Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
There is a Frugal craft swap going on over on www.craftster.com. They posted this neat list of frugal crafts. There are some great ideas here....
"Some ideas of what people can craft for the frugal household/crafter ...
Budgeting
- calendar for when bills are due to avoid paying late charges
- calendar for when library books are due to avoid paying late fees
- checkbook cover (perhaps if it's pretty, it'll be easier to keep track of spending?)
- coin purse
- journal/book to keep a budget in
- piggy bank
Frugal Crafters
- crafting inventory (to prevent duplicate purchases)
- reclaimed yarn/fabric (how to reclaim yarn from a sweater)
- repurposed clothing
- supplies (if the sender won't use it and the receiver will - it'll be good for all!)
Frugal Gardens (growing is cheaper than buying once you've gotten started!)
- basket to collect the veggies
- crop/plant markers
- gardening bag,
- getting started kit
- planting planners
- seeds/containers
- veggie/herb kit for indoor gardening
- watering can
Frugal gift giving
- blank gift tags
- card-making kit
- DIY gift-giving kit (reusable fabric gift bags, blank notecards, blank gift tags, etc.)
- fabric gift bags
- handcrafted stamps to make personalized note cards/stationery
- handmade birthday cards
- handmade gift boxes (small ones are great made out of old holiday cards)
- handmade gift bows (out of newspaper, magazines, film ... ideas are endless)
- handmade holiday cards
- handmade other occasion cards
- newspaper gift bags
- notebook for brainstorming gift ideas (hopefully that will save us a few bucks and reduce the chances of impulse buying at the last minute.)
- personalized note cards/stationery
- pocket calendar to keep track of birthdays and to plan and post early, which would save on postage
- reusable fabric gift wrap
- stamped wrapping paper (brown paper would work well)
Frugal Gourmet
- book to plan menus (which will help eliminate eating out)
- calculator cozy (for taking to the grocery store to keep track of your purchases!)
- coupon holder (sewn and not-sewn)
- grocery list organizer to go along with the menu planning
- home-preserved jams, jellies, etc.
- mixes (for dip, bread, cookies, etc.)
- price comparison notebook (if you keep track of how much a can of tomatoes is at Store A and Store B, you'll know who has better deals - and if the "sales" are really worth it!)
- recipes (homemade bread is economical AND tasty! Also non-meat meals cost less, too ... including ideas for leftovers, might be fun too.)
- reusable grocery/other use bags
- reusable vegetable bags
The Frugal Home
- a book of tips for the frugal crafter/homeowner
- candles - remelt the ends into a mold to form a perfectly usable new candle (just add a wick)
- clothespin bag
- DIY home repair kit (hammer, screwdriver, misc. tools, plus instructions on how to do simple home repairs)
- draft dodgers to go at doors/windows to keep out the drafts
- dryer sachets
- homemade cleaning products (or recipes for such with bottles to put them in, since the Postal Service frowns on sending most liquids ...)
- homemade laundry soap
- magnets/wall stuff to remind you to do things (turn off lights, unplug unused appliances, adjust thermostat when you won't be there, water your garden)
- reusable swiffer socks (a sewn swiffer cover tutorial and a crocheted swiffer cover pattern)
- reusable swiffer hand duster socks
- Sock Rug
- wool dryer balls
Frugal Kids
- cloth diapers
- cloth baby wipes
- remelt the ends of crayons to make new crayons
Kitchen Frugality
- cloth napkins
- dishcloths
- drying rack for plastic bags
- jug/jar covers
- napkin rings
- pantry inventory (so you don't overbuy or worse, let something go to waste in the bottom of the fridge because you forgot you have it)
- reusable bowl covers
- reusable bread bag
- reusable lunch bag, sandwich wrap,
snack bag (Possible off-gassing using PUL/vinyl - please discuss with your partner if you want to make that/have a problem with it!)
- reusable "paper" towels
- reusable tea bags for loose tea (made out of a fine mesh)
- tea cozy (irony optional)
- tea towels/dishtowels
- tea wallet
- utensil roll for lunchboxes (no more disposables or losing good flatware)
Personally Frugal
- cloth menstrual pads/menstrual cup bag/wet bags
- DIY first aid kit (gauze, bandages, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, etc.)
- embroidered cloth handkerchiefs
- dumbbells of some sort (filled with sand, perhaps?)
- handmade soap/bath salts (possibly with recipes)
- homemade cough drops
- handmade face scrub/astringent
- nursing pads
- reusable makeup remover pads
- reusable water bottle/carrier
- small rice/corn packs for icing/warming eyes/head
- soap saver
- tote bag for library books
- yoga mat
- washcloths
Seasonally Frugal (to save on heating bills/AC bills)
- cool pack to put in the fridge/freezer
- draft dodger
- gloves/wrist warmers to keep warm in the winter
- hair ties/headbands
- homemade hand fans
- lap quilt
- microwavable rice/corn heating bag to keep tootsies warm in bed or as a hot/cold pack
- re-conned shirts into tank tops
- rag rug
- socks/slippers to keep warm in the winter "
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=375950.0
I can't wait for them to start posting pictures
"Some ideas of what people can craft for the frugal household/crafter ...
Budgeting
- calendar for when bills are due to avoid paying late charges
- calendar for when library books are due to avoid paying late fees
- checkbook cover (perhaps if it's pretty, it'll be easier to keep track of spending?)
- coin purse
- journal/book to keep a budget in
- piggy bank
Frugal Crafters
- crafting inventory (to prevent duplicate purchases)
- reclaimed yarn/fabric (how to reclaim yarn from a sweater)
- repurposed clothing
- supplies (if the sender won't use it and the receiver will - it'll be good for all!)
Frugal Gardens (growing is cheaper than buying once you've gotten started!)
- basket to collect the veggies
- crop/plant markers
- gardening bag,
- getting started kit
- planting planners
- seeds/containers
- veggie/herb kit for indoor gardening
- watering can
Frugal gift giving
- blank gift tags
- card-making kit
- DIY gift-giving kit (reusable fabric gift bags, blank notecards, blank gift tags, etc.)
- fabric gift bags
- handcrafted stamps to make personalized note cards/stationery
- handmade birthday cards
- handmade gift boxes (small ones are great made out of old holiday cards)
- handmade gift bows (out of newspaper, magazines, film ... ideas are endless)
- handmade holiday cards
- handmade other occasion cards
- newspaper gift bags
- notebook for brainstorming gift ideas (hopefully that will save us a few bucks and reduce the chances of impulse buying at the last minute.)
- personalized note cards/stationery
- pocket calendar to keep track of birthdays and to plan and post early, which would save on postage
- reusable fabric gift wrap
- stamped wrapping paper (brown paper would work well)
Frugal Gourmet
- book to plan menus (which will help eliminate eating out)
- calculator cozy (for taking to the grocery store to keep track of your purchases!)
- coupon holder (sewn and not-sewn)
- grocery list organizer to go along with the menu planning
- home-preserved jams, jellies, etc.
- mixes (for dip, bread, cookies, etc.)
- price comparison notebook (if you keep track of how much a can of tomatoes is at Store A and Store B, you'll know who has better deals - and if the "sales" are really worth it!)
- recipes (homemade bread is economical AND tasty! Also non-meat meals cost less, too ... including ideas for leftovers, might be fun too.)
- reusable grocery/other use bags
- reusable vegetable bags
The Frugal Home
- a book of tips for the frugal crafter/homeowner
- candles - remelt the ends into a mold to form a perfectly usable new candle (just add a wick)
- clothespin bag
- DIY home repair kit (hammer, screwdriver, misc. tools, plus instructions on how to do simple home repairs)
- draft dodgers to go at doors/windows to keep out the drafts
- dryer sachets
- homemade cleaning products (or recipes for such with bottles to put them in, since the Postal Service frowns on sending most liquids ...)
- homemade laundry soap
- magnets/wall stuff to remind you to do things (turn off lights, unplug unused appliances, adjust thermostat when you won't be there, water your garden)
- reusable swiffer socks (a sewn swiffer cover tutorial and a crocheted swiffer cover pattern)
- reusable swiffer hand duster socks
- Sock Rug
- wool dryer balls
Frugal Kids
- cloth diapers
- cloth baby wipes
- remelt the ends of crayons to make new crayons
Kitchen Frugality
- cloth napkins
- dishcloths
- drying rack for plastic bags
- jug/jar covers
- napkin rings
- pantry inventory (so you don't overbuy or worse, let something go to waste in the bottom of the fridge because you forgot you have it)
- reusable bowl covers
- reusable bread bag
- reusable lunch bag, sandwich wrap,
snack bag (Possible off-gassing using PUL/vinyl - please discuss with your partner if you want to make that/have a problem with it!)
- reusable "paper" towels
- reusable tea bags for loose tea (made out of a fine mesh)
- tea cozy (irony optional)
- tea towels/dishtowels
- tea wallet
- utensil roll for lunchboxes (no more disposables or losing good flatware)
Personally Frugal
- cloth menstrual pads/menstrual cup bag/wet bags
- DIY first aid kit (gauze, bandages, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, etc.)
- embroidered cloth handkerchiefs
- dumbbells of some sort (filled with sand, perhaps?)
- handmade soap/bath salts (possibly with recipes)
- homemade cough drops
- handmade face scrub/astringent
- nursing pads
- reusable makeup remover pads
- reusable water bottle/carrier
- small rice/corn packs for icing/warming eyes/head
- soap saver
- tote bag for library books
- yoga mat
- washcloths
Seasonally Frugal (to save on heating bills/AC bills)
- cool pack to put in the fridge/freezer
- draft dodger
- gloves/wrist warmers to keep warm in the winter
- hair ties/headbands
- homemade hand fans
- lap quilt
- microwavable rice/corn heating bag to keep tootsies warm in bed or as a hot/cold pack
- re-conned shirts into tank tops
- rag rug
- socks/slippers to keep warm in the winter "
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=375950.0
I can't wait for them to start posting pictures
