Category Archives: Crafts

Jun21

Serving Your Family Frugally

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Serving Your Family Frugally

With back-to-school shopping right around the corner, I thought I’d share one of the ways I get office/school supplies pretty cheaply. Even though we homeschool, I still have to go shopping for those essential pencils, erasers, etc. And since I’m the teacher, I have to have all my own supplies, including printer paper. Now some things like pencils are pretty inexpensive already, but the pencil sharpener? I went through 3 or 4 sharpeners, some manual and some electric, before I found one that works like a charm–and it wasn’t cheap! But I got it absolutely FREE.

About a year ago, I signed up for the Office Max rewards card (it’s called MaxPerks). With the card, you are able to get rebates from your purchases credited to your account for the following month. Then I use those rewards to purchase items I need, or items that give me more rewards next month. Here’s an example of my first purchase. I needed paper for the printer, so I purchased a box of paper from Office Max. I paid $49.99 out of pocket that day, but the next month $40 of that was credited back to my MaxPerks card. So for that box of paper, I paid $9.99. That is $1 per ream of paper, and cheaper than I could buy it anywhere else. Then I was able to pick up dry erase markers, Scotch tape, etc. the next month for free. When I’m not in need of any particular supplies, I simply watch the sales flyer for their rebate deals and purchase the ones that come out free or close to free.

I know other office supply stores run similar promotions. I actually signed up for a Staples reward card first, but Staples was across town and I never made it over there to get the deals. I have an Office Max right around the corner from my house so it was very convenient.

Go ahead and sign up now for your rewards card because you usually have to wait a month for the rebates to be applied to your card. Watch those sale flyers, and you could be getting great deals on back-to-school in a month!

 

To see the rest of this series, click here.

 

Jun14

Serving Your Family Frugally

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Serving Your Family Frugally

There are some things that just eat away at me every time I have to purchase them. Today’s frugal idea is by no means original to me, but it is my way of refusing to waste money! You can find the rest of this frugal series here.

In my kitchen, I have a hard time going without ziploc bags. They don’t HAVE to be Ziploc brand, but I have found that they do seal better than the cheaper brands. The problem is that they are quite expensive and I use them frequently. I have developed the habit of washing out and reusing most of the quart size and larger bags. The sandwich bags are so thin and flimsy that they really only work for one-time use, but the quart and gallon sizes are made of stronger plastic and hold up well through several washings. I choose not to reuse bags that have held meats or other easily spoiled foods, these are too risky for me. However, all other bags get put on the counter to wash along with all my other dirty dishes. I have also found that the small “disposable” Glad or Ziploc storage bowls with lids work very well if I can find them for a decent price.

I read this idea over at Passionate Homemaking on how she dries her bags after washing them, and am trying to plan this into a space at my new home. I can see visions of kids art intermixed with bags on the “clothesline”.

How many of you wash and reuse your Ziploc bags?

May11

Busy Week

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Busy Week

So it is Friday, and I haven’t managed to post one time this week! I thought once school ended that I would be posting like crazy, but it just hasn’t been possible. One of the things taking up so much of my time is a perfectly awesome house that my family will soon be moving into, Lord willing. I will be happy to share pictures and details once the deal is final, but until then I will continue to dig deep into my filing cabinet for paperwork that is requested, drive all over town to 3 different branches of my bank to request a cashier’s check (only to be told that the seller’s realty office messed up and I have to go do it again. And again! 4th time was the charm!), and spend 15 minute increments of time locked behind my bedroom door so the person on the other end of the phone can understand what I am saying without kids screaming, “MO–OM!”

Anyway, today was a special day. My Jason had a birthday. I had a few chances to serve him today, but I wanted to specifically write about the kids. They have been talking for weeks, making plans about what they were going to do for dad for his birthday. Miranda asked last week if she could get online and do a search for how to make birthday party decorations. I allowed her to, and she found a couple of good ideas. Not having a lot of money to spend, they got resourceful and began designing their party. Here’s a picture of their set-up.

They wanted to eat outside and enjoy the weather, so we cleaned off the table, put up the umbrella, and they decorated. Last weekend at a birthday party, my girls learned how to tie together clover flowers to make bracelets, etc. They came up with the idea themselves to tie enough together to decorate for Dad’s birthday. The poor girls started on Sunday afternoon and had a strand 8 yards long. Unfortunately, it was dried and brown by Thursday so they had to start over. They spent a few hours outside today finishing them up. Of course, my girls don’t feel like anything for Dad is complete without including UK (University of Kentucky), so that is why the pendants hanging from the garland. They spelled HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD, UK UK UK UK.

Also, we tried out one of the ideas that Miranda found online, tissue paper flowers. There were tons of websites with tutorials and videos to show how to make these, and they turned out really cute. You can see them in a vase in the center of the table.

One of Dad’s favorite things is Sour Patch Kids. So we bought the biggest bag we could find and had them sitting on the table when he got home from work. I made Stuffed Green Peppers and Homemade Breadsticks, which Elsie and Grant ended up wearing on their face for a couple of hours after dinner since I was cleaning up the kitchen. Jason is not a cake eater, so I made a cherry crisp and stuck a candle in it. Funny thing is that Elsie blew out his candle with one little blow before he could even try. She couldn’t even blow out her own candles 2 months ago at her party, but she sure knew what to do with Dad’s!

I just wanted to praise my kids a little for being such a servant to their daddy. Yes, he probably would have preferred to sit and relax instead of using the coupon to “take a walk” with the kids. And he might have liked a little more personal space after dinner was over, but instead he let the kids pester him to death. But I know he understood the point of all this affection: they all love him and wanted to make sure he had a good birthday.

Jason Enjoying Sour Patch Kids

Apr16

Dress Up Veils

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Dress Up Veils

If you have girly girls, you know how much fun dress up can be. You also know that the stuff you buy in the store is expensive on the wallet, but doesn’t last long because it is made so cheaply. A couple of years ago, we were in Claire’s oohing and ahhing over all the jewelry and accessories when one of my girls pulled a veil off the shelf. She was so very excited to pretend she was “getting married”.

She wanted to buy it, but because of the $13 price tag, and the fact that she had no money to spend at the time, she wasn’t able to. Knowing her birthday was coming up, I took a close look at how the veil was made and decided that might be a good handmade gift. I made two, one with pink flowers on the comb and one with purple (I know that when one of the girls is dressing up, the other usually wants to also). Just before I took the pictures last week, one of the dogs got ahold of the purple one and chewed it up! The kids have had them for a year now and they were good as new. The dog got it for 5 minutes and destroyed it.

Because it was such a simple project, and cost only about half of what I would have paid in the store, I wanted to share it with you. Since they are already made I don’t have step by step pictures, but I’ll try to make the directions clear.

Items Needed:

White or Clear hair combs (I paid $5 for a 2 pack at JoAnn’s, but I’m sure you can find them cheaper at Wal-Mart)

Tulle (Measurements on this depend on how long you want to make them and how wide the fabric is on the bolt. Get a piece double the length that you want the finished product to be.)

Decorative Ribbon or Flowers

Needle and Thread

 

Directions:

This is one of those projects I was able to do while watching TV in the evening. I think it took me two evenings to complete both veils. Not bad for a birthday present that actually gets played with a year later!

Fold the tulle in half lengthwise. Take the folded end and begin to hand sew it to the comb as shown in this picture. You’ll have to scrunch the tulle a little with each stitch until it fits the width of the comb. (You can click on any picture if you need to enlarge it.)

Once you feel the tulle is secure on the comb, repeat the process with the ribbon or flowers. I know it takes more time to do the sewing twice, but I couldn’t keep the tulle in place while trying to do the flowers at the same time. I’m sure the extra stitching can’t hurt. You’ll want to tuck the flowers/ribbon around the back edge of the comb like you see in the picture, otherwise it will unravel and show on the front.

That is really it. Tulle won’t unravel, so there is no hemming necessary. You could even get fancier and tack some ribbon around the bottom edges of the veil. I figured it was a toy and the extra ribbon and time weren’t necessary. Here’s the cost breakdown:

2 pk. combs         $5

Tulle                      $5

Flower edging     $3

Total for 2 veils   $13 (as opposed to $13 for one at Claire’s)

2 layers allows them to have a front veil if they choose

Do you like to sew? Or would you rather pay the extra to purchase things already made?

Mar19

Guest Post By My Kids!

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Guest Post By My Kids!

Ok. Sometimes my kids can come up with some creative ideas. I wanted to share their ideas because if it works for them, then it might work for your kids!

First, a compact individual storage container for crayons on the go! This is simply an empty Mentos Gum tube that is the perfect size for 7-8 crayons. When I take the kids on the trip to Grandma’s house, I rarely let them take crayons. The reason being that the one time I allowed it, the entire box of crayons was spilled multiple times. I ended up with crayon wrappers and shavings all over the back of my van. This way, they have a few colors that can all be kept neat and tidy in this little container. Props to my 3 year old, Grant, for coming up with this idea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second, a way to burn energy on those rainy days that the kids are stuck in the house! (and work on their coordination and balance at the same time) This is a beautiful winter scarf that, believe it or not, has lasted over 2 years for my daughter. Now, it is being re-purposed into an exercise program. Lay the scarf out lengthwise, as shown in this picture, to practice beginning jumps.

 

 

You can do these at your own pace, or crank up some music to keep you in time. Jump ‘forward’ then ‘backward’, being careful not to step on the scarf. Start with both legs, then try just one. If only 1 person is jumping, then try to get from one end to the other without stepping on the scarf. Then, when you feel like you’re ready for something more advanced, fold it up as shown in picture #2. This one is a bit more tricky–add some side steps. Now it is ‘forward’, ‘backward’, ‘right side’, ‘left side’. If you are really adventurous, allow a family member to call your next step for you. Since your mind isn’t calling the shots, it makes the jumps even more difficult. This fun activity brought to you by my 8 year old, Miranda!

 

 

 

 

 

We’ll save ideas from Clare and Elsie for another post. Let me know if your kids were able to use these ideas!

Mar12

5 Minute Learning, Shapes

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5 Minute Learning, Shapes

I have been a little MIA in the blog front this past week. We have been working hard at school, and I have had several things to take care of with my ministry at church as well. While I was busy teaching Arithmetic last week, I realized that one of my projects might be nice to share with you.

When you purchase a shape sorting toy for the little ones, they get some practice on a few basic shapes. As the child gets older, they need to learn a wider variety of shapes. Till now, I haven’t had a visual tool to help with this. Miranda is at the very beginning stages of geometry in 3rd grade, so I wanted to make some flashcards to help her with some of the lesser-known shapes. I knew this wouldn’t be a waste of time since I have 3 younger children who will all eventually need these also! (They can use the simpler shapes now.)

I created these flashcards, which have only the shape on the front, and the shape with its name on the back. This will help with recognition of the shape, but also with seeing how each shape is spelled. Since my sweet husband bought me a laminator for my birthday, I was able to make these once and preserve them for all my kids. I didn’t have any white cardstock when I went to print these, so I simply printed each file separately on plain paper. I cut the pages all in half, then matched up the shapes front to back. I glued them together, then ran them through the laminator to make sure they didn’t get torn or crumpled. Here’s a list of the shapes included:

Circle, Square, Oval, Star, Triangle, Rectangle, Diamond, Crescent, Pentagon, Hexagon, Octagon, Parallelogram, Trapezoid, Rhombus

I wanted to make these available for your use also, so click on the links below if you’d like to print a copy.

Shapes Cards

Shapes Cards Labeled

 

Do any of you have a laminator? I love being able to make visuals and keep them looking nice for all the kids!

If you are interested in other posts in the 5 Minute Learning Series, click here.

 

Mar4

Kids Serving Activity

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Kids Serving Activity

Last week, we were excited to have a couple of ladies and their children over for lunch. In trying to prepare my girls, I asked them to remember that they were also hosts. Of course, I wanted them to enjoy playing with their friends, but I also am teaching them to be mothers and wives some day. So I wanted to share one of the ways that they planned ahead to serve their guests.

Miranda takes out some white paper and begins cutting out circles. Clare found some orange construction paper, and also began to cut away. When I asked them what they were doing, they replied, “We’re making a game to play when our friends come over.” The kids who were coming were Grant’s age and younger, so they were trying to come up with something to do to entertain them. Miranda was making a snowman, and Clare was cutting out noses–one for each child. They were going to play “Pin Tape the Nose on the Snowman”.

As soon as our company walked in the front door, they set up their game and played away until lunch was ready. I thought it was the cutest thing, though I forgot to take pictures! They had also planned to have a block stacking contest, but forgot about that after we finished eating.

I love seeing them take action to serve others in their own little way!

Feb20

Magazine Look and Find

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Magazine Look and Find

Ever wonder what to do with those already read magazines you have lying around? I posted last year that you can turn some of those pictures and full-paged ads into some fancy-schmancy envelopes.

Well, here’s another idea for you. Look through the magazine and write down a list of things to find. The age of your child will determine how difficult you make the clues. These following lists were intended for my 6 and 8 year olds. I’m not sure if a couple of the clues were a little vague for my 6 year old, or if her “this is too hard” mentality kicked in, but my 8 year old found each one without difficulty.

If you already have a magazine subscription, great! If not, there’s no need to give up just yet. Do you get free coupon savings magazines in the mail? Do you ever see stacks of free magazines lying around in public places? I started receiving “Family Fun” magazine, and have no clue how or why. It isn’t costing me anything, and my kids enjoy reading it. Do any of you receive this magazine? You can purchase a subscription here, but I have seen multiple copies of this magazine lying in waiting rooms with “take one” signs attached. Anyway, if you can get your hands on a magazine or two, your kids might enjoy this little game.

Instructions for Mom:

Look through the magazine for items the kids will be able to find. If the child is very young, look for really obvious things and really big pictures. For my girls, I tried to make it a little more difficult and write down things that were pretty small, or little riddles they might have to solve while finding the picture. For example, in the Family Fun magazine, there was a picture of a set of utensils. The fork had eyes and a mustache (dad), the spoon had hair, eyes and lips (mom), and the baby spoon had braids and a face (girl). My clue was “A Family That Feeds You”, instead of writing silverware with faces. This made them use a little deductive reasoning. Miranda got this one right away, but Clare took some time to find it.

Instructions for the kids:

Look through the magazine and circle the items from the list that you find. The clues are in the order you will find them as you look from front to back. (I put mine on the list in order so they would not have to double back to find the next clue.)

Here are the lists I came up with, just in case you have a Family Fun magazine or an All You magazine in the house. The page numbers are for mom only…you can remove those if you’re giving the list to the kids.

Family Fun (March 2012 issue)

  • A Chocolate Rock   p.9
  • Small Garden   p. 18
  • Castle   p. 28
  • Cow Magnet   p. 35
  • Square Marshmallows   p. 39
  • Ball That Is Like A Candy Cane   p. 46
  • Alien   p. 54 or p. 68
  • Baby Bottle   p. 63
  • A Family That Feeds You   p. 69 or p. 70
  • An Orange Nose   p. 80

All You (March 30, 2012 issue)

  • Red & White Shoes   p. 7 or p. 141
  • Abraham Lincoln   p. 20
  • Remote Control   p. 51
  • Pink Pig   p. 73
  • Meatball   p. 91
  • Yellow Gloves   p. 99 or p. 118
  • Talking Fish   p. 111
  • Blue Wallet   p. 127
  • Alarm Clock   p. 133

Both of the girls had fun doing these and Miranda even asked me to make another one. I guess she’ll have to wait until the next installment of magazines comes in. And the nice thing about this game is that it’s free.

Do you have anything fun to do with discarded magazines?