Paper Crafts on a Budget PART TWO

Have you read Paper Crafts on a Budget PART ONE from 15/11/2011? If not, I recommend having a read by clicking here. Otherwise, welcome to Paper Crafts on a Budget PART TWO – I hope you enjoy!

Always wanted a cheap shimmer or glimmer mist?

These are so easy and cheap to make and can be done in a range of colours. Firstly, purchase one or more mini mister bottles, these can be purchased from scrapbooking stores for around $3 but I have also used old hand sanitiser spray bottles that have been cleaned. You can either choose to use a few drops from an ink refill bottle but a couple of cheaper ways are:

Using metallic paint, (or food colouring and silver or gold metallic paint) craft glue and water, fill your mini mister ¾ full with water, a small amount of glue and paint and shake, then perform a test spray. Add paint until desired colour is achieved.

The other method is excellent for recycling metallic pens that may no longer work because the nib is blocked – this only works if the ink is still usable though. Take one or two metallic pens and place the ink into your mini mister, add water if needed and test spray.

I want to make my own paper designs…. But how?

There are multiple ways to make your own paper designs and various methods are listed below:

·        Tea dye – make a pot of tea (black is best for hues of brown and orange) and brew until it’s a colour that you like (keep in mind the hotter the tea, the more orange it may be), then paint, soak or dab the paper with the tea.

·        Burn the edges of your paper for an old fashioned effect - used in conjunction with tea dying this is excellent for pirate or antique themed layouts.

·        Using the previously mentioned mists, spray it lightly over the paper to create a metallic effect.

·        Use samples from wall paper or paint stores for various effects.

·        Use a nail file, scourer or scissors to rip and distress edges.

·        Use mesh tape to create cool designs by painting over the top of it onto card stock. Remove tape when dry for a more manly effect.

Embossing machines such as the Cuttlebug are out of my price range, can I use something else to emboss? (This is different to heat embossing mentioned in PART ONE)
Yes, a rolling pin used several times with embossing folders (unfortunately there’s no real cheap alternative to these) can have the same effect as the machines – except they will require more physical strength than the machines. Use a soft foam mouse pad to emboss gently or a piece of thick plastic to make the folders cut through the card.

Machines are possibly preferable for those with hand issues or arthritis, however I do recommend keeping a good grip on the handle when winding the folders through, even if the machine makes cracking noises.  A sudden release of the handle will result in the machine flinging it into your hand, which could cause a nasty injury.

I don’t want to spend heaps of money on expensive stationary – what do I do?

Keep an eye out for school sales at supermarkets and newsagents, or at $2 shops, as all of these will put stationary items on sale, and this is a perfect time to build a collection of glitter/metallic pens, textas, adhesives such as double-sided tape, sticky tape, removable tape that doesn’t permanently stick, glue, white out, erasers etc. Ask at these stores if they have an email club where you can be emailed the latest specials they have – this could result in sales on stationary including paper and card stock, allowing you to purchase all the basic elements you require to complete a paper craft. Where possible, if you are matting a page with another page, cut an 11 inch by 11 inch square to create a 1 inch frame out of 12 x 12 inch card stock – keep the square for use in future projects. You can also create your own paper patterns using stamps and various inking techniques.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. As I come across new techniques and tips for paper crafting cheaply, I will continue my series Paper Craft on a Budget. Please feel free to comment if there are any tutorials or ideas mentioned that you would like to have expanded on.

Happy Crafting,

Steff