Water Jug Lamp

Another idea for alternative illumination.

Yup, I could even read by it.

DIY Mod Podge

I have seen this pin plenty.

Several recipes online for this. 

Glue and water.

I used this recipe as a fabric stiffener. 

I would only use it in place of Mod Podge in an emergency.

The general consensus is that this does not work out the same as Mod Podge. That it yellows as it dries and just won't work on the thicker papers. 

With the exception being this lady;

I have used the regular Elmer's Glue-All mixed with equal parts of water with great success. Just be sure to allow your work to dry thoroughly between layers and after you've completed your piece. Then you can add a coat of clear varnish (water type) or shellac to protect your finished object. Do not use the school glue for these projects as I don't think it's really thick enough to begin with. My husband bought a gallon of Elmer's Glue-All to use in his own work, and it's the most economical way to go if you're going to be doing a lot of decoupage work. I've covered entire bookshelves in decoupage and it worked great.

DIY Washi Tape

Washi tape. Another must have for the crafty set.

But how about for those of us without washi tape money? Or maybe you just need a teeny, tiny bit?

I found a few DIYs for us.

Two Sided Tape and Tissue Method

painted and Stamped Method

Smash All the Books

A smash book is hardly a new concept. I remember doing something similar when I was in middle school and high school. You take a notebook and doodle in it, glue/tape things in it. In my lifetime I have made a gazillion of these.


Do you remember doing THOSE smash books?

And now, thanks to K & C Company, they are being mass-marketed and seem to be pretty popular. This is just a new fresh spin on the concept that makes us want to do it all over again. I believe they have even trademarked the term Smash Book.


You go and buy a nice, blank book and all the cute, little accessories to go with it. Can you say cha-ching? 

I say, no. Do you really want the same book and accessories as everyone?

I am working on a couple at the moment, using discarded books. One is for my sister, shhh.

The pages below are a few of the ones I have done for my sister, using some of her favorite quotes.

Cardboard Mailers

I hoard collect wrecked records. I make stuff out of them...but that's another story altogether.

That leaves me with a LOT of album covers.

Some are cool and I reuse for postcards, etc or just save them because they are cool.

Some are just...there.

I joined Swap-Bot recently and today I had to mail out some ephemera for a junk journal. These were obviously items I wanted to keep flat.

Now I had the Priority envelopes, but not Priority envelope money.

For about half the cost of a Priority envelope, I sent out my swaps in album covers.

A lot more interesting to get in the mail than a Priority envelope, for sure. And you know what? That sucker will stay flat. Album covers are made of some pretty sturdy cardboard!

I'm Not REALLY Cheap

I just have a $0 arts and crafts budget.

So, I look for alternatives a lot.

I have a few patterns that require bias tape, and I don't have any.

What I do have is oodles of coordinating fabrics.

So I was pleased to find this pattern for making your own!

Fabric Stiffener DIY

I needed fabric stiffener, but didn't have any.

I didn't really need much. And being cheap I set out to find a DIY recipe for fabric stiffener.

I googled, naturally.

I found two alternatives. One based with sugar, the other with glue.

I went with glue.

You mix glue and cold water in equal amounts, I read. But it just wasn't the right consistency.

I ended up adding more glue, probably about half the amount I added the first time.

Sorry for the inaccurate measurements, but that's the way I do recipes. In the mad scientist lab and in the kitchen. A pinch here, a dash there, until I get the right flavor. Or in this case, the right consistency.

It did work.

And being impatient as well as cheap, I ended up microwaving my fabric to get it to dry faster.

That also worked.

No way was I in the mood to wait idly by until it dried on it's own. I did, however, give it an hour before I got in a hurry.

I put it in my microwave for 30 second intervals until it was nice and dry.

*should you try this part at home, be mindful of the fabric's flammability. I used a lace in this instance and it was non-combustible. You will, however, hear a Pop, Pop, Popping sound in the very beginning. Like bacon grease popping.