If you are like me I love making things that are useful, cute, and handmade. But I don’t know how to do it all and I love learning new cute ideas! Craftsy is a great place for a couple reasons:

1) Terrific online classes from amazing instructors for beginning, intermediate and advanced quilters, knitters, crocheters, sewists, jewelry makers, and other crafters.
2) Astonishingly good deals on crafting supplies: organic yarn, lovely fabrics and fat quarters from top designers, high quality needles, etc…

So while the cold winter weather sets in, don’t go crazy with nothing to do… Go to Craftsy to learn a new craft and get some great deals!

Related posts:

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My friend Leslea made me this adorable candy dish for Christmas.  The photo’s does not do it justice, I wish you could see it in personl. It is really cute!

BUT I loved it even more when I realized what she made it out of…….  Can you tell… look hard.

The base is a clay pot pot turned upside down, and painted black.  The lid to the candy pot is the base of the clay pot also painted black and turned upside down.

The candy dish is a fish bowl….. Looks like she used gorilla glue or something to attach it to the base.

Last but not least a wooden ball, also painted black attached to the top as the handle to the candy jar.

She made mine out of a clay pot, and a glass bowl, so I am just praying my kids do not bust it into a million pieces.  To make it a little more kid friendly you could make it out of a plastic pot and a plastic fish bowl.  Either way, I love mine …thanks again Leslea.

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2. Thrifty tip….candy cane dust
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Here is the picture of the pom poms they made!

First things first you need to find a t shirt.

I only used from the arm pit down of the shirt and then cut thin strips….after this step is done you need to cut two pieces of card board in the shape of a (C) You can see what I mean with the picture above. You take one piece of the t shirt and wedge it in the middle of the card board (This is so you can tie it after all is wrapped and cut!

You will want to wrap it three times around and once you do that you can use scissors or use an Exacto knife which is sharper and way faster *Hint* Hold your hand down holding the t shirt in place while cutting.

After you have cut all the way around you take the two pieces that you tucked into the cardboard and tie them tight….all of the fabric will gather. Once you have tied it you can remove the card board and fluff it up!

Next is just to hang and ENJOY!

Related posts:

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1.Decide on a theme.
I have made scrapbooks of weddings, birthdays, pets, new baby, weekend get-a-ways …
pretty much anything that my little heart desires! The possibilities are endless!

2. Gather your pictures
Gather up your pictures that you want to use for this project. How
many pictures you have will help you to decide what size scrapbook to purchase.
Speaking about sizes, there are many to choose from. Small 6″x6″ scrapbooks are great
for making a brag book to show off that new pet or new addition to your family.
8″ x 8″ are my favorites. These are small enough to work with that I don’t get overwhelmed. They
don’t require as many pictures or as much paper as the 12″x12″ size. However I have several
12″ x 12″ scrapbooks that I have done for family vacations. It is totally a personal preference!

3. Gather supplies:
Scrapbook
Pictures
Cardstock for mating your pictures
Neutral (acid free) cardstock for pages
Paper cutter. (this gives straighter lines, but scissors can also be used.)
Adhesive (I use TOMBOW ‘s mono multi liquid glue)
Embellishments to decorate your pages
A local craft store will have a selection of scrapbooks, cardstock, and
embellishments to choose from.
I know embellishments can be totally overwhelming
Start simple. Some favorites of mine are ribbons, buttons, rub-ons, and stickers.
These can be found in any color to match your theme.

4. Background pages.
(The pages you will eventually glue your pictures onto.)
Depending on the size of the scrapbook you have chosen, you may need to
cut your paper to fit your pages. Cut enough for each page and insert into
page protectors for protection until they are needed.
Most scrapbooks come with pages already in them. However, I am not a big fan of white as
most of them are, so I change mine to a color of choice.

5. Crop and Mat your pictures.
Either single or double mat your pictures.
“Crop” means to cut off the messy or unimportant part of the picture, making your subject
the main focus. “Mat” means to place your picture on a piece of cardstock with an equal border
around each edge. If you are nervous about cropping your pictures, print doubles!

6. Divide your pictures according to how many pages you have.
For the 6″ X 6″ only one picture will fit per page.
The 8″ x 8″ can hold one or two pictures per page.
The 12″x12′ can fit three to four pictures per page.

7. Arrange mated pictures on onto page.
Do NOT glue yet! Move the pictures around
on the page until you like the way they look together. After you have decided
where the pages look best, glue them into place.

8. Add embellishments or captions to your pages.
Personally, I only work on one or two pages at a time. This helps me not to feel
rushed or overwhelmed. When you are placing your embellishments be careful
not to “over-do” it. Your pictures are your main focus, your embellishments
compliment the pictures and should not be the main focus of the page.

9. Protect the finished product.
After each page is completed, slip it back into the protective
sleeve. I have ruined completed pages by spilling glue so I always
place the page into the scrapbook as soon as it is done.

10. Share Your Creation!
Your scrapbook is now complete! Your
scrapbook is a unique gift from the heart that can not be
duplicated. Unfortunately, after I complete a scrapbook, I want
to keep it!  But hey, guess now I will just have to make one for myself!

Remember, a photo album shows pictures, while a scrapbook can
tell a one of a kind story! Until next time, Happy Scrapping!

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Even using coupons, the back to school supply lists can take a toll on your weekly grocery budget. I found a couple neat ideas on reusing items around the house for school lunch supplies and can’t wait to try them out! These look like items even a non-crafty person like myself could successfully create!

This first idea is from Family Fun magazine. Don’t throw out those used milk jugs!

With just a few snips, you can create a set of cool, eco-friendly, reusable snack and sandwich containers from juice cartons and milk jugs. They’re food-safe, easy to rinse clean, and absolutely free, so it’s no biggie if they get tossed accidentally. Let your kids decorate the boxes with stickers and permanent markers for an even more personalized look.

1. SANDWICH BOX: Mark a clean 1-gallon milk jug as shown.

2. Cut along the lines with scissors. To make the crease lines, use a thumbtack to pierce a row of dots at 1/4-inch intervals across each side of the jug, 1 3/4 inches up from the bottom.

3. Fold the flaps at these dotted lines, then open them and fold them in the opposite direction along the lines (this will make the flaps easier for your kids to open and close). Fold up the box and add an adhesive-backed Velcro dot closure.

SNACK BOX: Use a clean juice or milk carton. Cut off the top, then cut the sides into flaps as shown. Carefully crease the flaps, then fold them down and add an adhesive-backed Velcro dot closure.

These cute bags made out of Capri Sun juice pouches are popping up everywhere. Why not make a lunch totes for your kids?! Save $ and learn how to make them here.

I think these would also make a fantastic reusable grocery bag! This is one my friend Ginny made. {Insert shameless plug for Ginny to make me one for my birthday! }

Do you have a creative idea on how to save money be reusing an item? Please share! I love hearing new thoughts and ideas!

Thanks Utah Deal Diva

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DIY - mozzarella cheese

To make one pound of cheese you need one gallon of milk. We had two different milks that were both about half full that I added together. They were close to expiring and I had just bought new milk. So in the pot they went.

Here is how:

You need a cheese making kit. The one I have had I have made about 6 pounds of cheese and I haven’t even used 1/4 of the ingredients. It keeps well in the back of the fridge.

One cheese making kit - Rennet, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid, Mild Lipase Powder, Flaked salt

The one I used is from Leeners – $24.95
Leeners Mozzarella and Ricotta Cheese Making Kit
Or this one for $18.50 – I haven’t used this but I’m sure it’s similar.
Roaring Brook Dairy Mozzarella Cheesemaking Kit

Follow the instructions but basically you need:

• pot large enough to hold a gallon of milk,
• One Gallon of milk (whole milk is best – cheese needs high fat content)
• One cheese making kit – Rennet, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid, Mild Lipase Powder, Flaked salt
• large spoon with holes for draining
• 5 small bowls to have everything pre-measured
• a large microwave safe bowl
• thick rubber gloves (I used 5 pair of latex gloves but the thick rubber kitchen gloves would work too, clean)
• one cooking thermometer

Start by pouring 1 (one) gallon of milk into the pot. Whole milk is best cheese is better with higher fat content. I have even made it from raw milk at Sarah’s parents house, they are dairy farmers. Some risk involved with raw milk.

Slowly warm the milk on low to medium heat. Slower the better, scalded or burnt cheese probably doesn’t taste that good.

While the milk is warming start preparing the additives

In one small bowl add

1/2 tsp of Rennet with 1/4 cup of distilled (I use tap) water

Next bowl :

1 tsp calcium chloride liquid mix with 2 Tbs of distilled (or tap) water

Next Bowl:

Measure 2 tsp of citric acid powder

Next Bowl:

Measure 1/2 tsp of Flaked salt. To be added while stretching the cheese in the last process

Next Bowl :

Measure 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of mild lipase powder. Optional if you are vegetarian.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Milk with Citric Acid, curd forming

Closely watch the temperature of the warming milk. Add the citric acid while it is warming. Stir the citric acid for 30 seconds.  You will begin to see the milk separate and form curds. Continue to  stir once every minute or so. Once it reaches 88 degrees F add the calcium chloride mixture and the lipase powder. Stir the mixtures slowly for 30 seconds. Let the mixture continue to warm to 105 degrees F.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - 105 degrees, Citric Acid, Rennet, Mild Lipase Powder

Once 105 degrees F has been reaches cover and turn off the heat. Let the whey and curd mixture sit at 105 F for 15 minutes to allow the curd to fully develop. The curd is the white clumps and the whey is the greenish clear liquid in the pot.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Cover and let sit with heat off

After 15 minutes gently take out the curd with the slotted spoon. Put the curd into your microwave safe bowl. Try and remove as much curd from the whey as you can.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - After 15 minutes remove the curd, place into microwave safe bowl

Gently press the curd mixture with your gloves on. Pore the whey back into the pot. Press and pour this step until not much is being squeezed out.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - press out as much whey by hand

Now place the bowl with the curd mass into the microwave. Heat on High for ONE minute. Remove and press the mass to try and remove any more whey liquid as you can. Repeat this pressing and pouring till no more whey can be removed – about 30 seconds or so.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Place in microwave, cook on high one minute

Place back into the microwave for ONE minute again. Remove the cheese and press and pull the cheese similar to making taffy. Add the remaining flake salt while you are pulling and stretching the cheese. The more you pull the firmer and stringing it will become.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Continue to squeeze the whey out, place in microwave again for one minute

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Add the Flaked Salt and stretch and pull cheese

This is where I stopped microwaving it, but for a more firm cheese repeat the microwave step again.

At this point the cheese is very hot and this is where thick gloves comes in handy. I wore 5 latex gloves on each hand and it was still VERY hot.  Stretch and pull the cheese just like taffy makers. The more you pull and stretch it the more stringing and firm it becomes. For a softer cheese only pull and stretch for a short time, maybe one or two pulls then form your cheese ball.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Stretch and Pull the cheese and work the curd together

Form the cheese the way you want, place in an air tight container. In the fridge it is good for about one week, and in the freezer for about a month.

DIY - Mozzarella cheese - Form a tight cheese ball with the flat of your palm and press your fingers upward on the bottom middle of the cheese mass.

If the cheese is too soft to grate, place in the freezer to firm the cheese for grating. ENJOY!

How do you like your cheese?

DIY - Mozzarella cheese, Tomato, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, Basil

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Got this from my inbox,

Help!! Teacher appreciation is next week (May 2nd-May 6th) and I am having troubles finding the perfect gifts to send in!! Our children have AMAZING teachers and we would like to send something in with them daily to let them know how much they mean to us. With all the budget cuts to our school district (they are even reducing the number of teachers in the district) it is very important to use to show our teachers that we support and appreciate them. Any thrifty ideas??? Thanks for the help!!

What are your ideas?  I would love to hear our readers feedback on this one!

We all know Teachers do not get paid what they should, personal care products are pricey so why not share a little coupon love and give a basket filled with items that we couponers are able to score for $1.00 or less… most the time FREE.

Lots of great deals on Spring plants.  Skip To My Lou has a free EDITABLE version of this printable!  Just type in your child’s name and click PRINT!

Add some movie tickets to these cute bag toppers by Domesticated Lady (free printable). Watch her FREE tutorial for making the cookies.  Or add some Popcorn, and some goodies if you are not feeling up to baking.

More more Ideas Check out Moms By Heart and Skip to My Lou

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Tiny Prints has you covered this year for Mothers’ Day with their Tiny Prints Greeting Card Collection, which lets you create individual personalized cards with photos starting at $1.99. They have cards for everyone in your life from your mom, to your grandmother, sister, daughter or anyone else important to you.  In a matter of seconds, you can create personalized Mother’s Day Cards and have Tiny Prints mail them directly to you or the recipient.  No more scouring the racks at your local convenience store for a lame last minute card, Tiny Prints has removed the hassle and added the fun back into Mother’s Day shopping with a personal touch.

As an extra bonus, from April 6th to April 12th, all Mother’s Day Greeting Cards will be $.99 cents and you can also sign up for a Free Greeting Card Membership, giving you three FREE cards to use right away, as well as discounts on future cards.

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What you need:

• Sheet of decorative cardstock
• Tape
• Black pen
• stamp pad
• Cuties

Tear a strip off  you sheet of cardstock.

Take an orange stamp pad and rub the strip over it to give it a distressed look.

Make a “belly band” for your little cuties, and tape it into place.

Cut out a heart, distress it and write your message.  We wrote ” I think you’re a Cutie”

And there you go… in about 3 minutes you have a cute, personalized healthy treat to share with your friends!

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I made these cute little polk-a-dot pails  up the other day and thought I would share them with you.  I bought the pail at the dollar store on $.88  day, and the rest of the items were from my craft room.

You will need:

• Pail
• Tissue Paper
• Glue dots or Hot glue gun
• Stamp ( any theme you like)
• Markers or colored pencils
• Cardstock red and white
• Fuzzy string 8 1-foot pieces  ( sorry not sure what it is called, look for it in the yarn section of the craft store)
• Hole punch for  hole in tag
• Ribbon for tag

Add a glue dot to the pail handle

Cut fuzzy sting into 8 one foot long pieces.   Wrap it around the glue dot so it sticks to the handle.

Work your way up the handle, then push it all down  so it is really thick and no handle is showing thru. Add  another glue dot and secure the end.

Add another glue dot and start your next color

Continue wrapping till the whole handle is covered.

I used a oval punch and scalloped oval punch from the Stampin up line to cut the tags.  Then stamped and colored the image with markers.

Punch a hole and hook to the handle of the pail.

It was cute but I wanted to add a little tissue paper to dress it up a bit.

Remember the money maker deal we got at Walgreens in December on Hallmark Tissue paper….well I put it to use!  I used the same stamp to turn the plain white paper real cute pattern.

Then colored it with markers to match the tag.

Gives it that little kick it needed!

And you are done!  Cute gift pail for under $1.00!!! Quick and easy!

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So I follow Tinkernut.com on Youtube, and I just saw his new video on making a personalized Christmas photo cube that folds in tons of directions, each showing something different. 10 photos in all. He designed a template that you can download to help design your photos and shows you where to cut them.

Also the items needed are:

Photo paper with sticky on the back- this way you can stick the photos to your blocks

8 blocks – he used 3/4 inch blocks – and the template is for 3/4 inch.

10 photos – of whatever you want to be on the blocks

Tinkernut.com template for your photos

And a few minutes of your day to make something unique, memorable and home made!

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So this made me change the way I do Christmas treats for neighbors, Church friends, bus drivers, etc …. ( each year a huge list with about 60 people on it).  I try to give them something that has a longer shelf life, and they will have time to enjoy it before it gets tossed in the trash because it went bad.  My main goal is to let them know I am thankful for them, and want to share a little piece of our Christmas sprit with them.  I also want to show them I took some time to make it personal…but most important I need to stay within our limited budget.  Each year we make something different but this is what we came up with this year.

A box of Hot Chocolate, with chocolate dipped stirring spoons.

You will need:

• Dipping chocolate (white or dark) we did both $2.16 each
• Pepermint candies $1.00 a bag
• Sprinkles $1.00-$2.50
• Spoons $1.00 ( for colored ones look in the party supply section)
• Holiday ribbon ( just used what I had at home but you can get it for $1.00- $2.00)
• Wrapping paper ( used what I had at home, but you can get it for $1.00)
• Cello bags $2.00 for 25 bags ( found in party section at walmart)
• Hot Chocolate $1.00-$3 a box depending on what kind you buy.  I used the Swiss Miss I got on sale, with my coupons for only $.20 a box a few months back.

The supplies above are more than enough to make  25 gift bags.  My total out of pocket cost was about $10.00 (because I already had  the Hot Cocoa, and other supplies at home.  That means I was able to make these cute gifts for about $.40…if you add the cost of the $.20  Cocoa then it is $.60  a gift.

BUT if you had to go out and buy ALL these supplies you should be able to make them for about $1.52 each…not a bad price for a fun little gift.  Well under the $5.00 challenge.

Start out by getting your supplies ready.  I wanted to make some with crushed mint, so I took a hammer and broke up  a few of them.

These mints are only $1.00 a bag! And I only used about 1/4 of the bag! Very thrifty price!  Once you crush some of them, dump them into little bowls and set aside while you get the chocolate ready.

Heat the chocolate coating, 30 seconds at a time in the microwave.  Stir still smooth. ( do not over heat or add water or it will turn into a hard ball)

If your chocolate  coating gets hard, or thick you can put it back in for a few seconds to heat it back up again.

Start dipping your spoons, and add mints and sprinkles to make them look pretty.

I used both white and red spoons to make it look a little  more festive.

I then took wrapping paper and put a band just around the middle so they can still see it is a box of Hot Cocoa.

Tied a ribbon around it and them a added the spoons in a cute cello bag.

Here is one I did in blue… but I put the wrapping paper the long way around.

And here is one in  red.

Last year I did a post on how to turn a  bottle of soda into a cute teacher gift.  I learned that not everyone  approved of giving a “thrifty gift”.  So I was a little hesitant to  share the hot chocolate idea this year.  BUT I decided it is ok if not everyone agrees or sees the value in giving a gift and staying within a limited budget. It is the spirit of giving that I want to share with my readers. The cost and item are not what conveys the love  and joy of the season.    Hugs and Merry Christmas.

Thanks to Walmart for the $20 gift card for this project, and the chance to share my ideas!

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This is one of our Family’s favorite snacks, and a great way to use up all the cereal we get with coupons.

You will need:

• 16 cups of dry cereal ( chex, cinnamon toast crunch, life, or what ever you want)
• 2 cups grated coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds ( I use sun flower seeds instead, so my friends with nut allergies can eat it too)
• 2 cups pretzels
• (Sprinkles for the top is you want to ad them at the end)

Sauce you will need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Light Karo syrup
• 3/4 cup butter ( 1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup chopped candy cane dust ( click here to see easy way to make)

In large bowl, mix together, cereal, coconut, nuts or seeds, and pretzels. Set aside to make sauce.

In a medium sauce pan add, sugar, butter and Karo. Over MEDIUM heat slowing melt butter and blend ingredients together. Stir while heating.

Once it comes to a boil cook for 2 minutes….( set a timer, if it cooks longer it will be too hard, if it does not cook longer enough it will be too soft) Once it has cooked at a full boil for 2 min take off heat.

Sprinkle in the chopped candy canes ( I dumped it in so I could take the picture and then it was a big ball…and hard to work with, not a good idea)

As you sprinkle in the candy cane, wisk to prevent big lumps.

Pour over the top of cereal mixture in bowl, stir till all cereal is well coated.

Then pour out on a greased cookie sheet, and top with sprinkles if you want. Let cool, store in zip lock bag, enjoy!

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Thanks to Susan for passing along this wonderful idea!!!

I did something last year that will become an annual tradition for my family. It wasn’t my idea — I read about it on a blog somewhere and thought it was such a great idea. I don’t think I could find the link now, but hopefully I can describe it well enough.

Like many families, we’ve gotten caught up in the business and commercialism of Halloween and Christmas. It seems like stores go straight from one to the other, and Thanksgiving gets largely skipped over. Last year, I was a little unhappy with my child’s “gimme” phase that she seemed to be going through, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it until I saw that blog entry, with a simple but effective idea.

We created a “Thankful Chain” which was a simple paper chain made of strips of paper. Starting on November 1st and continuing each day until Thanksgiving, we wrote down on our paper strips one thing that we were thankful for, then glued the paper strip into loop on our chain. We kept the chain on our dining room table so that it was right in front of us every evening.

In effort to turn the “gimme” attitude into more of a “giving” attitude, I challenged my daughter and myself to come up with ideas to give back, either to each other, or to someone else we know, or even someone we don’t know, like a family in need or the troops overseas. We’d write those ideas on a little piece of paper and put it in a jar, then each Friday night (our designated “family night”) we’d each choose one or two of the activities — selecting the ones that we realistically could actually do — then follow through with the activity on the following weekend.

It really helped us to both sit back a little, think about all of the many blessings that we already have in our lives instead of all the things we want, and think about how we can help others. I was pleased with how well my daughter (then  really was able to look past herself once I made the effort to direct her that way. And I was touched to the point of tears at some of the things she wanted to do to help me, her often tired and stressed out Mom.

We’ll be doing something similar again this year, starting tonight. Goodbye Halloween, hello Thanksgiving.

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Thanks to Pamela for passing along her great idea, how to make instant hand warmers.  I have made these before, but always made them bigger with a large piece of cloth.  I have to say I think these little hand warmers are such a cute idea…..

Have you ever thought of all days to not be able to locate the hand warmer’s, and you end up getting  over 17 inches of snow and “nasty” winds!
I decided I had to figure out a way to make some quick warmer’s.

Here’s what I did.

1. I found an old pair of my socks I don’t wear anymore.

2. I filled each sock with 2 cups of Long Grain White Rice.

3. I tied the socks tight.



4. I then folded the rest of the sock over the rice filled part.

I microwaved each about 2 minutes.
(I’m sure time will vary with each microwave.)

These stay nice and warm! You can reheat them over and over

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It takes about 35 yards of tulle to make the TuTu shown in the video, (3 spools of 25 yards  made 2 TuTu’s).  Hope you enjoyed the video.

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Each day we will be posting A Thrifty Halloween Tip, from our readers. At the end of the month, one of you will win a $25.00 Visa Gift Card. For all the details click here. Keep those thrifty tips coming!!!

Todays Thrifty tip is from my little girls, they had fun making these pumpkins with me.

You will need

• Roll of toilet paper
• 12×12 scapbook paper 2-4 sheets (depends on if you want different colors)
• 4X5 paper for Stem and another for leaf
• Tape or glue dots

Cut the 12X12 paper into 2 inch strips

Give the strips a good crunch, to give them some texture.

My girls had fun doing this part.  At first they thought I was crazy when I told them to wad the paper up in a ball, but then they could not stop giggling about it.

Add a glue dot, or a strip of tape to the end ( after I did a few I found tape works a little better)

Tape it to the inside of the roll, and wrap the paper strip around the TP, tuck into the bottom

Overlap the strips of paper slightly so the, TP does not show.  Do this till the roll is covered, about 10  strips of paper.

To make a stem, twist and roll  a 4X5 piece of paper, into the shape of a stem.

Do the same thing to a 4X5 green paper, fold and twist it into a leaf shape

On a few of them I took a brown stamp pad, and inked up the edges a little to give it a weathered look

Add your stem and leaf…and you are done!

Quick, easy and since we had all the supplies on hand…it was FREE!

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2. FREE 4-pack of White Cloud Green Earth toilet paper
3. Thrifty Halloween tip of the day

You may want to head over to Skip to my Lou and check out her cute Holiday printables for the 4th of July.  She has several ides to choose from, like these straw tags for your drinks.  Simply Download the circles, print on white cardstock, cut with 2″ circle punch, and thread onto a straw.  There is plenty of room to add a name.

Related posts:

1. More Coupons.com printables
2. Giant deals July 17-23
3. Huge list of new Red Plum printables- Now Restocked