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Last weekend the grandchildren came over for a Crafting with Nanny play date. We sat down and decided to make these adorable Christmas refrigerator magnets from upcycled puzzle pieces! Don’t throw those old puzzles out, they can be used in all kinds of different craft …
Looking for a fun way to upcycle those used compact discs? If so, we’ve got the perfect project for you! These Snowman ornaments can be completed in one day and then used to decorate the Christmas tree, as package tie-ons, holiday party favors, and more! …
Have you started your Christmas and holiday shopping yet? I admit, I start early and started back in late June. I always start early and try to finish before Thanksgiving arrives! Typically the only things I pick up after Turkey day are edible gifts or last-minute things…but the bulk of my shopping is always done!
A lot of holiday shoppers wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to start buying. I don’t! I find better deals and save a lot more money by shopping throughout the year. I shop a variety of offline retailers and online stores. One thing is for certain, I rarely pay full price…RARE. I’m a frugal bargain hunter!
Last month I walked into a store and found a bin of plush throw blankets on final clearance for $2.98 each. Seriously? Yeah! They had 10 different colors to choose from and all were first-quality, meaning no damage at all. For $3.00 each I picked up 8 of them for a total of $24.00. I know who I’m giving 5 of them to so I selected colors those 5 people would love. The 3-extra ones will go into my gift bin for when I need them. That’s a heck of a deal!
Everyone can use a new throw blanket and these are those velvet plus ones…super-soft and cozy. They come wrapped with a ribbon. I can drop each one into a gift bag that I picked up at the Dollar Tree with a sheet of tissue paper and be done! A nice Christmas gift for less than $5.00 total.
We have a friend and his wife that love going out on winery taste-testing tours, visiting micro-breweries, and mixing up their own cocktail drinks. At another store we found a bottle of Margaritaville Mango Margarita Mix and a bottle of Jelly Belly Mojito Mix marked down to $3.00 a bottle. We picked up one of each. They’ll make the perfect holiday gift for them along with the 2 hand-painted wine glasses that I picked up 2 months ago for $5.00 each. Total gift cost of $16.00 plus add on the bag, tissue paper, and gift-tag…less than $20.00 for a gift that I know they’ll love.
In today’s economy it pays to shop smart and to start early! Even if the economy was swinging along wonderfully…I still would be a smart shopper. Why? Because I love to save money and spend that money on things that we really want for ourselves or to put away for vacation.
As soon as I enter a store…I’m on the lookout for their clearance racks and bins. I don’t mind rummaging through things to find a great deal. If you want to save money on Christmas and the holidays…you have to start early and I mean EARLY. Don’t shop just one or two stores, shop many stores to find the deals that you deserve.
A new addition to our Countdown to Christmas craft project series! This upcycled CD Disc Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Ornament is easy to make! You only need a few supplies to make it. We were able to complete several of them in just one weekend. …
My family has been making Paperclip Angel Ornaments for decades! They’re easy-to-make and you only need 3 items to make each one! The project is simple enough for kids to do and you can make dozens of them in just one afternoon! Use them as …
This Grinch storage container was made by recycling a plastic Gain laundry pod container. Those containers are lime green in color. You can use your new container to store small christmas balls, ornaments, ornament hooks, and other small items that need to be kept protected. You can also place a battery-operated candle down inside it and use it as a Christmas holiday decoration.
You first want to thoroughly wash out the plastic container with liquid dish soap and water. The labels on the outside of the container take a little bit of work to peel off. They’re more like a sticker, than a glued-on label. Once you peel up the end you should be able to slowly peel off the sticker labels. Make sure the container has been cleaned and is dry!
Use a pencil to draw onto the container the facial features as shown in the photograph. You don’t need a pattern since the facial features are really easy-to-do.
I painted two tear drop shaped eyes in a bright yellow acrylic paint. I had to use 3 coats to get the coverage needed, allowing for 30 minutes of drying time between coats. Once they’re dry you’ll want to outline them with a black medium-tip acrylic paint pen. Use that same paint pen to add the eye brows, nose, mouth, and chin. Let dry for 2 hours or until it’s no longer tacky.
Mine is going to sit out on my front porch during the holiday season. I’m going to add a few cups of sand into the bottom of the container to give it weight. Then place a battery-operated pillar candle inside (that uses a 4 hour timer). I think it’s going to look adorable on our front porch as part of our Christmas and holiday decor.
In the coming weeks and months I’ll share the other designs that I’m working on for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, Easter, Spring and Summer! A great way to recycle all of those pod laundry detergent containers!
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If you’re just learning how to crochet or have years of experience these mini mittens make cute Christmas tree ornaments or glue a magnet on the back to turn them into holiday refrigerator magnets. This project is a great way to use up some of …
We’re counting down the days until the Christmas holiday with a brand new kid’s craft project! These painted pine cone Christmas tree ornaments are easy-to-make and use upcycled materials along with a few other items. Each one will cost you LESS than 50 cents to …