Made With Love by Kat

Some time ago I compiled my top 10 tips for junk shop shopping for Craftier magazine's "Frugal Crafting" issue. For those of you who haven't had a chance to see them, here they are: 1. Get up early Most car boot sales “officially” start at 8am, but traders get there from 6am (or earlier!) to set up - and professional bargain hunters get there at the same time to make sure they get the best bargains as soon as they are unwrapped. 2. Don’t rush Charity shops, thrift stores, junk shops and car boots all have one thing in common - if you’re going to find a bargain you have to be patient. Set aside a good amount of time so you can have a proper dig around without feeling you have to rush back to your desk. 3. Learn to haggle Just because there is a price on a tag doesn’t mean that’s what you have to pay. Go lower than you are willing to pay and hopefully they will meet you in the middle - or even agree to your first offer!>/p> 4. Befriend your charity shop mana...

Has anyone seen the November issue of Vogue ? The so-called return of "More Dash Than Cash" for the thrifty fashionista? Well what a joke. Their idea of "budget" is items under £150. One of the bracelets they featured was little more than a cowrie shell on some chain - and it blew the whole hundred and fifty quid! I could make one for about three pounds (and some weekend soon when I've finished my Christmas decoration buying spree I intend to do a tutorial showing you how you can too). They also spent quite a while writing about upcycling, and yet the cost of their "upcycled" items still managed to run into three figures. Are they missing the point or are the editors of Vogue so out of touch with the real world that they think that in a recession we can afford to spend hundred turning an old nightie into a vest top that looks like an old nightie... but with some added sequins. Gosh I'm furious. As it happens, I'm currently working ona thrift/c...

Three weeks since my last post! It's not laziness I promise - like a real grownup I've been househunting! I've found the most gorgeous little place in Horwich and hopefully I'll be in within a few weeks. However, like most people, I'm scraping around for pennies so I'm looking for thrify hints and tips on how to decorate my house and garden - recycling ideas, dirt cheap suppliers in the North West, that sort of thing. C'mon people, don't let me down, put your ideas in the comment box below... On a different note, it's only a few weeks now until Bolton's Midsummer Market on June 2oth and 21st, so anyone who will be passing the Bolton area should pop down to Churchgate, have a chat and maybe even treat yourselves. I'll give a 10% discount to anyone who mentions that they read this blog x