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Volume 2, Number 35, September 5, 2007 (Read It Online) This week we have some more projects and tip, including some Uses For Old Calendars. We hope you enjoy them. Susan is out of town until next Friday, visiting her daughter in Vietnam so we are holding down the fort for her. Thanks for reading, Jess and Lewis
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:
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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:
I came up with this pattern for a crocheted purse! Sorry can't post a pic but it is REALLY cute! Materials
Pattern Instructions Body: Row 1- Ch 25 (35), sc in second chain from hook, sc to end.Ch 2, turn. Rows 2-13 (2-19) *Hdc in in back loops of first sc, hdc in back loops ONLY across. Ch 1, turn. Sc across, ch 2 turn.* Strap: You may braid a strap or crochet a strap. Make up your own! If you don't have time or arent really creative you can use this pattern: Ch 5 (8), sc in second ch from hook, sc to end. Ch 1 turn. You may make this strap as long as you like by simply adding more rows! You may also add extra rows to the purse if you like! Thank You! (if you do post this pattern anywhere, please post my name on it: Mackenzie O'K....) ENJOY! Mackenzie from TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78402224.tip.html
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Rate It: A great way to spice up a gift of a candle. Approximate Time 10 minutes Supplies:
Instructions: Take 8 inch clay pot saucer, take foam and cut to shape of saucer cut out whole in center the size of the jarred candle you will be using. Glue done foam inside saucer, pin or glue in faux grass (or ivy or anything greenery), simply place candle in middle. Make a bow and glue to lid on jarred candle. attach apples on bow and glue some in grass. This can work for many other scents. Lemon, lime, blueberry, strawberry take a scented candle and add accessories that correspond. I got candle for $2.00 at Jo Ann Fabrics, saucer at Michaels for $1.00, grass at Michaels for $2.00 and I had ribbon and apples but you can find this on sale. Great for a teacher gift. By Carol from Massachusetts
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Rate It: This is a garden arbor my boyfriend built for his mom for Mother's Day. She was thrilled when it was finished. It took him 3 days. He built it from a picture that was in our local newspaper. It turned out beautiful.
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Rate It: Make a Bathroom Vanity from an Old Dresser Use an old dresser to make a vanity for your bathroom. I crackled this one and then also did some sanding to bring out the gold, as this was the basecoat. Then I stenciled over the top and poly coated it.
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I like to crochet rag rugs out of fabric scraps. However, you always have to deal with the edges fraying. I got an idea. My husband had about 11 old colored cotton tee shirts. I cut them up in 1 1/2 inch strips going around and around (the fewer strips you've got, the less sewing them together you have to do). Then I crocheted them into a round rug. I think it turned out beautiful. I use it on the side of the bed. It matches everything.
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Rate It: For lovely crochet doilies that won't stain your wood work, hand wash them and when finished and still damp dip them into a mixture of two tablespoon of white glue (such as Elmer's school glue) and a quarter cup of water. Lay them out as you wish them to look when placed on your furniture (make the ruffles stand up by putting some device under the ruffle,I like tooth paste tubes to form the ruffle, toilet paper rolls work well too.) This mixture will starch them stiff as any sugar starch. but it won't draw bugs or ruin your furniture if it gets damp Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf21887517.tip.html
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Rate It: Keeping Seams Together When Sewing Tips for keeping your seams together while sewing from the ThriftyFun community. Use Tape I'm new to sewing. Pinning fabric together doesn't always leave me with matched seams. I tried an experiment which worked well for me. I used tape to hold the fabric together and ended up with matching seams! By Christi from NC Use A Card One way to keep seams matched is to put a recipe card under the left pressure foot when sewing, and moving forward as you advance. It holds the top fabric in place, and that is what shifts as you sew. This is especially handy for matching stripes or plaids. I use it for almost any seam to stop the shifting. I do pin the fabric together first. Give it a try. By WIsgal Keep The Bottom Layer In Place it is the nature of the machine to pull the bottom layer through a little ahead of the top layer, watch how the feed dogs work. You can overcome this by using a walking foot, sometimes it depends on the type of your material as well. Trying holding your finger gently behind , as the fabric feeds through, causing a "bunch-up", as that will help control the pulling through of the bottom layer and the stretching of material. By fauxpaslover Glue Stick I'm an old seamstress but find that aside from the wonderful walking foot, it is possible to put seams together with an ordinary glue stick. The glue will wash out first wash and is harmless if left on. I learned to use it making drapes commercially. To keep satin, etc. from fraying, run the stick along the cut line before you cut. Wipe the scissors as necessary. By siris. Double Sided Sewing Tape You can use double side tape which is made for sewing. I use it to put in zippers you will get the zipper in place almost perfect all the time. By patg If you have a good technique, post it below.
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Rate It: What do you do with old calendars? Here are ideas submitted from the ThriftyFun community. Paper Crafting What I like to do with the old calendars is to cut out the photographs and then use them in various crafts such as decoupage or paper crafting. Of course I love to buy the pretty Victorian ones or cute fuzzy animals etc. Just an idea hope it helps. By missladybug Pictures on Wood I take them and glue them to a stained piece of wood, then take vanish and paint over the picture they make beautiful wall mounts sell them at yard sale and flea markets for about the cost of $5.00 out of pocket I have sold many for as much as $50.00 a piece and never have enough for the customers. By barbaglia Metal Canisters Cut out your favorites carefully and decoupage on round metal canisters, picture frames, mirrors, barrettes, chest of drawers, old wooden tables, nightstands, lamp shades, doors; almost anything you can think of. Use your imagination. Have fun with it. Sandi G. By s222 Frame The Pictures I only buy calendars that I really love and frame the pictures when the year is up. They make really great pictures and you can make them even larger if you put a mat around them. By Kathy I can't afford to buy real good pictures for my walls so I use the calendar pictures instead. At the end of the year, I choose the ones I like, and get them laminated, use the doublesided picture-hanging tape, and hang them. This is really good with scenic pictures or offbeat ones. My friends in NZ send me a calendar each year, hung on the wall they're good for the homesickness blues! And you change them as and when you want. By sharn Make Envelopes My 12 yr old daughter came up with this. Use old calendar pages for envelopes. Just fold them to fit your letter and glue. It is really easy and they turn out cute. By Brandiasan Make an Envelope Pattern I too use them for envelopes, but I undo an old envelope, then trace it onto the calendar page, fold and glue. By Linda Make Cards We use our old smaller calendars in making homemade cards. By Laura Decorate Boxes Or Your Table I use them for a couple of different things: (1) glue them to cardboard boxes I use to store crafts and tax records in and (2) I use self laminating sheets and make them into great place mats for the table and the dogs dish. By Shazza Origami Buy an origami book. Use the calendars to make origami boxes and other items. The boxes are great because you can give people presents in them. By Susan Decorate A Clock I buy the cheap clocks at the stores that the face plate comes off. Then I take it apart and use the cardboard disk as a template. Then glue or tape picture to cardboard and reassemble clock. This is a great way to get a clock of your favorite things. By julie Scrapbooking Sometimes they can be used along with your photo scrapbooking pages. By Evelyn Plan Ahead To Reuse Calendars I save the old calendars. It's easy on the web to find a perpetual calendar to find out when the next year is that is on the same schedule. For example, 2007 calendars are the same as 1990 and 2001. That way I can enjoy favorite calendars again AND I save money by not having to buy new calendars very often. By DH Decorate A Door I always decorate my mom's door in a nursing home. This year, I put random old calender pages on the door and a huge 2006 and titled it "Days gone bye". I also added a folder with all of my extra 2006 calendars with a note to take or add your extras. This was quite a success. By Marietta Bookmarks They are sturdy enough to make bookmarks too! By suzi_homemaker01 Make Puzzles Glue the pictures to cardstock then create jigsaw puzzles by cutting into various shapes. These can be stored in a ziplock bag or small box. If the calendar also has thumbnail prints of the pages, these could be included to show the completed view. By Charlotte Let the kids make puzzles from their favorite calendar pictures. Paste them onto an empty cereal box, let dry, then cut them into puzzle pieces. Lots of fun. By lindaljh1 Placemats You can take an old calender picture and if it is big enough cover it with clear adhesive contact paper to make pretty place mats. If the picture is a little too small, but take some poster board of a complementary color and add a border to it! By COOKIEPOM You can cut a off calendar picture then glue it to cardstock or sturdy paper and laminate it to use as placemats. At an art center I belong to, we keep old calenders to paint off of, maybe you could donate them to an art center near you if they are interested.By may-fairy Line Cabinets Or Drawers I just covered the inside of my medicine cabinet with old calendar pages. I just used regular invisible tape, don't know how it will hold up, but it looks great! You could also use them to line dresser drawers, too. By JOS Bulletin Board If you or anyone you know teaches a class in school or even a Sunday school class, you may use these to make a beautiful, cheap bulletin board display! By Robin Inspiration I teach writing and calendar pictures or postcard pictures provide great creative writing prompts on dreary days. I ask the students to either become something in the picture and write from that perspective or put themselves into the scene and write from the first person. By Judith Studying Colors My children love Art. We use the numbered boxes on the calendar to paint or color in. Using a few "months", we study primary, secondary, and intermediate colors. If my daughter is using colored pencils, she sometimes experiments shading and color mixing in the little boxes. By crecre A Cover for a Journal If you really love one of the images, you could glue it to the front of a journal or notebook. The others you could put on construction paper with your grand daughter and help her draw a scene around them. [I remember doing a collaged city with my first grade class on a giant roll of paper.] If you're handy with Photoshop or other graphics programs, you could scan them and use them as a desktop background. That way you always have them without having to keep them around. By Mary Learning Numbers I have a 4 year old daughter and she is learning how to write her numbers, so I am using are old calendars for her to copy the numbers that are in each box from 1 to 28, 30, 31. The number in the box is small and she has a nice size square to put that number in. By Darlene Homemade Picture Book I have cut out various pictures from them and put them in a scrapbook for small children to look at when they come over. I have grandchildren from 22 down to 2 and all loved them at the appropriate age. Even the 4 year old loves them. I also have put some on plain white paper and put them in plastic page savers and put them in a loose leaf notebook. Easy to change if you wanted to with only having one or two books. Hope this helps. Actually some very elderly, incapacitated individuals in nursing home that can no longer read might appreciate this as well. (I am a nurse and have worked in nursing homes.) Could also be used to put birthday reminders on to give to various people in the family that do not remember all the necessary days. we have done that as well. By sshep Donate Them to Schools Send them to your local elementary school. They are always looking for pictures to cut out. Calendars could have golf courses, scenery, pets, etc. Magazines are also needed with guys' stuff. My husband's engineering and construction magazines are a big hit, tractors and guys' stuff in it. Boys at school like to cut out of car magazines, too. Most of the magazines the school gets are ladies' magazines. Donate Them to Nursing Homes I work in a nursing home and have coworkers that are speech therapists. I frequently see them cutting pictures out of calendars to use to help residents identify objects to work on their memory and so forth. So, consider donating the pictures to nursing homes or any other facility that could use them as teaching tools - even pediatric therapists could put them to use! By Tripleb Do you have any ideas? Feel free to post them below!
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Size of Needle for a Lockstitch Mini Sewing Machine My wife has a Mini sewing machine (see picture) but does not know what type of needle it takes. All it says on the box is Lockstitch double threaded sewing machine made in China. She has tried a few different needles, but they did not fit. She would be grateful if anyone has that type of machine (mini) and has any idea what size of needle it takes or where to get them.
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Rate It: Quilt Patterns For Drunkards Path I am looking for different quilt patterns for drunkards path. Has anyone ever made one of these out of denim? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79916793.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone know how to make fake food? My husband is restoring an old car and I wanted to surprise him with one of those trays that hang on the side with the food on it or even the spilled fake food. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13306478.tip.html
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Rate It: Disengaging Hand Wheel On Brother Sewing Machine Brother VX-1200 sewing machine. How do I disengage the hand wheel to stop the needle going up and down when filling the bobbin? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf21576779.tip.html
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Rate It: I want to redecorate my room. I'm really into vintage and old flower patterns, stuff like that. Any ideas would help! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf31624329.tip.html
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Rate It: I have washed a 50/50 cotton/polyester tee shirt in ALL and Downy. I will be fabric painting on this tee shirt and was not supposed to wash it by hand to get the sizing out. Can I wash it in Woolite by hand to now get the fabric softener out of it? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12400935.tip.html
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Rate It: Looking For Handled Casserole Holder Does anyone have a pattern for a casserole carrier with handles. I've seen them in mail-order catalogues and it seems it would be fairly easy to make one. Thanks for any suggestions. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf25029124.tip.html
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Rate It: Ideas For Recycling An Old Piano I've been given an old upright piano that needs major restoration and am looking for ideas on what to do with it. I'm thinking about dismantling it and crafting some furniture with the wood. Any ideas? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17722549.tip.html
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Rate It: How To Make Homemade Hot/Cold Packs Need instructions to sew hot/cold packs mad from dried bean or rice and aromatic herbs for neck or muscle aches. Have some time during surgery recovery to make these as thank you gifts. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32396397.tip.html
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Rate It: I'm looking for a needlework, of an angel/fairy. She is wearing a big green coat, and she is blonde. There is a tree leaning over top of her, she is looking left, and there is a bird at her fingertips. Also, there is a rabbit on the bottom left corner of the needlework. It's a doll looking figure needlework. It's part of a set, called the 4 seasons, I have the one in the pink coat. I'm mainly looking for the green coat one, but I would like to purchase the other two, too. See attached photo.
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Rate It: Selling Handmade Crochet Items I would like to start selling my handmade crochet items, but I don't know what would sell and what won't sell. I also need to know what to price the items. Thank you bunches! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43788052.tip.html
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Rate It: Scrapbook for Student Assignment I've heard about the scrapbooking craze but have not been involved. My 13 year old son has been given a school assignment to create a scrapbook about himself. His instructions were to take each letter of the alphabet and give 2 words beginning with that letter to describe himself. He said the teacher suggested they use buttons "and stuff" to put on it. The project is due in about a week, so I assume it's not expected to be too grand. We've already come up with his words, and I thought about writing them in calligraphy form on the pages. Any quick or easy suggestions out there for what to use for the book/pages, decorating, etc.? Any ideas are welcomed! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf33149852.tip.html
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Rate It: Are there any free directions for toothbrush rugs? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf65851381.tip.html
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