cost: £1

 

Then there was this. It really is just offcuts from the paper industry which would have normally gone to waste. It is a bit cheeky to sell them since they are pure profit being waste products and all, but I was willing to overlook that. You had to look at each packet and choose ones that had colours that you liked, but it was a good mixture of card and paper--solids as well textured and printed designs.  

 

I got 38 big strips

39 medium strips

48 small strips

11 triangles

15 squares

8 whole sheets

 Cost: All that for £1!!!!

 This was great making cards as the strips were already a perfect size and neatly cut. I managed to make 27 cards so all I need is a reason to send them.

 

Well, all I actually need is to be able to afford stamps. They are outrageously priced!

 

But soon I’ll be working and have enough money for stamps.

 

So you might get some post.