Penny Pinched DIY Projects

The Friday Fluff Up: Simple Penny-Pinched Teacher Gift

May 4, 2012 By Laurie Leave a Comment

In our local schools next week is Teacher Appreciation week, and I noticed that my friend Colleen (who runs Picket Fence Design Studios) made the cutest penny-pinched vase to hold flowers for your child’s teacher! Here’s what she used:

crayons bought during the back-to-school sales for $.05 per box (it took 2 boxes)
a vase from Dollar Tree (have I mentioned I love that place?)
scrapbook paper and ric-rac
and of course, hot glue

She estimates that she spent less than $1.50 on the project! You can see a great tutorial on how to make a similar project over HERE, and I’d love to hear any other clever ideas that you have for penny-pinched teacher gifts!

Thanks so much for the great idea Colleen! Colleen runs Picket Fence Studios here in Madison, Alabama, which hosts super cute art parties for your little ones. Go HERE to learn more.

I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!) If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!) See more previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

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Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Friday Fluff Up, Penny Pinched DIY Projects

Free Printable Alphabet Worksheets

May 3, 2012 By Laurie 1 Comment

Do you have a preschooler or kindergartener at home who’s working on writing their letters? Download these free printable alphabet sheets at TLS Books to let them get a little extra practice in.

Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Penny Pinched DIY Projects, Uncategorized

Ordinary DVD Case Turns Into Coloring Case

May 3, 2012 By Laurie Leave a Comment

Turn an old DVD case into a coloring case for your kids while you’re traveling. Sooooo smart!

Photo Credit

Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Penny Pinched DIY Projects

Stop Stains On White Shirts

May 2, 2012 By Laurie Leave a Comment

Since we’re working in the laundry room this week, I thought you all would enjoy a little laundry tip! Use baby powder to prevent sweat stains on white shirts. (Who knew?)

Photo Credit

Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Penny Pinched DIY Projects

DIY Crafty Tile Coasters

May 1, 2012 By Laurie 1 Comment

These adorable Tile Coasters would make a great gift for so many occasions…Mother’s Day, house warming, hostess gift! Follow this tutorial from The Cottage Home.

Photo Credit: The Cottage Home

Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Penny Pinched DIY Projects

DIY Pool Noodle Lightsabers

April 30, 2012 By Laurie Leave a Comment

Here’s a cute idea for all those Star Wars fans. Turn your ordinary pool noodles (which you can find at the Dollar Tree for a dollar . . . ) into lightsabers! What little boy wouldn’t love these? Follow this tutorial from Muddy Boots.

Photo Credit: Muddy Boots

Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Penny Pinched DIY Projects

Surprising Uses for Vicks VapoRub

April 30, 2012 By Laurie Leave a Comment

Check out this list of uses for Vicks VapoRub from Divine Caroline. I’ll try almost anything to keep mosquitoes away so I hope it works!

Photo Credit: Divine Caroline

Filed Under: A Penny Pinched Home, Penny Pinched DIY Projects

The Friday Fluff Up: What $12 (& 1 Hour. . .) Can Do At The Dollar Tree

April 27, 2012 By Laurie 6 Comments

We’ve all seen those fabulously organized photos on Pinterest of perfectly designed crafty spots, just waiting for someone to get a little crafting inspiration. I noticed a few more yesterday as I was checking out organizing ideas on Pinterest, and was slightly discouraged looking around my own (*disastrous*) crafting spot.

Now I’m super fortunate, and have some room up in our playroom for all my craft supplies, but it constantly gets destroyed (no matter how often I tidy it. . .) because it tends to be the junk table hidden away out of sight! But yesterday, after seeing one too many cutely organized pins on Pinterest, I decided I’d had enough.

As I headed into town to hunt down some cute bins, I commiserated about how much I was going to have to spend to get organized. . . until I remembered The Dollar Tree. (WOOOOHOOO!) Guess what I found there? Perfect, adorable, tidy little bins for my shelves, all for (you guessed it!) A DOLLAR! I bought everything used in this week’s project for a whopping $12 (WOW!) So, here’s the before & after of my disaster . . .

(~gasp!~ I’m telling you what, I couldnt’ make this stuff up. . .)

Now, obviously I moved things around a bit . . . I’ve been wanting to put the scrapbooks that were still left on those shelves in a plastic bin downstairs (with way too many more of them), in case we ever needed to get them out in a hurry. (I know, that sounds nuts but I’ve spent some serious hours on those books, so I hated that they were so far upstairs in case we ever had an emergency!) I also finally took a few minutes to put all of my kids special artwork and pictures away in their Rubbermaid container that has been littering that table for way too long.

I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!) If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!)

See more previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!