Pictured here is a plaid suitcase made by covering a family size Bisquick carton, complete with Velcro closure and faux leather handle. This is another frugal but effective storage solution.

The directions for making this suitcase are thus:

1. Start with a cardboard food carton with one end shut and one end open.
2. Cut a piece of paper or fabric to the dimensions you would use to gift wrap this box.
3. Cover the box using either white glue, wallpaper paste, or decoupage medium. Cover each flap of the open end.
4. When glue is dried, use either Velcro, a button, string or ribbon to keep the open end closed.
5. Attach a handle of your choice with hot glue. Some possible handles are folded paper or fabric, pieces from old purses and backpacks, sections of dog collars and leashes, old jewelry.

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Here is simple home decoration project to spruce up your walls or sides of cabinets that have an electrical outlet or light switch plate. This electrical outlet pictured to the right is in a conspicuous place in our house and I found the yellowish white plastic color rather offensive, so I came up with the following easy solution for turning an ugly necessity into a decorative piece.

How to decorate an electrical outlet or light switch plate

1. Find an old unused picture frame or buy a small picture frame from a dollar store or thrift shop
2. Make sure the inside of the frame fits around the outlet or light switch plate
3. Take out the glass and save it for other crafts
4. Clean and paint the frame if necessary or desired (The one pictured above was painted with gold enamel spray paint)
5. Paint the electrical outlet if desired. You can use small bottle of acrylic paint from the craft or hardware store, usually about $1.79)
6. Paint any wall area that will show inside the frame, if desired
7. Glue the frame onto the wall

This treatment is suitable for electrical, cable, and phone outlets as well as light switch plates. (more…)

One of our readers, Anne, asked us where we find affordable fabrics for our sewing projects described in Madoline’s post Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes, so here we will share our favorite sources. Our information on physical fabric stores dates back 1-2 years, as we have moved to a remote area and no longer shop for fabrics in physical stores. However, online prices mentioned here were current at the time the post was written (March 7, 2008).

Our Favorite Sources for Discount Fabrics

• Walmart
  Some Walmart stores have discontinued their fabrics departments, but if a store in your area has not done so, it is the best source for affordable fabrics. While they carry many “fiber content unknown” fabrics, they also have many good quality fabrics suitable for clothing in the $1.00-$2.00 per yard price range. When some of their pricier fabrics run low on the bolt, they often lower the price to $1.00-$2.00 to clear it out - usually with between 1-3 yards left on the bolt, which is ample for making a regular sized outfit. Even the “fiber content unknown” fabrics can be used for some projects such as home decoration and miscellaneous crafts.
• Jo-Ann Stores
  The physical Jo-Ann stores, especially the superstores, carry a huge selection of fabrics for all sorts of purposes - clothing, costuming, upholstery and crafts. While regular prices are often in the $3.00+ range, they often have large sections of quality fabrics on clearance for $1.00-$2.00 per yard.

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I will show you how to make a nice storage chest from a regular cardboard box. The box shown here is an economy size carton of baby wipes, of which we buy a lot because they are great for cleaning dogs and upholstery. If you shop economy or family-size, you should have a good supply of nice large boxes to convert into chests. These chests can be stacked and displayed all over your house, storing essentials or rarely used items conveniently out of sight. Fantastical treasure chests would be great for children’s rooms to encourage stowing away one’s treasures (a.k.a. putting toys away).

The Box

1. Leave the top of the box open to start.
2. Draw a line around three sides of the box at the level you want the box to open.
3. Using a box knife, or other old knife, carefully cut the lid on three sides.
4. You can now flatten the top, which skews like a parallelogram.
5. On the fourth side, score only halfway through the cardboard to make a hinge.
6. Tape the top of the box shut and you have your chest with a flip top.

Covering the box
Either fabric or paper (gift including wrapping paper) is suitable for this. I usually use white glue, but you may prefer wallpaper paste or decoupage medium as being more durable. It is easiest to cover a chest in several pieces. Have a little extra covering to wrap around the lip of the chest for a nicer finish. I used a navy twill which had to be withdrawn from my costuming business because of imperfections. A lighter or floral print material would give the box a completely different air. if you so desire, you may apply one or two coats of clear varnish to protect the box.

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These are some ways we save money without sacrificing the management or enjoyment of our home:

Clean with Rubbing Alcohol

Our favorite cleaner is isopropyl, which looks pretty in clear spray bottles around the house. It is not perfumed, does not leave toxic residue like other cleaners, and costs only $1 to $2 for a large bottle. We acquired the mentality of scrupulous sanitizing from singing teachers, some of whom insist upon spraying everything with Lysol before touching. Lysol, however, damages the skin and leaves you with toxic fingers while rubbing alcohol evaporates cleanly away. Only be aware that rubbing too hard with alcohol might remove a little paint or varnish.

Left: One of our handy all-purpose isopropyl alcohol spray bottles that we keep around the house.

A few things we regularly use rubbing alcohol to clean are:

• Library books before reading
• Pillowcases before going to bed (in case pets have used our pillows in our absence)
• Doorknobs
• Cosmetic containers and surfaces (where we keep and apply makeup)
• Closets where we store pillowcases, clothing, and towels
• Office equipment such as phones and computers
• Mirrors
• Washer and dryer openings that come into contact with dirty laundry before we take out our clean laundry

Exterminate with Rubbing Alcohol

Yet another use for the wonderful isopropyl is in killing unwelcome insects. Because we have pets, Penelope and I are very reluctant to use poisons. A squirt of alcohol, which can even reach a tiny bug on the ceiling, makes most insects drop dead (no squashed guts!). A spritz can also drop airborne flies and gnats. There are no worries of children or pets touching and ingesting insecticides, and even adults can reduce cancer risk by avoiding exposure to many household chemicals. For tougher insects, white vinegar is more effective and although it leaves a smell, is healthier for everyone except the bug. A spritz of vinegar is more effective than a fly swatter because the fly thinks it’s water and does not try to escape.
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This project provided an attractive way to post incoming sewing orders without causing our home to resemble a warehouse or factory. It took very little time and cost about $3.

I started with a fancy picture frame from the thrift shop and cut a piece of black velvet slightly larger than the board which backs the frame. This velvet, padded with a piece of old fleece, covered the board and was glued to the back with hot glue. Black satin ribbons were arranged in an even lattice and glued securely in the back and crisscross points. The board was then re-inserted in the frame which now hangs on the wall.

An additional benefit from this project was that the glass cover from this picture frame replaced another which had been scratched.

Endless fabric combinations and styles are possible in making these memo boards. They can even have buttons or faux pearls where the ribbons cross. Those who do not have or wish to purchase fabric can salvage material from old clothing and bedding. Worn or faded fabrics may look shabby on a person, but acquire a vintage dignity when used in decorating.