Frugal Family: Deals of the Week

March is National Arts and Crafts month - time to get crafty with friends and family. Here we have some great local deals to help you get your craft on:

1. Lakeshore Learning Store is an excellent place to find craft materials for activities with the kids. I especially like the set of 300 sparkle, extra long, multi-colored pipe stems for only $8.99. These keep my daughter busy for hours, as she twists them into fanciful creatures. Lakeshore also has one of the best weekly deals around – a free craft activity for kids every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2. a.d. Beads has gorgeous beads for making all sorts of jewelry and accessories, at quite good prices. I saw lampwork glass beads for only $4.99 for a string of 20. They also offer a beading class every Saturday from 1p.m.  to 3:30 p.m. The class is $10, plus cost of supplies to make your project. 

3. Nearby Huntington Beach is home to Once Upon a Memory Scrapbook Store, a mecca for local scrapbookers. They carry a huge range of decorative paper, card stock, trim, accessories and tools to make your scrapbook memories pop. On March 17 and again on March 21, they will offer 20 percent off all merchandise in the store.

4. Yarn and Needle combines knitting with old-school social networking. For $70 per month you can come in any day of the week between 10 a.m. and 6:30 pm and take knitting lessons, consult with the experts, check out new patterns and schmooze with other local knitters. They carry a wide range of yarns, patterns and tools, but the real draw is the chance to sit, knit and chat. 

5. My last craft deal is a frugal one indeed. Try the Fountain Valley library for a selection of books on nature crafts and recycled material crafts. Then go on a park hunt for leaves, rocks, pinecones and other materials. The cost is free and the crafting is fun.