Tried-and-True Tips for Crafting on a Budget: Part 1
Starting off a series of a dozen tips and tricks for how to create amazing things on a shoestring budget.
This article was originally published on a WordPress blog that I’ve retired in favor of Substack. Thanks for reading!
In this post series, I’m sharing a dozen tips and tricks for how to start crafting on a shoestring budget. I’ve rounded up my favorite free ideas that you can try right now. Plus I’ve included advice for spending wisely and stretching your budget. These tried-and-true tips will help you get the most bang for your crafty buck!
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Before we begin...
One of my goals here is to invite other makers to join me in experiencing what I like to call the magic of making. It’s all about creating something from nothing. You’ve experienced it before, right? It’s how a few scraps of fabric and a little ingenuity become a heartfelt, hand-sewn gift. It’s how a blank piece of canvas and a few blobs of paint become a captivating artwork that even you’re amazed by.
To me, the creative process is pure magic. And experiencing it doesn’t require dropping hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars on a fancy piece of crafting equipment. While pricey tools are certainly impressive and time-saving, they aren’t essential.
I’ve been practicing these budget-friendly tips throughout my many years as a maker. (A few I’ve had to learn the hard way!) As I share each one, you’ll learn exactly how I've used these strategies for saving money on my own projects. And, at the end of the series, I'll share my all-time favorite budget craft which involved about half of these tips!
Tried-and-True Tips for Crafting on a Budget: Part 1
↠ Check out craft books at the library
I’m willing to bet my entire craft budget that you’ve turned to Pinterest for craft inspiration. And maybe you’ve found a perfect downloadable template from your favorite craft blog. But when was the last time you roamed around the library for ideas? It’s chock full of them, and they’re all 100% free.
Right now I’m prepping for a kids’ sewing class where I’ll be teaching the students how to sew 4-legged stuffed animals. But I couldn’t find the right pattern online. It had to be simple enough for an 8-year-old to figure out, but versatile enough for an imaginative little maker to customize.
I was worried that I might have to buy a pattern, but I hit the local library first. I wandered around until I found the toy-making section. Of course, some of the projects in the older books looked a little outdated. But I managed to find the perfect pattern. It was free, and the book I found is packed with designs and techniques that I'd never have thought to look for online.
If your local library is small, it’s probably connected to a wider network. This means you can request books online and they’ll show up at your local branch within a few days. I recently requested a bunch of books that had “botanical embroidery” somewhere in the title. After picking them up, I felt like I hit the jackpot.
Head to the nonfiction section and look for these call numbers: 646 for sewing, 745 for crafts, 746 for needlework and knitting, and 751 for painting techniques. Or, just ask a librarian to point you in the right direction.
Try to keep an open mind and don’t judge the books by their old and potentially ridiculous covers. Flip through a few pages and you’ll probably run across some amazing techniques, templates, and ideas to kickstart your next project.
↠ Save your scraps (and everything else)
After being weird and hoarding things like circular-shaped bits of cardboard and a zillion glass jars for some yet-to-be-determined projects, my husband is totally on board with this budget-friendly strategy. (Just yesterday he asked if I had any egg carton crafts in the works before tossing one in the recycling bin… 💖!)
Ordinary household items make great craft supplies. Paper plates can become disposable paint palettes; dead plants can become dyestuffs; last month’s magazines can become collage art.
I like to save things like these rather than throwing them out. It’s especially useful to save materials you might later need to buy, like a sturdy piece of cardboard for a homemade flower press.
↠ Start a new project with the materials you already have
This goes hand-in-hand with the second tip. Once you’ve assembled a little collection of craft scraps and supplies, it’s time to use them! Rather than hitting the craft stores right away, rifle through the materials you already have first. Try to design your project around the materials you have on hand.
Lately, I’ve been starting with this approach for every new project I’ve taken on. Why? Because this strategy doubles as a penny-saver and a creative prompt. Instead of having to grapple with a blank canvas, it’s like diving into a crafter’s sandbox filled with tools, supplies, and ideas waiting to be discovered.
Old paper scraps, pieces of fabric, bits of trim, and the odd button or bead can launch a new project idea. A while ago, I was gearing up to sew a needlebook but didn’t know where to start, design-wise. My fabric scrap bin yielded a blue cotton sateen from a previous sewing project and a bolt of sewing-themed fabric printed with the words “Aiguille et Fil,” meaning “Needle and Thread.” I’d picked up the fabric years before and had never found a use for it. But “Needle and Thread” for a needlebook was too perfect! With a few gorgeous pieces of trim and a coordinating button from my stash, the project practically designed itself.
Give this a shot if you’re feeling uninspired or unsure of where to start. Next time you’re itching to make something new, dig through your supplies and pull out whichever materials speak to you. You might not use all of them, or they might lead you to a totally different place from where you started. Either way, enjoy the creative, budget-friendly journey!
↠ Let others know about your crafting obsession
If you happen to have crafty friends or relatives, fill them in on your latest projects and passions. Not only will they be excited to hear about what you’re working on, but they might also have some materials and tools to spare.
You never know who might be happy to give you craft supplies. For instance, last year I visited the home of a fellow maker who’s part of my extended in-law family. It was our first time meeting. One moment I was describing my latest weaving project... and the next moment I was holding a bin full of fluffy roving from her old needle-felting stash!
Sometimes a family member or friend will have the perfect (free) solution to your crafting problems. A lovely lady I used to work with runs a witty card-making business called In Great Haste. Chatting about a series of cards I was making, I mentioned my search for a good stamp for the back side that would express that they were handmade. Turns out she had just ordered a “Made with Love” stamp but didn’t plan to use it. (She stamps her delightful logo on the back of the cards instead!)
I ended up with the adorable “Made with Love” stamp and brought my friend a sheet of unmounted stamps I wasn’t planning to use for cardmaking. If you know some other folks who are crafting on a budget, propose a craft supply swap so everyone wins!
Don’t shy away from asking the non-crafty folks in your life, either. You might be surprised to find that one of your coworkers has been hoarding yarn for years and would be more than happy to get it off their hands. Maybe your aunt’s next-door neighbor would love to find a new home for their collection of painting supplies and unused canvases! Who knows?
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That's it for Part 1 of my 3-part series on how to get crafting on a budget. Ready for the rest? Don’t miss Part 2 and Part 3!