I have a true confession for you. I hoard used baby wipes containers. Phew, I feel so much better now that I’ve admitted my problem. We use the kind that come in a crinkly plastic bag with a flip-top opening. I have held onto these wipes containers in the vain hope I would use both the bags AND the flip-top openings for various craft projects. …

Here’s a great organization idea! Stacie from The Creative Crate made this awesome dry erase calendar using a $3 yard sale frame. She used permanent marker to draw the calendar grid, and you can write on the glass of the frame with a regular dry erase marker (and erase it when you’re done). [click here for project instructions]
This would be a great holiday gift. Yes, …

Kids love to pretend and imagine, and puppets are definitely on the list of fun and imaginative things to play with.  Making up stories, characters, and even voices, is so good for kids!
Today I will show you a very simple and inexpensive way to make some puppets to help encourage your little ones’ imaginations, using — of course! — items found at the dollar store.  [Go …

Reader Mama Jenn has a great blog full of frugal ideas for homeschooling and kid-friendly activities. She sent me this awesome idea, and as I was looking at it, my three year-old son said, “Hey mom, what’s that?” When I explained the concept of a geoboard to him, he said “Oh mom, we should GET one of those!” I guess we know what’s on this …

Emily from Not So Idle Hands came up with a completely brilliant idea for making play makeup for her daughters! She used dollar store nail polish combined with old makeup containers to create play makeup that looks like the real thing, but doesn’t actually work like real makeup (no rouged cheeks, in other words!). This is an idea I’ve never seen before, and I’m so …

Here’s a quick and easy handmade version of the classic children’s birthday party game, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Instead of buying a disposable paper game at the store, why not make one that you can use for every birthday party? It’s cute, colorful, and your kids will love the tradition of playing the game at their parties over the years.
My mom asked me …

It’s back to school time!  Teacher gifts are becoming more and more popular, not only at the end of school, but the beginning as well.  Or how about a little back-to-school gift for your student!  Kristy shows how she made these adorable little clipboards from restaurant coasters, binder clips, and a few scraps of paper.  [get the details here]
Project Estimate:

chipboard restaurant coasters, free
medium size binder …

My boys are quite the little artists these days, so I am always trying to think of new ideas for them.  I whipped up a little artist’s apron, made completely out of one dollar store dish towel!  Mr. S is absolutely in love with all the little pockets!  [click here for tutorial]
Also, if you get your crayons during those back-to-school sales like I did, you can …

Once again, Deborah from Wonderwoman Creations shows us a fabulous transformation!  She took a placemat, a spool of ribbon and a button and made an adorable handbag.  She gives us step-by-step instructions, including how to tie that cute bow, on her blog.  [go to tutorial]
I can’t wait to try this with one of the placemats I couldn’t resist getting at the dollar store!
Project Estimate:

Placemat, $1
Spool …

Hi all! It’s your friendly neighborhood Masked Mommy again, and today I wanted to share a craft with you that is fairy simple to do, and is really cheap but has expensive looking results. You can turn any ordinary bottle- plastic or glass- into an old fashioned, leather-looking bottle. [instructions to project here]
Although I’m sure everyone has extra bottles around their house, they do sell …