Fabulous Friday is a way to recap the week and give you some frugal tips for the weekend. Please share what you’re up to this weekend! Molly

Have you ever started watching one of those DIY shows and thought, “Hey, I can do that”? I rarely have time for the television these days but as I was flipping through the channels late one night, a certain project caught my eye: distressing furniture.  I’ve always loved the look of distressed furniture because it made me feel like I had a real gem, an antique if you will.  While I don’t have any real antiques, I like to make it look like I do. 

I started thinking that distressing a piece of furniture is really one of the most frugal ways to give a tired piece a face-lift!  If you don’t have anything you can work on, try looking at garage sales, estate sales or even your local charity type store (i.e. Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc).  Extra paint lying around? Search what you have sitting in your basement for your next project. No paint? Try asking a friend or relative (maybe you can trade them a batch of cookies for their unused can of paint).  You can also check stores for their ‘oops’ paint.  Sometimes an incorrect color is mixed up for someone and as a result they put it on the shelf to sell for a cheaper price.

Check out this tutorial on distressing a piece of furniture.  Does it give you the itch to start sanding and painting?

I have an old desk that needs some love.  I’m thinking I’ll paint it black and distress it. I’m wondering what to do with the drawer pulls though. Any thoughts? You guessed it, that’s what is on my agenda this weekend!

What’s in store for your weekend? Do you have any frugal projects you’re working on? If you’re traveling, how do you make frugal choices for your family while on the road? Enjoy your weekend, see you back here bright and early Monday morning!

Weekend projects work for me! To see more Works For Me Wednesday tips visit: We Are That Family.

Since the weather is warming I thought I’d re-post this frugal transformation from March of last year. Maybe it’ll make you grab a piece of furniture and your sander and head outdoors!

You know how when you have a ton of things that need done, you’ll suddenly find yourself doing something that wasn’t even on the list? (Please tell me I’m not the only one!!)

We have company coming this weekend and I decided it would be a good idea if I could finish painting all my lower kitchen cabinets. The ones from the kitchen makeover that I started this summer and never finished. I did the counter, backsplash and upper cabinets, but just never got to those bottom cabinets. Well, I did one section. So I had one section that was brown, one that was green, and one that was white (don’t ask).

But as I was taking off cabinet doors and sanding them down I decided it would be a good idea (this is the unrelated project part) to sand and stain the top of our coffee table. This coffee table is one that I bought for $5 at a yard sale. It’s sturdy and big. That’s about it. But I had little boys and you KNOW you don’t want a nice coffee table with little boys. They have to be able to race Hot Wheels and build things and knock them over and such on the coffee table. If you invest in some piece of beauty that can’t be scratched or scuffed, you’re just asking for a trip to the Funny Farm.

Hence, my $5 coffee table. The one with the top that looks like this:

But, since my boys are getting older, I’ve been intending to paint the table. Or maybe just the top. I can’t decide. Not only can I not decide whether to paint the whole thing or just the top, I can’t decide what color.  And so, the eyesore remains. And it bothers me. Every day.

OK, back to the sanding. As I’m sanding the cabinet doors I realize that I could just sand down the table top and use some remaining stain to stain the top. The top would be darker than the legs, but I rather like that look. And then, when (if) I decide what color I want to paint the table, I can still do that down the road.

So I yanked the table out onto the porch and sanded her down. It took probably 30-45 minutes, tops. She was so pretty I almost wanted to leave her like that.

But I grabbed my leftover can of stain and went to work. In another 30 minutes, I had a nice looking finished product. I’ll probably add a coat or two of poly and call it good. I can’t believe what a difference it made with only a short investment of time and no money at all. Now I just wish I’d done it sooner.

Have you made a project that was featured in Molly’s Digest? Would you like to be featured on Econobusters?

We would love to see pictures of your projects and share them with our readers.

Recently Denise of 3D Reflections shared these lovely pictures of the Blessings Blanket she made.

Photo used with permission from 3D Reflections

She got her inspiration for this project from Molly Saves in the Nursery. (It’s currently on sale for only $1!!!)

If you’ve been inspired by Molly, please let us know. Tell us what project inspired you and send your pictures to molly@econobusters.com.

Guest post from Deanna of  Home Haven Ministry.

AUTUMN is here and the temperatures are cooling off in Kansas.  I’m NOT ready for it.  Brrrrrr! It’s blanket time. It’s also one of my favorite times to decorate. I’d like to share some of the  simple and  frugal ways I decorate my home in the fall.

Seasonal decorating made easy with a Harvest Pick.

I’ve placed a harvest pick on the Tea Table in the Parlour along with a few miniature ceramic pumpkins that all came from a thrift shop.   A quick glance at the splashes of harvest colors makes me smile.  Decorating doesn’t have to cost huge amounts of money.

 

Decorating with thrift items is practiced here.  Over the years I have decorated my home with high dollar items, and I’ve decorated my home  with second and third hand items that I got for a song!

Looking back at it all…….I wish I had been thriftier with home purchases earlier in my marriage, and even before I got married.  I was a brand snob that was brought down a few notches out of necessity.  Pride cometh before a fall.  We were without money in the lean years, and as the years passed I wanted better quality stuff.  So I bought both new and gently used.  The garage sales started to catch my eye, (I had three children at the time). Then I got hit with the thrift bug. I went to a few auctions and estate sales, and I learned tostretch what little money I had.

I’m thankful that my attitude changed, and now I enjoy the bargain more than ever. After a holiday, like the day after, items are usually 50% (or more) off the regular price.  So you’ll more than likely see me shopping for holiday items the day after.  Seasonal napkins keep well in a plastic tub throughout the year, and the older I get, the faster the year ZOOMS by.  A year later out come the Holiday/Seasonal Napkins with the other decorating things to enhance all the rooms in my home.

 

A small decorative pumpkin in the China Cabinet tells ya it’s AUTUMN.

A glass Vase with Autumn Flowers bought at my favorite thrift shop for only a few dollars.

I found similar sunflowers at Hobby Lobby at a great price, but they couldn’t beat my 65 cent bouquet of flowers from the thrift shop! Bargains can be found even in today’s economy.

These days I’m extra busy tending to a 4 year old Granddaughter.  I have little time or energy to go all out decorating for various seasons….so it’s just best for my budget and energy level to keep it simple.

A few artificial leaves from Dollar Tree leave shades of the season sprinkled on a tray.

God bless you as you go about looking for bargains to make your home a haven!

About the Author: Deanna can be found most days at her blog, Home Haven Ministry, sipping coffee and talking about everything from thrift buys, nutritious quick meals, family, God, decorating, remodeling, refurbishing, healthy thoughts, whatever.  Seldom about Current Events.  There seems to be so much of that elsewhere.  Hope you’ll stop by and say HOWDY.  She lives in a 126 year old FIXER UPPER two story Native Limestone House in a small community nestled in the Kansas Flint Hills on the Prairie.  She’s a Peri-menopausal, Thyroid Cancer SURVIVOR, with a constitution made of steel.  She’s a STAY-at-HOME Christian Granny that’s glad to be alive and thankful to have more time on planet earth to live with her husband and love her family.  Stay tuned…there’s more to come.

Have you looked at the calendar? Time seems to fly by faster every year for me. Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

Last year I posted a 30 day countdown to Thanksgiving. I’ve gathered all those “Preparing for Thanksgiving” posts together so you can find them again for this year.

Begin at the beginning and read this post on Getting started.

Then you can read some of my decorating ideas for Thanksgiving.

General

Front Door

Entryway

Table, more table, setting the table

Don’t forget the food! (I’m sure you don’t need that reminder.) Here are the posts on how to prepare for the Thanksgiving feast.

Turkey

Shopping

Cooking Schedule

Last minute Thanksgiving Preparations

Some of the links in these posts are no longer valid, so I’ve found some new resources to help you out.

Here’s a 10 day checklist for Thanksgiving. (Thankfully we still have time to use this one!)

Here’s a 4 week planner. (We’re a little late, but it is still helpful because most of it is for 2 weeks or less.)

Here’s a nice printable page for your menu, guest list, and groceries.

Oh, and please follow me on Pinterest. I’m going to be pinning some Thanksgiving ideas there!

A Facebook reader asked if I’d ever posted on game storage solutions and I realized that I haven’t. I do have a few tricks of my own and have founds some neat suggestions online as well.

I find it easiest to keep our nicer and/or educational games on bookshelves in the room where I keep our schoolbooks. This allows me to have a bit more control over them. We keep basic games like Sorry, Battleship and Twister on bookshelves in our upstairs hallway, where the kids can easily grab them. I do try and monitor them to put them back when they’re done. There’s nothing less enjoyable than walking in to a room and finding it covered with a half-doze different game sets scattered across the floor. (Can you tell, I’ve been there, done that?)

Card games and smaller games are easy to corral in plastic dish tubs or baskets. I pick them up at the Dollar Store. Someday, I’m going to build floor-to-ceiling shelves in this room and have doors on half of them to hide the games and such. Until then, I might keep my eye open for something like this GORGEOUS game room hutch to  make over.

I also make use of baby wipe containers and pencil cases for things like tanagrams, dominoes, magnetic letters, etc. I once picked up a dozen or so pencil cases at Walmart at a back-to-school sale for a quarter each. They are wonderful because they stack neatly on top of one another.

Here’s a similar storage solution for card games. I love how she taped the cover to the front of the box. You can also use plastic soap boxes as shown here.

However, I REALLY like the idea of having Scrabble tiles, dominoes and even marbles on display in jars like the below photo from Apartment Therapy. I have a few of the old-fashioned  Ball canning jars that would look nice on a shelf. I’ve even seen imitation, old-style canning jars at the Dollar Store that would work well.

I’ve always taken puzzles out of the cardboard boxes and put the pieces in a heavy duty, zip top freezer bag. I cut the cover of the box and place it on top. I would then keep all the puzzles in a large plastic bin. We’re now out of the kids’ puzzle stage, so I don’t have a picture to show you. You can see an example of how I did it here ,though. I do prefer spending a bit extra for the bags with the actual zipper top as it’s easier to make sure they’re closed all the way. Otherwise, you’re likely to have pieces spilling out into the bottom of your tub. Of course, that can make for a nice sorting activity in and of itself!

Here is a super cute and creative idea from The Pleated Poppy. She’s using the same type of cart you’ll see Eleanor Joyce make over in November’s upcoming Laundry Room Digest.  It’s adorable!  I love old wire baskets. Right now I’m using one under my coffee table to store extra books.

This game board storage idea from Infarrantly Creative has been all over Pinterest and for good reason. It’s great! The boards make great art and I love how the pieces are hung neatly on the back.

So what about you? Do you have any great game storage tips?

Guest post by Jennifer Scheffel:

Ever asked the question, “How do I get organized?” When it comes to certain projects, it can be daunting to figure out just where to start.

This is a story of the magical blackboard that helps me get things done, stay organized, and remember to do all the little things that make up my day.

I’ve always kept to-do lists. There’s a cosmic relationship between identifying projects, and writing them down. Writing down goals, wishes and chores gives them importance. Seeing important goals reminds you to simply take the steps to complete them. And, OH, the joy in marking items off the to-do list is remarkable.

But about two weeks ago, I was feeling a little overwhelmed with organizing my home projects and to-do lists. Everyday new items are added, and some remained from the day before.

My husband, who seems to be an expert at getting things done, suggested that I rethink the way I create my to-do lists.

I reacted bluntly to my husband’s suggestion: “I’ve been writing down household projects and to-do lists for ages.”

After thinking it through, I admitted that sometimes the items on these lists fizzled. My lists, with all my good intentions, used to get shoved under a stack of papers, bills, and post-it notes containing even more to-do list items.

This is where the blackboard comes in. After admitting my hubby might be on to something, I knew I needed a radical change to creating to-do lists. And, I needed a trick for making sure my goals never ended up under piles of paperwork again!

Like a vision, it came to me. I would make a magic blackboard. If goals go on the blackboard, they will happen … and that’s magic. In order for the blackboard to possess such a trick, it would have to be placed in a spot I’d see everyday.

Your blackboard’s placement is key to its magic. The back door entrance to my home was the perfect choice for me. Each time I enter, I’m greeted with my weekly goals.

But, the walls are tricky; a standard chalkboard wouldn’t do. I’d need to paint one on the walls.

Frugal Tips for How to Paint a Blackboard

Frugal Tip #1:

Chalkboard paint isn’t cheap, it costs about $20 for a quart can. I’m a frugal girl and I wanted to accomplish the entire project for less than $5 (or free, if I could).

I have lots of left over cans of paint around my house, and I felt that my crafty friends might as well. As a shot in the dark, I placed a post on my Facebook Page asking if anyone had left-over chalkboard paint. A neighbor replied within 20 minutes that she had a can of chalkboard paint she’d love to dispose of. Lucky me!

One you have your paint and supplies, choose the perfect spot for your to-do list blackboard. Tape off the shape of your chalkboard with painter’s tape. A sponge roller works best with chalkboard paint.

Paint three or four coats and allow 2 to 4 hours of dry time between each. Wait at least three days before writing on your chalkboard. Use a quality chalk. It’s easier to write with and easier to wash off and worth the few extra pennies.

Frugal Tip #2:

You can save the cost of creating a frame for your blackboard with a little creative painting.

For my blackboard, I used a stencil that mimicked the pattern of fabric I had in the room. The stencil was purchased at a yard sale for $1 a year ago. I’ve used the stencil for several projects. Maintenance of such stencils is important if you want them to last for more projects.

If you use a stencil as a border to your blackboard, wash it between every use. You can use denatured alcohol or even hot soapy water if you don’t allow the paint to dry. This step will save you the heartache of paint running underneath the stencil and ruining your design.

For the best results, use repositionable spray adhesive on your stencil. This allows you to position the stencil perfectly. As extra assurance, use painter’s tape to secure it to the wall. Finally, a sponge roller works best for painting with a stencil. Roll the paint on very thinly and in several coats.

How Do I Get Organized Using the Magic Blackboard?

I get organized by washing the chalkboard every Sunday. A clean chalkboard doesn’t stay clean long.

I add new items to the blackboard everyday. But, I don’t erase any old ones! I cross through them. This gives me a sense of accomplishment by the end of the week. Anything not accomplished by Sunday goes on the top of the list for next week.

After using the magic blackboard for two weeks, I can truly say it makes organizing my home projects a lot easier. My husband is even in on the action. However, I did discovered one drawback. One chalkboard just isn’t enough!

I quickly learned that placing list items for work-related chores on the back-door blackboard isn’t effective. Only household related chores are placed on this board.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution: paint another blackboard! The first item on my project list: create a magical work blackboard for my office. I can’t wait to see what changes my work projects undergo by using this simple organization technique!

 This article was written by Jennifer Scheffel of www.best-grocery-coupon-websites.com. Her site reviews the topgrocery coupon websites and provides tips on saving money. They have a printable grocery list, coupon organizer and plenty of online printable coupons.

The Frugal Magic Blackboard works for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit We Are That Family. Linked to Made by You Monday and Feature Yourself Friday and Frugal Fridays.

When looking for a hanging potrack for my kitchen, I was repeatedly disheartened at the high prices. Fortunately, a trip to my backyard resulted in a flash of inspiration. I asked my husband to cut down the old ladder resting against the back fence. We added hooks and chains and hung above the kitchen island. You can see the results below. It was practically free and adds a fun touch to our rustic-feel kitchen.

Using what I have works for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips (and offer your own advice on this Backwards Edition) visit We Are That Family.

As for my question, I’d love to know how/where you store your pots and pans if you DON’T have a potrack. I’ve had my hanging rack for many years now, but I’ve found two pendant lights I’d really like to hang over the island. Plus, I’ve been enjoying a more clean, less cluttered look, lately. I’d love to remove the potrack and put up the pendant lights, but I fear I’ll really regret it as it’s SOOO handy to have the pots and pans so easy to grab. So, what do you do with yours?

Here are a few more ideas for setting an attractive table this Thanksgiving. My goal is to just show you that by spending almost nothing but a little time and thought you can put together a beautiful and welcoming table that is all YOURS — not someone else’s look that you buy at their price!

Earlier in the week someone sent me a link to a “paper harvest” at The Homeschool Post. I just loved these scrapbook paper pumpkins, and HAD to make try my hand at this simple craft. Here are a few ideas of how to use them.

~Make a kit for each child’s place setting which includes the pre-cut and pre-hole-punched strips, a name tag and the brads needed to assemble their own pumpkin. Be sure to keep the little holes that you punch out–they can be used as colorful confetti to sprinkle on the table if you wish.

~Make individual pumpkins for each place setting to serve as place cards. You can even tuck a little treat inside like a wrapped chocolate or mint.

Don’t go out and spend time and money trying to find just the right combination of scrapbook papers, unless you feel you really want to. I just used what I had on hand–if you look closely the white pumpkin has bulrushes on it–but it works! Some of my other pumpkins were polka dots, but they all look nice together. I will say that I found the full size (12 inch) pumpkin to be a bit floppy without support. Here are quick instructions for making the pumpkins – for more info click on the link to the original post above.

Start with a piece of 12 x 12 inch scrapbook paper. For the large pumpkin, cut the paper into 12 strips 1 inch wide. Punch a hole at each end of each strip. Poke a brad (those prongy things that are used to hold papers together) through the holes (right side up) at one end, and open the brad to hold the papers in place. Fan the papers into a circle, and one by one thread them onto the other brad, so the prongs end up inside the circle. Make sense?  For the small pumpkins, I cut each sheet of scrapbook paper in half, then cut each half into 12 strips, each 1 inch wide and 6 inches long. Then I put them together the same way. They are a fuller, more closed-in pumpkin this way. I just cut a leaf shape freehand, and tied it to the brad with twine, adding a little stamped name tag. No stamps–no worries–just print names on the computer, or handwrite.

Think of the possibilities! Wrap votive or pillar candles in co-ordinating paper, print out a verse and layer it over top. Make napkin holders by wrapping a toilet paper tube cut in half with scrapbook paper, and again, wrapping a verse around it . . . Lots you can do with this!

Moving on . . . remember my dollar store haul from last week? Here are a few ideas for holding those 50 cent napkins. All were dollar store items, or gleaned from the backyard.

Tied with jute twine, with a leaf and flower scrounged from a thrift store, sad looking fake flower arrangement that I cut apart, and ended up with about 20 flowers and as many leaves.

Here we have a piece of wired ribbon from the dollar store, embellished with a tuft from my dried out pampas grass in the backyard.  I was able to get 12 9-inch ties from this $1.00 spool of ribbon.

This one uses the purchased ring (8 for $1.00) and a leaf and berries from a tree in my backyard. The grapes are $1.00 store fakes, but woudn’t real grapes be a tasty treat?

One last photo to illustrate another suggestion: Think white. At yard sales and thrift shops I’m always on the lookout for white serving pieces. They can be decorative, but they’re also very practical, as they can be used for any occasion by just changing inexpensive accessories. Just this week I saw white dishes at Big Lots, Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity ReStore for not much more than you’d pay for good quality paper and plastic goods. If you don’t want to wash mounds of dishes after Thanksgiving dinner, just scrape the plates and soak them in hot soapy water in your laundry tub or plastic storage tubs until later. Just a thought–it’s a money-saver in the long run!

Not one item in this picture cost more than a dollar or two. Really.