Unique crafting materials: Newspaper

Admittedly, actual newspaper is becoming rarer by the day. But it still remains one of my favorite oddball craft supplies. The soft texture of the paper, the distinctive look, and of course the low price!

The biggest problem I have had lately is that newspapers are increasingly given over to ads, most of which are full-color. Nothing ruins the aesthetic of a newspaper craft like having it be full-color ads for carpet replacement and such.

There are a few solutions to this issue. First of all, think twice before buying a Sunday paper. You might think you would be getting the most bang for your buck, but it's all ads. And thus useless for crafting.

There are two benefits to buying the Sunday paper: first, it will often have an expanded Classified Ads section. And second, there are the full-color Sunday comics, which you may want specifically for your project.

When you get a paper, strip out the useless sections. The best sections to use for crafting are the Classified Ads, the sports section (all those stats), and the stock quotes. All three of these sections are dense with type, black on white, with very few photos or ads.

If you are specifically looking for that dense type, hunt down a copy of the Washington Post or the New York Times. These are both "serious" newspapers that have lots of words and very few ads and photos.

If you have access to a big pile of recycled papers, you can just skim through and pull out all the "good" sections. But be polite: don't leave the stack messier than you found it. And if someone offers you a stack of papers, take the whole thing and recycle the stuff you won't use yourself.

What can you make from recycled newspaper? I most recently tore some into thin strips and spun it into art yarn. Here are some other great ideas, including fire logs, beads, and clever woven baskets.

Image courtesy Flickr/NS Newsflash