Search Results for: blog make your own beads from paper or fabric

Christmas Break Boredom Busters

Today is the last day of school for many kids in our area.  Their Christmas break begins this afternoon and I’m sure they couldn’t be happier.  Their parents, on the other hand, may not share the same feeling. A week from now those same kids may be climbing the walls looking for ways to keep busy.  If you fear boredom will get the best of your brood before Santa flies into town, consider putting your kids to work making these simple and inexpensive holiday decorations that you can use to brighten up your home or give as gifts: Pretty Presents:  … Continue reading →

Thrifty Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is often regarded as an expensive hobby. With so many different products and tools on the market, you could easily drop thousands of dollars to fund a scrapbooking addiction. But, what if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on crafts? Just because you are working on a tight budget, doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on all of the excitement that comes with making elaborate memory albums. In addition to finding scrapbook materials on sale, there are a number of every day items that can be repurposed and added to memory books, including beads, … Continue reading →

Looking Sharp

Thanks to a good behavior reward system designed by her second grade teacher, my daughter has accumulated a fairly impressive collection of decorative pins. Some feature ribbons and beads while others include fabric and gems. They are all beautifully constructed, and I’ve been wondering how I could help my daughter display them. Enter our neighbor. Yes, that one. The scrapbook queen of northern Wisconsin suggested we design a layout using the pretty pins. So, this weekend we found some patterned paper and used the decorative pins to embellish a double page layout. We used the bulk of the pins as … Continue reading →

Simple St. Patrick’s Day Fun

Forget about hiring a party planner for St. Patrick’s Day. You can make your friends green with envy by hosting a simple yet fun St. Paddy’s Day celebration complete with all the bells and whistles you’d find at a party planned by the pros. Start by going green–literally. Decorate your home from top to bottom with inexpensive green-hued streamers, balloons and cardboard cut-outs in the shape of shamrocks and leprechauns. You can find St. Patrick’s Day decorations at party stores, discount chains and online. However, if you are working with a tight budget, then simply make your own decorations. For … Continue reading →

Super Scrapbook Savers

Most people don’t realize that they can create a scrapbook without actually buying a tradtional 12 by 12 memory book. If you are scrapping on a very tight budget, then consider embellishing a standard binder, photo album or a plain hardcover journal with stickers, stamps, die-cuts or patterned paper. Another option is to punch holes in cardstock and bind the paper together with pretty ribbon to make a mini scrapbook. The only problem you may run into when fashioning together a budget DIY scrapbook is that your page may not have the same protective covers found in traditional scrapbooks. If … Continue reading →

Easy Winter Craft Idea

Here’s a simple and affordable craft that will keep your kids busy for hours on a cold winter’s day. These cute sock snowmen breathe new life into old stockings and allow your children to utilize their creativity in the decorating process. The adorable snowpeople can be made from any size sock you want to recycle. For example, if you want to make a baby snowman, then use children’s socks. For a snow mommy, use women’s socks, etc. SOCK SNOWPEOPLE Materials: 2 pairs of socks, one pair of white socks and the other with stripes or other patterns (tube socks work … Continue reading →

New Uses for Bottle Caps

Plastic and glass bottles are easy to reuse in some many different ways. But, what about the bottle caps? Reduce your waste and find frugal alternatives. Here are some ideas on new uses for bottle caps. You can use bottle caps to add height to planters, allowing more sun to reach your houseplants. Bottle caps are also great to use as temporary shims. A shim is normally a piece of wood that you buy to make something level. I’ve stuck bottle caps under wobbly appliances, chairs, tables and more, over the years. I also used one to replace a leg … Continue reading →

Connect With Your Kids

As a single parent there is a lot that needs to be done in a day. Depending on you, your situation, and your choices, you need to get up, get your morning routine done, whatever that may be, get your children up, and possibly get them ready for school or day care, get them to school or daycare, go to work whether it be at a company or your own business, clean the house, go to school, homeschool or help with homework, make tasty healthy meals for you and your children, get them to and from extra curricular activities, pay … Continue reading →

Key Chain Crafts for Kids

Even if your kids don’t really need key chains yet, they may still like to collect them. At our elementary school, the trend seems to be having as many key chains as possible hanging from book bags, backpacks, purses, and jackets. Laura Torres shared a zipper pull craft a while back that can also be easily adapted or used as is for a key chain. You can also make a similar style using plastic tops from soda bottles. You can find plain key rings at most any discount store, craft shop, or super center. Your kids can also make other … Continue reading →

Make and Decorate Your Own Gift Bags

If you’d like to add a personal touch to the gifts you give, there is no better way than to design your own packages. You can use creative gift wrapping ideas, make your own wrapping paper, and you can make and decorate your own gift bags! There are many varieties of gift bags available, but making your own adds a custom element. Start with plain, solid colored paper bags. You can select those with handles or without and decorate or personalize them as you like. This is one of the simplest options, and you can find some other ideas in … Continue reading →