Christmas Craft for All Ages - No Sew Fleece Scarves

A super simple gift that is pretty inexpensive and fast isn't impossible. Fleece scarves can be done in about an hour, and would work for any age or gender.

Materials

• Fleece Fabric, solid or printed, about 6 inches by 60 inches


• Scissors

Instructions
Use the scissors to cut 5 inch strips about 1/2 - 1 inch part on one end of the fleece fabric.
Tie a knot at the top of each strip.

Repeat the steps for the other end of the scarf.

That's it!

Crafts for Kids - No Sew Sachets

Let your kids make their own special gifts for family, friends, and teachers. Scented sachets can be put together quickly, easily, and fit well into a limited budget.

Materials

• Pieces of scrap material


• Bag of potpourri


• Scissors


• Fabric Glue

Instructions
Cut the fabric into squares about 5 inches. Put glue along 3 sides of one square of fabric, then place a second square on top of it. Placing glue along the edges helps prevent fraying. You can also cut one piece of fabric into a 5 inch by 10 inch rectangle and fold it to make a 5 inch square, then glue 2 sides, leaving the top open.

Once dried, put about 1/2 cup potpourri into the sachet using the open end, then glue that end closed.

Recycling Christmas Cards

I know, I'm doubling up on the posts. I've been flaking on the Wednesday budget tips with the holiday season so...

Anyway, the annual Christmas cards are starting to trickle in, and I'm running out of room to keep them. To be honest, I ran out of room last year, but I crammed them in anyway. So now I'm starting to think about what else could be done with them, and I've run across a number of sites with different craft ideas to recycle Christmas cards.

Ornament
Different Ornament
Star Decoration
Gift Box
Basket

All of these crafts are made from Chritmas cards. A great way to keep them around without (over)stuffing them all into a box. Happy holidays!

Cheap and Easy Christmas Gift Bags

Get rid of those last bits of wrapping paper left on rolls that aren't enough to really cover any present by using them to make gift bags. All you need, aside from the wrapping paper, is glue and a package of paper lunch bags from the grocery store.

Cut pieces of the wrapping paper and glue them along the sides and bottom of the bag, keeping the paper smooth. If you have enough of one roll cover the entire bag, or piece multiple rolls of leftover wrapping paper together for an interesting collage. Allow them to dry and you have unique gift bags that are cheaper than store bought.

Let the kids do this craft for you to give them something to do and have one less thing to have to handle yourself this Christmas.

Late Budget Tip - Dammit Doll Christmas Gifts

Sorry I missed Wednesday, the holiday season's so hectic I just realized today was Friday. But that made me think of a great cheap Christmas gift - dammit dolls.

The idea behind a dammit doll is simple: when you get stressed, take it out on the doll rather than something you'll miss. The construction of a dammit doll is just as simple. If you do any sewing, you probably have all the materials already.

Materials

• 2 pieces of scrap material, about 1/2 yard


• Stuffing such as batting


• A fabric pen for mouth, eyes and belly button


• Paper for the pattern


• Any optional embellishments such as ribbon, etc

Instructions
Make a pattern by folding the paper in half and cutting out a basic body shape. You might want to draw the shape first, then fold the paper in half and cut it.

Pin the pattern onto the 2 pieces of scrap material and cut the pattern out of the material. If you're using thick fabric, you may want to cut out one piece at a time. Make sure the 2 pieces are identical.

Put the wrong sides of the material together and stitch around the doll, leaving an opening at the head to add the stuffing. Turn the doll right side out and put in the stuffing, making sure it's pushed firmly, but not overstuffed, into the arms and legs. Stitch the opening closed and use the fabric pen to add eyes, nose, mouth, belly button, etc. You can also embellish it with yarn hair, a ribbon around the neck, whatever you choose to make it special for the person you're giving it to.

Finally, print the following poem (or just print the first verse if you want) and include it with the doll when you wrap up the gift.

Whenever things don't go so well...
And you want to hit the wall and yell...
Here's a little dammit doll
That you can't do without.
Just grasp it firmly by the legs
And find a place to slam it
And as you whack the stuffing out
Yell, "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!"

If Dammit's not a word you say
Then twist its little neck
And grumble out repeatedly
Oh Heck, Oh Heck, Oh Heck!

And once you're done abusing it
Just sit it on the shelf.
But hug it first, as I'd hug you
If I were there myself.

Budget Christmas Gift - Cinnamon Sugar Mix

You definately feel a tight budget at Christmas time. And somehow it seems your list is getting longer while your paychecks dwindle. But even if you don't think of yourself as a crafty person, there are still some homemade things that are cheap to do and will be appreciated too. A mix of cinnamon and sugar in a decorative shaker is fast, easy, and inexpensive.

What you need to make about 1/4 cup mix:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar


• 4 tsp cinnamon


• Salt shakers from a dollar store

Mix the cinnamon into the sugar thoroughly. Use a funnel to put the mix into individual shakers. You may wish to decorate the shakers as well.

Wednesday Budget Tip: Quick Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

I'll admit it, I'm disorganized. While a lot of people have established traditional recipes to pull out each Thanksgiving to cook, I'm just not there yet. And I tend to procrastinate too, so I'm usually scrambling looking for some last minute fast and cheap Thanksgiving recipes beyond the turkey. I thought there might be some others out there in a similar situation, so here are some recipes I've found that can be put together fast and have only 3-5 ingredients each.

Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients

• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened


• 1 cup packed brown sugar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Blend ingredients together in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold with red, green, or yellow apples

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: About 5 minutes
Cook Time: None

Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake

Ingredients

• 29 oz can sweet potatoes


• 21 oz can apple pie filling


• 16 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully fold ingredients in the casserole. Bake until sweet potatoes are heated through, about 30-45 minutes.

Yield: About 4 servings
Prep Time: About 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

Baked French Onion Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long cooking rice, uncooked


• 14 1/2 oz can beef broth


• 10 1/2 oz can French Onion soup


• 4 oz can muchroom stems and pieces, drained


• 1/4 oz cup butter or margarine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice, broth, soup, and mushroom pieces in an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Dot mixture with butter and bake for 50 minutes.

Yield: About 4 servings
Prep Time: About 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Easy Berry Crumble

Ingredients

• 4 cups berries (blueberries, blackberries, etc)


• 1-2 tablespoons sugar


• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened


• 3 1 1/2 oz. packages maple and brown sugar flavored instant oatmeal

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix berries and sugar together in an ungreased 9 inch pie pan. Put the oatmeal packages into a separate bowl, cut the butter into the oatmeal until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle the crums iver the berries and sugar. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.

Yield: About 5-6 servings
Prep Time: About 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Wednesday Budget Tip: Thanksgiving Dinners

No matter how you coordinate the family/friend gatherings this year, someone's probably going to end up doing most of the cooking, with only a few guests maybe bringing one special dish. Why not share the burden, and the expense, by getting everyone to agree to bringing one thing. Assign people to the side dishes and desserts, even drinks and decorations for those who don't cook. That way everyone contributes something unique, and no one feels overwhelmed.

Wednesday Budget Tip - Freecycle.org

If you're looking to get rid of some things or need to find something, consider joining a local Freecycle group before turning to eBay or garage sales. Joining the group closest to you through their Yahoo group is free.

Once you have located the group using the main Freecycle site, follow the instructions to join their Yahoo group. Then you'll have access to those things that members are offering and will be able to offer your own unneeded or unwanted items yourself.

The purpose behind Freecycle is to reuse things, keeping them out of landfills. It's a great opportunity to clean out your own unused stuff and possibly find things you need, all for free, and help the environment at the same time.

Wednesday Budget Tip - Quick Recipes

I thought this week I'd offer some quick budget healthy recipes to help offset sugar highs from all the Halloween candy :)

Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper


• 2 eggs


• 4 cups cooked rice


• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Directions

Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray, then add green pepper and saute until crisp-tender. Add eggs and cook until they are completely set, stirring frequently. Add the rice and soy sauce; heat through.

Yield: 7-8 servings
Prep Time: About 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 10 minutes


Speedy Tortilla Soup

Ingedients

• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted


• 4 cups water


• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken


• 4 flour tortillas cut into 2-1/2-inch strips

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the soup and water to a boil. Stir in the chicken and tortilla strips; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: About 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 30 minutes


Enjoy!