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DIY guide to arts and crafts made the Shabby Cheap way! Learn how to create spectacular arts and crafts projects for any budget.

Four easy steps to painting your own saw blades. Learn how to prep, paint and seal your blades in these four easy steps! 

How to paint saw blades using acrylic paint 

How to quickly blend a sunset using only a paint brush 

How to paint a sunset with a brush only

Cheap steps for making a resin coated plant stand! 

A Cheap Plant Stand

Create an awesome mosaic table sealed with resin.

A cheap table

A list of 5 hidden treasures to look for at your local thrift store. Some May surprise you!

5 thrift store items to not skip

You don’t have to be an artist To create art everyday. Advice from a “not an artist” 

You don’t have to be an artist to create art

Alrighty fellow DIY lovers, if you are anything like myself (I assume you are or you would not be reading this very blog post) you have likely figured out just how amazing yet ridiculously expensive chalk paint can get. I too had a very rude awakening when taking on my first projects. They turned out to be anything but Shabby Cheap! 

The numerous trial and error pieces all said the same thing to me while sitting a hot mess of paint and regret.,.. “I’m wasted money!” I’m sorry but no one who themed an entire blog on how to be cheap likes to be haunted by the sound of cold hard cash being flushed. So... still assuming of course, I took to the internet hoping to find a way to fix what I had done without the added heartache of another wasted gallon of paint. What I found was the easiest recipe and I’m sure most of us have what we need right now. Are you ready for this crazy game changing chalk making additive!? 

Make your own chalk paint for a fraction of the price! 

Now let’s get into some examples shall we?!
Keep scrolling for my blog posts!


That’s why I’m here today! To pass on the bits of knowledge I wish someone had shown me! How to actually create these awesome DIY projects without spending tons of money to do so, because that’s why we do this right!? 

I have tested quite a few theories and some have really been awesome money saving alternatives and others... well we won’t speak of those other times because we are perfect and we only make Pinterest perfect stuff around here! Just kidding guys calm down.

What I found: 
Base coat seemed to thicken a lot quicker and be more gritty while applying and the enamel was almost the polar opposite. It took a little more baking soda, stayed a lot thinner and was less gritty. Some thing I have found say you don’t need to sand after, I personally take 400 grit and get it just slightly damp and sand off some of the grit. Seal with wax or your choice of sealer and bam! You just made your own chalk paint masterpiece for $2.00!! 
Now that my friends is Shabby Cheap!! 

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Welcome to a very cheap website..! 

First let me say I’m happy you landed here on my DIY blog! If you are anything like myself, you are most likely looking for some quick advice, recipe, or even a step by step guide on an awesome project you want to recreate? Well I believe you are in the right spot my friend! 

I have a passion for arts and crafts, and when I first started getting into making craft projects, I soon realized that it can become expensive! Like quickly! You see this cute little Pinterest post and you are thinking you can own that piece of furniture, or make that journal no problem! Only to soon realize halfway through your list at the crafts store that this stuff really adds up! Me too friends... me too. 

Well I’m pleased to say I have been in that spot where I’m up to my elbows in paint and glue with $5 left in your pocket and suddenly I realize...
 I’m out of sanding paper.🤯🤦‍♀️ 


🤯Baking  soda! 🤯

No there isn’t a list of crazy ingredients or hidden steps that I have not mentioned. That’s it baking soda + paint = chalk paint, well the look and feel. Now I will warn you, the mixture will make the paint gritty. Make sure you mix it very very well and don’t allow it to sit to long or you may have to stir again. I feel it’s what painting with hummus would be like. 

Now I wish to express that this method is not the only option, and there are also different opinions on what paint to uses well as. So I tested it out a bit, I tried a base coat paint, a med base and a two in one enamel . A few of the recipes I have come across mention using latex paint, I however am a rebel and wanted to live on the edge! No it was because we had picked up the paint at Home Depot for 50 cents a piece, and with the baking soda costing a mere $1.50, I wasn’t going to lose sleep over this. 


Guide to thrifty  DIY arts and crafts, product reviews and of course my blog.

How to create Perfect up cycled furniture and thrift store specials while saving money at the same time! Shabby cheap! 

Arts and crafts, handmade, hand painted 

A Cheap DIY blog 

Plant stand: free

Paint: $5

Sealer: 7-26$ depends on type and brand

So I went to work filling in all he gouges and cracks. I used wall plaster. If you choose you can pick up a wood version at home depot or amazon fairly cheap. My next step was to sand it down to make it smooth I have recreate the lines. I started with 220 grit because plaster is already so soft you don’t need very hard stuff. I then moved to a 400 grit and finally 800! (Which is a polishing) 

Alright friends time for another cheap DIY from infamous kris! This lost I’m focusing on plant stands. I especially love plant stands for two reasons, one is that they are small and usually cheap to make and secondly they are easy to find or make.
 So for this one in particular I started with a lamp... yes you read that correctly. A horribly hideous broken lamp I acquired from a fellow vintage reseller in the area. Anyways this thing was attached to the bottom of an old vase that had been made into a lamp. So I simply removed the base and ended up with my new little plant stand, but....
The poor thing had seen much better days! 

The final step after the paint completely dries is to put some kind of sealer on there. Not only to protect the paint but keep the plaster from getting damaged. I’m using mod Podge seal for now and then I’ll pour resin over the top to give it a water proof seal! Which is pretty important for a plant stand! HOWEVER... the pour resin I’m using if you chose to do the same, does not do well in extreme heat. It’s made to stay somewhat pliable but can become discolored or warp in the heat. After allowing it to dry completely you can now enjoy your new plant stand. 