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Volume 2, Number 37, September 19, 2007 (Read It Online) This week we have new projects and tips from readers, including some uses for old tires. Thanks for reading, Susan
Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Photos and Projects:
Tips:
Requests:
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:
Towel and Pot Holder Kitchen Decor New approach to a dishcloth you hang over your oven door handle.
View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83897481.tip.html
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Rate It: Baby dolls, boy and girl, made out of one pink thermal receiving blanket and one blue thermal receiving blanket, a boys bonnet, a girls bonnet, a blue bib and pink bib, white thin satin ribbon, girl booties and boy booties.
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Rate It: These beautiful wreaths are very popular where I live and can be used year after year. They also make nice gifts. It's a simple project and you need no special talent. Your project will look professionally done with little effort.
View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52289563.tip.html
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Rate It: Over the Top Party Napkin Rings and Favors Choose to celebrate your party's decor with a "Designer's Eye for a Creative Touch".
For napkins holders, you may as well use contact paper and tape inside of roll. Hot glue a flower, beads, or any type of picture for the theme on the top. Roll your napkin in side. Adorable! For Favors, fill with candies, or some type of toy, treat, small hand written note or even samples of soap, coffees, etc. Wrap the tissue around the roll and leave ends long enough on both ends to tie ribbon at both ends. Curly ribbons is great, wired ribbon is even better. Insert a flower, a piece of old jewelry, or maybe hot glue a shell. Makes a fabulous favor, you choose the colors and choice of design, remember to have fun in the creating process! I change them over and over to fit the occasion and color schemes. So, simple and it can be loads of fun as well! Happy favor and napkin rings making! By Joyce from Lexington, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20478200.tip.html
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Rate It: Clear glass ornaments and styrofoam balls makes this cute snowman ornament. You can either use a bigger glass clear ball ornament or a smaller one, just make what size you use, have the head part smaller. We chose the smaller ones as that, my kids and I made 42 last year as gifts for their classrooms. The clear ball ornaments come in a pack of 6 or 12 depending on the size. The styrofoam balls we got at the Dollar Tree for $1 for 12. Everyone loved them! Approximate Time 30 minutes Supplies:
In the image, the styrofoam is not pictured. Instructions:
By Bonnie from Norman, OK
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Save Magazine Pictures For Crafts I love to make my own cards and gift bags and I love magazines (I get a ton). When I want to make card for a certain holiday, let say Halloween, I just pull out my latest magazine, (they always arrive a month ahead of time) and look for cute pictures of pumpkins, black cats and other Halloween related pictures. If I can't find what I want, I pull out an older issue of the same month. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98179264.tip.html
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Rate It: Harvest Buttons and Material from Old Clothes Save your ripped pants and shirts, then "harvest" the buttons. You never know when you will need buttons. You can also save parts of the fabric and make clothes for an infant. A pant leg turned upside down (or two legs sewn together) can make a cute "pillowcase dress" for a baby girl. All you need is a little ribbon. You can also use extra fabric from elsewhere to create a jumper dress. Save drawstrings to use on bags for cart covers or as ribbon on the pillowcase dresses. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20229843.tip.html
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Rate It: My 2 nephews, age 1 and 4, came for a visit while on vacation. I wanted to give them something to remember their trip to our house. My parents came a few days before and we put books together. I printed off pictures of the farm animals, pets, family members, tractor and 4 wheeler (they are boys that like machines!). Dad typed each name of the animals or family and printed, Mom cut out the pictures and we put through my husband's laminator. we then used the paper hole punch and tied together with plastic wire ties so the pages would turn easily. The boys loved them. It was entertainment on the way home in the car. It was a fun, family project! The boys could remember and learn their letters and words too.
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Rate It: A good way to use old mugs or even punch cups is to set a few cups on a tray, each one containing store bought votives (normally it takes two). Set the tray in the oven on 250 degrees F and let the candles melt. Remove one of the wicks and leave the other one. As the candle begins to cool, straighten the wick up into the center. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86532218.tip.html
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Rate It: Crafts Using Small Creamer Containers Craft ideas for individual creamer containers as submitted from the ThriftyFun community. Do you have any uses, post them here! Tiny Artificial Vases When I worked with Cub Scouts, we did a project using the small creamer containers. We filled the empty container with plaster of paris and inserted a small artifical flower then tied a small ribbon (glued) around the container. You can also use small lids from things like hairspray for this. By myc2000 Pin Cushions Or Little Containers You can put polyfil in them and make pin cushions out of them to give away or use as a fundraiser. You can also make lip gloss and put it in them. We used film canister that I boiled to clean. By Michele Rice SWAP Fill them with a mixture of rice and glue. Add 2 halves of a wooden toothpick and you have a bowl of rice SWAP for Thinking Day. We used plastic soda bottle tops, but I'm sure it will also work with the creamer containers. By Heather Make Large Beads We were talking about this the other day. One thing we thought of was to poke holes in the middle of the bottoms of the cream containers. Then glue two of them together, tops facing. Just put a little glue around the rim and stick them together. Once they are dry, they will make some large beads. These would be nice light beads and could be painted or colored with markers. You could use some wooden beads as spacers between them. Susan from ThriftyFun Do you have any uses for these little plastic cream containers? Post them here!
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Rate It: Ever end up with too many business magnets (such as pizza) for the fridge? These are often paper-glued on top of a really nice magnetic sheet, and the perfect size for your own "make your own" magnet! Simply peel back between the sheet and the magnet. Usually there's enough adhesive left that you don't even need glue. Something I did once was measure/cut a photo first, then peeled off the business card, and stuck the photo to the magnet. It looked really nice, and was a pleasurable display on our fridge. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82920500.tip.html
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Rate It: Hold a Monthly Craft Exchange Party Hold a monthly party and invite all your crafty friends to exchange items they no longer need or use. This can save hundreds of dollars and you can get fresh ideas as well. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42867345.tip.html
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Rate It: The price of patterns are very very high. Our local fabric store has sales frequently on patterns. So I go through the books or search online prior to the sale, write down what interest me on a small notebook, write what pattern company sells it. Then when there is a sale on patterns, I don't have to take time going through the books to see what I want. I can go straight to the patterns and choose what I like, sometimes it's the only one available. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf899283.tip.html
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Rate It: Sizes of Patterns for Children When buying seasonal patterns for children, I try to make sure there is a size for when I can actually make the item. If its for next year, make sure you get a bigger size. If the pattern is a classic you may want to get two sizes. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf297514.tip.html
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Rate It: What is the best way to attach shells to a mirror frame? Here are tips from the ThriftyFun community. Power Grab Adhesive Do not use a glue gun. It will only last about a year. Use Power Grab by Loctite. It is a construction adhesive. It comes two ways. I buy the the one with it's own pressure valve for $6 at Home Depot. The $3 size goes in one of those large metal guns for caulking and is harder to use for small hands but great if you are applying a lot of glue to spread around surface. My husband makes my FLAT frames. I paint them white as a rule because the glue is white. Have fun. By Willietta Silicone Glue The best way to attach unlike materials to each other effectively is to use silicone glue. By Notetotel Hot Glue Gun I tried the hot glue gun first and the shells came off again quite easily. I could not locate a product called clear caulk but the silicone glue is working well so far. By Sharr Do you have any tips for attaching shells to mirrors? Feel free to post them below. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf973421.tip.html
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Rate It: Ways to reuse old tires as posted by the ThriftyFun community. Post your own tips here. Mosquitoes Love Tires PLEASE don't leave old tires laying around -- they are mosquito breeding grounds if they are allowed to catch rain water. Store them indoors somewhere until you figure out what you want to do with them. If you do choose to discard them, check around. Where I live, you can't just put them out with the garbage, but the city offers an annual "tire amnesty day" (usually around Earth Day) where they will take them at no charge, and they are recycled. By Becki in Indiana Beware Cadmium Poisoning Just a caution about growing food in tyres. Tyres contain cadmium which fixes the colour in rubber. Cadmium, though little talked about, is one of the more poisonous of the metals in our environment. Potatoes are known to accumulate cadmium, as do cabbages, carrots, radishes, lettuce, turnips, tobacco, cocoa and peanuts. Obviously potatoes are a concern because they form a large part of most people's diet. As is the case with all heavy metal poisoning, the early symptoms are not noticed until it is too late. By Aussieluci Old Tires Are Safer I was reading about using old tires and they discussed chemical leaching. One thing they said was that the tires *were* old so that they had had lots of time under adverse condition to oxidize and vent harmful gases and chemicals. That is why new tires smell bad and old ones typically do not. I found this info and a lot more on tire houses at http://www.touchtheearthranch.com This was in the FAQ section. I'm quoting: "The surface of used tires has been subjected to years of exposure to oxygen by high speed rotation in the atmosphere. This exposure causes a phenomenon called oxidation. Oxidation 'interlocks' the surface molecules with oxygen and 'out-gassing' (fly-away molecules of synthetic rubber) is considerably limited, if not stopped completely. It's the new tires that stink/outgas, they just need to "rust" for a while, before they are suitable for use as a building material." By Jennie in MT Hanging Table Or Planter I made a hanging table with a tire. I bought a wood round the size of the tire. I drilled 4 holes through the wood and the tire. and hung it with heavy duty chain. I then hung the chains over a strong tree branch and bolted the chain together. I cut small holes in a couple of places in the wood for cup holes. I painted and sealed the wood. I now sit under the tree and even with the wind the glasses of iced tea don't slip off. I'm going to make another one as a hanging planter for shade loving plants. Same idea but smaller round of wood inside the tire to cover the bottom, a few drain holes and plant. Hang the same way as the table. By Steamer Fishing Uses And Recycling The fishing fleets use them as bumpers for boats, tied off short and thrown over the port or starbord side they prevent boats from slamming into each other or the dock when tied to them. Draggers and trawlers use Cookies; small donuts of tires and tire casings whole to make cod ends for fishing on the bottom of the oceans. In California and more and more states, they are starting programs to recover energy by burning them instead of coal. The most common use now is ground up for asphalt fillers. By James Build With Tires Tires filled with earth and plastered over to create a walled enclosure with a roof will ensure the room made will take excess heat away from the room and, in times of cold, bring extra heat into the room. Such is the power of the tyre, no more lengthy power bills. By Moore Horse Tire Swing I don't know how they do it, but I have seen where they take an old tire and cut it to make a tire swing that looks like a horse (complete with stirrups). It was at our local petting zoo. By Khickman Planters With Inside Out Tires In Spain, I saw beautiful displays of geraniums in planters that were made from old car tires. They just cut through the middle all the way round and turn them inside out so they look like old fashioned egg timers. Paint the outside white, line the top part with plastic, stick in some soil, plant up and away you go! By Scraig1 Strawberry Planter I've seen a beautiful strawberry planter made of tires. Stack them pyramid-style, so that they overlap leaving sections of the insides of the tires open for planting strawberries. Yum! The one I saw had the outsides of the tires painted bright colors. By Shaunta Tirecrafting.com Go to http://www.tirecrafting.com, it has tons of ideas for tires. I had no idea you could use them for retaining walls! By Lora Retaining Walls You can use whole tires, just like block walls staggering them. Start off with a level surface, dig down if you have to and start your first row, making sure it is level from one end to the other. Now comes the hard part, you have to pack each tire with soil and I mean tightly. I use a short handled sledge hammer. When you get the first row, done drive a 24 inch piece of 3/8 rebar at the back of each tire. Start your next row, staggering the tires so the lines do not match up and do the same thing all over. I have done one wall 90 feet long and 12 feet high 8 years ago and it is still solid as a rock. You need to plant a high fibrous root plant in each tire, I like red honey suckle as it cascades and hides the tires and the wall but monkey grass lariope does well also. By Stanley Tire Table We found a picture and want to replicate it. You take 2 or 3 old tires and place them one on top of another with a round of different shaped wooden board and either paint it or cover it with faux diamond plate. Use it as a nightstand or table top stand for a room or guys area. By Canadian Momma Making A Planter I have used old tires for planters and it works good. Just scallop around the tire and turn it imside out. By jbaby7162000 Sand Box When I was a little girl, my mom got a hold of a huge tractor tire, laid it flat on the ground and filled it up with play sand and we had a fun sand box! You can put a tarp over it when not in use to keep it from being the local "kitty box". By wyoKrista  Tire Sandals I don't know where to find instructions, but I remember some kind of sandals where the soles were made from old tires. By AnnMel Here is a site I found to make the sandals. I also came across this other website that shows different uses for tires. Scroll to the bottom for different links. Hope this helps!!By Jackie Several Outdoor Uses
Regards Jo More Ideas
By June Brainstorming On Used Tires Well, the first thing that comes to mind is your ever friendly tire swing. You could also make your kids a tire wall to climb or an obstacle course. Of course these are rather obvious choices so here's some not so obvious choices:
By Debra in Colorado Use As A Base I have some suggestions for the use of old tires, if this is the proper place to offer them:
By Loy
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Locksmith Themed Christmas Parade Float Ideas Our company will be in the annual Christmas parade and I am looking for a Locksmith-themed Christmas parade float... any ideas?! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56105383.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone have a knitting pattern for an easy to knit hat - preferably one which can be easily adjusted to fit different sizes of adult head. I'm looking for a man's hat, a woman's or unisex? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37354773.tip.html
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Rate It: I'm on the decorating committee for a woman's retreat and the theme is sunflowers. I need some smart and easy ideas for table decorations, and favors. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28135498.tip.html
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Rate It: I need glass vase painting tips and templates. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86980276.tip.html
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Rate It: I need ideas for a centerpiece. Our Women's Ministry is having a meeting. We are responsible for setting up themed tables. Mine is a "girly-girl" using plates with shoes, pocketbooks, and other girly items on it. Colors will be hot pink and lime green. What should I do as a centerpiece? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80724775.tip.html
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Rate It: Quite a while ago I purchased several boxes of white return address labels and can't return them to the store. The dimensions are 1/2" x 1 3/4" and can't use them in my printer. I tried setting my printer for the smallest type, but part of my address is cut off so I can't use them for address labels. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96888580.tip.html
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Rate It: Saving Labels from Beer Bottles My hubby is brewing his own beer. He wants to reuse store bought bottles that will work with his equipment. He also wants to save some of the labels. How do we remove the labels without damaging them? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37109040.tip.html
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Rate It: Reusing Embroidery From Old Shirts I have some old embroidered shirts that are worn out. I'd like to reuse the embroidery on a new shirt. Any ideas on how? I've tried cutting out an oval of the piece and using more embroidery to "frame" but that requires a lot of matching shirt for shirt. And it doesn't look that good. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96405862.tip.html
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Rate It: Stain from Tie-Dying on My Carpet I was tie-dying with my kids one day and now I have this huge purple stain on the carpet of my apartment! HELP! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf93242496.tip.html
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Rate It: I want to buy a Serger, but don't know which one has the best features. Does anyone have any suggestions? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48083186.tip.html
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Rate It: Removing a Promotional Logo from a Shopping Bag I have a large shopping tote bag which has a printed promotional logo at the front. How can I remove it so that I will be able to decorate the bag with an iron-on transfer? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80375366.tip.html
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Rate It: "Family Is Like a Quilt Pieced Together..." I saw a verse that was framed at the local fair and it started out A family is like a quilt pieced together... I can't remember the rest of it, any help would be greatly appreciated. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73496381.tip.html
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Rate It: Inexpensive Slipcover For Square Ottoman I have a large square ottoman that is in perfect condition. However the fabric pattern no longer goes with my decor. I would like to have a slipcover made as it does not need to be reupholstered. I do not own a sewing machine nor do I know how to operate one. Can anyone offer me any suggestions on how to make a slipcover without using a sewing machine. I have advertised on craigslist to have one made & pay for it but they want $75 to $100. Even though I realize that this may be the going rate it is not in my budget to pay that amount. Please help a damsel in distress. Thank you. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97134056.tip.html
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Rate It: Looking For Inexpensive Cotton Headbands Does anyone Know where to get cotton headbands cheap? I'm looking to make some headbands with bow, etc. on them for a craft show. I can't find them cheap. Thanks. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf90592332.tip.html
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Rate It: How To Determine Spacing Of Grommets On Curtains Does anyone know how to determine the placement of grommets on curtains. There needs to be an even number and I just can't figure it out! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11693596.tip.html
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Rate It: I would like to know if anyone can assist me in telling me how or giving me directions on how to craft a quilt from Crown Royal bags? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79817899.tip.html
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