Let’s face it: being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around! So many motherly duties are taken for granted and are under-appreciated. This year, let your mom know why she’s appreciated with this gift that will keep her feeling loved all year ’round (especially if her love language is “words of affirmation”)*. This dry-erase memo board is a cinch to make, and can …

(chalkboard chair) by  Pretty Ditty
Gather ’round my friends. It’s time once again for another installment of chalkboard ideas. Don’t deny it, you love all these great chalkboardy-type projects. I love ‘em too! If you need even more chalkboard inspiration, check out our first and second chalkboard roundups.
But first, a chalkboard memory. When I was a little girl, my grandma’s house had a 70s-style …

Ali from Found it in the “Ali” used the Plastic Bag Decal idea from Filth Wizardry for this great t-shirt makeover. She got the gray shirt from the dollar store, ironed a plastic bag decal on it, and snipped and tied it into a cute halter top. She has how-to instructions on her new blog, so [check out how to make a t-shirt into a …

Super Secret Stashbuster Mich L. in LA strikes again with her tenth project! This is a great idea for those dollar store metal headbands (6 for $1!): create sliding ornaments for the headbands so you can change them out whenever you want. Mich L. shows you how to make the slidey thing so you can make as many as you want, for infinite variety in …

Mich L. in LA has been hard at work with her Super Secret Stash projects, and has done an amazing job of working with her envelope of random junk. She has made TEN projects, and here’s one of my favorites: a photo holder that showcases a quirky little cowboy boot concho. Mich L. knows you’re not going to have a concho like this to work …

Sarah from Pink Lime Creations is one of the Super Secret Stashbusters, and she has been busy busting through a stash of random purple-themed items I sent her way.
Here’s her intro post (with her thoughts on the envelope contents).

She’s been busy with a single scrap of sparkly purple fabric I sent! First, she made an embroidery floss bobbin.

Next, she made a fabric-covered barrette (she says …

The placemat has to be one of the most useful items you can find at the dollar store, and this project proves it! Make a baby carrier with a placemat! Leslie from Love-Knowledge baby sewed an Onbuhimo, which is a Japanese style baby carrier similar to a Mei Tai, out of a placemat and matching table runner. You’ll need to go outside the dollar store …

After I sent out the super secret swap envelopes to the lucky ten, I arranged with Alison from How Does She? to swap secret envelopes with her. She sent me an envelope, and I sent her one.
I packed her envelope with super random odds & ends (the only things I can remember at the moment are papier-mache suitcases and a bag of buttons), and she …

The awesome zipper ideas keep coming from our Super Secret Stashbusting crafters! This time, Heather at Wax Eloquent came up with this brand new never-before-seen way to use zippers. She took some zippers I sent her (in a completely crazy envelope of mismatching stuff), and turned them into a great cuff. This is a no-sew project, and a great way to use up old zippers …

Recycled Materials (See our Recycling Challenge Roundup):

Crafts by Amanda’s Paper Roll Giraffe is so cute!

Crafty Smurfette made a Candy Bunting out of TP rolls and colored tissue!

Paper:

Make Paper Chains with Julie Finn at Crafting a Green World
Make Recycled Books out of Trash with Becky Striepe at Crafting a Green World
Kaotic Krafter wrote her first tutorial for these Stitched Books

Wood:

This amazing dart board cabinet was made …