With all the glum news about the economy and thousands of people uncertain about their jobs, it makes sense that more and more people are turning to handcrafts as a way to soothe their souls and seek refuge from the five o clock news. But when you are trying to stick to a budget, you might think that it can hamper your creative impulses. Not so, if you try a few of these ideas.
1. Use What You Already Have
We’ve all done it. We bought that strand of gemstone beads or those tubes of seed beads in the perfect color and then put them away in our stash, only to be forgotten for a few days or weeks or months. So when you feel the urge to start on a new project, instead of despairing about not being able to afford any new beads, try digging through your stash – you might be surprised and inspired by what you find.2. Set Up a Bead Barter or Swap
Bead swaps are all the rage lately. There are several good message boards for beaders where interested parties can offer beads for a trade. Look through your stash and find a few things that you can part with and offer to trade them for something that you really need or want. It’s a great way to save money, and you just might make a new beading buddy.3. Place Larger Orders for Beads and Supplies With Your Friends
I know it might sound contrary to the idea of sticking to a budget, but if a mail order or vendor at a bead show offers a large discount for a large purchase, gather a few of your friends and see if each of you can purchase enough beads to get the discount. For instance, if a vendor at a bead show offers a 50% discount for purchases over $200, if you and three friends can each pick out $50 worth of beads, you’ll each end up paying only $25. Keep your eyes open for discounts or special offers that you and your beading friends can take use to your advantage.4. Sign Up for E-mail Newsletters From Your Favorite Online Bead Stores
Lots of online bead stores now offer weekly, bi-weekly or monthly newsletters. And many times when they send out these newsletters, they announce sales and special promotions on their merchandise. Some of them hold raffles where you can also win gift cards and gift certificates. Most of them also offer wonderful design ideas and handy tips for using their featured products as well.5. Reuse and Recycle
Go through your completed projects, looking for pieces that didn’t quite work, or pieces that you just plain don’t like. It can be a very rejuvenating process to tear something apart and make something entirely new from its components. And the best part is that you probably won’t have to buy anything new to make a new piece of beadwork.
