Daily Thrifty Tips - December 14, 2007

We have more Christmas crafts today and will continue publishing quite a few each day as we lead up to the holiday. If you were planning on submitting any Christmas Crafts to the Crafts for Fun and Money program be sure to submit them over the weekend so they can get published before the holiday! For more infromation vsiit:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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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:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Festive Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments

These are extremely easy to make and the results are so cute and Christmasy!

Mix equal parts of applesauce and cinnamon. (1 cup applesauce/1 cup cinnamon) Mix until a soft and perhaps sticky dough is formed.

Roll the dough out or press with hands until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick. Using your favorite Christmas cookie cutters, cut out as many shapes as possible and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Use a straw to cut out holes in the ornaments.

Let your ornaments set in a dry place for 2-3 days until they are dry and hard. Caution: They will still be fragile, so you should be gentle with them. Cut ribbon to the lengths you want and tie through the holes in the ornaments.

Your ornaments can be used for your tree or tied to the top of Christmas gifts. The scent should last up to 3 years!

Here are some of the ornaments I made. I used 2 cups cinnamon and 2 cups applesauce and I ended up with about 33 ornaments. I also added some pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg to enhance the scent. Instead of ribbons I used crochet thread and chain stitched my "ribbons."

By Janellio from PA

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Monte and Hershey (PVGV and Doodle)

Monte and Hershey are 5 years and 12 years, respectively. Monte is a PBGV (Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen) and Hershey is a Doodle. The small one on the right, Hershey, was lonely after Beau, our old dog passed. One day he saw Monte and rushed to his side, snuggling him all over. We were asked if we wanted a dog, and we did, so Hershey chose Monte for us.

Monte chases a ball all day long, and Hershey is our guard dog, making sure everyone is OK and safe. They give us more happiness and fun than we ever imagined. Our children are grown, and these guys are our family now.

By Jennifer from Kent

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Drum Ornament

Little drum is made from frozen juice can, ribbon, toothpicks and cord. Cut can in two about an inch and a half from one end, or as deep as the ribbon is wide. Take the metal off the other end and press it on to the cut one to make both sides of the drum. Cut the ribbon to fit and glue it on. Use gold cord to zig-zag over the ribbon. Use round toothpicks for drum-sticks.

By Frances from Tarzan, TX

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Recycled Christmas Gift Bag

Need a cute little Christmas gift bag? Crochet this bag from recycled plastic grocery bags. Here is the free pattern link too.

• Myrecycledbags.com/christmas-gift-bag/

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Tootsie Pop Snowman

Easy to make Tootsie Pop Snowman. After making the Tootsie Pop Turkey this year, I kept trying to think of something similar to make at Christmas! This is one of the ideas I had. They would be cute as place cards at a meal or stuck on top of a present!

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Craft: Cross Stitch Jar Lid

Cross stitch pattern inside canning ring.

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Craft: Sewing Cards for Youngsters

Here's a great, inexpensive gift idea to keep youngsters entertained. Create cute sewing cards that are super easy to make. You can use the fronts of old greeting cards or glue calendar pictures to cardboard. Kids can sew lengths of ribbon or yarn through holes punched in the cards.

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Why Does My Lunch Smell Horrible?

My dear, oh, so busy, daughter sent this to me this morning. She has made us grandparents to two of the CUTEST little boys in the world. Jonny is three and a half, and Joey (the subject of the email) is 14 months...

"Some mornings, I have been known to walk into work with a binky in my pocket, a dirty bib in my purse, or I bring in the diaper bag instead of my purse, but this one takes the cake. I always pack my lunch in a Kroger bag and today was no different. I pulled into our parking garage at work and parked as usual. I fondled around the front passenger seat looking for my lunch and grabbed the bag, but wondered what that horrible smell was....it was Joey's dirty diaper! Thank goodness I discovered that before I came into the building!"

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Keeping Pie Filling from Being Runny

Here's how to keep your pie filling from being runny: Add a box of instant pudding, regular or sugar free. It's the same principle as using cornstarch but pudding adds some extra flavor; it doesn't 'bland' down the taste.

These are some of my favorite combinations: Lemon with any fruit, including pumpkin and sweet potato. Butterscotch is also good with pumpkin or sweet potato. Vanilla with coconut custard. White chocolate with banana cream.

By Joan from Chesapeake, VA

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Recommended Craft Glues

Product: Scrapbooker's Glue and Quick Dry Adhesive

Model: 3M

Manufacturer: Scotch

Cost: $5.00 each (approximately)

While looking for glue for my paper crafting and beading, I happened upon two excellent adhesives. The Scrapbooker's Glue is clear and has two applicator tips - a pen tip and a sponge tip. The Quick-Dry Adhesive is suitable for paper, metal, and plastic, has a pen tip applicator, and dries clear. Both of them are excellent products and great alternatives to glue guns.

By Angela from Sault Ste Marie, ON, Canada

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Saving Love Letters and Cards

The first year my husband and I were dating we were constantly giving each other love notes and cards. Though that has slowed down quite a bit I didn't want to lose these precious memories. I scrapbook, but I didn't want these displayed in a scrapbook because they were just for me and him. So I took a pretty 12 x 12 piece of scrapbook paper and folded and glued it into an envelope. I then added all my paper keepsakes to it and put it in my wedding scrapbook album. This could be done with a child's artwork, notes to mommy etc. Great way to store them.

By Christi from Paducah, KY

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Check Real Simple Website for Holiday Ideas

This is a really great site, I just spent the last 20 minutes looking at wrapping ideas and holiday decorating:

• http://www.realsimple.com/

By Veronica from Sedalia, Missouri

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Take Apart Discount Christmas Decorations for Craft Supplies

This is a shopping tip for beaders and other crafters who use beads in their craftwork. I always try to hit the after-holidays ornament sales and stock up on beaded ornaments. You'd be surprised how many beads you can get from garlands and ornaments after taking them apart.

By Angela from Sault Ste Marie, ON, Canada

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Christmas Tradition: Taking Kids Shopping For Presents

When my niece was six years old, she wanted to buy her family gifts for Christmas. So I decided to tell her to start saving her money and we would go Christmas shopping the day she got out of school for Christmas break (they went a half day and had a gift exchange and party before dismissing for the break). She saved every penny she found, and everything that she could, (of course her mom and dad gave her extra jobs and paid her before the date of our shopping trip.)

The day finally came and her 4 year old brother wanted to go, so did some of her cousins on her father's side of the family. So off I go with about 5 kids and their little bit of money. We went to dollar stores, outlet stores, just where ever they wanted to go. Then we all went back to my house and wrapped the presents and put candy canes and other ornaments tied to the bows, which I supplied. We ate cookies and hot chocolate. They took their little, sometime $1.00 or 50 cent, gifts back home, put them under the tree and were so proud of themselves.

The number of kids grew with the years. Thankfully, we had gotten a van by that time which helped! Sometime I would take the girls one day and the boys the next day. This continued until they were around 16 and could drive, but they all still talk about our shopping trips and how much fun we had and how we had a time limit in a store and we stuck to it. When my grandchildren came along, the tradition has continued and they have a ball. Of course, now we have Everything's a Dollar stores and other places to shop that we didn't have in the early 70's!

Sometimes they want to make gifts for mom and dad, so we start early and write down ideas. Usually it is an ornament for the tree, we go and shop for the materials and then come back and craft away. My two older grandsons don't care much for crafting, but love to go out into the woods and find things to make something neat, (They don't know they are crafting, lol). I enjoy this so much, as I learn so much about what their ideas are for the future, what their styles are in many things.

It is the part of the Christmas I wouldn't trade for all the gifts in the world. Oh by the way, this year, they are making a nativity scene out of thing found on our little 5 acres. Little do they know how much they are learning, but they think it is FUN!

Martha in TN

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Christmas Shopping at the Dollar Stores

Shopping at Christmas has to be the most stressful time of the year for anyone on a budget, spending plan, or other. My tip is this which I borrow from Marlene Alexander in Canada in the Dollar Stretcher under Dollar Stores. Shop for gifts for all at the dollar stores.

You can buy candles and holders of clear lead glass. Plates and glasses to eat and drink from for everyday use. Christmas cards and stamps too. Not postage but stamping with scrapbooking supplies. Gift baskets and stuff like jams to go in them. All can be very well received for a little price of a dollar to five dollars too. Good luck with Christmas shopping in stores like the Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar General, and The Big Family Dollar Store. These are all very good stores to shop in during the holidays they have all we need for the season. Have a Merry Season, and Happy New Years too.

Source: I got shopping ideas on Tightwad.com and my own experience in my town as well for shopping during the season.

By Tanya from Moorhead, MN

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Eliminating Age Spots

How can I fade away my facial age spots from the comfort of my home?

Priscilla from TX

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Christmas Gift for Friend in Army ROTC

I have a friend who is going into Army ROTC, and I need a little help. We have been friends forever, but we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend. I want to give him something, that tells him how good a friend he is, but it can't be too personal. He says that he can't really have a lot up there due to regulations, so what should I get him?

Julie from PA

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Moist Carrot Cake Recipe

I'm looking for a REALLY yummy carrot cake recipe. One that is very moist. The recipe I tried was really dry and I've eaten some before that was really moist. Does anybody have a recipe like this?

Nellio

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Recipes Using Canned Corned Beef

I am looking for recipes using canned corned beef.

Susan from Waynesville, GA

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How to Store Marshmallows

What is the best way to store marshmallows?

Susan from Waynesville, GA

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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:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml