Book Folding - An Easy and Inexpensive Craft that Upcycles Books

I've just been to two classes that have taught me how to book fold and now I'm hooked! It's so easy to do (once you know how!), very relaxing and very rewarding when you have the finished product. A further advantage is that it upcycles books that would otherwise be thrown away.

Book folding allows you to transform old, unwanted books into pieces of art. You can make them into animals, such as owls, words, such as "love", "friend" or "teacher", and many other things, such as baby footprints. The folded books are ideal for giving as gifts, either for Christmas, birthdays or to mark as special occasion such as the birth of a baby or an anniversary.

You need very few materials to start book folding. The inexpensive or free materials are:

• A hardback book that you no longer want. If you don't have any at home, look in charity/thrift stores for inexpensive books.
• A pencil.
• A ruler marked with centimeters (cm).
• An eraser (not essential but might be handy if you make mistakes).

You'll also need a book folding pattern. Many are available on the Internet and cost a few dollars (although some cost more). The only free pattern I've come across so far is for a heart-shaped folded book. The website also includes a handy tutorial which is helpful if you're book folding for the first time.

 Source: Instructables.com

To start book folding, all you do is measure down from the top of each page to the points indicated on the pattern and mark those points on the page. So, if, for example, the pattern stated 8.2 & 10.9 for the first page, you would measure 8.2cm from the top of the page and make a mark in pencil at that point. You'd then measure 10.9 cm from the top of the page (not from your previous mark) and mark it on the page.

Then fold the page over from the top down to the first mark (at 8.2cm) so that the page reaches a point at your mark. Next fold the bottom of the page up to the second point (at 10.9 cm), again ensuring that the folded page reaches a point at this mark.

You may need to make additional folds to ensure that the page doesn't overlap the spine, but don't worry, these won't be seen when you've finished folding the book.

Once you've finished, you can either display the book just as it is or add some finishing touches, such as a ribbon to hold the book open at the point where the picture is most vivid. You can leave the cover and spine just as it is or you can cover it with three pieces of thick card cut to size and affixed with strong glue.

Here is the folded book I made at the class with the word "Love".

I chose a lovely vintage bird pattern for the spine and cover.

I'm now planning to make more of these books and give them as gifts!

Selling at a Craft Fair for the First Time

My daughter and I sold some of our handmade items at a craft fair for the first time last Saturday. We had a fun time. We got there about 45 minutes before the start of the fair to set up our table.

We covered two boxes with fabric and put photo frames on top of them. We leaned handmade cards against the photo frames so that they could be seen clearly.

My daughter's good idea was to take along some hardback books with the dust jackets removed. We lined these up at the back of the table, between the two boxes, and leaned cards against them so that the cards were prominently displayed.

We then arranged the rest of our items on the table, putting larger hand-knitted items in the middle and smaller items on each side.

All-in-all, I think we created an attractive display. Once the fair began, it was nice to chat to the visitors and sell some items. It was interesting to find out which items people liked best.

I also spent about half an hour going around the fair myself while my daughter held the fort. It was great to chat with the other craftspeople and see what they'd made. I'm always inspired by other people's creativity.

At the end of the day, we made a small profit. I was happy with that. It was a good start for our first craft fair. It was quite a small fair and, although there was a steady stream of visitors throughout the day, it wasn't attended by lots and lots of people. But, that was fine for our first fair.

We're now inspired to do more fairs. I was chatting to a couple who are thinking of starting to organize local craft fairs on a regular basis, so I'm sure it won't be the only fair we'll sell at.

Preparing to Sell at a Craft Fair for the First Time

My daughter and I spent all last weekend preparing to sell some of our handmade items at a local craft fair. It's the first time we've done this so we're both excited and apprehensive.

To prepare, we:

• collected together all the items we plan to sell,
• added a tag or label to each item with a short description of the item, its materials and any other relevant information, such as washing instructions for hand-knitted clothing,
• decided on a price for each item and added this to the tag or label,
• were inspired to make a few extra items to add to those we already have!

Apart from that, I'm not sure what else we can do to prepare. On the day of the craft fair, we'll get there nice and early, so that we have plenty of time to set up our table and display everything attractively.

Is there anything else you'd do to prepare for a craft fair? Do you have any tips for selling at a craft fair?

Learning to Crochet

I've been meaning to learn to crochet for many years. I've tried to teach myself a few times but I've always given up when I got to a tricky bit that I didn't understand.

So, finally, last week, I went to a crochet class and learned how to make a granny square. After the class, I was hooked (lol) and carried on with the granny square which is now quite big!

I'm just about to go to my second crochet class and I'm really excited! I don't know why I didn't get my act together and go to a crochet class ages ago. Oh well, in the words of the Chinese proverb: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

It's funny, after enjoying knitting for many years, I knew I would enjoy crochet and I do! So, if you're thinking of learning a new craft or skill, go ahead and do it! You'll be glad you did!

Update

I can't believe that we are three-quarters of the way through February already. I'm afraid that blogging has taken a back seat to lots of other things that are going on in my life at the moment. It's a shame, as I enjoy blogging and interacting with other bloggers.

I'd like to thank all of you who have been visiting my blog during my period of absence. Your loyalty is very much appreciated.

Unfoturnately, I also haven't had much time for crafting recently but I feel a real need to do something creative. I've thought of scheduling short, ten-minute crafting sessions each day. Have any of you tried this? How does it work? Do you have any other suggestions for incorporating crafts into a busy schedule?

Any comments and suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Moonangelnay's Blog Hop

I've just joined a blog hop at Moonangelnay's Photography and Handmade Blog.

I'm still not 100% sure how a blog hop works but I have tried to follow the instructions, so hopefully I will be able to participate. The aim is to increase readership of your blog, so it must be a good thing!! If you'd like to join the blog hop yourself, just click on the button at the top of this blog post.

Happy blog hopping!

Cute Little Christmas Gift Bags - Quick and Easy to Knit

Source: Free Knitting Pattern - Holiday Gift Bag Set

While browsing one of my favorite websites - Lion Brand Yarn - I came across a free knitting pattern for these cute little Christmas drawstring bags. They are quick and easy to make using left-over yarn from other projects.

You could use them for a variety of purposes at this time of year, including:

• They could hold small gifts, providing an environment-friendly alternative to wrapping paper (and they could be re-used year after year!). Just attach a gift tag to the drawstring.
• You could put after-dinner mints or chocolates in them and give one to every guest at your Christmas dinner or party.
• They could be used as Christmas decorations, hung on the mantelpiece or even on the tree!

Do you have any ideas for other uses for them?

A Quick and Easy Sewing Project - Make a Drawstring Bag in an Evening or Less

My daughter wanted to store her nightwear in a drawstring bag, so I made her the bag in the photo above. I used a remnant of pretty floral fabric which I bought for A$1 from a fabric shop. To make the drawstring, I used a length of cord recycled from an old school sun hat. I sewed the bag by hand and it only took me a few hours to make. My daughter is very pleased with her bag and her nightwear is much more organized!

Drawstring bags are quick, easy and fun to make, even if you have only basic sewing skills and do not own a sewing machine. Drawstring bags look attractive and can be easily washed. They can store a variety of items around the home, including nightwear, underwear, shoes, and small toys. Children can take their sports kit to and from school in a drawstring bag.

Using a sewing machine, a drawstring bag can be made in less than one hour. Alternatively, it will take you only a few hours to hand sew a bag. Here are step-by-step instructions for making a drawstring bag.


Materials

• A piece of fabric, approximately 40 inches (100 cm) long by 16 inches (40 cm) wide
• A length of cord, approximately 40 inches (100 cm) long
• A safety pin
• Sewing thread and sewing needle (or a sewing machine)
• Pins
• Paper, such as baking paper, for the paper template (optional)

1. Cut a rectangle of fabric approximately 40 inches (100 cm) long by 16 inches (40 cm) wide. If you wish, you can cut out a piece of paper with the same dimensions, pin it to the fabric and use it as a template for cutting out the fabric.

2. With the wrong side of the fabric facing you, fold down approximately 1.5 inches (4 cm) on each of the shorter edges (i.e. widthwise). Pin and sew each seam using back stitch. This creates a channel that will run along the top of the bag.

3. Pin each of the long sides together. Sew each side as far as the seam of the channel. Do not sew up the sides of the channel.

4. Reverse the bag so that the right side of the fabric is showing and the seams are hidden inside.

5. Tie a knot at each end of the length of cord.

6. Affix a safety pin to one of the knots at the end of the cord and guide it through the channel (at both the front and the back of the bag), ensuring that the other end of the cord remains outside the bag.

7. When the cord has been pulled all the way through the channel and both ends are outside the bag, undo the knots and tie both ends of the cord together in a knot. Pull up the cord and your drawstring bag is ready to use!

Making a drawstring bag is a good way of using remnants of material or recycling material that is past its best. If you have a curtain that you no longer use, you could cut it into rectangles and make several drawstring bags. You could also look in thrift stores for curtains, sheets and quilt covers and re-purpose the material.

Drawstring bags are so quick and easy to make that you could make a whole collection of them and use them in different ways. You could organize your nightwear and underwear in pretty drawstring bags. Your children could use them to keep their rooms tidy. They could be used to conceal gifts as an environment-friendly alternative to wrapping paper at Christmas and on other special occasions. All in all, you will find that they are a useful addition to your home.


Persistence Pays Off!

I always find the middle part of a large knitting project the most difficult. The novelty of starting the project has worn off and I can't yet see the end in sight. I often feel bored with the pattern and not very motivated to carry on.

A week or so ago, I was very much in the middle stage of knitting the baby blanket diagonally. Although I'd started decreasing one stitch on each row, each row was still more than 100 stitches long and it seemed to take ages to knit just one row. I pushed myself on because I knew there was only about five weeks left until my friend's baby is due.

And now? All of a sudden, I have broken through the middle stage. I have less than 50 stitches on my needle and the rows are flying by! I'm excited because it won't be long before I have finished and am ready to package the blanket to send to the UK. That gives me more motivation to finish!

So, persistence really does pay off! It seems also that there is a lesson in here that I can learn for the rest of my life. It has seemed in the past two years that we are climbing a big mountain but I take courage from the lesson learned from my knitting. Perhaps I'm still in the middle stage as I can't yet see the end. I just need to continue moving forward and, before I know it, the end will be in sight and that will give me renewed energy - that final burst that enables you to achieve and be successsful!!

How about you? Do you experience that "middle phase" in a craft project of any kind? How do you get through it? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Winner's Choice Giveaway

Source: Saved By Love Creations

Saved By Love Creations is holding a fabulous giveaway! The winner will be able to choose one of the three wonderful prizes shown above. The first is a set of hand-decorated coasters, each of which have different designs and inspiring words such as "love," "joy" and "unity."  You can see more photos of the coasters here.

The two other potential prizes are hand-decorated boxes. The first box is decorated with the word "hope" and some button-like embellishments. A close-up photo of the box can be seen on this blog post. 

The second box is covered with leafy green fabric and is finished off with a pink flower embellishment and a tag with the words, "be love." It looks very pretty. You can find out more about the fabric-covered box here.

The giveaway is open to everyone and closes next Friday - 19 March. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on the Winner's Choice Giveaway post.

Knitting a Baby Blanket Diagonally!

I have always wanted to have a go at knitting something diagonally, from corner to corner. After I finished knitting the random stripes jumper for my daughter last year, I had quite a lot of pink yarn and some white yarn left over. I looked on the Internet for a free knitting pattern to use up this yarn and came across this free easy stitch baby blanket pattern that is knitted from corner to corner.

When I started knitting the baby blanket, I had no idea who I was going to give it to. I'm not planning to have any more children and no-one I knew was pregnant at the time. Then, a few months later, my best friend in England told me that she was pregnant! I still wondered if the baby would be a girl as my friend told me that she thought it was a boy! Then, at her 20 week scan, she found out, to her delight, that she is expecting a girl!

I am thrilled that the blanket will have such a good home. Also, my daughter and I made an extra baby girl card from the cut-price craft materials we bought last year - that card will also find a good home in a few months time! My friend thinks that I'm psychic - I don't think so but I do believe that there is an overall purpose to life and little things like this make me realize that I should stop worrying, stop being negative and just live life to the full, because everything will turn out fine!!

Anyway, back to the blanket - I have now knitted a lot more than is shown in the photo. For the first half of the blanket, you increase one stitch on each row and the pattern tells you to do this until you have 208 stitches on the needle. Well, I reached 160 stitches and my needle was so crowded that I couldn't fit another stitch on (the pattern did advise using a circular needles but I have never knitted in this way). So, I have now started to decrease on each row, which will take me back to the opposite corner. It will make a smaller blanket but it should still be large enough for small baby.

Having a deadline for finishing the blanket (i.e. before the baby's due date) is also good for me as I always take so long to finish projects!

Great Giveaway at The Creative Place - Fabric Stash and Paper Scrap Packs!

If, like me, you can't resist beautiful fabrics and/or pretty paper, why not take part in this wonderful giveaway at The Creative Place. You could win either a whole stash of brightly colored fabrics or a whole assortment of decorative papers that you could use for scrapbooking, card making, collaging or other paper crafts.

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on the giveway post, but, hurry, the closing date is this Sunday, 7th February. I am so pleased that the giveaway is also open to those of us who live outside the USA! On many occasions, I've got excited about a giveway that someone has blogged about, only to click into the giveaway and find that it's only open to US residents - that's always disappointing!!

You can also receive extra entries into the giveway if you post about it on your blog or on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other sites.

So, what are you waiting for, go over to The Creative Place and enter the giveaway! Good luck!

Gorgeous Christmas Fabric

I love the brightly-coloured Christmas motifs on this Christmas-themed fabric. I bought it from a shop called Candleberry Country in a small town called Yarragon, about an hour from Melbourne, Australia.

Candleberry Country is a wonderful shop - it is filled with fabrics, sewing patterns and supplies, patchwork quilts, handmade items, and much more. It is well worth a visit, or you can order online too from the Candleberry Country website

I'm not yet sure what I'll use the fabric for. I might cut it up and use individual motifs to make Christmas cards. I haven't yet used fabric for card making, so it would be good to experiment. I bought a fat quarter of the fabric for A$6 - a little more than I would normally pay but I was in the mood to treat myself!

Does anyone have any other ideas for using this fabric?

Yarragon is a wonderful place to visit if you like arts and crafts. You can read more about our visit on my other blog, Moving to Australia on a 457 visa.

I'm Back!

Sorry for the long absence from posting on this blog. I've just moved from Sydney to a small town in Victoria and so have had little time for blogging recently. In fact, I didn't have Internet access for over three weeks and so didn't even have the chance to catch up with all your blogs during that time. A big thank you to those of you who have continued to visit Crafts on a Budget and drop Entrecards in my absence. Your support is very much appreciated.

Now that things are slowly getting back to normal, I'll hopefully get back to posting on a more regular basis. I've also started writing 'Moving to Australia on a 457 Visa', a new blog about my new life in small town Australia, moving to Australia, settling here, and living and working in Australia.

I'm also planning to hold another giveaway in the near future, so watch this space...

The Buy Nothing Challenge - Week 4 to the end of August

This final period of the challenge covered two weekends and, as usual, our spending outside the rules occured on weekends:

• $12 on train tickets and $12 on drinks in a cafe for a little trip out on Saturday, making a total of $24. I was quite pleased with this, though, because I normally spend much more on such a day out. We even went in a toy shop with the children and did not spend anything, which is a major achievement!
• $12 on swimming for the four of us at the local pool on Sunday.
• On the following Saturday, we went to a local fair and took $30 spending money with us. We spent all of it on rides, food and a craft activity for my daughter. We all enjoyed the afternoon. We could have spent a lot more money but taking along just $30 was a great way of prioritising our spending.
• On the final Sunday of August, we stayed at home and spent nothing! I just thought I'd mention it as this is a major achievement for us at the weekend!!

I've also managed to reduce our weekly grocery bill so that it is now just under $200 per week, so I'm happy with that too.

The challenge was very worthwhile. I found the first two weeks difficult, but, as time went on, I found it much easier. I think that it's important to give yourself at least three or four weeks to get into the habit of elminating your unnecessary spending.

A few other things I found that helped were:

• Staying away from the shopping centre. If I go into the shopping centre, it is inevitable that I will spend money, especially if my daughter is with me.
• Having little or no cash in my purse. It sounds obvious but, if you don't have any cash on you, you can't spend it! I used to spend about $20 during the week on bits and pieces. Since doing the challenge, I have ensured that I only have a dollar or two in my purse and therefore I've saved more than $80 this month just on cutting out the unnecessary extra spending.

Circumstances dictate that we'll have to continue with these frugal habits into September, but I don't feel so bad about it. I've learned a lot from the challenge and I hope that I'll be able to continue on this frugal path once our financial circumstances change, so that we'll be able to start saving again.

Sorry I haven't posted any craft articles recently. I have meant to, but a lot has been going on in my life that has taken priority. Watch this space for some more craft-related posts soon!

Superior Scribbler Award

Wow! I was absolutely thrilled to be awarded the Superior Scribbler Award by Glynis of New Scribbles from Glynis Smy. Thank you, Glynis - you made my day! It is an extra special award because it is the first blogging award I've received for Crafts on a Budget!

Here are the rules for the Superior Scribbler award:

• Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.


• Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.


• Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.


• Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!



• Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

I would like to pass this award onto five bloggers who have inspired me to be creative, thrifty or both! They are (in no particular order):

• Karen of Thrifty Creativity. I always find her craft projects inspiring! Her other blogs, including Grandmother's Pattern Book and Grandmother's Dollhouse, are very inspiring too.



• Nikki of WhiMSy Love. Her Paint Sample Notebook Tutorial inspired me to do something I'd never done before - make a notebook from scraps of card and paper.



• Deanna of Crunchy Chicken. Her Buy Nothing Challenge for August 2009 has inspired me (and is still inspiring me) to spend as little as possible during a tough financial time.



• Notes from the Frugal Trenches. Her philosophy of no spending days inspired me to start with 2 non-spending days per week. I found it very difficult at first but now I have four or five non-spending days each week and don't find it too difficult at all! Her blog, however, is about much more than non-spending days - it is extremely inspirational for anyone looking to re-capture what is truly important in life and to live more simply.



• Laura of Living Frugal and Simple. Laura is following her dream to become a children's librarian. I always find her blog posts inspiring as they show how you can save money and enjoy life at the same time!

I find many other blogs inspiring, so please don't be disappointed if I haven't chosen yours this time.

Weeks Two and Three of the Buy Nothing Challenge, August 2009

Gosh, August is going by so quickly - I can't believe that the third week is over already! So much is going on in my life at the moment that I didn't have time to post last week, so I'm writing here about the last two weeks of the Buy Nothing for August 2009 Challenge.

Week 2

In week 2 of the Buy Nothing Challenge, I was aiming to spend no money at all outside the rules. I almost achieved this. The only spending outside the rules was:

• A total of A$27.50 on Sunday Funday train tickets and a Chinese meal before going to the circus at the Sydney Exhibition Centre. We were very generously given the circus tickets, so we were fortunate enough to have a great family afternoon/early evening out on a tight budget. We went with some friends who introduced us to a great value place to eat Chinese food - the food court on the edge of Sydney's Chinatown. I would highly recommend it - we spent just under A$20 on a selection of delicious Chinese dishes, including curried beef that was so tender that it melted in your mouth!

Week 3

Week 3 didn't go quite as well. We didn't spend money on anything outside the rules on Monday to Friday, but, once again, the weekend proved difficult. However, I did sell a couple of things on eBay, making a total of A$62, which helped to boost our funds a little. Our spending outside the rules was:

• A$12 on food and drink in McDonalds on Saturday. The children got extremely bored in the house and so I took them to McDonalds down the road where there is an indoor play area. Of course, they wanted food and drink as well (even though we'd already had lunch!) but I guess A$12 was not too much to pay for a couple of hours' entertainment.


• It was a glorious sunny day on Sunday and we took advantage of it by going to one of our favourite places - Woy Woy on the central coast, north of Sydney. We ended up spending more than we intended - A$7.50 on the train fare (we can resist the Sunday Fun Day offer of A2.50 per person to anywhere in the Sydney area if you are traveling with children!), A$12 on drinks in our favorite cafe in Woy Woy, A$8 on ice cream, and A$30 on takeaway fish and chips - it was such a beautiful day that we ended up staying later than we planned and so had fish and chips there. Total spending for the day was A$57.50.

As for the grocery shopping, it has been at A$200 for each of the past two weeks. Next week, I'm aiming to reduce it to below A$200!

Progress Report

What am I learning about saving money from this challenge? First of all, that frugality is a habit. The longer I am on the challenge, the easier it seems to be to restrain myself from spending money unnecessarily. I'm glad therefore that the challenge lasts for a month, rather than a week or two - I think that it will help me to put good long-term habits in place.

I'm also realizing that we need a have a monthly budget for family days out at the weekend. We enjoy these times together as a family and the fact that we've not given them up during the challenge shows how important they are for us. After August is over, I will set a future monthly budget based on our spending on these days out during the month of August.

I find it much easier not to spend money on week days (Monday to Friday) than at the weekend. It wasn't too difficult to eliminate such temptations to spend money as going to the shopping centre after picking my daughter up from school and visiting a coffee shop with my son while my daughter was at school. I think I'll be able to keep up such habits after the challenge is over.

So, onto the last week or so of the challenge...

Week One of the Buy Nothing Challenge, August 2009

Week one of the Buy Nothing Challenge for August 2009 is at an end. I don't think I've done too badly this week but I have had some spending outside the limits of the challenge. Here is a round-up of my spending on items other than food and bills:

• The dental check-up. Unfortunately, the check-up revealed that I do need further treatment, which I can't afford at the moment. I hope that the problem doesn't get a lot worse before I can afford the treatment.
• A day out on a budget - total spending was A$27.50 for our family of four. Last Sunday was a glorious day and we decided to take advantage of the sunshine by heading for a beautiful place called Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. We spent a total of A$7.50 on Sunday Funday train tickets, ate our packed lunch and fruit, had a nice walk, the children played in a park and then we spent A$20 on ice creams and a plate of chips (French fries).
• Postage for couple of handmade cards and a handmade note book for my friend in the UK, whose birthday is next week.
• Oh yes, I almost forgot - I also spent A$29 on a pay-as-you-go credit for my mobile phone. I didn't upload it until I definitely needed to make a call and, since it is valid for a month after you upload, I saved a little money on the days on which I was out of credit. As we don't have a home phone, our mobiles are essential.

I employed a few strategies to stop myself spending money this week:

• I had to visit the shopping centre to go to the post office but I went there just a short time before I had to pick my daughter up from school. That meant that I had just enough time to go to the post office and walk back to school before pick-up time and so I didn't have any time to browse in shops. I had thought of going after school but I knew that children + shopping centres = spending money, no matter how hard you try!!
• Often the hardest times to avoid spending money is when my daughter is bored, so this week, she went with one of her friends to the local park. We took along some food that I already had in the house and the girls enjoyed an afternoon tea in the fresh air.
• Today (Saturday), my daughter has a friend coming around and the girls are going to make cookies using ingredients that I already have.

Although I didn't do too badly last week, I want to try harder this coming week. I am aiming to spend no money on anything outside of the rules. I'd also like to reduce our weekly grocery bill further. In the past few months, I've already reduced it from A$250-280 per week to A$200-220. I would like to reduce it to A$180-200 (and possibily further) but I don't know how as I'm being as frugal as I possibly can at the moment. I'll have a look on the Internet and see if I can find some tips.

I'd be interested to hear how other people on the challenge are doing. I'll be visiting Crunchy Chicken later to find out.

The Buy Nothing Challenge for August 2009

I have joined the Buy Nothing Challenge for August 2009 being hosted at Crunchy Chicken. The rules are to spend as little money as possible in August by not spending anything on:

* New clothes
* New gadgets
* New furniture or housewares
* Salon services
* Makeup
* Tools
* Whatever else people buy

I don't think that this will be too difficult as I've been trying to save as much money as possible for a few months now, as we knew that my husband's contract was coming to an end.

This week, as kind of a practice for the challenge, I tried to spend as little as possible. I did, however, do a little spending outside the rules above:

• I paid A$33 for haircuts for myself and my daughter - we both badly needed them and I went to the cheapest salon in town - it is also a very good salon and I'm very pleased with the results.
• On Monday, I took my daughter to the food court for lunch. It was the last day of the school holidays here in Australia, so I thought that we would have a little treat and I knew that it would be the last time we would eat lunch out for a while.
• Today, I have an appointment with the dentist for a check-up. Although I could have cancelled this appointment, I regard it as essential spending to avoid any small problem getting worse and requiring much more expensive and extensive treatment, leading to such dental dramas as happened to me earlier on this year. I just hope that I don't need any more treatment as I can't afford it at the moment.

Apart from that, all I have spent money on this week is food/groceries and bills. Why do the bills all seem to arrive at once? In the past week, we have had to pay the gas, electricity and water bills!

I think the most difficult times not to spend money will be the weekends. I'm trying to avoid going out and spending money by planning some activities to do at home. There are several craft projects that I have in mind, so watch this space.

Crafts are a great way to pass the time if you don't have much money...and, as I try to show, you don't have to spend much on materials. I'm feeling inspired already, but I must visit the dentist first!

Transform an Old Cereal Box Into a Stylish Magazine Holder

Do you have heaps of magazines that need to be organized and tidied away? Do you eat breakfast cereal? Why not recycle your empty cereal boxes by transforming them into magazine holders? Creating original and stylish magazine holders using only a few easy-to-find materials is a simple craft project that children and adults alike can enjoy.

You will need:

1 large old breakfast cereal packet
paper glue
scotch tape
pencil
ruler
scissors
self-adhesive book backing, wrapping paper, or other coverings or decorations (see step nine below)

1. Cut the top flaps off the cereal box, so that the top is completely open.
2. Reinforce the bottom of the cereal packet by affixing scotch tape to the sealed down flaps inside the box, if necessary.
3. Starting from one of the top corners of the box, measure approximately 4 inches (10 centimeters) along the top edge of the front of the box and mark this point with pencil.
4. Measure and mark the same distance along the top edge of the back of the box, so that the marks are directly opposite each other.
5. Go to the opposite top corner to the top corner from which you began your measurements in steps 3 and 4, and draw a straight horizontal line across the width of the packet (on the side of the packet, not on the front or the back), about two-thirds of the way down from the top.
6. Using a ruler, draw a straight diagonal line from the mark at the top of the front of the box to the end of the line on the side of the packet. The diagonal line should be seen on the front of the packet.
7. Do the same on the back of the cereal packet.
8. Carefully cut along the diagonal lines on the front and back of the box, and then cut across the straight line on the side of the packet. Your cereal box should now look like the cereal box in the photo above.
9. Your magazine holder is now ready to cover and decorate. There are many ways in which you can do this. Here are some ideas:
Cover the magazine holder with self-adhesive book backing;
Glue on wrapping paper;
Cover with white paper and make a collage on top using pictures cut from magazines;
Cut out letters of the alphabet from a magazine, print them out from your computer or use alphabet stickers to label the spine of the magazine holder with the name of the magazine that it will hold;
Cover the magazine holder with fabric or felt for an individual look.

Once you have mastered the art of transforming cereal boxes into magazine holders, you will no longer need to throw away your old cereal boxes and you will no longer need to buy magazine holders. You will save money, the environment will benefit, and you will gain the satisfaction of having transformed trash into something stylish and functional.