Try Food Painting!

Any craft that involves both paint AND snacks is kid approved at our house! This fun frugal craft requires few supplies and minimal clean up… making it mother approved as well

Gather any foods you’d like to paint. We used marshmallows, popcorn and bread. Make your edible paint by mixing milk with food coloring. I really like the McCormick Neon Food Colors, they’re nice and bright! For a thicker paint, try mixing sweetened condensed milk with food coloring. It dried really pretty and shiny!

Let kids be creative and paint away! It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids about colors and counting too!

The best part… it’s all completely edible when you’re done!

Have fun!

I bet you have everything you need in your stockpile!

Ingredients

• Neon Food Coloring
• White Shaving Cream (or Cool Whip-Thanks Reader Anna for testing this!)
• Hard Boiled Eggs, pre-dipped in vinegar to make the colors vibrant!

Tools

• Cookie Sheet
• Knife or Toothpicks
• Paper Towels
• Spoon
• Cooling Rack
• Gloves (or, you’ll dye your hands!)

Step 1

Cover Cookie Sheet with Shaving Cream and smooth down with the back of a spoon.

Step 2

Add food coloring drops, and mix into shaving cream with knife or toothpicks.  I like the knife because it’s fast to clean (so the colors don’t mix) and fast to mix with the colors.

Step 3

Roll your hard boiled eggs in the shaving cream.  It doesn’t take much, one tray will cover about 4 dozen eggs.

Step 4

Allow eggs to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Gently wipe off Shaving Cream with paper towel.  Don’t wash them off, because then even the color goes away

PS-Thanks FAB reader Lori for pointing out that not everyone knows that eggs are porous   You probably won’t want to eat these ones  Don’t believe me?  Open ‘em up!  They are marbleized on the inside too!

I’m always looking for new things to do with the kids.  They told me that this is THE BEST WAY to dye eggs!  I think they just like the smell, but it is cheap and easy, plus it does not require any vinegar!  All you need is 2/3 cup water and a Kool-Aid packet!  You can usually find Kool-Aid for around $0.10- $0.20 each so it is a frugal way to dye eggs!

Ingredients

1 packet Kool-Aid
2/3 cup Water
Boiled Eggs-  (see our tutorial for The Secret to Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs)

Place the eggs in the dye.  It only takes a couple minutes and the eggs are a vibrant color.  Remove them and dry on a cooling rack or in the egg carton.  Much better color than normal dye in my opinion!  Plus you will have a fruity kitchen smell!

You can see how the colors turn out.  Plain lemonade is not very dark but Pink Lemonade turns out nicely, grape also turns out a little too dark.  The eggs also have a subtle speckle on them too!

Nordic Ware Microwave Egg Boiler

These Baked Cotton Balls are probably the most fun the Bee and I (and Auntie B) have had with a craft.  Ever.  They combine Finger Painting, Baking, Smashing, and Mess Making, all in one easy to clean up activity!

 Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups water
• Food coloring
• Cotton Balls (I used one of the 100 ct. ones I’ve gotten from Target.  We could have done probably 200 cotton balls, instead of 100)
• Baking pan
• Cooking Spray or Baking Mat

Directions

1. Mix Flour and Water in bowl until smooth.  
2. Divide into as many bowls as you would like colors.  We found 7 worked out about perfectly.
3. Add food coloring and stir.
4. If your munchkin is old enough, you can give them the 3 primary colors and let them figure out what Mixing colors make (this is the Bee, figuring out that Green and Red make Brown)
5. Coat cotton balls in “paint”
   Because Mama likes to stay clean, I coated mine with the spoon we used to stir
   My sister and the Bee went to town mixing with their hands.
6. Seriously Fun!   Even Clean Freak me got into it!
   (Although I was behind the camera, not in front of it!)
7. Place Completely coated cotton balls on baking tray sprayed with Pam.
   I honestly wasn’t sure what the aftermath would be, so I purposely chose my oldest pan,
   and wasn’t willing to risk my Baking Mats (although the “paint” peeled right off the sprayed cookie sheet)
8. Bake Cotton Balls at 300 Degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. The colors will change slightly, but they still look cool!  
9. After done baking, smash with hammer.  

If your kids are old enough, let them do this, or give them a play hammer.
This was a VERY therapeutic part of the project.
Especially seeing how far I could get them to fly across the room!

Baked Cotton Balls broken open!

The Cotton Balls are hard and crunchy on the outside, and still soft and silky on the inside!

Here’s some fun ideas to make your Easter Celebrations a hit.

Using a chocolate fountain dip your peeps! Dip them all the way for added fun of decorating them.

You can dip any type of peeps in chocolate!

Place a smaller vase inside the larger vase. Be sure that it is almost as tall. Pour M&M’s or your favorite candy in between the smaller & larger vase.

Next place a row of your favorite bunny peeps & top with larger candy. Fill inside vase with water & flowers. Such a great center piece!

Choose your favorite peeps. Place candy stick from the front of the peep to the back. Slide it down & add another until you have added as many as the stick can hold.  Using a candy bag cover the peeps & tie a ribbon on the bottom. For fun add a note for a friend saying “Here’s some peeps for one of my favorite peeps!”

• See our favorite Amazon Deals!  
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I have what I like to call “busy boxes” for my little ones. Each one is a different activity that I store in a labeled $.97 plastic container from Walmart. I have about 1o right now, and absolutely LOVE them! Each time my kids get antsy and need something to do, (or I need a distraction) I pull one down and let them play! Noodle beads are my latest addition!

Supplies Needed:

• 1 Cup dry, uncooked pasta per color (I used Ditalini, but you could use whatever kind you like!)
• 2 Tablespoons rubbing alcohol
• 4-5 drops food coloring (I found that the gels (like Wilton coloring gels) produced more vibrant colors)
• Sandwich baggies
• Toothpicks, if you are using gel colorings
• Large cup
• Surface to lay the wet beads on to try (I used a baking sheet covered with foil)

Place a sandwich baggie inside your cup and fold the top over the edge to hold it in place. This holds up your bag while you place everything inside. Add your pasta, rubbing alcohol and food coloring to the bag.

Zip it shut and gently shake or mix together with your hand to coat all of the beads. If you have any excess liquid, try to drain that out the best you can.

Spread the beads out on your drying surface to dry. I think this took about 3-4 hours if I remember right. Repeat with each color.

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I purchased some kids jewelry braiding cord for a couple of dollars in the craft aisle at Walmart but any string that will fit into the size of pasta you are using will work. I cut a few necklaces sized pieces of string and tied one of the beads to the bottom of each so the rest of the beads would stay on the string. It’s a great sensory/coordination activity and only costs a couple of dollars to make!

Have fun!

Did you ever play with Gak as a kid?

I did! It was lots of ooey-gooey fun as well as an excellent sensory activity! I decided to make it for my kiddos this week and they LOVED it! I found several Gak recipes around the blog-o-sphere that use Borax as one of the ingredients. I’ve read a lot of mixed information about the safety of using Borax around kids so I was happy to find this recipe that doesn’t call for it. I made a few adjustments and it turned out great!

Ingredients:

• 2 (4 oz.) bottles of Elmer’s Glue (About $.75 each at Walmart in the school supply aisle) 
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup liquid starch (About $3 at Walmart in the laundry aisle)
• Food Coloring (I had on hand) 

You will also need:

• glass or plastic bowl
• spoon
• measuring cup
• Something to protect your work surface (table cloth, cutting board, baking sheet ect..)

Empty all of the glue into your bowl.

Add your food coloring and stir together until blended. I only used a little bit (4 drops I think) of food coloring so it wouldn’t stain our hands when playing with it.

Gradually add the starch, A LITTLE AT A TIME, while stirring with the spoon or kneading with your fingers as the mixture thickens. The original recipe calls for a whole cup of starch but I tried that and it turned out really soupy. I made another batch with only 1/2 to 3/4 cup starch and it was just right!

Keep stirring!

You might need to get your hands in there and knead it to mix in the rest of the starch. You may not even need the entire 3/4 cup. It should look like this when you’re done!

The fun begins!

When your kiddos are done playing, simply store the Gak in an air tight container or Ziploc bag. I’ve been storing mine in the fridge but I don’t think you have to… My total cost to make two batches was $6. I still have lots of liquid starch left so I would only need to buy more glue next time. It was definitely more fun to make it than buy it!

Have YOU ever made Gak? Do you have any tips or tricks?

You can get store-bought Valentines for really cheap, especially with a coupon deal. But I thought it might be fun to do a homemade Valentine this year with my little guys, so I tried out a few ideas. A nice little weekend project!

DIY Heart Crayon Valentine

Supplies:

• crayons
• knife
• my printable or create your own
• foam adhesive or other adhesive for crayons
• twine or string (optional)
• card stock
• scissors or paper cutter
• mini heart silicone pan or metal cookie cutters on a cookie sheet
• vegetable spray

I used the Freshware 12-Cavity Mini Heart Silicone Mold and Baking Pan with great results, plus it was on sale when I bought it! If you have a bunch of free floss sitting around, you could try using that instead of twine.

What I did:

1. Gather broken and old crayons.
2. Remove the paper and break or cut crayons into small pieces.
3. Melt crayons in heart molds. Let cool.
4. Print out template on card stock.
5. Attach the heart crayons to the card stock.

Gather all of your old and broken crayons. (We can usually get FREE or really cheap crayons during the fall Back to School Sales!) Remove the paper and break or cut them into small pieces. I had to use my fingernail or a knife to score the crayon wrappers on some of the older ones. Or you can try soaking the stubborn ones in water for about 5 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 250. Spray your silicone heart pan and place the crayon pieces into the molds. (If you want to add glitter, you can sprinkle some into the molds before you add the crayons.) Organize the crayons by like colors or throw in a whole rainbow of them! Brighter colors are fun. Place the pan in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. If you bake them too long, the color may be begin to separate from the wax. The crayons should be liquid, so be careful when you remove the pan from the oven. I actually placed my silicone pan on a baking sheet to ease the removal from the oven.

Let the crayons cool for about 20 minutes, until the crayons are solid again. Then remove the hearts from the molds and put them on a cooling rack to let them cool completely.

Possible Messages:

• “Have a colorful Valentine’s Day!”
• “You color my world.”

(This Valentine was inspired by here and here. Thanks for the great ideas!)

DIY Swedish Fish Valentine

Supplies:

• Swedish Fish (I used the large assorted type)
• blue card stock
• 5 x 11.5 inch cellophane candy bag
• twist ties (usually come with the cello bags)
• scissors
• pen or printable (here or here)

I found a pack of 20 cellophane treat bags at Walmart for $0.97. And I couldn’t find the larger Swedish Fish at Walmart, but I did find them at Target.

What I did:

1. Print the template onto blue card stock and cut them out.
2. Place the cut-out card stock into the cellophane bag.
3. Add some fish candies.
4. Then close the bag with a twist tie.
5. Trim the top of the bag with scissors to the desired height.

You can use the printables I created (here or here) or create your own trapezoid with a wavy top and write your message on it.

Possible Messages:

• “I fish you were mine.”
• “It’s ofFISHial — you’re awesome!”
• “You’re the only fish in the sea for me!“
• “Glad we’re in the same school!“

(This Valentine was inspired by FamilyFun Magazine February 2013 Issue)

We have 7 more FAB Valentine Ideas for You!

• 2 Homemade Sugar-Free Valentine Ideas
• Smores Valentines
• 4 Homemade Valentines Ideas

More great DIY Valentine’s Day ideas:

• Valentine’s Day Banner
• Paper Heart Tutorial
• Paper Mache Candle Holder

You can get store-bought Valentines for really cheap, especially with a coupon deal. But I thought it might be fun to do a homemade Valentine this year with my little guys. I have a 2-yr-old and a 4-yr-old, so I don’t know many kids that don’t LOVE a crazy straw or a bouncy ball!

More great DIY Valentine’s Day ideas:

• Smores Valentines
• Valentine’s Day Banner
• Paper Heart Tutorial
• 4 Homemade Valentines Ideas

DIY Bouncy Ball Valentine

Supplies:

• bouncy balls
• black or dark blue card stock
• scrap paper for templates
• craft knife
• scissors
• gel pens or metallic markers

You can find bouncy balls at a lot of different places, including dollar stores. Keep in mind that many candy machines sell bouncy balls individually for $0.25, so you don’t want your price point to be more than that if possible. You can buy 25-27 mm (or 1-inch) bouncy balls in bulk for under $0.10 each, but you have to buy a lot. You could try finding other people to go in on it with you! (The balls would be great for party favors too.)

• Amazon: 250 assorted for $23.95 + Free Super Saver or Prime shipping ($0.10/ball)
• Amazon: 48 glow-in-the-dark for $8.60 + Free Super Saver or Prime shipping ($0.18/ball)

Cut a large heart out of scrap paper. (Don’t forget that you can fold it in half to get the sides to be the same!) You can use that heart as a template for the card stock hearts. You will also want to make a template for the hole. Use a craft knife to cut a circle that’s slightly smaller than the ball. The ball should fit tightly and stay in place.

What I did:

1. Cut a large heart out of black or dark blue card stock.
2. Cut a circle for the ball.
3. Add the stars and planets and a message with a gel pen or metallic marker.
4. Insert the ball.

You can have your child write their name on the back or save a place on the front, if desired. Here are some ideas for a message:

• “You’re out of this world, Valentine!”
• “You’re a star!”
• “I’ve searched the galaxy for a friend like you.”

(This Valentine was inspired by FamilyFun Magazine February 2013 Issue)

DIY Loopy Straw Valentine

Supplies:

• Loopy Straws
• card stock
• scissors
• Printable (optional)
• Pretzel bags or hole punch (optional)

Walmart sells the loopy straws in the party favor area, 6 for $0.97. You should be able to find them at many stores, including party supply stores and dollar stores. I found the pretzel bags at Walmart – a pack of 20 bags for $1.75. They are about the perfect size for the straws, so you can place a straw in a bag and staple a piece of card stock with a message at the top of the bag. Or go without the bags and do what I did.

What I did:

1. Choose a message. Print a message and image on to card stock.
2. Cut it out, then use a hole punch to make a hole toward the top and one toward the bottom (even with each other).
3. Slide the printed & punched message onto the straw.

I used white card stock for the message. I thought it would be fun for my kids or the recipients to be able to color it. So I found a black & white heart image that looked fun and added some text. You are welcome to use my printable here, if you desire.

You can have you child write their name on the back of the card stock. Possible Messages:

• “Sip-sip Hooray! It’s Valentine’s Day!”
• “You make me loopy!”
• “Sip-a-dee-doo-dah! Sip-a-dee-day! Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!”
• “I’m crazy for you!”

(This Valentine idea was inspired by here & here. They have free printables for their messages too. Thanks!)

Amazon currently has the Brother XL2600I Sew Advance Sew Affordable 25-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine on sale for just $84.54 $77.99 Shipped! This is a great sewing machine for the price and it comes highly rated by fellow shoppers.

Go HERE to view this Brother  Sewing Machine

Compare to $85 at Walmart.

See our favorite Amazon Deals!  

Want free shipping?  Sign up for Amazon Mom! 

Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss this great price!  Also, see why we ♥  Amazon Prime for free shipping!  This post contains our affiliate link. Please read our DISCLOSURE POLICY here.

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My super crafty friend Gina made these pumpkins with her family for Halloween.

They are actually super easy, if you use the right stuff

Supplies

• One pumpkin for each member of your family
• REAL Sunflowers (I tried the fake ones… it just wasn’t happening)
• Black Spray Paint
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Leaves for ears (we used Aspen leaves)
• Washers (This type, not the kind you wash clothes or dishes in)
• Hot Glue Gun

 Directions

Spray paint sunflowers black.  After allowing to dry, attach washer “eyes” with hot glue.  Attach ears, eyes, and beak to pumpkins with hot glue.  Hold each in place until the glue dries and it’s solidly in place.

Do you love the owl trend as much as I do?

• Vintage Owl Pendant Long Bronze Chain Necklace Clothes $1.67 Shipped
• SODIAL- Vintage style colorful Owl charm necklace $1.20 Shipped
• Crane EE-8189 FFP Crane Owl Humidifier, Brown, 1 Gallon $39.98 Shipped
• Owl Watch w / Keychain Clip Pocket Watch $4.39 Shipped!
• Owl SnapOn Case FOR Apple IPHONE 4 4S Owl $5.40 Shipped!

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I needed one more thing for my entryway table so I I picked up some of my favorite $1 frames and got busy creating this:

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It was quick and easy to make {and very inexpensive}. I made 2, one for me and one for a friend. Here is what you need to make your own:

Supplies:

Square $1 Frames {Wal-Mart or Michaels}

Black Paint

Mod Podge {get it here}

Decorative Halloween Paper {leftover from my banner}

Black or Orange Cardstock

Ribbon {find some here}

Sanding sponge or big emery board

You can download the cute Halloween Printable here. Just print it out on white cardstock.

First paint the edges of the frame and the inside edges of the frame. I painted the back too.

After the paint dries brush a layer of mod podge over the front of the frame and place the Halloween paper. Make sure to rub out any bubbles.

I place it upside down and put something heavy on it while it dries. It doesn’t take  very long to dry.

This is my favorite way to remove the extra paper: after the mod podge has dried, take a sanding block and rub it along the edges in a downward motion.

Rub it until it comes right off.

For the picture part I use an exacto knife to cut an X in the middle

Then use the large emery board to “sand” off the inside paper.  Make sure you always go downward or you will tear your paper.

Cut out your prints, I decided that mine needed a little something more so I sponged the edges of the print and the edges of the frame with black ink. I also discovered that I made the prints a tad to small so I cut out some 3 3/4 inch squares of orange and black cardstock and mounted the print on them. I liked how this looked in the frame better anyway.

Tie some ribbon on using a square knot (right over left, left over right). I used 3 ribbons, odd numbers look better when you are doing things.

Place your print in the opening. Aren’t the fun! I love how they turned out. It took me less than 30 minutes to make both of them {that includes drying time}.

Here it is on my entryway table.

I love how it looks with my other décor.

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I love Halloween and I love to decorate for Halloween.  Only problem is…having time to decorate for Halloween.  I saw this adorable idea on Martha Stewart’s site and just HAD to try it out!

These Ghosts are ridiculously easy, cute, fast, affordable…all the things we Frug Gals love!

Glowing Ghost Balloon Supplies

• Laytex White Balloons (I used 12″ balloons although I think all different sizes would be fun)
• A Sharpie Marker
• Glow Sticks (I used green)  Best place to get them is on Amazon.

100 8″ Premium Glow Stick Bracelets (Bi-Colored, Mixed Colors) $6.50 (save $33.49)
(this many at the Dollar Store would cost $20!)

To summon a ghost, snap one or two green eight-hour light sticks so they glow, and insert them into a white balloon.

Inflate the balloon and tie it closed.

Use a black marker to draw a wide-eyed face.

Repeat to make more.  You can hang on trees in windows, walls or doors, the options are endless! Just lower the lights and let the fun begin!

I plan on using these to decorate my trunk for trunk or treat!  I thought that eyeballs would be fun to put in the windows or trees…

Happy Haunting!!!!

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Black Spray paint

Straw wreath

Wooden numbers

Ribbon

Wired ribbon

Spider & Owl

Hot Glue Gun and wire

{I didn’t use the spider web on my final product}

Spray paint the wreath and the numbers. It took a few coats for the wreath. I let it dry overnight.

I decided I wanted to wrap my sheer orange ribbon around the wreath. Put some hot glue on one edge and let it cool. I use a glue stick to rub the glue in place.

Wrap the ribbon around the wreath leaving space between it. I wanted the black to show through. Hot glue it in place after you have gone all the way around. the wreath.

Next I made the bow using wired orange ribbon. Wired ribbon is so much easier to work with when you are making bows. It was hard to take a picture of myself making the bow.

Basically you make some big loops leaving a tail at both ends, when you start the bow and end the bow. I also added a little pouf in the middle before making the final tail.

I couldn’t find my wire so I used a bag tie to hold my bow together.

Pouf it and and separate the loops. This is when the wired edge comes in handy, it helps the bow hold it’s shape.

For the tails, fold it in half and cut it diagonally.

Now you are ready to assemble your wreath. This is something you just have to play with before you glue everything on. I put things on and change it up until it looks how I want it too.

I used my hot glue gun to attach everything to my wreath.

Spider (from the dollar store) I stuck toothpicks in his belly so he would stay just where I wanted him to. I also used a little hot glue on him. I hot glued my owl on the wreath. I picked the owl up at Michael’s.

I decided I needed some sparkle on my wreath so I put some black glitter on my 31. I just brushed mod podge on them and sprinkled them with black glitter.

then I hot glued them on my wreath.

I used some of the extra ribbon to tie around the wreath to hang it on my front door. I just stuck some thumbtacks into the top of my door to hold it in place. Once I hung it up I puffed up my bow a little more and put the tails where I wanted them.  Here’ s the finished product. I love how it turned out. When making wreaths, you just have to kind of let them evolve and you don’t always use everything you bought for them.

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Check out all of our other DIY and frugal crafts ideas!

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Some decorative Halloween Paper (I found mine at hobby lobby)

Black and Orange cardstock

Glue Gun {get one here}

Mod Podge {get it here}

Black Glitter {get it here}

Pom Pom Yarn

I used my lovely Silhouette to cut out the Banner pieces and Letters to spell Spooky. If you don’t have one you you can find a shape you want for your banner and just cut it by hand, the same for the letters. I used this fun font for my letters called Biker Bones. You can download it for FREE here.

Aren’t the letters fun for Halloween? I love how they look like bones. I wanted my letters sparkly so I put black glitter on them. Use a sponge brush to put Mod Podge all over the letter.

If you use glitter a lot, these trays are awesome! I can’t do glitter without mine, they keep it contained. You can find one here. I just dump a lot of glitter over the letter then shake it off and set it on some paper to dry.

Then you funnel the glitter back in to the jar!

This is a great trick that I LOVE, after the glitter has dried on, it still has a tendency to flake off {which I don’t like} if you take some Clear Acrylic Sealer and give it a light spray over the letters then it will stop the glitter from shedding. It dries fast too!

While the letters are drying, get to work on the banner. I decided I wanted my edges to look a little distressed so I took a sponge and some black ink and rubbed it along the edges of my patterned paper.

Hot Glue the patterned paper to the cardstock.

Next I place my letters on so I can make sure I spell it right in the correct order

Then hot glue the letters on

Then measure your pom pom yarn to see how long it needs to be for your mantle and place the letters evenly apart.

hot glue the pom poms onto the the banner, be careful not to burn yourself!

and hang it on your mantle.

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I used some of these 3m hooks on my mantle. I love them because they don’t damage my mantle and are out of sight.

This craft is easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Canning rings (I used approximately 28 wide-mouth rings for one pumpkin)
• String (about 18″ long)
• A cut branch
• decorative or real pumpkin leaves

All you have to do is string the rings (all facing one direction), and tie it together with string to create a wreath shape. Make sure you have enough rings to make a nice and full pumpkin. And don’t worry if the rings are beat up or rusty. It all adds character.

Then insert a 1″ branch. I literally went out to a tree in my backyard and cut a 1″ thick branch off and then trimmed it up on my chopsaw.

I added a leaf from my actual pumpkin plant for extra cuteness.

Then because I liked them so much, I made two more!

If you are looking for an alternative to decorating spookily, the cute pumpkin thing is really in right now. Check out our Pinterest page to see more harvest and Halloween ideas!

As a busy mom, I spend a lot of time in October at Halloween carnivals, selecting/making kids costumes, helping with treats for school parties, and of course, finding mass quantities of free or cheap candy for the trick or treaters. However, some of my favorite Halloween memories in recent years came from when I got to dress up and attend a Halloween party.

Last year I co-hosted a grown-up Halloween party. It took a lot of work and planning, but the end result was a fun, fabulous event. Our theme was “Somewhere In Time” We assigned our guest to be famous couples throughout history. (Bonnie & Clyde, Futuristic, George & Martha Washington, JFK and Jackie O, Pocohontas & Captain John Smith, Adam & Eve, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Cleopatra and Anthony, Anne Boleyn & King Henry VIII to name a few). My husband and I were a Knight of the Round Table and a Medieval Princess.

We had the guest enter the party through a time tunnel (cardboard prop and fog machine). We played a couple of time themed games, guessing the baby pictures of each guest and what year famous events about the characters at our party happened. We had yummy food, photos, and visiting. We had prizes for game winners and best costumes (voted on by guests), which was a fun addition. The best part was seeing the elaborate, creative costumes. Photos do exist, but I have only included a few to protect the guilty

Here are some other fun party ideas to help you throw a fabulous grown-up party!

Invite Ideas:

• Make your own invitations, make them fancy with a wax seal or over sized envelope.
• Hand deliver for a personal touch.
• Recycle items, such as cast-off books or boxes with invites inside.
• Balloons with messages inside or something centered around your theme.
• Make sure you do the party on another night besides Halloween, so guests can enjoy time with kids.
• Give them time to find/plan their costumes and include an RSVP.

Costume/Theme Ideas:

• TV characters: Ross &Rachel, Fred & Wilma Flintstone, Greg & Marsha Brady, Gilligan & Mary Ann, Lucille Ball & Ricky Ricardo, Laura & Almanzo Wilder, etc…
• Literature: Romeo & Juliet, Harry Potter and Hermonie, Edward & Bella, Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy, Scarlett O’Hara & Rhett Butler, Robin Hood & Maid Marion, etc…
• Superheroes: Batman & Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Superman & Lois Lane, Green Lantern, etc…
• Fairy Tales/Nursery Rhymes: Snow White, Cinderella, Jack & Jill, Little Mermaid, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffett
• Decades: throw a 1970s bash, or a kick back to the 1920s flappers, 1980s hair bands, etc…
• Be sure to raid your closet and visit the thrift store to look for your costume.

Food:

• Bulk items at warehouse stores
• Stockpile items: Tortillas, tuna, biscuits, cheese, can make for fun sandwiches.
• Stockpile Snacks: Chips, Crackers, Nuts, Soda, Cake Mixes, Brownies even Fruit Snacks, and Capri Suns, since it is Halloween.
• Buy fruit and veggies and cut up to make your own fruit and veggie trays.
• An even more frugal idea, is to have a potluck.
• Or consider having fall themed foods, apples, pumpkin, or chili recipes to have guest bring, sample and share.

Games:

• Matching character facts with the character
• Trivia on your theme
• Name that TV show clip, or name that tune
• Pictionary on your theme
• Traditional kids Halloween games, bobbing for apples, pin the tail on the donkey, piñata, donuts on the string.

Prizes/Favors:

• Dollar Store Items.
• Stockpile items: treats, candy, candle décor & holiday scented air fresheners, and even toilet paper (hey it is Halloween).
• Gift Cards.
• Another fun idea is to take photos and give them as a fun follow-up favor later.

Other fun party ideas include:

• Murder Mystery Parties (find some here or write your own),
• Chili contests
• Trick or Eat, a Halloween themed progressive dinner. Start with appetizers at one house, salad at another, main course at another, and then finish with dessert or trick-or-treating at the last house.

What Fab and/or Frugal party ideas do you have?

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24X24 piece of Wood

2 colors of spray paint {I used Valspar Bright Red and Krylon Ivory both in Satin finish, I did not want it to be glossy}

Vinyl Stencil {I cut mine out with my Silhouette, you can download my studio file here} If you don’t have a vinyl cutting machine find a friend who has one or you could go to a local sign and banner place and they could cut some vinyl for you. Or you can print it out and use some carbon paper to trace the words onto the board and paint it by hand.

Mod Podge & Sponge Brush {forgot to get them in the picture}

First spray paint your board. My board was pretty smooth and didn’t need to be sanded at all, but it is a good idea to dust it off before you paint.

Red is a color you have to do lots of coats of. I’m not sure how many I did, probably around 4 or 5. I let it dry overnight (remember I’m in Arkansas and it is HUMID here so things take longer to dry!)

Lay out your vinyl stencils on your board to make sure they all fit. I wasn’t going to use transfer paper, but it was a little easier to use it. The vinyl didn’t stick great to the wood so I had to work hard to get the transfer paper off without pulling the vinyl off. Pulling  it off at an angle seemed to be easier

It helped to put the backing on top of the vinyl to help press out the air bubbles. The vinyl can stretch or tear easily so be careful. Just using your fingers works good too.

Also don’t pull all the backing paper off at once! Pull about 2 inches off and get it placed then slowly pull it off as you press the vinyl down. This is the part not to go to fast and just take your time. I rushed on the first one and had lots of air bubbles to work out.

I put the “this” on vinyl first and you can see it has the most bubbles, I got better as I did the rest of the board

After you get them all on now you take your mod podge matte

and brush it over the edges of the letters. You do this to help prevent bleeding through. Don’t put it on too thick. I brushed it over the whole letter so it would all be the same finish when I painted it.

I taped up the parts of the board that the vinyl didn’t cover so they wouldn’t be spray painted. You can also paint it with acrylic paint if you don’t want to use spray paint.

Now I spray painted with the ivory.

I think I used about 4 coats, until the red didn’t show through. I let it dry for a few hours.

The next part is my favorite, peeling off the vinyl and seeing the magic!

You can see a little ivory bled through, but I think it happened more when I held the can too close.

{When I first hung it I used the 3M picture hanging strips. They didn’t stick good to the unfinished wood on the back and it fell off the wall. So I texted my friend who has a similar sign and she said she hot glued a soda can tab to the back of the sign. I tried it and it works perfectly! I love it because it is FREE!! The sign is so thin and I din’t want to nail into it for fear it would go through the other side.

Here it is on my wall:

I added some pictures to the wall:

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I love how it fills up this little wall in my house. I have a few more things I want to add to the wall, but haven’t found them yet (we just moved and have lots of things in boxes still!). So for around $10 I made this awesome sign that makes me happy when I see it.

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Side table-I found mine at Target it was $15, I have seen them on sale and clearance, you just have to keep your eyes out for it.

1 Lego building plate -you can find one here, I picked mine up at toysrus- make sure you buy the extra large one, it comes in gray

A glue gun {you can use a more permanent glue like e6000 if you want}

Our table was 18×18 inches and our base plate was 15×15 inches so my husband measured in 1 1/2 inches from each edge and marked it with chalk so the base plate would be centered on the table. I’ve seen other tables that they put together lots of smaller base plates to cover the table completely. When I found that Lego made a 15×15 inch base plate I decided to go that route because it was the easiest.

You have to work fast on this next part, cover the back of the base plate with hot glue. I used my big glue gun because it is hotter and the glue stays hot longer giving me more time to get it placed in the right spot.

Place it on the top of the table, lining it up between the marks you made.

l

Press it down with your hands to make sure it has stuck evenly all over.

We flipped the table over and pressed down for a minute for good measure.

Last,we screwed the legs onto the table and it was ready to go.

Our kids were so excited about I and have played with them for hours everyday. We had to make another one for the girls (using a red table).

It took us less than 10 minutes to make each table and was around $30 per table. All of kids (from 2 1/2 to 7 1/2) love them and have so much fun with them, they were worth every penny!

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What Lego set do your kids LOVE?

–>> LEGO Ultimate Building Set – 405 Pieces for $24.58! <<–

Here’s a fun little pinterest inspired “Did it myself!” magnet board I made for my kiddos last Christmas! I was looking for an educational/busy activity for a gift rather than spending loads of $$ on toys with a life span of 3 weeks. This was perfect! Easy, affordable, AND educational. I enjoyed putting it together and actually wrapped it on the wall and everything! To make it, I bought an oil drip pan from the Walmart automotive section for about $10 and wiped it down really good with some 409 and let it dry. I’ve heard you can also purchase them at auto part stores for around the same price. I already had a set of alphabet flash cards so I didn’t need to purchase those but the ones below are similar. I ordered the wooden letters (which work MUCH better than the plastic ones because the entire back of them is magnet, so they stick better) on Amazon and then purchased some rubber cement from my favorite store in the whole wide world, Walmart. I then lined up the flash cards where I wanted them, glued them on and let them dry! Easy peasy. Lastly, the hubs used his power tools and anchored it to the wall with some heavy duty screws so it doesn’t move.  My kids love it and play with it all the time. It’s been on the wall since Christmas and still going strong! Speaking of Christmas, only 118 days to go!

Oil drip pan from Walmart… $10.00

Alphabet Pocket Flash Cards… $2.99

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet… $9.11

 Hours of noise fun and mess entertainment for your little ones… PRICELESS!

Seriously though, this oil drip pan idea is AWESOME! If you wanted to make it super simple, you could totally skip the flash cards and just make it a fun magnet board! Here are a few more super cute magnets you could try out!

*Amazon prices are subject to change at any time.

You just need a Dry Erase Board. Then write your child’s name, the year for school, their grade, teacher, and what they want to be when they grow up. This way as they grow and change over the years you can remember a little bit more about what they loved at specific grades. I wish I would have started this years ago!

Here is what you need:

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Round Magnets{I got mine at wal-mart you can find them here}

Cups{I got mine at Target on clearance for $.50}

E6000 Glue

Vinyl Letters {I used my silhouette to cut mine out} or a Sharpie to write your letters

First I applied my vinyl letters to my cups. I cut the vinyl with my Silhouette in each of my kids favorite colors. I didn’t bother with transfer tape since it was one big letter and easy to place on the cup. I used “outdoor grade” vinyl so I can put the cups in the dishwasher. You just have to let the vinyl “cure” for a  few days before you run it through your dishwasher. You could also use a Sharpie to write your kids names on their cups or get different colored cups.

Don’t they look cute?! I used the acknowledgement font for the boys’ cups and can’t remember what I used for the girls’ cups. Sorry!!

Next put some E6000 glue on the back of the magnets. I used this glue because it is permanent and I wanted to be able to put the cups in the dishwasher. If you like hand washing your dishes, you can use a hot glue gun.

Place the magnet on the back of your cup. I held it in place for about a minute to make sure the glue was set with the magnet in the right place.

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I let them dry for about an hour before I stuck them on my fridge. {I think I need to clean my fridge, it looks a little dirty!}

My kids were so excited to use them and it has cut down on cup usage so we have a happy mom and happy kids, for just a few dollars!

Initially, I thought I would use this for work, but then, I saw an even more fun use for it…a portable coloring caddy, perfect for my daughter, the Bug so she could take with her anywhere in the house. While I know that not everyone comes across baskets like this, there are fairly similar woven organization baskets on Amazon.This could easily substitute for the basket I found. In any regard, I wanted to show you how easy it was to turn my basket into a cute coloring caddy for the kid, and encourage you to be on the lookout for inexpensive things that can turn into something pretty cool with a little imagination. Ready? Here’s what I did:

Step 1: Add the additional divider.

I used a sturdy piece of cardboard and added it to the back section. This made it it easier for paper to stand up as well as separate white paper from construction paper.

Step 2: Add the buttons.

Using thin wire, I threaded my matching buttons and attached them to the front of the basket. Then I labeled the buttons (you could get really creative with a Cricut for sure!)

Step 3: Add the elements.

I chose to add both colored and white paper to the caddy, using half sheets instead of full sheets, and separated them with the cardboard insert. I was able to find a half sheet colored construction paper pad at the Dollar Tree. Woot! Then, I added the Bug’s colored pencils, regular pencils and markers.

I love this basket because it’s small and compact, it has everything she needs to color with her friends, and it’s just darn tootin’ cute. Every little girl needs one of these, right?So, next time you are out and about shopping garage sales, be on the lookout for things for your Littles!

Have you found something interesting but not known how to use it?

Let me see what I can do!  Just email me at dana {at} fabulesslyfrugal {dot} com, attach the picture, and I’ll try to come up with something interesting!

I am always trying to find things {other than TV & video games} for my kids to do. They all love play dough and this is the BEST recipe. It is my mother-in-law’s recipe and always turns out perfectly.

Here is what you need:

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1 cup water

2 Tbsp. oil

Food coloring

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

I had lots of helpers today.That is another thing I love about the play dough, the kids love to choose what color they want and help make it. We made 4 batches in about 40 minutes.

Add the water, oil & food coloring to a saucepan

I add a few drops of food coloring

mix those ingredients together

then add the flour,

salt and

cream of tartar.

Stir constantly over medium low heat.

it starts to thicken and pull away from the sides

once it starts to form a ball remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself

remove from the pan

and gently knead it.

now your kids are ready to play with it

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now you have happy kids {for a little while}

Here is a homemade play dough recipe card for you (just right click on it and save it).

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Here’s what you need to make your own:

A Canvas {I used a 16×20 that I had leftover from when I bought 2 and made the bow board}

Fabric {enough to cover your canvas I used 1/2 yard}

Batting

Ribbon

Buttons

Staple gun

needle & thread.

First lay out your batting and trim the edges leaving enough to fold over the back

Fold the edges of your batting over and staple it down on the back of the canvas. I put staples every 4-6 inches all around. Pull the batting tight so it lays flat. A regular stapler won’t work. Staple guns are pretty inexpensive and you will find all kinds of uses for it!

If the staples don’t go all the way in, use a hammer to tap them down.

Next lay down your fabric, leaving enough to fold over the back. Trim off the extra and save it for another project.

Staple the fabric down every 4-6 inches.

Now it is time to add the ribbon. I start by placing the ribbon diagonally down the canvas.

Staple the ribbon down on the back.

Continue placing the ribbon diagonally. I don’t measure, just eyeball it every few inches until it looked like I wanted it to. I used about 30 feet of ribbon. How much you need depends on how big of a canvas you are using.

Now it is time to sew the buttons on. This part takes a little time, but is worth it. It really makes the bulletin board look better. I decided to go with white buttons because I had a lot of them on hand.

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Here it is hanging up with pictures on it. It gives me more motivation to actually print out some of the thousands of pictures I take! I love the pop of color it adds to my craft room.

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Felt Flower Headband:

{Supplies}

• Felt ($.20 at Walmart-found in the kids craft section)
• Stretchy elastic (most local craft stores carry stretchy elastic. Etsy is also a good place if you want unique elastic usually. Some are $1.50-$2.00 for 5 yards. I buy a few different kinds and then I have plenty of elastic when I need to make more headbands to fit my babes growing head)
• Hot glue gun
• Pen

First begin by making tracing a circle (I use the bottom of an ibuprofen bottle-its the perfect size). You will want to make 7 circle all the same size, cut them out

Fold one of the circle in half and then half again. Out a dot of glue in the fold. Repeat this until you have 5 of them

Put glue all over one of the circles. Begin placing the folded and glued “flowers” onto the flat piece of felt. You will lay four down around the circle

You can carefully trim off around the outside of the flower any felt that is not even or hanging over the side

The last piece you will glue at the folded tip and place in the center of the flower

Now you will want to measure your baby’s head to determine the size you want to cut your elastic. Make sure the headband is snug. Cut and glue the headband together

Take your made flower and glue the bottom. Place your headband (good side up) onto the glued bottom

Place your seventh piece of felt over the glue and headband-sandwich it all together

Place your seventh piece of felt over the glue and headband-sandwich it all together. Thats it! Its so simple.

Now for something a little more advanced…

Satin Flowers:

{Supplies}

• 1/4 of a yard of Satin Fabric (You can find this at Walmart for very inexpensive. I paid .28 for what I bought, it was about 1/2 a yard)
• Hot Glue
• Lighter
• Beads/embellishment (.99 for a stand of beads at Michaels. The jewel I used were also found at Michaels)
• Thread
• Needle
• Stretchy elastic (Etsy)
• pen
• Felt (.28 at Walmart)

First you will want to cut 6 different sizes of circle (I find things in my kitchen such as cups to measure) trace your circle with your pen and cut out

Once you have your 6 circles you will light your lighter and lightly place the fabric over the flame (its important you have satin fabric, so that your fabric will not catch on file) warning: PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF

One you have lightly burned the edge of the fabric repeat with all 6 circles. Place your largest to smallest circles onto of each other

Thread your needle and hand stitch your circle together from the bottom up. After you have gone through the flower a few times loop and knot at the bottom. Next, you will glue your embellishment and place it in the center of your flower over your stitches

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Measure your baby’s head to determine the size you want to cut your elastic. Make sure the headband is snug. Cut and glue the headband together

Place your headband (good side up-see above tutorial on what the “good side” is) onto the glued flower

Measure a piece of felt the size of your flower and place glue on the bottom of your flower. Make sure the felt piece is not larger than your flower. When it is on the babies head you don’t want to see the felt

Place your felt piece on the bottom and sandwich it all together!

There you have it! Two simple headbands for WAY less than you can buy!

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Learn more Money Saving Tips…

See our DIY Crafts…

Find recipes we are making for less… 

Try our homemade cleaner recipes…

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Here’s what you need: I got it all at Hobby Lobby

2 Bandanas in the color of your choice {99 cents each}

Coordinating ribbon {you need about 2 yards per dress}

Coordinating thread {you could use white if you want}

big safety pin

Sewing Machine

First measure out your ribbon, you want it to go about 6 inches over the edge of the bandana. Fold over the top edge.

I used an iron to press it down because I hate pinning. Make sure you are on the “wrong side” of the bandana.

Sew across on both pieces close to the top seam of the bandana. Try to sew in a straight line, I don’t always… Do for both bandanas. This makes a tube for you to put the ribbon through.

Next put two right sides together of the bandana, making sure the pocket is at the top on both bandanas. I measured 6 inches down and pinned it. The pin is where you start sewing. This is for the arm hole. Sew both sides starting  at the pin and going down.

For my 2 year old, I started 5 inches down. If you aren’t’ sure where to place your arm hole, hold the bandana up to your child and mark where the arm hole should go.

Put your big safety pin on the ribbon

And feed it through the pocket to the other side.

Repeat for both pockets.

I used a match to burn the edges of the ribbon so it doesn’t fray. Gather the top of the dress together.

Tie each side in a bow and your little girl is ready to wear it!

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Don’t have a sewing machine?  Check out the HIGHEST RATED SEWING MACHINES on Amazon and get yourself a deal!

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HOW TO USE IT: Simply tie the ribbon around your neck and let the towel hang length wise. After you are done bathing your baby, simply pick them up and put them against your chest and grab the bottom part of the towel and bring it up so it covers the back side of the baby. When you are ready to put your baby down to dry and dress simply un-tie the ribbon and set your baby on the changing table

{Supplies}

-Full size towel {Towel’s on Amazon}
-Thread
-Ribbon
-Sewing needle
-measuring tape or ruler

First, I measured my ribbon at 29″ and cut two pieces. Then, I burned the edges lightly with a lighter so they won’t frey in the wash

Begin by measure 9″ from the outside edge of the towel (you will want to sew the ribbon on the short end of the towel-where the binding is). Mark with a pen and place the ribbon in the middle of your mark

Begin sewing your ribbon on. I stitched back and forth 5 times over the entire ribbon before knotting and starting on the other side (if you have a machine, this will take a few seconds to sew both sides-I wanted to demonstrate without so everyone could make this craft, even without a machine.)

Before I started using this towel, before getting my baby out of the tub I would lay a towel on the bathroom floor. Once she was all clean and ready to get out I would lay her on the towel on the floor. With this awesome towel, I can now get her right out of the tub with the towel tide around my neck and immediately wrap her up in it to get her dry and warm. Much better then laying her on the cold bathroom floor. After I get her to her room and put her on the changing table all I need to do is un-tie the ribbons and set her down. While we are dressing her the ribbons usually keep her occupied… even better!

such a frugal and handy baby gift to give and get!

If you are not crafty, but still frugal find baby towel deals here!

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This past year, our monthly budget decreased rather rapidly due to a job loss…

I also chose to stay home with my kids rather than find work outside the home, so it was fine time to fine-tune my skills in building a healthy stockpile through using coupons and gardening and then using my stockpile to plan meals for my family. I started out last November with a chest freezer FULL of food: 12-15 pork roasts, 4 whole chickens, 1/8 of a grass fed cow, stacks of frozen zucchini, garden corn, apple pie filling, peaches, elderberries, freezer jam, coffee, Steamfresh veggie packs, juice, and more. My pantry had a healthy supply of whole grain pasta and cereal, baking supplies, spaghetti sauce, canned green beans from my garden, homemade applesauce and apple butter, canned pinto beans, and snacks for the kids.

And now, this is what my freezer looks like:

My initial reaction when I see this is to panic. It’s nearly empty! But then, I realize that I did what any couponer should do with a stockpile: use it to feed my family. And for the most part, I was able to feed them for under $300 a month because of it.

Want to know one reason I was able to do this? 

One of the tools that I like to use when planning meals from my pantry is a menu chalkboard. This has been instrumental in helping me plan ahead and use the items I already have on hand. Instead of asking myself, “What should I cook for dinner tonight?” and then going to the store, I was able to say, “We are having pork roast for dinner tonight. I’ll get the roast out to thaw.” And that roast, regularly priced at $10.99 at Albertsons cost me only $3.50 when I bought it on sale and used coupons about 5 months earlier. So, I wanted to show you how you could make this menu board for your family to help you plan ahead.

Step 1: Choose your wood

I chose to use plywood because I had it laying around the house. I cut it to the size I wanted with our table saw. If you aren’t into power tools, you can often times find a precut piece of wood at a local lumber store. You could also use something unique like an antique wooded ironing board or something…whatever you have on hand that you don’t mind painting and that will fit your weekly menu on.

Step 2: Prepare your surface

My plywood was great because we had it on hand and it was free, but plywood is not very smooth, which is exactly what I needed my menu board to be (in order to write on it with chalk). So, I slathered it with some wood putty, waited for it to dry and then sanded it down until the surface was smooth.

Step 3: Paint

I painted a double coat of chalkboard paint on the wood and let it dry.

Step 4: Plan the wording.

I wrote out what I wanted my menu board to say, which was “Eat at Mom’s” and the days of the week, using a ruler for spacing and straight lines and a piece of chalk.

Step 5: Paint the wording

Because I am a custom sign painter on the side, I simply used an artist’s paint brush and painted my words over the chalk. Then I waited for the paint to dry and wiped away the chalk with a wet washcloth. However, if paint isn’t your media of choice but you have nice handwriting, you can find paint pens at your local craft store. They are easy to use and have bright colors. Or, if freehand just isn’t your expertise, you could use cute alphabet stickers from the Dollar Tree or your local craft store.

Step 6: Build the border (optional)

We built a wooden border for our menu board using spare trim molding and our chop saw and pin nailer, but this is totally optional. If you were to do a menu board without the border (and in vertical fashion instead of horizontal), it might look a little like this:

Step 7: Plan your menu

Assess your pantry and freezer, and plan your meals around what you have on hand. Allow for some flexibility, especially if you have small kids who are picky eaters, but use your new menu board as a guide to helping you plan ahead, stick to the plan, and save money on your groceries. Happy planning!

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What ways do you menu plan?

You might also enjoy these cleaning recipes:

And here are some Freezer Meal Recipes

Here is what we are making today:

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Here is what you need:

Frame
{find some on Amazon}

Print
 {See my free printable download below!}

Acrylic Paint
{I used Delta Caribbean Blue}

Sponge Brush
{here are some on Amazon}

Ribbon
{find some on Amazon}

Vellum Tag
{find some here}

glue stick
{they even sell THESE on Amazon!}

Start by painting the frame. I applied 2 coats. Let it dry for a little while between coats.

While the frame is drying print out your print. You can download a Pink one, grey one or a blue one. It is a PDF file and has 2 on each page. Cut the print out and glue it onto the chipboard insert included in the frame.

After the frame is dry, you can distress it with sanding block if you want. I like my stuff a little distressed. so I just ran the sanding block along the edges.

then

I decided it needed a little something else so I pulled some stuff out of my stash. {I sold Stampin’ UP! for over 5 years so I have a large stash}. I got vellum tag and  found a cute circle stamp that I used to put on the tag. You could also use a cute sticker or punch on the tag if you don’t have a large stash of stamps. You can find vellum tags at most craft stores in the scrapbook section.

Place the print inside the frame

Now you have a cute inexpensive gift to give to your friends.

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Download These FREE Printable Files!

Here are the jpeg’s of the prints if you want to download them directly. they are 4×6 size. You should be able to right click on them and save them to your computer.

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{Supplies}

-Burlap (.99 a yard at Hobby Lobby) {Burlap on Amazon}
-Permanent marker
-Number stencil (4.99 at Hobby Lobby) {Stencil Numbers on Amazon}
-Line stencil (6.99 at Hobby Lobby)
-Measuring tape or ruler

When I fist joined pinterest I saw the cutest growth chart, but was more than I wanted to spent. I kept it in the back of my mind and later came across this chart, I fell in love! I was on the hunt for some burlap just like the blogger used; however, I had no luck, until last week! I went to Hobby Lobby to get some craft supplies and there is was just staring at me! I shrieked and grabbed the whole spool of burlap. I quickly looked at the price, .99!! even better! I bought a few yards and decided I could now make my own chart for a few dollars (it is found in the section where piping is found-also near the reupholstering fabrics). I picked up some templates in the scrapbook section.

I started out by laying my sewing ruler next to my burlap, since the burlap was on a spool it wouldn’t lay flat so I taped it to my counter. Next to it I also taped my measuring tape

I marked every foot first with a large mark

I used the larger numbers for the foot marks

I simply placed the template on the burlap and took my marker and filled in the numbers on my burlap

I fell in love with it even more when I could see all the cute numbers! Next, I marked every inch. I used a smaller mark

My little girl is really little so when I start measuring her (I will begin when she is 1) I will use these cute safety pins I found at Micahels for $3.99 to mark on a little tag. Ill put her initials, date and age

To hook this on my wall I took a small nail at nailed it to the top and bottom of the chart. It is so small that I can just set the burlap right on it and it sinks through, because my baseboard are high when I measure my kids ill have to have a lower nail to hook the chart onto to drop it to the floor and get an accurate measurement

I am excited to have this full when my kids are grown up. Such a cute memory to have and the best part is that I can take it with me when and if we ever move

Silk Flowers-I always buy them when they are on sale. I got mine from Michael’s when they were buy one get one free so they were $1 each {see if there are any you like on Amazon}

Hair Clips-They are cheapest at Sally’s I got a box of 100 for about $4 {it was a few years ago that I got the box so I can’t remember exactly how much they were, there are also some on Amazon}

Flat rhinestones-Michael’s {30 for $3 – or find some on Rhinsstones on Amazon)

Brads {one for each flower} {find some Brads on Amazon}

Glue gun {find a glue gun on Amazon}

Wire cutters {find wire cutters on Amazon}

First you pull of the stem then place the wire cutters between the green part and the flower and cut the stem. Be careful not to cut the flower!

Pull off the yellow part on the front of the flower

Place a brad in the front of the flower through the hole

Fasten the brad down in the back

Put some hot glue on the brad in the center of the flower

Place the flat rhinestone in the middle of the flower. Hold it firmly until the glue cools.

Put hot glue on the back of the flower

place the hair clip on the glue

I used a glue stick so I wouldn’t burn my fingers to get the flower firmly pressed on the glue. Let it dry and you are ready to wear it

Here are the 4 flower clips I made in just about 10 minutes for under $5 for all of them. I think one flower clip that you buy premade costs $5!

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My 4 year old was so excited for her new flower clips. She had to put on in right away!

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{Supplies}

24 gage wire ($3.99 at Michaels) {6 yards for $4.67 on Amazon}
Beads (.99 at Michaels) {Bulk buy beads for less on Amazon}
Scissors
Necklace chain ($2.99 at Michaels) {Necklace chains on Amazon}

I was watching a morning show on a local TV station, Studio5. The only clip I caught showed a cute bird nest necklace. The blogger (who I dint catch her name and I can’t find any info on the website about) showed a cute necklace she had made. Her’s was a little different and she glued the beads on, but didn’t show how to make it. I thought it was SO cute and would be easy to make.

I am not a jewelry maker and I was able to complete this cute nest without any instructions.You don’t need any fancy jewelry tools.. just simple things you can find around your house or at your local craft store.

First loop your three beads onto the end of the wire and move them into a triangle shape. Begin wrapping your wire around your beads. Repeat until you have the desired amount.

Once you had the nest to the size want, began threading the wire from the bottom of the nest up and around the side to secure the nest into a circle (I did this three times-on four spots of the nest.)

When you are on your last wrap, make a loop at the top of your nest. Thread your chain onto the wire and wrap a fourth time around the nest. Note: If you have a chain that you can use rather then buying a new chain, you could make the loop and then thread your chain though it like any other necklace. That way you could use one chain for multiple pendants.

Then, wrap wire between your loop and the nest

Make it thick so it is secure and looks good. finish by wrapping your wire around the nest one last time underneath all the loops. Cut and thats it! Don’t worry about it being perfect, every nest is unique!

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Here is what you need:

Mini clipboard {I found mine at Wal-Mart for $1.12}

  Washi Tape {I got mine at Target it was $4 for the 4 pack, you can find it at most craft stores or online}

Ribbon {I forgot to include it in the picture, I used my stash}

     A cute print {I downloaded mine here, the ladies at eighteen25 did a great job on this one, I just added my kids’ teachers names to the top and printed out a 5X7 at home}

Target had all kinds of colors of this Washi tape. I will be going back to get more! I think this is probably the best price unless you have a coupon to use at one of the craft stores. It is in the office supply section at Target.

Just start by rolling out the tape and sticking it to the clip board. At first I cut off the extra on the ends, then I decided I liked how it looked folded over and stuck to the back. Just do what you like.

When you get to the clip part, just put the tape over it, the run the edge of your scissors along the metal part of the clipboard and remove the tape. {ignore my yucky kids scissors, they were the most handy}

This is when I decided it needed some ribbon on it.

So just tie a variety of colors of ribbon to the clip a the top with a square knot {right over left, left over right}.

Now it is ready to give to those hard working teachers!

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So there is your quick and easy Teacher Appreciation gift. You could always put a pad of paper on there if you don’t want to do a print. Happy Crafting!

Teacher Appreciation is this week so I am going to share with you a couple of fun and frugal gifts to show those hardworking teachers how much we appreciate them. Before I had kids I taught kindergarten and always got interesting gifts. The ones I LOVED were the ones that I could use in my classroom, gift cards, edible or practical gifts.

I have 3 kids in school so I can’t afford to spend a lot on the teachers, but I like to do things for them so they know that I am grateful for how hard they work.  I make this white chocolate popcorn a lot. I love it because it is quick and easy and tastes so good and makes a ton. I made some for the teachers for Christmas and they loved it. I found these cute containers in the $1 spot at Target and knew they would be perfect for the teachers. I used my Silhouette {have I convinced you to get one yet?} to cut out some cute decorations to put on the plastic boxes. They are perfect for holding pencils, markers or pens. I made a fun tag to go with the gift. You can download your own copy of the tags to print at home here.

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Here is what you need to make the White Chocolate Popcorn:

2 bags microwave popcorn

2 cups M&M’s

1 package of Almond bark

Sprinkles

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Pop your popcorn and pour it into a bowl. Transfer it to another bowl so you can discard the unpopped kernels. You don’t want these to ruin your yummy popcorn!

Next melt your almond bark. I always melt mine in the microwave. I follow the directions on the package.

Put your popcorn in your largest bowl and pour the melted almond bark over the popcorn. Stir it as best you can. I usually use 2 big spoons to kind of toss it around to get all the popcorn coated.

Add 2 cups of M&M’s and toss it a little more

Spread it onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. The wax paper makes it easier to transfer to bags later.

Sprinkle sprinkles all over the top before it cools.

It is okay to sneek a few bites. Next melt your 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Be careful not

to burn them

I just use the spoon to shake it around the popcorn

Put it all over, it makes it so yummy! Now let it cool and set. I usually stick mine in the fridge because I am impatient.

After it is cooled and set, put it in bags. I love cello bags, you can find in the party section at most stores. Print and cut out your tags and attach them with a cute ribbon.

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Send it to school with your kids and their teachers will be very happy!

Here is a recipe card for you, just click on it and save it and print it.