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Frugal holiday ideas #2

How to make your own gift bows & tags.

It is amazing the amount of money we spend on bows & gift tags just to toss them out. So why not make them out of things you already have. Way cuter and more personal, plus if you use things that you would normally thow out it cuts down on waste.

First up how to make a bow . Super easy & they can be made of ANYTHING. Old maps, junk mail, newspapers, film strips, and so on. Again get creative. If you don't want to use the fabric wrapping technique I mentioned in my last post, try wrapping in newspaper with a junk mail bow.

Gift tags are even easier. Cut out a square of a stiff material & punch a hole in it. Thread some interesting yarn & you are ready to go. Now for me I invested in a gift tag punch. I honestly thought I wouldn't use it that much so I waited till I had a 40% coupon for Michael's to get it. I cannot believe how much I use it. I even use it for price tags at festivals & yard sales. You could use any shape really so if you already have some punches go to town. I've also found old food boxes like cereal boxes, frozen foods, pop can & snacks are made of a light weight cardboard. They make great tags that are blank on one side & some have even have interesting colors and designs on the other.

Frugal holiday ideas day 1

I've neglected my poor little blog because I've returned to school after many year. I'm sorry if anyone is still following this. I'm going to try & make it up by doing a special on having a frugal, handmade, and maybe even green Christmas. Hopefully I can do a couple posts a week with ideas on how to save money while giving rockin gifts while on winter break.

Ok tip numero uno.
Wrapping with fabric, otherwise known as furoshiki.
If you are anything like me you have quite a bit of fabric stashed away for a rainy day. Well now is your chance to give a one of a kind green present while helping to destash. Now I know what you are thinking, what if the gift recipient isn't crafty, what can they do with a large piece of fabric. This is where you can be creative. You could use a scarf (thrift stores are great for big vintagey ones) for your fashionista, maybe a tablecloth for the new homeowner, a baby blanket for the new parents, heck who says it has to be fabric. Knit or crochet a shawl & use the same technique. Get creative & turn that one great gift into two awesome gifts.

Furoshiki instructions

Upcoming festivals

List will be updated as I apply for more:

Eco-Chic Craftacular 
http://www.columbuscraftacular.com/
May 22-23
at the Whetstone Community Center
3923 N High Street, Clintonville

Yellow Springs Street Fair June 12th

(in front of Eco-Mental)
http://www.yellowspringsohio.org/street_fair.html

SALE on my etsy shop

I have a bunch of cute hats on sale in my shop right now looking for a good home. Also a motherboard clock. Check it out.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MissMotleys

Handmade Holiday Bazaar

My next festival.

December 4th (5-10pm) and December 5th (3-10pm)


at C{Space 20 N. Jefferson Ave. Downtown Dayton (next to Club Masque)

preview of patterns

Ohhh look pictures of the new hats I'm hoping to sell patterns of. I know the black & blue one is meh. It's so hard for me to justify using a good quality yarn when I'm testing out a new pattern from scratch. I did make another in an orange cotton that looks way better but I havent taken any pics yet. Hoping to work out kinks tomorrow & maybe *crossing my fingers* have them on etsy monday before class.