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Hello,
Yesterday we published a photo of a Sea Shell Wind Chime craft. Quite a few readers were interested in receiving instructions on how to make the wind chime. Joyce, who sent in the image, was nice enough to send in some instructions. Thank you Joyce! You can find the instructions here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf359973.tip.html
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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Today's Photos
If you ever lose a baby look under the couch. Abigail at 7 mos learning to crawl managed to get under the couch. This is also a good way of cleaning the dust under the couch!
By Kelly
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Who needs a kitchen witch when you've got this adorable little whiskbroom angel around? No need to scare away the evil spirits - just let the Hacienda Angel whisk all your troubles away.
Hacie is another quick and easy craft that takes almost no time to make - but makes a cunning housewarming gift for any happy new couple or householder.
The only skills you need for this simple-to-make whiskbroom angel are the ability to thread a needle and an eye for color. My angel has a Mexican flair to her, thanks to the lively stripes of the kitchen cloths I chose - but yours can just as easily be a gingham angel or wear a skirt patterned with a fruity border of green lime slices or cherries.
Materials
Instructions
1. Fold one dishcloth in half lengthwise, and trim top edge if needed so that 'skirt' edge will be an inch or so about the bottom of the whisk broom bottom.
2. Thread needle with double thickness of thread, approximately twice the length of the dishcloth.
3. Run two rows of gathering stitches along the top edge of the folded dish towel (unless of course, you trimmed the top edge. In which case, run the gathering stitches through both thicknesses of the dishtowel together.
4. Draw up the gathering stitches on both threads, pulling tight till the top edge of the skirt fits around the 'waist' of the whiskbroom - just at the binding threads.
5. Wrap gathered waist around whiskbroom and take a few stitches to tack together, then run a row of small stitches around the skirt top to secure it to the binding threads on the whisk broom.
6. Fold second dishcloth in half and lay the triangle flat on a table.
7. Center angel along the top edge of the long side of the triangle with approximately 2 inches of the whiskbroom above the cloth.
8. Wrap dishcloth forward, using a few stitches to tack the point where the two sides meet at the front. Turn angel over.
9. Pull ends of triangle back to meet and holding the points together, run a row of gathering stitches from the 'neck' at the back to the bottom of the fold at the back.
10. Pull gathering threads up tight and fasten off. Spread points to either side, stretching wings out. Spray with spray starch and allow to dry.
You can hang your angel from a hook in the kitchen where she'll watch over you every day and help whisk away your troubles!
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My pet's name is Scat Thistle, he is 12 yrs. old. I bought Scat in January 2005. We like to rail ride and mostly barrel and pole racing. He has one me the states youth division championship saddle.
By Margie
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Today's Tips
I save my children's old blue jeans and I use them to make family quilts. I cut the desired squares out of their jeans, I use all of their jeans, blue, black, faded & all. I then use a flannel material purchased at Wal-Mart for about $1.00 a yard and piece this with the jeans. Makes really heavy and warm winter quilts. The kids love them!
By Melissa Scott
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Strategies to help people save money. Post your ideas.
Saving Coins and Dollar Bills
This tip is certainly not original with me, but I have claimed it as my "own" ever since I realized how incredible the results are!
We began by saving every bit of our change and rolling in paper wrappers. We made it a habit to bank each week's coin savings in our savings account without fail once a week. On average, that turned out to be between $10 and $12.50 a week. At the end of six months, we had added another $292.55 to our account just in coins.
After several months of seeing how much more was added to our savings account beyond our regular savings amount, we then ventured up to saving all the $1 bills that came our way. Before we even began, we promised each other we would NEVER spend a dollar bill but rather each night put the ones in a zippered bank bag we had. It bowled us over to realize that on average we were banking between $20 and $25 at end's week just in one dollar bills. At the end of six months, we had added ANOTHER $572 to the savings account.
Between the coins and the $1 bills, we added an additional $864.55 to our account and it was really painless! We've never missed those coins or $1 bills, and it is a joy to have "lightened up" our wallets.
Sandie
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Look for scrapbooking supplies wherever you go. For example, you can buy 100 brass brads for less than a dollar at the local discount store and then customize them to match your layout with acrylic paint and/or sandpaper. Or look in the clearance bin for ribbon, fiber, fabric remnants, or bouquets of silk flowers that you can take apart and attach to your cards and layouts with brads, eyelets, bottle caps, or buttons.
You'll find all kinds of treasures at office supply, hardware, and dollar stores, as well as flea markets and garage sales.
By Meari
Sharon,Ky
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Tips to use when you go grocery shopping. Post your ideas.
Keep a Cooler in the Car
If you spend a lot of time in your car, your routine may include hitting the drive-up window or the convenience store for cold drinks or snacks.
Before you leave home, fill a small cooler with a couple of cans of soda and some fruit or a sandwich. If you like, you can throw in a small bag of ice. The drive-up probably charges $1.25 for the soda you can buy by the case (on sale) for $0.25-$0.30 a can.
By Louise, the Frugal Yankee
Getting Groceries in the House
Lots of people carry a cooler in their vehicles so frozen purchases won't melt or dairy items ruining, before getting home. The cooler I have in my car has got a handle on the side and wheels on the bottom, so I can pull it behind me. I don't just use it for groceries, I've got several bags of anything, I'll put them in the cooler & pull it into my house, all at once. It cuts my time in 1/2 by doing this, plus if it's really hot or cold outside, I'm not catching cold or overheating by having to carry in lots of bags of purchased items.
By Terri
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Tips for applying and using eyeliner. Post your ideas.
I take a Q-tip and dip it in dark eyeshadow to make my own eyeliner. The Q-tip helps you put it just where you want it. It also makes the eyshadow stay on all day! The Q-tip also makes the eyshadow/eyeliner give a soft look around the eyes. Use it only on the outside of the eye, not the inside! This is a really good use of those really dark eyeshadows that are usually thrown away! Buy your Q-tips at the dollar store.
Gina
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My husband and I have a debit card that was causing us a lot of problems. He'd use the card for everyday expenses (gas fill-ups, etc.) and forget to record the purchase and vice versa. Unfortunately, there were a few times that these slip-ups cost us $30 overdraft fees!
To prevent this, we started withdrawing a set amount of cash on the weekend and put it in an envelope. This is our "daily cash fund". If either of us needs money for small purchases during the week, we take it from there instead of reaching for the debit card. This way we know exactly how much was taken out of the bank and "saves" us money that used to be wasted in overdraft fees.
By Lisa
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Make Your Own Fruit or Pudding Cups
Instead of paying extra money to buy the individual size fruit cups or pudding cups at the grocery store, just buy a large can of your choice of fruit or a couple packages of instant pudding mix. Then fill small reusable plastic containers with enough for a week's worth of lunches or snacks. It only takes a few minutes, and when you're ready to make a lunch, you just grab one out of the fridge!
By Lisa
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While visiting with an ex-neighbor in her new home, she had to give me a tour of the place. The one room that was the most intriguing to me was her kitchen. Instead of having her manual cooking utensils in a drawer or in a cute container on the kitchen counter, she'd devoted a bare wall to her collection.
With little white paneling nails, just every so often, while at the same time, being apart only 5-6 inches at the most. She'd hung each of the utensils on the nails, some of the utensils at an angle in one direction or another. It sure made it to be a conversation piece, that's for sure, as some of her utensils were apparently quite old. She said she'd gotten some of them when she'd set up housekeeping many years ago, while some had been purchased well since and others had been given to her as gifts.
She said it sure made it easy when cooking as she never had to go rummaging thru drawers for that specific tool, they're always right at her fingertips!
By Terri
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We are giving away 16 $25 prizes in a variety of categories.
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Contest ends August 31, 2005
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New Requests
I was wanting to know does anybody know how to get an iron print out of a polyester black skirt? I tried and I didn't know if there was a way. Thanks,
Kim from Alabama
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Has any one got a tried a true natural way to get rid of fire ants. I have chickens, dogs and so forth. Also a grandbaby that visits from time to time.
cthy1954
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Painting The Interior Log Cabin Walls
My friend and I are renovating the interior of a log cabin built in 1943. It was a fly shop for 20 years prior to us owning it. The walls inside are furred and we have no desire to expose the actual logs. The ceilings had a drop ceiling installed. We have torn those down to expose the logs. The floors are all douglas fir and we are in the process of refinishing them. They were covered with carper and linoleum.
We are wanting ideas for paint colors for the walls. The living room which opens up to the kitchen, will have cedar waynescoat halfway up. We're thinking about the same idea with barn wood for the kitchen. We have new white appliances in the kitchen. Please, any paint color ideas?
Thanks,
Brian in Montana
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I am looking for tips on removing smoke odor caused by sugar water boiling over and causing smoke on stove top. There was a fair amount of smoke and I opened windows, turned off cooling system and ventilated house as best I could.
jackkm
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I am looking for someone in South Jersey that raises zebra finches. I can't seem to buy them locally.
Tom from NJ
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My puppy just knocked over a full cup of coffee onto my newly covered couch. It's all over the arm and one of the seat cushions. I blotted it and poured tonic water on it (we didn't have club soda) and blotted it up again. I've tried to put pressure to whick it up, but since it's on the arm, it's not a flat surface. It's still wet, so I'm not sure what it's going to look like when it dries. Any tips?
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I have granite flooring and was wondering if anybody out there has any tips on cleaning it using household items. They are now quite dull and probably need to be polished but every time I buy that expensive granite cleaner it doesn't seem to do a very good job.
Thanks,
maddiva
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Does anyone have any uses for old vertical blinds? We replaced a bunch and I feel like there must be something I can do with them. They are the fake wood kind not the plastic.
Thanks,
De
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Does anyone know how to get the mildew odor out of leather jackets? I have two really nice jackets that were stored in my ex-husbands basement and hate to get rid of them. I tried cleaning them with saddle soap. Also tried fabric softner sheets in the pockets. But the odor is still there. I would really love to wear these again.
Thanks,
Kathie
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My husband and I are buying a house. On one of the visits to the house we saw what we thought was dirt on the walls and the carpet. Since then we have discovered that it is more likely something called black soot deposition. There are many causes, like a gas stove, fireplace, etc., but from the research we have done we think it is from candles burning. Every time we have been there candles have been burning. My question is how do we clean this soot off of the walls and the carpet? Thank you,
Liz from georgia
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I'm getting ready to start canning and have lost my recipe on making tomato paste. I always make the paste out of extra tomatoes so I don't have to go to the store and buy any. if anyone has one please share with me I would appreciate it.
Chas
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Envelope Stickiness on Clothes
I know this may sound silly (I feel silly writing it) but I ordered some clothes for my son on e-bay and they came in a Priority Mail envelope. So when I opened the envelope some of the stickiness from the seal got on a pair of pajamas and I can't get it off. I washed them before I realized that there was anything on them. And I can't get it off, it is like a white patch on the side of the pajama pants. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Crystal
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Does anyone have any creative ideas on how re-use old white tiles?
De
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I am planning to have a going away send-off for my boys before they leave for college. What would be some clean fun for the party?
Super D
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Our office windows are covered in small tar or tree sap spots. The spots are all over the windows along the side the parking lot. How can I remove them without spending hours with a razer?
Donald
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I'm supposed to organize the decorations for a school disco coming up in september. it's for years 7-9. Do you have any ideas? Balloons and streamers are pretty ordinary and the hall is average sized so they won't really have an effect on its appearance; i need ideas for colour schemes and low budget decorations that will create a partying atmosphere.
Many Thanks,
Lucian, Australia
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I am wondering what to use to wash my ponies with. I don't want to buy expensive horse shampoo. I think someone did send this tip in before but I can't find it now & have forgotten. Thanks.
Betty from BC
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