Frugal at Home

This project takes an ordinary frame and transforms it into a chalkboard frame. The picture shows a set of three frames that are hanging but if you would prefer, you could use the same technique and just do one single frame.

Head over to Simply Modern Mom for the complete tutorial.

Happy Creating!

Do your kids love to paint but you get tired of buying expensive paints for them to use? This “paint” is simply corn syrup and food coloring. Much cheaper and if they eat it, it’s not the end of the world. You might end up with a sticky table or sticky fingers if your kids aren’t careful so you may want to make this an outside craft or take protective measures.

Head over to Eighteen25 for the “recipe” and tutorial.

Happy Creating!

My little brother and I grew up with homemade birthday cakes. I don’t think I had my first store-bought birthday cake until I was in high school. My mom always went to a great deal of trouble but they were basically just sheet cakes.

These days cakes have gotten so fancy! You can have you child’s favorite character iced onto the cake or have it shaped like a car or even look like a princess. It’s quite incredible and expensive! But with a little effort you can make it yourself at home for much, much less.

I know I often find cake mix on sale for $1 or less. Making your own frosting is fairly easy and inexpensive as well. The real trick is making it look like a store bought cake!

My friend Corrie over at Centsable Mama has been baking amazing looking cakes for her boys for years. Her ideas while seemingly extravagant are actually quite simple. Using glass bowls and butter cream transfers she’s been able to pull off some amazing creations. Her kids love them. Neighbors are none-the-wiser and her birthday party budget is in check.

To check out her tips for success (and see her butter cream frosting recipe) just go HERE.

Enjoy!

Your kids are likely heading back to school soon and want new boxes of crayons. What do you do with old ones? Here’s a really creative way to re-invent old crayons using a candy mold. I bet your kids will prefer these new “old” coupons over that shiny new box waiting to go to school.

Head over to Mommy Teacher 123 to learn how to do this yourself. She makes race car crayons but I suppose you could make any type. Just keep an eye out for candy molds.

Happy Creating!

Craft an easy pebble mat to spice up a table or bathroom. This craft project requires very little supplies but the main ingredient is time. The suggested method is to use liquid nails or other type of glue to get the stones to stick. However, if you were interested in doing this as a floor mat, I would use grout and a sturdier backing.

To see how to do it yourself, head over to After I Finish This Row for the tutorial.

Happy Creating!

If you enjoy spending time in the evenings outdoors, these lanterns would be a fun way to spruce up your backyard. Most of the supplies you should have just around the house.

Head over to Design Sponge for the step-by-step guide to create your own!

Happy Crafting!

In the survey last week, several of you indicated that you would like some frugal craft ideas for kids. So I will try to include a few kid crafts in the weekly frugal crafting posts.

This week, I found one that could turn out really fun. Make your own Chia Pets! This would be a fun activity to help teach your kids how things grow. Plus it’s simple enough that they can help and if you trust them with paint, they can even decorate the face themselves.

For the easy tutorial, head over to Skip to My Lou. You’ll have to let me know how these turn out.

Happy Creating!

Do you have a family road trip planned this summer? Here’s a really fun way to plot out your trip or any future trips your family plans to take. It’s also a great way to teach your kids about the 50 states.

This project is a little more complicated than others I’ve posted. But there are detailed instructions and lots of pictures at Design Sponge. Head over there for the complete tutorial and craft your map!

Happy Creating!

This project is originally shown as a door hanger but you could probably make one to use as art in a playroom or child’s room. Maybe even in lieu of a wreath on your front door. It looks very easy and to do and while you may not have all the supplies on hand, they would be inexpensive to acquire.

Head over to That Looks Like Craft for a complete tutorial on how you can make your own door plaque.

Happy Creating!