Tissue Paper Roll Face Switch ToyI got the idea from my eldest son. I found him playing with a tissue paper roll as if he was telling a story with 3 characters and changing his voice as he switched the tp roll.
Halloween Trick or Treat Books DecorationThese wooden "books" could be painted different colors for different holidays with different names on the sides. This set is for Halloween.
Sofa Legs as PumpkinsHere is a cute and fun way to repurpose the legs off an old couch that will be discarded. Many are round shaped. Simply unscrew the legs, paint them, and put a ribbon on top. They are nice decorations for Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. They can be made into personalized handmade gifts, and balloon string holders too.
Scrap Wood ScarecrowCute for fall! We had some scraps of "plank" wood leftover from an old backyard playset. My husband cut the planks and screwed and glued the parts together to form a scarecrow with a hat.
Day of the Dead Milk Gallon SkullHere is an easy and fun way to make a Day of the Dead, or most commonly known as Dia De Los Muertos, decorated skull. Simply use an empty and clean milk gallon jug with the handle facing forward. Use permanent markers or paint brushes and paint. You can also glue on glitter, etc. If you want to give it a cool effect at night, place a tea light on top as shown, or cut a hole at the bottom of the jug and insert it underneath. Enjoy !
Wooden Candy Corn DecorationA little paint and some wood to make these cute and fun Halloween decorations!
Teacher's Day CardTomorrow we'll be celebrating World Teacher's Day. My son asked me to help him do a simple greeting card with a small token attached to it. He chose to put a box of chalk since "it's the best reminder of being a teacher", he said.
Indoor Canning Jar Herb GardenI used these cute Mason jar glasses to plant an indoor herb garden.
Pumpkin Candle HolderA nice fall table centerpiece!
Octopus SocksHere is a way to reuse old socks and turn them into octopus sea creatures !
Canning Ring PumpkinDon't know what to do with those extra canning rings? I have a lot more rings than seals so when I saw this cute project idea, I knew just what to do with the extra rings.
Easy Stuffed Pumpkins'Tis the season for pumpkins (almost)! A great way to use up excess fabric pieces for a beautiful fall decoration.
Kinetic Wind Spoon SculptureI saw a kinetic wind sculpture on Facebook and so I looked up a few ideas with how to make one. My husband was the brains behind this project and used a few ideas from various sources and added his own. Following is what we came up with.
Strip Quilt SquareI was given a lot of fabric from a friend. Part of the donation included long strips of fabric so I found this quilt pattern for using up strips of fabric.
Fan PullMade from a wooden spool and a few trinkets
Zucchini GratinDo you want a delicious, balanced and not expensive dish? Zucchini gratin is just such a dish. This is a fancy side dish out of everyday vegetables. There are many variations on cooking zucchini gratin. I am sharing my French friend's recipe.
Loghouse Hexagon Quilted Hot PadMade from scrap strips of fabric.
Nine Patch Quilt SquareSimple instructions for making a nine patch quilt square.
Rosette DecorationI wanted to add an embellishment to a nightgown I made so I made these little rosettes from the leftover fabric.
Recycled Ceramic Look VaseI used plaster of Paris to make this ceramic looking vase from a soda bottle.
Loom Knit BagThere are many options for making things from a knit hat loom besides a hat. I found this fairly simple pattern to make a "purse" which could be used for a swimming bag (has holes for the wet swimming suit to dry) or for whatever purpose you might want to use it for.
Portable PlayhouseThis is a Goldilocks and the Three Bears playhouse. I used a pattern online and adapted it for this fairy tale story.
Bow Quilt PatternTrying out another simple quilt pattern. This project shows how to make one bow square. These squares can then be put together to make a cute quilt, whatever, size you want.
Create Your Own Pride FlagFor a Pride month activity I created this craft for the art room. Everyone can make their own flag, either a traditional rainbow, or one of the many other flags which represent different identities.
Doggie ShoesIt gets pretty hot here in Arizona so I made these crochet doggie shoes for my daughter's dog to wear when we take her on walks at night when it "cools" down to 100 degrees!
Money Sash For All OccasionAfter being able to do all the money surprises (money cake, money umbrella and money boquet), I thought that will be the last money project I can make. Then here comes my sister in-law asking me to make a money sash for her younger brother's wedding.
Baby QuiltThis is a fairly easy baby quilt I made using scraps. I like how the design turned out.
Pho Bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)This delicious soup is a favorite at my local Vietnamese restaurant. I thought it would be fun to try to make it at home. I made it from scratch, including the beef broth. I also made crispy fried shallots (hành phi). Store bought broth and crispy shallots or onions would be just as delicious.
Saving Money When Visiting Las VegasLas Vegas is a popular destination for many travelers, even if you don't enjoy gambling. There are all sorts of music events, museums, tournaments, fine dining and sightseeing options year round. Many businesses will hold conferences there, taking advantage of the lower airfare and bulk discounts for lodging. However, the costs can really add up if you are not careful. Here are some ways to avoid spending too much when you visit.
Bulgarian MesenitzaI have a friend who taught me how to cook the very popular Bulgarian national dish Mesenitza, it's also called Tutmanik. It is bread stuffed with cheese. This is a very tasty and cheap meal. The recipe varies, but the basic ingredients are flour, yeast, oil, milk, butter, eggs, yogurt and cheese. Bulgarian cheese is called sirenje or sirene, it can be replaced with Greek feta.
Handmade Men's TieThis was my first attempt at making a man's tie. I made it out of fabric that matched my daughter's homemade Easter skirt. Her boyfriend wore this tie for Easter to go with her skirt. Turned out great!
Ukrainian Hand Pies (Prizhky) With ApplesI want to share with you a recipe of my family's favorite meal. These Ukrainian hand pies are called pyrizhky or pirozhki or piroshky. They are made from yeast dough, stuffed with apples and fried to golden color. The pyrizhky also can have other fillings, such as mashed potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, ground meat, jam, and others.
Clipboard Gallery WallIf your kid is anything like mine, there is a slew of artwork being made each day. I wanted a way to display my child's art in a way that could be easily changed. This is the solution I came up with. I wanted to be able to have both verticle and horizontal pieces of art, so I got two sizes of clipboards so that art would be contained within the parameters of the clipboard. I added some patterned contact paper to some of the clipboards to add interest and also painted the clips black to match. In retrospect, I don't think the contact paper was needed, as I am sure these will always be full.
Hibiscus GumpasteEverybody wants to have the best looking cake. Since it's summer season in my country, I get a few demands of tropical or summer themed cakes. Today I'm gonna show you how to make realistic hibiscus flower gumpaste, beginner level.
Drawstring BackpacksI made these for a charity who gives backpacks filled with various items to cancer patients who are children.
Rope TrivetI needed a trivet to go with a lot of my placemats and dishes and found this idea.
Foam Dice BunniesCover and decorate foam dice with balloons to make a cute and easy bunny. In winter, use white balloons and make them into snowmen.
Easter Bunny and EggsI saw the idea for these bunnies and eggs in a magazine and decided to use them as an inspiration for making these.
Product Review: Dinnerly Meal DeliveryRecently, I tried a meal delivery service, Dinnerly. My teen daughter has been more interested in cooking lately and I thought it would be a good way to teach her some techniques and recipes that are different than my usual meals. Here's how it went:
Bunny Candy PouchesI made these for my daughter-in-law's school class so she could give them a fun little treat.
ThriftyFun Updates (March 2022)We are announcing some big changes to both our newsletters and contests as of March 1st, 2022.
Using Digital Coupons and Rewards When ShoppingIn addition to coupons sent by mail or in newspapers, many stores have their own system for digital savings too. This is a great way to save money at the checkout. It encourages customers to be "loyal" to that store and allows the store to send you specific promotions based on your shopping history.
Gedempte ChickenGedempte means "well-cooked." It is a flavorful, braised chicken that is economical and great for the winter. The chicken, potatoes and onions were all on sale. Use one potato and one piece of chicken for each serving
Cupid's ArrowsLet me share to you another unique way of sending messages to your lovies with Cupid's arrows. I learned this cute craft way back in high school. Here's how to do it.
Love MailboxThe best Valentine activity we had in high school was putting up a Love Mailbox. Receive your love notes and valentine goodies thru this cute looking mailbox.
Reverse Glass LetteringDon't want to buy vinyl lettering? Don't have good handwriting? I came up with this idea after researching "reverse glass painting" projects.
Review Your Subscription Services
Many of us have cancelled cable but quickly found we're spending the same money on streaming services. Even worse, it's sometimes hard to remember what streaming services we're actually paying for. With subscriptions not just for TV but also music, ebooks, newspapers, video games, and fitness it can be hard to keep track.
Recycled Chair Leg Candlestick HoldersI had four chair legs left from a previous craft project (posted on Thriftyfun a few months ago). Rather than discard them, I made them into candlestick holders.
