It's a Bird...It's a Plane....

 

Today's frugal find is another Do-It-Yourself project: T-Shirt Superhero Capes! These DIY capes are cheap, simple, and sure to bring hours of endless fun.  I made all 3 of these in just a few hours and spent less than $5.00 total.  Want to be extra frugal?  Use an old T-shirt!  

1.  Cut the sleeves and the front out of a T-Shirt.  I used adult sizes to achieve the desired length.

2.  Use fun fabric to create some sort of design for the back.  I used a star and a lightening bolt.  I also added a ruffle to the bottom of the girl's cape.  The sky's the limit.  

3.  Apply Iron-On to the back of your patterned fabric.  (Iron-on can be found at any fabric store and comes with instructions.)  Apply your design to the back of the cape.

4.  You can also use the extra T-shirt fabric to make arm bands or an eye mask. 

Cape Idea Adapted from: lookwhaterinmade.blogspot.com

It's just that easy... DIY T-Shirt Bracelet

This Christmas I find myself caught up in the whole "Do-It-Yourself" thing.  Crafting has been a lot of fun and has been gentle on our Holiday budget.  I had thought about blogging a DIY gift idea the 12 days leading up to Christmas until I realized most of the people I am making these gifts for follow my blog.  So instead, as I give these gifts away, they will also slowly make their way onto my blog.  Here we go....

T-Shirt bracelets are my frugal DIY gift I made for the young ladies in my small group at The Edge this year.  They were fast, simple, cheap, and trendy which is exactly what I was looking for since I needed 12 of them.  All you need is an old T-Shirt and some hot glue.  I also added in a strand of craft pearls which I had laying around from our wedding decorations.  If you don't have a T-Shirt you want to cut up you can find them at any craft store in just about any color.  I actually found mine at Menards for $1.50 each.  A Men's XL can easily make 20 bracelets depending on the thickness you desire.  According to my figures, I spent less than 10 cents a bracelet.  If that's not frugal I don't know what is!

Step 1.  Cut 3 strips of fabric about 12 inches long.  Stack on top of one another.  I used dabs of glue to hold them in place.  If you are using a pearl strand place it on top of the fabric strips.  Shut end in drawer and braid the 3 strands keeping the pearls with one. 

Step 2:  Hot glue the last few overlaps of material when you have finished braiding.  At this point you should have a strand of braid with the ends glued together so it doesn't unwrap. 

Step 3:  Hot Glue the two ends together to make a bracelet.  You may want to cut a strip of T-shirt to cover up the overlap area.  Glue it in place. 

There you have it. 5 minute T-Shirt bracelets! 

The Frugal Tree

The day after the first Christmas Paul and I spent as an engaged couple we got up early and made our way to Target for their "after Christmas" sale.  We bought  all of our Christmas tree decorations that day.  From lights to ornaments we would be set to go for years to come.  Little did we know that 6 years down the road we would be itching for something new.  Although I would recommend "after Holiday" shopping when at all possible, that is not what this frugal find is about.  In an attempt to switch up the tree this year we went the homemade route and came up with an entirely different tree at a very do-able price.  So here we go....

Our Candy Themed Tree.  We used colored lights that we had as opposed to our usual white lights.

Popcorn and Twizzlers String.   All you need is stale popcorn, twizzlers, and a needle and thread. (Cost $2)

Peppermint Ornaments.  I used both red and green peppermint candy and red hots.  Add a little hot glue, a loop on top, and there you have it.  (Cost $4 makes around 30)

Lollipop Tree topper.  I bought the lollipop at the Dollar Tree and used a piece of scrap ribbon to tie around it.  We found twist ties to do the trick to attach it to the top.   (Cost $1)

No Sew Tree Skirt.  I picked out some fabric, bought a piece of painters cloth for the bottom, and used hot glue to put together this ruffle tree skirt.  (Cost $9)

Want to make your own?  For step by step instructions I used the following blog:  http://mycrazylife-lauren.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-pinned-it-i-did-it-ruffled-tree-skirt.html

Freeze It!

Winter is just around the corner..... actually, it is here!  Unlike many I love winter.  I love the snow,  the cold, and layers of over sized comfy clothing.  There are a few things about winter however, that make being frugal a little more complicated.  Take fresh produce for example.  Not only is the selection and quality lacking during the cold winter months, but the prices jump.  I find myself planning my menu for the week purposely avoiding those fruits and veggies that I love but know will cost sometimes as much as 3 times more than the summer months.  This year I have decided to do something about it.  It's called a freezer.

This week while at Festival Foods I noticed green peppers for less than a dollar a piece and they looked fantastic.  I decided to buy a bunch and then cut and freeze them.  I also measured them out based on certain recipes that I often use so I can simply grab them out as I need them this winter and won't have to pay the high prices in the store.  For me, saving a few extra dollars throughout those long winter months matters.   Happy Frugal Freezing!   

Wash, Cut, and Freeze!

Green Peppers measured and ready to go for fajitas, pizza, casserole, and eggs.  Old baby food containers are the perfect size for freezing!

I also stocked up on ham for casseroles, soup and omelets which was a great buy too!