Warm Hearts

February is here and it is time to start thinking about Valentines Day.  Do you know what you are going to give your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend yet?  Valentines Day can get really expensive with the roses being overpriced and the candy really expensive. Even cards are overpriced. The stores know when they got you for this holiday. I started thinking about Valentine's day a couple of weeks ago and decided I was going to make something from the heart this year. This project is easy to make and inexpensive.  This project anybody can make and can be given to anybody you like.

What you will need

Any type of material or felt of any color                                        Scissors

Sewing machine or sew by hand                                                     a pattern of a heart

Rice

1.       First, pick out any material color you would like to use to make your heart.  If you like try some colored felt, this works great also.

2.       Next cut out a pattern shaped like a heart. I made mine smaller just for an example. If you have a heart size cookie cutter this works well too. Just trace around your heart with a pen or marker.

3.     

  Cut out your heart in any size you like.

4.       This is optional. I cut out a little square piece of material for a little pocket. This is where I am going to stick my little letter to my husband.

5.     

  With your heart shaped material inside out start sewing up the sides by hand or sewing machine leaving the bottom open.

6.    

 

  Start in siding out your heart pressing all the way to the seams.

7.     

  With a funnel pour your rice inside till it fills the heart.

8.      

Sew the ends shut by hand.

9.       Place your heart in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to heat up the rice.

10. 

  Now you have a warm heart to place next to your heart.

Now you can think of a nice little saying to put either on your heart or in the little pocket with a little note. These hearts can be given to anybody you like. This is such an easy project to make for kids to adults of any age. Most people have scrape material around the house. If you want to get a more fancy look, look for some scrap material in red, white, or pink. Making these hearts cost pennies to make.

You could even right on them and say yours, mine, husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or any other saying you would like. I plan on making a bigger one of these hearts and placing a nice little love letter in mine for my husband after I make him a nice supper at home.

You don’t have to buy the expensive flowers or candy on Valentines Day to show your love for someone. Be creative and say I love you by saving a little money this Valentines Day from Suzie Homemaker.

Easy Easter Bunny Decoration

                Easter is coming fast and I would like to give you a few ideas and projects to do with your children or grandchildren for Easter. How many people like to decorate their house for Easter? I know I still do even though my children are all grown up.  My husband’s Grandmother who is not with us anymore showed me how to make this cute Easter bunny made out of a dish soap bottle and scrap material and other odds and ends you probably have around your house. She was into making a lot of arts and crafts that she sold at craft fairs. The whole project took about 1 hour to make.

1.       First, you need an empty dish soap bottle of any size. Wash it out good and then put some sand of water in the bottle to make it heavy. This way your bottle will not fall over.

2.       Take a piece of paper and put your bottle on top. Trace around your bottle leaving plenty of space. When you get close to the shoulders make some arms. From the waist start flaring out, when you get to the bottom add an extra 2 to 3 inches to your skirt.

3.       Transfer your pattern to some bright colored spring like scrapes of material. Sew up your sides, leaving the bottom, and around the neck and arms open.

4.       Place the dress over your dish soap bottle.

5.       Take a round styrofoam ball for the head. Cut out a little whole in the bottom and glue it onto the stem of the dish soap bottle.

6.       Glue on ears, eyes, nose and make whiskers and glue them on. I cut out an extra piece of material and made a little bonnet with some flowers.

7.       On the skirt a cut out a little piece of lace and made an apron. I also added a little ribbon around the sleeves, apron and the bottom of the skirt.

8.       When you get to the bottom of the skirt, start rolling up your material until it reaches the bottom of your dish soap bottle. Take some needle and thread or use a sewing machine and start making little pockets for your Easter Eggs.

The only thing I had to buy was the styrofoam ball eyes and nose, the rest was scraps of material and old plastic flowers I already had at home. This project is so easy to make and very inexpensive. Why not make some of your own Easter decorations with your children and grandchildren. With all the scraps I have at home this whole project cost under $2.00 to make.  I hope you like my Easter Bunny made from an empty dish soap bottle from Suzie Homemaker.

Individual Guest Bath Towels and Wash Clothes

                Christmas is less than a month away, are you ready for guests? How many of you are having guests stay overnight for Christmas? Having family and friends staying for the holidays can get very hectic. Christmas is busy enough, and deciding on where to put everybody can be stressful. You want everything to be perfect and inviting. Now, do you have to have enough bath towels and wash clothes for every person who is staying at your house over night. If you are like me, you probably have only a few different colored bath towels and wash clothes. This can become a problem when you want your guests to be able to have their own bath towels and wash clothes. Keeping track of whose bath towels and wash clothes are whose can be difficult. I have a cheap and easy way to help keep everybody happy and able to find their own bath towels and wash clothes. Don’t go out and buy special bath towels and wash clothes just for your guests, wait till they are on sale when buying them. I watch for the sales and buy whatever colors they have on sale at the time. So I tend to have a lot of the same color bath towels and wash clothes that they have on sale.

What You Need

Scissors

Scrap material in different colors

Ribbon in different colors

Heavy cord of string in different colors

Bath towels and Wash clothes

1.       Pick any of the four choices or a combination of all four.

2.       If you like the material scraps just fold them in half and sew up the side.

3.       If you chose ribbon just cut the size you need.

4.       If you chose heavy cord or string I recommend braiding them. Then just cut to size.

5.       After you decide which you want to use, cut to size and sew them into the corners of your Bath towels and Wash clothes.

This is an easy way to keep your guests happy, and for them to have their own bath towels and wash clothes to find. Each guest picks their own color, now you have no more mix up in the bathroom. This whole project took less than 15 minutes to do and it did not cost me anything. Having all these scraps of material, yarn, and cord already at home helped make this project free. I hope this helps make your holiday season easier and happier for your guests, from Suzie Homemaker.

Homemade Scrunchies

Here’s another craft idea for you to do with your girl- scout troop or your daughters at home. If you have some scrap material, towels or sheets, this is an easy project to do in 30 minutes or less. Today I would like to show you how to make homemade hair ties or scrunchies. Buying these in the store can get very expensive. Why not make these at home for less than half the price you would pay in a store.

Here’s what you will need: Little pieces of material, towels or sheets. You will need a scissors and ruler to make your pattern and some elastic.

1.       Take your scrap material,towels or sheets and draw your pattern out. I made mine 18 inches long by 4 inches wide. Cut your pattern out.

2.       Take your strip of material and fold it in half. Sew up the side leaving the ends open.

3.       Take a safety pin and pin it into one end and start pulling the material inside out.

4.       Take a piece of elastic and stretch it to almost 18 inches. Cut the elastic. 

5.       Sew one end of your elastic to the inside or your material.

6.       Take your safety pin and pin it into the other end of your elastic. Push the safety pin through to the other end of your material.

7.       The elastic will stretch as you pull this through. Sew the piece of elastic to the end of your material. 

8.       Sew your ends together and you have a homemade hair tie or scrunchie.

This is a fun and easy project you can do in under 30 minutes. For pennies, you can make your own homemade scrunchies. I like making things at home and saving money. You can make these scrunchies any size you like. I hope you like your homemade scrunchies from Suzie Homemaker.

Fresh Smelling Clothes

Keeping your clothes, smelling fresh can be expensive. Most people use those expensive dryer sheets to keep their clothes smelling fresh. Those dryer sheets have so many chemicals in them that are harmful to the environment and yourself.  I know in one of my previous Blog posts I tell you I don’t like to use my dryer very much. For those of you that do use your dryer, I have a much cheaper way to keep your clothes fresher without the use of those expensive dryer sheets. Today I will show you three ways I keep my clothes smelling fresh without breaking the bank. 

1.       Making your own dryer sheets

This is really simple to make and use over and over again. Just take some scrap material and cut into little pieces, place a couple of drops of essentials oils on material and toss it in your dryer with your wet clothes. There are so many different essential oils to pick from and they are pretty cheap. My favorite essential oils that I like to use rose, vanilla, lavender and orange. When you buy those dryer sheets in the store they can be very expensive. Since I don’t like to use my dryer too much I also use these homemade dryer sheets in my drawers to keep my clothes fresh smelling.

2.       Hotel soaps

How many times a year do you stay in a hotel?  All those extra little soap that we all seem to take or get from the grandparents are great for putting in your drawers.  This helps keep your clothes smelling fresher without using a big bar of soap. Over the years, I have received a lot of little bars of soap to fill all my drawers. Just place the little bars of soap in between your clothes.

3.       Candles

Do you have a lot of candles or candles that are almost gone? Place those nice scented candles in your closets to keep your clothes smelling fresh. If you have candles that are almost gone don’t throw them away yet. Take little pieces of the scented candles and put them into your drawers to keep your clothes smelling fresh.

As you can tell I don’t like to throw things out or waste things. These are the three ways that I keep my clothes smelling fresh. Why, spend more when you can make it cheaper. The soaps and candles I already had at home. Most of the candles and soaps were given to me so they were free. Keeping your clothes smelling fresh doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. I hope you enjoy having fresh smelling clothes from Suzie Homemaker.