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!

cold wall first aid or poor person's insulation

If you live in a cold climate and in an old house you know that some north facing walls could double as extra freezer space if you just added some shelving. My solution for this is borrowed from the freezing, drafty castles of the days of yore... tapestry. In my case I'm not referring to hand made wall hangings of a hunting party chasing down a unicorn but a simple blanket that you can hang from a rod to be attractive but more importantly prevent frostbite of your extremities. I took some old fabric and sheets I had lying around or picked up cheap at Goodwill and a quilted mattress cover from Goodwill for the backing (cheaper than buying batting) and sewed a scene using the colors I had on hand. I then added loops of fabric at the top to run a dowel through (or in my case a leftover piece of trim). Put a few screws in the wall to hang it from and you will be surprised at the difference in comfort level. Mine is next to my side of the bed and on a frigid north facing wall. My nose no longer looks like I've spent years hitting the bottle on cold January mornings. Big improvement!

homemade eye cover / sleep mask for traveling

Tired of looking like a zombie as you get off the plane after a long flight? I have a handy bag of airplane sleep supplies that I take with me on all plane trips.
Item 1: Blow up neck cushion
Item 2: foam earplugs
Item 3: my homemade eye cover/sleeper's mask/ fancy blindfold
To make your own sleep mask take a middle sized scrap of medium to lightweight fabric and fold it in half longways. Cut out a rectangle that will fit across the front of your face. Cut a narrow triangle out of the middle for your nose. Put wrong sides together and sew up 3 of 4 sides. Turn right side out. If you want to get extra fancy get some dried lavender flowers or rose flowers from the bulk spice section of your local health food store and drop some of that in then sew the remaining side up. Last just sew on a ribbon across the top of the back so you can tie that puppy on around your head. I also made a little bag out of the same material to store it in. You may look like a dork on the plane as you're getting your beauty sleep but I'll take being conscious for the first day of my vacation to looking normal to everyone making their way down the aisle to the cramped airplane bathroom. Added bonus - sends a definite message to any Chatty Cathy you have the bad luck to be seated next too. Double added bonus - you have a blindfold ready to go for your next pin the tail on the donkey game. Also makes a good gift for people who travel a lot and aren't too vain.

firewood tote from old jeans

Got a fireplace? Got pine sap, bark and sawdust on your coat from carrying in armfulls of wood with a trail of sticks and bark behind you that would make Hansel and Gretal proud? If you have an old pair of jeans and a sewing machine you will no longer have to wear your badge of firewood toting honor down your front. Cut the legs off the jeans and cut open each leg near the inseam. Sew the wide end of the open legs together with a several rows of zigzag stitching. This needs to be strong since this is where most of the weight of the wood will rest. Take a wooden dowel like you would use for hanging clothes in a closet or an equally thick branch and cut it so you have 2 pieces of wood about 2 feet long. At either end of your now sewn together jeans cut out a rectangle out of the middle. Sew up each end so the dowel fits through and the cut out rectangle allows space for your hand to grasp the dowels directly. Slip in dowels. Carry your new tote outside, lay it on the ground and put in a bunch of wood. Pick up with the handles you cut out, holding on to the dowels and skip back to the house with your now contained load of wood. Beautiful? Hell No! Practical? Absolutely!
2017 update! I'm still using this exact same tote. Has worked great and held up beautifully!

old towels

Do you have old towels that are starting to be transparent? If you have enough good section you can sew them into great, sturdy hotpads. Put wrong sides together, add a few layers of old flannel or other fabric, sew up three and a half sides, turn right side out, sew up remainder and pick up that honking iron skillet without third degree burns. I've used these for years as you can maybe tell!

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.