Thursday, November 19, 2009

Creative Inspiration

I've set out to have an all-handmade-holiday on an extremely tight budget. I've been a crafting machine lately, knitting, glueing, covered in glitter. I carry a small notepad in my purse and use my pen to sketch ideas I see in stores. Sometimes I roam stores just to find ideas. I also take pictures with my camera phone.

I made these snowflake ornaments after seeing a similar idea in a Better Home and Gardens Holiday Craft magazine. I start by using the cheap glitter snowflakes you can find just about anywhere this time of year. Mine are from Target and the Dollar Store. I bought the ribbon 50% off at Hobby Lobby and Micheals, and 80-90% off last year at the after holiday clearance sales. I love getting nice things for 20 cents! The glitter is the awesome Martha Stewart, found on clearance last year after Christmas. The pipe cleaners are from dollar bins at JoAnns. The rhinestones are from 99 cent-packs at Micheals. I use my frequent 40-50% off coupons to stop in at Micheals and Hobby Lobby a couple times a week to get $3-4 dollar embellishment sets at a discount. A lot of the craft store coupons I use are "limit one coupon to a customer a day," so if you print up a few, and go back a few different times, you get a discount every time. I never pay full price for anything. Ever.







Here are some websites I frequent for inspirational craft ideas:













Happy crafting!

4 comments:

Misty said...

You make me smile, J. My idea of crafting is punching a hole in a 2-liter bottle and... well I bet you can remember the rest. ;)

Jamie Rex said...

I do Misty. And you make me smile, too. I miss you!

Jennifer Wallace said...

You need to know that YOU are my go to girl for inspiration.

The last few years people have gotten home made and hand made gifts from us. I've found that the experience is much more pleasing for me. I spend HOURS with these gifts- they are so much more in line with the spirit of giving.

In fact, I've been spending so much time in thrift stores that I think about crafting ALL THE TIME. I bought a wooden tool box- just like yours- to hold my craft stuff. It was $4 and made me so happy I could just die.

So anyway... just wanted to let you know that your inspiration is my inspiration. More photos please.

xoxoxo- JW.

Jamie Rex said...

Thanks Jenn! That made my day. And I agree. I cringe when I get asked to do grab bags with lists... to me, gift giving is baout giving you own ideas, not just going to some box store and getting what someone has asked for. I would have just pissed myself right there in the thrift store if I found my box for $4. Awesome deal!!!