Cheaper Crafting

Crafting is typically a costly hobby, at least, if you get your supplies by running to the nearest chain crafting store to buy full-price supplies and tools. Fortunately for all you crafty folk out there, there you don't have pay full price.

* Shop the sales. Most items will go on sale at some point. Buy then; and, in fact, stock up! If your favorite type of yarn goes on sale for half price, buy enough for the next few projects. If card stock is on sale for 25% off, buy a little extra.

* Shop secondhand. At my favorite thrift store, I frequently find bags of yarn for $2 with three skeins in each bag. I don't have choice of color, but it forces me to be more creative in finding ways to use it up. I also find tools, cross-stitch patterns and rubber stamps.

* Use coupons. In the Sunday paper, the major hobby/craft stores offer a coupon for 40% off of one item. Use that coupon wisely and you can save significantly.

* Re-purpose thrift store items. Look at clothing, curtains and sheets as materials rather than items. Perhaps that hideous shirt has amazing buttons. Those curtains are too obnoxious to hang at the windows, but could make vibrant ties, scarves or skirts. Any knit sweater with yarn that hasn't felted can be unraveled and used to knit or crochet new items.

* Scavenge. Using trash for craft is a great way to save money while making some pretty cool stuff. Make beads out of magazine pages, earrings out of floppy disks and wall art from computer parts. You can create unique crafts while reducing the amount of material going to the landfill.

* Check out books from the library. I love leafing through crochet pattern books for inspiration, but never go back a second time. I stopped buying books and now check them out of the library. Most libraries have extensive crafting sections, and you can request on inter-library loan any book you can't find on the shelf.

* Create items that you would usually buy. Crochet washcloths instead of buying and you'll have a few extra dollars for yarn. Make your own beaded earrings and you won't have to spend a lot to accessorize, which leaves plenty of extra money for bead shopping. Knit warm fuzzy socks and not only will you save money by not buying socks, you can turn down the heat in winter for savings on your gas bill.

* Buy bulk lots online. Ebay is a great source of bulk lots of yarn and other crafting supplies at steep discounts. Buying pound skeins of yarn usually yields a lower price per yard than smaller skeins. Buying a package of a dozen crochet hooks will usually mean a lower price each than purchasing individually.

* Venture into nature. Pine cones, stones, shells and wild grasses can all be used in various crafts and can be acquired for free.

Happy living!

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Use It Up: Scrapghans

Many things are tossed into the garbage can when they still have lots of good life left in them. Use It Up will be a section on how to use this "trash" to make new, useful items for your home. I'll try to give a variety of projects so that you'll find some that are useful for you.

My first Use It Up project will be the Scrapghan. This is an afghan that is made of scraps of yarn that are left from other projects. Any avid crocheter or knitter undoubtedly has bags full of little pieces of yarn, you know, just in case you need 3 feet of mustard yarn for...something.

Well, here is your something.

For several years I had been saving bits of yarn just in case I needed them. Some scraps were a foot long, others were just shy of a skein. All of it was beyond use for a traditional project, but I couldn't bare to throw it away.

So I decided to make an ugly afghan. All of the yarn for this project is medium weight worsted acrylic yarn. I have other projects going with the scraps of wool and cotton. I kept the length around 1-3'. I threw in in some longer and some shorter pieces for variety. All of the scraps went into a box as I cut.

I reached in and grabbed random pieces without looking. As long as it was a different color than the last piece, I would work it into my ball of yarn. I tied the ends together with a double knot and then wound the yarn into balls.

Then I started crocheting. I used a size G hook. I crocheted in a single crochet stitch which seems to work very well, although it is a slow process. If anyone else tries this with a different stitch, post a comment and let me know how it goes!

For the first foot of the scrapghan, I thought it was ugly and it made me kind of happy to be working in public on such an obnoxious piece. As it grew, the colors came together and it is very fun. It is a bold material that adds a great splash to my decor.

Once I am done crocheting, I will pull all of the knot ends onto one side, so one side will be smooth and the other fuzzy. I can hide the ends, or if it looks good, put the fuzzy side up.

You can make this any size and shape you want. Make a lapghan for an elderly family member, a throw blanket for your couch, a baby blanket, or a full-sized bed cover. You could also use this to make scarves, shopping bags, washcloths (in this case, the knot ends are great for scrubbing plates), or throw pillows.

2/4/2013 Update: Kristin on facebook shared this video on how to join yarn without knots.
Russian Join

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Penny Pinching Party