ThriftyFun Crafts - May 9, 2007

This week we have some Mother's Day Craft Projects, tips for using clothespins and more tips from readers.

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Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Today's newsletter contains:

Photos and Projects:

• Toddler's Dress Clothespin Holder
• Mother's Day M-O-M Plates Craft
• Mother's Day Flower Plate
• Potpourri Sachet
• "Bloomin' Straws" Bouquet for Mother's Day!
• Keep-sake Ivy Bowl
• Concho Western Pin

Tips:

• CD or DVD Cases for Photos
• Make a Bear at Home
• Make Maracas For Cinco de Mayo
• Use Clear Newspaper Bags for Yarn
• Measure Twice, Cut Once
• Make Napkins Out of an Old Tablecloth
• Pop Tabs as Wick Weights
• Uses For Clothes Pins

Requests:

• Adjusting the Waist Size of Pants for a Toddler
• Uses for Plastic Easter Eggs
• Cheap Clothing Dye

Articles:

• Optimize Your Sewing Time
• Elegant Beaded "Skirts" for Champagne Flutes or Wine Glasses and Appetizer Picks

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.

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Toddler's Dress Clothespin Holder

If you have a leftover toddler's dress or buy one at a garage sale, here's a cute way to recycle it into a clothespin holder.

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf91296742.tip.html

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Mother's Day M-O-M Plates Craft

Here's a Mother's day craft we did at church this year with the younger kids. It's very easy to do and inexpensive.

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Mother's Day Flower Plate

This is a little bit harder craft for older kids to make for Mother's Day. It's inexpensive but very pretty.

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63444550.tip.html

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Potpourri Sachet

This is a simple sewing project that is great for gifts, and many can be made in under an hour.

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83645189.tip.html

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"Bloomin' Straws" Bouquet for Mother's Day!

The part that takes the longest on this craft is the cutting, but once the cutting is finished, the "flower arranging" is easy and fun.

Vies This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15908172.tip.html

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Keep-sake Ivy Bowl

This is a super easy craft and an attractive way to display unusual collectibles.

View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf61359646.tip.html

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Concho Western Pin

I have made a passel of these concho pins to wear with my western outfits and blue jeans. I have had many compliments. I have even given away a few for presents.

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CD or DVD Cases for Photos

I have this creative mind that causes me to see all kinds of possibilities for what someone else might think is trash. You know those CD and DVD holders? Well, they make great picture frames! Just open your CD and take out the papers in it. You have to pry one side of it to get the paper out but if you are careful it can be done without damaging the holder. Just put your picture in and close. Walla! You now have a frame that is simple and you can make a great arrangement of them on your walls.

The DVD is very simple, you take out the picture on outside of DVD and put your picture in. No glass to break either. Another idea with the DVD is that you could hide something inside like money or special momentoes that go with picture, etc. To put on wall, you could use those little sticky glues you get in the craft departments. They come on a roll of paper and are just dots of glue (like hot glue). You could add magnets to the back like I did and put them on the fridge. The CD and DVD holders are so light that it doesn't take much for them to stick to the wall. If you have any questions, just email me. Have fun!

By Priscilla from Inverness, Florida

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Make a Bear at Home

For my daughters 6th birthday, she wanted to take her little friends to BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP. That's way out of my price range! So while I was shopping for things to do for her party, I was in JoAnn Fabrics and I saw Make a Bear kits. They come with a bear, stuffing and clothes. All you do is stuff them, dress them and they velcro shut. They also come with a certificate of adoption. The best part was that they were half price, 5 bucks! the kids loved them and so did I.

By Tracy from Battle Creek, MI

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Make Maracas For Cinco de Mayo

Having a Cinco de Mayo party? If people are bring kids, be sure to have something to do. Plan a craft like making maracas from empty water bottles. Add a few dried beans or some rice to empty, dry bottle, cap them and cover with a thin layer of paper mache' which will dry quickly in the sun, or even a layer of duct or masking tape. (Kids love tape!) Then decorate as desired with sharpie markers, stickers, beads, feathers, fringes, ribbons, or whatever. Let kids perform to a Mexican tune in a maraca band later in the evening.

By Linda from Vista, CA

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Use Clear Newspaper Bags for Yarn

I use the plastic bags that my newspaper is delivered in when knitting or crocheting. I place a skein or ball of yarn inside to keep it clean and free from snarling. They are clear bags in my locality and easy to see through to choose the color I need. I also use them to save leftover yarn for easy visibility.

By Elles

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Measure Twice, Cut Once

The saying, "measure twice, cut once", is as old as the hills. It's generally used in carpentry to help prevent the wasting of materials but it's really a good tip for all crafts. It's a good rule when working with fabric, leather or any material that needs to be cut to fit a particular purpose. Measure twice, cut once and waste less.

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Make Napkins Out of an Old Tablecloth

Do you have a tablecloth that is either stained, has a worn spot or a torn spot on it? Well, make several napkins out of it. Just stitch the 4 sides over. OR make a smaller tablecloth out of the larger one. Waste not, want not.

By Joesgirl

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Pop Tabs as Wick Weights

If you make homemade jar candles as I do, you can use pop tabs as a weight for your wicks. If you drink pop they are pretty much free!

By Tracey P

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Uses For Clothes Pins

Here are some creative uses for plastic or wooden clothes pins from our ThriftyFun community. Post your own ideas here.

Refrigerator Magnets

Glue a small magnet to a clothespin and hang it on the fridge door. As you create your grocery list and collect coupons for this week's list, put them in the clip to keep them handy. Clothespins can also be used to clip notes to yourself, directions, etc to the visor of your car, to remind you.

By lmlhlinc

Lady Bug Magnets

I decorated a clothespin to look like a lady bug by painting it red and black. I put a magnet on the back and I use it as a fridge magnet to hold notes or recipes. I also use them for closing cereal bags.

Louise

Wooden Duck (or Other Crafts)

Use it as the mouth when making a wood duck or other wooden animal crafts. Makes a nice decoration for your desk that can be used to hold out going mail or phone messages.

Ribbon Organizer

I hang them on nails (through the round opening in the spring) and clip large spools of ribbon to my studio shelves.

By Mam

Wooden Pins For Making Rocking Chairs

It has been known here in Trinidad to use wooden clothes pins to make rocking chairs and water wells. To make the rocking chair, all you need is the clothes pins and glue. For the well: wooden clothes pins, glue and an empty sausage tin.

By keisha

Editor's Note: We have the rocking chair instructions posted on the site:

• Clothespin Rocking Chair Pattern
  http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf711919.tip.html

Plant Markers

Use as plant markers. Clip to small, round dowel and poke dowel into dirt. Then clip the empty seed package on the clothespin.

Heather S.

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Adjusting the Waist Size of Pants for a Toddler

Any suggestions for easy quick ways to fix toddler's pants from being too big in the waist? My 3 yr. old daughter has a small waist. Pants or shorts that otherwise are the right fit are too large at the waist. Many pants slide down or fall right off. Belts are not really an option since most pants for small children don't have belt loops. I've thought about making those elastic bands with alligator clips that women wore in the 90's to sinch in dresses from the back but I'm not sure how to go about making them. Any ideas?

Clara from Littleton, CO

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Uses for Plastic Easter Eggs

I need some ideas for plastic Easter eggs. I know it's way past easter, but I was wondering if you had any ideas for leftover eggs?

Thanks.
Ebonyqueen3 from South Florida

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Cheap Clothing Dye

Is there a cheap way to dye clothes a different color? The shop dyes are pretty expensive in Australia.

Brian from Australia

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

Optimize Your Sewing Time
By Sarah J. Doyle

Be Prepared

Gather and purchase all of the supplies necessary to complete your sewing or craft project ahead of time. Having to stop in the middle of the project in order to run out and get a forgotten essential item is time consuming and irritating.

Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf884296.tip.html

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Elegant Beaded "Skirts" for Champagne Flutes or Wine Glasses and Appetizer Picks

Anything beaded is really hot right now and I wanted to come up with something new and exciting for a couple of newlywed couples for christmas. Here is what I did.

Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf904379.tip.html

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