Chipboard Crafting

While shopping at my favorite store Hobby Lobby, I ran across the chipboard isle filled with great options for crafting. Hobby Lobby has even created its own Cricut Cartridge to use with the different shapes and words pre-cut out of chipboard. I have always admired the many cute projects out there that incorporate chipboard and it was on sale for 40% off--so I decided to take a chance. My first project was a wall cross.

I used a sheet of scrapbook paper, Spray glue, acrylic paint for the sides, a package of paper flowers, a pencil, emery board, and newspaper to catch my mess. I had not used spray adhesive before but I am now a huge fan!

Step 1:  Trace your chipboard shape on to your scrapbook paper and cut it out.

Step 2:  Paint around the sides of your chipboard shape for a more finished look. Don't worry about painting the front or back--no one will see it! ;0). Set it on your newspaper to dry.

Step 3: Spray a generously even coat of adhesive on the front of your chipboard shape. (Be sure to shake your adhesive really well before your spray). Place your pre-cut scrapbook paper on to the sticky scrapbook shape and smooth. It should stick easily. If you have some overhang of paper off of your chipboard, use your emery board to file the edges off.

Step 4: Apply your decorative flair using the spray adhesive or glue of choice. With the spray adhesive I had to hold the paper flowers on for a minute and I did get glue all over my hands. I will probably use my tape runner next time. Hot glue would work, but I didn't want to contend with glue strings in my paper flowers.

Step 4: Step back and enjoy your finished project! This little project will make a great gift and with all of the scrapbook paper options, the possibilities are endless!

The Costs...
Chipboard-$3.99/each (Often on sale 40% off)
Acrylic Paint-$ .59
Scrapbook Paper--$ .59
Spray Adhesive--$6.99 (used a coupon so I got 40% off)
Paper Flowers--$5.99 (I used 1/2 a package)
Final Cost... Less than $8. A lot of the items I already had or used very little so they didn't really cost me anything.

I hope you'll try this project. It's a great way to get your creative fix in a quick and easy way. This is a great gift idea because it can be customized.  Please be sure to check back soon for more chipboard projects I am completing.

Bargains & Blessings!

Cheaply Chic Mom

Groupon!

I'm pretty sure most of us cheaply chic moms are familiar with "Groupon". It's a great resource for getting great deals for everything from spa services to food coupons to maintenance & repairs. I receive their daily and weekly emails alerting me of the great deals available for the week but recently I caught on to an even better feature in Groupon. Groupon has a "NOW" option for local deals! You can browse through the "Now" section to grab deals that have a shorter availability. For example, I purchased a well needed oil change from Just Brakes for $11! The catch is you had to use the groupon by 6pm the same day. There are other deals that have similar restrictions like "use between 3-7pm, etc. but because you can see how far they are from your location it makes it a lot easier to get to some great deals at the last minute, especially of it is something you need (like an oil change). The other great thing about "Now" deals is the refund option. If you don't make it to the business in time to redeem the offer before the deadline, Groupon will give you your money back! Gotta love that! Another great deal that I hope to take advantage of soon is a Manicure/Pedicure for $25! Can't be that at all!
Take another look at Groupon--you just might find a great deal for your skinny dime! And yes--There's an App for that!

Bargains & Blessings!
Cheaplychic Mom

Bead Chandelier Part II

It is FINISHED! I finally got the bead chandelier complete. It was a challenge for me to complete it, but I did learn a lot so it was worth it. Lesson 1: Hot is glue is HOT!!! A few of the videos I watched before beginning this project used floral wire to adhere the beads to the hanging basket. I thought I might save some time by using hot glue. Let's just say small beads, hot glue, and fingers just don't do well together! If and when I do it again (I've already had my first request) I would still use hot glue because it comes together quicker. It also makes it possible to tack something in a spot that may not be able to be wired. Lesson 2: Don't start a project if you don't know how to finish it! I had to flex my creative muscle in order to figure out the best way to attach the beads to the top of the basket. Lesson 3: It's OK not to be perfect! I am very pleased with my end product and only I know the little imperfections that are found within it so why focus on that when I can focus on a beautiful end product? 4:  When you are working with a hanging project, create & decorate while it is hanging.  Had I thought of this in the beginning it would not have taking me so long to complete the chandelier.  I found a dowl rod to hang this on while I glued, and glued, and glued!  It hleped to keep things even while giving me a honest view. 

So here are the pictures of the final project. I LOVE bling, so I dolled mine up a bit. Feel free to go crazy!  Hot glue makes the possibilities endless. 

I hope you try this project.  It is tedious and time-consuming, but it is SO WORTH IT!!!  I am proud of my perseverance to complete this beautiful bead chandelier.  I would love to see and hear about your chandelier.  Please post or comment and don't forget to Pin It!

Blessings & Bargins,

CheaplyChic Mom

Birthday Decor

My oldest is turning 14 years old this week and when she returns home from her weekend away she has surprises awaiting her! They say "Love is in the detail!" so I decorate the house in celebration of her and I wanted to share these simple ideas with you. One thing you will notice is that all of the decor is reusable (one of the many ways to stretch a dollar). I bring them out for birthdays so they have special meaning.

One of the best investments was the balloon sticks. They can be used year after year for many different occasions with any color balloons. As you see in the picture, I made a bouquet of her favorite colors (this year). I found them in the party section at Hobby Lobby. I add streamers, put them in a pretty vase and voila!--birthday decor!

I have several birthday balloon wreaths that I use to decorate the front door and to make a centerpiece. This brings the fun of balloons into a room without the fuss of helium or the uneventful "pop" that can change your life in the middle of the night--lol!

What better way to say, "I love you!" then with little details decorating the house celebrating your special day??? Life is better when you take the time to celebrate!

Bargains & Blessings!
CheaplyChic Mom

Cheaply Chic Chandelier Part I

Hello Friends!
I am working on a new project that I am excited to share with you. I have a ceiling hook hanging in my bedroom and it has been asking for a chandelier for over a year. I went to Amazon.com to price them and whew!--my champagne taste and beer money just couldn't justify spending that much for a bedroom decoration. (I don't get very many visitors in this part of the house. LOL!) So my next stop on the information highway...You Tube! Because my theory is, "If I can't buy it...make it!
I found several videos on YT that shows how to make various types of chandeliers but for my budget I decided to go with beads vs. crystals. Here is a picture of this week's project...

 

Cute huh?  That is a picture I found on Pintrest--not my bedroom.

I am painting some dollar store beads as I type.  It is a thorough task for me--I suffer from perfectionism.  I am making an all black bead chandelier, but for a little bit of drama, I am painting beads in black gloss and some in black satin.  Spray painting beads is a little tricky and I have taken the toss and spray approach. Because I am covering multi-colored beads, I am using a few coats of spray paint.  I purchased 6 packages of 8 at the Dollar Tree in the party section. 

I found a hanging basket at Home Depot for just under $7. 

It is the hanging basket that comes with a brown lining. I liked the size, shape, and hook at the top so  I just removed the lining and added a fresh coat of paint to protect it from rust.

I am waiting on my beads & basket to dry so that I can put it all together.  I'll post part two shortly.

To be continued...

Cheaplychic Mom

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope you are having a safe and happy holiday.  I wanted to share my 4th of July/Memorial Day wreath that is proudly hanging on my front door.  This a really cute and simple (not to mention inexpensive) way to decorate for any holiday or celebration.  You only need three items to create your own:  Brightly colored balloons, a straw wreath, and floral pins. On several occasions I have found the first two items at the Dollar Tree, but if I am looking for specialty colors I go to Hobby Lobby or Party City.  The floral pins can be found at most craft stores, I found mine at Hobby Lobby for $4.99 and I was able to use a 40% off coupon making them $2.99.  The bag has a pound of pins and I have made 7 wreaths, one of which was the size of two large wreaths and I have at least 2/3 of a bag left.  Definitely a good price for all the pins you get.  I keep my eyes open for the wreaths, especially if they are advertised on sale.  I have hit the jack-pot at Goodwill where I found several nice-size wreaths for $1.00-1.99.  You will need a lot of balloons!  Depending on the size of your wreath, you will need anywhere from 150-400 balloons.  Don't be afraid to have too many, you can always fill in with any extras.

Once you decided on a color combination take two balloons together in opposite direction and tuck them into the floral pin. 

Stick the pin with balloons into the hay wreath and continue with this process until you fill the entire front of the wreath.  You don't have to do the back of the wreath because it will be against the door or on the table, depending on how you use it.  It makes a great centerpiece when you add a candle or tall cylinder in the middle. 

To finish it off and prepare it to hang, I simply loop a string, ribbon, or tulle around the wreath and it is ready to go.  Each of my kids has their own special wreath for their birthday.  It hangs on the front door for the month of their birthday.  The teenager loves it.  I am working on her a new wreath with her favorite colors and her initial.  I am using five different colors but I still pin them two at a time. 

Here are a few of the other wreaths I have done over the past year.  They can be made to fit any color scheme you want.  I have considered making one for Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine's day. 

The multicolored wreath was made from dollar store balloons.  I found the "40"cupcake toothpicks in the party section in Hobby Lobby and they can easily be added to any wreath.  Just stick them in between your floral pins and balloons. If you want to get really fancy, curl some curling ribbon and pin that into the wreath for a more festive look.

I hope you will give this little project a try.  It's quick and easy and so cute for celebrations.  Definitely a cute decoration on a skinny dime!

Have a happy 4th!
Cheaplychic Mom

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe and feel free to comment--I would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions.

Mr. Sandman Delivered a Dream!

After 14 loooong and recently PAINFUL years, I threw out my old pillow-top mattress and ordered a 12" Memory Foam Mattress!  Trust me when I say I could feel every last spring, thread, and tag on that old mattress like I was a princess sleeping on a pea!  I pride myself in doing the necessary research before making a major purchase like a mattress.  I found out that buying a mattress is one of the most researched purchases made by consumers.  So I read a lot of reviews but even more importantly, I watched a lot of sales ads waiting for a price drop that my skinny dime could afford.  One thing I have learned in my 40 years...never pay full retail!  So I have been cruising the sales ads like a cat waiting for the perfect time to pounce.

In the meantime, my memory foam mattress research led me to Amazon.com.  Yes--the books and everything else you can dream of--Amazon.  As consumers make purchases, they are invited to write reviews and they are very helpful when you are looking to buy something online.  Some people get really detailed and thorough and I'm grateful for their opinions.  I appreciate the reviews so much, I am now sure to rate my purchases as my way of giving back.  So I started looking, reading, reviewing, and ultimately purchased a very nice memory foam mattress for fractions of the cost in some of the popular mattress stores.  Amazon even beat a holiday sale at Big Lots because on Amazon you don't pay taxes and they have FREE SHIPPING!  As a matter of fact, the 10" mattress on sale at Big Lots would have cost more than my 12" mattress on Amazon.  My memory foam mattress was delivered to my front door in a neatly packed box that weighed about 100 pounds.  Did I mention FREE SHIPPING?  I didn't have to borrow a truck or try to stuff it in my car.  I didn't have to then unload it from the car--nope, UPS brought it to my front door and then the fun began.

When you get the box the mattress is vacuum packed neatly into a big box.  As you remove the layers, the mattress begins to swell into it's "bed like" shape.  It's fascinating to watch. 

I'm so glad I opened the box very close to the bed frame, it doesn't take long to flatten out and get into shape.  I did have to solicit the teenager for help. There is a mild odor that escapes from the mattress as it is swelling but it goes away after 24 hours .  I read somewhere that you should allow it to rest before sleeping in it.  So tonight I am looking forward to a well deserved night's rest in my new bed!  I threw my old mattress out a week ago, so when I say deserve it, I mean DESERVE it with a capital D!!!  I've been sleeping on the couch like a married man.  LOL!  I'll be sure to let you know how well it sleeps in a future blog.

If your looking to make a specific purchase check out Amazon.com.  I have found some amazing deals and most of the items I order qualify for free shipping which makes the deal even sweeter.  They offer daily deals that can be really good, but I usually use them as a bargain compass.  One of my tools in my cheaplychic tool belt. 
Bargains and Blessings!
Cheaply Chic Mom