Pinterest Project: Organizing Your Month (& Year!) with a Tickler File

If you are anything like me, you are always afraid of forgetting about one of the bills sitting on your kitchen table and having to pay a late fee. This little project has made bill-worry virtually disappear. Not only will your worry disappear, but if anything were to happen to you and someone else needed to pay the bills for a while, this system is easy to understand and allows them to take over the job pretty seamlessly.

Now, I've very rarely forgotten to pay a bill. I once forgot to pay our cell phone bill, simply because they had changed the due date and I hadn't noticed. However, even though I rarely forget, I often have those freak-out moments, when I see a bill sitting on my table and think, "Oh, NO! When was that due?!". Although, that certainly is a reminder to pay something, I didn't like feeling that wave of stress every time I walked into the kitchen.

You may be wondering why I don't just pay my bills when they come to my door. Well, my friends, we are on a rather crummy, get paid on the last day of the month system . So, if I have a bill due on the 10th of the next month and it gets to me on the 20th, I need to wait to send in that check, so that I know there will be plenty of money in our account when the check goes through.

Anyway.... on to how a funny-named organizing system has saved me from waves of bill-paying and birthday-card-sending terror.

Photo Credit: Simplify 101 - Creative Organizing Blog

I originally learned about the tickler file system from Simplify 101. One of the writers explains what a Tickler system is and how it works. And I seriously wish mine looked as pretty as hers, but do you know how much those decorative file folders cost?? Crazy expensive.

If you're like T and need to know the history of everything, EVER :), then you can hop on over to the Wikipedia page on Tickler Files. (There are no sources though, so take it for what it is.)

The system consists of 43 folders. 31 folders for days and 12 folders for months of the year.

Now, you're 31 day folders will always reflect the current month. Any items which require future attention (out of the span of the month) will go in the appropriate month folder.

Each day you check that day's folder for items. Once the items are dealt with (or if there are no items) you simply place the folder at the back, leaving the next day's folder in front. I choose to keep my days in front, and my month folders behind those.

Below is a photo of my system. Eventually, it will hang on the wall in our kitchen.

Not as pretty, but functional. I also like to keep my bill paying things handy, so, I leave my stamps and such in here.

Now when I get a bill, I simply drop it into the right day or month folder and forget about it.

Of course, this system won't work if you forget to check it. That's why I'm choosing to put it in our kitchen.

Here's an example of a day folder:

This is the folder for the 25th of August.

In the 25th folder I have a Save-The-Date and Bridal Shower invite for my cousin's wedding. We won't be able to attend, but I threw these in there to remind me to send a gift before the big day.

Sometimes I pay bills online, or have monthly occurrences which don't have handy papers to remind me. In this case, I typed out little notes to leave in folders. Some examples could be notes that tell you to:

• Pay rent, or mortgage
• Pay an online bill
• Organize next month's items into folders
• Complete monthly paperwork

Or they could even be things like this:

• Wash the car
• Return library books
• Change the sheets on your bed

The possibilities are pretty endless, here! Anything that you want to make a reminder for, you can simply add to the appropriate folder. 

Your month folders hold items for future events. Once the next month rolls around, you'll want to organize that month's items into the appropriate day folders.

This is September's folder.

So, my September folder currently holds some paperwork and tickets to a soccer game. In the 28th folder, for August, I have  little note that tells me to organize next month's items into the day folders to get ready for September. I would organize the all the items and then put my September folder at the back of the file holder.

So far, this system has worked really well for me. I love not having to worry about whether I payed a bill or not!

Plus, now when I buy Birthday cards early, they have a place to go and won't get lost in the shuffle.

Some Extra Tips:

• I know some people like to keep another folder for items you may not have finished that day, or need to put on hold. I think you could just as easily move the items to another day, but you might find this 44th folder works for you.
• I give myself 10 days for bill pay cushion. That way, if I did forget to check that day's folder, I would still have plenty of time to get it in the mail.
• You could also come up with cuter more creative ways to store these files. I saw a photo of one that was in a tall narrow wicker basket. Very neat idea.
• If you really don't want to make a tickler system yourself, you can always buy a pre-made one. I've seen several different types on Amazon.com.

Happy Organizing!

Bathroom Cleaning, Made 50X Easier!

Sounds like an infomercial, right? Well, that's because I want to sing from the rooftops how amazing this tub cleaner is. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

And guess what...its made with things you already have around your house. Bonus!

Let me start with a little background: The tub in our rental is refinished. Yes, refinished. You didn't know you could do that to a tub? Neither did we. Signing our lease came with a list of things we were not allowed to use on our tub. Products that contain bleach, scrubby things (like Ajax), etc.

The tub isn't quite angled enough to get all of the water to run down the drain at the end of a shower. Add to that, a bathroom fan that does NOTHING (I'm constantly battling mildew), and you end up with little puddles of water which eventually dry, but leave nasty, grimy, soap scum-y spots all over the bottom.

Being the good tenant that I am, I was using a standard tub and tile cleaner (Method brand, if you're curious) and scrubbing til my arm felt like it would fall off....and then despairing because it still didn't look that much cleaner.

This left me dreading cleaning the bathroom, which means it got put off longer, which means I had to scrub even more for my tub to look decent. Vicious cycle.

Enter Pinterest. And vinegar. Because every pinner knows, by now, that vinegar is a miracle solution that solves every problem EVER.

Here's what you need:

• Dish Soap - Pinterest says YOU MUST USE ORIGINAL DAWN OR BABY SEALS WILL DIE but, really, I used our Costco brand, environmentally friendly stuff, and it worked just fine.
• Vinegar - plain white, distilled
• Warm water

That's it. Easy enough right? I didn't even measure because that's how I roll. Squirt dish soap into the bottom of a sprayer bottle, it doesn't take much (1/4 cup?). Pour in vinegar. Maybe like half a cup? Add warm water. I added about 2 - 2 1/2 times the amount of vinegar I used. Swish around until soap is dissolved. It will get foamy, so you probably don't want to fill your sprayer to the very top...

If you want some measurements, here are a couple links to blogs who provide them. Here and here.
Just a note, I think both use equal parts vinegar and soap (and no water), but believe me, you can get away with less soap and vinegar.

I sprayed it onto the whole inside of my tub and let it sit for as long as it took to clean the toilet. Then I took my sponge and started wiping. I didn't even have to scrub folks! Mild pressure while wiping. That's it. It even works great on faucets and things of that nature.

I rinsed. My tub sparkled. Everyone was happy.

Look forward to Don't dread cleaning the bathroom.

Hallelujah!


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Pinterest Project: Tips That Work

Pinterest is absolutely loaded with tips and tricks for the house. You just never really know which ones work! So, I figured I would share a few that have actually worked for me....

Hair conditioner as shaving gel. This works so well! Once I ran out of my old shave gel, I just grabbed a bottle of suave conditioner that was sitting under our sink. You need just a thin layer of conditioner on your skin and you may need to rinse your razor a little more often; however, think how long a whole bottle of conditioner would last! I didn't think it was anymore drying or moisturizing than the "extra-moisturizing" (read: expensive!) shave gel I was using before. Plus, the bottle of Suave conditioner only cost me $1.09!
  
 Steam cleaning your microwave. This tip came from A Real-Life Housewife. Basically you mix water and vinegar in a microwave safe bowl. I didn't measure anything, I don't think you need to be exact....Microwave the mixture for 4-5minutes, you want to be simmering and producing steam. When the microwave stops, don't open the door! Let the steam sit in there for another 5 minutes. After that, carefully remove  the bowl from the microwave and wipe down all surfaces with a damp sponge. You won't even need to scrub!

Believe me....I may have let our microwave go for a full year without giving it a good wipe down before I did this (ick!). :/

Make your own cake flour. Instead of buying a bag of cake flour, make your own! There are two keys to this: cornstarch and lots of sifting. But it works! See the full tutorial over at Joy the Baker.

I couldn't track down where the original photo came from, but its been floating around Pinterest.

Cupcake liners as mason jar drink lids. For a while I was making these over night oatmeal smoothies. They are fabulous! T and I both love them. However, I needed a way to take mine on the go in the car. Throw a cupcake liner under the ring on a mason jar. Pop a straw through. Voila! An easy to -go lid. Not leak proof, but it works!

So, there you have it. Pinterest tips that work in real life!

If you want to see more Pins I have tried, you can click over to my Tried It board (real creative name, I know). I always edit each pin description to say what worked and whether I liked it or not.

Happy Pinning!

Pinterest Project: Reversible Sewing Machine Cover

Now that I have a fancy craft table, I'm able to keep my sewing machine out all the time. It's amazing how much more I sew, knowing that I don't have to drag the machine out and take over our dining room table for a few days. Pretty awesome.

Now that my machine sits out all the time, I've noticed it gets kinda dusty. Plus, its not the nicest looking item to have out all the time (I still love you, sewing machine!).

I decided it was time for a sewing machine cover.

To start, I looked at the finished products from two different blogs (which I found through Pinterest, of course). I liked the one at Make It and Love It for it's simplicity. But I also really liked the one at Nap Time Journal since it was reversible. I change my mind a lot, so reversible just feeds my fickle side.

I just combined the two styles and kind of went about it in my own way.

Tucked into the corner. I chose the fabric to match the little citrus accents I already had on the table.

Just like the ruffle pillow cover, this project is super easy!! I promise! It took me about two hours total (I had to rip out a seam, arg), but an experienced sewer could probably knock it out in 30 minutes. I'm going to take you through it....

Supplies:

• 3 Fat Quarters ($6.00) - Because I wanted to make this reversible, buying fabric off the bolt (that I liked) would have cost more than picking up the fat quarters.
• White Ribbon ($0.50) - I used about 1/4th of a new spool. I'll use what's left over for other projects.
• White thread (or a color that matches your fabrics)
• No-Fray

Total: $ 6.50

Again, you could always use fabric in your stash or upcycle a sheet, curtain, etc. to make it free!

Let's get started! This is a pretty long post, with lots of pictures, so bear with me.

First, you will need to measure your sewing machine:

I measured the width of my machine, including the knob on the right, and got 17in.

Then, measure the sewing machine from front to back, going over the top, like this:

I included a spool of thread on the top, in case I wanted to put the cover on, while the machine was still threaded. This means that without the spool, the cover will be a little bit long, I didn't mind. Its completely optional whether you want to include the spool. My measurement was 29in.


After measuring, I went to pick out fabric and ended up getting fat quarters. Fat quarters measure 18in x 21in (all of mine actually measured about 22 inches long). The 18 inches was perfect for my width + seam allowance. However, I knew I would need to add about 9 inches of another fabric to get the right length (29in. + seam allowance). I decided to grab a third color and split it between my two, reversible sides.

If you don't have this problem/ you aren't using fat quarters, you can go ahead and cut out your fabric with a one inch seam allowance. Do a 1 and 1/2 inch allowance if you are going to be adding extra fabric length, like I do below. This helps account for the seams were you add the extra fabric AND the outside edge seams.

Now, you will iron your fabric and cut out any extra fabric you need for your sides. I split the nine inches in half and made two strips, each 4.5 in. tall (18 in wide, to match the other fabric width). I added a strip to each end of my two other fat quarters. The sequence goes like this:

4.5 in. strip (pink)

21-22 in. fat quarter (green or yellow)

4.5 in. strip (pink)

 I had a 3in tall strip of pink left after this (18 in. used to make other strips). If you're using fat quarters like this, make sure that the strips you sew on are the 4.5 in. ones not that leftover three inch one. I accidentally did this and didn't notice until I started ironing. I had to rip out the seam and sew on the right size strip. Pretty frustrating.  Anyway, if you pay more attention than I do, you should be fine.

To sew the strip onto your other fabric, line up the 18 in. edges, right sides (pretty sides) together, and pin. Like this:

Pinned, with right sides together.

Sew the pieces together and repeat at the other end of your fabric. The end product will look like this:

Iron your seams flat. Then repeat all the steps to add fabric strips to your other piece/fat quarter.

Once both of your pieces are sewn up and ironed, you can start laying out your sides to sew the whole thing together. Start by cutting your ribbon.

I chose to use satin ribbon, 10 inches long for each of my ties (4 pieces of ribbon, 10 in. each). I applied no-fray to each of the ends. 

 

Measure on your sewing machine, where you would want your ties to be. I decided I wanted mine to be 7 inches from the bottom. 

Lay out one fabric piece, right side up. Measure your desired length from each end (7 in. for me) and pin your ribbon in place. The ribbon should point inward, like this:

You can still see where the fabric was folded...because I get really tired of ironing, really fast.

Now place your other fabric piece over the first, right side down/facing inward, like so:

Told you I can't sew a straight line....

Pin all your pieces together. Keep in mind that you will need to leave an area open, to allow yourself to turn the cover right side out. I marked a 3 in. space on one of the pink edges. 

Start on one side of your open space (the space you marked to leave un-sewn). Reverse over your first few stitches to lock them in place. You will sew continuously around the whole cover. When you come to a corner, stop with your needle still in the fabric. If its not in the fabric, just lower it with the knob on the right. Lift the presser foot, then rotate your fabric so that the next side is lined up to be sewn. 

Rotating the fabric, needle down, foot up, to sew the next edge.

Keep sewing around all of your sides. Double check that the edges of your ribbon are still lined up before sewing over them. Stop sewing when you get to the other side of the space, marked to be left open. Reverse over your last stitches. 

Gently flip your cover right side out through the space you left open. Iron the cover, being sure to fold under the edges of fabric in the open spot, it should match up with the rest of the sides.

Now, top stitch around the outside edge. Be sure to catch those little edges in the open spot, so that it stays sewn shut.

Ta-Da! You have a simple, reversible, sewing machine cover!

Yellow side.

Green side.

That's it, everyone's getting a sewing machine cover for Christmas!

This project as easy as cake....because, let's be serious, cake is easier to make than pie.

So get to it and make your poor, naked sewing machine a cover! It looks cold.

Happy Frugal Crafting!





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Pinterest Project: Ruffle Pillow Cover

I want to start by saying I am a sewing newbie...I learned to sew on a machine when I was 10 or so, however, I dropped the skill until about 2 years ago....that's a long time!

The original pin I had came from Ink Blots & Polka Dots. It's super cute and she even uses a painting drop cloth to make her pillow! Frugal to boot.

Here's my finished project:

Ruffle Pillow Cover

Now, I want to point out why this project is awesome and why you shouldn't be scared of it:

• If I can do it, you can. I mean it!! This is coming from the girl who can NOT sew a straight line. Not a single one of my seams on this project was completely straight, but it's very forgiving.
• Also, this was my first time making ruffles....and it still looks good!
• Look at it! Isn't it cute? Don't you want that sitting on your couch? Or in your favorite chair? Or on your bed? Don't lie. You do.
• It's an upcycle. I used an old bed sheet for mine but you could use an old curtain, blanket, or whatever floats your boat. Or buy pretty new fabric if that's your thing.
• You'll jump around, dance and exclaim "I WIN!!" when you are done, while your husband laughs at you....or that could just be me. 
• It cost me $6 (for the pillow insert), but you could easily cover an old pillow you already own.
• If you exclude the ruffles the pillow cover would probably only take about 30 minutes.

Have I convinced you yet?

Ok, then on to the project! I'm going to walk you through it. Easy as pie.

 I chose to use an old sheet from a twin set we had laying around. The bonus to this is that I could cut  it at the bottom corner which means two sides were already hemmed for me. Woo-hoo! Cheater sewing, is my kind of sewing.

UPDATE: You should iron your fabric before measuring or cutting! I am a super lazy sewer and only ironed the part of the sheet I estimated I would need....because I hate ironing, with a passion. Seriously,  part of my requirements for buying a clothing item is that it shouldn't need to be ironed (I break this rule...and promptly regret it). The end, we now return to the regularly scheduled broadcast.

The pillow cover itself is envelope style, so no need for a zipper or button. To calculate how much fabric  you will need, go ahead and do this calculation:

2x Pillow Height + 7 inches (for the overlap) + seam allowance = length

pillow width + seam allowance = width

For example, my pillow was 20x20in. so my calculations were:

2x20 + 7 + 1 inch = 48 inches

20 + 2 = 22 inches

I only included a one inch seam allowance on the short side because I was using a pre-done seam (from the sheet) for the other side....I also should have made the seam allowance one inch on the width (for the same reason), but I screwed up and that's why my pillow cover is a little bit loose.

A handy tip for measuring: I don't have one of those fancy mats so I use my measuring tape for pinning and then cut, to keep an odd measurement marked on your tape place a paper clip over it and line the paper clip up with where you need to pin!

Cut your fabric out. Press your seams on the short sides of your fabric and sew. Remember you have an inch to use on each side.

Now, you will need to add the ruffles. To make the ruffles, cut a long strip of fabric and sew straight down the middle with a long stitch ( I used the longest straight stitch on my machine). Do not reverse over the ends, you want the threads to be loose. I cut my strips from horizontally across my sheet. I cut the entire width of the twin sheet (longer than my pillow cover) and my ruffles were just long enough to wrap around to the back of my cover a little. Keep this in mind when cutting fabric for your ruffles.

I left the edges of my ruffles unfinished to give it a shabby-chic sort of look, but you could hem the edges if you don't want the frayed look.

To make a ruffle, hold the top thread (not the one that came from your bobbin, the one you cut from the needle) and gently push the fabric down to ruffle it. Now, pull the fabric (from the end you just pushed toward) as if you are trying to move the ruffle. You will see the ruffle smooth out some. Repeat these steps until your whole strip is as tightly ruffled as you would like it to be.

Now, figure out where you want your ruffles! I found it easiest to, first, figure out how my pillow cover would be lain out and pin it, then, pin my ruffles to the right side of the cover. The pillow cover should be pinned, bringing the short ends in toward each other, and taking into account your 7 inches of overlap. After overlapping the ends, your cover should now measure the same as your pillow in height.

The back of the pillow cover pinned together. I flipped it over and placed my ruffles where I wanted them.

On to sewing the ruffles! Its super easy, although I was really nervous before I tried it. All you have to do is sew straight down the center of your ruffle. I don't have any special needles or feet for my machine and it handled the bulk of the ruffles even with the foot down. Be sure you are sewing your ruffles to the right side! It should be the pretty side of your fabric.

Very Important! - Watch carefully for your pins. Sometimes the ruffles hide the pins and I almost sewed over two or three. This could break the needle on your machine, so be careful!

I sewed a total of three ruffles in the center on my cover. I centered the first one and sewed it down, then pinned the outside two and sewed them on.

Your ruffles may look a little flat now, but you can fluff them up again once they are sewn in place.

Now, pin your cover again so that you have your overlapped ends. This time the WRONG side of the fabric should be facing out. Your ruffles will be on the inside and cause some bulkiness, try to pin the cover together as neatly as you can. I don't have a picture of this because I was so excited to be almost done...

You're almost done! Just sew down the two sides (the pinned edges in the photo above) and turn right side out.

Insert your pillow and admire! :)

Happy Frugal Crafting!


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Pinterest Project: Kitchen Art

My latest Pinterest Project is for kitchen wall art. The walls of our little rental have been drab and sad for far too long! I tried shopping for wall decor, but I didn't want to spend $30-$50 on wall art that just seemed so store-bought. You know what I mean?

I got the idea from Spunky Junky. She has an awesome silverware art tutorial over here. Please go take a look at her tutorial! Its hilarious and she has a pretty rockin' blog. Do it.

Ok, on to my version:

TA DA!

 I promise to get a picture of them on the wall later. Our dining room window is super shaded and you have to take photos at just the right time of day.

Here's the supplies priced out:

I don't have a craft table (yet) so I do a lot of my crafting on the floor. Now you get to see our crummy carpet. Yay!

• Silverware - ($1.50) 5 each of forks, knives and spoons; I picked these up from the thrift store for 10 cents a piece. I think it looks better if you have different styles of silverware mixed together.
• 3 frames - ($3.00) I bought 8 1/2x11 document frames from Dollar Tree.
• Paint and primer - ($7.00) I spent a little more money on the paint and primer to get Rustoleum's paint for metal, plastic and wood. I also picked a color that I wanted to use for multiple projects.
• 3 Fabric Quarters - ($5.00) I had a coupon from JoAnn's. Again, I plan to use the rest of this fabric for other projects in my kitchen.
• Matte Modpodge 
• Hot glue

So for a total of $16.50, I got a collection of art for my dining room! Woohoo!!

I was in a hurry when I painted my frames, since it was supposed to rain and all we have is our uncovered patio for painting....So, I ended up with a few little areas where the primer shows through. I actually really like it! It gave the pieces a little bit of a worn feel without having to distress anything. Happy accidents. :)

I basically followed Spunky Junky's tutorial, so I don't want to steal her thunder for this. Its all her!  Go check out her tutorial.

The only thing I changed was I used Modpodge to attach my fabric to the glass for each frame, simply because its what I had on hand.

Here's a picture of the glass. It gives you  better look at the fabric. It was this super cute pale yellow stripe with white outlines of dandelions.

My fabric modpodged to the glass. I trimmed my edges after letting the modpodge dry.

Again all my pics are with a phone so bear with me on photo quality.

In our dining room. I think I'm going to add large canvases to either side to bulk it up/ cover the phone jack we don't use.

NOTES: I had to re-glue two pieces of my silverware after fiddling around with how to hang it up and smashing it with my level  dropping my level on it. SO, this project is a little delicate (or just don't drop crap on it). Also, each piece weighed a little over a pound. I didn't trust the cheapie wall hangers on the back of the dollar store frames. Plus, less holes in our walls = less patching when we move out. I used 3M picture frame stickies to hang them up.

Happy Frugal Crafting!!

Check it out.
Linking to : Thrifty Thursday Blog Hop at Saved By Love Creations
                    Share what you did this week at Two Sasters
                   Blog Link Party at Somewhat Simple
                   Simply Sensational at Organizing Homelife

Pinterest Project: Felt Flower Wreath

As you may have seen in my About Me, I really like Pinterest.

OK, I'm a little obsessed with Pinterest.

If someone would pay me to do Pinterest projects for a living I would be in heaven. HEAVEN.

One of the first projects I made from there was this cute felt flower wreath. The original pin I used for inspiration links to this pic on The Berry. I simply used the picture as a starting point and made things up as I went.

Pinterest Inspired Felt Flower Wreath

My favorite part of the project: it cost me a whopping $3.00! Cheap home decor for the win! [cheap home decor is another thing that makes me less grouchy :)]

I don't have step by step photos of this project but I'm linking the two flower tutorials I used/started with, so you can always stop by those bloggies for more info!

Supplies

• Grapevine wreath - ($2.00) I purchased two skimpy wreaths from Dollar Tree and hot glued them together to add bulk. You could also shop a sale at Hobby Lobby and get a sturdy wreath for about the same price.
• Felt - ($1.00) Sale at JoAnn's, 4 squares for a dollar.
• Ribbon - Already had from previous project.
• Hot glue gun

There are several different tutorials I used for the flowers I made. I started out following them exactly, but decided I liked playing around with the felt since it gave the flowers a not-so-precise look. You know what I mean?

Close up of the flowers.

Tutorials:

• This tut from Lines Across is perfect for simple roses, plus she explains each step really well.
• This tutorial from designdump is awesome! She even uses these flowers as brooches, on headbands, and as gift toppers.

 Really, this project is simple as pie. Arrange flowers to your liking. Add leaves, stems, ribbons, whatever floats your boat. Hot glue together. Voila! You've got a frugal, fun, and cute home decor project!



Oh, and did I mention they make great gifts! Here's one that I made for my MIL. Red, white, and blue for a patriotic theme. [Excuse the poor photo quality on all of these, I am currently sans camera and using my phone for all pics.]

Happy Frugal Crafting!


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Linked up to these parties: Home Decor and Organizing; DIY under $5; Somewhat Simple; Will Craft for Fun

Go take a peek at some of the awesome projects there!