Florentine Easter Eggs $0

Gather up some plastic Easter eggs. (I used all of our cheap eggs that never stayed shut, because eggs that don't stay shut aren't worth owning, especially if you have a dog that eats the chocolate that falls out of them.) Find some paper you like. I had a huge stash of Florentine paper my aunt brought me back from Italy, but you could also use scrapbook paper, tissue paper (plain or patterned), etc. Rip or cut your paper into tiny pieces (I prefer the look of the ripped paper). Paint the pieces right on the eggs with Mod Podge (or watered down glue) in a single layer, not overlapping your pieces. Let dry. Repeat. Continue until you don't see any plastic. My eggs only required two layers. I made 30 eggs in less than two hours.

(If your paper is thick, just let the glue really soak into it and it will form to the egg eventually. If you are using tissue paper it will form quickly.)

Store in egg cartons. Display in glass hurricanes, on trays, on the tops of candlesticks, under a cloche, wherever!

Beautiful, safe for kids to play with/drop, and your non-closing eggs are sealed for life. Win-win-win.

Walnut Manger Ornaments $3

I helped RE make these to give all of her friends at Christmastime. We got walnuts from Charlotte Carson's tree, but you can buy loose walnuts in the produce section for cheap once autumn hits. Crack them carefully, trying to get two really solid halves. Clean them out. Paint the shells gold (spray or acrylic). We bought a 12-pack of Mardi Gras King Cake Baby Dolls for $2.99 at Partyland to use for the baby Jesus. Snip the arms and legs off with wire cutters (the plastic babies are too big to fit in a walnut half). Wrap the baby in scraps of fabric (I had a little french ticking left) and glue to inside of walnut shell. Hot glue scraps of trim around the perimeter of the shell. Her little gift tags said GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES.

My siblings and I always hid a little walnut ornament in the Christmas tree when we were kids. It was a sleeping mouse (whose face was made from an acorn) in a walnut bed with a patchwork quilt tucking him in. So cute. I loved hiding the walnut.

Snack Dispenser from Chicken Feeder $3

My friend Becca, who recently left her appendix at the hospital, had this on her kitchen counter when I went to visit her. I think it's the most ingenious thing I've ever seen. It is a chicken feeder, but she put her almonds in the mason jar for snacking throughout the day. (Mine would be loaded with Ghiradelli 60% chips.)

I went to IFA Country Store and bought the feeder for $3. I have mason jars coming out of my ears. You screw the feeder on to the mouth of the jar and flip it upside-down. IFA sells the feeders in aluminum (cute, but very sharp and hard to take apart) and assorted colors in plastic. I picked plastic for easy cleaning, plus sliced fingers always make for a sad snack. Then again, sliced fingers would cause me to snack less, and since I snack on chocolate chips...

I made this jar for my SIL Teeno, who is the most radiant of all my SILs and has a laugh that births fairies. This Roald Dahl quote reminds me of her, "If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." Anyone that knows Teeno knows what I'm talking about.

Other things to put in jar: trail mix, dried fruit, granola, dry cereal. The sky is the limit.

Happy snacking!

p.s. Trivia from Becca: your appendix is roughly the size of your index finger and completely useless. But birds use their appendixes. So all is not lost.

Footie Pajama Mooshy Bunnies $0

RE's old footie pajamas. They used to have feet, but RE is growing like a weed these days and I had to whack the feet off and give her elastic cuffs so that she could continue wearing them all winter.

Created by Holly Keller of Beeper Bébé. Pattern for her bunnies found here.

Materials needed:

Fabric for the bunny (old clothes/real purchased fabric)

Polyester stuffing

Embroidery floss and needle (for the face)

Pom-pom tail

I obviously altered the pattern a bit. I did not use old striped tees (though so cute). I opted to use the stuff I had, which was dessert-motif fleece. I was able to make seven bunnies with RE's pajamas.

I didn't stuff them as much as the tutorial shows. I wanted them more like those Minky squares that have animal heads attached. I also didn't choke my bunnies. I liked their necks loose.

I made RE's Mooshy Bunny the day she had the 24-hour flu bug. She was so happy to get a prize on a sick day. RE is also a very tidy girl and can't handle stuffed animals on her bed, so she likes this bunny because he tucks in the pocket of her backrest pillow. He's very small. Just the right size for a tweeny 11-year-old that is stuck between wanting to be a teenager and a little girl.

Lampshade Birdcage $1

 

I had a couple of old lampshades from my house I used for these, but I also bought some at D.I. for $1/piece. You just want to get a lampshade that has the metal rib cage. They are harder to find than you might suppose.

Slash through the shade fabric and remove what comes off easily. Soak the lampshades in hot soapy water. The glue will loosen up and you can rip the remaining fabric off with pliers. Once dry, pick any leftover glue off. I use my fingernails, but needlenose pliers would probably be better. Or a razor blade. I like the patina of the metal shades. If the shades are white I cover them with washi tape.

Make birds with fabric scraps. I got the pattern for my bird from this book. Sew little embellishments on your birds. I collect all sorts of trinkets, so I sewed little bits to my birds because I think it makes them interesting. RE named this bird "From Paris With Love."

 

 

 

Decorate your cage with anything. I have wired buttons and sewing notions on one, crystals and beads to another, and left some blank. You could do any theme you want. I used stamped clothespins from French General to make a perch in one of my cages. Really, the possibilities are endless, and I decorate my cage with the recipient in mind (their style, their colors, etc).

Attach the birds to the cage with fishing line and crimp beads. Yes, more fishing line and crimp beads. I told you I have an endless supply.

Hang the cage however you wish. I have done clear fishing line, braided embroidery floss, ribbon remnants, and jute. Just use what you have. Don't go buy something!

If you don't have a lampshade, use other clever objects. I made this one out of an antique sewing hoop for my sister Suz because she sews custom baby bedding for a living.