Friday, May 26, 2006

Crafting Frugal Lives

You don't have to be crafty to be frugal. There. I've said the unthinkable. I'm not denying that crafty skills can stretch your budget, especially when you can sew household items or create your own gifts from scratch. See Frugal Veggie Mama's blue jean quilt, Mrs. Happy Housewife's wedding sampler, and Tammy's Christmas apron plan for proof. But craftiness is not an absolute requirement for the frugal. I usually find things already made for less effort and cost than my own creations. At least, that's what I tell myself when I feel guilty for not scrapbooking my family history and sewing our playclothes from draperies. Sometimes you have to go with the talents God gives you!

I'm always inspired by women both crafty and frugal at Prairie Homemaker. It's an old-fashioned kind of place, one just as free of controversy and commercial advertising as Like Merchant Ships. The conservative site was originally planted by Miss Maggie of Hillbilly Housewife fame, but longtime owner Mel has grown PH into a verdant garden of homekeeping and budgeting ideas. Some of the ladies there have set up an online mall to show their wares. Booth rental will help keep Prairie Homemaker self-supporting. Take a look if you have a minute and/or quality goods you'd like to share.

5 comments:

Queen of Carrots said...

I can do the crafty thing when I need to. But what I want to know is, can you hate shopping and still be frugal? Because I really, really do. I sigh in despair when I hear people mention great thrift store finds or what they save hitting up three different grocery stores. I try sometimes, but I hate it.

The good side is, I don't buy much. :-)

Garage sales are a different matter. At least they're outside. I love wandering around outside.

Anonymous said...

If you do the Amy Dacyzyn method of computing your cost per hour, then add in cost of resources, even bargain fabrics and notions (especially sewing men's clothing as I know some frugal crafty women do; IMAGINE!) sewing your own stuff is rarely a thrifty option. I have always been able to find just about anything I needed at thrift stores, and it looks so much better than what I could sew.

Thanks for speaking up Meredith : )

Anonymous said...

Now, sewing aprons and home decorating, THAT is usually a crafty bargain.

Mom2fur said...

I scrapbook, sew and crochet not because it's frugal (sometimes, it sure ain't) but because it's cheaper than therapy, LOL! But your line about playclothes made from draperies...that has to be my favorite funny line of the day!

Meredith said...

Queen of Carrots, I consider your dislike of shopping a level of frugality above my own : ) I *know* I would save more (at least in gas and time) if I didn't do my once or twice weekly browsing. I'm just lucky that this form of entertainment pays for itself in the long run!