Happy Earth Day!
I want to wish everybody a happy Earth Day. Have you ever noticed that often-times saving money is earth friendly too. For instance, my son got a hole in the knee of a pair of his school uniform pants. They were a nice pair of dress pants, and other than the inevitable hole in the knee, they were in great shape. I couldn’t stand the thought of throwing them out, so I simply refurbished them. He is allowed to wear certain shorts to his school as long as they fit in the standards of the dress code, so I cut off the legs right above the hole, did a little hemming, and viola, a nice new pair of shorts which will be perfect for the warmer weather. How’s that for recycling?!
Filed under DIY | Tags: inexpensive gifts, Sewing | Comments (4)All Things Thrifty {Blog Feature}
Several months ago, my sister-in-law introduced me to the site, “All Things Thrifty.” We were discussing our desires to dress up our homes, but since the recent purchases of them had left us a little house poor, we didn’t have all the cash we needed to dress them up like we wanted to. She had came across All Things Thrifty while looking for inexpensive solutions to help her deck the halls, and was gracious enough to share the treasure. I have been inspired ever since.
Brooke and Kallie do a great job of making their homes look like they could be featured on the cover of a magazine, and the best part is, they do it all on a budget. I have gotten many ideas from their blog, and I have learned a lot of tricks, but when I found this post, I was blown away. I am going to make a confession, other than blinds and a couple valances, every window in my house is bare. I know that having curtains seems to warm up the space and make it feel more like home, but I always just figured I would have to wait until I could afford them. I also thought I would have to bribe my mom to help me finish them, but I now stand corrected.
If you think making curtains on your own would be too difficult, please, read on! You’ll be shocked how easy and inexpensive it can be!
Once you’re finished, be sure to head over to All Things Thrifty, dive into their archives, and prepare to be inspired!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Curtains are so much fun, and you may not think that you can make them. WRONG-O. The only way to make a window curtain is by YOUR-SELF. Seriously. Especially if you have discovered the $1.00 a yard fabrics at Home Fabrics. Curtains can be cheap, cheap, cheap. Ok, that kind of sounded like a little bird. Maybe it is all the Easter candy that I ate this weekend. 
Here is a list of the items you need to make these bad boys:
Fabric of your choice
Sewing machine loaded with thread
Curtain Grommets found at local fabric store (I got mine at JoAnn’s see picture below)
Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to make their own curtains. A lot of homes have windows that are too tall for store bought curtains. Don’t worry, making curtains is very easy. Even if your windows are standard height, I still think you should make yourself some custom curtains. Choosing the right fabric to add to your room is much easier than finding the perfect curtains. You do need to know how to sew in a straight line though.
I measured the windows, and decided that I wanted the curtains to hit the floor. I wanted them to bunch a tiny bit when they hit the ground, but this is merely personal preference, you can measure them precisely so they are even with your floor if you choose. Next, I hemmed all four sides of the fabric by folding the edge in 1/4 inch twice and them sewing along the hem. I folded the hem twice to hide the raw edge of the fabric. You can see the hem in some of the pictures below if you need to.
Here is my before picture. This wall was was soooo boring. It needed color desperately.
The grommets come with GREAT instructions, and they only cost $10.99 (but of COURSE you should use a 40% coupon if possible). You are going to freak when you see how easy this is! Sidenote: These grommets are plastic. I’ve heard horror stories about the metal ones, so I went with the easy road.
Step 1: Trace a circle using the template provided in the grommet package (Thank you to my husband for being my hand model.)
Step 2: Cut out the circle
Step 3: Snap your grommets together by catching the sides of your circle between the two sides of the grommet.
Step 4: Hang your curtain
Here is the end result!
Total Cost: 5.5 yards of fabric ($1.00 a yard)=$5.50 + $6.59 for a package of grommets= roughly $12.00 for custom curtains!
If you would like to know how to make this window valance, go HERE.
If you would like a cheap alternative to expensive curtain rods, go HERE.
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!
Thrifty Decor Chic ~Blog Feature~
I am so excited about today’s blog feature. There are many ways to save money, and there are times that saving money means making a little sacrifice here and there, but when it comes to decorating our homes, that doesn’t have to be the case. Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick does a great job of showing us all how to make our spaces look like they are high-end without paying the high-end price. She has very graciously agreed to allow me to feature her blog today, and re-publish one of my favorite posts.
I have to say, I had a nearly impossible time trying to decide which post to feature, but I finally just picked one with the intentions of emphasizing that, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO SEE!! Oh yes, I went there, I am owning the caps lock! I finally decided on this post because as I was searching through her archives, I happened to glance up at the dischelvement of my children’s art supplies and gasped in horror. I need organization people! Anyway, without further adieu, here’s Sarah:
Four ca-ute projects under $5!
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The next two involved the following:
I got this little container from my sweet stepmom last Christmas, (hello LA!) and loved it, but have been staring at it in my son’s toy room thinking I needed to jazz it up with some ca-uteness:
Hot glued magnets to the back and you get new magnets for the Bub:
I did all of these in just a couple hours and they were F.U.N. I’ve got a couple more little projects to do to the toy room and then I can’t wait to show you!
Filed under Blog Feature, DIY, Space Savers | Tags: Cheap Crafts, Cheap Projects, Home Decor, inexpensive gifts, Wall Art | Comments (3)Darling Easter Wreath
How beautiful is this? Check out Crafty Sisters for the full tutorial.
Filed under DIY | Tags: Cheap Crafts, Cheap Projects, Home Decor, Pottery Barn Wreath | Comments (3)All-Purpose Disinfectant
Here is a great recipe for a disinfectant spray that can be used for anything from cutting boards to toilets.
2 c. water
2 or 3 drops natural soap
12-15 drops of tea tree essential oil
12-15 drops of lavender essential oil
Mix the ingredients in a bottle and spray away!
Filed under DIY, Household Products | Tags: Cheap Projects, diy disinfectant | Comment (0)Sew Cheap!
I made this skirt for my little girl for less than $0.75! For a full tutorial on how to make one of your own, click here!
Filed under DIY | Tags: baby gear, Cheap Crafts, Cheap Projects, Clothing, Inexpensive Clothing, Sewing, Skirt | Comment (0)Inexpensive Home Fragrance
Here is a great way to keep your home smelling delicious during the holidays!
Directions
- Bring a saucepan full of water to a boil, then add the ingredients from a recipe of your choice. Bring the water and ingredients to a boil, maintain the boil for a few minutes then turn down the heat and simmer all day. Just be sure to add water as needed.
- Caution: Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove.
Recipe 1- Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot
3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange rind
2 pieces lemon rind
Recipe 2-
Cinnamon sticks
Apple peels
Orange rinds
Whole cloves
Recipe 3-
Peel from 1 lemon
Peel from 1 orange
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
Recipe 4-
Apple juice
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves
Recipe 5-
Whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
Recipe 6-
5 to 6 cinnamon sticks, broken
1 tbsp. lemon peel
1 tbsp. orange peel
1/2 c. whole cloves
1 tbsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. whole allspice
1 tbsp. bay leaf pieces
2 slices dried apples, optional
Recipe 7-
Peel from a whole orange
Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks
Recipe 8-
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. whole allspice berries
10 (2″) cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp. whole cloves
1/4 c. canella or nandina berries
10 sm. pinecones
7 drops cinnamon oil
Recipe 9-
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla
Recipe 10-
2 sticks cinnamon
Peel from one lemon
Fresh rosemary
Whole cloves
Adorable Post-it Note Holders
Look at how ADORABLE these custome post-it note holders are! I absolutely love this idea becaue it is inexpensive, practical, and SO cute! Check out the full tutorial at sistersstuff.blogspot.com, and if this isn’t enough, make sure to check out Whitney’s cute cookie mix neighbor gift idea.
