Search Results for: blog projects from leftover fabric

Cute Crafts to Make with Leftover Halloween Candy

You know it’s time to dump your kid’s Halloween loot when you’re going on day three of eating Kit Kats for breakfast… ahem. I was this close to pitching my daughter’s trick-or-treat bag when our neighbor came over bearing more candy. However, instead of just handing us a half-eaten bag of chocolate, she presented us with a tray filled with edible butterflies and caterpillars made entirely of Hershey Kisses. If you are looking for an adorable craft idea that will put a major dent in your leftover Halloween candy pile, then consider making Hershey Kiss critters. They are a breeze … Continue reading →

Holiday Sanity Savers for Parents

The countdown is on. In just a few days my daughter’s Christmas break will commence. She delights in telling people that soon she won’t have to endure seven looooong hours a day in a classroom until 2012. I too am thrilled that she will be home, though I know better than to count on the time being stress-free. The first few days of the holiday hiatus from school is filled with giggles and grins, but by day three, I hear more, “Mom, I’m bo-bo-bored!” than “Ho, ho, ho!” Over the years, I’ve learned to prepare for periods of whines and … Continue reading →

Creating a Craft Box

When I was about six, our local church was cleaning out its closets and brought us over a huge box of craft odds and ends. It was filled to overflowing with wooden clothespins, sequins, tulle netting, pipe cleaners, squares of felt, fabric scraps—it was like a crafting wonderland. My mom immediately saw the possibilities and showed us all a way to take the tulle and sew it into little ballerina skirts to put on the clothespins. We hung those on our Christmas tree that year. I remember spending hours and hours making things out of the stuff in that box—some … Continue reading →

Spring Organization

Given how incredibly horrific the weather has been around here, there is no way I can possibly get my spring outdoor chores done right now. So much for cleaning gutters, sprucing up siding and picking up stray items from the yard; the 18 inches of snow that fell last week has put the kibosh on outdoor spring cleaning for at least another 10-14 days. In the meantime, I have been trying to deep clean the inside of my home, including reorganizing my craft space. I am not fortunate to have an entire room dedicated to crafting; rather, I have a … Continue reading →

Spring Into Spring

Have a spring fling with your scrapbooking supplies. Now is the perfect time to deep clean your scrapbook workspace and put leftover embellishments to good use. Spring is traditionally a time for new beginnings, so why not breathe new life into existing supplies to celebrate the first season of the year? Here are some ideas to get you started: If you are looking to add a punch of color to your spring-theme scrapbook layouts, consider placing flowers on the page. You can do this with existing stamps or die cuts. Or press some small fresh flowers and add them to … Continue reading →

Creating a Preschool Craft Station for Home

As I mentioned in a previous blog, we have a lovely little area in our basement that we use to make crafts. We also have a craft area in our living room, or rather, we have a craft box. Now, I am not very skilled at creating crafts, but I do enjoy the process. And I am also one who would forget to do crafts with my daughter if I didn’t have a space to do them and the materials immediately at hand. What do we keep in our preschool craft stations? Most of the materials are not too expensive … Continue reading →

Frugal Thanksgiving Fun

Whether you are having a huge Thanksgiving gathering or just your immediate family to dinner, it is fun to have a few Thanksgiving theme activities that you can enjoy. It will help keep everyone occupied when the you are all still waiting for the turkey to finish, create some new memories and just make a festive time. Friends and family don’t often get a chance to get together, so why not make the most of it with some planned but frugal fun? Thanksgiving activities don’t have to cost much or even anything at all. Here is a list of some … Continue reading →

Decorating Furniture and Accessories with Wallpaper

Wallpaper ends can be used in so many fun ways to dress up your home. Wallpaper is not just for the walls. And if you can get a hold of some free wallpaper, then these decorating projects won’t cost you a thing, except maybe a little spray adhesive. To create a custom look that is perfect for a formal, Victorian or Regency-style room, consider using wall paper on a wooden valance as a window treatment. The wallpaper will fool the eye into thinking that you have a fabric valance or swag. A wallpaper border looks especially nice with this idea. … Continue reading →

More Ways to Recycle for the Holidays

Sure, we all know about “re-gifting,” which may be the quintessential holiday recycling method (when used cautiously). However, there are some other methods that work very well, allowing us to save materials, and avoid not only waste but also avoid extra purchases. Gift Wrapping Materials Many people save and reuse wrapping paper and bows from previous years, and of course, those great gift bags (minus the tag). You can also use other wrapping paper from other holidays, by simply turning it inside out. Use it plain, for pretty white packages that can be decorated with ribbons and trinkets for a … Continue reading →

Update Your Guest Room

Why wait until you’re in the middle of holiday preparations to start getting ready for guests? Now is a great time to update the guest room, before things get too crazy. If you do a few projects yourself, you can save some money while transforming the guest room. Also, take care not to overlook existing items. Some things you already have may work well in that space, if given a little love. If the bed in your guest room is outdated, consider redoing the headboard. If the piece just isn’t something you can work with, consider removing the headboard (and … Continue reading →