a little "frugal-ness"

I'm being a little frugal and saving the inside envelope liners that are gold or silver (from Christmas cards). They work well for punches and sometimes I only need a small gold or silver embellishment. Also, I started clipping off the stamps that have Christmas designs to use for a border on a page or a card.

I know in the past we've had the frugal talks before on here but anyone have ideas to add?

Anytime we can reuse or recycle, that is a good thing. Good for you!

I love to keep the tab tops from soda cans

I reuse old broken jewelry and stones

I keep tissue paper from presents

I keep the cardboard and boxes to use as cutouts or backgrounds

Instead of buying the burlap 12x12 sheets I bought an entire burlap sack for 2.99 at a farm supply store

Unfortunately all these savings go into stamps, inks, punches and paper, paper and more paper!

I made 19 cards out of the bought cards I received last year. They turned out really pretty.

Great ideas! Wonderful thread Wilbur!

Rosey, I'm already looking at the cards from this year and wondering how to recycle them although the handmade ones will go in my scrapbook!

I clean and save the round silvery peel-off tops that come inside some dry food containers (such as potato chips) after you unscrew the lid. They work very nicely for punching out shapes such as stars, etc.

I wonder how to recycle the Christmas Cards. Do you cut the outside design off and attach to a blank card front or do you make something like a post card out of the old Christmas card fronts? Sounds like something I want to do next year.

Wilbur, you can go either way. Or you can just cut out separate elements from the card and use them as embellishments. There are no rules. Just use your imagination and creativity.

thank you Solitaire. It would look good to cut off the fronts then mat them and stick on a blank card. I could even put on a few embellies like a small bow, stickles or a button. Cards with envelopes are on sale often. This would make nice, inexpensive cards and something I could work on all year.

Now, I'm gonna need to add to my 2014 goals - become a card maker!!!

Every couple of years I recycle past holiday cards ( I also take cards home from work ). I use my collection of punches and make embellishments from the sections of the cards that are decorative. Making cards this way is surprisingly easy. A few punches of the festive sections of recycled cards, a little ribbon, a couple brads, glitter, hand write the sayings with a fancy pen, and viola new card.
I have even had card making parties for kids and people new to scrapbooking. They loved making these cards because they were so simple and easy to make.

Ps the key is to turn the punch over and position the punch over the exact section you want.
And this would be a good use for a hexagon punch if you happen to have one.

thanks Gelidy Gelato - I will use the punching to make some embellies for scrapbook pages as well as cards. Because I have many past Christmases to do, some pages will be plainly scrapped with a few embellies scattered around.

I buy fun foam, in different thicknesses, and put "terrrifically tacky tape" on both sides and use as pops dots. I cut to fit to size and the different colors helps blend in better.

For those who remove their stamps from wood blocks and stick them to the EZ Mount backing for use on acrylic blocks, scraps of the backing can also be used to make pop dots. This stuff is really sticky though so have something handy to clean your scissors when finished cutting them.

Last year I started saving the foil caps from wine bottles. I make radial cuts in them just long enough to be able to flatten the cap. Then I use a hole punch to cut out the center to use as an embellie. These can be used as is, or you can color them with inks or paint. Just be aware that ink from some pens will have to be heat set to prevent the ink from coming off.

I have not used them yet but have started saving the little net bags that the ginger and shallots I buy come in. I can see these being cut open for use or being used as is to hold other items on a page. Haven't been able to scrap this year but am looking forward to trying this in the coming year.

Never thought of those little netted bags - wouldn't that be great on a beach or ocean layout!

Last year I made a boat load of gift tags from cards: here is one example.

tag on gift By Rockmom

Mrs Fit - on one of my layouts I used a small net bag- (the kind they give out at weddings with rice in them) I attached it to the page and had flowers coming out of it.... really pretty. I have thought of using net from potato bags on a basketball page... just an idea!

Love that tag! I scrap my pretty handmade cards but this year I will be saving other pretty cards to do things with. Some will make beautiful embellies on pages! Just never thought of that.

Potato net bag for basketball. Very clever. Onion bags and bags oranges come in would work too!

you can save your cereal boxes to make some thinner chipboard shapes

I save gift cards and use them too. I started making a little album with them and I used my zutter to punch holes in them

I use an old gift card to scrape and remove stickers and also to position small letters and such. It's a great little tool.

I love to use old jewelry. Just the other day I used part of an old cameo pin on a mixed media clock.

I recycle A LOT, but don't use any of it in my crafting...I don't know why...

I really like the idea of using old jewelry. Over the years I have been given a lot of pins. I never wear them because I don't want to poke holes in my clothes. A lot of those pins would make great embellies! Thanks for the idea!

i reused some baker's twine that came on a gift

The other day we had an old door removed and the guy asked what we wanted to do with the key... i said i'll take it I'm a crafter. it will make a great vintage charm on something

• cinderella4282 Said:

lol why not

I know it must be said on here but i cut cola cans up and run them thru my embosser. I even like the printed side sometimes and sand it.

• southgirl Said:

I know it must be said on here but i cut cola cans up and run them thru my embosser. I even like the printed side sometimes and sand it.

good idea! I've never tried anything with cans. I have heard cutting through cans will sharpen punches but I have not tried it....thanks.

I use the net bags for my beach pages all the time, they work well. I started using the gift cards a few years ago when I saw a great looking one at target with a ginger bread man on it. It made a great embellishment on a Christmas cookie LO. I use ribbon off of Christmas presents received on LOs.

• wilbur Said:

BE CAREFUL .... you will become quite addicted. (that is a great thing. )

• rockmom Said:

Those tags are so adorable Denise. i saved them. I love snowmen & blue. I left you some love.

I just used a piece of aluminum foil to make a border around some Christmas pictures.

I'm always looking at things and trying to figure out how I could use them on a page. And I look at everything in life and try to find a way to make it an interesting picture!

I bet the aluminum foil made a pretty Christmas picture border! Never though of that!

What awesome ideas ladies!!!

I use to make ornaments out of old cards. And my grandma but some cut Christmas ornament slippers once.

I have some of those looped threaders that you put dental floss through. They are cheap and come in a pack of about 10. I keep a few in a craft drawer with my twine. They make it very, very easy to thread twine through buttons.

These are great ideas. I keep cards this I really like to reuse.

I keep the Spellbinders plastic covers to use as a palette when I'm using paints or inks, the are good for that and rinse off easy.

Has anyone ever used the thin sheets of acetate from stamps and other packaging and experimented with printing images on it to creat your own acetate embellies? I'm wondering if it would work.

I keep and have used the acetate packaging from spellbinders for paint trays or GlimmerMist (when making flowers- I just shake and pour a small puddle and drag the flowers through) and also use it in my BigKick with flower dies, it looks good when layered in with pp when making flowers!

Well, yesterday I had a "Duh" moment! I was going though all my Christmas cards, sorting into recycle and keep piles. It dawned on me that I had several nice(used)envelopes that was about to be trashed. I recycled them into photo corners. It's very easy to snip off the corners - each makes a little pocket to slip onto the photo. They can be large or small, use one or four, can be stamped or used to journal on or just leave plain. Cutting with decorative scissors is a nice touch .... told you it was a "Duh" moment!!!

Oh that is a cool idea and so simple I probably wouldn't have thought of it. Thanks for sharing.