Nifty & Thrifty

 January causes me to clean. I don’t know why? Most people spring clean, but I start after Christmas. Maybe it is because of all those new gifts that need places to be put away in my home or having to “un-decorate” the house from all the “merry” Christmas festivities. This January I was trying to fit another sheet set into my bedroom drawer, and it wasn’t shoving in well. I thought to myself, why don’t I clean out this dresser and move the sheets to the hall server. It was like a gun went off in my head and the cleaning began. I spent one day on my bedroom dressers, night stands, and bathroom cabinets -- which led me into my closet and I organized my clothes by color. I moved white t-shirts into baskets and pulled out jeans I never will fit into again. I made a sack for garage sale clothes and one for Goodwill. Our neighborhood has a sale every May, and if I put all my garage sale items in an unused closet, then I don’t have to spend a week looking for them when sale time comes.

My cleaning frenzy continued with the Christmas décor. Every room in our house reflects the holidays, so putting it away almost leaves me paralyzed at the thought. It took three days, but I organized and stored it back into the basement for next year. As I was packing the holidays away, I thought I had better organize the storage room. See it is a snowball effect with my decluttering! Once I get started, there’s no stopping me! This in turn had me cleaning and organizing my little studio.

Thanks for sticking with me through that long tale of a “messy house.”

Welcome to "My Studio Pink"!

Here are the results of my studio organization.

•  I hope it will help you to think about your own supplies and how to organize them into containers you already have or inexpensive thrift store finds.
• Use a lot of baggies and spend a lot of time sorting items.
•  It is completely worth it, and in the long run saves me a great deal of time looking for a certain item.
•  It also saves me money because I can see what I have versus buying it twice.
  

Come in the door … It is open and the floor is free of clutter.



The first things you may notice are the suitcases on the floor.

• I found the blue one for $1.24 at a thrift store. I use it to store all my colored tissue paper. And when I take classes or travel to workshops, I pack my own supplies in it. It has three functions -- it looks pretty, it holds supplies, and it stores my colored tissue paper.
• The larger suitcase under the blue one stores patterned paper, and embellishments are in the smaller one.
• The very bottom suitcase is where I keep my foam floral pieces. I also use it for trunk shows. It has bars in it for men’s slacks that are perfect for displaying cards or layouts.
  (picture)
  

My desk was a gift from my parents. It is actually a bar table from a furniture store. I store ribbon on spring tension rods where shot glass were suppose to go, and the wine bottle storage area is for some of my paper punches -- the ones I use most often. I love the table because it opens wider for larger projects.

Notice on the top of my table the containers I use for scissor storage, adhesive storage, and pens and colored pencils.

•  I purchased the metal roll basket at a thrift store for my adhesives. I added a glass jar in it for glue pens.
•  My scissors are in a black urn garage sale find. I use them the most when crafting so they need to be on my desk.
• I keep erasers in a sea shell from a vacation, and pens go into pots from a garden basket. Clay pots are inexpensive, can be painted any color with the right type of paint, and are perfect for holding certain utensils.

Behind my desk is a wobbly table from an antique store. It holds baby wipes, towels, and other art supplies that I use but not as frequently. I store my sewing machine on the shelf under it. And if you look carefully, you may notice another basket under the sewing machine for trimmers and circle cutters.

Another key area in my studio is the computer area. It is sitting on an inexpensive discount store bookcase and a wobbly kitchen bar from a discount store. I have my inspiration board behind the computer monitor, and I store stamps in a kitchen metal basket (thanks to my friend Melanie for the idea). I also store stamps above the computer area on an I-beam along the studio ceiling. I am one of those crafters who believe if it is out of sight I won’t think to use it. You know the saying “Out of sight, out of mind.” The I-beam allows me to use both sides of it for displaying my stamps without having to buy shelving.

On the bookcase part of the computer area is a wooden dollhouse on sale from a craft store. I covered it with favorite scrapbooking papers and trims. I use it for storage. It holds movies I like to listen to as I craft, computer graphics I use, and vignettes of things I have created.



Above the dollhouse is a shelf from a white shutter. I bought the shutter at a consignment shop and fastened it with shelf brackets. I display things I love on it, and the candelabra holds jars of colored buttons. Yes, I sorted all my buttons to make it easier to find the ones I need. The jars are the ones used for canning. My thrift store has hundreds of them for around 50 cents each.

Around my studio you will see jewelry boxes filled with jewelry collected from thrift stores for use in my crafts. You will see paint brushes in vases, business cards in an old cash register drawer, and jars and jars of supplies. The jars were ones I had or ones that I purchased at thrift stores. Notice the domino jar -- it is a fish bowl. Not all my jars have lids. They are much cheaper to buy without a lid.

Last January when I reorganized my studio, I created this little piece of art from all my odds and ends. I used an old paint set with some paints still in it as my base. I added old earrings, words, vintage buttons, music notepaper, and anything I had that didn’t have a home. It is one of my favorite things in my studio. All made from junk!!!!!

Hanging from the ceiling (because my room is so small), I wanted to display things I love. I hung an old lamp shade. The shade was found at an antique store, and the fabric part of the shade was removed, leaving only the metal frame. It was perfect for hanging the ornaments I received from the Silverbella ornament swap. Can you see the Eiffel Tower from the last Nifty Thrifty post hanging from fishing line on it? I used the chain from a broken necklace and a drawer knob to hang it with. This isn’t for everyone’s taste but I love the old and unusual. I also have a plastic floral stick hanging in my studio with lots of shiny, pretty things.

Okay, come with me where not many friends, family, or crafters have gone … behind the curtains. My dear friend Allison gave me this bookcase when she was moving classrooms in her school. It is the foundation of my studio storage.

 Come see why. ….

Under the curtains is where I keep all my cardstock. I store it in plastic tubes that once held my sweaters. In the tube is cardstock bagged in the giant-sized zip-lock bags. I have used this method for years and it works well for storing cardstock.

I keep my extra punches behind my studio door in a shoe organizer and under the magic curtains. I took shoe box plastic tubes and punched cardstock scraps to show what punches are in each tub. This helps me quickly find what I need.

I use all kinds of containers for storing crafting items.

 

My silk flowers are in a child’s picnic basket. The leaves are in an old woven basket with a lid. Tulle is in the large picnic basket. String is stored in a wire bathroom basket.

All the little junk that I love 

-- loads and loads of glass jars hold it.

• I use everything from vases to baby food jars.
• Some have lids and some don’t.
• I place groupings on silver trays from thrift stores.
• Clear jars make it easy for me to find what I am looking for.
• I don’t label them because as my collection changes, so do the jars.
• Really small objects or random pieces end up in a muffin tin I spray painted pink or in a metal divided tray.

I have taken the time to sort my stamping supplies and label the drawers. I use clear drawers so I can see what is stored in them.

I sort all my brads by color…

well almost all. I haven’t sorted this container yet.

Maybe the next snow storm!

When you are organizing your studio, think “outside the box” -- glitter stored in salt or sugar shakers, garden containers used for holding tools, and plate stands for displaying your crafts. Make a place that is organized and efficient to create in. It doesn’t matter the size of your studio; it matters how it functions for you. Fill it with what you love so you can craft something you love.

Don’t spend a lot on containers. Use what you have. Spend your hard earned dollars on supplies you love to create with.

And when you have leftovers and you aren’t sure what to do with them or don’t think you need them –

• Make a crafting basket for a good friend. Everyone loves something new! Hand me down supplies are the BEST!

• Donate the supplies to Ronald McDonald House or hospitals for very ill children. It helps parents reflect on happy times with their sick child, and they can spend time crafting scrapbooks while their child is undergoing treatment.

• Or use them to create a collection home décor piece like this one. Hang it in your studio or display it every Valentine’s Day. The only rule is not to buy anything. Use the leftovers!

Don’t hesitate to email me with any of your organization questions.

 I am a work in progress, and I keep trying to become more efficient and thrifty.

~Kara (Studio Pink)

 Baby, it’s cold outside! January has the temperature gauge dropping in my hometown which causes me to spend my time crafting in my cozy home. A warm, sweater is not only comforting but is also the perfect base for craft projects. From one thrift store sweater, you can create many projects without bringing a chill to your pocketbook.

My love for wool sweaters started this summer-odd, I know. 

 I noticed a trend in crafting.  Many of my favorite crafters were starting to use felted pieces on:

• home décor pillows
• creating their own glasses cases
• camera cases
• notebooks
• journals,

--After a little searching, I found the most inexpensive way to gather felt was to buy thrift store wool sweaters and wash them in H-O-T water.

• They shrink to a smaller size with the fibers tightly together that you can cut the wool sweater and it won’t unravel.
• No need for you to sew a hem -- the felted sweater was a magic cut-and-create fabric with endless colors and patterns.
• My search began like a scavenger hunt for 100% wool sweaters.
• You can use sweaters with a lesser wool percentage but you may experience some unraveling.
  
  How to wash a wool sweater for felting:

1. Place the wool sweater in the washing machine and choose a hot cycle to clean it.
2. If it doesn’t shrink enough, wash it again in a cold cycle and then a hot cycle.
3. Place in the dryer and be prepared to clean out the lint tray often.
4. Don’t leave it in the dryer when you are not home.
5.  Lay it out to finish air drying.
   
   The first project I attempted using a wool sweater was an ornament for a swap.

Place the wool sweater in the washing machine and choose a hot cycle to clean it.

I signed up for the swap because I thought it would be so fun to have a Christmas tree full of handcrafted sweater ornaments. I plan to leave my pink Christmas tree up all year long in my studio as a reminder of the new friends I made in the swap and as inspiration for upcoming projects.

Here is a peek at what each artist made. Visit Jen Kershner  and see her dress form decked out with our felted ornaments!

 

Once I completed the ornaments, I was on a roll. My friend, Rachel, taught me how to create these little brooches using cotton fabric.

We stayed up late one night creating them in a hotel room. I didn’t have much fabric with me but I did have a wool sweater.

•  I cut a piece approximately 1 yard long and ¾ inch thick.
• I coiled it with glue on a felt circle to create a rosette.
• A few buttons for the flower’s center and leaves cut from felt and embellished with embroidery floss and dried flowers were the “icing on the cake” for my flower brooch.
• I added a pin to the back and it made the perfect accent for my daughter’s sweater hat.

These were so easy to make, and you could create dozens and dozens from one sweater.

Rachel made them for each of her teachers as little thank-you’s.
With the help of Rachel and the inspiration of Charlotte Lyons,

I created my own one-of-a-kind winter hat.

•  It was made by trimming a felted sweater into a square shape.
• The top of the square is smaller than the bottom.
• I used my head to measure the width. I also kept one sewn seam from the original sweater when I was cutting out the square shape. That way, I only had to stitch one side of the sweater square.
• To close up the top of the sweater, stitch all the way around the top section of the hat.
• Carefully pull the string to draw the top of the hat closed. Depending on how far you stitch from the top of the hat will create a beanie at the top.
•  I stitched approximately ¾ inch from the top.
• This hat was embellished with the trim of an ivory colored sweater. It has a blanket stitch of red embroidery floss around it.
• I added a die-cut branch using felt for my fabric and felted beaded balls for the berries.
• The bird was cut from a scrap sweater and so was its wing. I added a button on the wing and a bead for the eye.
• I even felted the beak.
• A decorative backstitch gives the bird its personality.

Are you feeling “green” this winter? I decided to stop using my favorite coffee shop’s cardboard holders and created my own from the cuff of a sweater.

•  I simply cut off the cuff, fitted for size, and added a blanket stitch to it.
• The design on it is, of course, a steaming cup of Joe! When creating my coffee mug and saucer, I thought of simple shapes.

• Notice the saucer is a long skinny oval and the coffee mug is a half of a circle with a handle.
• I continued the simple shapes by needle felting pink circles onto the mug and into the sweater.
• The coffee is needle felted roving.
• Small pieces of roving and a single needle will give you the best detail when you needle felt.
• I think these little coffee cozies would make great girlfriend gifts or even teacher gifts. My friend created them for her Diet Coke can because she isn’t much of a coffee drinker.
•  I also made a wine bottle cozy using the sleeve of the sweater.
• Wool absorbs water so your sweaty drink won’t get you wet for quite a while.
• Here is a link to drink box cozy.  They are so cute...and a great way to tell who's cozy belongs to whom.

 

Another “green” idea is to create a sweater book bag for the library.

 My library gives out plastic bags to carry your books home in. Why not create your own?

• To create the bag, use the side seams for the bottom of the bag and the handle.
• That leaves only the sides of the bag to stitch on the sewing machine or to hand-stitch.
• Sew the bag inside out after cutting your handle.
• I cut one side of the bag and then flipped the piece that I cut out and used it for the pattern on the other side.
• I cut the letters from a gray sweater and hand-stitched them.

• The owl is made of 100% recycled sweater pieces with button eyes.
• I used all my scraps to create the owl. Waste not, want not!
• The sweater bag is stretchy so don’t overload it with reading material.
  
  This lovely brooch was the easiest of all projects to make. You know the saying “saving the best for last.”

•  Take two strips of sweater approximately 18 inches long and 1½ inches wide.
• The measurements will be different depending on the size of you flower brooch.
• Sew a running stitch all the way across the sweater strips, binding them together, and then cut fringe in the sweater and coil and glue to a felt circle base to create a flower.
• Add a fancy button, fabric brad, or an old earring for its center.
• Cut leaves and secure a pin to the back of the flower.
• The brooch would be lovely on a winter coat or as an accent for your scarf.
  
  Save all your leftover sweater felt for new projects. Place the scraps in zip-lock baggies that are sorted by sweater color. This will make it easier to find what you need for future crafting projects.
  
  Stay warm this winter and snuggle up with a felted sweater craft or spread the felted love by organizing your own flower brooch swap!

Happy crafting and stay warm!

~Kara (Studio Pink)

 

   

 The budget seems tighter than ever this holiday season. Many of my friends and family are looking for jobs.

 

To remove some of the stress from having to buy so many gifts on such a thin budget, we decided that the gifts this year would be crafted or free.

 

 

Here are some ideas for those who are hard to buy for or when your budget is short on funds.

Coupons:

 

 I have always loved this idea and have used it for wedding anniversary gifts to birthday celebrations.

Create a coupon representing a special reward. You will be amazed how much teenagers love this gift.

 

Some examples --

• Good for using the car for 30 minutes (for teenager)
• No chore day (for kids)
•  Free babysitting (for friends)
•  Good for a car wash (for Dad)
• Cooking on me or going to the grocery store on me (for Mom)
•  Dusting the house (for Grandma)
•  Playing cards (for Grandpa)
•  Good for 30 minutes of playing video games (for kids)
  
  Personalize the coupon. Make it fit the person you are gifting it to. Wrap it in a special box or container that can sit out and be used. 
  
  Companionship:

 

Young and old value spending time together. Playing games, watching a movie, or just declaring it a special day with that person is a wonderful gift to give. There is nothing on earth more valuable than the people you love and the time you spend with them. The gift of companionship is such a giving present this holiday season. Wrap up a box with the date you will be spending with that person and include ideas of what you would like to do. Make a larger commitment, like spending every Tuesday with that special someone or having it be one child per week special day. Think about volunteering to read at a hospital or in a nursing home.

Giving a piece of you is a selfless act of love. 

Letter with Meaning:

 

 

Write a letter to each of your friends or family members. Tell them why you love them and how much they mean to you. Reminisce about the good times you have shared and document your feelings in a letter. Roll the letter and tie with string or frame it in a thrift store frame. I guarantee this letter will be more valuable to the recipient than any sweater, scarf, or movie you could buy for them. 

Free Gifts from Children:

 

One of the best gifts my children could give me is a NO Arguing Day! Doesn’t that just sound like heaven? A whole day of no picking, spatting, or poking at one another. I would treasure that gift! Another gift I would appreciate is a Day of Chores gift. I would love the dishwasher emptied, the beds made, laundry put away, or even just simple picking up after each other. It sounds like bliss in my book. Such simple ideas but so meaningful for a busy mom. 

Time for Yourself:

 

From a busy mom’s perspective one of the nicest gifts I can give my friends is a day to pamper themselves, or a day to shop without children, or a day to leisurely look through magazines at Barnes and Noble. The older I get the more I value time to myself. Gift those busy moms this season by offering to car pool kids or relieve them of their chores for a day so they can have a little time to themselves. Dads also need a day when they can golf, watch TV, or spend time wandering in a hardware store. They work hard and do so many things for their family. Place a thrift store watch in a box or an old clock with the simple phrase “Time for You” written on it. Take over and let them have a day for themselves. 

 Pampering:

 

As the mom to a teenage girl, her want list is a mile long but something she enjoys is pampering herself. Create a spa day at home for her. It is simply running a bubble bath, painting her nails, or giving her a facial/make-over. Make it special by putting apple juice in a pretty glass or having chocolates and strawberries for her to snack on. It is all about making her feel like a princess.

Doesn’t every girl wish for that? 

Gifts for Children:

I love the idea of having a sledding day for the special nieces and nephews in your life. Wrap up a hot cocoa packet with a message that says “Good for a day of sledding and fun!” Have hot cocoa for them and a wintry story to read or frosty movie to watch after a day of fun spent together. This may become a holiday traditional gift. Double gift by creating a crafting day for the little ones in your life. Finger painting, homemade play dough, or creating a city from boxes and construction paper is a wonderful way to spend the day with friends, cousins, or nieces and nephews. It is way to gift their parents of some time apart too!

Crafting:

 

There are so many projects you can make for gifts. Calendars are personal and useful presents. Food gifts are a favorite of mine. This year I printed 5 x 7 photos of my friends with their families from different times we had spent together. I found $3 frames at Wal-Mart in my area. I loved seeing their faces when they opened the pictures. I gave them a piece of me and what I like to do.

For more gift ideas, check out these websites.

The website Yes All 4 Free had categories for finding items you were looking for, coupons, and web promotions.

Read the fine print carefully on this site.
http://www.yesall4free.com/

Family Crafts list 100 gifts you can make with a photo of each gift idea.
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/giftstomake/tp/HomeMadeGiftIdeas.htm

This season try to remember that it isn’t the monetary amount spent on the gift. It is the meaning behind it.

 We are all trying to tell our friends and our family how much we love and care about them.

Happy Holidays!
~Kara (Studiopink)