Handmade Gifts Under $5

It's no secret that money is tight-- but I firmly believe that finances do not have the power to ruin Christmas! For the last several months, I've been gathering clever, yet inexpensive gift ideas. Not only will they go under our own tree this year, but once again, the children will help make a few handmade presents for the cousin gift-exchange! All of these can be made for under $5, using items you probably already have around the house:

No.1 Wooden Disk Memory Game; No.2 Paper Mache Puppets; No.3 Box of Super-heros {or princesses}; No.4 Play Forest; No.5 Button Monogram

No.6 Baked Marble Necklaces; No.7 Bean Bag Toss; No.8 Freezer Paper Stencil Shirt; No.9 Angry Birds Bowling

Remember that often, the key to keeping costs down is to select something you already have supplies for, or  choose an idea or two and make it in bulk {for neighbors, cousins, friends, etc}. Happy creating!

For past Christmas ideas, see A Gift Guide: Little Luxuries, A Gift Guide: Handmade Gifts, A Gift Guide: Zero Cost, and A Gift Guide: For the Kids.

Making Do

This morning, I noticed Little Miss C's backpack on the counter. The bottom was ripped across the entire length, rendering it useless. I asked, "How long has it been like this? How do you carry your stuff to school?" She shrugged and replied, "I wear it upside down!" That girl! She brings new meaning to the phrase, "Make do or do without."



So I dug out my old bag from college and emptied it for her to use. Among the contact sheets, photo paper, mechanical pencils and half filled binders was a stash of quarters I had hoarded for use on vending machines. Almost $10 worth! Several pounds of apples later and we're back in pie business-- just in the nick of time!



Even more cheering than fresh baked apple pie was the two-hour skype chat I had with my mom. Something about this time of year always makes me long for all the women in my life to gather for baking, movie watching, and talking while wearing high heels and aprons.



I mentioned that I switched out some of my art to make it more seasonal. Here's you're visual, mom. :)



I love the little christmas tree in a red rowboat.



And the little sailboat one reminds J of a picture he took in Nova Scotia where he's looking out at the ocean full of chunks of ice and a gigantic iceburg.



Oh, and my distraction for the day? I painted the boys room blue. A few weeks ago, I saw that Martha Stewart paint was being discontinued at Home Depot, so I snatched two gallons of Enamelware blue at a rock bottom price. It's similar to the blue on my front door {Martha Stewart's Artisan Well} but with a touch more green in it. {and that chalkboard used to be in the bathroom, but is now hiding the huge hole that J kicked in the door. Yup, still haven't gotten around to replacing it...}



Then I hung the laminated map I bought {I went with a different seller after the original admitted they couldn't/wouldn't send it in a tube}, had J help me change the twin beds into bunk beds, rearranged the furniture and gave them a mini reveal this afternoon.



It was hilarious how excited they were! Though I still have drapes to sew, pictures to hang, and {someday} carpet to rip out and replace with wood flooring, a simple paint job completely changed the look and feel of the room. {Real photos to come. This is just an iphone teaser.}



Now to tend to the rest of the house {ever notice how the entire place falls apart if you take your attention away for even a single day? I swear, laundry has overtaken the entire living room!} and then paint my mangled nails for Thanksgiving.

Have a Happy Holiday, everyone!

Thankful for Distractions

Things are quite stressed financially right now. {As in, we're digging quarters out of the sofa in order to buy apples for the pie I have to make for Thanksgiving. True story.} And it's funny, because J and I both have our coping mechanisms: J takes deep breaths and gets to work. I either become paralyzed {sleeping in later and later to avoid the day} or busy myself with creative little tasks in between baking bread and making soup out of leftovers. Anything to distract the mind.



Fortunately, I have a whole box of little projects I've been meaning to get to. First up: refurbishing this nasty tray I found at Ross for $3. Can you believe Little Miss C was appalled when she heard I was going to sand and paint over the flowers and butterfly? Sweet girl.

After sanding, priming and painting, I decided to try my hand at a few stripes for visual interest. In the past, painters tape and I have not been the best of friends. I've learned to do most projects without it, hating the cleanup involved when the paint bleeds thru. But luckily, this time it worked out well.

Now I have a tray {still unstyled-- don't judge} to corral wallets, sunglasses, candles and all that spare change we no longer have. :)

Last night J said, "Besides not being able to pay bills or buy anything, it's not like I feel poor." And I had to agree. We're not poor. I've been poor before-- it's chronic, stressful, fighting-to-survive-day-to-day living. We're just broke.

I heard once that the majority of the nation is 2 missed paychecks away from being homeless. I get that. Life is precarious. It could all change at the drop of a hat.

But being broke is not the worst thing in the world, and as Thanksgiving approaches, I'm reminded that the pilgrims found room in their hearts for gratitude despite poverty, illness and death.

Being broke doesn't negate the fact that I have healthy, happy children. I have a husband that I love fiercely. I can run {slowly} and not be weary. I have friends and family I can talk to and lean on. I live in a free country, never have to shovel snow, and have the gospel to give me comfort and guidance.

Even without an awesome new tray, I am lucky, lucky.

Date night

A few weeks ago, J and I decided that our marriage was in dire need of some courtship. We were in parent/provider mode all the time, and by the end of the day I was so exhausted by kids, I had no energy or inclination to connect as a couple. We hired a babysitter {no small expense on our tight budget!} and took off.

The first time, we had no idea where we were going or what we would do. We just wanted to get 'away'. We ended up at Tempe Town Lake and spontaneously rented a paddle boat for an hour. We drifted out under the lights, made out, then walked through the park to buy ice cream. It was terrific. ;)




Last Friday, we went to the Pumpkin and Chili Festival at Schnepf Farms. We went on a hayride, walked through a corn maze in the dark {and scared a bunch of teenagers by sneaking up on them}, ate chili, roasted corn and apple pie; watched the fireworks and rode a haunted train. The weather was perfectly crisp {I finally got to wear boots and a scarf!} and by the end of the night, I felt young again!

Having a regular date night feels like such a luxury and a necessity at the same time. I look forward to it all week, giddy with anticipation. However, it can get expensive. Paying a babysitter means that ideally, the date itself has to cost next to nothing in order to stay in budget.

Do you have a regular date night? Any ideas for low/no cost dates that don't involve movies?

Planning for Christmas...

Yesterday, I was at a thrift store and snagged a few toys for about $2 a piece. As I stashed them in the closet to save for Christmas, I started to think more seriously about what we'll give each of the kids this year. We're pretty broke, but I'd still like to make a big impact.

The easiest solution is to gift things I've already had in mind as DIY projects. For the E and L, I'm thinking of making a play teepee. They're cute, they're impressive, and they're inexpensive if you use drop cloths instead of designer fabric. {I like this tutorial.}

For Baby R, I'd like to make a play stove out of one of our old nightstands. I like the style of the above kitchen, but will probably use this tutorial. And I'm toying with buying some stainless steel contact paper, like on the {amazing!} play kitchen below...

Now for the conundrum. What to do for Little Miss C? She's 10 years old now, and on the verge of outgrowing little girl things, but at the moment is obsessed with American Girl, bird watching, art and sewing. Any ideas?

What are you planning for your kids?

DIY Under-bed Storage

I've been meaning {for years!} to buy some storage drawers to slide under the boy's beds, but most options seemed to be either prohibitively expensive, unsightly, or both. So when I saw this DIY idea from Better Homes and Gardens, I had to give it a try. I purchased a few mismatched drawers from my local ReStore, slapped some paint, casters and fresh knobs on them, and voila! Rolling under-bed storage!

Here's the cost breakdown: 

Drawers: $2 each

Rolling Casters: $3 each {for 8, this was the most expensive part of the project}

Knobs: $1 each {except for the Anthro one I already had}

Paint: already had on hand

Cork Shelf Liner: left-over from organizing the pantry

Total: $32 for both.

I love them. They roll smoothly, look expensive, and work perfectly. I plan to make some for Little Miss C's bed as well. :)

DIY Glitter Shoes

It doesn't even feel like Autumn around here, {despite the fact that today is officially the first day of fall. Hooray!} but I find myself daydreaming about upcoming winter holidays. 

To satisfy my cravings for glitz, I decided to refurbish a pair of beloved-but-damaged-beyond-repair heels {last seen here}. There are countless tutorials out there for glittering a pair of shoes {this is a good one} but basically all it takes is glitter, Modpodge, and sandpaper. It took me a single evening, and though the results are a little, um, gold, I'm finding that they're growing on me. 

Here's a bit more glittery goodness to get you inspired:

 via

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There now, aren't you in the mood for a cute dress and a party to go to? Me too! Happy Weekend!

$1 Well Spent

Most of the time, the selection in the dollar bin is rather.... cheap looking. But yesterday, I stumbled across these Alice in Wonderland inspired drawer knobs in the dollar section of Michaels and was pleasantly surprised. Wouldn't they look great mounted all in a row to hang necklaces and such? I bought a few for a project I have in mind. Stay tuned. :).

Someone please buy these!

Are you a size 6 1/2? If so, right now is your Cinderella moment! Try as I might, I could not squeeze my {ugly step-sister} size 7 feet into them, but these glittered Kate Spade beauties are just $39 at the TJ Maxx on Gilbert Rd and the 202.




Pair them with a little black dress and a golden manicure and you'll be ahead of the game for all of the Christmas and New Year's Eve parties coming up this holiday season.

Your welcome. Now go!

$5 or less

One of the ways that my mom and I coped with being constantly around children during our two months together was rather cliche but very effective-- we shopped. Neither one of us were/are rolling in the dough, so to speak, so our retail therapy consisted largely of bargain hunting at Goodwill and the like. Here are some of my inexpensive {$5 or under!} finds and a few tips on how you can do the same.




Brand new Converse sneakers for Baby R: $4.99 at Goodwill. August is a great month to look for clothes and shoes at thrift stores-- all the big retailers start donating unsold clearance items to make way for the Fall lines, meaning you can find items with tags still attached but pay only a fraction of the cost!




Wooden Pirate Puzzle $4.49 at World Market. I always check the clearance section at this store-- they have cute toys that work perfectly as stocking stuffers, Easter basket fillers or small birthday gifts.




Mirrored Pound-a-Ball Toy $4.99 at Goodwill. Another item I found brand new in its box at a fraction of the original price. A tip with thrift stores-- find one or two locations that cater to high-income neighborhoods and then visit it once a week. Usually, the best deals I've found have only been on the sales floor for a day or two, so it pays to visit often.




Diggin' Car Boxset. This is one of those brilliantly designed toys that I love and would usually splurge on come Christmas, but I found it at Goodwill for $3.99. It was missing a few pieces, so I emailed Diggin' about buying replacement parts and they sent them to me for free. Sweet!




Build and Grow Projects at Lowes- FREE! Sign up early and your kids get to build anything from a tow truck to wooden binoculars that really work! The toys are unique, of good quality, plus the kids get an apron, goggles, and ofttimes a snack-- all at no cost to you.




Striped Espadrille Shoes-$4.97 at Old Navy. Though I get frustrated with the 'disposable' clothing found at Old Navy, things like shoes and accessories can be had for a song, especially if you haunt the clearance section.




Mason Jar Drink Dispenser $4.99 at World Market. Did you know that if you join their Explorers Club, World Market will send you {really good!} coupons as well as a $10 gift certificate on your birthday? I signed up every member of the family {even the baby!} so that 6 months out of the year, I have $10 to spend! This drink dispenser was under $5 thanks to Little Miss C's birthday credit. :)




Remember how much E loved the Rush Hour Jr game? Since then, I've found the full sized version as well as the Railroad version of the game {both in box!} for under $5 at thrift stores! I'm saving them as Christmas gifts....




Lastly, this wasn't $5. It was $19. But it's a Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair, which normally sells for well over $200. I couldn't believe it when I saw it sitting amongst a bunch of junk at Goodwill! My initial plan was to turn around and sell it for a quick profit, but it turns out that it really is well designed... I think I'll use it til baby R outgrows it and then I'll sell it. Perhaps a paint job is in order? :)

Next week: fashion for less! Happy weekend all,  and happy bargain hunting!