April 2, 2009 | ThriftyFun

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Articles

Reuse Glass Candle Containers as GlassesWhen I am finished with the small glass containers that candles come in, I wash them in the dish washer and then use them for milk or juice glasses for my toddlers.

Freeze Chewing GumThis has worked for me. If small item of clothing, put into a zipper freezer bag and pop into freezer to harden up. Pull off gum. If there is a stain residue, and the garment is washable, rub dish liquid into the stain to pre-treat it before laundering.

Learning the "Lingo" - Making Sense of Seed...Starting plants from seed is an economical and rewarding way to garden. However, if you don't understand the meanings behind garden-specific terms like "hardy" and "tender" or "resistant" and "tolerant".

Chihuahua wearing an orange flower headdress.

Go Orange for Animals In AprilThis April, the ASPCA will kick-off Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month on April 7th for it's "Go Orange for Animals" Campaign. This is to bring attention to animals that are being abused and neglected all across the country.

Stretching Your Food BudgetTrying to make budget meals exciting can be a challenge these days. I use a three prong approach:

Put Floating Candles and Petals in Your Bathtub for PartiesWhen you are having people over and would like to create ambiance, fill the bathtub with water. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired, and place some fresh flower petals and floating candles in the bath.

Oliver (American Shorthair)Oliver is a 9 year old American Shorthair. I got 9 years ago through a friend. He likes to chase birds and pose for pictures. I taught him how to sit on command.

Bubble Gum Machine Candy DishThis would be a neat gift for anyone or a great conversation piece for your home or office. I purchased each piece for $1 or less at the local craft store.

Use Plastic Tablecloths to Make a Ribbon WallI wanted to block that view, yet let in air circulation, but on a budget. I am ordering rolls of high quality plastic tablecloths. I will cut the plastic in 6 inch wide strips by 8 feet long and attach them to the roof line.

Drying Tips for Softer TowelsI have tried everything over the years to make my towels soft. First was the fabric softener and dryer sheets, then the baking soda and vinegar. Although I still use the vinegar, they were still scratchy.

Garden: Red Watering CanAt a recent auction, we spotted this red watering can. At once, we realized it would be useful and also very nice to look at in the flower garden. We were fortunate as it sold very reasonably. It has already brought much enjoyment and motivation to work in the flower beds.

Save Seeds From Store Bought TomatoesI bought a tomato at the store and squeezed the seeds onto a paper towel. After they dried, I cut the paper around the seed and planted them in good potting soil.

Store an Ice Pick in a Wine CorkTo safely store an ice pick or any other utensil with a sharp tip, just stick into a wine cork. Better grab a real cork while you can get them since they are being replaced with man-made materials more and more often.

blue fabric covered cap in shape of bonnet

Easter Bonnet CapA great way to use bottle caps, ribbon, flowers, fabric and buttons! This magnet/pin can be made for a decoration, gift, or to sell. Its under .25 for everything and very easy to do.

Questions

Ladybug Themed Party?I am looking for ideas for my daughter's first birthday party. I am using a lady bug, but she is pink and the theme also has lime green. I want ideas on centerpieces and cake or cupcakes?

Ideas for a Senior Ladies Brunch at Church?I am in charge of pulling together a brunch for the elderly ladies at our church to be held May 2nd. We would like a spring theme, but we need ideas on inexpensive favors to set at each seat and decorating ideas for tables, centerpieces, etc.

Cleaning Laundry Softener Bottle?How can I remove the softener smell, like Downy, from a plastic bottle?

Diabetic Rusks Recipe?My mother-in-law is a diabetic and I would love to spoil her by making her some diabetic health rusks. She always goes out of her way to help us.Could someone give me a recipe? Thanks.

Sharpening A Rotary Cutter ?How do you sharpen a rotary cutter?

Inexpensive Wedding Reception Locations in Honeybrook, PA?My son and future daughter-in-law are getting married in Honeybrook, PA. They have about $3000 total to spend on the reception. Can anybody help us to find a cheap place to have the reception?

Making Fake Cakes?How do you make fake cakes?

Removing Creases on Leather Clothing?How do you remove creases from leather clothing?

Home Remedy for Cellulite?I am looking for home remedies for cellulite.

Wrinkled Polyester Tablecloth?I have a 100% polyester 108 in. tablecloth that I cannot remove the wrinkles. When I iron it, the section that I have finished ironing becomes wrinkled when I start to iron a new section. Since it is a large tablecloth, I find it difficult to handle.

"Bedtime at Granny's" Rubel Angel?I am looking for a Rubel Angel called "Bedtime at Granny's".

Record Cover and Cowhide Purse?Does anyone know how to make a purse with a record cover and cowhide? I saw one at the rodeo and would like to try to make one. It was just the front cover of the album and the sides were cowhide and the bottom and back of the purse were cowhide.

Buying a Computer With Bad Credit?I would like to buy a laptop computer for school but I do not have good credit. I have been denied credit with Dell and Hewlett Packard. I was wondering is it easier to get a credit card through Walmart or Office Depot? Do you have any suggestions?

Removing the Inside of an Egg?How do I get the inside of an egg out, without breaking the egg or boiling it?

What Breed is My Dog?I got Blue a couple of days ago. The guy said that he is a black lab, but we think that he is a mix. We just don't know with what breed. Any help would be great.

Recipes Using a Summer Sausage?Does anyone have any recipes to use a big Hickory Farms summer sausage? Thanks.

J & J Hard Gloss-Glo Coat Floor Wax?Where can I purchase J & J Hard Gloss-Glo coat floor wax?

Making Sourdough Bread in a Bread Machine?I would like to make sourdough bread in my bread machine. Can I do that? Do I use the friendship or Amish bread starter? Any advice? Thanks!

Peanut Butter Cravings?I am trying to loose weight and my biggest weakness is peanut butter. I'm talking about anything with peanut butter and lots of it and the result is weight gain. Is there anything I can do to reduce cravings? What causes these cravings?

School Project: Futuristic Car ?My daughter has to make a futuristic vehicle out of cardboard boxes, paper plates, etc.. I don't have a clue where to begin. Please help.

Grease Relief Cleaner?Does anyone know if they have started remaking Grease Relief? I use Simple Green a lot but I need to find something to clean stove rings and pans.

Pet Stains on Light Microfiber?I bought a very light beige microfiber couch and chair (what was I thinking). Then I got a roommate with a dog that laid on the couch and caused a deep dark stain. I have tried microfiber cleaner to get it out to no avail.

What is This Song?I am trying to find a song that was out about 1993. It was about your roots. The man talked about listening to your family about your past, you will need it someday. A lot about just listen to your roots. That's all I can remember. If anyone can help let me know.

Cleaning Laminate Countertops?What can I use to clean my laminate countertop? It is green. It always looks streaky, and dull. I don't want to ruin it.

Buying Moldzyme in Ireland?Where can I buy Moldzyme in northern Ireland? I need to remove mold and mildew from football jerseys. They are polyester and cotton.

1970's Recipe for Meat and Cheese Macaroni?Way back in the 70s (?) I got a recipe out of one of the magazines that was called, "Meat and Cheese Macaroni". It had 3 different cheeses in it and was very simple to make. Does anyone have that one?

Water Spot on Dyed Cloth Shoes ?How do I remove a water spot from dyed cloth shoes?

Learning to Knit Vs. Crochet?I'm 15 and I've been wanting to learn how to knit or crochet. My mom told me that it would probably be easier for me to crochet, but I just wanted to get a few opinions. So which do you think would be better?

Dusting Ceramic Flowers?How can I remove the dust build up from my ceramic flowers?

Powercraft Riding Lawnmower Won't Start?I am trying to fix my MTD/Powercraft riding mower. It has an 18 HP I/C B+S motor, twin cylinder. 42a707 series. It has a hydrostatic transmission. The starter will not turn the motor to start it. I have put on a brand new starter and it still will not turn the motor.

Stickers Growing in the Grass?Our back yard is full of those little patches of green stickers. They cover more ground than the grass does. I noticed today they are starting to come up in the front yard in spots too now. What are they called and what can I do to get rid of them?

Cleaning a Carved Wooden Framed Mirror?I have a huge wood framed mirror with carved wooden roses that drape over the mirror itself. It is difficult to clean this area of the mirror. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

Removing Mold from Curtains?I have found a pair of stunning blue curtains that I would love to put up in my bedroom. But when I opened them up I saw that they are both riddled with Mildew. How do I get them clean?

Fixing a Bathtub Drain?I have a bathtub lever that goes up and down, but recently the lever won't lift up the drain cover to let the water run out. How can I fix this?

Dog is Peeing in the Back of Truck?Lately our dog, which travels in the bed of our pickup (tied), has started to pee while traveling. We stop often for him but he still uses the back of the truck as his area. We have traveled with him for several years and he has never done this before.

Red Berries on an Asparagus Fern?Are the red berries on an asparagus fern seeds? Can I plant them?

Coordinating Paint Colors in Different Rooms?I am trying to find a color that goes with blue/grey and just grey. I am painting three rooms, I need a color that will blend in with the other two rooms.

Salad Recipes for a Wedding?I am getting married on our acreage May 2, 2009. We still have 3 ft. snow drifts so we praying for warm weather. We got lots of ideas from this website for the barn decorations. We just need some recipes for salads for 50-60 people. We are serving barbecued steak, chicken and shrimp.

Gift Ideas for a 30 Year Old Woman?Could anyone give me some suggestions on what I can send as a gift to a 30+ year old lady who lives overseas?

Hanging Curtains on a Large Window?I have a really large window with no area for middle support and the top part of the window is an eyebrow window (its actually about 7 windows filling up one very large wall space). I am having a difficult time with putting a sheer up.

Paint Color Ideas for Kitchen with Peach Countertops?I am remodeling my kitchen and I put in American Woodmark Maple Honey colored cabinets and creamy peach colored granite countertops. I will be putting in White Oak wood floors and need to paint.

Cleaning a Polyester Couch?I was given a polyester fiber couch with stains and odor. what do I do to get rid of this?

Painting Plastic Door Trim?The vinyl siding on our house is in great shape after 15 yrs. but the plastic trim around the door, etc. is yellowed. How can I properly paint it white again?

Samoyed's Hair Isn't Growing Back?My 4 year old Samoyed was shaved last summer. While the rest of his fur has grown back as normal, a large patch on his back hasn't grown back. He doesn't have any problems with it. He doesn't itch it, nor is it sore.

Discontinued Wallpaper: Naval Combat Tall Ships #YWVRWTT8V?I need to locate a wallpaper border that has been discontinued by the manufacturer. It's WTG# YWVRWTT8V on page 39 of the book "Men Men Men A Resource Collection" showing a naval combat between English and French tall ships (Nelson at Trafalgar).

Tiffany Themed Graduation Tea?I will be having a graduation tea with a Tiffany theme for my senior girls (79) in May. Do you have any suggestions for invitations, decor, and favors? They are going to wear hats and gloves.

Removing a Bathtub Drain Plug?How do I remove the drain plug from the combination tub/shower? It is the press and lock version, with no lever. I must remove it to clean it out. Thanks!

A/H Fan Will Not Turn Off?Our central A/H on the outside is acting up. The fan will not stop when we switch it off. Can anybody tell me what to do? Thanks very much.

Staining a Painted Surface?I have a painted surface and want to satin it. Is there a product that will let me do this without a lot of prep?

Converting a Piano Into a Bar?Does anybody have any ideas on converting an old upright piano into a bar for our game room?

Making a Book Look Antique?I need to know what process to use when making a hard bound book into an "open antique book". I'm pasting a wedding invite to the open book. I want the pages in the book formed. I'll have to dip the pages or something. Does anyone have a recipe for this or directions?

Removing Tuna Can Bottoms?I am wondering if someone can tell me how to cut the bottoms out of tuna fish cans so that I can use them for English muffin molds. I have tried a hand cranked can opener and it doesn't work. What is the secret? Thank you.

Gestation Period of Duck Eggs?What is the gestation period for duck eggs?

Turning Grass Yard into Shaded Woodland?How can I transition a 1.5 acre lawn planted in grass and a few trees into a more shaded woodland or garden look without spending a fortune. The septic drain field is front and center.