Dollar Bin Finds

This month, we’ve mentioned a few times how new papercrafters shouldn’t let the cost of creating cute cards deter them from getting started. Today, let’s take a look at some sweet deals you can find if you keep your eyes peeled!

I try to avoid generic brands because they tend to look gaudy, so I was happy that Michael’s had these name brand Prima flowers for just $1! When choosing embellishments, I try to choose packages that contain as many items as possible, so my crafting dollar goes farther (i.e. buy in bulk!). 

I found all of these sticker sheets for $1 each! They are all name brand manufacturers, except the wedding stickers (second from the left), but the wedding stickers have glitter and they don’t look chintzy. I also prefer to buy items that have special features or textures so they stand well on their own – with glitter, rubber texture, or thick chipboard. I also prefer self-adhesive items so I don’t have to worry about how to stick them on! 

These green K&Company stickers are “flocked”, meaning they have furry texture. I found them at Michael’s for 99 cents several years ago, but I saw them there last week and they are $2.99! So beware… if it’s a good deal, grab it!

This two-sided glitter sticker sheet by Making Memories was a great deal at Michael’s as well. I’ve never seen these type of stickers for less than $4!

These are Michael’s house brand stickers, but I liked the images and they all have good-quality glitter. I think I’ve seen these type of stickers retail for $3.99, but I got lucky!

 I felt like I won the lottery when I went to JoAnn and found the next three cute sheets, along with a bunch of other KI Memories items. These chipboard stickers (you get two sheets in one package) are on *clearance* right now at scrapbook.com for usually $3.49! I’ll take the $1 deal, please!

I love these Softies by KI Memories. They’re made out of a rubbery silicone. I would tend to use these for more permanent personal scrapbooking projects instead of cards, because they’re just so adorable and there are only 16 in a package, but I thought I’d share. Normal retail is $3.95. 

Finally, these glitter rub-ons (there are 44 of them) make really awesome accents. Again, normal retail price is about $4. I tend to use only one or two of these type of embellishments per card, so I can really make my supplies (and $) stretch!

So, just by keeping my eyes peeled, I purchased approximately $25 worth of scrapbooking embellishments for $7. With my simple style of showcasing these fancy additions, I estimate that I could probably embellish 200 cards!
 
Another helpful tip when searching for frugal embellishments? Wait until craft stores are introducing new lines of supplies – when the dollar bins go to clearance, you can find rhinestones and other fun things for only 33 cents. Of course, the colors might be purple and orange for Halloween clearance, but think of how you could use that orange with greens/yellows for Spring cards, or pair the purple with pink and make some Valentine’s cards! Just be patient 🙂