Instant Potatoes As Non-Toxic Rat BaitMost rat baits are toxic to other animals if they happen to chew or chomp on a dead rat. This is a deadly but non-toxic method to kill rats by using Instant Potato flakes or powder.
How to Fix Damaged Surfaces of Wood FurnitureWood is lovely, but at times it does not age well, or exposure makes the veneer or varnish suffer needlessly.
Bubble and SqueakWe got this recipe from British friends who were camping with us one year. It is filling, healthy, and makes a great one-pot dinner for potlucks or camping. It is as easy as can be, fairly inexpensive, and uses only 4 ingredients.
Adult Pads as Alternative to "Puppy Pads"Most everyone I know owns a pet. They can be expensive but I try to cut corners and save where I can. There is nothing like the unconditional love of an animal. I rescued my dog on what was, to be her last day.
Painting Old WindowsI got this old window at a salvage store. $5.00. I used clear Elmer's glue mixed with a small amount of acrylic paint to create faux stained glass paint. I outlined my pattern with black paint that comes with a tip. Then I added embellishments and presto, trash to treasure.
3 Ingredient TrufflesThese beautiful little truffles will blow you away. They are creamy and decadent, yet so easy to make. You just need a pack of Oreo cookies, a block of cream cheese, and a bag of chocolate chips. Sprinkles are totally optional. I only used them to make them pop for my Valentine!
Crochet Hooded ScarfThis will make it a little harder to misplace your winter gear. Hat and scarf all in one! If you can double crochet, than you can make this, no special skills required. This is one size fits most, child through adult. Stay warm!
Peppermint Oil for Mice ControlThis is the time of year we get mice. We live back off the road and there are barns behind us so we get about 3 a year. My husband read in Mother Earth news, that you can make your mouse problem go away for good.
How To Repair Frizzy American Girl Doll HairThis is an easy and inexpensive way to repair American Girl Dolls' hair using household items.
Snowman Made of Plastic CupsI still have two more half spheres of plastic cups which I previously turned into a chandelier. One is small and the other one is big so I got the idea of making another decoration which is a snowman.
Pocket Hand WarmersI saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was such a nice way to have a little warmth on those days you have to go out in the cold. You can make a pair very quickly. I just made basic squares. But, I've seen hearts, owls, ladybugs, you name it. These would make a nice gift for those in cold climates.
Hershey's Kiss RosesThese are a pretty and delicious present for someone. They are easy to make once you get the hang of it. You can put a bunch of them in a ceramic pot as a gift. Or tie a few together and put on top of a gift. Or just hand someone a single rose and brighten their day.
Valentine's Day EggsThis is a fun and adorable edible craft I learned from my mother. She's been doing this since she was a little kid. All you need are a few household items.
Temporarily Cover Car Windows with Shrink...I have driven briefly on highway at 55 mph and on local city streets at 35 mph all over about 2 weeks. The film stayed on perfectly, kept the heat in the car and the cold out .
Avoid Aspartame for Bladder Control IssuesDo you drink sugar-free drinks or otherwise use aspartame? Do you have an issue with frequent urges to urinate, or incontinence? Did you know that aspartame many times is the cause of these issues?
TV Dinner Trays As Drawer OrganizersI always thought that the trays your TV dinner comes in could be useful for something. Then it came to me, drawer organizers! We all have messy drawers, in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc.
Use Vinegar Instead of Dryer SheetsActually this has to do with laundry, I have been told this before, but I tried this last weekend. I was not happy with my dryer sheets; I would rather not use them. Our sons use them so we have lots of them.
DIY Eyelash AdhesiveI started making my own eyelash glue when I realized the store brand ones I was using was making my lids a bit itchy. This adhesive is made of a few simple household products and keeps your lashes on all day.
Make Frozen Lasagna Taste HomemadeThis is a tip I thought I would share since I did this over the week-end and my dinner guests loved the lasagna dinner. They all thought it was homemade! Little did they know, I purchased the Stoffers large frozen lasagna when it was on sale at my favorite store.
Heirloom ShadowboxesHere's a way to get your family mementos out of old shoe boxes in the attic or jewelry boxes in your dresser drawers and into display boxes where they can be enjoyed every day.
Making a Faux CakeI recently discovered that newspaper can make a great pulp to make faux foods. I've been wanting a faux cake to display on a cake platter.
Reuse Disposable Vacuum BagsI have an expensive vacuum cleaner that takes expensive bags. To save on buying new bags for my vacuum, I simply cut the bottom off the bag, empty it, and duct tape the bottom shut.
Hot Dog Crescent Roll AppetizersEasy to make and so much cheaper than buying them already made. I never have any left!
Vintage Rose Gift BagCelebrate the joy of gift giving with this project. Turn an ordinary brown paper bag into an extraordinary gift bag that is sure to make the recipient feel special. The roses are made from an egg carton tray, so this is also a budget-friendly winner!
Use Tarp to Keep Snowy Grass ClearHere is a solution for dogs that won't pee outside in snow? Grab a tarp from your local hardware store. Place it on ground before it snows, close to the door you let your dog outside.
Deodorant to Remove Underarm StainsI bought a beautiful white sweater at a yard sale. The challenge though was the sweater had large yellow armpit stains. I got all sorts of advice, use OXI, use vinegar, use lemon juice, use baking soda; they all failed. Then someone said use what "caused the stain", deodorant.
Cinnamon Coffee CakeMoist and delicious!
Egg Cartons For StorageWe all have them! Styrofoam, cardboard, etc., they are fabu for storage! Fill each cup half full with poster paint, let it dry, and bam! Water color paint for the kiddies to use!
How To Control Ants In Your KitchenWhen I was growing up during the warm summer months my grandma's kitchen would be filled with ants. Each morning we would wake up to ants around the sink, on the counters, and crawling up the cupboards.
My Best Garage Sale TipsAfter taking my grandmother around to hundreds of garage sales when I was a teen, I began having sales when I was married. Here are some of my tips:
Crock Pot YogurtThis recipe makes inexpensive and easy yogurt in your crockpot at home. Basically; you heat the milk to 180 degrees, cool it to 110, add a bit of plain live culture yogurt to the mix and keep it warm for a few hours to grow, cool it, strain it and eat it!
Games to Play With Kids While DrivingWe had several games the kids enjoyed playing when they were younger and we were traveling. Most included winning money!
Protecting Silk Flower Arrangements for GravesitesWith Memorial Day soon approaching, I wanted to share this tip for silk flower arrangements. Spray with a couple coats of WD-40 to help repel water from rain and sprinklers, and to protect silk flowers' colors from fading due to sunlight.
Prevent Mold on Cheese with VinegarIf you are like me and prefer to purchase a "chunk" of cheese instead of already shredded cheese, this tip is for you.
Clean Fridge And Freezer Interior With PeroxideFor years I've used baking soda to clean inside my refrigerator and freezer. I've found something I think I like better. Peroxide.
Pinesol To Keep Pests AwayKeep a spray bottle of half Pinesol/half water under your sink spray outside garbage cans or anywhere you have a pest problem. Animals like rodents, opossums, raccoons, etc. don't like the smell.
Cream Cheese Sweetheart CakeSweetheart is a type of cake with a cookie-like texture; more like a brownie. It is just a simple cake, but what I like most about it is the white glaze on top.
Polishing Tarnished JewelryTo bring the shine back to tarnished silver jewlery, pour hot water into a mug, add three tablespoons of salt (to make an electrolyte), put in some aluminum tin foil and the tarnished silver jewelery.
Tea Tree Oil For ToothachesMost toothaches are caused by an infection around the tooth. It is between the tooth and the gums causing pressure. Try coating the area with Tea Tree Oil on a Q-tip. Try to keep your tougue away from it, it tastes terrible.
Preparing For A Winter Power OutageOur family recently survived a lengthy power outage after a major ice storm. We really did not find it that difficult to do, in part because we were prepared ahead of time. However, some of our neighbors who were not prepared ended up staying at a hotel for several nights.
Label Corner of Fitted SheetBefore putting on a fitted sheet on a bed, take a permanent marker and write on the tag, LB or RB, depending on which side the tag is on. It makes making a bed much faster and easier! No more trying to figure out which corner goes where.
Lucy: A Gift From the Rainbow BridgeLucy was gifted to me in May 2015 by a complete stranger on Facebook. I still do not know who they were.
Organizing for a DisabilityHi all, I am disabled and it took a long time to get used to it, that areas will be limited and some things are out of being part of my life. Yes, I had to change the thinking first, then the home.
Pill Organizers for JewelryWeekday pill organizers like the one pictured can be used to plan what earrings will be worn on which day of the week. Bobby pins fit also fit in this particular one, and rings as well.
Heart-shaped Valentine CardMake this sweet card to give this Valentine's Day.
Heart Succulent WreathI purchased this iron heart chicken wire wall decor at my local Michael's Arts & Crafts for 70% off. I will show you all how to create this heart shaped succulent wreath to use as outdoor decor.
Crispy Eggplant "Bacon"I've tried to make fake bacon out of so many products and eggplant seems to mimic the texture of bacon the best. Here is how to make your own eggplant "bacon" at home!
Dollar Bill RoseA single rose is an elegant gift, no matter what the occasion. I have been making these since the early '70s.
Silverware Cabinet HandlesThe knobs and handles for kitchen cabinets are so expensive unless you want to settle for plain old wooden knobs. Here is how my husband and I were able to have something a little fancier with lots less money.
Bucky (Shetland Sheepdog/Staffordshire Terrier)We found our sweet bundle of joy at a shelter in December of 2014. He loves to play, go for walks, and be held. He's about 34 pounds, but continues to be a lovable lap dog.
Use a Child's Swimming Pool for a Patio GardenWe do not have a place in our backyard to plant a "regular" garden, but we did have room on our patio deck to do something. I came up with an idea for a small garden using a child's plastic swimming pool.
Pants Ex-panderThis comes in handy for those times when you just ate and need a little more room in your pants. All you have to have is a small rubber band loop it through the opening and then it makes a loop for you to put on your button of your pants. So easy to do.
Reuse Favorite T-shirts As A QuiltThrough our teenage years, my brother and I went to hundreds of concerts. We've collected many a precious T-shirt while following our favorite bands on tours. Now we have outgrown them, but wanting to keep them alive for our memories, we've had our mother turn the T-shirts into quilts.
Stretching Tight Boots and ShoesI have really big muscular calves and wide feet (thanks, Mum!), making it very hard for me to fit into shoes I fancy. I bought these suede boots and pumps online because they were dirt cheap and super cute. When they arrived, not surprisingly, I could not fit into them.
Removing Nail Polish from ClothesI applied glitter polish on my toenails right before I started my yoga class and stained the back of my new workout leggings! I came here to try and find a solution, but we don't have any oven cleaner or acetone-free nail polish remover in the house. My husband made a mixture of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar.
Bottle Cap Screen DoorPlastic bottle caps can be used to make fly and insect door curtains. Measure a piece of timber dowel the width of the door. Drill a small hole in the centre of each cap and string them together like beads, with knots along the string to keep them separate from each other.
Turn Cheap Steak Into Amazing SteakI love a really good fillet mignon from time to time, but my purse never does! Here is a super easy way to make even the cheapest cuts of steak into a velvety delight, using just salt and sugar.
Recycled Garden TotemI had a corner of my garden that needed some color this spring. I saw some garden totems made of glass, but I wanted something with more color.
Recycled Container As Toilet Brush HolderThis is a good idea for recycling your laundry detergent containers, Clorox or gallon milk containers. These work really well for holding your toilet bowel brush.
Make Beef Patties Inside Ziploc BagOne of my absolute favorite meals is hamburgers. I always mix in at least 1-2 seasonings, the most flavorful for me being ranch and onion powders. I dread the mixing and shaping part though because bits of the ground beef sticks to my hands, as I roll and flatten.
Sparky (Chihuahua Terrier Mix)We moved out to the country, in the middle of Texas. Two dogs were watching my husband from the woods, dropped off strays. He called them over and they were overjoyed and hungry. The next day they came back again. I couldn't deny these 2 devoted friends a forever, safe, fun home off the streets.
Ladies Toiletry Basket For GuestsThis is a ladies toiletry basket, I made for my daughter's wedding back in September. She was married at Castle in The Clouds in New Hampshire. So, with a castle setting, I chose a brown tin large oval planter in place of a basket. It gave it a more medieval look to it.
Ice and Ladle Fat SkimmerWhenever we watch cooking shows, my husband sees those handy dandy fat separator tools and asks me if I want one. I'm perfectly happy with my way: put ice cubes in a ladle and skim across the fatty top of whatever you're separating. The cold will get the fat to congeal in the ladle. Just like a magnet!
Easily Remove Grease from Ground BeefWhenever I browned hamburger meat for tacos, spaghetti, or whatever, I used to take the meat out of the pan, transfer it to a strainer to drain the grease and then return it to the pan to finish cooking. I have found a better way.
Test Seeds For ViabilityAs I write this, there are still nineteen days until winter actually begins. It will be another two to three months before I can start my indoor seedlings. It's hard waiting.
Receipt StorageI store all my receipts for the month in this long magnetic box that I bought from Michaels for $3.49, originally $6.99 (with a 50% coupon).
4-H Breadmaker RollsBelieve it or not, this recipe is at least 54 years old. When I was in 4-H, another member and I gave a demonstration on making rolls. I have since adapted it to my bread maker.
French Onion ChickenThis recipe has only 5 actual ingredients (minus the spices), 6 if you like it a bit thicker by adding spuds. It is delish!
Making a Bamboo RainstickHere on the island music is an important part of our lives. There are many ways that we use bamboo to make musical instruments. One of the instruments I love to make is a rainstick.
Hutch (Husky/Wolf Mix)This is Hutch a Siberian Husky and Wolf mix. He's not my dog, but he thinks he is. He's 6 years old and, until this past March, lived chained to a big tree across the street in a neighbor's back yard.
Razor For Removing Fabric PillsIt seems like it's always your old favorites that get those awful little fabric pills. Take a new disposable razor and lightly go across the garment. Use short strokes while pulling the fabric tight.
Clay Pot GalMy good friend Andrea, lives in an apartment. Outside her door is a place she can put a decoration or plant. She had one that "disappeared". She went looking and found it on the floor above her. DH wanted to make this to replace it for her.
No Mix Homemade Brown SugarBeing frugal isn't complicated. It tends to be just the opposite. Over the years, I've shown appreciation for tips submitted by littergitter, Sandi/Poor But Proud and others, that make things unbelievable simple. Here's one from me.
Altered T-Shirt for Shoulder SurgeryRecently, I searched online for medical clothing needed after a rotator cuff surgery and noticed the cost of such alterations was in my opinion over priced. After gleaning a few items, I decided to give it my best DIY version that was less costly and worked just as well.
Seed Packet StorageI hate having all those seed packets that are always falling over, spilling the seeds, getting yucky and hard-to-read. So to fix that dilemma I searched my house for ways to store them.
Keeping a Master Grocery List on the ComputerAfter reviewing my grocery receipts and pantry for a month, I devised a shopping list on my computer that lists everything I use in my home, broken down into general categories like Produce/Fresh; Frozen; Pantry; Office; Toiletries/Household.
Saving Money on Wedding FlowersSave lots of money when it comes to flowers for your wedding. Visit your local markets and use in season flowers to create wonderful wedding bouquets with out the hassle of over priced florists.
Button Flowers in Salt Shaker VaseUse your button collection to make these funky flowers. Add a vintage salt shaker to hold your bouquet.
Bird Seed Heart Wedding FavorsMy daughter's wedding has a natural theme and so we wanted a favor that would be consistent and something anyone could enjoy once they got it home!
Little Snowmen Ornaments from Yogurt BottlesEverytime I drank one of the Dannon Drinkable yogurts this year I thought the bottles were shaped like little snowmen.
Repurposed Helium Tank Jack-o-LanternFor parties I love those helium tanks that you can purchase and create your own balloon design from your home. I have used that for several functions.The problem was the empty tank. I decided to turn my tank into art! With spray paint and craft paints, I made a character piece for my yard.
Origami Paper FlowersThese paper flowers could be used for a party decoration.
Changing The Color Of LED BulbsThe LED string lights I had were too cool for my taste and I also wanted to change to colored lights, so I colored each individual bulb with a permanent marker. It took some time to color each bulb, but I liked the end result. (I saved the snowflakes that were on the lights for another project.)
Woven T-shirt Yarn BasketWith my leftover t-shirt yarn from another project, I made this basket to hold mail. It is nice and sturdy made from the yarn.
Packing Paper Gift WrapI always have a lot of packing paper from home deliveries and thought I'd use some of it to wrap gifts for Christmas this year. The paper is very strong and also lends itself well for making 'ribbon' for gifts.
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.
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 !
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.
Rolled Cherry PieThis is a favorite pie in my family, and it's very easy to make. When the cherry season arrives, I often make it and we enjoy its taste. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and about 40 minutes to bake.
Loghouse Hexagon Quilted Hot PadMade from scrap strips of fabric.
An Easy Way to Clean a Burnt SaucepanPlease note that I haven't tried this on a pan with a non stick coating. However, if your pan is so burnt that you'll have to throw it out, then you may decide it's worth a try.
Monastic Hut CakeI want to share with you a recipe for a cake that everyone in my family loves very much. This cake has a pyramid shape, with so-called pastry "tubes" that have sour cherry (tart cherry) filling and sweet cream outside. This cake looks impressive, is very delicious, simple, easy to assemble and can be made ahead.
Use a Drain Bucket When Washing Vegetables OutsideI use a drain pan in my kitchen quite often and I thought it would be good to have a drain bucket on hand when washing garden vegetables outside. It gets the excess water out.
Homemade GiftwrapMaking a small piece of gift wrap using brown paper and my computer printer. I needed some gift wrap for a small book, and because I'm still recovering from shoulder surgery, I didn't want to have to drive into town (7 miles round trip) to buy more.
Fanny Pack for Clothespin BagI have an old fanny pack and have discovered it has multiple uses. I have been wanting an apron clothespin bag but just haven't gotten around to making one. After using my fanny pack for dropping seed, when planting the garden, I thought about using it for a clothespin bag. Hooked around my waist, it's so easy to get the clothespins out when hanging clothes on the line. This little bag will hold well over 60 clothespins.
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.
