reduce reuse recycle

Rather than a list of thrift and second hand stores, I decided to curate a collective map. I will be editing this (adding and subtracting as need be). I encourage you to send me any news of thrift stores, second hand stores, and (reputable) pawn shops in the Greater Victoria area!

If you have ever thought about selling things on eBay, now is a very good time to try it out. You can list the first 5 items every 30 days for free, so you only pay if the items sell.

If you are thinking of attending a Luminara celebration, or if you just want a frugal way to decorate for a garden party, you might want to make your own lanterns. Why not dig into your recycle bin for inspiration?

Lifehacker has the simplest tutorial with its Hanging Candle Lanterns using clean, empty jars and some wire.

Knitter/author/blogger Vickie Howell has a great set of tips for 10 Ways to Keep Knitting in a Bad Economy. My favourite by far is the suggestion to organize a knitting swap -- bring your stash, swap for someone else's! How brilliant!

 

The purportedly Definitive Guide posted at Lifehacker doesn't live up to its name as evidenced by the many reader comments.It also suggests buying from other cities which I personally don't think is frugal. Still, it's worth checking out but be sure to read all the comments; I learned more from there than the article itself.

Design*Sponge has a great tutorial for making a round Cat Scratching Pad from recycled cardboard, paper and some fabric. Glue and tape holds it together and you can even sprinkle it with catnip.She was inspired by a commercial version which is basically a small box filled with strips of cardboard and I've seen angled ones, too, like the Cosmic Catnip version pictured below.

Over at the Get Rich Slowly blog there's a great article called Embracing the Thrift-Store Ethic which lists 18 tips for buying used clothing. Some are common sense -- like carefully inspecting clothes for holes, stains, and care instructions and washing clothes when you get home.My favourite tip though is Take Your Time.

Kristin Roach over at Craft Leftovers has a great tutorial on how to deconstruct a sweater and recycle the yarn for other projects. She built the tutorial after much trial and error and it includes some sage advice:

This has to be one of the most brilliant ideas I have seen this year. Gather up a corrugated plastic campaign sign from the election of your choice (the municipal elections are this weekend, so come Sunday, there should be plenty to be found) make a few cuts, punch some holes and put together with plastic zip ties a very useful bird-house for the coming spring.

 

Creating a crafting oasis doesn't need to be costly. Have a look at some of these ideas:

Jill, at Living My Simple Life created a child-friendly craft space for under $10:

 

Mystele uses a standard workbench, pegboard, magnets and a kitchen towel holder to great effect here: