art

25 Beautiful Things You Can Make With Paint Sample Cards

Max Wong — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 09:30:26 +0000

I have a love-hate relationship with interior decorating magazines. They are full of good ideas — for people with money.

Consider this advice: The cheapest way to remake a space is with paint. Yes, repainting the walls or your furniture is one of the more affordable ways to redecorate. However, I still cringe when I repeat this mantra to other budget decorators because I remember a time in my life when I was too poor to afford $60 in paint. Also, even if I had the money to repaint the places I lived in when I was a starving student (dorm rooms, my office), they didn't allow me to paint over the high gloss, Navajo White paint that covered the walls, ceilings, and moldings like a membrane of sadness.

Fortunately, there's a fantastic, free design tool available at every paint store that you can use to spiff up your lodging: paint card (or chip) samples.

In researching this story I realized that many of these projects are scalable. You can scale greeting card instructions up to make wall murals, table tops, and headboards, and scale quilt patterns down to make tiny art pieces. Use this list as a jumping off point!

1. Butterflies Are Free

Well, almost. For the cost of a butterfly stamp punch you can create a kaleidoscope of butterflies anywhere you want. (Vocabulary geeks please note that kaleidoscope is the actual collective name for a group of butterflies, I'm not just making a paint chip color pun)! Frame your paint chip butterfly collection under glass as a charming reference to the real thing, create 3-D sculptures, or use them to decorate your walls, gifts, or cupcakes.

2. Bookmarks Galore

Turn a paint chip into a gift tag or bookmark for your favorite bibliophile or design maven.

3. Channel Your Inner Jonathan Adler

I will see your Jonathan Adler tea towel, and raise you a Thanksgiving table runner, a monogrammed door placard, and this giraffe family.

4. Pantone Masterpieces

Own your own pixelated Van Gogh, Vermeer, Munch, Magritte, or da Vinci, with the help of Pantone color chips.

5. Magnets

Turn your leftover Pantone chips from your pixelated masterpiece project into magnets.

6. Give New Life to Old Needlework Patterns

Ixxi is a Dutch company that allows you to create large-scale wall art from a single image. You can get the same effects by using old cross-stitch, needlepoint, or intarsia knitting patterns and paint chips.

7. Mid-Century Modern Mosaics

Replicate your favorite midcentury public art in paper tiles. This can be a simple as recreating the rainbow pattern from your public library's bathroom to the complexity of Sir Eduardo Paolozzi's mosaic murals in the Tottenham Court Road tube station.

Broken full-length mirrors are one of my favorite things to trash pick because it's so easy to turn the frame into a custom headboard or panoramic art piece. Use the work of midcentury artists like the Akermans as inspiration for your own unique tabletops or wallpaper.

8. All Your Base Are Belong to Us

And all your paint chips too! Replicate your favorite 8-bit video game art using paint chips. What do you mean when you say that Space Invader isn't chic? Unpossible.

9. Geodesic Paper Balls

Because of their similar weight, just about any craft involving upcycling old Christmas cards can be used to upcycle paint chips. Because I am an architecture nerd, my favorite way to preserve favorite holiday cards is to turn them into these geodesic ornaments. For a video tutorial on how to make these go here.

10. Wreath

Unleash the stylist within with this paper wreath. This would make a lovely centerpiece or host gift for holiday parties.

11. Bunting

When did bunting become a thing? While I wasn't paying any attention, DIY garlands have overtaken the holiday crafting scene. And by holiday, I mean any holiday. Check out this $17.50 Halloween pennant garland you could make for much less. Or this mod Martha Stewart bunting you could use to decorate your aluminum Christmas tree. Or this candy corn bunting you could make at Thanksgiving for that one person in your life who insists that candy corn is delicious and not disgusting. Or this ombre heart garland for Valentine's Day. Or this Easter garland inspired by plastic Easter eggs.

12. Gifting

For anyone who scrapbooks, paint chips are an obvious raw material just waiting to be turned into gift tags, ribbon, and of course, cards for every occasion.

13. Change of Address Cards

Did you just finish repainting your new pad? Stamp or print your new address onto paint chips to create these clever moving announcements. Cover the back of large chips with a white sticker, then stamp, and mail like a postcard.

14. Renovation Coasters

Leftover tiles? Paint chips? Marry two common renovation leftovers into these swell coasters.

15. Decoupage

If you can make a coaster, you can decoupage a tabletop.

16. Charmed, I'm Sure

Use photographs and paint chips to create this lightweight charm necklace.

17. 3D Puzzle Animals

When I was in kindergarten, my aunt made me a set of these animals out of leftover colored plastic sheeting, but paint chips will work just as well. This site has free animal templates, but don't stop there! Show your kids the assembly technique and then let them draw their own zoo full of fantasy animals.

18. Color Matching Game

All you need to create this learning tool for toddlers are paint chips, clothespins, a hot glue gun, and scissors.

19. Hooked on Phonics!

Turn your kid's phonics lesson into a portable game with paint chip flash cards.

20. Layered Paper Art

Use this basic technique to create paper art inspired by Panamanian Molas. Or create sophisticated paper sculptures and textured wall coverings a la Maud Vantours.

21. Decorative Arrows

I'm not sure how and where I would ever use these arrows, but this project proves that you can make stylish party decorations out of the contents of your junk drawer. For extra thriftiness, I would substitute bamboo takeout chopsticks instead of paying for wood doweling.

22. Party Pinwheels

While I am not sure how I would use decorative paint chip arrows, I am totally sure that paint chip pinwheel straws will be featured props at the next house warming party I attend.

23. Mobiles

Combine ornament and bunting projects to create shockingly chic mobiles for babies and bohemians. How cute are these hot air balloons?

24. Lighting Design

Cover an ugly fixture with this glamorous paper shade.

25. Color Code for Organization

I thought I had invented a new upcycle when I used my old paint chips as labels for my file boxes. Even from across the room I know what is in every box just from the color of the paint chip! Yay organization! My feeling of genius was short lived when I found this design maven's blog. Her custom file tabs made from old paint chips make me want to run out and buy the Rolodex that I don't need.

What's better than a list? A color-coded list that also acts as a bookmark for your Filofax.

Why have a white board calendar, when you can match your dry-erase schedule to your décor?

Do you have a favorite upcycle project for paint chips? Please share your design savvy with your fellow readers in the comments below.

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This article is from Max Wong of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

20 Places Besides Etsy to Sell Your Handmade Goods

Damian Davila — Mon, 09 May 2016 09:30:25 +0000

First launched in 2005, Etsy rose as the leading ecommerce website for people looking to buy or sell unique handmade items, including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, and knick-knacks. With the potential to sell to over 50 million customers, Etsy has been able to gather over 1.5 million active sellers. All Etsy sellers are looking to make it big — like top sellers BohemianFindings and Clbeads, who boast over 730,440 and 411,130 sales, respectively.

However, sellers of handiwork are savvy to avoid locking themselves to Etsy. Since its IPO on April 16, 2015, the price of Etsy stock [NASDAQ:ETSY] has lost over 71% in value. Take action and list your items somewhere else. There is a plethora of places to showcase your wares, after all. In alphabetical order, here are 20 places besides Etsy to sell your handiwork.

1. Aftcra

Launched on 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Aftcra is an online marketplace that only sells "Made in America" handmade products. If you currently live in the United States and your products are handcrafted by you or your small team, you can become a seller on Aftcra. Given the niche market of Aftcra, this marketplace charges a selling fee of 7%, which is double of that of Etsy. However, Aftcra charges no other fees, unlike Etsy's $0.20 charge per listing, $0.20 per auto-renewal fee for unsold quantities, and variable multi-quantity fee.

2. Amazon Handmade

In 2015, the ecommerce giant entered the handmade market with its Handmade at Amazon offering. In its push to compete against Etsy, Amazon is waving its $39.99 monthly fee for a required professional selling plan until August 1, 2016. However, you can only take advantage of this fee waiver as long as you sell fewer than 40 items. If you sell more than 40 items in categories on Amazon, you'll have to pay the $39.99 monthly fee right away. Handmade at Amazon charges a 12% referral fee, with a minimum applicable of $0.5 per item, on sales of goods.

3. ArtFire

Boasting seven million shoppers per year and 10,000 active shops offering two million products, ArtFire offers three seller plans. The Shop plan only charges a 9% final commission fee on sales but limits your offering to 24 active listings. The Webstore plan charges a $20 fee per month, allows you to have up to 1,000 active listings, and tacks on a 3% final commission fee. The Commercial Store plan charges a $60 fee per month, allows you to have up to 5,000 active listings, and tacks on a 3% final commission fee.

4. Big Cartel

Big Cartel is a good option for sellers that are comfortable with HTML, CSS, and Javascript, and who like to customize their online storefronts directly. This online marketplace doesn't charge you a penny if you're selling up to five products. However, Big Cartel is designed only for small stores that sell up to 300 products and charges a monthly fee of $9.99, $19.99, and $29.99 for stores of up to 25, 100, and 300 products, respectively.

5. Bonanza

Formerly known as 1,000 Markets, Bonanza is a good option for sellers already selling on Amazon, eBay, or Etsy because it allows you to import your inventory directly from those marketplaces. Bonanza charges sale fees fees based on final offer value (FOV), which is the price plus any portion of the shipping charge exceeding $10. Items with a FOV under $500 receive a 3.5% sales commission, and items with a FOV greater than $500 receive a fee of $17.50 plus 1.5% of the amount over $500. The maximum possible fee is $250. Bonanza also offers an advertising service within the platform at an additional cost.

6. Craft Is Art

Started in 2009, Craft Is Art originally focused on jewelry and fashion accessories. Nowadays, the Las Vegas-based company accepts sellers of all types of handmade goods. If you're comfortable with up to 100 listings, you can enroll in the pay-as-you-go plan that charges only a 5.5% sales commission. Or you can pay $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year to have an unlimited number of listings and pay no sales commission.

7. Craigslist

With more than 60 million users each month in the U.S., Craigslist is a great resource to sell your goods. While Etsy users have mixed reviews about selling handmade goods on Craigslist, you really can't go wrong with zero charges for listing and making a sale. Additionally, you get to potentially increase the exposure of your handiwork at a local level.

8. DaWanda

Sellers who believe their products have great sales potential on international markets should take a look at DaWanda. This marketplace allows you to list your handiwork on the English site, as well as the German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Polish sites. Of course, you will need to be able to provide the product descriptions and shipping details in those languages. DaWanda charges a 10% commission on the sales price of any item sold.

9. eBay

Within eBay, you can list your handiwork under several categories, including handmade crafts, handmade jewelry, and many others. eBay recommends you be as detailed as possible in the description section of your listings, include keywords that will draw potential buyers to your listing, take high-quality photos of your goods from different angles, and determine whether an auction-style or fixed price listing is the best format for your products.

10. eCrater

Launched back in 2004, eCrater is an alternative to eBay. The main benefit of listing your handiwork here is that the costs are minimum. It's free to open your store and you don't pay a commission on sales that are directly from your store. For sales that come from the site, you pay a 2.9% sales commission on the sales price of your item.

11. iCraftGifts

Based in Toronto, Canada, iCraftGifts offers you the opportunity to offer your handiwork to both Canadian and American audiences at the same time. iCraftGifts charges a $25 non-refundable one-time fee for setting up your store and offers three plans: starter (up to 50 items for sale for $5 per month), professional (up to 100 items for sale for $10 per month), and elite (unlimited items for sale for $15 per month). There is a 10% discount when you pay annual fees upfront.

12. MadeItMyself

MadeItMyself is another marketplace that charges no listing or monthly subscription fees. You only pay a flat 3% commission charge on sold items.

13. RebelsMarket

Craftspeople of alternative lifestyle and cultures, including goth, steampunk, or rock, can find in RebelsMarket a great channel to reach out within those niche markets. If your application to open a store is approved, you pay no listing or setup fees and have no contract to maintain your store open for a minimum period. You'll be charged 15% of the total item price, excluding shipping.

14. ShopHandmade

You can't go wrong with free. At ShopHandmade, you're charged no fees at all for selling your handiwork. You can list and sell as many items as you want and you keep all your revenues. Besides your handiwork, you can also sell your gently used craft supplies, genuine vintage items, and arts and crafts services.

15. Shopify

Shopify is a turnkey ecommerce solution that you can deploy at your existing website or registered domain name, or that you can use to register a domain within Shopify. This online marketplace is appropriate for sellers looking for a flexible solution that can grow with their business and are willing to pay extra for add-on services, such as an in-store point of sale that connects to Shopify in the future. Shopify is a very robust platform, but all the bells and whistles come at a price. With monthly plan prices of up to $179 and credit card rates of up to 2.9% plus 30¢ per per transaction, Shopify is a platform for intermediate to well-established online sellers.

One important point for sellers considering Shopify is that the marketplace only imports and exports products by CSV file.

16. Silkfair

Some sellers of handiwork also deal other types of goods, such as books, magazines, collectibles, and electronics, and are looking for platforms that allow them to list all kinds of items. Besides Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon, Silkfair is another online marketplace for such sellers. Silkfair doesn't charge you to setup your online store or list items, but tacks on a standard 3% transaction fee on sales across all of its plans. This online marketplace offers templated online stores with limited features and no fees, and customizable stores with extra features starting at $7.99 per month.

17. Squarespace

You may have first heard about Squarespace from its 2015 or 2016 Super Bowl commercials. The reasons why Squarespace can afford to spend so much in marketing is that many companies, including Cisco, Lyft, and Fast Company, use this platform to build not only online stores, but also websites. The main advantage of Squarespace is that it can provide a wide range of possibilities ranging from a single-page websites to a full-fledge online store. Squarespace charges $7 monthly for a cover page, $12 for personal websites, $26 for business websites, $30 for basic online stores, and $80 for advanced online stores. There are discounts for paying in advance for an entire year.

18. Storenvy

Focusing on the indie brand market, Storenvy currently hosts over 44,350 sellers of goods made by hand. This online marketplace aims to stand out from the crowd by curating indie craft makers through its social shopping marketplace. Storenvy claims that its marketplace works like a social network and that it provides you exposure based on feedback from other users (such as "envies," Storenvy's equivalent of "likes") and followers of your store. The more activity your business gets in the marketplace, the greater the chance your business has of being featured on Storenvy's collections at the front page.

All sales made through the Storenvy marketplace are charged a 10% commission of the total sale, including shipping. There are no additional fees for setting up a store or listing your items. However, all customer payments are processed through Stripe or PayPal, both charging a 2.9% plus $0.30 fee to you.

19. Supermarket

Featured on GQ, InStyle Magazine, and the Food Network, Supermarket focuses on attracting talented makers and connecting them with discerning customers. Supermarket claims that its customers are very interested in knowing who made the goods, how those goods are crafted, and where are those goods made. So, being a great storyteller is an asset to sell on this online marketplace. At Supermarket, designers pay a 15% commission, including payment processing, on sold items only.

20. Zibbet

Home to more than 51,200 independent sellers, Zibbet only accepts independent sellers and sticks to a strict definition of handmade. When in 2013 Etsy revamped its seller guidelines to allow vendors to hire additional employees and work with outside manufacturers, some Etsy sellers vowed to let their listings expire and list all of their items on Zibbet. Unlike most online marketplaces, Zibbet doesn't charge a commission or transaction fee. Instead, Zibbet offers three plans: starter ($5 per month, sell up to 50 items), pro ($10 per month, sell unlimited items), and unlimited ($20 per month, sell unlimited items, additional features).

The Bottom Line

Besides Etsy, there are plenty of online marketplaces in which you can showcase your handmade goods. While some of them charge no fees, most of them do. Make sure to check for applicable fees to determine whether or not it makes financial sense to post your items on certain marketplaces. Whenever possible, sign up for a free trial to get a sense of the ins and outs of the platform before you start paying any recurring fees. If you're satisfied with the performance of a specific ecommerce solution, paying monthly fees in advance for an entire year often provides savings.

What are other places to sell your handiwork?

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This article is from Damian Davila of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

7 Everyday Things That Are Surprisingly Awesome Investments

Mikey Rox — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:30:03 +0000

Strapped for cash? You could be sitting on a small fortune that's hidden right under your nose. Find out what everyday things are surprisingly awesome investments, so you can start building your ordinary empire today. (See also: 4 Ways "Boring" Investments Make Life Exciting)

1. Comic Books

It's not just first-issue Supermans, Spider-Mans, and Batmans that command big bucks. Other comic books and graphic novels — even contemporary titles, like first-printing Walking Dead #1, which is listed for $15,000 on online retailer MyComicShop.com — can help you bring home some serious bacon.

"While everyone's heard stories of people cleaning out an attic to find comic books they sold at a hefty profit, it's not just the older books that are valuable," explains Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of New York-based Metropolis Collectibles, the world's largest vintage comic book dealership, and ComicConnect, the largest online vintage comic auction house. "Even comic books from the last 20 years are becoming more collectible. Some have jumped from just a few dollars each five years ago to $50 to $100 today. Smart investors are finding that they can make money off of this trend, but only if they treat it like they would any serious investment."

Vincent and his partner, Stephen Fishler, hold five Guinness World Records for the most expensive comics and related collectibles ever sold.

"Once you jump into the comic book market, remember to protect your investment," he adds. Store books in a cool, dry place, such as a safe deposit box. Finally, use professional appraisers and consider purchasing insurance for your collection."

A quick search of your comic's name and issue on ComicConnect can help you gauge your comic's value.

2. LEGO Sets

Anybody who watches Pawn Stars, Antiques Roadshow, and the like knows that some toys — particularly mid-century and earlier — are worth a bundle. But little did we know that one of the most popular toys on the planet today is accruing incredible value right under our noses.

Late last year, it was revealed that Lego sets have appreciated in value better than numerous investments, most notably gold. Yes, gold.

According to the U.K.-based Telegraph, "Lego sets kept in pristine condition have increased in value 12% each year since the turn of the Millennium, with second-hand prices rising for specific sets as soon as they go out of production. Modern sets are performing even more strongly, with those released last year already selling on eBay for 36% more than their original price."

In contrast, "Those who invested in gold received a 9.6% annual gain over the past decade and a half, while those who went with a savings account generated 2.8%, according to investment company Hargreaves Lansdown."

So which Lego sets are the most coveted? Star Wars, of course (at least currently), with the Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon bringing in the top value at more than $2,000, while the Death Star II and Imperial Star Destroyer are close behind at well above $1,000.

3. Birkin Bags

Just a couple weeks after Lego was reported to be a surprisingly good investment, news came that Hermés' popular Birkin bags also held up well against traditional investments — outpacing both the S&P 500 and the price of gold in the last 35 years.

Scarcity is the leading factor in the bags' huge hikes — they're not advertised and there's still a six-year wait list — though you will have to put out a decent chunk of change for the initial investment (they start at about $12,000). If you've got that kind of capital for a handbag, however, you could walk away a winner in a few years. According to Time magazine, the annual return on a Birkin was 14.2%, compared to the S&P average of 8.7% a year and gold's 1.5%.

4. Art

If you're one of the lucky ducks who owns a building that Banksy has tagged, or you were in the right place at the right time when he sold nearly a quarter-million dollars worth of art for $60 a pop in Central Park a few years ago, you're sitting pretty — but he's not the only artist whose work is worth much more than canvas it's on. In fact, you might have a sizable payday hanging on your walls right now.

Personally, I invest in art — mostly local artists where I live. I don't buy based on their success (most of the artists whose work I purchase are unknown), but rather I make my decision on what piques my interest and catches my eye. I then follow their careers to stay educated about my investments.

And it's a wise habit to practice, says Mallory Greene, community manager at Wealthsimple.

"If you don't think buying art is a good way to make money, there are some pretty fancy numbers that argue otherwise," she explains. "Consider the case of the artist Jacob Kassay. Kassay is known for making beautiful photo-mirrors by painting canvases with reflective metallic paint. The result is affecting, producing an eerie, crude reflection of the viewer. One of his paintings sold for about $4,000 at a gallery in New York City. That sounds expensive until you consider that nine months later the painting sold at auction for $150,000. That, if you're keeping score, is a return of 3,650%."

5. Wine

Here's a sobering fact: You could be drinking your retirement fund away as you read this.

While you probably won't be able to sail off into the sunset by selling off that case of Barefoot Merlot, you may have better luck focusing your investment on wines that come from specific regions, particularly Bordeaux, Champagne, Tuscany, Burgundy, and the Rhone.

Forbes magazine reports, "While the four latter regions are gaining in popularity, the Bordeaux region continues to serve as the gold standard for wine investors. According to wine trading platform Cavex, two cases of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2005 — an iconic wine from the Bordeaux region of France — recently traded for £4,100 GBP (about $6,566 USD). Meanwhile, four cases of the Burgundy wine Ponsot Morey St. Denis Alouettes 2009 went for a more modest £275 GBP (about $440 USD)."

Greene provides more context.

"The London International Vintners Exchange (a.k.a. the Liv-ex) indices have dramatically outperformed the S&P 500 and the FTSE over the last decade and a half," she says. "And how often have you enjoyed an ETF with a braised leg of lamb? The main reason to invest in wine is because it's fun."

6. Internet Domains

Last fall, ex-Google employee Sammy Ved did the nearly impossible: He purchased Google.com during a momentary lapse in domain ownership by Google itself. He only owned it for about a minute before Google recognized its snafu and reversed the transaction. Google offered to pay Ved a reward of $6,006.13 (which spells out Google numerically), which it then doubled when Ved said he'd donate the money to charity. How nice.

Alas, there's no provision that says you have to be so altruistic if you're ever in a similar position, which isn't all that uncommon. In fact, the truth is you can purchase any domain that's available, hold onto it, and hope that somebody with deep pockets wants and needs it someday.

Digital marketing and social media strategist Brad Hines says that registering words like, a newly coined word or expression, as a .com domain name is an in-plain-sight investment that people overlook all the time.

"Domain names have an enormous aftermarket," he explains. "A brief glance at a website like DnJournal shows that average sales of domain names start at $3,000. And 100% of these domain names start as initial registrations at any domain name registrar — GoDaddy, 1&1, NameCheap, etc. — where they tend to register for $10 to $15."

"Registering domain names has low barriers to entry, so it's competitive, yes, but reading things like trade journals and niche blogs can help keep you ahead of words that are not in public fashion yet," Hines continues. "I've done this for 15 years."

7. Sports Memorabilia

Remember when you were growing up and you found a rookie in your pack of baseball cards? Well, you should've held on to it, as it could've made your 20-somethings a little less ramen-reliant. Moreover, you'd really be living large if you had it signed by somebody like Mickey Mantle, Cal Ripken Jr., or Albert Pujols — because authentic autographed memorabilia is where it's at!

According to the Upper Deck blog, authentic autographed memorabilia, like a Wilson basketball featuring Kevin Durant's signature, or bat signed by Ken Griffey Jr., can command top dollar at auction.

If you're new to the memorabilia investing game — or want to get started, like, stat! — consider these rules shared by CNBC.

What ordinary things do you own that are worth a pretty penny? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.

This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

10 Depressing Jobs That Aren't Worth the Money

Tim Lemke — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 09:15:13 +0000

So you think your job stinks.

We've all experienced a depressing job before. There are good jobs out there for those who need them, but there are also lot of bad jobs that few people are eager to do. Here are 10 of the most depressing jobs, based on career prospects, pay, and safety on the job.

1. Newspaper Journalist

I worked for newspapers for more than a dozen years and had the time of my life. But the Internet era has crushed newspapers, leading to high stress and low pay for reporters and editors. And there are few journalists out there who haven't been laid off at least once. CareerCast placed this job dead last in its ranking of 200 careers, and photojournalists don't fare much better.

2. Lumberjack

It's hard work and not particularly lucrative, and much of the work is now being done by machines. It's also a deadly job; the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 91 out of every 100,000 logging workers suffers a work-related fatality. They are 30 times more likely to die on the job than the average worker.

3. Taxi Driver

It's never been the safest profession, and you'll be lucky to make $30,000 a year doing it. The arrival in many cities of Uber and Lyft, which have completely disrupted the pay-to-ride industry, have hurt the prospects and earning potential of taxi drivers even further.

4. Data Entry Clerk

You sit at a computer all day and enter information into a database. It'd be one thing if the information you were entering was something cool, like a list of every Led Zeppelin concert in history. But it's often just names, addresses, and other banal data bits. And God help you if you make a mistake. The average annual median wage for data clerks is less than $30,000, though you usually don't need a college degree.

5. Security Guard

When you're in private security, you're either seriously bored because nothing is going on, or you're involved in a possible struggle with a criminal. There's not much in between. Pay is low (less than $25k annually, on average), but there is some growth in job opportunities.

6. Door-to-Door Salesman

Kiplinger evaluated 784 jobs based on their prospects for the future, and this job was in the bottom 10. These days, pushing a product by knocking on someone's door is amazingly inefficient, when you consider the technology available to salespeople. There was a time in America when door-to-door salesmen were welcomed by housewives and others looking to test out the latest products. Those days are long gone; the number of jobs in this field is expected to drop 18% by 2024, after dropping 23% between 2004 and 2014.

7. Mail Carrier

Let's face it, no one likes the U.S. Postal Service. And as a mail carrier, you often deliver nothing more than a bunch of junk mail, as technologies like email and texting have taken over. Career Cast's best jobs report noted that mail carriers have one of the worst 10-year outlooks in terms of job growth.

8. Administrative Assistant

You have virtually no power over your own existence, as you simply respond to the demands of whomever you work for. The high stress, no control environment has been known to cause higher rates of depression. The good news for administrative assistants is that pay is about average, along with job growth.

9. Meter Reader

Technology is making it less and less necessary for someone to come around and check your electricity usage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job demand to decline by 10% by 2020, and the pay is middle-of-the-pack, at best.

10. Restaurant Server

Your boss can get away with paying you less than minimum wage, because there's an expectation you'll get tips. But we all know that's hit or miss. Waiters and waitresses are on their feet all day, often fielding complaints about food that they didn't cook. The average mean wage is under $20,000 each year, assuming the restaurant you work for will even be around in the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said 70% of restaurants close within the first year.

Did we miss any depressing jobs? Let us know in the comments!

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This article is from Tim Lemke of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

12 DIY Ideas for Creating Inexpensive Art

Kentin Waits — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:36:30 +0000

People get intimidated by art and I’m not sure why. I’ve always thought that art should be engaging, fun, experimental, and personal — the perfect thing to create for ourselves. Whether you’re on a budget or not, creating art can be an inexpensive and exciting way to decorate and personalize your environment. If your walls are bare and your hands are willing, here are twelve ideas to get your creative juices flowing. (See also: But Is it ART?)

1. Repurpose Wallpaper

Intricate or bold wallpaper designs can become modern art statements when framed and hung. Make sure to use enough paper to clearly show large or repeating patterns. Frame one large piece or use several smaller frames to repeat the same design in a cluster.

2. Press Some Flora

Single large pressed leaves or groupings of flowers make great subject matter for homemade art displays. Press and dry, mount on a white background, and frame simply. Experiment with off-center arrangements and mix plant types for visual interest.

3. Make a Collage

If you’re feeling creative, try your hand at collage. Use photographs, text, scrap wallpaper, and other media to create an original piece of art. Collage is a forgiving medium; just cover up what you don’t like and try again.

4. Snap in Black and White

Use a digital camera and printer to experiment with black and white photography. Snap images of faces, landscapes, architectural details, or close-ups of unique design features of almost anything. Manipulate and refine your photos using photo-editing software. Group together or create a mini-gallery in a long hallway.

5. Channel Warhol

Product labels with bold or classic graphics make excellent subjects for artwork. Labels from canned food, vintage perfume bottles, bars of soap, or fruit crates are particularly good places to start. Carefully remove labels (soak stubborn labels in warm water and then press dry), mount, and frame.

6. Frame Your Frames

Sometimes frames can be the art. Collect interesting frames in graduated sizes and “nest” them together for a bold and unexpected twist on traditional artwork.

7. Get Graphic

Old magazine covers or vintage ads are an inexpensive and easy way to make an elegant artistic statement. Look for subject matter that clearly represents an era — vintage fashion, cars, appliances, or travel destinations are great places to start.

8. Thumb Through a Catalog

It’s getting harder and harder to find old store catalogues, but if you can, consider framing their pages. Vintage catalogue listings that feature camping equipment, clothing, or bicycles can make interesting displays.

9. Frame Postcards or Greeting Cards

Arrange multiple postcards or vintage greeting cards in a single frame or frame cluster. Group cards of similar color, style, or subject matter together for a more curated and striking look.

10. Display Your Collections

Use an inexpensive shadowbox to display collections you would otherwise store in a cabinet or on a shelf. Silverware, political buttons, jewelry, perfume bottles, found objects, or antique keys can be grouped and displayed as artistic collections.

11. Unbind a Book

Vintage book covers or illustrations are ready-made art just waiting to be seen in a new context. I once found an old copy of the children’s book, "The Little Prince," by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Most of the volume was badly damaged, but I managed to pull one pristine illustration from it. I mounted and framed it for a baby shower gift to a dear friend.

12. Wax Poetic

Have a favorite poem, story, or quote? Print and frame it. Experiment with font, text size, and composition to create a piece that’s visually bold.

Here’s one important tip that will help keep your art on a budget: buy your frames first. Creating a piece that you’re really proud of and then not being able to frame it properly is disheartening. Scout thrift stores and yard sales for solid wood frames that can be rehabbed with a bit of stain or paint, then create based upon the sizes of your frames. It’ll help motivate your creative efforts and prevent you from breaking the bank at custom frame shops.

Do you decorate with your own artwork? What ideas, tips, and tricks do you have for beginners?

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This article is from Kentin Waits of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

10 Ways to Reuse Buttons

Jennifer Holder — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:24:10 +0000

If you're like me and can't bear to throw away even the smallest of things, chances are you have scores of buttons lying around your house. They're practical in theory — clothing manufacturers thoughtfully attach an extra button or two to pants, cardigans, and dress shirts, so that if one falls off and is lost in the abyss of your work week, you can easily replace it. But since I am on the lazier end of the spectrum, my extra buttons sit in a tall, thin canister gathering dust on my desk. Luckily, however, through the joys of DIY, I've recently discovered 10 simple and clever uses for those already-so-useful buttons. (See also: 25 Things to Do With Old Jeans)

1. Frames

After a recent spring cleaning, I found an old, busted-looking frame. The glass was perfectly good, and the back worked fine, but the frame around it was scoffed and worn. I grabbed a glue gun and my pile of buttons, and I got to work. By the end, I had a brand-new-looking frame. This would work for mirror frames as well.

2. Stationery

If you don't have any unused cards and envelopes sitting around your house, make some! Pick up some cardstock, glue, and paint or markers, and get to work. If you don't excel at calligraphy, print the cards first. Keep in mind that the extra weight and added bulk from the buttons might cost extra in postage.

3. Magnets

Now this anyone can handle. Hunt down some thick magnetic tape from your local supply store, cut it to the size of the button, attach the button with either glue or the self-adhesive tape on the back of the magnet, and voila! Your button is now a functioning magnet.

4. Pushpins

Mirroring the ease and usefulness of a magnet, buy some flat-backed pushpins and glue the buttons to them.

5. Jewelry

From button earrings to button bracelets, anything goes in this category. For earrings, buy a pack of earwires and grab small rounded pliers from your tool kit. If you pick a smaller button, this is all you'll need — put the earwire through the hole of the button and squeeze the wire together with the pliers. For something a little more complicated, buy headpins as well. Stack the buttons up on the headpin, use a pair of round nosed pliers to make a loop at the top, and secure on to the earwires with the pliers. If you've never made earrings before, Beadage.net offers simple instructions on drop earrings.

For a bracelet or necklace, use some sort of string — embroidery floss, elastic string, or necklace cord — to piece something together. Either do each button one at a time, looping through the button once to keep it tightly in place, or alternate sides of the string to create an overlapping effect. This is a good way to use those clear buttons that are included with most pants. Once you've made it long enough for your neck or wrist, tie the two ends together. A visual tutorial of the overlapping necklace (which can be made shorter to become a bracelet) can be found on this Estonian website, Craftwerk.

6. Jewelry Organizer

I’m a big believer in displaying jewelry. Not only does it make me actually accessorize (I have a bad habit of just walking out the door with nothing extra), but it also serves as functional decor.

For this, I purchased a small bulletin board, fabric, batting, and a plastic canvas with holes, typically used for cross stitch. First, I placed the batting on top of the bulletin board to figure out how much I wanted to use. Next, I placed the plastic canvas over the batting, and the fabric over that. I secured the fabric to the back of the bulletin board loosely with staples, to test how much fabric I might need. Then I safety pinned the plastic canvas to the fabric on the four corners. I removed the fabric from the bulletin board, and, with the safety pins still attached, sewed my buttons on to the fabric, making sure to loop around the plastic canvas multiple times. I used seven shanked (no holes) buttons (you can use as many as you want), placing them randomly across the fabric. Once the buttons were sewn securely on, I put the fabric back on the bulletin board, using a staple gun to attach it this time, and hung my new jewelry organizer on the wall.

Say Yes to Hoboken made theirs even simpler by attaching a piece of peg board to a frame and sewing on buttons.

7. Button Trees

I don’t excel at art. My right-brained friends definitely overshadow me in this category. But for the sake of this article, I tried my hand at a fad that seems to be taking the internet by storm — button trees. My attempt kind of failed, but this is an especially good project if you have wee ones running around (big enough to not swallow the buttons but small enough to enjoy it).

8. Candle Holder Decoration

Like the button bracelets mentioned above, these can be made with a simple strand of either overlapping buttons or one fixed button at a time. I would suggest using elastic string for this project, so that the strand stays tight around the glass. Once finished, put it around the candle holder. Try to pick out a candle that matches one of the buttons.

9. Flower Vase (and Flowers!)

If you have a vase, take a hot glue gun and arrange the buttons all the way to the top. If your vase is round, use the smallest buttons to glue on. If you don’t actually have any flowers to add to the vase, try using the remaining buttons to make this adorable button bouquet from Family Fun magazine (also a great idea for a wedding!).

10. Napkin Rings

Using the same technique as the candle holder, use your buttons to throw in a casual touch to your next dinner party. Hey, maybe you could even use an old tie, and secure it with a button.

Sew, what do you do with your old buttons?

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This article is from Jennifer Holder of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Free or Cheap Wall Art

Camilla Cheung — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:36:15 +0000

Most of us would love to have beautiful art decorating the walls of our homes, but we can't always afford to buy expensive prints and canvases. Fortunately, there is a wealth of ways to decorate the walls of your home that will have your friends admiring the beauty of your décor — and are cheap or entirely free! From art that you print off the Internet to simple paintings that you create yourself, here's a roundup of great ideas for free and cheap wall art. (See also: 15 Home Decorating Ideas for Under $5)

Print Art From the Internet

The web is a great resource for beautiful and free art that can easily be printed if you have a printer, and framed in cheap frames from IKEA or upcycled from the thrift store. Feed Your Soul — The Free Art Project is an excellent source for beautiful illustrations by bona-fide artists that this website makes available for free download. The Graphics Fairy is a website that provides free vintage graphics for download. Print off a few of these color or black-and-white beauties, frame them, and create a gallery cluster of the pretty images. Taidye Original and MissKrissie both have some pretty typographical images that you can download and print.

Also, did you know that you can download digital images of vintage magazines from Google Books? Print off some full-color covers from Life Magazine, or some of the vintage advertisements you'll find within its pages, and frame them to immortalize some of the biggest events of the last century.

Frame Fabric and Other Patterns

Got a few vintage embroidered handkerchiefs from your granny? Or a piece of silk from that trip to Asia? A bit of lace from your mother's wedding dress? Or how about a few leftover scraps of fabric from your last curtain or upholstery project? Use the fabric you've got lying around the house, or buy a few inexpensive remnants from the fabric store, and set them in frames to showcase the textures, patterns, and colors of the cloth.

Along the same lines, you aren't limited to fabric when it comes to framing pretty prints and textures. Try framing a few pieces of sheet music for a classic, cultured look. Or show off some pretty wrapping paper, which looks great under glass, but is also cheap and easy to swap out when you want to change things up.

Pressed Botanicals

Save flowers and pretty leaves from your garden by pressing them between the pages of a few heavy books, and then framing them once they're dry. Create a grouping with similar botanicals for a more focused effect.

Thrifted Art

Thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales are great sources for cheap original art. True, many of the paintings are from unknown or amateur artists, but they can still be charming and more interesting than some of the generic art you can buy at the home décor store. I have found acrylic paintings of flowers, fruit, and local landscapes, and my sister and I have both picked up lovely framed botanical prints.

Buy Art While Traveling

My travels abroad have been a rich source for affordable but unique art that never fails to ignite a conversation. In Egypt, I picked up a couple of Eastern Orthodox prints that were printed on real papyrus, and an oil painting I bought in Vietnam hangs above my bed. In Laos and Thailand, I saw hundreds of beautiful prints of trees and elephants printed on thin rice paper. In China, scrolls of ink calligraphy and landscapes went for a few dollars each. Roll up your art securely in a paper tube and it will survive the trip home without problems, and will serve as both a souvenir of your trip and a unique conversation-starter.

Make Your Own Art

Whether it's a collage of all the beer labels you've collected over the years or a spectacular painting on canvas, art that you make yourself can be memorable and meaningful. Try creating your own twist on Rothko's abstract paintings by painting blocks of color on a large canvas. Or create a drip painting à la Jackson Pollock. If you're not up to creating a painting, what about simple wall art made up of toilet paper rolls? There are all sorts of crafty solutions to an empty wall, and your imagination is the limit.

Buy It

There are lots of budding artists that sell limited edition prints on Etsy for very affordable prices, and eBay can also be a good source for affordable art. For limited edition prints by up-and-coming artists, check out the website 20x200, which carries many prints for just $20, making fine art accessible to more and more people.

This article is from Camilla Cheung of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Buy Art as Gifts

Sierra Black — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:00:11 +0000

Growing up, I always viewed original artwork as something other people had. Rich people.

I’ve never been an art geek, but I’m starting to hit that point in my life where I’d like some nice things to hang on my walls. I’m in what I think will be a long-term home, and I’m aging out of the grad student chic look that kept me happy through my 20s.

So I’ve begun paying more attention to art. I’ve found myself visiting a lot of art studios and gallery shows over the past year. In doing so, I learned that beautiful original art doesn’t have to be expensive. Often, it costs no more than you’d spend on a sweater at the mall or a gift certificate for a nice restaurant. In other words, entirely within many holiday gift budgets. (See also: How to Cheaply Display Your Art)

I’ve replaced my garage sale prints from college with original pieces by Molly Tomlinson, Nica Davidov and Rachel Silber. Never heard of them? They’re not famous, just local artists who are good at what they do. There are literally thousands of good artists making interesting work out there.

How do you shop for fine art at an affordable price? I turned to Boston-based artist and teacher Rachel Mello for advice. Here are her tips for a successful gift.

Be brave!

Giving someone art as a gift can be tricky, but it’s tricky for the same reason it’s so special: it shows you’ve been paying attention to the person and (hopefully) know what they like.

Go with your gut.

You don’t have to overthink an art purchase. Rachel says the two most important questions to ask when you see a piece of artwork are, “Do I like it?” and “Does it remind me of the person I’m shopping for?” It’s really that simple.

Don’t be afraid of abstract art.

If the colors draw you in, and you think they’d look great on your loved one’s wall, go for it!

Look locally.

Open studios, like Somerville’s Open Studios, are common places for artists to show off their stuff. You can also buy from artists directly at craft shows and holiday fairs. Art schools often hold holiday shows where you can buy work directly from art students.

Look online.

Many young artists market their work through Etsy or eBay. If like me, you’re interested primarily in photography, check out Imagekind as well.

Buy directly from the artists.

Every time art is collected and resold, the price goes up a notch.

Frame it.

"If you give somebody art that is not ready to hang, that can be a big burden,” Rachel said. “Work that's not ready to hang or put out often ends up in a drawer.” She warns against falling for the custom framing racket, though. A ready-made frame from Target will serve nicely for most pieces.

Rachel points out that for someone who loves art, the gift of an original piece is two-fold. "Not only are you giving them a thing that they like, you're supporting a practice they like: you're supporting art and keeping art-making happening,” she said.

So go ahead and turn your home, or your mom’s home, into a mini-museum this holiday season. You’ll be bringing more beauty into your home, and your local arts community will thank you for it.

This article is from Sierra Black of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Cheaply Display Your Art

Andrea Karim — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:53:30 +0000

Custom framing your art is often more expensive than the art itself. How weird is that?

There are so many places nowadays to find good, cheap art, but framing said art can be one of the most expensive aspects of decorating your home. Unless you have your own equipment or some killer coupons, professional framing can easily set you back $60-$200 per 8x10 piece of art. If you're like me, and have an eclectic collection of paintings, drawings, and collage, you probably also DON'T have the kind of dough it takes to professionally frame your whole collection.

Well, there are plenty of ways to display your art that don't involve thumb tacks or poster putty (or pricey custom framing) that are still funky, fun, and cheap.

Framed Art

Oil paintings (and often acrylics, for that matter), aren't typically framed behind glass. They can be, but the glass has to be set off of the painting, because if it comes into contact with the paint, even if it's dry, the paint might stick to the glass. Oil paintings are typically made on canvas, and are stretched onto a wooden frame that gives them shape. You can add a frame to the outside or just hang a stretched canvas without a frame — my point is not to invest in a big heavy piece of glass if you don't need it.

Similarly, posters can be mounted onto posterboard and framed with a simple poster frame that may or may not include glass — the less glass you use, the cheaper (and lighter) the end product is. Matting is always optional. The larger the matting, the more expensive the project, so for bigger pieces, you might want to avoid matting. However, pre-cut matting is fairly inexpensive and can really make a difference in the quality of a framed piece of art.

Premade frames

This isn't the cheapest option, because even premade frames aren't cheap, but they are easy to deal with and involve minimal effort on your behalf. Frames come in many different sizes, so you can find something to fit most any piece of art. When buying a frame, take the piece of art with you so that you can see how it will look in the frame. There are many different types of frames available these days: you can buy wooden or plastic frames, frames with or without glass or plastic covering the art, frames with or without matting, and even frames without frames (essentially a piece of glass and a piece of particle board that you stick your art between). Generally, the more ornate the frame, the more expensive it will be.

You can buy frames at stores like Target or Walmart, although selection may be limited. Better options include art supply stores or frame stores — check your local paper for coupons or ask a store associate when the next big sale is in order to find the big savings. A simple frame for an 8x10 picture may be $20 on a normal day, but a sale day will knock that down to $10, easy. Aaron Brothers and Michael's (both stores have great selections) have amazing sales in which frames are reduced up to 75% off. Always keep your eyes peeled for coupons in your local paper or Valu-Pak. Also, in addition to the art and frames section of these stores, you may want to check out the wood projects and kids' sections. I've found thick, unfinished backless frames for $1.50 each. The frames were meant for kids to decorate with glitter and sequins, but they looked amazing framing some 4x4 color prints I had purchased on Etsy.

If you are a good bargainer, it never hurts to befriend your local frame consultant to see if you can't buy some of the cast-offs or rejects — the frames that other people order, and then decide they don't want for whatever reason.

By far the most consistently affordable place to buy ready-made picture frames is IKEA. If you happen to have a Swedish mega-maze somewhere near you, check out the frame selection on your next day-long venture.

Damaged frames

A smooth black picture frame is just about the easiest thing in the world to scratch or scuff, so frames with dings and divots are frequently tossed in the bargain bin as soon as they are unpacked. Lots of stores have their bargain section in a back corner, so always check there to see if there is something you can use. Most minor imperfections can either be easily fixed with some nail filler and black marker, or improved upon by "distressing" the entire frame with sandpaper so that it has that shabby chic look that is so desirable these days.

Buy pre-framed art and throw away the art

Department stores have more than their fair share of hideous pre-framed art. If you find a piece of pre-framed hideous art with a good frame, there's no need to keep the art. Just toss it out and insert your own awesome blacklight unicorn poster. Ross is particularly good for this.

Used frames featuring all kinds of horrible art can be found at thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and next to dumpsters all over the country. You can keep the existing art or throw it away.

Making an ugly frame look amazing doesn't take much effort — just some acrylic paint or a rattle can in an amazing color, a well-ventilated area, and a good drop-cloth, and you've got yourself a snazzy, incredibly hip frame for your art. I've actually seen some pretty cool-looking rooms that are decorated entirely using empty picture frames that have all been painted the same awesome color, or simply matched according to a general sense of aesthetics.

Of course, if you have an entire tool shed just bursting with state-of-the-art miter saws and bevellers, you can always make your own frames.

Frameless frames

There are plenty of glass or Plexiglas "frames" that consists of a clear cover, a solid back, and small clips that allow you to protect and hang your art without a traditional "frame". I buy these in bulk at my local art supply store. Gallery-style frames are another option — a very thin plastic frame that barely shows allows you to place art inside and press a piece of glass or plastic into little grooves in the front of the frame. Gallery frames are cheap, but do significantly limit the thickness of the piece you are displaying.

Hanging Art

Hanging framed art is an art in and of itself...or is it a science? In any case, there are many different ways to get the look that you want.

If you want to hang frames in a gallery style, take some advice from the pros, like an actual curator. Or, you may find it easier and more cathartic to cluster your framed art in a more unique and devil-may-care manner that doesn't depend on straight lines and perfect corners.

There are many different ways to hang framed art. Some people like to use eye-hooks/staples and wire across the back of the frame. The wire can be kept short, and tucked behind the picture so that the nail is hidden when the picture is hung, or long, so that the picture hangs down from a nail. I've seen really pretty hangings done using silk ribbon that is attached to the top back of the frame using strong staples.

Unframed Art

Of course, you can save a bundle on framing costs by simply skipping the frames altogether, There is plenty of art out there that doesn't have to be matted and framed; in fact, almost anything that is displayed with a certain amount of flair becomes art, like a wall covered in a rainbow of paint chips from Home Depot.

For more traditional 2D art, like posters, paintings, and collages, you can either leave the art as-is, or have it mounted on a poster board to give a little more heft and to keep it from getting damaged. Posterboard is fairly inexpensive, and you can do the mounting yourself or have it done at a frame shop for a steal.

Wire and clips

This method is my favorite because it's easy, breezy, and slightly edgy. Take a long piece of wire (thinner gauges are better), some small nails, and a hammer. Pound the nails into your walls at whatever locations you feel are appropriate, and string the wire taught between them. It helps to angle the nails AWAY from the direction that the wire will be pulling. You can create a single horizontal line, many horizontal lines, zigzag lines, vertical lines, or spider webs — it really doesn't matter. You can hang the wire up high and string it across a room, or stick to one wall or small area. Whatever floats your boat.

Next, take a handful of clothespins (the newer kind works better than the old fashioned style) or binder clips, and attach your art wherever you like it. I like to hang concert posters high up on horizontal wires, and clip vintage postcards along vertical wires. A series of black and white photographs evokes a darkroom or photographer's studio. You can hang letters from your grandma, childhood mementos, potholders, jewelry or even air plants, if you want. Mixing up colors, sizes, and shapes is fun, or you can choose one particular style and stick with it. Variety is the spice of life, but not everyone likes as much spice as I do (for examples of both ways of thinking, check out this apartment featured on design*sponge).

With a bit more effort, you can use clips sans wire to create a gallery-like arrangement of unframed art. This method doesn't afford you as much flexibility with rearranging your collection, but looks clean and unencumbered.

Clothing hangers

A slightly less flexible way to show off your unframed pictures or posters is to hang wire clothing hangers from a nail in a prominent location, and then use clothes pins or binder clips to hang the art from the clothing hangers. Hangers are frequently used to make mobiles for 3D art display, so you can move the medium to the 2 dimensional for a new take on a common household item.

Clipboards

If you have lots of smaller pieces of art that you want to display, try hanging a series of clipboards on your wall. Art can be neatly pinned to the center of the clipboard, and the back of the board provides a frame in which to show off the art. A clipboard can be had for as little as $2 (I've seen them for $0.88 on some websites, but you have to consider shipping). Buy a couple dozen of them, and hang them in neat military lines or in a more random fashion. If the dark brown background of the clipboard doesn't suit you, you can always paint the clipboard white, yellow, or any hue that makes you smile and offsets your art collection.

Magnets

If you enjoy rearranging your collection, but have a morbid fear of nails and the damage they cause, you can turn a huge space into a magnetic board of your own with magnetic paint. Assuming you have the ability/right to paint your walls, you can create art spaces with a roller and a can of Rustoleum brand magnetic paint (runs about $30). Add some snazzy, modern-looking magnets for about $20. While $50 isn't a drop in the bucket, it's cheaper than framing your entire poster collection. A whole wall (or room) becomes your personal art gallery on which you can arrange your drawings, newspaper clippings, posters, collages, or anything else you can think of. The best part is you don't have to refill and touch up holes in the wall every time you want to rearrange your artwork.

The Art of Leaning

Whoever said that art had to be hung? One of my favorite ways to display my favorite large oil paintings is to set them on top of dressers or low bookshelves, or even rest them on the floor, leaning against the wall. The look is casual, you don't have to mar the walls with nail holes, and you can move stuff around without having to worry about busting out the measuring tape or level.

*This advice doesn't necessarily apply to art that you consider highly valuable or a collector's item of some kind — for those, do consider a professional framing job to protect the artwork from light and time.*

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This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

3 Alternative "Investments" for Long Term Enjoyment and Appreciation

Xin Lu — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:01 +0000

When it comes to investments, the most popular asset classes are stocks, bonds, and real estate. However, in the recent economic turmoil many people are looking for alternative investments to maintain the value of their assets. Here are three long term "investments" that you could enjoy while you wait for price appreciation.

Art

In general, the world of art collecting is volatile and people's tastes change over time so it is hard to nail down what would appreciate. Also, most of us do not have thousands to millions of dollars to spend on art. So the best way to collect art is really to just buy the pieces you enjoy and could afford. There is no point in buying an abstract painting you do not care for just because it is by some famous dead artist. There are tons of galleries showcasing contemporary artists who sell their pieces at very reasonable prices. If you are looking for appreciation then it makes much more sense to buy the art before an artist becomes too famous.

Another way to invest in art is to find out what the tastes of the collectors are. For example, A particularly "hot" area of art is Asian art right now since the wealth of China and India ballooned in the recent years. Even in the economic downturn, top auction houses are getting bids over their estimates for Asian art. After all, the monetary value of art is fairly subjective, so if you really want to collect art as an investment then you need to follow the money. Otherwise it is best to just buy the pieces that make you happy.

Fossils

When I was a kid I collected fossils and minerals. My favorite piece was a small fossil fish that my mom bought for me for around $6. Apparently a similar speciment is worth 6 or 7 times more now because fossil collecting is gaining popularity all around the world. The price appreciation on that particular fossil has been more than twice of inflation. There are professional fossil hunters that search for rare speciments in exotic places like the Arctic and museum quality pieces could be worth millions. Fossils are fairly low maintenance compared to art and they are becoming more rare as more collection sites are becoming protected. Each fossil is also guaranteed to be unique, so that makes the collecting more fun.

Books

I learned quite a bit about collectible books when I was selling used books. With the rise of digital media, I think real books will become more scarce and collectible as time passes. Although digital books are convenient, I find it more pleasurable to read and touch a tangible book. It is possible to collect quality books on a small budget. One famous example is that of Michael Hurley a postal worker who never made more than $25,000 a year that amassed a collection worth over $300,000 in 1984. Currently you are still able to find many first edition 20th to 21th century books at very affordable prices. Some of these can even be found at garage sales if you look hard enough. One book I recommend for beginner book collectors is definitely Book Finds: How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare Books by Ian C. Ellis (affiliate link).

Each of these "investments" require a lot of study and research just like any stock or piece of real estate if your intent is to make any money. Just like the more mainstream investments, there are scams and duds so you should start small. Although collecting these things seem frivolous, it is actually possible to make a profession out of any of these if you learn enough and love the field enough. What do you think? What is your alternative investment?

This article is from Xin Lu of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Strategic Thriftstore Shopping

Maggie Wells — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:47:33 +0000

There's nothing like a little shopping to get one's mind off of debt, bills, mortgages, taxes and all things she needs to pay. I know that for most people, men in particular, that statement sounds insane. The cure for the blues of unemployment or debt is to go out and spend money?! Well, for some of us...uhm....yeah.

But there are methods to the madness. I'm not talking about running up the credit card for a clothing spree at H & M. I'm talking about opening the belly of the piggy bank (in our case a Neko welcome cat) and counting up the limit of our fun for the week. Usually we find $40 worth of quarters between there and the coin box in the car. I head for the thriftstores.

Thriftstore shopping can be a gross disgusting experience or it can be exhilirating. I have a dust allergy myself so I really like to be strategic about where I go and for what.

It's been my experience that the big chain thrift stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill should be avoided. That's not to say they don't have anything worth buying, but your interesting pieces and quirky things are generally not found there. Figure that since they are the Wal-Mart and Target of thriftstores the donations are more mainstream and so is the clientel. They also can't cut you deals the way a smaller thriftstore will. You can find an emergency skirt at Goodwill and even donate a few items to you but they aren't going to budge on the $3.00 you now owe them for it. If you are looking for inexpensive treats and an opportunity to wheel and deal, you have to go smaller and strategic.

Case in point. My best friend Lysa is coocoo for expensive art books and cookbooks. Her number one thriftstore? A branch of Out of the Closet in out of the way Atwater village in Los Angeles. Because it's out of the way and because the people donating are largely from nearby Silverlake (an artistic enclave). Books that would cost up to $100 she winds up getting for $1. Her best find? A $7 cursive typewriter.

This might sound as morbid as people who look at the obituaries to find apartment openings in New York and San Francisco, but my favorite thriftstores to shop in are those found close to retirement complexes. Two things happen to make these fountains of plenty. 1) As seniors move from their houses to retirement condos and apartments, they downsize and throw out whatever has been sitting in boxes and with tags on in their closets for thirty years. They throw them out en route to their new place. 2) Anything that makes it to their new condos and apartments usually gets donated after they pass on by relatives that live too far away to cart it all back. Santa Barbara, California was a particularly good city for both retirees and thriftstores following this model. I scored three vintage sweaters for $15 --one with the tags still on and all with their beads and sequins still attached. Another favorite stop for thriftstores for me is tiny towns in the southwest and (this will sound weird) Reno , Nevada. People unload great things when they are desperate to keep on gambling or to keep on moving. For $3.00 in Tucson, Arizona I got a Thomas Brothers guide for Los Angeles in 1950 and an unused train ticket for a route that oddly enough goes right by my house now! (Only the train doesn't stop there any more).

My favorite thrift experience hands down was in Japan. Thank goodness for a national obsession with new things. I picked up great kimonos that just needed a good cleaning or needed a little stitching. A great new kimono will run in the thousands but only about $30 -$50 used. You might be wondering how a thriftstore survives in Japan--I did. Apparently it's the number one place to shop for foreign workers (and indeed it was).

If an area is too upscale though, the thriftstores won't be there and if the area is too low end, you won't find anything worth finding.

So Saturday morning is rolling around in a few hours and I'm sitting at my grandmother's retirement complex. Of course I'm spending my stimulus check on bills, but I'm saving $20 of it for the thriftstores less than a mile away. Maybe my economic depression will be cured by some hidden treasures tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers.

Where's your best thriftstore?

This article is from Maggie Wells of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Buying (and Trading) on Etsy

Maggie Wells — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:35:48 +0000

Positively one of my favorite places to shop online when I need a present is www.etsy.com. And I have to say, most of the time when I go to buy a present from this site, I have no idea beforehand what I'm actually going to buy. I just browse endlessly by random criteria. My favorite is by color. I want to see something blue and voila! Everything from buttons to yarn to pillows and barrettes in blue.

Etsy only lets vendors who are selling handmade items post their wares on Etsy. They are pretty strict about this. If a vendor even tries to post something not created , other shoppers and artisans will flag it immediately. When they say handmade they mean it---but there's such a broad interpretation of that. The t-shirts a friend of mine silk screens are on there, my old zines are on there, and restrung jewelry made with vintage beads are there too.

If you want to set up shop, etsy boasts some of the lowest cost fees around and the percentage cut is tiny. It doesn't have the traffic of eBay yet, but it doesn't have the high cost either and stuff can sit in your store for three months straight from one posting. A girlfriend of mine who dyes her own yarn has sold about $500 worth so far with not that much effort put into it. You can go in with a few artists in your area and have one store between you.

On the flip side, since artisans and artists make up this site and ususally can't help themselves when they see something fun, clever or beautiful, you can bet that other artists and artisans are looking around their fellow etsy sites. You can totally work out trades of merchandise and can post on your site that you are up for such things (there I go again with the trading). I traded a few books for some earrings.

This article is from Maggie Wells of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Have you ever seen such amazing junk?

Paul Michael — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:11:41 +0000

My recent post about reusing old plastic bottles inspired me to look around at other ways to use, well, garbage. And I found a site that really made me think twice about the contents of my own garbage can.

This Australian site, called the Hunter Waste Education Group , has been enouraging people to make art from garbage since the year 2000. And the results are simply astonishing in some cases, with submissions from adults and schoolchildren alike.

When you visit the site, go straight to the gallery here . The art is collected into submission years and runs the gamet. Everything from junk metal, used board games and scrap wood, to plastic bottles, beer caps and old tires are transformed from the ordinary to the simply extraordinary. A selection of my favorites are below...

Those are just a handful of the submissions on the site. There are over 200 in the gallery and each one is unique and wonderful. If you have 10 minutes to spare, check them all out .

Now, in this day and age of iPods and MySpace, personalization and individuality has become an important part of our culture. We're all looking for ways to differentiate ourselves, and accessorize accordingly. Here's a way to add something unique and interesting to your home or office environment made simply from the stuff you throw out daily. Some are complex, some are simplistic. With a tube of glue and a few dozen of those AOL CDs, you could make a Stairway To Heaven style tower. It doesn't take any real effort to keep all you old, used plastic bags stuffed inside a bean bag chair. And the board-game work of art could be thrown together in a few hours and make a stunning feature on any wall.

There's a Jack Johnson song on the Curious George soundtrack that says "Reduce, Re-use, Recycle" and I think that's good advice for all of us. From simple plastic milk bottles to old plastic shopping bags, think twice before you throw them out. Maybe you can make something from them, and if they're good enough for you then they could certainly be good enough to sell. One man's trash is absolutely another man's treasure in this case.

Put your creative thinking caps on and get to work. And if you do something cool, why not share it with all of us? Have an inspired and "green" day.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Make a crafty airbrush out of old junk

Paul Michael — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:25:19 +0000

Sometimes the ingenuity of people knocks me out. As I was surfing today to find new and exciting ways to save money, I came across a video on Metacafe. It has almost no sound, but it doesn't need it. In just a few minutes, Marek (from Poland I think) shows you how to make a cool airbrush out of old bits and pieces.

Using just an old spray bottle, a plate box (or possibly an empty 35mm film canister?) a razor, plyers, a power drill, glue, old marker, metal straws and rubber tubing, you can make this quite handy and super-cheap airbrush. Take it away Marek.

[direct link to video]

I have also included a diagram, below, to better illustrate the fuzzy image at the end of the video. This shows you exactly how this homemade device works, and it's a lot easier to see this one.

Now, if I'd had that in my college days, it would have made a big impact on my fine art diploma. However, if all that is just too much of a DIY project, or takes too much puff, you can get a very cool result out of the following easily-accessible item:

That's it; a toothbrush. I used this technique often in college and it worked really well.

Just dip the end of the toothbrush into some paint, and then flick the brush with your finger from the tip towards the handle. You'll get a very nice spray pattern, and if you experiment with thicknesses of paint, you'll see fine or more splattery results. I also used it with varnishes and UV inks. This toothbrush technique is also great fro kids, who may not have the lungpower for the homemade airbrush above.

Use a few templates, perhaps a heart-shaped one for Valentine's Day, and spray some red or pink paint onto some cheap card stock. You'll get a very nice effect at a fraction of the cost of those store-bought cards.

Get spraying folks.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

MoMA mia! Art is on sale.

Paul Michael — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:33:38 +0000

It's that time of year again. The Museum Of Modern Art is having a ridiculous clearance sale and there are a ton of great art bargains to be had. Everything from home artefacts to posters and personal accessories are up to 90% off! Take the poster above...just $1.99, reduced from $25.

There are SEVEN categories in the MoMA sale. Click each link below to get to the sale of your choice. Just be careful not to overspend, there are some serious bargains here.

NEWEST sale items.

HOME sale

PERSONAL ACCESSORIES sale

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: