ThriftyFun Crafts - September 20, 2006

Hello,

This week we have some ideas for making gifts using canning jars. Gift mixes in jars can be thoughtful and inexpensive Christmas Gifts. We also have some interesting projects, tips and quite a few new requests.

Do you have any Halloween Craft ideas to share? You can submit them on one of the contest pages or on our new Crafting for Fun and Money page.

Happy Crafting!

Susan

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Today's newsletter contains:

Projects:

• Eagle Quilt
• Homemade Bed Topper
• Famous Women Paper "Quilt"
• Homemade Bubble Solution
• Homemade Bases for Kickball or Baseball

Tips:

• Gifts In Canning Jars
• Cat Proofing the Sewing Room
• Holder for Crochet Hooks

Requests:

• Woven Duct Tape Wallet
• Miniature Candy Bar Labels
• Duct Tape Craft Projects
• Craft Ideas Using Stuffed Animals
• Hamster Costume
• Painting Wicker To Look Old
• Craft Uses for Old Jeans
• Lion Costume
• Baby Shower Centerpiece Ideas
• Craft Ideas Using Sunglasses
• Nylon Butterflies
• Making a Bootie Bag From Old Jeans
• Woven Gum Wrapper Purse

Articles:

• Twelve Ways to Get Rid of Your Old Books

Today's Sponsors Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Projects

Eagle Quilt You can use recycled jeans to make a fabulous quilt! The entire background of this Eagle Quilt was made from recycled blue jeans. Bleach, acrylic paints, and different colored jeans make up the landscape and the whole thing was quilted by free motion. By Busybee1952 from White Cloud, MI Post Feedback: Click Here

Homemade Bed Topper This decorating tip is to create a mattress topper to revive an old mattress or for use as sofa bed support mattress or even as a floor mat when a house guest visits. Collect or purchase new low cost bed pillows, standard or queen size; fiber filled ones usually run $2.00 each or use old ones you already have that have gone flat. Collect enough, approximately 9-15 pillows. Stitch together sides and ends in a vertical manner, much like a quilt is prepared. You have now created a topper! Cover with a bed sheet when in use and store in a plastic comforter bag. Much less expense and just as comfy as a faux feather bed topper! If you have a pampered pet, this would make an awesome bed for them as well. Just scale it down in size and cover with their favorite blanket. Sweet dreams!! By Pat from Fort Myers, FL Post Feedback: Click Here

Famous Women Paper "Quilt" Materials: 20 3x5 plain colored paper squares 20 3x5 printed paper squares (ex. I used multiple kind of paper but one of them was wrapping paper that I bought in the dollar store). Paper doilies (enough to cover the rim of the quilt) Pictures of the women (I copied from the net and from encyclopedias and other books). Contact paper If you desire to make it a mother's or grandmother's gift, use family pictures instead. Directions: On blank paper I made a small poem to describe the person who's picture was next to it. I suggest that all the above be done before tackling the next section. Now you need 25x31 inch contact paper. This part is tricky place contact paper on the table with the protecting sheet removed. Put your doily (only the scalloped edge will be used) around the edge of the contact paper. Place the 1st picture on the top left hand corner. To the side of it place the poem that goes with it. Repeat 3 more times. Next row. Start with the poem and then the picture. Repeat 3 more times. Now repeat these 2 rows another 2 times. This will finish your quilt. The measurements can be changed according to your desire. By LRP from LOWELL, MASS Post Feedback: Click Here

Homemade Bubble Solution Ingredients: 1/3 cup Dish soap or baby shampoo 1 1/4 cup Water 2 tsp. Sugar 1 Food coloring Directions: Servings: 1 Combine ingredients and pour into an unbreakable bottle. To blow bubbles, experiment using plastic straws, pipe cleaners formed into loops, strawberry baskets from grocery store, spoons with holes in them and other items you think of. By Anna Post Feedback: Click Here

Homemade Bases for Kickball or Baseball Supplies: Sheets of High density foam (like what a pool noodle is made of but two different thicknesses) Left over plywood or particle board Outdoor clear silcone glue Directions: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bases should be made out of thicker foam. Cut 3 - 16 by 16 inch squares out of the plywood. Next add the foam cut 16 1/2 by 16 1/2 inches. Now glue the foam to the plywood bases leaving a little over lap on all sides. We used outdoor silcone glue for this. Cut a rectangle for the pitcher's mound but use thinner foam as you don't want this to stick up off the ground to much, the same goes for homebase. These are pretty sturdy and light weight so they can be carried to the nearest park or playground. Hope this recycling tip is something you will enjoy. By Debra from Colorado Post Feedback: Click Here

Tips

Gifts In Canning Jars Here are some ideas for making gifts using canning jars. Feel free to post your ideas. Gifts In Canning Jars Years ago when we decided to make a 110' x 50' garden and we bought about 20 cases of canning jars. We didn't get what we thought we would from the garden. We didn't realize high mountain growing was so difficult. We have tried every year to make the garden produce mass amounts of veggies to can but have not had too many produce for us. Just enough to get us though the summer. Since we ended up with so many jars I decided to use them for gifts. I get recipes for cookies, brownies, cakes, chili, or whatever I can find and then put all the dry ingredients into the jar. I then decorate the jar with raffia ties, paint, material, or whatever I can find. Last year I tied bells and candy canes on the outside and gave these as gifts at Christmas. I love giving gifts and since I'm on a limited budget I can purchase the dry ingredients all year long and be able to make many gifts and always have one handy in case I forget someone. It's lots of fun to come up with ideas to put into the jars. One year I made cookies and candies and gave those. Most jars only end up costing $2 since I always buy in bulk. Hope you have fun! By RoseMarym Falling Leaves Jar Because I have boxes of mason and ball jars, I'm always on the look-out for crafts to make with these. Here is a site I rely on for a few ideas. I'll be making this 'Falling Leaves Jar' to give to my friends. and the best part? It has a recipe for making breakfast bars! http://splash.homecanning.com/news/fall/falling_leaves_jar.php By Laurie from NV Decoarting Jars With Scrapbooking Supplies Recently I saw in a magazine or online, can't remember where, where they had used canning jars for other gifts as well. They had taken some of the scrapbooking type of decorations and glued them to the outside of the jar. One picture was of a duck and there was scrapbooking borders glued around the top and bottom of the jar, not covering the place for the jar lid. They filled it with baby washrags, tiny baby toys, etc. and had it decorated for a baby gift. They had a few other ideas as well. It sure opened my eyes to another use for the canning jar. You could probably go one step further and carefully cut a slit in the top of the lid and they could use it for a piggy bank as well. By Tawnda Magic Reindeer Food I was looking on the internet and i found something so cute for a gift jar! It's called magic reindeer food. Can be used for a great decoration! You need: oatmeal sugar red or green sugar crystals (used on cakes) christmas cloth (for the top of the jar) and a sparkle ribbion (for around the jar) Then layer them. Makes a great holiday gift! Here's the poem that goes with it: Sprinkle on the lawn at night the moon will make it sparkle bright as Santa's reindeer fly and roam this will guild them to your home! ENJOY By Ashley Chocolate Chip Cookie Gift Mix Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup flour 3/4 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar Directions: Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Place flour mixture in 1 quart jar. Layer remaining ingredients in order listed above. Pressing firmly after each layer. Seal with lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon. Attach to Jar: Preheat oven to 375* Beat 3/4 cup Softened butter, 1 egg and 3/4 tsp. vanilla in large bowl until blended. Add cookie mix and 1/2 c nuts (optional) mix well, breaking up any clumps. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 dozen. By Imaqt1962 from Illinois Related Convenience Mixes Gift Mixes Post Feedback: Click Here

Cat Proofing the Sewing Room Some of us don't like our kitty to help us sew. Mine has fairly long hair and will immediately lie down on any piece of fabric I lay down. Since I heat with wood, I needed a way for the air to circulate to my sewing room and yet keep Mr. Kiki out. So, I hung a piece of garden lattice on hinges with a simple screen door lock toward the top so I can reach it from both sides, and added a nice silk flower trim! By Busybee1952 from White Cloud, MI Post Feedback: Click Here

Holder for Crochet Hooks Those cheap plastic pens with caps make great travel containers for your fine crochet hooks. Just remove the "pen" part and pop in your hook. No more poking through your bag and getting lost. By Bobbie G from Rockwall, TX Post Feedback: Click Here

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New Requests

Woven Duct Tape Wallet Does anyone know how to make a woven wallet out of duck tape? Sarah from Greeley, CO Post Feedback: Click Here

Miniature Candy Bar Labels How can I make miniature candy bar labels? brownskinchick from United States Post Feedback: Click Here

Duct Tape Craft Projects I'm looking for duct tape craft projects. Randi from Vacaville, CA Post Feedback: Click Here

Craft Ideas Using Stuffed Animals I am looking for craft ideas using old stuffed animals. Alicia From Cleveland, Ohio Post Feedback: Click Here

Hamster Costume Any ideas for a hamster costume for child? Tracy from Waco, Texas Post Feedback: Click Here

Painting Wicker To Look Old I have just changed the colors in my bathroom and want to paint my wicker over the toilet shelf and wicker wastebasket to match. I am not certain what color to use either. The shower curtain is leopard and I just bought a nice tan rug and two chocolate brown reversible bath mats. I was thinking tan or beige? I would like to make the wicker look old and wanted to know if any one can tell me how to do this. Thanks, Kathie from So. Portland, Maine Post Feedback: Click Here

Craft Uses for Old Jeans I am looking for craft projects using old denim jeans. Randi from Vacaville, CA Post Feedback: Click Here

Lion Costume Does anyone have an idea for making a lion costume? Kimmiek from Louisville, OH Post Feedback: Click Here

Baby Shower Centerpiece Ideas I'm having difficulty coming up with centerpieces for a baby shower. We want something that at the end of the shower 1 guest per table can take home. Most sites suggest things like diaper cakes and balloons and such... we don't feel that's a good take home gift. Please help. Millie from Ontario, Canada Post Feedback: Click Here

Craft Ideas Using Sunglasses I am looking for craft ideas that can be made with with sunglasses. Alicia From Cleveland, Ohio Post Feedback: Click Here

Nylon Butterflies I am planning a wedding and want to accent everything with Nylon Butterflies. How do you make them? Sara from Antekope, CA Post Feedback: Click Here

Making a Bootie Bag From Old Jeans I'm looking for instructions for a bootie bag made from old jeans. I would appreciate any help. Thanks, Ellen from Maricopa, CA Post Feedback: Click Here

Woven Gum Wrapper Purse Does anyone know how to make a woven purse out of gum wrappers or a woven wallet out of duck tape? Sarah from Greeley, CO Post Feedback: Click Here

Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here

Today's Sponsors Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Articles

Twelve Ways to Get Rid of Your Old Books By Ellen Brown As a writer (and literary packrat), I periodically find my nightstand and the shelves of my office bookcases sagging under the weight of enormous stacks of books. I seem to accumulate them without even realizing it, and admit that in the case of some of them, such as my recent flea market find, "WWII Veterinary Care Manual for Horses," I never get farther much than the table of contents. I'm a softy for stray books (and animals) and I can't bear to part with them unless I know their going to good homes. If you're like me and your bookshelves are about to buckle under the strain of unused books, here are some ideas for lightening your literary load. Read More: Click Here

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