We Did It Wednesday: Dollar Tree Cake Plate

I have seen several people talking about making their own cake plates using items from Dollar Tree and a tube of E6000®(which is currently an add-on item on Amazon for only $2.97).  I have no idea who first came up with this, so I am sharing my experience with you.

I made this plate with a green bowl and fun multicolor plate that I found at Dollar Tree.  Due to the fluidity of their products, I cannot promise you will find the same colors at your local store, but chances are you will be able to find something.  When choosing the bowl, be sure to choose a bowl with taller sides and not the shallower cereal bowl.  After you have your products, you simply run a line of the glue around the bottom of the bowl and then center it on the underside of the plate and let it dry.  Mine was dry within 10 minutes, making the entire project super quick.  In fact, I think I spent more time choosing the dishes than I did putting it together.  The fact it cost less than $2.50 to make and can be done quickly makes this a great gift idea for a wedding, Christmas, or just because.  I plan to make a few, pile them with cookies, muffins, or a cake and deliver them to some friends who could use a pick-me-up.

We Did It Wednesday: Decorated Clipboards

My kids have been wanting clipboards so that they can carry their schoolwork with them and work on it wherever they may be.  In an effort to stop any arguments before they started, I decided each child would have their own clipboard. We decided to decorate them in order to tell them apart.  I am pleased with how easy they were and how inexpensive.  The kids love them, too, so that is a bonus.

First, I picked up clipboards from Dollar Tree and took the kids to Joann's to pick out scrapbook paper and origami paper.  My oldest chose duct tape sheets (penguins) instead of scrapbook paper, but most of the instructions are the same. I also pulled out the Mod Podge, some paintbrushes, a pencil, scissors and old newspapers. 

Second, we traced the clipboards on the blank side of the scrapbook paper and cut it out.  With the extra strip of paper, I drew their first initial freehand and cut it out.  If I had it to over, I would probably use the Cricut, but c'est la vie.

Next, we brushed the back of the clipboard with Mod Podge and applied the scrapbook paper.  We did not use Mod Podge to adhere the duct tape since it did not need any help sticking to the board.  Try to remove as many air bubbles as possible.  We matched up a piece of origami paper to each board and trimmed it to a size that looked good.  (Note- on mine, the one with the "D" on it, we did not trim the origami paper.)  We then used Mod Podge to attach it to the center of the board (some were turned to look like a diamond and others were left square) and then added their initial.  After we were done with all that, we added a layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal it and let it dry.

You can also apply scrapbook paper to the front and add ribbons, which we may do at another time, but we are happy with how they look now, so we may just let them be.

This final picture does not do the boards justice, as they look much better in person.  Seeing the picture makes me wish we had used the Cricut, and we might re-do them in the future.  I also prefer the look of the origami paper better when it is trimmed and turned to look like a diamond.  The one with a "D" also shows the importance of removing the air bubbles, or at least making sure they are as small as possible.  It does not affect the function, but does affect the overall look.  Also, measure your paper twice before cutting so you do not end up with bare edges like a few of ours.  Overall, they were pretty inexpensive to make (about $2 for each one) and everyone is happy with them, so it is a success in my book.

Make It Monday: Coffee filter snowflakes, Homemade liquid fabric softener, and homemade dishwasher detergent

So, I did not get caught up yesterday, but in an attempt to not fall behind, I am going to jump in with the first Make It Monday.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures...yet, but I am hoping to get some up in the next few days.  Here are the craft and projects I have worked on this past week:

- Coffee filter snowflakes: These are similar to paper snowflakes and just as fun, but I like them more because of their more rounded shape.  We folded ours into quarters and then just snipped away.  If you want a hole in the center of the snowflake, be sure to trim of the point at the top.  After trimming them, open them up and lay them flat under a heavy book so that they will hang flat.  It took about 24 hours for ours to stay flat.  We then taped ours to the plastic covering we have on our big picture window, but you could hang them with fishing line, string, or yarn from anywhere.  I also thought about letting the kids paint them with some watered down glue and sprinkling glitter on them, but then decided against it...maybe in a few years.

- Homemade liquid fabric softener: I found this recipe on The Frugal Girls blog (which, if you do not already read, is a phenomenal source of money saving ideas).  It was super easy to make and it works BETTER than any other liquid fabric softener I have ever used.  In fact, I really disliked liquid fabric softener because my clothes were still always had static cling afterwards, but we have found that not to be the case with this.  Due to the fact that we did not buy liquid fabric softener previously, I did not have any old bottles, but if you have one, I recommend rinsing it out and using it to mix up some of this.  Otherwise, you can do what I did and rinse out an empty gallon container (I used a milk jug), but be sure to label it clearly.  This is certain to save you quite a bit of money each time you make it.

6 cups hot water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups hair conditioner (I used Alberto VO5, strawberry moisturizing milk)

Mix conditioner and hot water until well blended.  I put them in both in the jug and shook it well until it was done, just a minute or 2.  Then add the vinegar and mix again.  That's it!  When you are ready to use it, add 2 Tablespoons to the fabric softener dispenser on your washing machine.  I put an old measuring "cup" from a bottle of cough syrup with the milk jug so I could easily measure it.

- Homemade Dishwasher Detergent: I originally found this as a pin on Pinterest, but after I wrote down the instructions, I never hit re-pin, so I cannot give credit where it is due, but I can tell you that this is NOT my recipe. (If anyone recognizes it, please let me know and if it is the site I used, I will link to it.)  I was hesitant to try this for a few reasons.  First- I typically dislike powdered dishwasher detergent because it sever seems to dissolve completely.  Second- I researched homemade dishwasher detergent before and the reviews were always mixed, often with people saying they left behind a film.  This recipe was a bit different than the others I had seen and I decided to give it a try as the reviews were good.  The results?  We LOVE it.  My kids love the smell and fight over who gets to do the dishes, because they want to fill the soap dispenser.  I love that it cleans my dishes, dissolves completely, and does not leave a film.  According to the review, it says to use vinegar for the rinse agent (think Jet Dry), but we have not found that to be necessary.  I still have some Jet Dry in my rinse agent dispenser and a couple more bottles under the sink so it makes financial sense for me to use that up first.  I have used vinegar in the past though and will use it again in the future when I do not have bottles of rinse agent I received for free.  The homemade dishwasher detergent is much less expensive than even the store brand powdered detergent.

1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda, look for it in the laundry aisle)
1/2 cup Borax (also found in the laundry aisle)
1/4 cup Kosher salt
4 packets of unsweetened lemonade flavor drink mix (I used the Great Value/Wal-Mart brand of Kool-Aid @12 cents per packet)

Put into a container and mix well.  We used a gallon size (though a quart bag would have been big enough) Ziploc bag for our first batch, but now that we know how much we like it.  I will multiply the ingredients and make a larger batch in the future which I will store in a Tupperware container.  Add 1 Tablespoon per wash.


I would love to hear your feedback if you try any of these.  I know water hardness may also play a role in the effectiveness of the fabric softener and dishwasher detergent, so I am curious if the rest of you have different experiences than I did.

Money Monday: Inexpensive, Quick Gifts You Can Make

Can you believe Christmas is only 10 days away (Hannukah starts in 6 days!)? Around this time, peple start scrambling to finish off their gift lists, often paying whatever the asking price is for whatever items are still on the shelves. They end up with meaningless, over priced gifts and feeling unfufilled. Today I will share a couple of ideas for gifts that can be made at home for relatively low cost (especially if you make them in batches) and fairly quickly. They are also gifts that can pretty much suit anyone on your list. You can give the gifts by themselves or pair them up with other gifts, adding until you reach your budget. You will end up with great gifts that have been made with love and that the recipient is bound to enjoy.

Chocolate-Covered Stirring Spoons: Get a bag of chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet, dark chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, raspberry, any kid you want. Pour 1 cup of the chips into a microwaveable bowl or cup (the deeper the better). Melt the chips in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir. Continue doing this in 30 second increments until the chips have completely melted, being sure to stir each time. Chips tend to hold their shape, even when they are completely melted, so stirring them is essential to avoid burning them. Be certain not to overcook the chips and do not let any water get into the chocolate either. Once the chips have completely melted, stir 1 teaspoon of shortening into the melted chips, just until blended. Take a heavy duty plastic spoon and dip it into the melted chocolate, coating the entire bowl and the lower portion of the handle. Sprinkle with some colored sanding sugar or add a few mini-marshmallows or crushed candy canes or anything else you may want to add, or leave it plain, and set the spoon on wax paper to set the chocolate. After about 15 minutes you can drizzle other melted chocolate or re-dip half the spoon into a contrasting chocolate color or simply leave as is and place in the freezer to finish setting. After about 1 hour, wrap the bowl of the spoon in cellophane and tie with a ribbon. You can give the spoons away as a "bouquet" or add them to a coffee mug (the dollar stores often have decent mugs). To make the gift go even further, add a small package of coffee or hot chocolate. This is a great way to use those samples you may have received throughout the year.

Fish in a Bag Soap: This is an idea I saw on the Martha Stewart show lat week and I absolutely loved it. You can watch the video directions here. The only additional thoughts I have is to maybe add a scent and/or color (probably blue would work best) to the soap (or leave it as is). Also, the fish can be found at many craft shows, but I have also seen them at the dollar stores in the toy section. You could give this soap as is or add it to a soap dish for a more adult gift or pair it with a nylon bath scrubby or fun washcloth for a child. Add more bath supplies if desired.

Gift Certificates for Time: I did this one year when I was in college and simply could not afford to give gifts. Unfortunately, no one ever "cashed" in their certificates, so I kid felt like I gave nothing, but they all appreciated the thought. Looking back, I could have encouraged them to actually use their certificates throughout the year. Anyway, decide what you can do for the recipient and give them a homemade gift certificate good for that service. You could print the certificate from the computer (design it yourself or use a free template site like gifttango or Free Printables, buy cardstock and hand design it yourself or even buy blank certificates from an office supply store. As for what to "give", here are just a few ideas: babysitting services, car wash, dog walking/pet sitting, gardening, housework, yard work, a home-cooked meal or dessert, etc. I know one lady who gave "memberships" to her "food of the month" club. Each month she gave each person a gift of whatever was in season in her garden. During the colder months, the gifts were herbs from her kitchen herb garden. It was a great way for her to use her surplus and to give her gift all year long. You could also do a "cookie-of-the-month" club and deliver a dozen cookies each month.

I hope you will be able to use some of these ideas to cover your gift list and stay on budget. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Save It Saturday: 350

So what does 350 have to do with recycling or helping the planet? 350 (parts per million) is the highest level of carbon dioxide that can safely be in the atmosphere. Currently, we are above that number at 385 and the 350 organization wants to help bring that number down. So what can we do? Every Saturday I will be sharing a tip that will help reduce our individual carbon footprint (the amount of CO2 we help contribute to the atmosphere). Instead of a tip this week, it is more of an introduction as to one reason why we should help the planet and to help spread the word about 350.org. There are 2 contests going on through craftster.org to help spread the word about 350.org. There are some great prizes for both contests and I encourage you to check out the information by clicking the link below, especially if you are a creative person. The contest ends on 8/15 so you need to hurry. Please post here if you do enter and let us know when we can go vote for you.