Using the Dollar Store to Feed my Inner Martha

I spend a lot of time on Pinterest. I visit it just about everyday. I love the all the ideas and photos. It also appeals to my desire to take everyday objects or stuff I already own and turn them into other things. Backs of legal pads, packing paper, ribbons from gift bags, and random bits of paper have all made it into my art.

I saw a pin from another blog, www.frugallivingandhavingfun.com about cutting out letters from cereal boxes and keeping them for kids to play with. I go through a lot of chipboard letters in my Etsy store so I decided to use the boxes in my Sizzix Bigz. I took the boxes and cut them down to fit onthe die and left the printed side up. This way, I could use the letters and paint them any color I chose.

But then there is this pesky thing of lots and lots of little bits of cardboard. Usually I would put them in a single bin but then when I needed a few letters, I would spend a lot of time looking for the right ones. So inefficient.

So I trucked off to the Dollar Store. Once there, in the kitchen utensil section, I found the perfect answer. Ten little cups with white lids. I grabbed them and ran back to my shop and started sorting. I put three letters to a cup and marked the lid with a Sharpie.

It was an investment of time, but there is little a great satisfaction in organizing, saving money, and reusing things.