Pinata

Hi Everyone,

Dolly and I worked on TO DO craft project today. A Birthday Party Pinata. I was inspired by someones blog but I don't remember who - so forgive me for not linking. We used our memory, adapted their method and created our own mini version of a Pinata ready for filling with sweets and chocolate gold coins. It's supposed to be a crown - but I think it kind of looks like a castle. No matter, as kids have great imagination and itch to have fun. And this party will be fun :-)

This was our process:

Cut a cereal box down to size and shape.

Cut crepe paper.

Cover box in glue.

Paste crepe paper in layers.

Paste embellishments.

Cover any bits that you missed with crepe paper such as the top flaps and bottom.

And Voila one Pinata ready to be be filled and whacked.

So there you have it! This Eco Frugal woman has achieved one of her aims again. Using trash and saving money. The only cost was crepe paper we used 1/4 of a $2.40 packet and glue. So roughly 80 cents and less than 1 hour of our time for one Pinata in the shape to fit our Princess And Knight themed Birthday Party. (You could make these as an inexpensive birthday gift for kids or adults. Just fill it with trinkets or sweets).

We have more crafting to complete this week in preparation for the party in 2 weeks time. And.. cupcake making for the school classroom where I will attempt something I have never made before. This will be my year of challenging myself by making many things myself to save cash, be creative, include my daughter and prevent the buying of new or over packaged stuff.

How about you? Ready to Party in style but cut costs by being organised and making it yourself? Let me know any tricks or ideas you have..

Gift Box For $5.85

This is a gift box of goodies Dolly gave to her friend for her 5th birthday. Dolly crafted the card and assisted with some of the bag construction organisation. Dolly also guillotined the scrap booking paper into small cuter sizes.

$1.25 Box made from Rubbish & Op Shopped Calendar & Book. (I'm wearing a thrifted $1 top purchased in 2011)

The library bag and box was made op shopped items that were reused. The plastic Doll was unfortunately new from a department store but will be much love.

French Seamed Bag with Different Fabric Straps.

I Love the Pretty Floral Fabric. It's a Beautiful Quality Too.

Total Cost of the gift was $5.85
My labour was more at 7 hours, some of it fun and some of it very frustrating!

Crafted Box $1.25 (glue and bits of an op shopped calendar and book).
Crafted Library Bag $1 (piece of green op shopped fabric and a girls dress purposely purchased for fabric) (Letters are a piece of old damaged fabric needing using).
Crafted Card 10 cents (scrap paper and picture from a damaged op shopped book).
New - 10 Pieces of different Scrap Booking Papers 50 cents.
New - Doll $3 (Purchased at Christmas time for this very purpose).

I felt very satisfied putting this gift together and hope to keep building my crafted gift repertoire and skills to create from used items. This gives me eco pride and frugal satisfaction (as you can see from my face).

Have you made anything this week?

Do You Have Ideas For Men's Shirts?

My partner of 19 years, The Rambling Expat did a big clean out after I complained he was taking so much more clothes space then I did. In his sorting he found 12 work shirts he no longer wears to work because of ripped pockets, worn out collars or stains that will not scrub out.

Men's Shirts.

I don't want to be a hoarder and I am trying to declutter. However these are made of good cotton fabric. As many of my readers know, I'm aiming to not buy new and save more, spend less, so I'm having a hard time throwing these shirts out.

I'm thinking I will use some fabric to make 4 handkerchiefs for The Rambling Expat who often suffers from sinus issues and a runny nose. Now this will only use up 2 shirts. Then I was thinking I could make a 2 more shopping bags similar to the library one I made here for Dolly, so that's another 4 shirts, still leaving me with 6 shirts.

Do you have any other ideas for me? I'm looking for practical, easy to make stuff that we can use in our everyday life or even fun gifts for people in our lives. I don't need rags or cleaning cloths as I have many from other old worn out clothes. Come on, let your suggestions reign :-)

Repurposed Gifts Ready To Give

Hello Friends,

My daughter (Dolly) and I were super lucky this afternoon. We found a handful of various glass beads in the garden. When our lovely Thai Lady neighbour saw us digging around in the dirt and weeds she promptly told us she had dropped them when taking items to the op-shop as they are leaving the country soon and had a few more that we could have. And so she gave us a good handful.

I then spent an hour cutting jewellery and blinged clothing that I had purchased from op shops for very little money and placed all the beads in a bowl. So pretty :)

I gave Dolly 3 plastic containers and assisted her in dividing her beads equally into the three. Two for friends and one for herself. She concentrated hard counting and sorting with lovely results. I added some fishing line and jewellery wire that I had at home into each container. These are now beading kits ready to be gifted.

Then we started on another project with crayons that weren't being used as Dolly has long ago graduated to textas.

These were "cooked" by Dolly who melted them down in delicious looking colour groups.

Dolly said it looked like chocolate and asked to lick the spoon. I refused explaining that it was toxic and wouldn't taste good. I saw her secretly with her back turned on me having a lick when it had hardened. The cheeky monkey was obviously disappointed as she didn't go for seconds.

We poured the melted crayons into christmas chocolate moulds I had purchased in an op shop long ago and never used.

This is the result... Christmas crayons for a baby's first masterpiece creations. Nice and chunky for a little hand to clutch.

And now three upcycled gifts made by repurposing stuff.

Three year old Dolly has put a lot of time and heart into her gifts and is very proud of herself while I saved a few more dollars.

The total spending was $7.00

5$ for 2 re-useable screw top plastic containers and $2 for beaded op-shop tops. Every thing else was already owned 2nd hand items. Crayons and chocolate moulds from op-shops, ribbons from presents of past years, beads from op-shop junk jewellery and neighbours de-cluttering, fishing line from The Rambling Expats fishing gear. (Metal wire was purchased new 2 years ago).

We were heavily inspired by these talented young girls: CLICK HERE.

I love the thrill of creating gifts with repurposed items and in doing so minimising my families impact on our planet and saving money in the process. I know I could have avoided the plastic containers and used some from home (would have been more eco and thrifty) - but I really wanted screw lids to prevent bead spillage.

Are you upcycling or repurposing too?