Holidays on a Budget: Green and Frugal Wrappings

Sometimes being frugal also means being green. When wrapping gifts this year, why not consider these eco and budget friendly ideas? Newspapers. The old stand by. Black and white pages are chic, and comics are cute.  Maps. A great bonus if you use this colorful idea on a gift for someone you've traveled with. Those free maps at state welcome centers are great for this.  Scarves. Look in thrift stores and sales racks for a wrapping that will give twice. Tote bags. They're totally cute and fashionable now-a-days, and the recipient gets...

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Holidays on a Budget: The Perfect Salt Dough

Salt dough ornaments are great not only from a frugal standpoint, but they are a great activity for the kids. There are many salt dough recipes out there, but this simple one, with no "weird" stuff added works wonders. The secret to a nice, smooth dough is remembering to knead it. Just because it isn't a dough you will be eating, many people overlook this step. Mix together: 2 cups flour 1 cup table salt 1 cup (give or take a bit as needed) water Knead...

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Holidays on a Budget: Holiday Card Holder

Here is a simple wreath for displaying your holiday cards. You only need a few items to make it, and it makes a great busy project for an older kid. Begin with cutting an eleven-inch circle from some sturdy cardboard. You will also need a five-inch hole out of the center.   Next, cover this in some wrapping paper. Be sure to cut slits or notches in around the edges of the paper so it will cover the curves nicely. Next, you can paint...

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Holidays on a Budget: Bauble Snow-Globes (Anthro-Inspired)

Silver-filled artsy snow-globes are all the rage this year. Simple but blingy, and can be used year-round. Ours don't feature jewelry, but instead good-quality silver spray paint gives trinkets a quirky touch. First, you'll want to find a jar to use, size and shape is completely up to you. Just be sure to wash thoroughly and remove all traces of label. Don't forget the lid! I also spray painted the inside of the lid- but it was a waste of time,...

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Holidays on a Budget: Saltine Toffee

Here is another simple candy to share this Holiday Season. Only 4 simple ingredients And you can find them all in your pantry, or on hand. You will need: a little more than 1 sleeve of saltine crackers 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter 1 and 1/2 cups of packed brown sugar 1 package chocolate chips Line a half-sheet pan with foil and non-stick spray. I also like to add parchment paper, but I keep the foil to protect the sides of the pan. I just got...

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Holidays on a Budget: No Fail "Fudge"

This is seriously the EASIEST candy recipe you will ever see. So tasty, and perfect for a choco-craving or a holiday gift.I like to toss a few pieces in my cookie tin gifts. You will need 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk!) splash of vanilla 4 Tablespoons butter any mix-ins you wish (Nuts, marshmallows, fruits, etc...) Grease a square glass pan. Have all your ingredients ready. I like to have...

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Holidays on a Budget: Christmas Popcorn Balls

These are an easy, but cheery treat for the Holidays. Take 1 cup of light corn syrup and 1/2 cup of sugar, bring to hard boil. Add to this 1 small (3 oz.) box of dry Jello powder, in any flavor that is red. Mix very well. Pour over 5 quarts of popped pop corn. This mixture will be VERY VERY HOT. Let cool slightly. After greasing your hands, form balls the size you like, then wrap each one in saran wrap to keep fresh and soft. Try experimenting...

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Holidays on a Budget: DIY Plastic Wreaths

Looking for an easy, but time consuming craft to keep the kids busy? Or maybe just one that's durable? Then grab a wire clothes hanger, a couple of white trash bags and some scissors. Bend (or is it unbend?) your hanger into a circle. Some people like to leave the hook on for hanging, but I clip that sucker off. I also covered the part where I twisted it back together with a little tape so no one would get scratched. I also totally forgot to take...

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Holidays on a Budget: Two Easy Bows

Here are my two go-to bows for decorating everything from hair accessories, to wreaths, to just for hanging on the wall. First, grab some ribbon, wired or unwired (but wired is easier for your first few...), about 4 times as long as you wish your bow to be. Fold it into fourths to mark  or you can eyeball it, and trim the ends up later. Lay your ribbon top-side-down, there should be 3 marks, splitting your ribbon in fourths. Fold the two on...

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Holidays on a Budget: Children's Clay Menorah

Your children will love this craft project. They get to play with dough, and have their own little menorah that uses inexpensive birthday candles. First, you'll want to make some salt dough. (Equal part salt and flour, slowly add boiling water until it is the right consistency. Knead until smooth.) We knew ours was going to be blue, so we tinted our dough so we wouldn't have to use as many coats of paint. Totally optional. Grab a half-mommy-sized...

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Holidays on a Budget: Cinnamon Votives

I think I may be a little cinnamon-crazy this year. =-) I've seen all sorts of stick-covered vases around the blog-world lately. Also little twig-covered votive holders. SO CUTE. But why not do that with cinnamon sticks? They're cheap if you grab a bag from the right section in the store. I got mine from the section with Mexican foods & spices, Tampico brand, but there are many brands. They were almost a dollar each, not too shabby. I grabbed...

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