Make It Monday: DIY Spa Treatments

We all like a pamper every now and again. As nice as it is though it is a treat that my budget will not stretch to on a regular basis. 

I was looking online as i had forgotten the amount of sugar i needed for a sugar face scrub and come across this infographic from Pretty Crafty Things. I am tempted to try the anti redness mix as i have noticed my cheeks are getting redder than i would like them too. 

Enjoy the pampering ladies and gents :)

Make It Monday: DIY dishwasher tablets

I own a dishwasher. He's called Gareth :D 

Ok so i do not own an actual dishwasher so this is one i can not personally try. Saving money is saving money though right? and anything which is made chemical free is fantastic in my books. 

I come across these DIY dishwasher tablets over at Popsugar while searching for some scents for homemade toilet fizzes. Like with an homemade product, you could personalize them using your own scents, or even mix and match them have a little bit of a lucky dip when you go to use one. 

Photo from Popsugar.com

You can find a great deal more penny costing homemade products over at popsugar too. 

To see how to make these dishwasher tablets click here. 

Frugal Friday: keep icecream soft

I hate hard icecream! The problem is when it is softer, I find I eat more of it :) maybe a not so frugal tip after all! 

Make It Monday: DIY ice packs

The warmer weather is expected to creep up on old Blighty at some point (hopefully!). Usually when I know there is a heatwave coming I freeze yogurts and fruit, ready to keep the sandwiches and other foods in the kids lunch boxes cool while they sit in the heat. 

While browsing bloglovin, this popped up from My Kitchen Escapades Which I thought was a great idea and very money saving. 

                            Photo from My Kitchen Escapades.com

Sponges can be brought cheaply, they can be cut to size and you can buy different colours so each child had their own unique sponge. They will also come in handy for keeping food cool at parties, on picnics, school trips, day trips.. The list goes on. 

Click here for instructions and more ideas. 

Frugal Friday: Save money on spices

I've recently started to experiment more with flavours. I am usually quite a plain eater, preferring to eat food as natural as possible and only using a select few herbs to flavour my meals. The reason I became like this as I couldn't afford to buy spices to use just for one recipe and then leave them in the cupboard to be forgotten about. 

Make It Monday: DIY thread box

This one is for all the sewing fans out there. I'm not a keen seamstress, but I do have a lot of thread for the button which needs putting  back on or the odd seam which needs doing. I usually bung it all into a bag but it gets tangled easy and I end up getting annoyed with the huge tangle that I throw the lot... Not very frugal! 

While browsing for organizing ideas, I come across this DIY thread box from Mur Mur and thought it was a great idea. Cheap, cheerful and looks quite nice. 

                   Photo from Mur Mur 

Click here to see how to make it. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 49: Make a Santa key plus free printable

This is a lovely idea for those who do not have a fireplace but still want their kids to know Santa can still come put presents under the tree. 

Making a key is simple enough, you could cut one out of card and paint it or you could paint an old door key using paint, glitter or even nail polish. 

The printable is provided by Nellie Bellie 

You can click here to see the tutorial and download the printable 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 48: Quick and frugal last minute gift.

I am one of those parents who never feels like they are giving enough. As i make alot of gifts for the adults, i am always coming across something i think is so perfect that i have to make it. This year is no exception. 

I logged into my second home (Pinterest) and this popped up! Yes you guessed it... Ill be making 8 of these to give away to family. 

There is no source to link back to so no tutorial but this thumb print Christmas tree looks simple enough to make out of salt dough with a cookie cutter. I would likely leave the wording out as  i am not sure how it will look if i free hand it, but i think it would look fantastic if using thumbprints from all of us to give different sizes and make it more personal. 

Click here for a salt dough recipe. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 44: Make your own gift bags this Christmas

I am sure it is not just me who finds the awkward shaped gifts a nightmare at Christmas? Those wine bottles, the odd shaped toys... Gift bags can work out alot if you are anything like me and need to buy more than 10 of them and on an already tight or planned budget, its an expense that is not necessary. 

I always knew you could make your own gift bags, i have done so out of card before, but i couldn't remember the instructions so had a look on you tube for a video. Up popped this from Designer, Trapped in a lawyers body. I loved how simple her video was felt it deserved a share on here as a handy, frugal Christmas craft as she uses the one thing we all have at this time of year... wrapping paper!  

Click here to see the tutorial and video.

#FrugalFriday: Store veg in laundry bags.

I was recently looking for organizing ideas in the kitchen. Our kitchen is very small so are unable to fit alot of things on the worktops or buy storage items for the floor. 

I come across this which i thought was a great idea. Peg bags can be brought quite cheap or even make some netting out of old tights or fabric. Plus i think they add a rustic look to the kitchen, having veg hanging up. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 21 - Frugal Christmas Gifts

Christmas is expensive for everyone. For me its hard work saving up throughout the year and i manage to pull the day off only by buying throughout the year. This year ive had to stop buying gifts for adults and children over the age of 16 (excluding my own) because it is getting to expensive. I felt guilty though, everyone young and old deserves a gift. In order to get around this i started to make my own and each year i set aside a budget of £25 to make gifts for 12 people.

Each year i make the same things and just add little extra's to it so that they have something a little different.

Here is a selection of gifts ill be making or have started making this year for the 10 adults and 2 teachers i am making gifts for.

#MakeItMonday: Tin can bowling

My kids are not small enough to appreciate games like this any more. I have made similar for the garden before and they turned out to be great fun. With Halloween coming up i was having a google for things to make. The girls are too old now to be trick or treating but want to do the house up a little. 

I found this on one of my favourite blogs for kids crafts - Red Ted Art and knew i had to share it! Its a great way to do something for cheap. Reusing tin cans you would otherwise throw away. 

Click here to see the tutorial 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 20 - Fun ways to count down Christmas

One of the most brought items during Christmas are advent calender's. I try to make one each year and put small toys or items in them instead of chocolate.

While browsing i come across several fun ways to build up the Christmas excitement which do not involve chocolate.

Here are some of my favourites.

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 14 - Ideas for crafty Christmas tags

  

This Christmas, i have been exploring options regarding wrapping my Christmas gifts. I have already decided to use brown paper which i am currently collecting from parcels that arrive and cheap rolls in poundshop. I wanted something different to the usual Christmas tags and am toying with the idea of making my own.

I have a budget for wrapping paper, ribbon and tags anyways so ill be using this to buy the items needed to make mine.

Here is 10 of my favourite looking tags.

#MakeItMonday: Make a no sew tote bag from an old t shirt

One thing i do like to do is reuse items as much as possible. I tend to turn old clothing into either cleaning rags or use them for quilting but i come across a tutorial a while back, which turned an old t shirt into a tote bag. At the time i had no sewing skills so dismissed it and it was only in the last couple of years that i started to search for other options. 

I come across this tutorial from Mommypotamus which i thought might help some non sewers out there who like me would dismiss crafting because our sewing skills are non existent. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 10 - Make your own Christmas stockings

For the first time since i moved out of my parents, we have a fireplace! I know many will be thinking... "its just a fireplace, nothing to shout home about", but to us it really is. Little K still believes in Santa, the key Santa needed to get into the house is now redundant. Santa now comes down the chimney like he is supposed to. Ok the fire gets in the way but little K hasn't seemed to notice that yet. For me though it means i can dress it up. For years ive seen pictures of festive fireplaces and felt a ping of jealousy because i couldn't do that. A nicely dressed fireplace, set in the center of the family room just screams Christmas for me. I'm so excited i have been busy planning it all out. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 9 - Salt dough recipe

In order to keep costs down at Christmas, we make our own decorations, We always buy at least one new one a year for the tree but the majority of them will be handmade and upcycled items. 

Salt dough is by far the cheapest thing to make decorations with. It is easy to make and to work with, cheap to make and fun for the kids. 

Here is an easy recipe

#MakeItMonday: Make a patchwork picture

I had some old scraps of fabric left over from making the kids some t shirts, that i had stuffed into a bag. I recently dug them out and intended to use them to make a quilt. While browsing quilting i come across this on google. The blog no longer exists but you can tell by the picture that it is pretty simply to make. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 5 - Make your house smell like Christmas - the frugal way

Apart from the colours and the mood, one of my favourite things about Christmas is the smells. My Nan always made a big fuss during Christmas. Her house was busting at the seams with all 15 grandchildren, her 5 children and their spouses, piling in to spend the day with her. Her house smelt of cinnamon, mince pies, roast turkey with all the trimmings. The day holds such fond memories that even now, years after she has left us, we all feel like Christmas is not Christmas without those things. It brought her so much joy to see us all together and even now we are older and spend Christmas with our own families, we all very much make the effort to keep those memories alive. 

My Nan never needed to buy any sort of plug ins or air freshener to give the smell of Christmas. In order to help others save money, i'm sharing my top 5 frugal tips to a Christmas smelling home. 

FrugaL Friday: Remove that mildew smell from towels.

I have huge trouble in the winter drying some of the heavier items i wash. I dont own a tumble dryer and am extremely frugal when it comes to turning the heating on. I still put my washing on the line outside but i nearly always end up with a little bit of a damp smell because ive been unable to dry them thoroughly. 

I didn't want to that to happen again this year. Like my bedding, i like soft, fluffy, summer smelling towels, to cuddle me when ive jumped out of the shower. This tip i found while browsing printerest and so far it has worked!