It's Amazing What One Can Do With A Toilet Paper Tube

We are toilet paper users.  I applaud others who have retired their dependence on said item but as for me and my family, until our budget can no longer justify it, we will be users of the paper.  My laundry doing daughter thanks me for this decision. We have stopped with paper towels and napkins but for bathroom necessities we will stand firm.

What this does leave us with is a lot of empty tubes. Rather then just throw them out we use them in a few different ways.

1. Kid's craft projects and play toys.  They are free to build, cut, tape, color and be creative with these to their heart's content.  They are only limited to their imagination. Bowling is a common game.

2. Re-purposing into useful items.

Two tubes taped together make a perfect storage tube for ponytail bands.  My daughter created this on her own.  She plans to color it to make it prettier but it could also be papered, decopodged or painted.

3. Fire starters: I got this one from watching an episode of Extreme Cheapskates.  Toilet paper tubes plus dryer lint!

What things do you use your paper tubes for?  What about dryer lint.  I've thought about trying to craft with the lint.  Am I crazy?

Inexpensive Thank You Christmas Gift Idea

A simple and easy "homemade" gift to give to teachers or others that deserve a little "Thank You" gift this Christmas time is the time honored Candy In a Jar.

Everything I used to make these, for my youngest two daughter's Sunday school teachers, I had on hand- except for the M-n-M's.

We used to run a hand crafted soap and body care business and I have a few odd jars left over from that time.  I used a square jar with a cork lid but any shape will do and if you can't find anything with a lid a wad of tissue paper will work nicely.  Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to look for containers but craft stores and supermarkets will usually have something too.

We sorted the M-n-M's by color- something all the kids enjoyed helping with- by dumping our Costco sized bag onto a cookie sheet and grouping them into piles. Then we carefully filled the jar by the rainbow... ROY G BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) and sealed it up.

 

Next I tied some wire-edged ribbon around the jar.

 

 

And attached a little thank you note with string and a hole punch.

 

Simple, pretty, and inexpensive!  It works with a lot of different types of candies and can be adapted to other holidays and occasions.  Being thoughtful doesn't have to break the bank.