DIY Home Decor

I found this pretty glass piece (empty) at Marshalls which was under $10. I was thinking to fill it with colored layers of candy, M&Ms, Skittles, peppermints. But when it came time to pouring the candy, I couldn't do it. Knowing that all that candy would be sitting there begging me to eat it. Or [gasp] candy just going to waste...  I don't think so.

I rumaged through the pantry and found anything cheap, colorful and most importantly had a long shelf life.  I ended up with simple things you can do too.

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First, find a glass container that closes (to keep out dust and probably bugs).

Next, fill the sucker**. I used popcorn kernels, purple rice, brown lentils, white rice, green lentils, but you could go wild with different noodles, beans and grains. Also I cheated by sticking a drinking glass in the center to cut down on materials. But being cheap has it perks because now I could put a candle inside.

Another thought, how about following a cute little mason jar recipes. I love the look of those, that would be easy to do on a larger scale.

**If you're a bit (or a lot) of a perfectionist... remember to level the layer before adding the next.

I enjoy the natural look of the decor. Currently this is sitting on top of our entertainment center. I would love to see what creation you have made.

Altered Composite Notebook

Starting with a typical composite notebook (40 cents) and adding some embellishments, it becomes a great gift.

Paper: Best Occasions Pastel & index card

Stamps: K&Company Marcella K
Ink: (Purple) Studi g
Ribbon & fabric flower: Dollar store find
Die Cut: all hand cut

Cheap [Clear/Cling] Stamp Organization

I saw a question someone had posted online about stamp organization, so here is the method that is working for me.

The idea came to me when I was looking at the stamps and how I wanted to keep them looking just like they do in the packages.

I started with some old transparencies that I had stashed away. I knew they would come in handy. Transparencies can easily be purchase on the cheap office supplies store.

I grouped my stamps by themes and then began putting them on the transparencies. On the back side of the transparency are the stamps, and the front I ran a strip of glue tape to secure the design. The design is usually the clear sheet that is already stuck to the stamp, just cut out the design. Then sandwiched the stamp with another transparency to keep the stamps from sticking. Hole punch the transparencies and place them in a binder with some tabs - whala, organized. The pages are a bit heavy but surprisingly the stamps don't fall off.

I considered placing the transparency stamp sandwiches in page protectors, but I didn't like the idea of having to pull it out every time. My binder doesn't travel much, so I didn't feel the need for the extra security, but something for you to consider.

It seems to be working for me because it's one of the few things I haven't redone. (Half my crafting time seems to be spent organizing. I think I like organizing almost as much as crafting, scary.) I spent nothing and it should cost you near to nothing to replicate. I like that I can find stamps really easy and it's easy for me to keep organized.

Please leave me a comment, especially if you tried and like it or have any suggestions.