Cotton dishclothsIt is what it is..... there is not much cash flow this year.
So knowing this ahead of time, I have been on the look-out since summer, for frugal gift ideas.
The above green striped dishcloths were "crafted" from a $2.99 Goodwill shower curtain.
I got 8 dishcloths out of that one curtain!
The burgundy striped are re-purposed Waverly curtain panels, also from Goodwill.
Trust me when I say any pea-brain could do this!
Black & White Floral ApronAnother no-brainer.....
I bought a skirt from Goodwill for $2.99, cut out the zipper, added some ties, sewed up the sides,
and I have a cute apron to gift away!!!
Monogrammed Chef's ApronThis summer when Joy was visiting the farm, we hit the Trufant Flea Market.
We found the mother lode when we came across a couple selling used chef's aprons for .25 cents a piece!
She took a stash home, and I managed to snag a handful for myself, knowing all too well that they would make perfect gifts for Christmas!
A little craft paint, some cheap cardboard stencils and voila!
This one's mine, can you tell?
I truly think I am getting more joy from creating and re-creating gifts this year than I ever have before.
How are you all stretching your dollars this Christmas?
More ideas coming soon!
xoxo
Cindy
34 comments:
Cyn,
Great ideas both of them. Good deals also!
vickie
Absolutely wonderful!!!
~Mrs. M
THAT is so smart. Wow. Great idea.
Here's how we save $$ at Christmas and people look at me funny when I tell them this, but --- we don't give gifts anymore. About 4 Christmases ago now, we had a newlywed daughter and two college sons and we ourselves did not get the usual Christmas bonus (that always covered our spending). Sooo, we proposed to the children the idea of just not exchanging gifts that year. Oh my -- we loved it! They loved it. We now all give a gift or two to the grandaughter, but we just enjoy being together with no pressure of buying.
It wouldn't work for everyone I'm sure, but it's working for us for now. We may go back to giftgiving at some point in the future, who knows?
Gwyn Rosser
gwynrosser.blogspot.com
The Pink Tractor
I love your gift ideas. I have made things for my siblings for a few years now...we had given up on a formal gift exchange years earlier (when we all started having families of our own). But I always try and incorporate an old family photo in a little gift project for them. It's always a hit and we all have fun telling stories of our memories of the picture.
Great gift ideas! You are both thifty and cleaver :)
Blessings!
Gail
WHO KNEW? But it makes so much sense, shower curtains are usually always in excellent shape and in a continuous pattern. You're brilliant! I'll be making some lounge pants out of vintage sheets!
XOXO
Joni
I'm absolutely loving the skirt transformation! You found a CUTE skirt Cindy, now you have a cute apron! ~Maria
as soon as your package arrives ... you'll see the utmost-frugal-garagesale-fleamarket-goodwill-thursdaythriftn concepts ...hopefully we haven't overlapped.
tree went up today
I am planning to do some homemade things too...I find they are always appreciated and unique ~ good for you! Have you told the people you are giving these to that they are not to visit your blog while you give away your secrets?? ;-)
Blessings,
Camille
I have a couple of garage sale find skirts waiting to be made into aprons... love yours!!!!! I will be on the look out for shower curtains... very nice!!
Okay...bring on the ideas. I do believe I need to make a trip to Goodwill and get on your bandwagon!
Thanks for the info.
I just hit our local Christian Bookstore and found the 90% off children's book table. $170.00 of children's books for $17.00. The register tape was very long! Plus, there were many new books for kids!
What a fantastic idea! We have also adjusted the gift-giving around here and with extended family. Last year we did a whole family project of donating money to a worthy cause/ministry instead of spending on ourselves. Very rewarding.
Blessings~
Kathy
Nice frugal and thoughtful gifts!
Very nice
Those are really nice gifts...frugal, but from the heart and from your own hands. Great ideas.
Great ideas! I really like the towels, and have some that are similar I received as gifts. They are my favorites, so I think you've got something there.
~Faith
What our family does is bakes or makes some food item which is special you don't normally make. What we do is one for each family. We love it and no pressure on buying. My motherinlaw does crocheted dish rags they love them. Im going to make crocheted pot holders always somnething you can use. Well have a great day Rebekah.
Great ideas ! I love 'em!I think homemade gifts are the best kind.Nothing says I love you more than the time and care you put in to making a gift.
Great ideas......I love the burgandy striped dishclothes....:)
You are so clever! I'm really enjoying seeing how you're stretching your dollars for Christmas; especially adore the towels...how pretty! I'd never guess they started life as a shower curtain; I'll look at shower curtains a whole new way now. At TJ Maxx, I bought a beautiful black with white embroidery skirt, brand new, for $1 and think I'll use it for aprons. I could probably get two.
I made strawberry jam this spring and have been buying towels, on sale, throughout the year. I'll pair some jam with a towel to give as gifts. I'm also quilting, sewing and knitting.
You are such a crative little thing!!! Homemade gifts are my goal every year and some year hopefully I do it!! I have a Goodwill store close by and I need to go in there more ~ I know it's full of great treasures just waiting for me! ♥
You are so clever Cyn. Love, love, love the black and white apron.
I must ask where is this Trufant Flea Market? I have heard of one in Michigan...is that the one?
hey, i am going to post here for 2 post cuz my computre is SLOW!!!!!!!
i love the friendly village as you well know and i have about 12-15 place settings last i checked!
i use it all fall thru winter
i am seriously doing way frugal gifts this year and was just going to post about it. we are doing homemade, thrifted or if we need to buy anything new it WILL be local! so many great things out there gently used anyway that are much better than new and cheaper! got some great books today for my children as well and some vintage stuff too!
great post
These kinds of gifts mean more to me than expensive and trendy gifts. That they are frugal makes them even better!
Thanks for coming to my site and leaving a post. I really appreciate the pics on your site. It really adds to the creative element to see it as well as read it. Love your ideas. We don't give as many gifts as we used to. I used to paint portraits of the kids for gifts but found no one really wanted them. (Family got to used to my work and don't care for it.)
I am stealing that apron idea! How many times have I said, that's a really cute skirt but where would I wear it? Now I know... to the kitchen! You have the best ideas :)
i love all these ideas...especially the skirt apron. I have a skirt that I haven't wanted to get rid of, but that i never wear anymore..i am definitely going to make it into a skirt. Thanks for the idea. I like to dye the chef's aprons fun colors..but never thought about monogramming them...i am going to definitely try that!
fantastic ideas Cindy!
Some great ideas there - I love the apron from a skirt particularly!
Pomona x
You are such a crafty thing! I just love all of these ideas.
You are just fabulous cyn!
excellent! if you hadn't said where their humble beginnings were from, i would have thought "fancy-shmancy!"
Hi Cyn! Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours too. Been thinking about you, hope all is well. We're driving to Iowa, hey you don't live anywhere near Hwy 80 do ya? We are driving straight through tomorrow but Saturday we are breaking up the driving and will have more time.
Very creative dishcloths..you are talented. They look so pretty.
Peace~
Dee
djlp07@hotmail.com
I have always believed that it is not the price of the gift, but the spirit in which it is given that makes a present priceless, and I'm sure anyone who receives your thoughtful gifts will feel the very same way.
Yours in all manner of frugality :)
♥ Jessica
Wonderful gift ideas!! I think the homemade ones are really special to give as gifts. Plus I enjoy getting useful gifts and those are all so useful!
I love the skirt to apron idea! I have some skirts I just looked at last week and thought of giving them to the Goodwill, but I put them back up....and now you have given me this clever idea!! Thanks!
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