Recycled Blue Jeans

I don't know why I am fascinated with bluejeans. Is it because I went to parochial schools all my life, you know, wearing uniforms and skirts and dresses? Who knows, all I know is I consider denim a most important invention.

I love to find old jeans, usually at garage sales and such, and turn them into quilts.

Anywho, I have plans for sewing a new "pattern" this winter. It is a rag rug, although the directions I found are for a small rug, something like 24" by 36". I plan on making a much larger rug, maybe 48" by 60". It's hard to tell you exact directions because I really don't follow directions, I make them up as I go. Here is a video of what the original looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHHiHfuUZI&feature=BFa&list=SPA0D6118192E6C16D&lf=list_related

Looks easy, now I have to find the time. That's the hard part.

Semi-Homemade Wax Paper

Now this really isn't made from scratch, but with all the cereal the kids eat, I just use the plastic liners the cereal comes in for wax paper.

As you can see, I let the boxes pile up a bit too much.

Just take the liners out, shake out the last bits and crumbs (save for the chickens if you have them!) Then cut the bottom off of the bag, and then cut a straight line up the side seam.

Voila' !

Instant wax paper for no-bake cookies or what ever you use wax paper for.

Note: make sure you don't just stuff the un-cut bags somewhere, thinking you'll get to them someday. You won't have it when you need it and . . . it will only draw pantry moths. Don't ask how I know.

Day 162: Homemade Firestarters

http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/search/label/Frugal%20Living

I was going to show how I make these, but the Homestead Revival beat me to it, and they have way better pictures anyways, so use the link and see what I use for starting the fires in the firepit. We have a firering in our backyard and the kids enjoy impromptu smore making alot.

This is a real recycling project!

Coloring Eggs, Natural Style

Got inspired to make some naturally colored eggs this year. I didn't think I could color brown eggs, but I guess the trick is to let them soak in the color overnight.

Here is the red/purple cabbage trials:

1 small cabbage with enough water to cover, simmered for about 15 minutes.

purple dye already!




I layered the boiled eggs and the cooled cabbage in a large jar.

Jake the Dog drinking Diet Pepsi while we wait.

A very dark blue egg.

Unique prints from the cabbage that layed touching the egg. I guess if you want a solid egg, then don't add the cabbage pieces, just the juice. We think the imprinting is pretty cool. I'll try to get a better pic later.

Rainbow Glasses

013 Originally uploaded by pafish6

Crafts for the kiddos: So easy, I don't know why we don't do this more often! We use food coloring and some small jars or vases. That's it. Very good lesson to teach color blending. As long as the kids are careful with the food coloring, older kids may be able to do this on their own. After we lay out newspaper to prevent counter stains, we fill the jars almost to the top with water. Food coloring is added one drop at a time, letting the food coloring mix on it's own. (No swishing the bottle to mix the colors!) You can see in the picture, all the pretty swirling of colors. Once there is a single color in a jar, another color can be added to make a new color.

These will last indefinatley if capped closed. Best kept in a sunny window out of little one's hands, but where the sun can shine thru.

Day 3: Laundry Suds

Since I cleaned up the laundry room yesterday, I had room to make the laundry soap today. I found the original recipe at http://www.food.com/ , but have changed it a bit to fit our needs.

Ingredients: 1 bar Fels Naptha Soap
3/4 cup Borax
3/4 cup Arm&Hammer WASHING Soda (not baking soda!) 1. The first part is pretty fun. Put the Fels Naptha bar on a microwavable plate and microwave for 30 second intervals, for about 3 or 4 minutes, making sure the soap doesn't fall off the plate. How can soap fall off the plate you ask? The bar will expand and grow, kind of reminding me of a science experiment gone wrong.

(we think this one looks like Lightning McQueen from the movie "Cars")

2. Let the bar soap dry out on the plate for 2 or 3 days. I found it is much easier to crumble after a couple of days. It also acts as a air freshener during this time, so your getting a 2 for 1 deal here!

3.Take the bar soap and crumble it between your fingers, until there are no chunks left. I have tried this in a food chopper before, but it didn't really work out that well.

4. Mix the borax and washing soda in with the crumbled bar soap. Voile` All done. Use 2 Tablespoons per load of laundry. (I have an energy efficient front loader, so maybe you will have to adjust to your washer.)

Statistics: (you will find I'm a cent-nut, I obsess with pennies)

Fels Naptha Soap $1.09 a bar= 1 batch of detergent

Borax $4.49 for a 72 oz. box= 14 batches of detergent

Arm and Hammer Washing Soda $2.79 for a 55 oz. box= 7 batches of detergent

After a lot of calculating (of which I won't bore you with) I figure this costs me about 6.7 cents per load of laundry. I did buy a damaged jug of liquid detergent for $4, marked down from $9.50 (no, didn't have a coupon either, bummer) and that should come out to about 5.7 cents a load., but I am doubtful about the actual price since it is much harder to pour liquid detergent to a precise amount to get the pre-determined loads. Now my next step is to get everyone here to not make so much dirty laundry. I know, fat chance.