Crafty Monday

Hi all!  I got a new camera for Christmas so hopefully all my camera problems are behind me!  So hopefully I can keep up with daily posts again!  Hope you will keep checking back!

This is a craft I made a lot over the Christmas holiday cause it made such a great, inexpensive, homemade, useful gift!  I have also made some for a couple of wedding shower gifts as well.  And they have been a big hit all the way around!

Jordan

Dish Towel Apron

All you need is a dish towel, you can get these for a dollar at Dollar Tree, some cute ribbon, and a sewing machine!

Now I've made the waist apron as shown in the above pic. and also the up and down kind that goes around your neck too.  It depends on the design on your dish towel.

With the waist apron all you need to do is sew the ribbon on both sides and you are done!

On the up and down one (don't know what else to call them! ;)  Pull in the two corners at the top of the dish towel til they meet, and sew.

Then measure out some ribbon just long enough to fit over your head.  Sew onto the top.

Last sew ribbon on at the middle to tie around the waist and you're done! :)

Craft

Here is a REALLY cute idea for a jewelry rack I found the other day online!  Hope you enjoy! :)

Jordan

Wire Whisk Jewelry Tree

What You'll Need:

Wire Whisk

Wire Cutters

Glass Vase

Decorative Pebbles

Take the wire whisk and cut wires in half.  Bend out in whatever form you would like.  You can curl the ends, thread beads on the arms, etc...

Place the handle in the glass vase and fill with decorative pebbles.

Then, hang your jewelry on it!  (The pic. isn't the greatest but it gives the idea...)

Frugal Recipe

Here is a 'Planned Over' meal!  A Planned Over meal is taking leftovers from the day or meal before and making a different meal!  It's a great, frugal way to use leftovers!

Jordan

This Planned Over is from chili leftovers!

Chili Chicken & Rice

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 c. cooked rice

15 ou. chili

2 T. taco seasonings

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet brown chicken in about 2 T. oil.

Spread rice in a greased 11in. x 7in. x 2in. baking dish.

Combine chili and taco seasoning, spoon over rice.

Top with chicken.

Cover and bake at 350 for 25 min.

Top with cheese.

Bake uncovered for 5 min. or til chicken is cooked through.

Yields: 4 servings

Frugal Game

Here is a really fun and frugal game we played at a wedding shower but it would be fun for any type party!  Everyone seemed to REALLY enjoy it and it was easy to get ready.  It uses coffee filters!  ;D

Jordan

All you need:

Coffee filters

About 10 different kitchen spices

Ribbon

Little pieces of paper

Take a spice and place about a tablespoon in the middle of a coffee filter.

Bunch up the top and tie a ribbon around it to keep it closed and attach a piece of paper with a number on it.

Now, write down on a piece of paper that #1 is ____ so you will remember which is which!

Do this with all your spices.

For the party... hand each player a piece of paper and a pencil.

Start at one end and start passing the bags of spices around having each person smelling them and writing down what spice they think it is!

After all the spices have been passed, read the answers out loud and let everyone grade themselves on how they did!

The person with the most correct wins!

*Don't store the spices together or they will mix smells and you won't be able to tell them apart!

Frugal Tip

Here are some Frugal uses for coffee filters!  They can be a great substitute for paper towls, you can buy a lot for cheap!

Jordan

Use them to clean your cable connectors. If you’re internet is lagging or your TV picture is fuzzy, it might be because the connectors on your cables are dirty and they need to be cleaned.
1. They’re the perfect fix to stop bleeding from razor nicks when shaving.
2. Use them to absorb the grease from fried foods. Put them on the plate and put your french fries, bacon and other fried food on top.
3. Use a coffee filter to cover dishes when they’re cooking in the microwave to prevent messes.
4. Use them to clean windows, mirrors, television screens and glasses. They’re lint free, so they won’t leave any residue behind when you’re done.
5. Stop that Popsicle from dripping all over the place. Poke one or two holes in the filter and put the stick(s) through it.
6. Line your plant pots with a filter to keep the soil from leaking out of the drainage holes when you water them.
7. Put a filter inside cast-iron skillets to absorb excess moisture when it’s not in use to prevent rust and other wear.
8. Separate your China and other good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.
9. Use a coffee filter to apply shoe polish.
10. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and put it into shoes or a closet to absorb and prevent nasty odors. You can even put potpourri into the filter, tie it up and put into your drawers, etc.
11. Use them to safely store your Christmas decorations and other small, fragile items.
12. Use them to store nails, screws and other small hardware so that they don’t go rolling all over the place, get lost or mixed together.
13. You can use the cone-style coffee filters to safely pour in oil and other liquids into your car’s engine.
14. Use them as bowls for popcorn, chips and other snacks.
15. Liquids or something else spill onto your floor, sofa or other upholstery? Use a coffee filter to clean it up because unlike a paper towel, they won’t leave behind lint.
16. Wrap them around tacos shells or hot dogs to prevent the grease and other things from spilling out.
17. Have a wobbly table or chair? Use a folded up coffee filter under the leg to even it out.
18. Did you run out of dryer sheets? You can put a few drops of fabric softener on a filter, rub sides together, and put in the dryer to help prevent static cling and make your clothes smell fresh.
19. My favorite use, is bringing them along when I’m working out. They’re even small enough where I can take them along when I’m riding my mountain bike. They’re great to wipe sweat and other oils off my face.
20. Last but not least, make coffee with them.

Frugal Recipe

This is a VERY good Granola recipe our friends gave us last year!  We have been using it instead of box cereal!  My brothers love it better than cereal (which is saying a lot!)

I make this on Mondays and it's gone by the next week!

Jordan

Granola

8 c. oatmeal

1 c. honey

1 c. melted butter

1 T. cinnamon

1 T. vanilla

___________________________

2-3 c. of nuts, coconut, dried fruit whatever you want to add in!

Warm oven to 350.

Combine 1st section of ingredients.

Pour onto cookie, bake in 10 min. segments, stirring in between, til desired crunchiness!

My family likes it just barely crunchy which takes about 35 min.

Now add 2-3 c. worth of the nuts etc...

I put in a c. of chopped pecans, chopped almonds, then some dried mixed fruit.

Cool and store in airtight container.  Serve with milk or some of us like it on our granola!  :) 

Frugal Kids Craft & Game

Here is a fun and frugal craft and game to do with your siblings or a class!  All you need is paper, pen or pencil, and some sort of "treasure"!

Treasure Map / Hunt

I used to make these maps all the time when I was a kid.  I was VERY imaginative as a little girl (I guess I still am) and always doing stuff like this.

Anyway, that was free.  ;) 

Take your paper and draw a map of your house, yard, classroom, etc... whatever you are using for the treasure hunt.

C'mon now, be creative!  Like if you are drawing a couch in your living room, draw it but then maybe put a tree on it, or give it a tail and a head and give it an imaginative name like Cozy Island, or the Lazy Boy Serpent.  Make it fun but not too easy, make it where they have to figure it out!

Now after you have it all drawn out here is the cool part!

Crumple it up, that's right, as tight as you can.  Now open it up fully.  Repeat crumpling and opening until the paper feels soft!  It can take quite a few times!  (If you want you can have your siblings help with this step ;)

Now that you have you're "old" looking treasure map hide the treasure!

It can be candy, little trinkets, or even Birthday presents if you choose to do this for a Birthday game!

Now, give the child the treasure map and let them go find it!  If it's your siblings you can just let them have at it while you go back to whatever you where doing!

Have a great weekend!

Jordan

Frugal Craft

Garden Season is just around the corner so here is a CUTE and frugal way to start your seedlings indoors!  You ALL have to take a peek at these!  They are SOOO Adorable!

Jordan

Eggshell Seed Starters

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Seasonal-Recipes/Garden-Recipes/Eggshell-Seed-Starter?pmcode=LTAB1VH089&_mid=1516932&_rid=1516932.770300.603283

Frugal Recipe

Ok girls!  So I know most of you probably don't need this recipe yet but Lord willing you will someday!  Wipes can add to the baby bills and this recipe we have found lasts a long time and are very cost efficient!  We have a Day Care in our home so we have REALLY used this recipe a lot!  ;) 

Jordan

Baby Wipes

2 c. Warm Water

2 T. Generic Baby Oil

3 T. Johnson Baby Bath

1 Bounty Paper Towel Roll, cut in half and cardboard center removed

Mix ingredients together.

Pour over paper towels.

Store in old wipe container.

Your done!  :D

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Please continue praying for prayer request below.

Frugal Craft

Here is a really fast and easy frugal craft, a beaded bookmark!  It doesn't take much to make and it would make a cute gift as well!

(Sorry about the pic. quality guys!  I REALLY need to get a new camera but while I'm working up funds ya'll will just have to put up with me!  :)

Jordan

Beaded Bookmark

18 in. hemp cord (I didn't have that so I just used some thick thread)

Beads

Ruler

Make a knot about 2 in. up from one end.

String your beads on and make another knot above them.

Do the same on the other side but making sure there is 10 in. in between the inner knots for the book. 

Trim off any extra.

And there you go!  (I think the hemp cord would look better but the string was all I had! 

>I was being frugal<  ;D

Frugal Craft

Here is a frugal craft you can make with last years calenders!

Calendar Envelopes

Take an envelope and gently take it apart.  Lay it out on a piece of cardboard and trace around it.

Cut it out.  Now you have a form for future!

Take your cardboard cut out and place it on the picture of a calender.  Trace around it and cut it out.

Fold, making the dates the inside, and glue the envelope in the right places and there you go! 

I think these really dress up a letter!

Jordan

Frugal Recipe & Tip

Hey girls!  Sorry, it's was a long weekend!  :)

This is a recipe for homemade laundry soap!  Laundry soap is soooo expensive these days and making your own is a good way to save money!

We use the Duggar's Laundry Soap Recipe.  It is a liquid soap instead of a powder.  We find it cleans very well and lasts us at least a month for 5 people!  (And we do a lot of laundry.)  This recipe calls for making it in a 5 gal. bucket, but we've found it easier to make it in 5 1 gal. ice cream containers!

We haven't calculated up what the exact cost is but we figure it is cheaper than the premade ones at the store (and we have recently been told of something that is even cheaper below!)  :D

Jordan

Duggar Laundry Soap Recipe

1 bar of Fels Naptha, grated

1 c. washing soda

1/2 c. Borax

Grate your bar of soap, we just use our cheese shredder, into a pot and just cover with hot water.  Cook over medium/low heat til soap completely dissolves.  Turn off heat.  Add rest of ingredients and mix well.  Stir til all powder is dissolved.  Pour into 5 gal. bucket and fill to top with hot water.

If you are using 1 gal. buckets, evenly disperse the mixture between the 5 buckets, then fill the rest of the way with hot water.

Stir. Cover.

Stir before using.  Toploading: 1 c. per load.

* We saved a used laundry soap container and pour the soap into it for use on laundry.

Ok, here's the REALLY cheap laundry soap tip!!!

We were recently told you can use 2 T. of Ajax Dish liquid!!!  We have been using it and it works GREAT!

Frugal Kids Craft

Shoe Box Theater

What You'll Need:

A shoebox

Paper

Glue

Popsicle sticks

Scissors

Crayons or Markers

You'll need to do a little prep work.

Cut a slit in the bottom of the shoebox for the puppets to fit through.

And measure and cut a peice of paper to fit on the back of the box for the kids to draw a background.

Have the kids draw a background for the story they are going to do.  You can have them pick out their favorite Bible story or maybe you can have a Bible story picked out before hand for them to do.

Glue the background in the box.

Then have the children draw and color the characters.

They can be as simple as stick figures or if you can find print out Bible characters for them to color.

Cut them out and glue them to popsicle sticks.

And there you go!  :)

Jordan

Frugal Craft

And bring on the Frugal Month!

Jean Craft #4

Here is the last craft from a pair of jeans.  These 4 crafts have been a good and fun way to recycle old unwearable jeans!

This one is VERY simple and only works if the jeans have a side pocket on the leg.

But basically cut the pocket off the leg as close to the seams as possible without cutting the seam.

Cut part of the seam off the leg and sew it on the back for a little strap.  (If desired.)

And decorate it with a ribbon or whatever!

Use it as a pencil pen holder for your school desk, sewing table, craft area, you name it!  :)

Jordan