Friday, November 30, 2012

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Sale

I will be taking advantage of this sale. I still need to get quite a few supplies for my homemade gifts that I am making for Christmas. I suggest you check it out too!

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores


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Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Countdown to Christmas Begins

Every year, my family counts down to Christmas using an advent calendar. Usually we use a store bought one that is made up of little flaps that you fold back to reveal a quote about the holidays. This year, though, I decided to get creative and make my own countdown calendars. They ended up taking more time to create than I had thought they would, but I think they are turning out well. So far, I have finished one calendar and am finishing up the second.

For the first one, I collected 24 bottle caps from my friends and family.
Next, I cut out circles from various colors of scrapbook paper to fit inside of the caps.
I painted a holiday-themed picture on each circle, such as a snowman or Christmas cookies, and then wrote a number from 1-24 on each circle.
Finally, I popped each circle into a bottle cap.

Bottle Cap Advent Calendar













I found a cheap wooden frame at Michael's for only $1. I painted it white with red trim and put a picture of our family inside of it. I will be sticking the bottle caps around the edge of the frame each day until it is Christmas (I'm not sure how to stick them on yet, though).

I remembered that I had purchased a beautiful mirrored countdown calendar on clearance last January from Target, so I decided to combine the two by placing a bottle cap and small piece of candy in each of the doors.



















For my other advent calendar, I sewed 24 Christmas-themed ornaments from felt. I will be placing them, along with more candy, inside of 24 decorated cans that I have collected over the last several months from my family's meals. Each day we will hang the ornaments on a small silver tree that was also purchased from Target on clearance a few years ago. Pictures of this calendar will be posted soon!

Friday, November 23, 2012

The Holidays are Coming!

Thanksgiving is now over, and the holidays are quickly coming! December can be an expensive month, regardless of which holiday you celebrate. The costs of gifts, meals, travel expenses, and holiday parties can quickly add up. This year, to stay on my budget of pretty much nothing, I, as well as my family, have planned to cut costs by doing things like making homemade gifts, shopping at dollar stores, and finding other alternatives to spending money.
My current money-saving holiday project is making gifts for most of my relatives this year. I am also making several holiday decorations to decorate my house for a low price. Pictures to come, so stay tuned!

What are you doing to save money this season?