Cost Effective Crafting

It's important for people to have hobbies and things they like to do. Whether it be video games or playing an instrument, everyone has some sort of hobby. Not all hobbies are affordable though. 

Imagine, you walk into a craft store, see this new style of craft or hobby that looks like fun, then suddenly, before you know it, you're walking out of that craft store with an arm full of supplies and an empty wallet. (yes, I am speaking from experience) If you are an arts and crafts lover, you know it is so easy to walk into a craft store and end up spending a ton of your dollar bucks. So, finding more affordable ways to pass and enjoy our time is a worthy endeavor. Especially if you're a parent looking for creative activities for your little one. In this article I'm going to cover 4 great and affordable crafts that are fun, you end up with a nice result, and doesn't put a dent in your bank account. 

How to craft, but cheap.

 Before going into the list of 4 crafts, I want to pass on a few tips on how to maximize your cost-effective crafting. Let's face it, this economy does not accommodate a lot of hobbies these days, especially not those that require tons of art supplies, so one of the best ways to get into arts and crafts is to:

~Plan the craft you want to create

 Having a solid plan as to what you want to create will really help you to keep your excitement and inspiration aimed in a productive way. If you go into a creative frenzy with no idea what you want to make and where to direct that inspiration, you're more likely to end up scrolling through Pinterest for hours trying to find the perfect project and you'll lose that excitement. Worst of all you're bound to hit a bad art block because your inspiration has no direction, and it'll fade away. So, hold your horses, slow down, and get a good idea as to what exactly you want to do before you start pulling out all your art supplies. 

~Use the supplies you have already

 If you're already an artistic and crafty person, you will most likely have art supplies sitting in your house somewhere. Once you have a good idea of exactly what project you are going to work on, bust those babies out and use what you've got! Take inventory of what you have and what you can make with it. A lot that goes into cost effective crafting is thinking outside the box and being innovative with what you have at your disposal. Now art supplies can include anything from paint to just paper and scissors. Anything you can use to create is fair game. Most everyone has paper, pens, and scissors in their house. That's already supplies you don't need to buy! 

~Buy only what you need

 Now, if there is something that you really need, there is nothing wrong with a shopping trip for some art supplies, but before you grab your keys, make a list! Take inventory of what you have and get a good idea of what you want to make BEFORE you go shopping for supplies. That way you don't fall into the inevitable trap of buying everything you MIGHT need. Only what you actually need for the craft you have planned. This will help you stay cost effective and keep your hobby affordable. 

4 Cost Effective Crafts

 

1~Miniature Houses

 

 This is my GO-TO for crafting for fun! I love making these! The process to making these is very similar to building a gingerbread house! This is something that is super easy and very free for people to express their creativity! And of course, very affordable! 

 

           

        

 It is most common for people to make these kinds of crafts out of clay our balsa wood. I have always used carboard! Something that everyone has in their house. Reusing cardboard, empty plastic containers, and even broken toy pieces to create miniatures is a very niche style of making miniatures but a much more affordable way that, with practice, can turn out amazing! This is also a craft that can be easily made suitable for kids! Substituting a couple supplies just for safety, your kiddo can build and decorate their own little house! 

 

~Supplies needed for this craft

-Cardboard (typically the thick corrugated cardboard from boxes so that your houses are nice and sturdy!)

-Hobby knife (if you're not comfortable using something so sharp, or you want to make it safe for kiddos to enjoy and participate, scissors work just as well!)

-Hot Glue (hot glue makes the process of putting together your house much, much faster! But hot glue can be pretty painful if not careful, especially for our little ones! A better alternative if you don't have a glue gun or don't want to risk burning those fingers, is thick tacky glue! The process will take much longer, but it'll be much safer!)

-Paint (Almost everyone has paint in the house! If you don't have paint, you can get the colors you need and brushes for cheap at Walmart. My favorite affordable craft/acrylic paint is Apple Barrel brand.)

-For decorating your miniature houses, you can get really creative and innovative! This is the fun part! A lot of people who make miniatures even use things they find outside! Real rocks, sticks, leaves and moss! For more detail, I have gone to the dollar store, bought tiny fake flowers, painted and trimmed them, and used them in window flower boxes for my miniature houses! The more detail, the more your house will really come together! 

                 

                 

 

 To put the final touch and wrap it in a little bow, you can get one of those adorable little candle tea lights, put it underneath your house, and watch it come to life! I love this craft! It really puts my creativity to work and engages my brain when coming up with ideas and ways to really sell the look of a house. Most of the supplies needed for this project are things that are cheap or things that most people have already in their home! It is a great craft for those who want something engaging and affordable! 

 

 

2~Paper Flowers

 

 On a recent trip to the bookstore, I was perusing the art books when this one caught my eye. I bought it and found that this craft is an amazing way to enjoy my time and create something beautiful, especially for the nature lovers! 

 

             

 

 Fabulous Paper Flowers by Emiko Yamamoto is a fabulous guide to creating a variety of beautiful flowers from just plain paper! Her guides are easy to read and understand and she provides a plethora of flowers to attempt to create! I think these crafts would make amazing gifts! And the supplies needed is very minimal and affordable. Of course that's not her selling point, but I find it a huge plus! 

 I tried my hand at a flower that I thought would be relatively easy and a good place to start since this is something I have never done before. I found the process fun and engaging. Emiko provides beautiful pictures of finished flowers as examples and references, and she also provides helpful guide pictures that make the project easy to follow. She lists everything you will need for this craft and also suggests great ideas as to how to implement them in gifts and decor. 

 

                     

 

~Supplies needed for this craft

 (Emiko goes into greater detail in what you need but these are just the things I used and had on hand for the dandelion that I made.) 

-Emiko's Book (I highly recommend buying her book! This is definitely the main thing you will need to achieve this project. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble, you can find it online for less than 20 dollars on amazon. Here is the link to the Amazon listing.) https://a.co/d/a2ZBFPr 

-Paper (preferably colored craft paper.)

-Scissors

-Glue (I used some thick tacky glue and then just a purple glue stick when putting the flower pieces together. These are what Emiko recommends.)

 

 Emiko also has 2 more books about making her paper flowers and I am definitely looking forward to buying those and trying out making the wildflowers! If you want something relaxing, fun, engaging and affordable, Emiko's book is definitely a great option to go with and worth the money! 

 

3~ Painting

 

 Painting is a classic and fun way to express yourself and to embrace your creativity. With painting the possibilities are endless and you can find very affordable art supplies to get started. You don't need to know how to paint or be an expert to enjoy painting. 

 

 

Getting started is easy, and finding something to paint isn't as hard as it seems. Paint yourself, or an object in your house. Or even one of your pets! Most of even the most accomplished artists paint with a reference photo. So, find a picture of something or someone and paint it. Use any color you want. And add any elements to the painting you want. Experiment and create. Perfection has no place in the world of art so the only paint you'll be wasting is the paint that you leave still in the tube or bottle! 

 

 

 

~Supplies needed for this craft

 

- Canvas (Don't start by buying a huge canvas. Just start small. You can find Canvases at almost any store that has art supplies.) 

-Paint (Try not to worry about buying every color. Just the primaries and then a few personal favorites. That will help keep this project affordable.)

-Brushes (These are easy to find also. You will want a small variety. A big brush to cover the canvas, a couple small brushes, a couple medium, and of course the fan brush. You can find great variety packs at art stores at good prices.)

 

 

4~ Paper Portraits

 

I only recently saw this trend and loved it. I think this is such a fun and unique idea for groups or just by yourself. Paper portraits are not something I have done yet personally, but I want to. It really harkens back to kindergarten crafts with pasta. 

 

 

Essentially the idea is you cut pieces of colored construction paper into shapes and assemble a collage creating a picture. you can do this with any subject really, but this trend came on my feed particularly of people doing portraits. This is a very affordable craft and you can do at any age as long as you can use scissors. 

I think you can really take advantage of this hobby as a creative outlet. There are so many styles and ways you can makes these portraits and really use your head to think outside the box to make it look like someone. 

 

                                                                A Face Collage – Arte a Scuola                

 Please definitely go check out Miriam! Her art is beautiful! 

~Supplies needed for this craft

-Construction Paper (this is an easy supply to find and is comes in lots of colors. They usually come in big variety pack that are very affordable.)

-Glue sticks

-Scissors 

 

 

 

 I hope these crafts help inspire you and help you find some fun hobbies that wont break your bank but still bring that satisfaction from creating.  And if you have read this far, thank you so much for reading my article! 

- Wacara