Check out these three new Thank You cards! Just paper, an old book and colored pencils.

Make your own pocket tissue pouch

We all have those frugal pet peeves. The things that even though they may be cheap... we know that they are way overpriced and it bugs us. One of the things that bugs me are the pocket or purse size tissues. I can get three name brand packets for only $1 at the dollar store which seems cheap until you realize that there are only 10 tissues per pack. So you are paying $1 for 30 tissues or 3.3 cents each. I can get three big boxes of the same name brand at Target for $5.99 for 480 tissues or 1.2 cents each. That is a considerable markup for a flimsy, single use plastic pouch. But if you have kids or work with kids those packets are super useful when you see a runny nose. So here is my easy, basically free solution. First get 10-15 tissues. Fold each one longways then do a trifold like a wallet. They need to be folded individually. If you try to do the whole stack you won't be able to pull them out of the pouch without ripping. Make a neatish stack. Next take some pretty and lightweight scrap fabric. Cut out a rectangle that will wrap around your little pile of tissues. Make a hem on either end. Next, wrong sides together, you want to wrap around your pile so the hemmed ends overlap a bit. Pin both hemmed ends together. Sew both non-hemmed ends with a zigzag stitch. Turn inside out and insert your pile of tissues. Took me maybe 2 minutes to fold the tissues and a half hour to sew 2 pouches. Could also be cute in a get well basket! Much prettier than the plastic pouches and one third the price!

Homemade thread spool and bobbin holder

This one is easy and so useful! My thread was always a huge messy pile that you'd have to dig through to find the color you wanted and my bobbins were even worse. I decided to get more organized. I bought a few thin dowel rods and carefully cut them to about 5 inch lengths. I took some leftover pieces from my bamboo flooring and drilled small holes to stick the dowels in. You want to be sure to leave a whole diameter of thread between each one plus enough room for you to reach down. I stuck a little wood glue in each whole then the dowels. Wait for it to dry and then organize by color. So much easier you'll be wishing you'd done it years ago!

Homemade kitchen compost bucket

I have an outdoor kitchen compost bin. Of course squirrels immediately chewed through one of the lower vents and my backyard chickens peruse it from this new convenient entryway. It kind of looks like a giant darth vader helmet in my backyard but it is still great because I cook 90% of my own meals and therefore have a lot of vegetable trimmings and eggshells. Composting them cuts way down on my weekly amount of garbage and allows material that easily decomposes to do so instead of being enshrined in a landfill. My only problem was what to collect these kitchen scraps in? I certainly wasn't going to pay $40 or more dollars for the fancy ones they sell with charcoal filters for smell. I go out to the backyard at least twice a day to tend the chickens so kitchen scraps wouldn't be sitting around long. Originally I tried a dish on the counter but that took up precious countertop space in my small kitchen and usually quickly overflowed. I wanted a larger container that was out of the way but easy to grab and dump when I'd go outside. Solution! I took a gallon milk jug and cut away the part opposite the handle. This retains the easy to grab handle but provides a large space for kitchen scraps. Unlike a small bucket with a mobile handle, I can easily dump this with one hand and the handle stays free of overspill. It is also very easy to clean. I keep it on the top step leading to the backdoor. This way it is out of the way but easy to remember to grab. The large mouth also makes it easy to toss a handful of scraps in without having to bend over. It works perfectly! Another hint. Sometimes the outdoor kitchen compost can get stinky in hot weather. I just sprinkle some fireplace ashes that I accumulate all winter (mainly for use in keeping the chicken coop fresh smelling) over the top of the compost. Works like a charm!

cat bookmark craft

Here are some cute cat bookmarks for the feline loving reader in your life. I glued a small piece of paper to the back of the white one in order to reinforce the ribbon. The little legs on the yellow one are cut out so they go over the side of the page you are marking. Easy to make and cute homemade gifts!

Superhero Party

Here are some frugal ideas for a kids' super hero party. Lots of FUN!
Barbell made from old mop, broom or rake handle and empty paint cans with holes drilled in lid for dowel. Take an old blue sheet or blue fabric, draw city skyline with sharpie, cut out some clouds with white fabric and glue on. Kids can lay with arms and legs out like they are flying over the city for fun pictures. Take some scrap 2x4 chunks of wood a foot or so long. Draw squares on the side with sharpies for windows. Have kids see how many stories of the building they can jump over. Take some thick styrofoam and draw brick pattern with sharpie. Stack these for the kids to kick or punch over. These last two were ESPECIALLY popular (instead of styrofoam you could used shoe boxes - less messy). Snack was Captain America's shield made with circle of sliced strawberries, circle of sliced bananas and blueberries in center with a foil covered star in the middle. Serve in a little cup and no need for silverware. Healthy, simple and cute. Also had option of super hero cubecraft printed on cardstock. Have fun!!

fabric you know deep down you will never use

Got fabric laying around that you suspect may be buried with you when you die? Despair not! If you know how to knit get out some wide gauge knitting needles and cut the fabric into a continuous strip about 1.5-2 inches wide. Knit that into a trivet, hotpad or if you have a lot of material you can make a small throw rug. My rug below is far from gorgeous but its perfect to set wet boots on near the door and used up a ton of old fabric I was unlikely to ever use for anything else. You could also use old clothes.