I found this list in my old notebook of funny emails I sister sent me years ago.  Some of these tips work well…but I can’t vouch for them all.  As with anything from the internet, take these with a grain of salt.

Colgate (or Crest) toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

Instead of reaching for an expensive drugstore inhaler to clear your stuffed nose, try chewing a  couple of Altoid peppermints.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil.  Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil.

Sore throat? Mix ¼ cup of vinegar with ¼ cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon 6 times a day.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka Seltzer.  Dissolve 2 tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of symptoms.  It begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly—even though the product has never been advertised for this use.

Honey can cure blemishes.  Cover the blemish with honey and place a band-aid over it.  Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile and speeds healing.

Got toenail fungus?  Soak your toenails in Listerine mouthwash.  The powerful antiseptic leaves your nails looking healthy again.  Listerine will also clean dirty grout.

Formula 409 can double as a bug killer.  If menacing bees, wasps, hornets or yellow jackets get in the house, spray Formula 409—one shot and they drop.

Got a splinter? Pour a dab of Elmer’s Glue over the splinter and let dry. The peel off the glue and the splinter will adhere to the glue.

Got a bruise?  Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for an hour.  The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Arthritis pain in your hands?  Mix 2 cups oatmeal and 1 cup water in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Cool slightly and apply to your hands for soothing relief.

Dawn dish washing liquid can kill your dog’s fleas instantly.  Add a few drops to your dog’s bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly.  Rinse well to avoid skin irritation.

A few drops of corn oil in your cat’s ear will eliminate ear mites.  Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days.  The oil soothes the cat’s skin, smothers the mites and accelerates the healing.

Beer or Cool Whip conditions the hair.  Mayonnaise will too and it also kills lice.

Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish and remove paint and grease from your hands.

Burn your tongue? Try a little sugar to soothe it.

WD-40 also helps arthritis (just rub it in) but it also kills insect stings.

Speaking of stings…meat tenderizer will lessen a sting.  Preparation H will help with chigger bites (and puffy eyes). 

Got a paper cut? Use a little crazy glue or chap stick.

Soaking your feet in jello helps remove odor.

Cornstarch will help cure athlete’s foot.

Peanut butter will remove sticky label residue on glass and plastics.  (I can personally vouch for this one.  I use a soft cloth and rub.)

Remove wine stains by pouring on the Morton’s salt.

To remove a wax stain, take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain.  It will absorb into the paper towel.

Got baked on food?  Try filling the container with water and a Bounce fabric softener sheet—let stand overnight. Or you can use 2 Efferdent tablets—soak overnight.

Karo syrup removes grass stains.

Coca Cola removes grease stains.  (It even works on grease stains IN THE DRIVEWAY.)

To keep flowers fresher longer, use 7-up instead of water or add 2 aspirin to the water.

Whenever anyone asks me what I want for Christmas, I always reply…make me something!  I love handmade gifts.  My son has made me several that I treasure!  When he was in college and wanted a knitted blanket, he taught himself to knit.  That Christmas I got a hand knitted shawl. (It is cream colored, dainty and perfect, but not me at all, lol).  For Mother’s Day, he got a glass cookie jar and used a cricut to put “Make Mother’s Day Great Again” on it.

One Christmas he gave me a picture he painted—I have it hanging in the living room.  It’s a winter scene in the forest—I think it’s beautiful!

Then he discovered his love of woodworking!  He made me this wooden tray out of so many tiny pieces for Christmas one year, intending for me to use it for cookies, but I won’t risk anything happening to it!

Last year he made me a new cutting board that I can use for rolling out cookies.  He made the board—it has a delicate scroll on the side– and then he added a lip so the board won’t budge while I’m rolling out dough!

Now I know I’m lucky to have such a talented son, but homemade gifts do not need to be so complicated!  Take a look at some of the funny suggestions for stocking stuffers that are sure to tickle someone’s fancy! And quite easy to make yourself!

Today’s offering is a do-it-yourself, aromatic project…cinnamon ornaments!

Cinnamon Ornaments

3/4 cup applesauce

2 bottles (2.37 oz. each) McCormick® Ground Cinnamon

Cookie cutters

Drinking straw

Colorful ribbon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix applesauce and cinnamon in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed. (You may need use your hands to incorporate all of the cinnamon.) Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut dough into desired shapes with 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters. Make a hole at top of ornament with drinking straw or skewer. Place ornaments on baking sheet.

Bake 2 1/2 hours. Cool ornaments on wire rack. (Or, to dry ornaments at room temperature, carefully place them on wire rack. Let stand 1 to 2 days or until thoroughly dry, turning occasionally.)

Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang. Decorate with opaque paint markers, found in arts and crafts stores, if desired.

EASY PEASY!! ENJOY!

We all know the turkey is the STAR of Thanksgiving, and even though that “puppet” above is do-it-yourself, lol, I was thinking of something a little more grownup. The first offering is painted mason jars. (Seems you can use mason jars for every holiday there is!)

They make a wonderful grouping, require little skill (being able to paint and glue) and they look awesome! If you’d like step by step instructions, please visit TheSoccerMomBlog.com

The second offering is also pumpkins, but these require certain skills.

This is from: woodyouliketocraft.blogspot.com. A slice is cut from a log (the skilled part). Then apply paint to nearly the edges. The “stem” is a 2 1/2 inch piece of thin wood glued to the back of the wood slice. Spray stiffener (starch) or mod podge can be applied to burlap, and then when dry, leaves can be cut from that. Spray the stiffener on thick jute to create the curlicue. (Wrap the jute around a thick dowel, apply the stiffener and allow to dry before sliding it off the dowel.) Glue in place.

The last offering is a “reclaimed” project that I adore!

When I saw the pilgrim pair, I remembered I had 2 wooden candle holders in a box in my basement. But they could be found at flea markets and yard sales. The heads are 2 inch wooden doll heads (Hobby Lobby $1.99 each). The hat is a reclaimed wooden napkin ring and a wooden disk (Hobby Lobby $.29 each). The collars and the lady’s hat brim are white foam remnants.

There are 2 ways to approach this project: glue the wooden pieces together before painting OR paint the pieces first and glue second.

The directions say to first remove the metal insert in the candle holders or bend them inward. Mine did not have them at all. He then glued his pieces together.

He painted the pilgrims next, allowed them to dry, and cut out the foam pieces. Then he glued the foam pieces on and viola, they’re done! Easy peasy!

How adorable are these? And they are super easy to make yourself! Start by spray painting the jars metallic gold (I would have chosen white). Any type of jar will work. Allow to dry overnight; maybe give a second coat. Allow to completely dry.  Wrap rubber bands around the jar. Make sure to leave a larger opening for the eyes.

Spray paint with black paint…let dry.

Remove rubber bands and touch up if desired.

Add white dots for eyes. Let dry…add pupils. Viola!

From: it all started with paint website.

As you can see from the above photo, (I am on the left) I love Halloween and costumes. My own mother didn’t recognize me when I showed up at her door for Trick or Treat. My father? he knew right away…lol…

And it doesn’t matter if you’re dressing a little one up for Halloween, or you need a costume for yourself, costumes can be expensive!  But a little creativity and a dollar store can turn ordinary into extraordinary!

This OWL costume requires no sewing (you can sew the feathers on, but gluing is fast and easy.) 

You cut the “feathers” out of old t-shirts or (dollar store to the rescue!) get some of their vinyl tablecloths—in any colors you want—and cut the feathers out of those.  If you’re using those instead of gluing, you can simply tape them!  The mask is simply glued to a pair of sunglasses.

 Click here to download the template for mask and feathers: Download file

If you want to make any sort of bird feet, you’ll need rubber gloves, old shoes, some stuffing and a glue gun.

For making any sort of a hat, here is a great picture of how to make an inexpensive base that can be covered with anything.

Want to be an octopus?  The legs from tights (from the dollar store!) can be stuffed and tied to a belt to wear around the waist.

Do you need a beard and mustache for your costume?  They can be expensive, but with felt, a string and some glue…it’s not expensive at all!

If you’re choosing to be an animal with a mane and a tail (think horse, lion or even unicorn) you could get yarn and cut and tie a lot of lengths together…or you could purchase pompoms from the dollar store.  You may need more than one depending on the fullness you desire.

Wanna be a Minion?  Grab a yellow knit cap and some black pipe cleaners.  The glasses can be made with some black fabric and aluminum foil wrapped around cardboard tubes.

And speaking of cardboard tubes…paint them yellow/orange and glue them to a matching colored shirt to be mac & cheese!

Now if you’re thinking more high tech, and you need a jetpack (LOL), this is a very clever idea.  And it can be upgraded! Plastic soda bottles are painted, then fastened to a strap around the chest.  (Adding a clock dial and changing the color and adding more straps certainly kicks this up a notch!)

If you’re okay with using shirts you won’t wear again, you can make a giraffe costume.  There are 2 ways to do this.  First, get a shirt and pants (if you’re fanatical about having a total costume, lol) in a red/orange/brown color.  Then simply use masking tape to create the look.  This method should not render the clothes unusable afterwards.  The second method will.  Get a white shirt and white sweatpants.  Use masking tape to create the giraffe block pattern, then PAINT the unmasked parts with red/orange/brown paint.  Once dry, remove the masking tape. 

One of the easiest and most clever costumes is the one you don’t have to wear!  It’s a jellyfish.  You get an umbrella, festoon it with twinkle lights and colored streamers.  You can wear a black outfit while you stroll with the umbrella!

I saved this one for last—it’s not cheap or easy I would imagine—I just thought it was just so AWESOME!!!

I was scouring websites looking for pumpkin carving tips and I found these at Taste of Home!

1. You Don’t Need Fancy Tools

A simple $7 kit is sufficient for most classic jack-o’-lanterns and veggie carving projects, says Marc Evan and the crew at Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, who specialize in extraordinarily detailed etchings that are nothing short of stunning. For detailed work, you can use paring knives, linoleum cutters and precision blades. Rely on household items to step up effects. Lemon zesters are great for varying textures on your pumpkin. Melon ballers are useful for hollowing out a pumpkin or to create scooped-out balls that can later be pinned onto a pumpkin as eyes or a beaded necklace, says Evan. Scrubber sponges are optimal for smoothing out the surface (that is, if you plan on sculpting like Michelangelo).

2. Opt for an Imperfect Gourd

Most of us go to the pumpkin patch, or let’s be real, Wal-Mart, looking for the roundest and smoothest pumpkin. Don’t be afraid to get one that’s more visually interesting or even misshaped—as long as it doesn’t have any soft spots, according to Masterpiece Pumpkins‘ Gene Granata, who has been expertly carving pumpkins for more than 20 years. If you have a pattern, bring it with you. That way you can find the pumpkin that suits the shape of the pattern you’re going to carve. For the freshest pumpkin or one with the most staying potential, look for one that’s solid to the touch with a strong, sturdy stem.

3. Open From the Bottom

Here are a couple hacks that will simplify the job. Granata recommends always cutting open the bottom instead of the top around the stem. “When you pull that plug out, a lot of the seeds and stringy stuff comes out with it. Half your job of cleaning out the pumpkin is already done,” he says. Wipe down the exterior of the pumpkin before carving. If you’re creating a classic jack-o’-lantern, cut from the top so you can easily slip a candle (but beware it’ll dry out your pumpkin quicker) or battery-operated tea light into it.

4. Extra Scooping Saves Time

Scrap the walls of the pumpkin with a big metal spoon or the scooper from the classic carving kit until the walls are an inch thick. “This one is really important, especially for people who carve from stencils and patterns,” Granata says. How can you tell when you’ve scraped enough? Have inch-long dressmaker pins or thin screws ready to poke through a cut-out region to test the thickness. Or you can tape your template onto the pumpkin from the start and add pins all around the pattern. That way when you’re scraping down the inside, you can feel exactly when the thickness is right. “That will probably cut your carving time in half,” according to Granata.

5. Trace the Design

Thoroughly clean the face of your gourd. Then use sewing transfer paper (found in most arts-and-crafts stores) to replicate the pattern or design onto the pumpkin. Put the transfer paper between your design and the pumpkin, and make sure the transfer paper is facing down onto the squash. Use masking tape to tape down the design on the corners and the sides. Then trace the design with a ballpoint pen. “You can draw that whole pattern on there and now it’s on the pumpkin, waiting to be carved,” Granata says.

6. Be Patient While You Carve

You probably can’t wait to see your creative carving idea to come to life. So you’re likely carving and pulling the pieces out as you go. But to preserve your art’s stability, you should do the opposite and leave the pumpkin intact. Granata says, “It will help keep the whole thing stable and keep it from breaking. Then when you’re done and want to see the design, reach into the inside and gently poke the pieces from the inside out of the pumpkin. Things will come out way easier. If something gets stuck, go back with your tool and revisit the corners. Then you should have no problems.”

7. Save It for Later

Evan advises that if you’re carving something incredibly intricate like your favorite TV character of the year and need an extra day to complete it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

8. Let the Kids Join In

If you’re in charge of carving, include your kids on the action with a few easier tasks like scooping out the pumpkin guts and separating the seeds from the stringy stuff.

For a simple yet spooky project, have your little helpers embellish a pumpkin without carving or sharp tools. Instead, decorate using glitter or stickers. Water-based paint such as acrylic or tempera works nicely on pumpkins, Evan says.

Some of the fabulous pumpkins done by pumpkin carvers:

I found this idea on The Pioneer Woman’s website, and it’s simple, easy to do and great for your drawers, your car, or anywhere you’d like a nice scent. And YOU control the density of the fragrance.

I’m thinking about making some in Christmas fabrics and maybe using cinnamon or pine scent!

You’ll need:

fabric scraps

needle

thread

rice

your favorite dried flowers or spices

essential oil

ribbons

scissors

pinking shears

clear nail polish

Step one: Choose your fabric and start by making a pouch. Fold over a rectangular piece of fabric so the pattern is on the inside. Sew the two outer sides together. Use whatever stitch you want as long as it’s going to hold! If you’re not a strong sewer, fabric repair adhesive works well too. Just go light on the application; the adhesive spreads as you smooth the edges.

(Note that if you don’t want to worry about seams at all, you can just make a circle and gather it and tie it to make it easy!)

Step two: Turn the pouches pattern-side out and set aside. Mix together your rice and dried flowers or herbs. We used lavender and it was nice and potent, but try eucalyptus, rose, vanilla—just follow your nose. If you’re looking for a scent you might not be able to find in a dried plant, use a drop or two of essential oils mixed in with the rice until you reach your desired level of scent.

Step three: Fill your pouches with the scented rice concoction and be extra careful! Those tiny pieces of rice spill easily and get everywhere.

Step four: Once the pouch is at your desired level of plumpness, tie the top with a colorful ribbon. Finish the fabric at the top with the pinking shears. To prevent the top from fraying, gently coat the edge with a thin layer of clear nail polish. And you’re done! The beauty of not sewing the top closed is that you can refresh the inside as needed if it’s starting to lose its scent.

Source: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/home-lifestyle/crafts-diy/a85361/diy-drawer-sachets/

My granddaughter and I were looking for fall crafts that we could do and I found step by step instructions on how to make a leaf bowl!  They’re gorgeous and it seems to be straightforward and fairly easy.  Then we saw the picture (near the end) of what a leaf bowl looks like in a year or two! I decided to purchase fake leaves now and save them till next year when we will attempt these!

 Here’s what you’ll need to craft a gorgeous fall leaf bowl at home:

Real fall leaves (make sure they’re still fresh and pliable as this project won’t work with leaves that are already dry) or artificial fall leaves

Balloon (or plastic mixing bowl in the size that you want to make your leaf bowl)

Mod Podge (matte or glossy—I prefer to use matte)

Scissors

Large paintbrush or sponge brush

Plastic wrap (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Remove Leaf Stems

Whether you’ve chosen to use real or artificial fall leaves, your bowl will look much nicer and come together much better if you remove the leaf stems. Use scissors to cut off the stems so that only the leaf remains.

Once you’ve cut off the leaf stems, blow up a balloon to the size of your choosing. The size of the balloon will determine the size of the leaf bowl.

If you’re using artificial leaves, stick with a smaller size. The humidity in real leaves makes them stick to the balloon a lot better, even if its size is larger, but artificial leaves are a lot stiffer and they may simply slide right off if the balloon is too big.

Note: Skip this step if you’re planning on using a plastic bowl instead of a balloon as the base for your leaf bowl.

Place Balloon in Bowl

Take your inflated balloon and place it neck-down in an appropriately-sized mixing bowl to keep it in place while you go through the rest of the steps.

Add Plastic Wrap (Optional)

Because you’ll be using the balloon to create the shape of the leaf bowl, you’ll need to glue the leaves to the balloon using Mod Podge and let the Mod Podge dry before you can peel them off.

If ever you’re worried that the leaves will stay stuck or won’t peel off properly, feel free to cover the balloon in a layer of plastic wrap before you get started.

Note: This step is optional if you’re using a balloon, but if you’ve chosen to use a plastic mixing bowl to create the shape of your leaf bowl instead, cover it with plastic wrap as this will both protect your bowl and make the leaves a lot easier to peel off.

Add Mod Podge

Use a large paintbrush or sponge brush to cover some of the balloon’s surface with Mod Podge. Make sure the area you cover is larger than the leaves you’ll be using, as you’ll be layering them and will need the entire area beneath them to be covered with Mod Podge.

Cover Balloon with Leaves Press a leaf face-down onto the balloon, then cover it with Mod Podge as well.

Continue doing this until you’ve covered as much of the surface of the balloon as you wish to in order to create your bowl, covering each new leaf with more Mod Podge as you work.

If needed, brush the Mod Podge directly onto the surface of the leaf before pressing it onto the balloon.

Let Dry

When you’ve added all the leaves you wish to add and can no longer see any parts of the balloon that have been left uncovered, put away the Mod Podge and let your project dry completely before moving on to the next step.

If your leaves keep sliding down the surface of the balloon instead of staying in place while the Mod Podge dries (which will probably happen if you’re using plastic leaves), try covering the entire balloon in plastic wrap and peeling it off a little bit at a time, allowing each uncovered section to dry before uncovering the next section.

8. Peel Off Leaf Bowl

Once the entire surface of the leaves is completely dry, carefully peel the leaf bowl off the balloon and place it on a flat surface.

The Mod Podge on the inside of the bowl may still be a little wet; if that’s the case, simply let it sit for a while uncovered to allow its entire surface to dry.

Once all the Mod Podge is dry, your bowl is ready to use.

A NOTE ABOUT USING REAL LEAVES:

This project can work with both real and artificial leaves, and they both have advantages and disadvantages.

The first time we tried it, we used real fall leaves that had been freshly collected from the ground. Because the leaves came straight from outside, they were soft and pliable, which made them easy to craft with—especially with young kids participating.

Using real leaves also meant that this project cost us next to nothing, and it gave us an opportunity to spend time outdoors and craft with nature!

However, because the leaves were real, they did eventually go brown and lose their bright fall hues. Here is what that bowl looks like today, two years after it was made:

SOURCE: From Sacha’s website September 25, 2021 by Sacha