I am so excited to have Laddie from Re-New Furniture Finds and Re-Finishing with us today.
We all know how expensive it can get to craft and create, and today Laddie is giving us some tips on how to do just that without spending a ton of money.
That girl is speaking my language!
Often times when I post new projects and ideas for fixing
We all know how expensive it can get to craft and create, and today Laddie is giving us some tips on how to do just that without spending a ton of money.
That girl is speaking my language!
Often times when I post new projects and ideas for fixing
up old furniture I also get a slew of questions on how to do
this cost effectively.
Since it's the start of a new year and some of us may have made
resolutions to save more money or live a more frugal lifestyle I decided
to dole out some of my cost saving secrets.
WHERE TO SHOP
I ALWAYS get asked where I find my furniture pieces.
Spring and Summer are obviously YARD SALE prime
pickins! I love me a good yard sale...especially COMMUNITY
yard sales! Look for these postings as you get more bang for your buck and
less driving! You can literally hit 5 sales in one block because
large neighborhoods plan for everyone to hold their yard sale at the same time!
I also like places like Goodwill as they sometimes have in store
manager specials where they will have an additional 30% off of furniture.
Also in our area we have Facebook Friday where you can go to
the Facebook page and print off a discount coupon for Goodwill
EVERY Friday! Not sure if this applies everywhere but it's worth
looking in to. Goodwill and Value Village (Savers Stores)
have colored tag days where items are 50% or $1.29!
This usually does NOT apply to furniture but it DOES
apply to home decor and everything else in the store.
SAVING ON SUPPLIES
I have referenced several times on my Facebook page
the "oops" section of the paint store which then baffles most followers.
Almost all home improvement stores and big chain
stores that have paint departments also have an "OOPS"
section where mis-tinted or returned paint is sold at
a drastic price reduction.
I have found paint anywhere from .25-$7!!
These can sometimes be really random colors but if you
aren't looking for a specific color I suggest perusing
this area for ideas and DEALS!
I have also been able to find other things like wallpaper,
spray paint, glazes, brushes,etc. in this section at
marked down prices.
RE-USING MATERIALS
Something many people may not know is that if you take
a gamble on that gallon of mis-tinted paint that isn't
quite the color you wanted...you can MIX it with
another can of paint to achieve your desired color!
I also re-use my brushes and rollers by rinsing
them out with warm water immediately and letting them dry
before using again. But, we are all human and sometimes
we walk away from that paint brush to answer the phone,
pick up the kids from school or make dinner.
Don't worry!
Soak them in a jar of vinegar and warm water for
a little while and it will soften up that dried up paint so you
can rinse the brush and use it again.
I hate wasting paint and therefore use small paint trays
and rollers for most projects.
That way you can pour a small amount and add more as needed
but also if I have some left in the tray I don't want to waste...
it fits nicely in a quart size ziploc bag and I can
save it for next time!
GETTING CRAFTY
I use craft stores for a lot of my supplies and even decor
pieces. It's amazing the selection they have in stores these days!
You can get home decor, drawer knobs, hardware,
scrapbook paper, wood accessories, transfers, stencils etc.
that all make great supplies to have on hand for projects.
Most craft stores have member programs that you
can join for free to get additional coupons, savings and deals.
You can usually find weekly coupons sent in most local papers
You can usually find weekly coupons sent in most local papers
that you can use on top of or in conjunction with your member perks.
They also have great CLEARANCE sections as a good
portion of their inventory rotates seasonally.
Hope some of these tips help keep your costs down on projects
and that it inspires you to start up a project that may
be sitting in your garage right now!
You can re-create high end looks on a budget
and have the self satisfaction of knowing that
YOU made that!!
YOU made that!!
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