I love to buy fabric material to make tablecloths and curtains with, but I often balk at the per yard price at craft stores and fabric material shops. I still manage to get ample yards of material that I can use and enjoy without spending more on material than I would have if I had just purchased the finished product at the stores, and here is how I do it.
Thrift stores almost always have a crafts section, and bag their material scraps and lengths in a huge bag for a cheap price. If you scour through the bags and just give these scraps a chance, you can often walk out with a few yards of a great fabric material for about a quarter a yard. You can also walk out with a whole bag of scraps for making a blanket or other small crafts for about a buck. If you check often, you’ll have a greater chance of finding a great deal overall.
Thrift stores are also great for finding curtains and sheets that you can restructure to make something unique on your own. I often buy curtains just for the lace, then cut it off to line a table cloth or to make another small craft. I will even buy shirts that have a great pattern on them for a dollar or so, and cut them up to make lid covers or tiny potpourri pillows. With all the cheap options at a thrift store, you can buy a mu mu and cut it up into something wonderful, or buy fleece blankets and pajama bottoms and turn them into a whole new creation.
Wal-Mart often has bulks of yarn on sale or ends and pieces that you can buy for a fraction of the original price. When you go to fabric stores where there is a grander selection, hit the bargain or sale areas first. It’s easy to over-pay at stores where there are thousands of fabrics and material to choose from, but if you limit yourself to just the items on sale, you won’t be tempted to pay more per yard than you should.
Check with your friends who are also crafters. My sister often has extra material and fabric left over from her crafts that she has no use for. Knowing I love scraps for random things like lamp covers or linings for pillow cases, she sends them my way. Make your voice heard that you will scavenge for anything, and your friends will toss their unwanted material and fabrics your way.
Hit up yard sales in your area. Look for blankets you can make items from, clothing that would make a great scrap for blankets, and actual fabric and material for sale. With most clothing items being in the %.50 range, you can get a whole garbage bag full of clothing to make things out of, and nobody has to know that you’ll be cutting the clothing up as soon as you get home. You can turn a t-shirt into a cute tank top or a shirt dress with a little creativity, without buying the item at full price.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to buying fabric and material. Since you are going to be making your own creations anyhow, look for the cheapest material you can and make something wonderful on the cheap.
