Quick Cheesy Egg On ToastThis is an easy alternative to the frying pan and requires only a tiny bit of butter, cooking spray, or diet margarine. Older children and teens can make this, or younger kids with adult help.
Heirloom ShadowboxesHere's a way to get your family mementos out of old shoe boxes in the attic or jewelry boxes in your dresser drawers and into display boxes where they can be enjoyed every day.
Paper Flowers From Old BooksA beautiful use for discarded books.
Sleepy Robin (Western NY)This fledgling robin is all tuckered out after hopping around my backyard. He perched on a fence rail and took a nap while I snapped away with my camera just inches from him.
Zippered Plastic Bottle ContainerTurn two pop bottles into a zippered container.
Silverware for Butter Dish HandleUpdate a simple glass butter dish by adding a bent piece of silverware. Glue to top using a good adhesive like E-6000.
Photo: My Back DoorI liked this photo of my back door and garden so much, I use it for greeting cards. Sentiment inside reads "From our door to yours".
Paper Towel Tube Seedling PotsWhen it's time to transplant my seedlings into larger pots, I usually have a good supply of recycled plastic yogurt cups. But this year, I ran out of them. This turned out to be a good thing as it forced me to try something new. And probably even better.
Button Flowers in Salt Shaker VaseUse your button collection to make these funky flowers. Add a vintage salt shaker to hold your bouquet.
Saving Plastic Food LinersDespite my husband's concerns that I'm becoming an episode of Hoarders, I like to save the waxed paper bags from cereals and other boxed foods. I use them when I microwave frozen veggies and other small dishes.
Homemade Fishing GameFor almost no cost, you can make a fun gift for young kids. I've seen this idea all over the internet and came up with my own version.
Wool Sweater Tea CozyMake a tea cozy by using the neck opening of an old sweater. I simply eye-balled the amount of sweater I needed by laying the tea pot on the inside-out sweater and drawing a sewing line around it.
Falling Waters at Letchworth State Park (NY)Nick-named "The Grand Canyon of the East," Letchworth State Park can boast not just one amazing waterfall, but three major falls. The Seneca believed this falls was so powerful that it caused the sun to stand still at midday. We're proud here in western New York of our park.
Recycled Jar Garden VasesHere's an idea for bringing a splash of color to those bare spots in your yard and garden.
Miniature Christmas DisplayWhat is it about Christmas that makes us love things in miniature? I don't know, but I always have. Each year I make a miniature Christmas scene, mostly from found items and natural bits from my yard. This kind of display can be achieved with very little expense or effort.
Animal Cracker CraftsWhy should the squirrels in your yard get all the stale animal crackers when you can wear them as jewelry instead?
Life Must Go On - GravestoneWandering through an old cemetery on top of a mountain in Pennsylvania, I came across this reminder that life will find a way. This beautiful gravestone wreath, fashioned from cold rock and standing colorless for more than a century, is coming to life in soft, green moss.
Turn a T-shirt Into a NightgownI wanted a new nightgown, and figured there must be something in my wardrobe that I could fashion into one rather than buying one. A touristy tee shirt that someone had given me was just the thing.