Feeling Crafty

So this past week, I was feeling really crafty. I do enjoy crafts, but I don't usually have the time or the inspiration to do them. Well recently I had both. With Gabriella's first birthday coming, I wanted to get to work on her scrapbook that I am behind in. So I spent some time during naptime the other day and pre-made some layouts as I waited on the mailman to bring me the pictures I ordered on Snapfish. I was pretty proud to get these layouts done (and one other, not pictured) in the span of one naptime! Wahoo! Now when the pictures get here, I just have to slap them on the pages and into the scrapbook they go.



So I was at Party City a few weeks ago buying decorations for Gabby's party. I was looking for a sign that said "Happy Birthday" that would follow the ladybug theme I was doing for the party. They didn't have exactly what I was looking for, but something that was ok so I bought it... for $4. Well, I still wasn't satisfied and when the party expenses started adding up, I thought... you know I could make this myself (partial inspiration goes to Megan's sister-in-law Natalie's recent creation). So using my printer and some scrapbooking paper and ribbon I already had I created the cute, personalized sign below which I loved even more than the $4 one I had purchased and this one didn't cost me a thing since I already had everything (you can click on the picture for a bigger image to better see it's cutness). Love it - and the fact that it was also done in the span of one naptime! $4 saved!

This money savings inspired me, so I decided to look through some of the other things I had bought to see if I could return some of them and save some money by making some things myself. I was able to sort through my purchases and return $20 worth of supplies!!! I had bought 2 bags of cups - red and black - but decided to return them and use the red cups I already had and just draw black spots on them to make them look like ladybugs! $4 saved! I was making some cute ladybug cupcakes (see her birthday party post coming soon) that were so fun to look at... so that meant I could use those for decoration and I didn't really need the centerpiece I had bought to match the sign I was returning anyway. Another $4 saved! I had bought some ladybug tatoo's for the kids to take home as a party favor, and found out my mom had sweetly bought some for me to use. So I returned the ones I had bought - and hers were much cuter anyway! Score! Another $3 saved! A few other things returned that I found cheaper elsewhere... and I had saved over $20! Not only did I get some money back, I got cuter and more personal decorations as well as a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.


Then another blogger inspired me to do the creation below. For less than $10, I was able to create the super-easy yet adorable Halloween decoration you see below. This was also done in just a little bit over the span of one naptime (are you sensing a theme telling you the only time period of my day I have time to get things done). SO fun!


I'm not feeling quite as crafty anymore, I think I got it all out! But I am very happy with the creations it resulted in! Happy crafting... hope some of these can help inspire you as well! If you need more inspiration - check out this awesome blog I stumbled onto - JOYS OF HOME!