Clear "crystal" bowl:  $1.50 @ Dollarama

I've seen these around for a long time, but I had no use for them until now.

They look quite nice...they definitely look like fancy glass from far away!  I bought it to glue to my cherub stand.

I noticed that they've raised the price on quite a lot of things, so I thought I should hurry in case they do the same with this!

*edit*

Finished!  The completed project:

Really happy with how it turned out.  No way you could get this for $5.50 anywhere!

Finally got around to customizing that free dresser I got a while back.  It cost me around $25, which was basically just the paint.  It's stupidly expensive here!  I know it goes for as low a $3.50 a can in the states.  Here's what it used to look like:



Didn't like it at all back then, but now I love it!  It's funny how a new coat of paint can change things so drastically.  I used Krylon's ballet slipper spray paint, and I ended up using nearly 4 cans!  It was my first time spray painting, and it was wayyy harder than I expected.

It was terrible at first!  The coverage was uneven, and there was noticeable shade variation.  I kept on adding more layers to even it out, but that didn't work...eventually I said "good enough" and just stopped.  Somehow, it ended up looking way better a few days later, but you can still see the imperfections.

There's already a huge chip, ugh!  I think I need to put an additional sealer on top to prevent more chippage.

I really wish I didn't use as much paint.  I think I could have gone with around 2 if I was efficient enough.  Oh well, at least I'll know for next time.

I also spray painted the handles gold.  It used to be a dirty kind of bronze.  That was way easier! Turns out the hardest thing to spray paint is a flat surface, so I was being a bit too ambitious with this first project.

I also lined all of the drawers with that leopard wrapping paper I got at Michael's.  There's so much in that roll!  I used a bit over 1 for the entire thing.

Overall, I'm so happy with how it turned out.  It's my favourite piece of furniture!  All of my other ones are old and crappy..having something nice strangely made me feel a lot better overall.  I can't wait to do my other ones!

Calfhair skull clutch DIY:  $2.59 (frame) + $8.95 (skin) + $.08 (real pearl eyes):  $11.62

I was really happy with how this one turned out.  All of my other ones have imperfections, mostly wrinkling at the edges...but this one looks nearly perfect!  It would have been almost perfect if I didn't goof up by taking too much skin off.

I cut up one of my pearl bracelets for the eyes.  I never wore it, so this seemed like a better use!  

I just wish it was actual black.  It's a dark grey, which I don't think looks as good as straight black....the contrast isn't as stark.  Too bad, the pearls really do make it look more high end.

This was the purse I used:

It was the only one that was small enough to cover with the skin I had.  I didn't want to use it since I wasn't using an extra!  Now I don't have this purse anymore.  I'm thinking about buying it again, but I'd rather have a black purse made out of quality materials.

Though to its credit, that one felt like it could be leather.  Sadly, I can't get it cheap on amazon anymore, so I'll just see if I ever find a good deal on it again.

This was the purse I took the skin from:

I never really used it.  I just didn't really like the shape or the strap.  Even after I cut off the strap and replaced it with a chain, it just didn't look that good.  It was really hard to get my wallet in there too!

I just wish I didn't pay so much for it.  That's more than I would pay for something that I would just cut up, but of course I didn't think I'd do that back then.

Oh well.  It looks way better now!  The other one wasn't very exciting.

Snakeskin/leather skull clutch DIY:  $6.50 (clutch) + $3 (skins) = $9.50

I didn't have enough snakeskin to cover the whole thing, and I thought it would look weird to just do it at the front.  I wish it was perfectly centered, but other than that I really like the look.

I cut up this purse to make it:

I was never really fond of that purse, but I only got it because it was snakeskin, and it was pretty much free.  I definitely wanted the purse below, and I would have paid the same price if I just bought that alone...so why not.

I just didn't really like the shape, plus I prefer chain straps.  It's also a bit too small to be practical.  But anyway, I'm glad I have it now since I was able to make an awesome clutch with it!

I switched the eyes and gem from another clutch I made.  I had to damage the stone a bit to get it out, but things look way better with this colour combination. 

I just wish they didn't varnish the snakeskin...you can't even tell it's real since you can't feel the scales! 

Burgundy eelskin skull clutch DIY:  $4.40 (frame) + $1 (eelskin clutch) = $5.40

I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but I think it ended up pretty great.  I wasn't too fond of the original purse, but I couldn't pass it up for a dollar.  This is how it used to look like:

I studded the front a while back, and still didn't like it that much.  After my last two projects, I was just itching to have more exotic skin skull clutches!  I had to cut the front flap off and make some other adjustments to get it to fit this frame.  

Now I only have one more that I could make, but I'm not sure which type I want to use it on.  I hope I find some more cheap skins soon!

I ended up switching out the eyes for real pearls, and also swapping the crystal:

Much better!

Beige eelskin skull clutch DIY:  free

Completely free!  I got the clutch free from amazon with my swagbucks, and I got the eelskin clutch free from a program I was in.  It used to look like this:

I wasn't crazy at all about it back then, but none of the other bags were good either.  I just hate flat, floppy, purses, but I do like exotic skins, which is why I chose it.

I knew I was never going to use it, so I decided to incorporate it into something I would use!  

It was a bit better than my first try, but I wish I could get the edges smoother.  Still, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  Even the knockoffs made from these kind of materials cost $300+!

Costco 9 grain buns:  free (RSP:  $5.49)

Blue snakeskin purse:  $2

Vintage mouse cheese plate:  $2 

All @ Penny Pincher

I kind of like this thrift store!  The prices are almost always reasonable, and sometimes I find great stuff there.  But not too often.  At least today was different.

The first thing I picked up was that cheese plate. I thought it was so neat and kitsch!  It says "Don't tell pussycat" and it has a shushing mouse coming out of it...I might have even paid more for it, but there were no second thoughts at that price.

The snakeskin purse has a really basic design.  I wouldn't use it as is.  I only bought it because it was cheap enough to cut up, and the skin was still in near perfect condition.  I already used it to make another skull clutch:

Not perfect, but I'm pretty satisfied for my first time.  I have extra frames to customize, so here's hoping I find more cheap skins!

The buns were a nice surprise.  Turns out it was customer appreciation day, and everyone got a bag of bread with purchase.  I've never seen any other store do that!  It's a nice gesture.

It wasn't even expired either!  Well, it was short dated, but still.  Two days is a bit of time, plus bread lasts for pretty long in the freezer.

DIY spike knuckle duster clutch

I bought this knuckle clutch at Winners a while back...it was missing a stone, but for $5, I didn't care!  I knew I could find a suitable replacement.

I was thinking about genuine pearls at first, but I didn't have enough to fill the space.  I was also thinking about this heart shaped gem, but it didn't fill the whole completely, which looked a bit off.

I ended up settling for the spikes.  I think they look great!  They match more than my alternatives did, and they make this purse so distinct.  There aren't any on the market that look like this one!

It cost me less than $6 in total, I don't k now the exact amount since I forgot to record how much those spikes were.

Quilted dark navy leather purse with gold lion clasp DIY - total price:  $3 (purse) + $.34 (lion head) = $3.34

It was in kind of gross condition when I got it, but it looked so much better after cleaning and reshaping!

This is my only DIY so far that was out of necessity.  This purse was missing a logo at the front, there was only a metal plate with a hole left behind.  Couldn't have that....a lion head was the perfect substitution!

The picture's not that exciting, but I love how it looks in person.  I still have a ton of heads left too!

I'm actually almost done all of my bags I bought for DIY projects.  I'll have to keep my eye out for other cheap leather bags with potential.

Silver snakeskin flap purse with gold lion clasp DIY - total price:  $1.99 (purse) + $.34 (lion head) = $2.33

I'm really happy with how this turned out!  I love how it looks now.  At first I wasn't crazy about it at all - I didn't like the shape and I thought it was just so plain.

The strap just perfects everything!  I took it from this purse, but it looks way better on this one.

I did this one a while ago, I just never got around to blogging about it until now.

Studded navy leather purse DIY - total price:  $3.99 (purse) + $.41 (33 studs) = $4.40

This was the easiest one yet!  I'll have to buy nailheads again whenever possible.

I wasn't sure where I was going with this one, but I decided to stop after the border was done.  I was thinking about studding the entire top half, but I think this way works better.

I forgot to post it before, but these were the studs:

They were $1.25 for 100.  I bought some other studs, but I forgot to record how much I paid for them.  Too bad the listings are expired now!

Studded tan leather box purse DIY - total price:  $2.50 (purse) + $1.48 (70 studs) = $3.98

Finally!  Studding always takes so long.  Probably because I'm buying the wrong ones, the kind that you nail in one would be so much easier!  These ones have prongs you have to bend, and it is sort of difficult.

But I wanted rounds this big, and I couldn't find them in nail on form.

I'm pretty happy with the turn out.  I was inspired by some Marc Jacob bags I saw....they're gorgeous, but there's no way I'd pay that much for them!

I prefer structured bags anyway.  Like this one!

DIY frame trays:  $1.40 (price of frame with tax) X 2 + $1.12 (price of wrapping paper with tax) = $3.92 for both.

I'm so glad for my hoarding ways!  In this instance anyway.

I bought these frames maybe 3 years ago...I thought they were pretty, and that I might want to do something with them.

Even though they were from a dollar store (the now defunct 'Everything for a dollar store'), I thought they were pretty good quality.  They are plastic, but not obviously so...they're not flimsy and hollow like a lot of them area.

Plus, the design is gorgeous!  It's decorated with silver roses all around.  Now I wish I bought at least one more...there's no way to get them now!

The wrapping paper was from a dollar store too, I think I bought it from Dollarama 4 or 5 years ago!  I originally bought it as a photo back drop, but I didn't really use it until now.

I love the print!  It's got a bunch of old French ads on it, maybe from the early 1900's.  I love vintage illustrations, I'm glad I picked it up.

I thought I'd prefer the classic mirrored vanity tray, but surprisingly, I think this looks really nice.  I bought about 100 more bottles, so I need more trays!

I like these way better than those vintage ones you see everywhere.

I'm going to have to check out my local dollar stores soon.  I haven't been in them for so long, let alone the frame section!  Who knows what kind of gems might be waiting for me.

Studded navy leather box purse DIY - total price:  $2.99 (purse) + $1 (180 studs) = $3.99

And that's why I love DIY's!  The box was so plain when I got it, I wasn't sure if I would keep it.  I actually only bought it because the leather was so sumptuous.

It did have a lot of surface wear though, which is why I was ok with studding it.

I just hope the studs don't come off too easily!  Even though I used the 'strongest glue on the planet,' it's not that strong on leather.

It came off a lot less easy than other glues I tried, but it did still come off with a tiny bit of effort.  I hope that won't happen once the glue is cured.

It took soooo long!  No more tiny studs unless it's absolutely necessary.  They don't look as good most of the time anyway, but I thought they were perfect for this job.

Fuchsia snakeskin purse with gold lion clasp DIY - total price:  $4.70 (purse including tax) + $.34 (lion head) = $5.04

I love this!  The purse was amazing quality and looked new, but it was sort of plain.  The lion head brings everything together, it just looks so good!

It's not exactly a clasp of course, but it looks that way from afar.  I grappled with several other placements before finally deciding on this one.

Can't wait to do more DIY's!  I just need to pick up some reliable super glue before I can start on my next projects.

I'm so glad I picked up all of those plain, but otherwise amazing bags in the past.  They're going to look phenomenal when I'm done with them!

Spiked heart shaped sequin mini clutch - total price:  $1.56 (clutch including tax) +  $.43 (studs) = $1.99

Another DIY!  I had an extra of this clutch...I picked it up at Claire's for super cheap.  So cheap, I couldn't leave any of them behind!

I already gave two away, and had one more that I thought I'd give to someone else.

But instead, I decided to make an awesome studded clutch.  It beats paying $20 for the ones on eBay!

Though I did end up doing that for another colour...well, that one was bigger anyway.

Anyway, the hot glue was way too messy, there are some gobs around the edges that I couldn't get off...so next time, I'm trying super glue!

Grey knit rabbit fur scarf:  $9 (BIN:  $40)
Brown rabbit fur scarf:  $4.81 (BIN:  $20)

Both off eBay.

I thought the grey one would be a lot better than the other one due to the difference in pricing, but they're about the same warmth!

I'd rather spend half the price and get the one on the right.  Oh well, $9 was still an ok price for the first one.

Mine was actually the lowest it's ever gone!  On auction it's gone as high as $27.

Also, I finally studded that plain turquoise leather clutch I got a while back:

I love it now!  I knew it had potential, even though it was really boring when I got it.  The colour was fantastic though, and it was such nice quality leather. 

It had a lot of scuffs though, which is why I didn't mind covering them up with all of these studs. 

It took a few hours, because the backs are hollow, which made it hard to glue on.

Total price:  $2.99!  Just the price of the clutch, since I took the studs from an old shirt.

I have a ton of studs coming in the mail!  They have filled in backs so they're going to be a lot easier to work with.

I have at least 4 more purses I want to do.  I'm so excited!  I hope they come soon!

Various leatherette wallets:  5 for $5.61 on Ebay

They're tacky, but I bought them to harvest parts for my own projects (the sweet innards).

Not shown are one exactly the same as the above but in black, and another in flat red (the others are embossed..with bears).  I've already finished the flat red one:

It's my most adored wallet!  I actually stole the print from a cheap wallet I bought several years ago at Dollar Giant.  I think I paid $1.25 plus tax for it.

That one was a crappy trifold wallet (totally mangled the scene), but I was completely enamored with the print.  I kind of wish I bought more back then, though I don't remember seeing any other scenes I liked.

Still, I probably could have found a few more if I was diligent about it-I haven't been able to find printed pleather of any sort since then!

I was starting to think that I would never do anything with it..I just had it lying in my drawer for five years!