Nifty Thrifty Girl

I was in desperate need of a quick and easy advent calendar idea, seeing as it is already December 1st! After perusing several ideas in magazines and on the web, I came across the perfect, quick project…a baby sock advent calendar…thank you, Martha Stewart.

It took no time at all for me to gather some of my daughter’s baby socks. I have a tendency to save EVERYTHING and I knew just which box the socks were in. Unfortunately, many of her socks were white, which just wouldn’t do, so I popped out to our local dollar store and purchased a few pair of new, colorful socks. I had previously purchased the pink wired ribbon, scrapbook paper and the ornament hooks so I was ready to get crafting.

To make this simple, yet adorable, baby sock advent calendar you will need:

• 25 baby socks

• ornament hooks or small clothes pins

• ribbon

• scrapbook paper

• candy, treats, toys, etc.

HOW TO:

• Cut ribbon to desired length

• If using ornament hooks insert one hook into top of each sock (if using clothespins continue on to the next step)

• Cut scrapbook paper into 25 strips, write numbers 1 through 25 on strips (I also wrote a little note at the bottom of each strip for my daughter - some were inspirational messages, others were directives about what we would do that day ie: decorate the tree, make cookies)

• Insert numbered strips into corresponding socks

• Insert candy or a small gift into each sock

• Hang socks on ribbon

Martha’s was a bit more traditional but I like the funky spin the colors add to mine.  Happy Holidays…and happy crafting!

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

I’ve always wanted a fancy bird bath but could never afford one of the lovely vintage cast stone bird baths nor did I want to shell out the cash for a reproduction. And then at an estate sale I stumbled across an old metal ice cream parlor chair. It was rusty and falling apart, but for a mere $1.00 I decided I would purchase it and come up with some clever way to reuse it.

I took the chair home and started to disassemble the various pieces. As I sat and looked at the base an idea came to me. I grabbed an old ironstone platter and …TA-DA!… it rested perfectly on the base of the chair. I now had my very own, unique bird bath.

I do bring the bird bath into the garage for the winter as the platter would surely crack under the extreme NY weather we have. But as soon as spring arrives I always look forward to setting up my bird bath in a quaint little corner of my garden.

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

One of my favorite organizing tricks is to make use of the assorted glassware I’ve collected over the years. Most of these pieces were found at thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales. I’ve made a rule for myself to never pay more than $4 or $5 for a particular piece - most of them were actually found for under $2.

I use these pieces throughout my house for organizing; here are just a few tips/suggestions on how to use your collections to your advantage:

- Use small containers to organize bathroom supplies such as cotton balls, Q-tips, makeup brushes

- Use on your dresser top to organize earrings, jewelry, miscellaneous items

- Use on your desk to organize office supplies such as pens, scissors, paper clips

Put your collections to good use, get yourself organized and have fun!

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

When I couldn’t find the perfect chalk board for my kitchen I decided I would make my own. I had an idea of what I wanted, so I began searching yard sale after yard sale until I found the perfect frame. It was a mere $1.00 Yes…$1.00. I painted the frame, took a thin piece of Masonite and cut it to size, sprayed it with several coats of black chalkboard paint, and mounted it in the frame. Voila…a custom chalkboard.

I also added a piece of chalk tied to a string so it’s easily accessible for writing grocery lists.

Since we’re on the subject of chalkboards, another fun find was this Chautauqua Desk:

I found this piece at an auction for $3.00. It was in pretty rough shape and missing many parts. I was interested in the chalkboard and managed to salvage it. I put a hanger on the back and this lovely piece now hangs on my porch wall to welcome guests.

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Do you have boxes and boxes of your child’s adorable artwork in storage? Are you tired of not knowing how to display this artwork? After my daughter tearfully asked me, “Mommy, why don’t you hang any of my drawings?”, I had flash of creativity and came up with this oh-so-simple solution to display my daughter’s artwork. All you need is a little bit of time and you can have a quick-change wall gallery for your child.

Project skill: BEGINNER

You will need:

A spool of chenille rickrack

2 flat headed thumbtacks

2 large buttons

Craft glue

Clothespins

Craft paint (if you choose to paint the clothespins)

Before assembling the “Clothesline Art Gallery” you need to prepare the clothespins and the button thumbtacks:

I chose to paint each clothespin individually which should be done several days ahead of time to ensure proper drying. If you don’t want to paint each clothespin you could also embellish them with any of the nifty decorative notions they now sell at craft stores. Scrapbooking sections are a great place to find stickers, die cuts, felt cutouts, ribbon, etc.

Next, you will need to assemble the button thumbtacks. This, also, should be done several days in advance to allow time for the glue to set. Place a dab of craft glue on each thumbtack and position the button accordingly.

To assemble the “Clothesline Art Gallery”:

• Measure the rickrack and cut to desired length.
• Poke thumbtacks at either end of rickrack.
• Position on wall and push thumbtack into place.
• Add clothespins and display art!

This project is so easy to assemble and provides ease in allowing you to change out the artwork as your child creates new masterpieces. What better way to make your child proud of their artistic accomplishments?

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.