I love when I come up with a great frugal tip by accident. My daughter was in preschool yesterday so I was frantically running child-free errands. I was giddy as I was crossing off everything on my list without stopping for potty breaks, and breaking up fights. It was a great day.
I ran to the craft store to pick up some watercolor paper for a digital art project I am working on. As I was chatting with the sales person about the paper weight, my printer, etc… she told me that she had just scanned black and white copies of her children onto watercolor paper as a mother’s day gift for their grandmother. “Brilliant”, I thought.
She said that it turned out beautifully. It looked like a professional painting without the “professional” price tag.
I was so excited about the idea that I ran home to try it myself. I have a scanner at home so I scanned in a recent picture of my kids. I printed it on a sheet of 80 lb watercolor paper and was so excited about the results. The texture gives it a “antiqued” feel and romantic look. I can’t wait to give it to my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day. (Keep in mind that the paper needs to be less than 100lb weight or it will not work in many printers).
Since I was anxious to share this tip with all of you, I thought I would gather a few more tips and ideas from the internet to share.
Did you know that you can also buy inkjet canvas papers? I had no idea that you could run canvas through a printer. I am going to take a few of the drawings my kids have created and print them on canvas papers for wall art in our playroom.
Did you know that you can make sun catchers and window decals using see-through inkjet papers? My kids love seasonal window clings like Easter bunnies, hearts, and Christmas trees. I didn’t realize how simple and inexpensive it can be to make my own.
Did you know that they even make tattoo papers? Wouldn’t personalized tattoos make a great child’s birthday party prize? I am going to have a rescue hero party for my son this fall and will be making badge and police dog tattoos for the kids.
I am so excited that I found so many great ways to use my inkjet printer. Bookmark this site, I will be posting more frugal craft ideas soon!
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