More Crafting, Less Cleanup: Three Money and Time-Saving Ideas
3 min read
We all want to spend more time crafting, and less time cleaning up.
We all hate wasting materials. We love saving money so we can buy more.
I found a way to keep my glue, paint, and epoxy projects less messy, while getting better results. It's also allowed me to reduce cleanup time and reduce waste. I have saved a ton of money and time. And my glue and paint projects look better, too.
Hot Glue Gun Stand You Can Re-Use
Have you ever panicked, scanning the room for a safe place to set your hot glue gun? You search in a hurry, as molten glue pours out the nozzle and drizzles onto things it shouldn’t be on. Your knee...the carpet…the coffee table. I know I have. I've made "accidental wood burning art" in a few tables, even - oops.
Now, whenever I work with the hot glue gun, I place it on a silicone trivet. Hot glue is hazardous, but it’s no match for silicone. Neither the melted hot glue sticks, nor the scalding nose of the glue-gun is enough to damage it.
Even if your glue gun falls over on it, you won't hurt it. This makes it a great tool, giving you a place to lay your craft pieces while gluing. It also helps protect your table from getting burn marks if it falls over.
For safety’s sake, for your sake, for your table's sake...get some silicon trivets to use while you do glue gun crafts.
Paint Pallete or Paintbrush Rest That Doesn't Collect Paint
Do you know what surfaces paint won't stick on? Your table isn't one.
Silicone is.
Ever tried painting over silicone caulk in the house? Doesn't work, does it? Well, you'll probably never find a paint that can stick to these trivets, either.
Silicone is paint repellent. You can pour your paint all over it. you can use different colors on it, like a paint pallete. You can mix small swatches of colors on it. It's hassle-free, and it's easy wash it when you're done.
I've never found a painting pallete so easy to use and clean as my silicone trivet, so I swear by these. I've had to throw away a lot of others over the years - money down the drain. But, not anymore! Use, rinse, repeat. If the paint dries, no problem - I can peel it right off!
Craft Glue Protection and Epoxy Mixing Surface
Let's talk glue. There are so many kinds of glue. No matter what kind I'm using, though, I have the same issues: Where do I place my pieces when I'm gluing them together? Where do I rest them while they dry and cure? What if the glue drips, and then they're glued to that surface? Agh! I used to scavenge for things I didn't mind throwing away, so I could use them under whatever I was gluing. I've gone through tons of paper plates, magazines, and junk mail.
But, these are messy solutions, and they absorb the glue. Sometimes dripping glue seeps through. They almost always get stuck to my craft project. Now, I use my silicone trivets. Like I mentioned, nothing sticks to them - glue included. I can place them under whatever I'm working on, glue them, and let them cure. I don't have to worry about having to separate them from the trivet later.
If you ever mix epoxy, you haveprobably looked for a better mixing surface, too. It has to be non-porous and smooth to get a good mix, and to avoid a mess. Silicone trivets are perfect for this.
I wish I'd found them sooner. My epoxy projects would have been so much cleaner! And, I would have avoided re-doing a few things (hello, material waste). I use one for mixing, and one as a curing tray. If it's a bigger project, I may have four or five out at a time. They storeeasily, so it's not a hassle having that many on hand.
I hope you get the chance to try these hacks soon. Your workspace and your finished projects will thank you!
When you use hot pads or trivets to protect your kitchen and bathroom surfaces from heat, you're investing in your home. We've done the research to help you choose the best ones.
Whether you love to cook, craft, or crimp, you want to do it without damaging your furniture. We've spent a lot of time in the kitchen, crafts aisle, and beauty counter over the years, so we came up with this creative list of ways to use silicone trivets to protect your home and stuff in ways you wouldn't expect.
