Super Simple Play Tent

For Christmas I wanted to make my little kids something special that they could enjoy together.  Pinterest to the rescue.  I found inspiration here and made them using fabrics I had on hand, which came mostly from a fabulously junky secondhand shop in Nebraska.  It is actually becoming a little tradition for the gals of the family to make it an outing when we are together. 

I used 1/2" dowels instead since our largest drill bit was 1/2" and I didn't want to buy a bit that we would likely not have a use for again.  While I was at it I made one for my nephews and niece.
For one tent:
4 - 1x2" x 4' boards, mine were pine select - $8.00 total
3 - 1/2" x 4' dowels, mine were poplar - $5.04 total
about 2.5 yards 45" wide fabric - on hand

This turned out to be a really fun, simple and economical project with a result my kids love!

Embellished Tea Towel {Frugal Teacher Gift}

As the end of the school year approaches I wanted to thank the teachers and helpers in our enrichment program in a personal, but frugal way.  My sweet sister-in-law gave me a cool embellished towel last year for my birthday, so I copied that idea using fabrics I had on hand, since I love to get gifts I can really use.  The flour sack towels came from One Kings Lane.

To start out, I prewashed all the towels and then pressed them before adding the embellishment.

To make the embellishment strip I gathered or cut 45" wide strips of fabric.  The strips were about 3" wide, but could be any width you desire.  When I had a bunch of strips I sewed them together and added a few more strips until I had a big piece which was more than the width of the towel I was going to put it on (to allow for shrinkage and leaving enough at each edge to neatly turn it under on the edge of the towel. At this point I laundered the whole piece because I wasn't sure I had washed all the fabrics I was using and I really did not want it to bleed in the wash for the recipient of this gift. After ironing all the seams, I cut the large piece into strips (perpendicular to the seams), folded down and ironed the top and bottom edge of each strip and top-stitched them to the flour sack towels.  Using strips that were 45" wide I was able to make 10 of these towels, just enough for our teacher list.  :)

I paired these with some extras I had around the house, things like dish soap, hand soap, candles.  Since those items were on hand, along with my fabric and thread stash, I really only paid for the flour sack towels, which came to a whopping $.75/piece.  Of course, our teachers are worth so much more, but with our current budget, I hope they enjoy the gift even if I didn't spend much out of pocket.

What's your favorite little gift to give or receive?

See also: wrapping paper teacher gift & another towel gift for teachers

Fort Kit {Day 6}

In searching for low-cost ideas for boys birthday gifts, I found an idea on Pinterest for a fort kit.  I looked at lots of different pins and gave this one my own flavor based on what I had on hand.  I've made two of these and they've varied a bit, but this is the one I have photos of, so here we go. 

Start with some sort of container (bucket, cloth bag, pillowcase, clear plastic zipper bag, sturdy tote, etc.).  Add some things that would make a fun fort.

Some ideas of what to include:
- bucket - can be inverted to be used as a step to reach a higher spot
- sheet - the bigger the better
- rope
- flashlight or headlamp
- clamps
- bungee cords
- clothespins
I find the sheets at Salvation Army for about a buck and sew a loop of nylon webbing to each corner to make it easier and sturdier to fasten.

 Add a tag explaining it a bit.

 Wrap it up! Or not. I just added some tissue and ribbon and called it good enough.

I think this is a gift that could be a lot of fun for kids and could totally be tailored to the recipient, too.  This is an easy gift to give for under $10.

What are your "go to" birthday gifts for boys?

{Fabric Jingle Ball} project #1 - 2011

With our little one's birthday quickly approaching I was on the look-out for an idea for a gift for him. All the suitable ideas I was coming up with would be redundant here because of his three older siblings who have left him well supplied with toys and clothing, as well as all the fresh things he has just received at Christmas. Then I remembered a fabric rattle ball that we had seen at a friend's home while visiting at Christmas. A Google search yielded this link (scroll down to the free patterns on the bottom right). I followed the directions, but went my own way on a few things. I used up some scraps of fabric left from other projects and some upcycled denim from baby overalls. I sewed in a piece of cotton batting with each fabric piece to give it a smoother finish when completed and because I had some scraps of that available and was concerned that the stuffing material I had would run short. I also added two 1.5" bells. It has been a hit with all the kids as it is the one ball that is okay to be {gently} thrown about the living room. Out of pocket cost for this gift = $.52 for the bells. All other materials came from my stash of supplies. And the satisfaction of him loving it is icing on the birthday cake!

Simple Teacher Gifts

Update: This is what I call a crafting FAIL! I was just using the dish towel I kept for myself and the ink is bleeding and rubbing off. Back to square one...$5 gift cards for each teacher are sounding better and better. I'm hoping to salvage some of the towels by pretreating them and running them through the wash.

This week I've been working on teacher gifts. We love the folks who teach our kids at their homeschool enrichment program, Sunday school, etc. and wanted to give them something they can put to good use without breaking the budget. I'm aiming more and more for giving gifts that don't create clutter in someone's home. This year I opted for nice dish soap (you know, the kind you don't often splurge on for yourself) and a flour sack towel that I sewed with a decorative snowflake stitch and stamped to give it a festive look.

Supplies, cost breakdown and a few notes:
flour sack towels - $1.00 each at Wal-mart
Note: These are not great quality, but should make it through the holidays at least. I prewashed and ironed these before stamping and sewing.

rubber stamp - $5.xx with coupon - will be able to use for other things

red stamp pad - on hand
Updated to add: Do NOT use the kind of ink I used. Crafting FAIL!
Note: I used Color Box pigment ink which may not be the best, but I didn't have time or energy to track down an ink suitable for fabric, so take that into consideration if you're doing something similar. I did try acrylic paint dabbed onto the stamp for one but I didn't like the effect.

2 spools red thread - on hand

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day dish soap - $2.98 at Wal-mart (Score! Coupons were attached to the bottles at the store I went to.)

red yarn for wrapping - on hand

sewing machine - Mine is not the top of the line by any means, but it has some fun decorative stitches.


For under $5 per gift I am rather pleased with the result and I'm happy to give a gift I would gladly receive. In fact, I did receive one. I kept one since I am my kids' teacher and I do 90% of the dishes in this house. :)

Merry Christmas!

A Few, or 10, Gift Ideas (not that it's all about me)

Not that it's all about me or anything, but here are 10 things or experiences I would love for Christmas or an upcoming birthday. And perhaps this list will prove helpful for the one very near and dear to me. :)

1. In the category of "The-sky-is-the-limit-but-I'm-not-gonna-get-it": a trip to Scotland with my husband, or a trip to PEI. Considering we can't even manage a weekend away, these are "someday" dreams.

2. A new, or nicely used sewing machine. I think I want a basic model Bernina, but yikes! they are expensive. I actually just bought a new machine from Costco but can't decide if I am keeping it. It was a good deal for sure, but I'm torn between a good deal for today and wanting a machine that will last the rest of my life.

3. A winter coat with an attached, fleece-lined, non-pointy hood that is a solid color with a hip-length cut and a non-boxy fit. Even if I can't fully zip it this winter, with my expanding belly, these are top choices in my research so far, though I'm still not sure exactly what I want.

4. A pedicure.

5. A trendy sewing book such as one by Amy Butler or one on sewing aprons.

6. A cheese grater. Perhaps this one by KitchenAid.

7. Grain storage buckets and lids from Pleasant Hill Grain.

8. SmartWool socks.

9. A gift card to one of the following: Hobby Lobby, Panera Bread, Old Chicago, Chipotle, Einstein's, Spicy Pickle, Jason's Deli, Archivers or Pottery Barn.

10. Date nights with my husband which would need to be squeezed into the calendar before mid-February.

Okay, enough about me, I need to move on to tackling that Christmas gift list of things we want to buy for others.

For more 10 on the 10th, visit Life at 7000 Feet.

Another Easy Baby Gift

We had a blizzard last week which for some reason made me want to get some little projects done around here. One thing on my list was to get a baby gift made for some folks from our church. And since I am trying to work through using up my stash of fabrics and wasn't about to leave the house, here is what I came up with. The blanket was made from a solid yellow fleece remnant and this shark print fleece remnant, about a yard of each. Hopefully the print will live beyond babyhood into this little guy's toddlerhood. It is sewn up on 2 sides and fringed on two sides. The finished blanket measures about 30" x 36". With the scrap of print leftover, I cut around one shark and just top-stitched it to the onesie. Cost of this set:
- two remnants, $4.00 max, likely much lower
- one onesie (bought in pack of 5 from Jo-Ann with coupon) $1.25

Total: $5.25 or less

I paired this with a pack of newborn diapers bought with a great coupon keeping the complete cost well under $10. Cute. Easy. Cheap.

It's Baby Season Again!

A couple friends welcomed new baby girls at year end and although I didn't get something sent to them right away I was able to put together these gifts a few weeks ago, somewhat like the ones I made in November. I always enjoy sewing up these little gifts and I hope the new moms enjoy them, too. This set of flannel and fleece burp cloths was paired with some Gymboree socks.

And this set is a fleece blanket and cotton and fleece burp cloth. I love ribbon and was happy that I had some that coordinated with the fleece. I know this print may be a bit bold for some, but I'm taking a chance that my lively friend will like it.

All gifts were made with love with inexpensive remnants. Both gifts were made in less than 2 hours and cost probably less than $7 total in materials and the purchased socks.

And if they are blessed with little girls who don't actually spit up much, burp cloths can have a few more uses like lining the changing table pad, tucking into the car seat carrier as a mini blankie on mild days, small nursing cover, small blankie (You can never tell which blankie babies will attach to, but wouldn't a small one that they don't drag on the floor be lovely?), or a changing pad when you are out and about. Can you think of any other uses for them?

Baby, Baby

No, we're not having one at present, though we seem to be in the middle of a baby boom with our friends and families. With Christmas coming soon there aren't many extra funds to divert to baby gifts so I did the best with what I had around and came up with some cute, unique gifts that I hope they will like.

This is a set of two burp cloths, fleece hat and on-the-go pouch which is just big enough for a few diapers, a small wipes case and maybe an outfit or receiving blanket. The pouch was made from a clearanced placemat, a spare button and some twill tape recycled from a gift wrapping. You can't see it in the picture, but the twill tape goes around the pouch creating a handle at the very top of the back. The stiff nature of the placemat makes for a nice sturdy bag.

The second set is made up of two burp cloths, a fleece hat and a clearanced onsie. One burp cloth is flannel and fleece and one is knit and fleece. The knit came from an unused A-shirt that was in the bin of items to be donated. This set is 3 embroidered fleece and cotton mini-check burpcloths and an on-the-go bag made of cotton with a nylon webbing handle. With a caribiner clip the bag would be easy to attach to a stroller to keep bare necessities at hand.

For these gifts I purchased:

- small package of wipes $1.00

- two fleece blankets clearanced a the grocery store to be used to wrap two of the gifts $2.00

- tank onsie $.75
- two plug-in air fresheners with a clean linen scent (I thought these would be good near the diaper pail) - I think these were free after rebate, but no more than $1.00 each.

So now I have three gifts for under $6.00 out of pocket plus the cost of of fabric I purchased at an earlier time, though I often buy inexpensive remnants for these types of projects. These certainly turned out to be an economical option and will hopefully be well-received.

Now I have a question for anyone who reads here. Do you ever struggle with feeling like a homemade and inexpensive gift is not good enough? I really like the way these sets turned out and think they will be useful gifts, but have trouble shaking the feeling that I should have just ponied up the cash and bought something from the registries. Your thoughts?

Cinnamon Oat Waffles

This recipe has become a stand-by in our house and is something I've given as gifts in a jar a few times. Enjoy!Cinnamon Oat Waffles

In very large bowl combine:

4 C. oats (I use old fashioned)

2 C. white flour

2 C. whole wheat flour

1 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. dry milk

3 T. baking powder

2 T. cinnamon

2 1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cream of tartar

Place mixture in airtight container until ready to use.

When ready to make waffles, mix:

3 C. oat mixture
3 eggs
1/3 C. oil
1½ C. water or more, so batter spreads out a bit on griddle or waffle iron.

Cook on hot waffle iron (or griddle for pancakes). Should serve two adults and a couple young children. Leftovers freeze well.

Practical Baby Gift

I was recently invited to a baby shower for a friend having her third baby. Knowing that she is likely already set with baby gear and clothes, I was trying to think of some useful gift for her. I had the idea of fill a picnic basket with essentials to have on hand for changing the baby without needing to go to the baby's room to accomplish that task. I started with a thrifted picnic basket, sewed up a little basket liner and matching burp cloth, and filled the basket with diapers, wipes, a sample size diaper cream, hand sanitizer and the burp cloth. Hopefully this will be helpful for quick changes anywhere around the home.

Sweet Little Gift

As we were preparing to celebrate my dear husband's birthday this weekend, I put together this sweet gift for him, a candy bouquet to enjoy for many days. This was a fun surprise for him and quite economical, too, with a vase on hand and candy purchased on clearance or with coupons.

Brown Sugar Scrub

Last week I wanted to put together some little gifts for some special ladies I know and this is what I came up with. I mixed up some scrub, wrapped it in a colorful washcloth, and tied it with a bow. Here's the basic recipe.

Brown Sugar Scrub
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 C. white sugar
1 C. canola oil
1/2 C. olive oil
3 T. vanilla


This made enough to fill seven 4 oz. baby food jars almost full. Next time I would not use as much or any olive oil as it seemed to have a strong smell. I would also really love to add some orange zest and perhaps omit the vanilla in that case.



I included a little instruction note to rub onto hands or body and rinse well with warm water. This will leave skin super soft. Due to the oil, caution should be used in the shower so you don't slip or drop the breakable jar.


The only real cost was for the washcloths which were purchased on clearance ($1.50 for 6).