These decorations are super easy to make and turn out so cute. It's a great frugal way to make some holiday decorations and the kids can make their own too!
First step is to get your cookie mold wet.
Tear toilet paper into pieces.
Next, put toilet paper pieces into the mold a little bit at a time. Use a paintbrush dipped in water to wet the toilet paper, tapping it down as you go.
Once it is full, press your palm down on it and drain any water.
Then bake in the oven on the lowest temperature your oven will go, mine is 170 degrees. Let it bake for a few hours, testing it every now and then to see if the paper is dry. When done I used a paring knife to catch part underneath it will pop out.
These are how mine turned out. Fun!
“You do not need to go into debt to obtain a year’s supply. Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job. If you are saving and planning for a second car or a television set or some item which merely adds to your comfort or pleasure, you may need to change your priorities. We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now. I speak with a feeling of great urgency.” ~CR October 1980, Ensign 10 [November 1980]
Remember to stay within your budget. I know it is very hard but stay on target.
http://momsoffaith.com/2013/11/101-frugal-christmas-tips/ this has some very great ideas. Great tips.
http://www.frugal-living-tips.com/frugal-christmas.html - this is two pages, you need to click on the second page button but good ideas as well.
http://www.frugality-for-today.com/christmas.html - this has great ideas too.
I guess you can see a theme going on here frugal, frugal, frugal!!!
It is hard to change things if you have always done things a certain way. It is hard to change but if you make it fun and show excitement it is contagious. So don’t say bummer, we are going to have a bad Christmas this year…everyone will feel awful… instead, excitedly say that you are going to do something different this year. Have a homespun Christmas and say you are going to have sooooo much fun, that you are going to make gifts and you are going to keep what you make a huge secret till Christmas. Make popcorn balls and you can fill in anything to come up with but you can set the mood.
I know when you have older kids it would be easier to talk to them about it being a harder time and have a jam session where they throw out ideas too.
https://bandanguitartphcm.net/frugal/frugal-christmas-gift-ideas.html - I like the santa-tizer, too cute. There are tons of great ideas off to the right on this page.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/961118a.cfm - great ideas
http://www.stretcher.com/library/christmas/menu/christmas.cfm I think there are so many ideas.
https://fluxdecor.com/diy-christmas-ornaments/ - this would be great family fun making. My favorite is the hot cocoa mix bulbs.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AZcI5KB8wWcgf-esRVEExkvQjVqzSieNN-Nv0Pcl2DoNdD0g9Y7IoAU/ - okay, so this would be great for your used canning lids that won’t vacuum seal, isn’t it cute?
http://puddyshouse.com/2012/11/26/diy-christmas-decorations/ I love the gingerbread man ornament.
Remember to do kind acts all year long.
I know you are all having busy times so I shortened it so you can get back to work.
"I bear my humble witness to you that the great God of heaven will open doors and means in a way we never would have supposed to help all those who truly want to get their year’s supply." (Vaughn J. Featherstone)
With this wonderful quote it just makes you want to get to work on the storage.
I really want to stress again to live within your means. Stick to it, even with loud voices on every side saying to spend more than you have. Those voices are there all year but at this time of year it is fever pitch.
At the time of writing this we have 65 degree weather, sun shining and it is the day after Thanksgiving.
Now everyone will be trying to prepare for Christmas…
https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/acts-of-kindness/ - great ideas to do for others.
Look around you, there are things you can do to lift another. This is a hard time of year for so many.
We saw a family at Goodwill on Christmas Eve, the father handed the children twenty dollar bills and these children then roamed around the store and chose who they would give their twenty to, then did it and poof they were gone. How nice is that? So teach your kids how to help others.
I was in a Walmart picking up cat litter and cat food and I noticed a couple around our age with flats of pineapple and other food too, but the flats caught my attention. I asked if pineapple was on sale. The woman said no, that they do this once a week for the pantry in their town. I said thank you for doing that. She said there were thirteen families in their small town and one family with eight kids. I said it isn’t always their fault. Later, I was next in line at check out and she saw me and said all they had gotten was less then fifty dollars. I said, see, they are getting blessed. She said we are all His hands and she is right. So look around you. Most people will never tell you how hard they have it… not because of pride but because they are doing the best they can.
Well I have a good start on the next weaving project learning more all the time.
Winter will soon be hear
Missy has been watching for it to come and says get your gloves mended soon.
Missy and Gus remind you to wear your hats!
Missy says no matter your tight times keep a stiff upper lip, find a warm spot, fix a cup of cocoa and read your family a candle in the forest - my favorite.
I know you are busy so this is short. Remember to help people in your path even if it is just a smile.
Do the best you can!
"As we do our very best, we can be confident that ‘the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail.’ We shall enjoy greater wisdom, security, peace of mind, and personal well-being. We shall be prepared, and because we are prepared, we ‘shall not fear.‘" (Bishop Keith B. McMullin)
I think we too need to be thankful. Be sure to thank Heavenly Father for every blessing.
We are on this journey of hard times and you are following along with us. We have a market in our small town that I happened into this week to find boxes for mailing gifts. I was blessed to be there when they were setting out bananas. They give them free when they start to turn, other stores in the area only slightly mark them down. There were a lot so I brought home boxes and a huge bag of bananas. We will eat them till it is time to freeze them and make banana bread. They all will get used. This is a blessing and I was thankful for it. Yes, it will be some work but I have always said if Heavenly Father sends food to me, I will work hard to put it up. I might dry some as well.
I have been hurting lots more of late with the fibromyalgia so it makes everything takes so much longer and hurt so much more.
Months and months ago I bought a video on weaving for five dollars, this has helped me in learning this skill. I have been working on getting the loom warped up.
Building skills is very important to stretch our funds and to continue learning. The video was on huge sale, it costs way more but saving money on sale plus being the very thing I needed to learn is wonderful.
The fiber I am using was free, that is why I'm using those colors. One problem was the center cream section was half the thickness and I knew that would mean trouble but from the video I learned I could use two threads for one thread and now they are working perfect.
So I am learning on the skills I am trying to improve for the very little amount of five dollars. It isn’t like I could afford a class or even more videos if there ever were any more for that price but I have the cone fibers from a huge yarn haul from years ago, all different kinds. So I thought this video would help me learn how to weave with these different fibers and it does but it ended up being oh so much more…another blessing I am thankful for.
A huge blessing is to be content with what you have. We might have hard times but making do with what you have is a very good thing. Knowing how to sew and knit and crochet and cook from scratch, it all makes our money stretch a lot further. So keep working on your skills.
I am reminded of an article I read about a woman who learned to tat. She worked hard at perfecting this skill. You are probably thinking what good could that be? Well in the end she had to support her family and it was tatting that was what saved them. Also, the pioneers would tat, calling it poor man’s lace. They could carry it in their pockets. They used this skill to make their homes prettier, even dugouts. So don’t rule out anything. Learn the skills that will bless your family.
Being frugal is a skill. Learn this skill and see how your family will be blessed.
I was noting in the store flyer the price of four lbs of sugar was $1.69. I was going to the restroom at a gas station that sells food too. I walked by and noted the same amount of the same brand of sugar for $3.99. This is a huge difference in price. Oh, and the flyer was from the store right across the street. So you cross two lanes of traffic and you saved $2.30.
So it is about knowing prices. Shop your sales and use common sense. The gas station is wanting you to notice they have sugar and you won’t need to go to the store, just get it there and save time. Okay, that saves five minutes that it would take to cross the road. By the way, there was one bag on the shelf. Now if you had sugar in storage you could do one better, wait till the store has it on sale for $1.19, that comes around often.
Study being frugal and apply it to your life.
I know it is the holiday season but what a good time to learn to live within your means.
https://zenhabits.net/the-cheapskate-guide-50-tips-for-frugal-living/ - lots of great ideas here, well worth looking through.
We cut cable years ago and haven’t looked back. We use Roku, you can order and pay for channels but we only have Netflix. It covers the two TVs. The rest we watch for free because we did not want the bills from the different channels as it would defeat what we were trying to do. No cable bill is fantastic plus we get BYU channel for free and can get conference. Years ago when we did have cable it did not offer this… Another huge blessing.
We cut each other’s hair, such a savings! At a church women’s meeting long before we had kids they had a mini class on hair cutting and I learned to cut my husband’s hair. That was when he wore it longer now he just likes it very short. He has always cut my hair, in fact he just cut it this week for me.
In this pic, I was showing a recipe from this cookbook for a contest. The food in here is all frugal and is why I use it.
When is enough enough? Think about that for a while. I have just done weeks of deep cleaning so stuff isn’t the answer. I donated to our local pantry and friends.
If you have trouble getting rid of things, give to a friend telling them that if they don’t want it, pass it on or toss it. And once you do this you do not take it back.
Organize the supplies you keep.
The first section you see my knitting books gathered after many years.
Next you see free books - I like cozy mysteries.
Next is a shelf of basket making supplies, most given to me from basket makers getting out of making them.
There is a rug loom I am working on and sheets I have ready to weave.
The spinning wheel is near the roving.
I make my cards, so you see the desk where I sit and make cards.
So what you decide to keep you should organize it.
Keep working on gathering storage and the skills and organize the supplies
Keep Christmas within your means, this is the challenge!
"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. . .I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all. . .Begin in a small way, … and gradually build toward a reasonable objective." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)
"Start now to create a plan if you don’t already have one, or update your present plan. Watch for best buys that will fit into your year’s supply. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we’re putting away. The instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of the counsel and prepare for the future." (L. Tom Perry)
I know it is hard to work on storage when you have the holidays here to do. Remember, every time you go into the store pick up at least one thing for storage. It is a good time of year to stock up, there are many sales at the grocery stores so watch your sale flyers.
When the first measurable snowfall hits I read this book…
You need to read this with your family, do it even if you have read it before. When you read it your thoughts on food storage will change.
Their garden did not produce well as it was their first year gardening in this area plus an early frost shortened the season. They put the food up. Then being warned that the winter would be a hard one, they moved to town. They thought they would be okay as the trains brought supplies. They did not have much money but thought they would be okay. Almost immediately the trains were snowed in. You will have to read the book to find out what happens to them. But you will want to think what you have in your storage and think what you would have wished you had in storage then make it happen.
Today if there was an emergency the grocery stores have only 24 hours of food. You do not want to be going out trying to get food or storage items during an emergency.
Do you really want to go out in this?
https://simplypreparing.com/things-to-do-before-a-winter-storm/ - good reminders, good to be prepared.
http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm#About
http://6abc.com/weather/checklist-heres-what-you-need-for-a-major-snowstorm/1167139/
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=simple+homemade+christmas&qpvt=simple+homemade+christmas&FORM=VDRE - these are videos of doing simple homemade Christmas.
Here are some of our favorite cookies that we like to have this time of year and warm baked cookies are best served during a snow storm and during board games.
So keep working on your storage, stay with in your means for gift giving, enjoy the season, and remember those in need. Do the best you can!
First find an empty wooden spool but it doesn’t have to be empty it could have thread for mending but mine is empty.
Next is the pattern I made. I put measuring for you to follow but really this is primitive.
Then I used felt for the first one but I am using wool in this next one. I then cut out two.
Here are the things I need to finish …… buttons for the eyes, my spool, some black floss, stuffing, strips of felt to use for a tail, beak, and comb. I sewed the body using green so you could see.
I machine stitch around all but the bottom between 1/8 to ¼ inch from the edge, with the fabric face to face. Once sewn, I clip the curves.
Next turn body right side out and stuff.
Next we will do a running stitch around the bottom. I use big stitches about ¼ inch up from the bottom.
I divide the floss in half so that I have three strands and thread needle.
Do not clip the thread. Now we put the top end of the spool in and we will pull to gather the thread. Then we wrap the thread around the outside and tie it off.
Next we make kind of a willy nilly loop for the tail feathers and combs. Add a folded tiny diamond shape for the beak and attach it on top part of the red loop under the beak.
Then sew the eyes on.
One more primitive thing I do is sew a horizontal stitching like so all around the seam.
The size of the spool will determine the height.
