Woven Heart Basket Craft – Photo: Spoonful.com
5 Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids
February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
DIY Homemade Fabric Softener: The Frugal Recipe
January 24, 2013 by 9 Comments
DIY Homemade Frugal Fabric Softener
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Princess Thanya continues her laundry series with this latest recipe for frugal homemade fabric softener. I whipped up a batch of this in under 10 minutes, and that included waiting for the water to boil. This recipe is frugal. If you prefer a green, natural choice, check out the recipe for DIY Homemade Natural Fabric Softener and also check out the recipe for DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent.
Princess T…This is the year I determined to save more money, that is my main goal.
Well yeah that and weightloss, but I can talk about that in another post ☺
So far I’ve made my own detergent and green natural fabric softener Now I am making Frugal DIY Fabric Softener.
I discovered that this recipe for DIY fabric softener is made out of ingredients you may already have at home if you regularly coupon. Do you stockpile? That free conditioner that you have snagged will be very useful. If not, the ingredients are very basic and cheap. Check the dollar store, or look for some coupons for hair conditioner and vinegar.
What do you need?
1 Bucket or large pot
6 cups of hot water
3 cups of white vinegar
2 cups (16 ounces) of hair conditioner (about 1 bottle of bargain conditioner)
Bring the water in the pot just to a boil, then pour the water into a bucket, add the vinegar, add the hair conditioner and stir until the conditioner is fully combined. THAT’S IT!
No really, THAT’S IT
Kinda makes you upset that this stuff costs so much, right?
Once the mixture cools, pour it into an empty container of fabric softener or another jug. I used a washed out lemonade jug. Just make sure to mark what is in the jug!
You only need to use 1/4 cup per load. Your laundry comes out fresh smelling and soft.
I personally would like more fragrance but it might be the brand of conditioner I bought. Experimenting with different brands or adding some essential oil would up the fragrance factor.
I went to the Dollar Tree and spent $2 for this recipe. It makes 88 oz total. You need 1/4 cup or 2 oz per load. That’s 44 loads of laundry for $2 and about 5 minutes of your time. About .04 cents a load or even less since for the most part on a good sale week we can get the conditioner for free or 50 cents, so it could be as low as .01-.02 cents a load.
Saving can not get any easier!
What’s next for me? I’m going to whip up some DIY Stain Spray. Stay Tuned…
Leave some comments to let us know what other things you want to learn to make yourself, either to be green or to be thrifty. We will be tackling a new project every week in 2013. Check out some of the other Tips from Couponista Queen.
DIY Homemade Natural Green Fabric Softener Recipe
January 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Happy from her first foray into DIY homemade laundry detergent, Princess T’s research has continued with a search for a homemade fabric softener that is natural, green, and environmentally friendly…
DIY Homemade Natural Green Fabric Softener
If you like this post , please Share it or Pin or Repin this recipe for Natural Green Homemade Fabric Softener on Pinterest.
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Princess T… I found all sorts of recipes for DIY fabric softener. Many people just use straight vinegar as fabric softener but I just can’t. My husband doesn’t like the smell one bit. But if you want to try this, I’ve read 1/2 a cup per load does the trick.
While researching, I ran into this recipe for homemade, natural, green fabric softener a lot so I decided to give it a shot.
Natural/Green fabric softener:
8 cups of water
1 cup baking soda
6 cups white vinegar
10-15 drops of essential oil or not your choice, I added lavender to this batch, mainly to cover the vinegar smell.
I went to Dollar Tree and spent $3 on supplies. You will need 2 bottles of vinegar but only use 1-1/2.
This recipe batch will make enough for 22.5 loads of laundry, you need 1/3 cup per load. 13 cents a load, not breaking the bank but not cheap when you can score that with a coupon and a good sale. It might not be cheaper but it is more natural.
So what did I do? I mixed it together in a large bucket, it will FIZZ when you add the baking soda, do it slowly to avoid a big mess!
I found an empty container and used my trusty funnel and in it went. I went on a search for the smelliest thing I could wash. Luckily, Patrick my mom’s dog needed a bath ☺ he was volunteered to get a bath so I could have smelly dog towels!
This load of smelly towels was washed with the homemade liquid laundry detergent I made the other day, and I added 1/3 cup of the fabric softener to the rinse cycle. One thing I did notice was that the towels straight out of the washer smelled clean, they didn’t smell like the lavender oil drops I added and it didn’t smell like vinegar (and neither does my jug so that’s a huge plus). The towels out of the dryer were fresh smelling and soft, so this recipe did what it was supposed to do. I did not smell any traces of my lavender drops so that may have neutralized the vinegar smell and I need to add more drops. I do like a clean, neutral smell so I may leave as is for now or add more if I make another batch.
The baking soda will settle so you will need to shake your container at each use. Will I continue using this? I’m not sure. Everything came out smelling good but I still have another recipe to try, for frugal homemade fabric softener, and then I’ll decide. But if you want to keep a more natural approach to your laundry this might be the way to go.
DIY Homemade Orange Apple Simmering Potpourri Recipe
January 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Homemade Orange Apple Simmering Potpourri – Easy to make and makes your house smell wonderful.
If you like this Homemade Simmering Potpourri Recipe,
please Share it or Pin it or Repin it on Pinterest.
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I love when my home smells warm and inviting, especially on these cold Winter days and nights. Potpourri has its origins in times when people and places were not so fresh. Potpourri was created in the 12th century for the purpose of freshening rooms in castles for the people of that time. (Read more about the History of Potpourri)
Homemade potpourri can be made from all kinds of things. I decided to make one today that is a great stovetop simmering potpourri recipe.
To make this Orange Apple Simmering Potpourri, you will need to mix and heat to simmering in a 2-quart pan:
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5 cups of water
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1 Orange sliced and 1 Apple sliced. Leave the peel on both but seed the apple.
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3 Cinnamon sticks (Substitute 2 Teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon if you don’t have sticks)
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1 Tablespoon of All Spice (Learn ► What is All Spice?)
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1 Tablespoon of Whole Cloves (Substitute 1 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves if you don’t have whole)
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1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Ingredients for Orange Apple Simmering Potpourri
Here is a tip: I got a cheap potpourri simmering pot with a lid (it used to be just a sauce pan, lol) at the Goodwill thrift store for less than $1 so I don’t have to use my good ones, just in case I ever burn the pan. You can also use a small simmering Rival potpourri crock pot.
You can simmer this do-it-yourself potpourri for hours and hours, adding more water as needed. Be careful to not let the pan go dry. I set the kitchen timer for 2-hours at a time to remind myself to check it. You can reuse this the next day. Just put the lid on it and store it in the fridge overnight, or stick it in the garage if it is cold out there.
Check out these other Homemade Simmering Potpourri Recipes for even more ideas on how to get your home smelling great!
Free Printable Valentines!
January 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Elephants never forget so why should you?
These are cute and perfect for you to stash in your kids lunches, your loved ones purse/ briefcase or
for your kids to cut out and personalize for their friends.
Bored kids? FREE things that will keep them busy for hours!
December 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
If you hear, “Mom, I am SO Booooooored!” one more time or if you have to break up ONE MORE sibling squabble, you just might run away from home yourself? Then check out this list of FREE things that you can do to keep the kids occupied and yourself sane.
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There are all kinds of Online Games and Activities at PBS.org
Check out these FREE Printable Activities for Kids including Crosswords, Seek ‘n Find, Dot-to-Dot, Mazes, and more
Get out the crayons and markers and paints for these FREE Printable Coloring Pages
Kids and adults alike will have fun making these Origami Designs for Kids
Engage their imaginations and invite the family for the performance! Free Printable Children’s Theatre Scripts, Skits, and Plays
You can also set them up with a fun Indoor Scavenger Hunt for active entertainment
And if you are in the kitchen anyhow, why not put them to work? Check out some ideas and recipes for Cooking with Kids
Grab the glitter and glue and make some fun crafts! This site has Crafts for kids of all ages using things from around the house
How do YOU keep the kids entertained? Comment with your ideas!
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FREE Holiday Stories and Fun Activities for Kids
December 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Keep the kids busy with these free Holiday activities. More than two dozen original, creative stories are found throughout Santa’s Secret Village. Many stories convey a theme or cheerfully teach a lesson—while entertaining and improving reading skills. Many can be colored in.
Free Christmas Coloring and Activity Pages for Kids
December 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Fun for the kids! Crayola has FREE Christmas Coloring & Activity Pages, including Holiday Bingo!
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Thanks Coupon Clippin’ Daddy
5 Easy DIY Ornaments
November 15, 2012 by
1. Easy Snowman Ornaments
2. DIY Glitter Ornaments
3. Newspaper Ornaments
4. Monogram Ornaments {pictured}
5. Coffee Bean Ornaments
5 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids
November 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
1. Recycled Business Card Ornaments
2. Cardboard Stars from Toilet Paper Rolls
3. Candy Cane Reindeer
4. Puzzle Piece Candy Cane Ornaments
5. Pipe Cleaner Snowflakes
5 Easy DIY Bird Feeders
November 5, 2012 by
1. Soda Bottle Bird Feeder
2. Bagel Bird Feeder
3. Natural Homemade Bird Feeder
4. Cheerios Bird Feeder
5. Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder
Adult DIY Halloween Costumes
October 15, 2012 by
Not sure what to be for Halloween? Try these DIY Adult Halloween Costumes!
Fall Leaf Craft Projects and DIYs
October 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
5 Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids
September 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Get busy with these Halloween crafts for kids!
1. Plate Bat
2. Super Cute Plate Bat
3. Halloween Mason Jars
4. Bat Carton Craft
5. Family Ghosts
Five crafts not enough?
Check out 50 Halloween Crafts, Recipes, Printables, and More!
Make an Advent Calendar – Several Ideas – Easy and fun for the kids!
November 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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| Advent Candy Tree & PoemWaiting for Christmas Day to arrive can be tough. The anticipation of Santa’s visit, family gatherings, and special gifts can make each day seem like an eternity, especially for kids. |
The word advent originated from a Latin word meaning ‘arrival’. With an advent calendar, you countdown each day until Christmas in a special way. You usually start the countdown on December 1st, but you can design your advent calendar to start on any day you like.
Here are some advent calendars you can make to help you with the countdown.
Advent Candy Tree and Poem
Follow these instructions and you can make a special advent craft along with a poem that goes along with it.
Advent Collage Craft
Made with printable templates and magazine pictures, this advent craft is simple enough for the youngest crafter.
Advent Handprint Wreath
This fun advent wreath is made with paper handprints.
Good Deed Advent Jar
Decorate a plain jar and fill it with good deeds. Pull out one good deed (or more) to do every day before Christmas.
Advent Christmas Tree
Print out a Christmas tree template and Christmas tree ornaments and use them to count down the days until Christmas.
Days until Christmas Activity Calendar
This calendar will not only help you count down the days until Christmas, but also gives you fun activity options for every day.
Felt Advent Christmas Tree
These instructions include a printable pattern for a Christmas tree.
Advent Santa Beard
Create an advent calendar that looks like Santa and his beard is made of advent rings.
Advent TP Christmas Tree
Recycle toilet tissue rolls into a fun Christmas tree decoration that doubles as an advent calendar.
