From the category archives:

crafting

Festival of Frugality

by Carrie on August 11, 2009

Welcome to the August 11, 2009 edition of the Festival of Frugality. This week we have a wonderful assortment of tips on how to be more frugal in a variety of areas of your life.

Editor’s Pick

Modern Gal presents Do Certain Personality Types Save More? posted at Modern Gal. This is kind of crazy because I apparently perfectly fit the stereotype for people who have success in shifting to a simpler, more sustainable life-style. Do you fit?

Budgeting

Cleaning

Cooking

Couponing

Crafting

Going Green

Investing

Meal Planning

Shopping

Traveling

Next Issue

You can submit your article for next week’s carnival at the Festival of Frugality blog carnival page.

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Time for a Little New and New to Me Furniture

by Carrie on August 10, 2009

The more I try to make the numbers work, the more I see that it’s going to be at least 5 years from now before I can afford to buy a decent townhouse in the Bay Area on my own.

Since I’ve now lived in my current home for 1.5 years, which is longer than I’ve lived anywhere else other than my parent’s house as a child, I figure it’s time to settle in. The house I’m living in now is a townhouse that my parents purchased in the 1970s as an investment property and they’ve been renting it out ever since. I pay rent but it’s a better rate than I’d get anywhere else so I’m not inclined to move again unless I buy something of my own.

Almost all of my furniture is family heirlooms or hand me downs with the exception of my bed, my couch, and a few simple and highly functional pieces that no one else had to spare like bookcases. I think antique and used furniture is great if it’s solid but not so great for fabric and upholstered items.

I’ve been dreaming of a super comfy chair placed near a large window to make the perfect reading nook for over 5 years now so I think it’s finally time to go ahead and buy one. Because I want a squishy upholstered chair, I’ll only be considering new items (reupholstering is often as expensive or more expensive than buying a new piece of furniture). I’ll be testing out chairs when I’m out and about shopping looking for a comfortable and quality piece and when I find one I love I’ll be ready to splurge.

860076_whi_bI’m also in the market for a pair of nightstands for my master bedroom. While window shopping at Anthropologie recently I spotted this piece which would be perfect. However, I am not interested in paying $698 x 2 for a pair. Since a nightstand is a solid item and I’m not concerned about bed bugs/mold/etc, I’ll be checking thrift stores for two nightstands that I can paint white and then stencil to create a similar effect.

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Wall Art out of Postcards and Scrapbook Paper

by Carrie on July 20, 2009

Grouping of Framed Anne Taintor Postcards

Rather than buying wall art that’s marketed as wall art, I like to create my own out of stuff I’ve already got around the house.

I had picked up a package of Anne Taintor postcards at a local museum gift shop a few years back. I saved my favorites for myself and sent the ones that reminded me of particular friends to those friends.

I could have left the ones I wanted to save for myself shoved away in my desk, but I feel that if you’re going to spend the money on something and have it in your house it needs to have a use. Using the postcards I wanted to keep as decor is a great use.

The frames I used are the cheapest frames available at Michael’s in the smallest size and cost a dollar or two each. Instead of using matt board for the border, I used sheets from a small pad of scrapbook paper (I’m not a scrapbooker myself but I find plenty of other crafty uses for scrapbooking supplies). Check your Sunday paper for a Michael’s 40% off any item coupon every week or sign up for their email newsletter because sometimes they send out 50% off any item coupons via email.

All you need to do to put these together is cut the scrapbook paper to the size of the frame, center the postcard on the scrapbook paper (you could use some double stick tape if you’re having trouble keeping it centered while you get the frame put together), and then close up the frame and hang it on your wall.

Total cost of this project (7 postcard sized finished pieces like I have in the grouping above) including the postcards, frames, and paper is less than $30. You don’t have to use strictly postcards, take a look around and see what you have in terms of paper items that looked so nice you had to save them. If they’re special enough to keep, they’re special enough to have on display.

Here are a couple close ups of individual postcards:

dreamedmywholehousewascleanmygardenkicksass

Featured in Make It From Scratch.

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Make It from Scratch Carnival

by Carrie on May 19, 2009

Welcome to the May 19, 2009 edition of the Make It from Scratch carnival. Be sure to submit your favorite posts from the carnival to any social bookmarking sites you use so we can promote each other and the carnival.

Editor’s Pick

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Kristia presents When Your Garden Hands you Mint, Make Ice Cream posted at Family Balance Sheet. I’m planning to get an ice cream maker sometime this summer and mint ice cream is in my top five things I want to make with it. After seeing Kristia’s post I can hardly wait.

Cooking

Alexandra presents Homemade Ketchup posted at Happy Hearts At Home. I’m not a ketchup fan myself but someday I might tell you about my ketchup at the root of global warming theory, homemade ketchup would solve my issues with it.

Chief Family Officer presents White Bean Dip posted at Chief Family Officer. Very simple and much cheaper than buying hummus.

Jim presents Frugal and Convenient Breakfast Recipes posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. I usually make and freeze homemade muffins or breads but Jim’s waffles and pancakes are great ideas too.

Liss presents Easiest and Laziest Chocolate Cake on the Planet posted at Frills in the Hills. I’d reduce the cleanup even further by mixing this cake straight in the pan.

Rani presents Mom’s Best Meat Loaf posted at Christ’s Bridge. Rani’s mom’s recipe looks suspiciously similar to my mom’s recipe.

Susanna presents Waste Not: Soup, Schmaltz and Chicken “Chicharron” posted at Cheap Like Me. A great way to make the most of your chicken.

The Austerity Kitchen presents From the Colonial Hearth: Indian Pudding posted at The Austerity Kitchen. Molasses sweetened pudding, right up my alley.

Crafting

Alex presents Printable Birthday Invitations posted at Home Life Weekly. A lot of cute options.

Flea presents Make a “Bucket Light” posted at Be A Survivor. I bet most people could make this completely out of things they already have.

RecycleCindy presents Recycled Plarn Net Market Bag posted at My Recycled Bags.com. I’m not a crocheter myself, however my mother has authored many books on the subject. She’s forever been searching for recycling/crochet ideas so I think I’ll be sending Cindy’s pattern her way.

Gardening

Greenstylemom presents Hummingbirds posted at GreenStyleMom. My cat would love if I set up a hummingbird feeder so she could entertain herself watching it.

Mrs. Accountability presents Finally: A Use For Hay Twine posted at Out of Debt Again. If I did have 25 miles of twine lying around, I’d be using this method for my bougainvillea and peas.

Next Issue

Next week’s carnival will be held at Ginger Won’t Snap. You can submit your post at the Make It from Scratch carnival website.

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Hosting Make it from Scratch Next Week

by Carrie on May 12, 2009

I’ll be hosting the Make It from Scratch carnival next Tuesday.

Be sure to check out the Make It from Scratch carnival website to submit your favorite recent post that fits the theme: homemade, recipes, crafts, sewing, from scratch, cooking, baking, do it yourself, frugal.

Here are some of my past entries to the carnival to help inspire you:

Entries for my issue of the carnival are due by Sunday May 17, 2009 at 11:59 PM eastern. The carnival will be posted Tuesday May 19, 2009 at 5:30 AM pacific.

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