I am sure you are aware that October, is breast cancer awareness month. We here are Plaid are very dedicated to supporting the cause, and spreading awareness. Today I wanted show off some crafts from around the web that were made to show support for breast cancer. Please let us know if you have made any breast cancer crafts. We would love to see them.
Decorating on a budget is always something more and more of us are striving to do. You may often times see wonderful items you would love to decorate your home with, however one look at their retail price will lead you heading towards the nearest exit. Well check out this incredibly creative craft that was created by Joy’s Life. This craft was inspired from a more expensive version she found in a magazine. Majority of the items were found at Walmart, and the wood blocks and Apple Barrel paint are from Plaid. Such a great replica, at an amazing deal. Click here to see how Joy created this project.
Many people don’t realize it, but crafting can at times be costly. All the supplies you use begin to add up. The glue, trim, paint, and tools, can all begin not only to clutter up your home, but also clean out your bank account. Don’t worry there are ways to be more budget conscious when it comes to crafting. Below are some helpful tips that will lessen the strain on your spending.
Use found objects from your backyard
There are several resources to use as craft supplies, just in your backyard. Are you in need of pine cones, stones, sea shells, or sand? Well your in luck many of these natural resources are simply just a few steps away from you. Before you head out to craft store, just look outside first to see what supplies maybe right at your fingertips. Recruit your kids to help you look for craft supplies outside.
Reuse and Recycle
With the recent economy being in such turmoil the past few years, many people have begun to reuse and recycle many items. Why not do the same for crafting? Like most people, you probably clean out your closets, and gather up old clothes, nick-nacks, jewelry, and other things to donate. Well that’s great, but before you get rid of anything take a second look, and check to see if you can use any of these items in craft projects you plan on making. What else can be recycled for your crafts? Old magazines are perfect for scrapbooking. Old Christmas and birthday cards can be cut up to create new greeting cards, gift tags, or even special wrapping paper. Take a look at these old items with a new eye, and you’ll be surprised at what you can save.
Make A Shopping List
I am sure you have heard this one before, mainly mentioned when people go to the grocery store. Well the same can be said when going to craft store. If you plan before you go shopping, it will help you stick to your plan and be less tempted to get off your initial shopping list. Thus you will not make any impulse purchases, that could make you over spend on necessary items.
Discounts
One of the best ways to save money on almost anything is to never pay retail. Always look for coupons, or shop when discounts are going on at your local craft store. Also don’t be afraid to shop online. There are huge savings you can get in on, online. There are several online discount codes and coupons. We here at Plaid offer several online promo codes and discounts. Click here to see what’s on sale now.
It’s that time of year when parents start their end-of-summer countdown. How many days until the kids are back in school and the house is quiet for a few hours during the day? The kids will never tell, but I bet any parent could tell you down to the minute.
If you’re excited about the kids going back to school, or you’re looking forward to going back yourself, why not get everyone back into the swing of things with this cute Chalkboard Medicine Cabinet? Infarrantly Creative gives you the step by step on how to give a standard medicine cabinet and cute, and budget-friendly make-over.
Once you’ve got this project complete, you now have the perfect place to leave yourself, or the kids, reminders so that you see them first thing in the morning. Perfect!
We leave no stone unturned when we’re looking for inspiration. Or in this case, we leave no refrigerator closed. We love turning unexpected things into chalkboards, and the color options available in FolkArt Chalkboard paints gives us tons of possibilities and itchy painting fingers. Imagine how excited we got when we stumbled across TheKitchn.com and got an eye full of this awesome chalkboard refrigerator. Chichi painted her fridge the standard chalkboard green, but imagine how you could get creative with multiple chalkboard colors. You could paint blocks in different colors to signify menus, shopping lists, family notes, or whatever else you think of. Or, if you’re feeling really creative, and have some time, paint an entire scene on your fridge. No matter what, turning your refrigerator into a chalkboard will make it that much more useful and and some interest to your kitchen.
Welcome to another installment of ASK PLAIDIE LADDIE!
Plaidie Laddie, loyal Plaid pooch and one of our blog contributors, wants to answer your most burning painting questions. Every week he’ll pick a question out of his virtual mailbag and answer it (with a little help from me, since he only has paws).
“Dear Plaidie Laddie, I love all of the cute styrofoam projects that turn up on Paint Me Plaid. I’ve tried a few of them, but I can’t get the seem to get the same great color saturation that Julie and the other designers get on their projects. What’s the secret?” Tammy from Georgia
There are really two secrets to painting on foam:
Spouncers are able to really grab that styrofoam and deposit paint in all the nooks and crannies. If you’re more comfortable using a paint brush, we recommend that you use a bouncer to basecoat your surface and then use a regular paint brush to add detail, much the way Julie did in her “You Mean the World to Me, Dad” project.
I absolutely love what you can do with wood and a little paint. Sometimes the simplest projects are the most impressive! That is certainly the case with this wood wall art spotted at The Polka-Dot Umbrella. If you have scrap wood then this piece becomes budget crafting at its finest – but what I really love about this wood wall art is the size. It’s large, and it makes such a statement. Read all about the construction process and the painting here.
Blue is my favorite color, so of course I’m enamoured with these bold and modern glass vases from Cathie and Steve for Plaid. I promise you quick and easy projects for the weekend, and these deliver. You simply need a few FolkArt Enamels colors and some glass vases (which you can get from the thrift store). You won’t believe how quickly you can make these; the longest part of the process is the drying time! Find the complete instructions here.
It’s finally cold here in Georgia, which probably has many of you laughing because you’ve already been experiencing winter for awhile. Are you looking for a craft project to brighten up those winter blues? How about a snowman spindle painted with Apple Barrel! I love him because he’s colorful and cheery, and he adds the perfect touch to a side table or centerpiece. He’s also a true budget craft, because Plaid designer Kirsten Jones reclaimed a wood spindle and already had paints on hand – so she didn’t spend $1 to make him. If you are looking for pieces of scrap wood to use as painted surfaces, try a brand new subdivision with houses under construction. Always ask first though! Here’s how our friendly snowman is made.
Have you made an ornament with FolkArt Extreme Glitter yet? No? Well you really must. Not only is the paint gorgeous as you can see, but it’s a fun and economical way to celebrate Christmas and holiday crafting. Making glitter ornaments is easy, and you can make several of these at once for fabulous gifts. I show you how make the ornament above (with free line art!) on Infarrantly Creative today for her Pennywise Presents series. Please visit here for the complete tutorial.
PS – the glitter comes in eleven fabulous colors. Go here for the palette.
