Search Results for: blog safety pin jewelry

Safety Pin Jewelry

Safety pin jewelry is a quick and easy to make. While it is not the most beautiful jewelry in the world, it is a great rainy afternoon project. There’s something very satisfying about how quickly you can make things. You do need to be cautious with the sharp point of the safety pin. And of course small children and sharp object and beads aren’t a good idea. You can experiment with different sizes of safety pins and beads. For this example I used a standard sized pin. As you can see from the picture it will hold two 6mm beads … Continue reading →

Scrapbooking for Cheapskates

Don’t be offended by the title. I happen to wear my “cheapskate” badge with honor. Call it what you want: frugal, creative, selective, whatever. The point is there is a way to stick to your budget even if you are addictive to scrapbooking. One of the best ways to save money scrapbooking is to think outside of the box. Sure, it is easy to run to your local scrapbook supply shop when you’re in need of embellishments for your layouts, but often you can find dirt cheap alternatives in your own home. Some ideas include: *Recycling bows and ribbons from … Continue reading →

How to Make Your Own Scarecrow

Thank goodness for scarecrows and pumpkins. As I mentioned in a previous blog they are some of the only seasonal decorations my young daughter can stand to be around without having a full-blown meltdown. Given that she is petrified of gory Halloween décor our home has turned into a haven for happy homemade scarecrows and our porch is a virtual pumpkin patch. If you are looking to add tame seasonal décor to your home (either because your own children are deathly afraid of fake bloody limbs and screeching plastic bats or you simply want to make your house a welcome … Continue reading →

Week in Review

Summer isn’t over yet, and here are some ideas for enjoying the season. Did you know you can tell the temperature by counting cricket chirps, or how far a storm is by counting the time between the lightning and the thunder? Read how in Counting Cricket Chirps and Thunder. Animal Rummy Cards are a beautiful and versatile card deck to add you game shelf. Safety Pin Jewelry is a quick and easy bead project, perfect for rainy or too hot afternoons. Don’t miss these ideas for savoring the last of summer in Where Did the Summer Go?

Nine Days ‘til Christmas

It’s getting close. It’s time to put the final touches on your holiday decorations, so if you could still use a few last minute decorating ideas for Christmas, I’m with you. I was thinking the same thing, so I started trying to come up with some that would be quick and easy but at the same time, would look nice. Frame it You have probably heard of wrapping a picture frame with wrapping paper to make it look like a gift, but this is a little different. Instead of wrapping the frame, place a piece of pretty wrapping paper inside … Continue reading →

Toxic Toys

Shopping for gifts for kids just got a little bit harder. In a test of over 1200 toys, 35% contained lead, including a Hannah Montana card game and a Go Diego Go! backpack. The tests were performed by a coalition of environmental groups and is available for perusal here. Of the toys tested a mere 20% had no trace of lead or other harmful chemicals. 23 of the toys listed had been recalled this year. Jewelry products were among the toys most likely to contain high levels of lead. Federal standards dictate that a toy should not contain more than … Continue reading →

Top 3 Reasons to Install a Home Security System

When I watch the evening news it makes installing a home security system seem like a logical decision. The Top 3 reasons to install a home security system: Protection: Everyone has a different level of need for protection. It’s a simply formula of whom, what and where. The basic math is the more “who‘s” your are responsible to keep safe and the more “what’s” you have collected along the way, the more protection you and your family need. There may be times in our lives when we have few possessions and only need to take care of our own personal … Continue reading →

Flipper (1996)

Dolphins are amazing creatures, and they’ve been fascinating us for years. They’ve been the focus of documentaries, movies, symbols on pieces of jewelry and home décor – we can’t get enough of ‘em. 1996 saw the release of “Flipper,” another dolphin movie, this one starring Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan. Wood plays Sandy, a teenaged boy with a huge chip on his shoulder who is sent to visit his uncle Porter (Hogan) to see if said chip can be dislodged somehow. They get off to a rocky start as Sandy breaks the rules and Porter doesn’t seem to know how … Continue reading →

Real Storage Solutions Using Egg Cartons

Unless your are a homesteader, you probably have an almost endless supply of egg cartons. Why not put them to good use instead of throwing them away? Egg cartons can be used for all sorts of storage solutions. My favorite use for egg cartons has got to be to store small breakable objects. The little cavities where the eggs normally go are perfect to nest things such as Christmas ornaments, delicate jewelry, etc. In the case of jewelry, especially, an easy tip is to grab a shoe-box and insert the bottom of the egg carton into the shoe-box. You can … Continue reading →

Parents Beware The Hidden Danger In Some Kids Toys

As we approach the Christmas shopping season, parents are reminded that when it comes to toys, toddlers put everything in their mouths. As a result, we have to be very cautious of what we put in their hands. The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) has been publishing a “Trouble In Toyland” report for the past 21 years. The group has found significant progress in toy safety over the past two decades since they have been advocating for toy safety, but sadly, many problems still exist. And some of the problems are the same old problems that have been … Continue reading →