Long List of Under-Five-Bucks Valentine Gifts

Are you a little strapped for cash? Are your loved ones expecting something nice for Valentines Day and you fear that isnt going to happen? Worry no more! With this long list of things you can make for Valentines Day youll find just the right cheap but fabulous gift for that special someone! Use flat, wooden shapes from a craft store and you can make lots of different things look like they were made especially for Valentines Day. The shapes are available in a number of different sizes and can be colored with paint or even a marker. Glue one or more to a picture frame, mirror, candle holder, or even a cheap photo album. Youll find many different frames and mirrors at most dollar-theme stores.

Instead of wooden shapes consider the heart sticker. These, too, are available at craft stores and can be used to give a Valentines Day theme to many cheap d?cor pieces. Other heart-shaped items you can use to embellish ordinary things include foam or felt hearts.

Use really tiny, wooden heart shapes to make earrings for the women in your life. Paint the hearts then glue them to earring hardware pieces. Choose the earring types which have a small metal disk on the front. Glue the hearts in place then embellish them with glitter, a single, fake jewel, or even sequin. Make stretchy bracelets and necklaces by gluing the hearts to stretch cord. Lay the cord across one heart then glue another on top of that one. Strap the cord between the two hearts. Do this again and again until youve added as many heart sets as you want. Leave small spaces between the sets of hearts so that the cord can stretch. Use a pack of foil or other paper hearts from a craft store to make a Valentines Day candle. Simply apply a little white glue to the hearts and stick them to the candle. Youll find a large assortment of candles at your local dollar store. Cut a heart or other picture and glue it to a bar of soap to make yet another Valentines Day gift. The soap can be any color and most any shape. Cut a picture to fit and use white glue to attach it. Water the glue down a little and paint over the image. Let it dry and paint it once again. The glue layers over the image will preserve it longer as the soap is used. Make any number of edible bouquets when you use wooden skewers. Slide on donut holes,mini muffins, pieces of brownies, fruit or other foods to make the bouquet. Stand them up in a vase or even a tall tea glass. Slide in some fresh mint as the greenery or just use a few sprigs of artificial leaves and stems. These bouquets are delicious, thoughtful and cheap. Make candy magnets for a woman by using the wrappers from miniature candy bars. Stuff the wrappers with foam, paper towels or even cotton balls. Glue the end shut then place a piece of magnetic sheeting on the back. The refrigerator magnets are adorable! Purchase a piece of red or white fleece and make a comfy throw for the one you love. Simply sew around all four sides to give the fleece a finished edge. The throw is simply wrapped around the body to get snuggly warm. You dont need a whole lot of money to give a nice gift to the one you love on Valentines Day. All of these gifts can be made for under five bucks and the recipient will absolutely love any one of these!

Kids Shirt Clothespin Holder

Still love hanging your clothes out in the fresh air and sunshine? Then youll need a clothesline, clothes pins, oh yeah, and a holder for the pins. These days youll be hard-pressed to find a clothes pin holder, but you can easily make one, just by going to your childs closet! Whether you have a son or a daughter one of their shirts will make the perfect clothespin holder. The hanger is easy to make whether you sew or whether you dont. The shirt should not be very large but any number of sizes will work fine. It should have a scoop neck and should have no buttons. The shirt can, however, have a pocket or pockets.

Although there are many different types of fabrics which will work for making a clothespin hanger extremely stretchy fabrics are not ideal. The length of the shirt is not important since you will cut the hem area away to the desired length.

Use an ordinary clothing hanger to make the clothespin holder capable of hanging on the clothesline - or anywhere. Wrap foam around both sides of the hanger, at the top. This will help hold the clothespin holder slightly open, therefore, making it easier to place and retrieve the clothes pins. Glue, tape or staples can be used to hold the foam pieces in place. Set the hanger aside for the moment. Lay the childs shirt flat on a table. Cut the hem from the shirt. Youll decide how deep you want the clothespin holder to be by the amount you cut from the hem of the shirt. Turn the shirt inside-out and stitch it shut across the bottom. A half-inch seam will work fine to sew the bottom closed. After youve done this turn the shirt right-side out and lay it flat on the table once again. Cut the sleeves out of the shirt and set them aside. When you cut the sleeves off, cut the seam along with the sleeve, leaving the rest of the shirt without the seam stitching. You will no longer need the sleeves. Save them for another project. Close the arm opening before hanging the clothespin holder. If you sew you can easily stitch the arm opening shut. Use a straight stitch and simply follow the cut of the fabric. Use a half-inch seam and sew down from shoulder to underarm area. If you dont sew use fabric glue to close the opening. Fabric glue is found at any store that sells fabrics and at some craft stores. Check the label to make sure the glue is washable. Follow the labels instructions. Slip the hanger into its opening. If the opening is quite a bit larger it could be helpful to use a little glue or stitching to hold the hanger in place. If you do this, though, the clothespin holder will not be washable in a machine. The stitching or glue will prevent the removal of the hanger for laundering. You can use the finished clothespin holder outdoors or in. Simply drop the clothes pins into the scoop neck region of the finished project. The pins can also be clipped around the neckline itself or on other areas of the hanging shirt. The clothespin holder is very helpful when hanging clothes out on the line. The hanger allows you to scoot the pin holder along the clothesline while hanging out the clothes. The pin holder can hang outside all summer long so its ready when you are. Make one easily in a matter of minutes and youll be able to keep all your pins in one place.

Easy Make-Overs for Your Pole Lamp

Is a pole lamp useful or what? It doesnt take up much room, looks great in most any area of the house, and puts out a little light or lots of light. What more can you ask for? Well, if the pole on your lamp is looking a little worse for wear, you might be asking for a new pole light. Not necessary! Anyone can easily make-over their pole lamp with little investment.

Ordinary twine is a great choice for changing the look of your pole lamp. Its inexpensive, comes in a large ball, and will make your pole lamp look nearly new. Start at the base, by the electrical cord, and use spray adhesive - or even hot glue - to attach the twine. Wind the twine around the base and gradually work your way up the pole itself. It may be necessary to cut the twine, and start again, to go around the globes and switches.

Use yarn, satin ribbon, small roping, and even plastic cord to make similar designs. Youll find many different suitable materials at craft stores, department stores, and even home improvement retailers. Check several departments since youll find different appropriate materials in the sporting sections, automotive departments, and even the sewing department. Do not use the roping or other material to cover the globes themselves. If you need new globes you can find them in lighting fixture stores or departments. The roping or other choice will prevent light from passing through. Some globes can be refinished, though, so an investment in new globes is not necessary. A different way to acquire a new look for your pole lamp is to cut a pool noodle to surround the pole. If you dont have a pool noodle you can find something similar at a home improvement store. Youll find all sorts of foam tubing that will work great for covering the lamp. Cut the tubing down the side and roll fabric around it. Tuck the fabric edges inside the split of the tubing and glue into place. When dry wrap the fabric-covered tube around the pole. Make cuts, where necessary, to allow for the globe hardware. Glue the tubing to the pole making sure the seams of the tubing are butted close together. A really easy way to get a new look for your lamp is to use tape! Thats right. Metallic tapes are just the ticket for the lamp make-over. The tape looks and dispenses just like Scotch tape but has a metallic appearance. Its available in colors of gold, silver, red, blue and green, and can be found at any craft store. Although the length on a roll of metallic tape is smaller than that on a roll of Scotch tape a couple of rolls should cover the pole. Make sure the lamp is very clean and dry before starting the taping technique. Wrap the tape round and round the pole at an angle or straight. Its easy to manipulate the tape around the globe hardware but you can trim where necessary. Do not tape, remove, and tape again. Doing this can cause the tape to come loose from the lamp pole. Pole lamps are fabulous but why invest in a new one just because the old one is starting to look its age? Give your lamp a make-over and itll be just like having a brand new lamp. Make-over techniques are easy - if somewhat time-consuming - but will be well worth the time you invest. The changes you make will cost little so you can spend the saved money elsewhere.

Hand Towel Toddler Dress, Shirt and Skirt

What youll need:One hand towel for skirt or shirtTwo hand towels for dressWide ribbon (dress)Narrow ribbon (shirt)Wide elastic (skirt)Lace or other trim for shirt (optional)Sewing machine Isnt it amazing how fast kids grow? It seems like youre holding that baby for just a minute, you turn around, and shes running all over the house. Turn around again and the baby is now a teen. Yes, kids grow quickly and that means you, as the parent, must keep up somehow. Its going to take a lot of energy - and a lot of clothes! Each new season you have to buy new clothing, because the ones they wore last season, just dont fit anymore. That can get quite expensive! Well, if you have a little girl it wont cost too much to keep her in comfy outfits for the summer. In fact, theres one type of dress you can easily sew that costs under five bucks and can be put together in a few minutes. Make several of them, using two hand towels each, and youll outfit your little girl for a fraction of what it used to cost! Use two hand towels - or dish towels - to make the most adorable little dress. If you use towels which feature the thread fringe along the edges you wont have to deal with the bulk of a hem. However, most any dish towel or hand towel set will work to make a little girls dress.

Start by stacking the two towels so that their right sides are facing each other. Make sure that, if the towels have words or images, you keep it in mind as you decide which will be the top and which will be the bottom of the dress. Sew down the side seams to adjoin the towels on each side of the dress. Stop after going from the bottom edge to about two-thirds of the way to the top. The side seam area not sewn will become the arm opening for the dress.

Turn the dress right-side-out and sew wide ribbon pieces to each shoulder seam. Cut four ribbon pieces, sew one to the back and one to the front, at the shoulder seam, and do this at each shoulder. Now simply slide the towel dress on and tie the ribbons. Make a different dress by folding the top edges of the towel down, in the front as well as the back, sewing a pocket on front and back, then feeding ribbons through the pockets. Make a skirt for a little girl by using a towel without fringe, words or images. Simply fold the towel in half and sew along the two short edges to make a seam that will go in the back. Make a pocket by folding the top edge of the skirt down, several inches, stitching it, then feeding wide elastic through it. If your little girl needs two towels, stack them with right sides facing, sew along the side seams, then turn it right-side-out and make the pocket for the elastic. The two-seam skirt should be worn with a seam at each side. Make a shirt for a little girl by using one dish towel. Fold it in half then cut a half-circle shape at the fold, right in the middle. Hem around the neck opening or just sew lace or other trim around it. Sew ribbon pieces to tie the side seams shut and the shirt is finished. The hand towel outfits are just as cute as can be and you cant ask for an easier sewing project. Check your local dollar-theme store for hand or dish towels that are a buck and youll create a whole summer wardrobe for your little girl for very little money!

Christmas Tree Ornaments You Make from Words

Craft stores are full of flat, wooden shapes that can be used to make many different projects. At Christmastime, these flat shapes are the perfect choice for creating all sorts of fabulous ornaments for your tree. The shapes are inexpensive, come in a variety of sizes and will help you create one-of-a-kind ornaments youll cherish forever.

Look at any craft store and youll find the flat, wooden letters needed to create these particular ornaments. Its up to you to pick the size you want. Its also your choice as to whether you paint the letters yourself or purchase them already painted.

To create a word ornament just choose the letters youll need. For example, if you want to make an ornament that says "joy" youll choose those three letters, all the same size. Paint the letters - or purchase the pre-painted types - and glue them together side-by-side. Now just string a loop of thread through the "O" of the word and you have your ornament. There are many different words you can use to make ornaments. "Peace", "Love", "Snow", "Family" and "Jesus" are just a few. The wooden letters make it easy to create the ornament in minutes. Its the perfect project for kids, too. Embellish the word ornaments any way you wish. Use stickers to make the letters more colorful, use rubber stamps, glitter glue, tiny novelties or even velvet bows. Craft stores are full of miniatures that will work well for enhancing your word ornament creation. Words like "Peace" or "Joy" have a central letter that can be used to thread a hanger through. But, a word like "Love" doesnt have a central letter. When working with those types of words glue the hanger between the "o" and the "v", or the middle of a similar word. Make a Christmas tree by using words to form the shape. Glue the wooden letters together to spell "Joy", then "Love", then "Peace". Now glue the word "Joy" on top of the word "love", then glue the word "Peace" under the word "love". Since each word is slightly longer than the previous word, the words together form somewhat of a triangle. Glue on a wooden box or other shape to represent the tree stand, then glue a small golden star on top of the word "Joy". This little Christmas tree ornament is unique and easy to make. Use the letters to create your childrens names pets names, or other words. "Mom", "Dad", "Angels", "Happy", "Toys" or any number of words can be made into ornaments. Paint the letters traditional Christmas colors then use a pencil eraser and paint to create dots on the letters. Or, use narrow strips of colored tape to make candy stripes or other designs. Purchase tiny miniatures of pets, presents, snowmen, or other shapes and glue them to the words. The trinkets add dimension and color to the word ornaments. Use thick block letters to create a word Christmas tree that will stand on its own. Use giant letters to make a centerpiece rather than an ornament, or use slightly smaller letters that can stand on a mantle or table. If you dont have wooden letters you can also cut the letters from cardboard. Youll have fun making many different word ornaments that you can hang on the tree, doorknobs or other areas of the home. Kids will really enjoy this craft which is simple, inexpensive and fabulous!

Picture Frame Play Tunnel for Cats

Most people have picture frames, but usually, theyre hanging on a wall somewhere in the home. But, did you know there are lots of other things you can make from picture frames? If you have a cat or kitten youll really enjoy making a fun play tunnel that your cat will adore. The frames need not be fancy, and in fact, should be ordinary and plain.

The frames you choose to use for this project should be at least an 8"x10" size. The frames dont have to be exactly alike but must be the same size. They can be various colors, some can be wooden while others are plastic, but all will come together to make the perfect cat tunnel play house.

If you have zillions of picture frames you can glue them together, in a huge stack, then place the stack on the floor so that it forms a tunnel. Trap lengths of yarn, or small toys on a string, between the frames. Your cat will love crawling through the tunnel and swatting at the dangling items. If you have few picture frames you can use spacers between the frames. Spacers can be anything from bottle caps to blocks of wood. Place the first frame on a flat surface, with the back of the frame facing upwards. Attach four spacers to the back of the frame, one at each corner. These spacers will allow you to use fewer frames to make the tunnel. Using spacers there will be openings between each picture frame in the tunnel. These openings will make it slightly more challenging to add the dangling toys to the tunnel. If you build a tunnel that has the frames butted together you can simply trap strings, yarn or even pieces of elastic, with cat toys attached, between the frames. But, if you build the tunnel with spacers youll need to add an additional spacer by which to trap each toy. Place the additional spacer in the center, at the top, between the two frames. As you do so, trap the string between one of the picture frames and the spacer. You can add more spacers along the top if you want to hang additional toys. The tunnel can become even more than that. Create a bed on top of the tunnel by placing a pillow or mat on top. Actually attach the mat or just toss it on top of the tunnel. There are other things you can do with the tunnel to create even more fun for your cat. Make a different version by creating two half tunnels. To do this, simply turn two of the picture frames in the opposite direction as the others. These two frames create an opening on each side of the tunnel, halfway through. The frames you use to create these windows must be the same as those used to create the tunnel. Make flaps for the "windows" by attaching a piece of plastic then making slits in it. Or, dangle additional toys in the makeshift windows. All of the toys dont necessarily have to be dangling from between the frames. You can toss in balls, lengths of yarn and other toys for the cat. Not everyone has dozens of picture frames just lying around the house. If you dont have picture frames, but still want to make the cat play station, simply cut pieces of cardboard or even cut the bottoms off of shoe boxes. Glue the shoe boxes together to form a unique tunnel cats will love. Go to the attic, gather all those dusty picture frames, and get busy making the cat tunnel. Your cat can hardly wait!

So Easy, Flowing Wedding Gown

Some wedding gowns have designs which are very intricate. Theyre not only complicated to make but theyre tricky to put on and to wear. You know what that means? Theyre expensive! If you can sew a simple straight stitch, though, you can have a gown thats gorgeous, flowing, any length you want, and has a halter-type design thats lovely for a beach or outdoor wedding. The simplistic design looks anything but simple after you put it together in very little time! What youll need: Two long, wide pieces of fabric Sewing machine Wide ribbon (enough to wrap around your waist) Narrow ribbon (about two feet) Velcro, snaps or other closure Wispy fabrics which are breezy and airy work best for this wedding gown design. However, you dont want to choose a fabric which is completely see-through with sunlight shining through it! Silk or satin work well but browse around a fabric store and youll find other types of material that are suitable for the wedding dress.

To begin the quick and easy making of the gown, measure from the back of your foot, up the back and over the shoulder, across the breast and down to the floor. Or, if youll be making the gown a different length, measure from the knee, or above, to get the length you need. The width of this piece can vary depending upon how flowing you want the dress to be. Cut it at least four times the length of your shoulder, from beside the neck to where the arm begins. You can tell if this will be a suitable width for you by throwing a piece of the chosen fabric over your shoulder and deciding just how wide you want the skirt of the gown to be.

Youll cut two of the above-mentioned pieces to be exactly alike. At the long sides of each piece, turn under a half-inch, then once again, and sew. Do not hem the short ends of the fabric. Now, lay a piece of narrow ribbon on a table. Fold one of the long pieces of fabric in half, position the fold on the ribbon, then bring the ribbon around to the front of the material and tightly tie it in a bow. As you tie the ribbon around it you should gather the fabric considerably. Do the same to the other side. These ribbons will rest on the shoulders of the finished gown. Lay one of the long pieces of fabric over each shoulder and position the ribbons right on the shoulders. Wrap a piece of wide ribbon around the waist and cut it to be two inches longer than you need it to be. Hem the ribbon on each short end by folding it under a half-inch and sewing it. Attach Velcro, snaps or another closure to the ends of the ribbon. With the long fabric pieces draped over your shoulders, wrap the ribbon around the waist, gather it evenly in the front and back, then pin the ribbon around the waistline of the gown. Sew it in place along each long side of the ribbon. Put the gown back on. Now, bring the long ends of the fabric, just below the ribbon, together at the front. Do the same to the back. Pin these in place. Sew down the front and back seams, which run right down the middle, and the gown is almost finished. Simply hem around the bottom and youre done. To wear the gown, simply cover the breasts with the excess of material, which forms a halter-type coverage, and let the rest flow. Its absolutely stunning!

Beautiful and Unique Baby Shower Centerpiece

If youre throwing a baby shower you have plenty to do! Theres invitations, decorations, and oh, yeah, the table centerpiece. Dont worry, though. Youll pull it off without a hitch. Making the centerpiece will be a breeze, and when youre finished with it, the mom-to-be will cherish it forever.

Start with a Styrofoam cone shape. The 12"x4" cones work great. Although youll find the white Styrofoam cones, and green ones used for florals, the green type isnt suitable for hot glue. Purchase the white Styrofoam cones instead. Glue the cone shape to a round wooden piece or even a Styrofoam disc. Paint the disc, in pink or blue, for the baby shower. Now get started decorating the baby tree centerpiece.

There are many things you can use to create the tree centerpiece. Use miniature wooden blocks, tiny dolls, itty-bitty stuffed animals, satin bows, and other items to cover the cone shape. Start with the wooden blocks and hot glue them onto the cone. Glue around the bottom, then do another row, and another, until you reach the top. Dont butt the blocks together, but instead, just place them around the cone shape, leaving some spacing. In the empty spaces left by the blocks start gluing in other objects. Tiny novelty toys can fill in the holes and add more character to the centerpiece. For tiny spaces just add bows, fake jewels, buttons, or other items. Theres no rules when it comes to making the centerpiece. All you need to remember is to cover the entire cone with blocks and miniature toys. When youve finished adding most of the "big" items you can further conceal gaps by using beads. Small, round beads or even long, slender beads, can be just the thing you need to finish the centerpiece. When you get to the very top you can add a bow that flows down the sides of the "tree" or you can just glue a wooden block on top. The creation is all your own and you can finish it any way you like. Spend money on just the right craft miniatures to use, or gather things from around the house that you already have. Hit the toy box first and youll probably find all sorts of things you can use to decorate the baby shower centerpiece. Tiny farm animals, marbles, or even lids from markers can all be used on the tree. Unconventional things, like bottle lids, broken jewelry, and even cotton balls can be used to fill in the gaps left by the blocks. Youll often find lots of great novelty toys in dollar theme stores where they sell baby doll furniture, party gifts, or small decorations. Look in the toy section to find miniature squirt guns, army guys, tiny plastic tools and more. Although youve painted the disc, where the tree sits, dont forget to decorate it as well. Decorative pins or beads work great if youre using a Styrofoam disc. If you have a wooden base you can rubber stamp it, glue on pieces of fabric, or even use stickers around the outside. There is literally no end to the creations that can be done. Although the tree makes the perfect centerpiece for a baby shower you can also make something similar for other occasions. Cover the tree in tiny eggs and bunnies for Easter, rubber bugs for Halloween, or tiny gifts and toys for Christmas. The centerpieces are unique, inexpensive, and easy to make.

Extreme Couponing: The Negative Side of the Story

Have you seen the television shows all about extreme couponing? They feature someone each week who walks you through what she - or he - does to get cart after cart of groceries free - or nearly free. Well, I like those shows but theyre making a big to-do about something Ive known about for many years. I used to do extreme couponing myself but it became too much work. They make it seem like they just got all that food for free, but really, they worked a full-time job - and more - to get it.The most difficult thing about extreme couponing is going to the store, piling up all those carts full of stuff, standing at the check-out for a really long time - while getting dirty looks and comments from those in line behind you - then carting everything out to the vehicle, dragging it all in when you get home, and putting it all away. Then you go out and do it again! If youre to save as much as you can you have to shop at more than one store. If its warm outside, and you have refrigerated or frozen items, it may be necessary to go home, drop off the first truckload, then turn around and go back out to a different store.It takes massive amounts of high-value coupons to make a dent in that grocery bill. Sure, most people know that there are usually coupons in the Sunday paper. Thats not going to save you much. Its necessary to ask others to save coupons for you. You have to go online and download more coupons to your grocery store savings card - or print out paper coupons. Youll find many sites online that offer a huge amount of coupons which you can print. Youll often find more of the printed type rather than those which can be downloaded to your card.There are a few steps to take in order to keep up with all the paper coupons. Most coupons have short expiration dates so it can be some work to check the dates often. Each month - or more often, its necessary to check expiration dates to see that theyre still valid. Coupons have to be sorted and handled often.Another big job, when it comes to extreme couponing, is the scanning of the grocery store ads. Its important to compare the coupons you have with things that are on sale. Its a lot of work to do that as well as make a list of things to buy from each store. You have to circle expiration dates or other specifics which arent immediately noticeable by glancing at the coupon just so you dont stand in the store for hours reading each coupon.

Yes, Its possible to save a lot of money on groceries, and even get hundreds of dollars worth of food and products free, but it takes a lot of work. Its truly a second job and thats putting it mildly. You must have a lot of spare room for storing bulk items and lots of room for looking through papers and cutting coupons. Youll spend hours clipping, sorting, throwing away, and handling coupons. More time and effort will go into shopping, carrying, and storing groceries. Youll have expenses for gas to go to various grocery stores - locally or in other towns - and gas to go pick up all those coupons from other sources. Youll invest a good bit of money for ink and paper while you print coupons from your computer. For some people - only some - its worth all the effort.

Source: www.howstuffworks.com

Home Office Organizing Crafts

So many people are working out of their homes now and that means, almost always, a desk and/or office space is needed. Sometimes, the area allotted is very small and, before you know it, the room is a mess with papers, office supplies, and other stuff. But there are many craft projects you can do to create a much more organized space - whether it be a large area or just a desk.Dont have a desk? Stand an over-the-toilet shelf set against a wall and push a little table in the open area, where the toilet would go. Scoot a chair up and you have a desk, plus plenty of shelves.An old trunk, footlocker, or stereo cabinet, can become a nifty storage unit for papers, supplies, photos, and much more. Buy metal file holders and put them in the bottom. Along the inside front, and inside back - near the top - screw a long piece of narrow wood, and youll create a "glider" effect. Set a shallow tray on the rails and use it to hold staples, rubber bands, a stapler, pens, and more. Slide it back and forth, as needed, to reach the files below.If you already have a desk, but no room for many things, consider a pegboard. If you purchase it at a home improvement store theyll cut it to the size you need. Paint it or not. Hang the board behind your desk and use pegboard hangers (buy them where you got the pegboard), nails, or screws, to hang scissors, rulers, trays, or even shelves, which can hold even more.You can use other wall space to hold paperwork when you hang clipboards. Just align several of them, side-by-side, and youll organize lots of things, and keep them in view. The clipboards are especially helpful for notes and reminders.Use hot glue to stick clear glass or plastic jars together and you can organize everything from rolled-up paperwork to writing implements. Glue three together, two above those, and one on top, to make a pyramid shape for the organizer. Or, just align three in a row, and make two or three rows; the design is up to you. Glue the jars so that all of the mouths face you, and set it on your desk, or on a table beside your desk.Use a cardboard box to organize papers, photos, and other flat things. Take the lid off of the box, lay it so that the opening faces you at the desk, then put cardboard "shelves" in. Wherever you want a shelf, glue two dowel rods - one on each side - and lay a piece of cardboard on it. Just make sure you glue the dowels evenly so the shelf will be straight.Messy drawers? Make a honeycomb inside a drawer and you can organize all sorts of small office supplies. The honeycomb can be made by gluing sections of bathroom tissue rolls, small plastic bowls, or similar things, together with hot glue. Place the honeycomb tray inside a drawer and organize paper clips, rubber bands, and more.If you have a metal desk you can use magnets to hold all sorts of things on the sides of the desk. If you have a wooden desk, you can have a piece of sheet metal cut, and use double-sided tape to hold it to the side of the desk. With magnets, you can organize photos, paperwork, and documents.Having a home office can be fun yet challenging, but youll be able to get much more work done when your office is nice and neat. Use some - or all - of the above projects to get organized, and then you can get busy!

Easy Flip-Flop Home Accents

Just seeing a pair of flip-flops makes one think of summery weather. If youre like me, and you enjoy changing up the home accents often, youll love all the cute things you can make with a flip-flop theme. Change an entire room or just add a few flip-flop accents around your home. Below are a few projects that can help you get a summery look with little time, effort, or money.You can instantly change the look of a bedroom by making a flip-flop quilt or bedspread. Whether you make the quilt yourself, or you buy it, its easy to use flip-flops as rubber stamps to create the fun, bedroom accent. Lay the quilt out flat on a table and then prepare your paint. If you want just one color, dispense some fabric paint on a paper plate, and get started. If you want more than one color, prepare more than one plate of paint.Use just one pair of flip-flops to do all the stamping. Have a wet cloth ready to wipe away one color, and apply another. First, spread the paint out very thin, and press the bottom of one flip-flop in it. Stamp it anywhere on the quilt; youll find it easiest to work from the center of the quilt, out. Stamp the right flip-flop, then the left one, side-by-side. Stamp as many sets as you want, wiping the flip-flops off when needed. When all the paint is dry use a paint marker to draw the straps of the flip-flops. For each set of straps, use a different color than the flip-flops themselves, so that the straps will stand out more. Youll love this quilt that instantly gives a summer theme to a bedroom.With paint and flip-flops you can stamp other things, too. Some examples include a set of sheets and pillowcases, a tablecloth, a lampshade, a rug, or even a door. When you stamp a set of flip-flops on a girls bedroom door, she can write "My Room", or another sentiment, on the flip-flops with a paint marker.Glue thin craft foam sheets together to make a mat to go in front of a door. Make the foam pieces to be 1-1/2 to 2" thick. Draw around two left flip-flops, and two right ones, then cut them out of the foam. Lay one flip-flop in front of you so that the heel faces you. Lay the next one beside that one so that the heel faces away from you. Lay the next flip-flop up, and the fourth one down, so that you create a square of "interlocking" flip-flops. Glue them together and then add the straps. You can fold a piece of ribbon to create a "v" shape with it, and glue one onto each flip-flop. Or, you can use a paint marker to draw the straps. This is a nice mat for putting sandy flip-flops on as you come home from the beach.Use flip-flops in unusual ways to make additional home accents. For instance, hang a pair on a bathroom wall by using a peel-n-stick picture hanger on the bottom of each shoe. Then, use a peel-n-stick hanger on the fronts - on the top of the heel - and you can hang towels, clothes, purses, or other accessories. You can also use a new, childs flip-flop as a coaster. Or, string two flip-flops together, and embellish them with flowers or other accents, and hang them on a door as a summer wreath.Go get some cheap flip-flops and get busy creating your own summer theme. Youll have fun as you stamp, draw and cut, or otherwise craft the home accents you want for that fabulous summer look in your home.

Organizers You Make from Eyeglass Cases

There are different types of eyeglass holders. Some are hinged. Some are not. Some are hard, others are soft. There are different projects you can make using the eyeglass holders and youll find most of them to be simple yet useful.

Using the soft-sided eyeglass cases, the type where you simply slip the glasses in from the top, you can create a handy hanger that is great in the bathroom, laundry room or even a little girls room.

Youll find the eyeglass cases at many yard sales, and for these projects, you can use different colors of cases, or all the same design, whichever you decide. They do, however, need to be the same size for most of the projects. Starting with 4, 6, or 8 of the eyeglass cases you can make an organizer to use in the bathroom. It can hang on the outside of the shower curtain rod, or on a hook near the tub. Start with a piece of fabric (vinyl if the assembly will likely get wet) cut to the size you decide. You can align the eyeglass cases to decide how many rows of cases youll need to create just the right size organizer. Align four rows of two eyeglass cases, on the vinyl or cloth, and stitch or glue them into place. These can hold shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and many other bathroom necessities. Of course, the design is all your own. If you want, make three rows of three, four rows of two, or a different pattern. Youre the one who knows how much space you have, and whether the available space is presented horizontally or vertically. Make the vertical or horizontal pattern of eyeglass cases on cloth, to suit your own needs. Although the type of eyeglass cases you use is important you still have a couple of options. You can use the type of cases that is made of cloth or opt for the vinyl eyeglass cases instead. Keep in mind the type of things to be stored in the homemade organizer. For example, bathroom items like shampoo, might fare better in the vinyl-type cases since theyll likely get wet often. Eyeglass cases that are fur-lined might better serve in a childs room for holding things like beanie babies or toys. If you have a narrow space, but the space runs from ceiling to floor, consider using one long piece of fabric to hold a single, vertical row of eyeglass cases. The "pockets" can hold silk plants, rolled magazines, canned or bottled drinks, and much more, making them versatile and oh, so handy. Stitch the cases together, side by side, to form a long row of pockets that work well for surrounding a coffee table or desk. The pockets can be stapled on, tacked on, or otherwise affixed. The pocket set makes a great way to store pens, art supplies, scissors, rulers, chalk and other necessities. Purchase a basket with a handle, attach the long row of pockets around the basket, and you have a handy carryall that can hold tools, cleaning supplies, office needs, bathroom stuff, or even utensils. Theres no end to the organizers you can create using the eyeglass cases. Be on the lookout for eyeglass cases at yard sales and such. Or, check dollar theme stores to find ones that are ideal and inexpensive. When you have enough youll be ready to start on making your own shower organizer, office organizer, or other holder. Theyre cheap, unique and very useful.

Rental Home Alternative

Its a sad state of affairs when the nation is in a recession. People are out of work; their homes lost forever. Repossessions. Bankruptcy. Its heart-wrenching. When people are desperately struggling, and barely getting by, they must resort to measures like riding a bike to work or living with relatives. It can take massive amounts of money to move to your own place. You have to pay the first months rent, a deposit on the rental, plus you have to put deposits on electricity and water. Its overwhelming. If it seems as though youll never have your own place consider something radical. Theres a way you can have a temporary home - even though it wont be fancy - and it will take very little money to get in to it! Have you visited any campgrounds in your area lately? You know, the kind where people have campers set up for vacation? Many campgrounds feature things like a swimming pool, indoor restrooms, showers, a game room, exercise room and a canteen. Its an extreme proposal but, should you move to such a place - temporarily - you can save quite a bit of money towards a real place of your own.

Sure, if you already own a camper, you can simply tow it out to the grounds and set up camp. However, if you own no camper, look for rentals. Many people set campers and trailers up at campgrounds, permanently, and rent them out to others. No, its not a grand style of living but it will get you out of your relatives basement. Campers and trailers are often rented out by the week, and the deposit is usually very low - if any at all. It can cost as little as a hundred bucks to get into your new - albeit not so fabulous - temporary home. Rent can sometimes be as little as fifty bucks a week from there, on out.

If you look in your local paper youll often find that campers and mobile trailers are actually very inexpensive. Small ones, in decent condition, can go for under a thousand bucks. Youll find that they generally have a stove, refrigerator and bathroom. Once at the campground, you simply plug in to their power, water and sewage sources, and youre good to go! The fee for the utilities is included in the campground rent. Many campgrounds offer a really great deal if you pay, in advance, for a year. The rent for a whole year - including utilities - can be as little as a thousand bucks, but if thats too steep for you right now, most campgrounds allow you to pay by the week or month. Trailer or camper living isnt exactly living high on the hog but its an option. With the prices being so cheap to live at a campground you can afford to put your belongings in storage for now. Small storage rooms go for as little as thirty bucks but you can get a nice-size room for about sixty or so. Are you in such a bind that even camper rent is to expensive right now? Take a tent! You can sleep in a tent at the campground and pay very, very little money for that. Use the campground showers, build-in grills and such to get by for the time being. Things are going to pick up for you, sure enough, but it could take a little time. Meanwhile, you can save a good deal of money by roughing it in a small camper or trailer for now. Youll soon save up enough money to get a real place of your own!

Making a Jingle Bell Candy Pail

Kids love finding candy and goodies in their stockings at Christmas, but why give them an ordinary stocking again this year? Especially when you can create a magnificent jingle bell candy pail that will hold much more! Theyll be so excited to see the bucket full of candy that theyll temporarily forget about all the other gifts! Its easy to make the pail that will hold the Christmas goodies. Start with a plastic plant pot or even a Kentucky Fried Chicken pail. Most any lightweight but sturdy pail or pot can be used to make the jingle bell candy holder.

Use paint, fabric, felt or decorative paper to cover the pot or pail. Or, purchase a pot that is already red, green or white in color. Add a few craft supplies and your candy pail will be complete. The entire project takes only a few minutes to make after the paint has dried.

Use felt, fabric or decorative paper to create a "collar" for the pail. Cut the collar about three to four inches wide, depending upon the size of the pot you are using. On one edge, cut the material straight. On the opposite side, scallop the material with special scissors or your own design. Some plant pots already have a handle attached so that they can be hung. These types of pots are great for making the jingle bell candy pail. Decorate the handle by wrapping and gluing garland or velvet ribbon around the handle. If the pail youre using doesnt already have a handle its easy to make one. Cut two strips of felt or fabric and one strip of cardboard. The strip should be two or three inches wide and long enough to reach from one side of the bucket to the other. Lay the cardboard between the two pieces of felt and glue them together. After they dry trim the excess away. Glue the handle on to the pail. Now glue your scalloped collar around the top edge of the pail. The scalloped edging will hold the handle in place. Glue the straight side of the edging to the top portion of the pail. The scalloped side should not be glued down. On each scallop youll stitch a bell. You can find bells in colors of red, gold, green or silver. Choose the color that best goes with your pail design. Use a needle and thread to stitch one bell to each scallop. When youre finished stitching on the bells your jingle bell candy pail is finished. There are any combination of colors and designs you can do with the pail. Use a red pail with green collar and gold bells. Or, use a green pail with white collar and red bells. There is no limit to the designs you can make. Stencil your childs name on the pail or use other craft supplies to embellish. Wooden shapes, like candy canes or puppies, can help you create the look you want. Other embellishment choices include pom-poms instead of bells, Christmas stickers, colored tape for striping the pail, rubber stamping, cording or even foil cutouts. Mix and match to make your own unique creation. The buckets dont necessarily have to replace your childrens stockings. Create a candy pail for the table and let kids help themselves to goodies. Or, make small versions of the pails - without the handles - to hold fake poinsettias or even candy canes. No matter how you use them one thing is for sure: youll have lots of fun making them!

How to Make a Bassinette Skirt

Sometimes, you look at something really beautiful, and think that you simply dont have the talent to make it yourself. Often, though, when you look past the elegance of the item you realize that its actually very simple to create the same thing. Thats the case for a bassinette skirt. Its frilly and beautiful but that doesnt mean its hard to make. Actually, the skirt is so easy its crazy! If you can sew a little - or a lot - you can easily make a beautiful bassinette skirt.

Tulle, lace, satin and similar material works well to make the skirt. There are other fabrics you can use, but whatever you choose, it should be lightweight. Before shopping for fabric, measure around the bassinette, double that measurement, and add a few inches to spare. This will help you determine how much fabric youll need for your particular bassinette.

There are actually two different, basic skirts you can make. For the first one, measure around the bassinette and cut a piece of quarter-inch elastic to that measurement. Now, lay the fabric out on a table. Measure from the bassinette opening, to the floor, and add three inches. Cut the width of the fabric to that measurement. Take the measurement you used for the elastic, double it, and cut the length of the material to be that measurement. Along one long edge of the material, fold it under a half-inch, then once again. Sew along the edge to create the hem for the skirt. At the opposite side, fold under an inch. At the raw area of the edge youve just folded, position the elastic so that it covers the raw edge, and sew. Use a straight stitch to sew, staying in the middle of the elastic, and keeping the elastic on the raw edge. As you sew, tug a little on the elastic, and this will help it gather the fabric. After the elastic is installed, bring the two ends of the fabric together, and position them so that their right sides are facing each other. Sew down the side to finish the skirt. Hang it on the bassinette by simply stretching the elastic over the bed. Save a little on fabric, and forget the elastic, by making a different type of bassinette skirt. For this one, measure around the bassinette, and add two inches. Cut the length of the fabric to be this measurement. Cut the width to go from the bassinette opening to the floor, and add on two inches. At one long end of the material, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Sew it to create the hem. At each short end, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Stitch across these areas. At the remaining long side, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Sew to create a hem. Thread quarter-inch ribbon through the opening at each end of the last hem you made. Attaching a safety pin to the ribbon, then pushing it through, can help you thread the ribbon. After youre finished, tie a knot in each side of the ribbon, right at the hem opening. This will keep the ribbon from sliding back through the hem. Wrap this bassinette skirt around the bed and tie it into a bow. The split between the ends of the skirt allow you to easily store things under the bassinette then cover them. The finished skirt - either one of them - is a beautiful, lacy accent that makes an ordinary bassinette look stunning.

Easy, Beautiful Tape Flowers for Crafts and Fashions

Sometimes, when youre doing crafts, home decorating, or fashion projects, you go down a list of things, until you find just the right one. You might be working on a project that requires a flower, so you go down the list: real flower - wont work; silk flower - a bit costly and a trip to the store; tape flower - perfect! Unless you make one, you cant appreciate how beautiful the flower is, and how simple it is create. The stunning flower can then be attached to a flip-flop, a picture frame, a curtain tie-back, or even a purse.

Tape has really come far, hasnt it? No longer do we have to stick with black, gray, or white. In fact, tape now comes in nearly every color - including metallic shades - and even patterns. Online, you can purchase Washi, or similar tapes, and they feature stripes, plaids, dots, and other interesting designs. With your choice of tape you can make the most stunning flowers, for use with your craft, home decorating, and fashion projects.

There assorted tape flowers that a person can make but many of them require a visual tutorial - and even then, it can be difficult to follow. There are all sorts of angles, and folds, and tricky insertions. But theres one flower design you can make and, depending on how wide the tape is, what color or pattern it is, and how you use it, each flower can look completely different. Start by tearing a length of tape and then tearing three more to be equal in length. Lay one piece on a table so that the sticky side is facing upwards, and so that one long side of the tape is facing you. Take the left end, and fold it towards the middle, and do the same with the right end. However, stop both ends short of meeting so that you leave a sticky area, right in the center. Youve just created two petals! Separately, make the same arrangement again, and stick it to the first one, so that the petal sets form an "X" shape, and so that the sticky center of the new piece is facing upwards. Continue to make another set, and one more, and sticking them to the original "X", so that you end up with an asterisk shape (*), with the sticky center of the final tape piece facing upwards. When you have four pieces of tape, arranged as described above, that will create one layer of the flower. Go through the whole process again, making an asterisk shape from four more pieces of tape, but starting with tape that is shorter in length than the tape pieces from the first layer. So, if the tape pieces from the first layer were eight inches long, each, tear the tape pieces for the second layer so that theyre each 6 inches long. Continue to make each layer smaller, and to stack the layers on top of each other, until the flower is as thick as you want it to be. End with a trinket glued on top, right in the middle, to cover the last sticky center of tape. The trinket can be a rhinestone, a pom-pom, or even a button. Make many different flowers and attach them to mirror frames, garments, belts, lamps, headbands and more. Use little strips of tape to make tiny flowers, or large pieces to make huge flowers. Make some with eight petals, some with six, and so on, so that each flower looks different. Theyre all shiny, stunning, and cheap!

Basic Table Manners Every Kid Should Know

How you act at the dinner table at home can be far different from whats acceptable in public or at someone elses house. Kids dont have to be all prim and proper constantly, especially when theyre at home. But when youre away from home theres a certain standard that were all held to in front of others. If you want your child to know how to act at a table other than your own its important to teach him or her basic table manners.

Its easiest to teach kids proper etiquette when they are young. Forgive mistakes quickly, correct the child, then move on with the meal. Kids will have fun learning table manners if you make it into somewhat of a game. Announce once a week or so that youll be having a "proper" dinner. Teach them the rules of the game: Teach kids where each table setting piece goes. Teach them that, while playing the game, the items must be always placed back in the same spot. So, if they take a drink, the glass must be returned to its original place. Whatever silverware they use, these too, must be returned to their destined place. Before ever setting the table or eating each person absolutely must wash his hands! No one at the table should ever reach in front of someone else for anything. Instead, ask if that person will "Please pass the whatever". Always say "Thank-you" when anything is passed to you. Never take a huge portion of anything; go back for seconds if you want but start with a normal portion.

Place your napkin on your lap and never wad it up - even when using it. If you need a clean area on the napkin simply and discreetly fold it to another side. Do not place your napkin on the table. No one wants to see smears of assorted-colored foods on a wadded napkin! No sounds at the table other than normal conversation sounds! No belching, gas-passing, singing, humming, shouting - and of course, no scratching! No elbows on the table, of course. Absolutely never fix your ponytail, remove a hair tie or otherwise play with your hair. No swinging your foot or leg, wriggling, or getting in and out of your chair. And never, ever, go under the table! Kids love to crawl under tables but this is reprehensible behavior when out in pubic or at someones house for dinner. Even if you dont like a particular food that is being served do not say anything about it. Its okay to make comments about how good something looks or smells but never say "I dont like green beans" or "Ew, whats that?" If you cant think of anything to say thats nice just say nothing at all. Pass the dish along to the next person without taking any. Stay at the table until the meal is over, but if you must leave the table for a few minutes, excuse yourself to everyone by simply saying "Please excuse me". Otherwise, stay, eat, and participate in the conversation at the table. Never just shovel food into your mouth without having conversation with the others. Insisting that your child learn good manners, even if you dont enforce some of them at home, is a must. Good table manners are needed with any type of social life, in a business setting as well as to maintain friends. Without them, kids can grow up to be looked down upon for something they dont even know theyre doing wrong!

Convince People to Do Anything You Want Through a Normal Conversation

More and more people are trying their hand at conversational induction. Dont know what that is? Read up a little bit on the subject then try it for yourself. Youll be shocked at how well it actually does work. It doesnt take witchcraft to convince people to do what you want!Say you want your child to clean his or her room and start helping more with chores around the house. Telling them, screaming at them, or taking away privileges isnt really going to work. You have to convince them that they want to help out more. How can you do that? By subconsciously introducing encouraging words and phrases into a normal conversation.It takes a bit of preparation and some practice to get really good at conversational induction. The idea is to keep someone so engrossed in a particular story or conversation that they dont realize youre secretly adding words which refer to what you want from the person. The words can basically be introduced into any conversation with any person. However, if it isnt done correctly, you could clue the person into what youre doing and, after that, they simply wont follow your suggestions.Think of a subject which will interest the person youll be talking to. For a child, the conversation might be something about a hobby, a friend or even a fun vacation you once had. Try to make the conversation lively, intriguing or otherwise engrossing, so that the person is paying attention to your every word.Before starting the story or conversation, practice it. Beforehand, write down words pertaining to the thing you want from the person - in this case, the cleaning of the room or other chores. Words which might pertain to the scenario include "clean", "good", "neat", "tidy", "helpful" and similar words. Work these types of words - or phrases - into the story, but in a normal way. For example, your story could be about a "good" dog who always "helped" his master. After he had his bath, and was "good" and "clean", they went for a walk. That day, the dog found a "neat" little package on the side of the road. See where this is going?Its not enough to just work in suggestive words when trying to convince others to do what you want. The commands must be short, blend well into the story, and the words should not be particularly repetitive during the narrative. You also need to "mark" each command. Some examples of marking include speaking a bit louder when you say the command word(s), turning your head in a different direction when you say them, leaning forward and looking into the persons eyes when saying a particular word or phrase, or taking a tiny pause before and after each command. You can also combine markings by using any or all of the above.Its helpful to write out the entire narrative and practice it when youre first learning how to convince people to do things you want. Later, youll get better at it and will naturally be able to work suggestions into a conversation. Never use the suggestions to do harm, though - thats immoral and wrong on more than one level. Also, its good to note that, no matter what tactics you try, people wont do what they dont believe in - what they feel is morally wrong or against their conscious or religious beliefs.Source: Milton Model