Adding Up the Savings from a Frugal Life?
Heres what I found out. I was never frugal, in fact a spendthrift and never saved a cent until about 2 years ago. Have always made a good wage, too. Now I have $8000 in the bank, a bunch of U.S. Savings Bonds, and a nice IRA account started with a few thousand...
Cleaning Carpets and Keeping Them Clean?
Boy do I ever know what you mean. Im in the same boat. The only thing I can suggest is using throw rugs in high traffic areas. And scheduling lots of exercise time (carpet cleaning time). Sometimes I just use a bucket of soapy water and a brush and do the worst...
Joining Grannie Squares?
Here are two options. 1. Lay two squares together, wrong sides facing each other. Using yarn in a yarn needle, do an overhand stitch in the back loops only. 2. Crochet them together in this manner: SC in front square, CH 2, SC in back square. Usually picking...
Uses for Cut off Blue Jean Legs?
Stitch or staple one end together, insert a glass jar, turn down a cuff at the top, decorate with red, white, and blue ribbons tied in a bow around the neck of the jar, and you have a cute flower vase.
Custom Embroidery Help?
Even if you have a sewing machine that does straight stitches, you can trace a pattern onto your slacks and run several different colors alongside each other. This would look very pretty if the colors were vibrant. You probably already have a color scheme in...
Cooking Uses for Beer?
Use beer for the liquid in breadmaking. Gives the yeast a boost and makes nice moist bread. You can even use flat beer for this. I cant imagine it, but if you have part of a can left in the refrig. it would work just as well as opening a new can. --Jayne
Creative Uses for Upholstery Samples?
They would make GREAT purses. All sizes, some patchwork ones. Placemats. Table runners. Cover boxes and tins with the fabric. School kits (make pouches for the different supplies). Knitting needle cases. Pot holders. Dresser scarves (doilies, mats). Belts. Covered...
Divide Chores Into Smaller Steps
Jacqui - What a GRAND idea. And I think this would work for us adults too! LOL You are right, it feels good to get even a little step accomplished. Thanks for the tip. --Jayne
Drying Clothes Inside
Also if you have a little spot in a corner of a bedroom you could use a wooden drying rack, or you can put up a rod just to the front outside of your closet using hooks in the ceiling.
Looking for Ways to Use Cascade?
Whenever you have anything burned onto a pan, let it soak overnight with some dishwasher detergent and water. It makes it really easy to clean. Sometimes if you really did a number on the pan you can clean it a little more each day and let it soak again.
Looking for Shower Wrap Information?
I put in a search on Google and the best link I found was about.com. There, put in shower wrap sewing. After searching around a little bit I found an easy pattern from Nancys Notions (still in about.com) for making a shower wrap out of a towel. They look pretty...
Keeping Important Items Handy
Good for you, Becca, what a gal, starting out life being organized right from the get-go! You go girl! Another wall-hanging organizer you might like is save your old blue jeans, the back pocket parts, stitch (or duct tape or staple on the wrong sides?) them...
Crocheted Birdhouse Afghan Pattern?
MarySue, I am not sure what your specific birdhouse afghan looks like, but heres an idea. Crochet some plain blocks, then with a lighter weight yarn crochet squares or rectangles, decreasing to a point for the roof. Crochet little circles out of black thread...
Squirt Bottles as Toys
Heres another idea thats really fun for kids (of all ages, LOL). Insert a string through the top of the squirt bottle. Tie a knot at each end so it wont come out. Thread the string down into the bottle. Then when you SQUEEZE, the string comes flying out, but...
Gross, Yucky, Creepy Halloween Recipes?
Ive seen cupcakes with gummy worms on them. ALMOST enough to keep me from eating a cupcake! Also once a long time ago in our youth group they turned out all the lights and we sat in a circle while they read a scary story and passed around paper cups of things...
Making Scented Oils From Herbs?
Im no expert but I think you can only make distillations and tinctures from herbs. These are where you use hot water over the leaves to make a tea and where you pack leaves into a jar and cover with olive or vegetable oil and leave for about 3 months in a warm...
Frozen Orange Juice Tip
Or you can make your first can of added water warm, then use a potato masher in your pitcher to break it up, then add the 2 more cans of cold water.
Looking for Meatloaf Recipe?
A very simple meatloaf recipe is ground beef, chopped onion, a little ketchup, some bread crumbs, an egg, salt, pepper. Mix up, bake, when almost done put a mixture of ketchup & mustard on top. Maybe sneak in a little brown sugar into the sauce. But heres my...
Safari Decor: Accents with An African Theme?
Ive never been to Africa, but what comes to mind is getting or making a large vase. Maybe something painted black or bronze. Put some large dried weeds in it, long grasses, or a tree branch with lots of twigs to make it look interesting. Get some scatter rugs...
Uses for Contac Paper?
Thanks Paula, what a good idea, I will try that. I can think of lots of things that size box would be good for, my knitting patterns for one. Now I cant wait to go get a box of wine to drink! LOL --Jayne
Uses for Contac Paper?
For Janet: I used the first oatmeal container to hold a skein of slippery yarn as I knit. Cut a hole in the lid. Reminds me of an old-fashioned knitting bag I had as a young girl. Plans for the second and third: 2nd one I get - keep my rolls of narrow ribbon...
Uses for Contac Paper?
For Linne: First of all, Thank You Contact Paper Queen for all the good ideas. You are an inspiration! I have one question, what is a box with pegs in it? I think it would be worth a try covering a mailbox. Maybe sand it a bit to rough it up first, and be sure...
Feeding 150 People: Primitive Kitchen in Iraq Needs Recipe Ideas
Here is a very simple, yet delicious, favorite cake recipe. I have made this as a cake or muffins and it works well for both. The cake is a small one, about 9 square, but I have successfully doubled it for a larger pan. Grams Coffee Cake Mix together in a bowl...
Crocheting with Thrifty Store Finds?
I dont have the pattern, but saw several years ago where people crochet yokes for sweatshirts. Perhaps you could use the yarns from the afghans to make collars or yokes for t-shirts as long as theyre not too bulky. Also, I have cut t-shirts into 1 wide strips...
I have lots of crafting supplies, looking for ideas.
You could cover your tin cans and yogurt containers with fabric and make little jewelry boxes. Fabric (I am assuming your yardages is fabric) is =always= a great thing to have. You can make patchwork placemats and napkins, small or large quilts, a set of coasters...
Clutter Control Tips?
Egg cartons, tops cut off, make good organizers in drawers for little things. Earrings, safety pins, jewelry, keys, etc. For larger things, entirely fill a drawer with cut-off cereal or other boxes. Makes nice compartments and you can customize them to whatever...
