DIY Saturday: Hot Pads and Coasters

When I first was starting to get interesting in crafting, there was something scary about walking into those stores.  You are completely surrounded at all times by scissors and ribbon and paper and glue and glitter and... Well, you get the point.

Eventually, I started to get used to the stores and I actually enjoy going to them now (Michael's is a personal favorite of mine - they have great sales).  However, I could never quite get used to the prices of everything.  A single bottle of glue can be $5!  That is definitely not in my budget.  Just give me classic Elmer's during Back-To-School week for a dime.

So recently, I started thinking... How can I still make some crafts, inexpensive gifts (handmade is always a bonus for Moms, etc), decorations, or anything else for my apartment?  I want to spend next to no money.  The idea hit me like that one raindrop slamming into your cheek before the rainstorm really begins.  Recycle.

There are so many things that can be made from stuff lying around the house (which might have been found when you were organizing!) or stuff that I can grab at a sale/my mom's house for next to nothing.  Think about it: cardboard, paper, clothes, CDs, plastic bottles, soda cans, tin cans, light bulbs, books - there are so many left over and/or forgotten things that can be used to make something else entirely new.  On the HGTV show Decorating Cents, there is a section called Trash to Treasure, where they show how to revitalize an item that had been discarded!

So welcome to Do-It-Yourself Saturday!  I am taking these ridiculously inexpensive ideas and showing them to you - either how to make them, websites to go to, or maybe even a tutorial or two when I get further down the line.

For today, let's think about hot plates and coasters.  Coasters may not be a necessity to you, but in order to keep your furniture looking better for longer, they are definitely a good idea.

Those in the picture are made from cardboard!  As a student, I get Amazon.com boxes delivered to me all the time!  For this project, all you need is scissors, glue, maybe some ribbon, a steady hand, and an imagination. 

They work really well. Plus, if you have a birthday or anniversary coming up, they can be given as a good gift for under $1, if you know how to find cheap ribbon (think clearance bin).

The cardboard hot pads come from the Recycled Crafts Blog.  New idea every day, if you're interested.  Also, if you're a little more crafty than I, then you might want to try to crochet some plastic bags into coasters.  Or why not try old CDs that you never listen to?  What about their cases?  Seriously, if you like the art on the cases, you don't have to do any sort of crafting, unless you want to embellish them.  Just slap them on the table and call it a day.

Use your imagnation!