TIDBIT OF WINTER ORGANIZING

I hope everyone has survived the Halloween Northeaster of 2011 . We lost power and heat  for 2 days. Many tree limbs have come down.

Anyway, since I am still sick, I haven't been doing much sewing, etc. I have lost more of my hearing due to an ear infection ( 1st in decades.) and I am starting to lose my voice ( which I seem to do every year in the fall/ winter since I was little).   

 But here is a tidbit of winter organizing.

If you have a lot of scarves and no place to to actually put them, here is an idea I tried this year. I put curtain rod fixtures on the top of the  doorway opening to my laundry room area and hung up a curtain rod . I hung the scarves over the rod. Now anyone can see a scarf or hang one up to dry.

Until next time,

Lois

FROM SUPER WHY TO SPONGE BOB

The Super Why costume I made didn't fit well over my grandson's clothes. Using scraps of fabric,  I quickly made an over the head Sponge Bob costume.

It has a front and back which are joined by shoulder straps. It fits over any clothes even bulky coats.

Happy Halloween!

Until next time,

Lois

THE HOLIDAYS - WRAPPING PAPER by Lois Valentin

THE HOLIDAYS- WRAPPING PAPER by Lois Valentin

Santa Claus seems to be the only one who may or may not wrap presents, but everyone else , to my knowledge, wraps their presents to give out.

Wrapping paper can be expensive. There are ways to wrap without the expense.

1. Freecycle   Some people give away wrapping paper right after the holidays or , in my friend's case, moving. She didn't want the paper. I took it.

2. Use newspaper or the comics.

3. Use old magazines or junk mail.

4. Use wallpaper. 

5. Use recycled paper even paper bags.

6. Have children draw on paper. Use their handmade wrapping paper.

7. Sew a tote bag and use that as a gift bag.

8. Can't sew? Use a pillowcase.

9. Use a box from a super market. Decorate it.

10. Use super market plastic bags. One year I gave everyone on my list  their gifts in those bags.

11. Got branches in your yard? Tie some together to make a box. 

12. Use an empty juice box like Capri Sun or a cereal box. Last year I used red and white striped wallpaper to cover the large juice boxes. They came out so good. I kept one to store all my rulers in.

13. Cigar boxes , if you still smoke. A few years ago I did smoke cigars.( Surprised?)  I don't smoke anymore. I kept the boxes for myself.

14. Piece of fabric tied with a bow.

15. Knit a bag or wrap the gift entirely in yarn.

16. Knit a plastic bag with  strips of supermarket plastic bags. Makes a sturdy bag.

So as you see wrapping doesn't have to be expensive. You can save money this way.

Hope you enjoyed these helpful holiday hints.

 

Until next time. 

Lois

 

THE HOLIDAYS- WRAPPING PAPER by Lois Valentin

Santa Claus seems to be the only one who may or may not wrap presents, but everyone else , to my knowledge, wraps their presents to give out.

Wrapping paper can be expensive. There are ways to wrap without the expense.

1. Freecycle   Some people give away wrapping paper right after the holidays or , in my friend's case, moving. She didn't want the paper. I took it.

2. Use newspaper or the comics.

3. Use old magazines or junk mail.

4. Use wallpaper. 

5. Use recycled paper even paper bags.

6. Have children draw on paper. Use their handmade wrapping paper.

7. Sew a tote bag and use that as a gift bag.

8. Can't sew? Use a pillowcase.

9. Use a box from a super market. Decorate it.

10. Use super market plastic bags. One year I gave everyone on my list  their gifts in those bags.

11. Got branches in your yard? Tie some together to make a box. 

12. Use an empty juice box like Capri Sun or a cereal box. Last year I used red and white striped wallpaper to cover the large juice boxes. They came out so good. I kept one to store all my rulers in.

13. Cigar boxes , if you still smoke. A few years ago I did smoke cigars.( Surprised?)  I don't smoke anymore. I kept the boxes for myself.

14. Piece of fabric tied with a bow.

15. Knit a bag or wrap the gift entirely in yarn.

16. Knit a plastic bag with  strips of supermarket plastic bags. Makes a sturdy bag.

So as you see wrapping doesn't have to be expensive. You can save money this way.

Hope you enjoyed these helpful holiday hints.

Until next time. 

Lois

OLD KIDNEY SHAPED TIN AND OLD KEYS

OLD KIDNEY SHAPED TIN AND OLD KEYS by Lois Valentin

Two nights in a row ago I dreamt of wind chimes made of keys. So I decided to make some. I thought about using my many decades old collection of old keys , but decided to look at yard sales and the flea market first. One lady have some very old, old keys in a tin kidney shaped container. She said the container was from the First War- assumingly WWI. It looks like it would have been able to be attached to a belt buckle or something. Valuable?? The keys had some odd shapes. One mandolin shaped key. Skeleton keys, lock keys, house keys, and a few keys to wind up the old toys. I'll use these old keys to make a wind chime to hang in my office. Or maybe I will try to sell some or sell a wind chime.


I also bought an old tin which I was told was used during the First War. Don't know if fact or fiction.

Here are some pics of the old keys. Here's also pics of the tin.


Until next time,


Lois

THE HOLIDAYS cont'd by Lois Valentin

THE HOLIDAYS  cont'd by Lois Valentin

 

As promised here is # 3  of  my holidays ideas and such. 

Here are ideas for two games . I made these with parents of my students when I taught preschool decades ago. The first is a matching game. The second is a memory game like concentration. Both use materials you probably have in the house. These are mostly made from re-purposed and recycled materials. 

Materials needed for each game  ( same for both games): 

2 empty cereal boxes

2 newspaper flyers that are the same. Could be food, clothing, furniture. or even holiday themed . Just have to be the same.

scissors

glue or tape

ruler

pen, pencil or marker

Game 1 MATCHING GAME

1. Cut out 2 large rectangles -same size from the cereal box. Front and back would do.

2  Mark both pieces equally into squares or rectangles.

3 Draw lines .  

4 Cut 1 piece of rectangle into pieces that you just marked while leaving the other piece whole.

 The whole one will be your game board. The cut one will be your game pieces.

5 With the newspaper flyers find two pictures the same. 

6 Cut both out. 

7 Glue or tape one picture to the game board and one to the game piece.

 Continue until finished.

Game 2 MEMORY GAME

Using the same materials follow steps 1 - 3 from the matching game.

4. Cut out both pieces of cardboard. These will all be your game pieces. 

5. Glue or tape each picture on the square or triangle pieces- making sure you have two of the same.

This is your memory game. 

Playing these will also teach the parent or child language skills. 

#4 will be soon.

Until next time.

Lois

  

CUFFS Made by Lois Valentin

CUFFS Made by Lois Valentin

In rearranging 'my office' , I came across a container of cuffs I made a few years ago. Thought I'd post them.
The cuffs have elastic that goes around a  person's wrist.  I made them in the hopes of selling them to make money. No such luck . My camera was ghosty.

Hope you enjoy them.
Until next time,
Lois