Cardboard Christmas

greetings to all...

here are two sources for cardboard for flat bases that you may want to try...i'm not suggesting you destroy any serviceable items...just take a look the next time you happen to see these items that are headed to the rubbish bin...

1. inside the vinyl covers of standard three ring binders are two laminated pieces of cardboard about 1/8" thick...you may see some small ripples and flutes on the edges...but these can be filled with paint...or glue a narrow band of card stock along the edges of the finished base...

2. the front and back covers of little golden books...just not as thick as the binder cardboard mentioned above...

several forum members have mentioned that their flat bases tend to "curl" over time even though they start out flat...my suggestion is to consider painting both sided of the base...

my very best regards...howard...

Two good sources and easy to find some times that is the hard part. Your right Howard I paint both sides with many coats of primer and paint this really solves the problem. I used the flat bases on the Pack-O-Fun houses last year and they are still nice and flat.

Yes Howard, I've done this very thing. I go to my local church owned "thriftshop" and pick up every one I can. I usually get them for 25¢ a piece and I fill up the cart! One time, the manager just gave me 12 of them for a thin $1 bill! It does take a while to "cut 'em up", but the reward in the end is well worth it...

Good tip, Howard, thanks!

This is a great idea. I have many assorted thrift stores in my area. I did get a few binders before the holidays, but I was planning on using them to store my patterns. Maybe I have to work faster so I don't have to store the patterns and the binders can become inventory.

I was wondering about oil board for bases. http://www.dickblick.com/products/oil-board/
Has anyone used this material? How does it cut? Do you need something more than a craft knife to
cut it? Does it take the water based paint? Or does the paint pool on the surface or refuse to dry?
Or is it actually too thin?
Debbie W

Debquilts,

The oil board is too thin - you'd have to layer the bejeebers out of it. I'm sure it has other uses we can take advantage of, though.

Paul