1. Use more solids vs. patterned papers
2. Create your own unique paper (using inks, stamps, paints, mists, etc.)
3. Create your own bling.
4. Create your own flourishes.
5. Trace, print or color your own doodles.
6. Use $1 Store flowers.
7. Use cardboard as chipboard.
Trace pre-made chipboard onto cardstock, cereal boxes or plain chipboards, then cut it out with your scissors. It works great if you don't have enough alphas to make a title or specific styles that you only have 1 of and are thinking of re-using again
8. Recycle childrens board books as chipboard books.
9. Make your own gluedots. Use Aleene's Repositionable Glue. Just put a small dab on the leftover backing from stickers or labels (the non-stick part) and let them dry. Then, cover with another non-stick sheet. You can also reuse the roll when you are done. Works great!
10. Ink, paint, color your brads, buttons & bling.
11. Free wallpaper books from paint stores. The designs, especially the borders, are great to use for Layouts.
12. Use old postcards, maps, postage stamps, medallions, keys & old coins.
13. Use seashells, rocks, sand & sandpaper.
14. Buy pattern paper in stacks when they are on sale. You get so much more paper in stacks for the price, especially when on sale!
Tip - Even one better, whenever purchasing paper stacks, try and enlist 1 or 2 other scrappers. That way, not only can you purchase even more stacks/by dividing them up evenly...but that way you also won't end up with so many doubles or triples!
15. Use office supplies, such as staples, bulldog clips, paperclips, rubber bands, etc.
16. Use hatpins or quilter's pins and ribbon.
17. Use q-tips, cottonballs, makeup wedges, etc. as dabbers.
18. Use Emery boards (nail files) for distressing.
19. Use the edge of your scissors for distressing.
20. Ink the edges of your paper.
21. Use feathers, plastic leaves, vines & branches.
22. Reuse old buttons, buckles, zippers, labels & patches from children's clothing.
23. Make your own patterned paper with plain cardstock and stamps.
24. Make your own flowers. (flowers are my favorite embellishment)
25. Stamp, embellish & or cut out your own shapes & letters!
26. Use old puzzle pieces.
27. Use playing cards & game board pieces on your projects & layouts.
28. Buy old children's books at a secondhand store and the dollar store.
29. Make your alpha letters go further by combining the styles vs. sticking to 1 font!
30. When layering paper, cut out the center and use it for the mats, flowers, die cuts, etc.
If you only need a short piece of paper, cut it out of the middle of the 12x12 sheet and then you can still use what's left as a full page border for another lo. On the other side of that, if you just need a page border, cut out the middle and save it for another project.
31. Punch small flowers out of scraps that are too small to save, but still large enough for the punch and keep them for future projects.
32. Use sheet music, CD inserts, old book pages.
33. Trade with friends. (Invite friends over and have a swap, one friends trash is another’s treasure).
34. Use what you have (cards, giftcards, ticket stubs, business cards, brochures, restaurant menus, etc)...layouts don’t have to be costly or fancy.
35. Dye your own flowers, (you can make white dollar store flowers any color you need with an ink pad).
36. Use bulk rhinestones sold in a bag, instead of expensive bling-- you just have to add adhesive.
37. Use small sewing pins, zippers, snaps, metal clothespins, measuring tape, etc.
38. Recycle old greeting cards.
39. Make your own photo corners.
40. Make your own felt flowers using templates and felt. (can pick up felt cheaply at Wal-Mart).
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