Crafting on a Budget

Look, I love The Beatles as much as anyone. Actually, maybe more than anyone. I have a Beatles related tattoo...but that’s another story for another time. However, my love for the Fab Four doesn’t mean that I think they’re infallible. For instance, when they noted that the best things in life or free or that all you need is love. That is just...not true. Love is great. Love is awesome. Love makes the world go round. But love isn’t all you need. You also need money. You need money for all sorts of things. You need money to live, to keep a roof over your head, to eat, to feed your pets and, yes, even to do crafts. We all know that money isn’t plentiful so how can we be expected to create and still live?

Never fear, dear reader. Your friendly Vintage Goth is here to help. For, you see, in this entry we’re going to talk about how to craft on a budget.

I don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty good at stretching a dollar and living frugally. I think it comes from all those years of living….well, what’s lower than paycheck to paycheck? Because that’s what I did. Before finding my path as a librarian and a blogger, I worked in the entertainment industry. Which, trust me, is not nearly as glamourous as it sounds. The work was not what you would call plentiful and, when I could get it, the pay wasn’t great. Plus, there was the whole “soul killing” aspect of things. It takes a special kind of person to work in the entertainment industry and I am just not that person. Much respect to anyone who is.

However, we’re not here to talk about the entertainment industry or the scars it can leave. We’re here to talk about crafting, and how to do it on a budget. So let’s get right down to it.

1. Ever changing decor

Like many people in Los Angeles, I rent. I’ve rented for my entire adult life. I’ll probably be a renter until I die. Wait, where were we…? Oh, right. Decor. See, one of the things about being a renter is that you don’t always have the freedom to decorate exactly how you’d like to. Landlords frown on things like pounding too many holes into walls, or remodeling bathrooms. But, let’s face it, it can be really boring to look at the same thing day in and day out. My husband and I have thrown caution to the wind, painting both our living room and bathroom. We figure that with the amount of pug hair in this place we probably aren't getting the our security deposit back and we’ve lived here ten years, so what the hell. However, most people aren’t like us. They actually want to get their security deposit back. This crafting idea is for you. I call it “The Vintage Goth and the Ever Changing Decor.”

Kind of like this but with less baby-sitting and no phantom phone calls because caller id is a thing

This is actually a pretty easy project. Here is what I used for mine:

Vintage window frame courtesy of friend who was moving

Vintage handkerchiefs (courtesy of my mom)

Tarot cards

It looks cute, but it’s so very simple. All I did was attach the tarot cards to the dividing ledge of the window and the vintage handkerchiefs to the top and bottom of the window pane accordingly. Want to know what I used? Scotch tape. Seriously. The clear kind, so it wouldn’t show. This whole project probably cost me a whopping $20. And the best part? Before I decided to showcase my tarot cards and vintage handkerchiefs, this particular window frame displayed scenes of Hindu deities. A project like this is one that you can change along with your whims, or with the seasons, or each time Taylor Swift drops a new single. Whatever works for you.

But, wait, you say. What if I don’t have a window frame? Good question, dear reader! You can recreate this project with any type of frame or structure. Picture frames you’re not using? Jazz them up! You can even attach things to a simple piece of canvas and hang that for interchangeable wall art. That way you aren’t stuck looking at the same thing every day.  

2. Paint all the things

We’ve already discussed how you may not want to paint your walls and risk your security deposit. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t let the joy of paint into your life. Specifically, chalkboard paint. Wait! Don’t go! I know, chalkboard paint has a bad rep. It’s mostly associated with hipsters who have handlebar mustaches and quirky habits.

But don’t let that scare you away from all chalkboard paint has to offer. It can dress things up and allow you to embrace your inner Picasso. Check out this simple bathroom wastebasket (we had to get one with a lid because SOMEONE WITH A SQUISHY FACE LIKES TO SHRED KLEENEX).

It went from rusted, stained, and gross to something that...okay, it’s probably not going to be featured in any kind of home magazine anytime soon, but at least I’m not ashamed of it. And I can change the lettering whenever I want. I’m not much of an artist, but maybe you are. For the price for a gallon of chalkboard paint ($10-$15) and a box of chalk ($1) you can create masterpieces!

It works in the kitchen, too.

3.. Embrace Your Inner Modpodge Queen

I’ve mentioned before that my friend Dawn refers to me as the queen of modpodge and I have chosen to embrace this title and do all I can to live up to it.

And you, too, can embrace the power of modpodge. One of my favorite modpodge projects involves make-up (another hobby that I love but am not particularly great at). As my make-up collection grows, so does my need for storage. However, I have no desire to spend a ton of money on fancy containers to hold my brushes or lipstick. It just doesn’t seem practical to me. Enter the modpodge!

Supplies

Flower pot (from the .99 cent store)

Vase (from flowers that my husband sent me one time when he used to do things like send me flowers AHEM.)

Book pages (from discarded library books)

I like things to have a sense of uniformity. While I’m not big on the whole matchy-matchy style of decorating, I prefer it when things go together.  So I decided to go with a literary theme for my make-up brushes and liquid lipstick collections. This craft ties the room together and it took a whopping 10 minutes to complete. How can you go wrong?

And, of course, if you’re not happy with the way your project turned out you can always just go over it again. Nothing in crafting is permanent. Let your creative flag fly!

I hope you’ve found some of these tips helpful. Do you have any cheap crafting hacks? Let me know!