Tag: craft

Create a Project for the Dead of Winter

Posted on by Jordank

There’s always a time of year when the #winter weather starts to wear on a person. Snow and cold likely find you indoors more than you want to be, and there are few holidays or occasions to provide a distraction. We’ve entered the year’s gray doldrums.

There’s a fantastic way to fight any boredom, anxiety, cabin fever or seasonal blues you might be feeling, however: Think up a new #project and get it off the ground! There’s extra time on the calendar, and you can defeat the winter weather to get something accomplished.

At #new year’s resolution time, the project might be yourself and your health. You might have started a dry January or be counting down to a dry February. You might set fitness goals such as losing X number of pounds or visiting the gym regularly.

You might decide to enhance your knowledge by learning something new — a language, a musical instrument, or a craft such as woodworking or pottery. The internet is full of free and reasonably priced classes; sites such as OpenCulture, MasterClass, Babbel and others help you get started.

Perhaps you’ve been planning a few small #household renovations — interior painting and redecorating, installing new insulation or shelving, and so on. As long as you’re trapped inside, you might as well get started on a project that makes your surroundings more inviting.

#Decluttering and #organizing is a great project to start now, since it can rapidly improve your home’s livability and your mood. The Spruce offers a 30-day challenge for the winter months, but you can adjust the scope of the project to suit your capabilities. ClothingDonations.org can help when you schedule a #free donation #pickup.

Projects don’t have to be huge to make a difference. Maybe you have a hobby you’d like to revisit. Maybe you’d like to finish one good book. Maybe you’d like to update your résumé, volunteer locally or help a family member with their project. Now’s the time.

Tackling a project can keep you from getting frustrated and bored during the dreary winter months. No matter what you might choose to do, you’ll feel more confident when you launch a new project and a sense of accomplishment when you complete it. Get it started!

Thrifting for Holiday Decorations

Posted on by Jordank

Holiday decorating doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Some of the best decorations, in fact, may be available at thrift stores supplied by generous contributions to ClothingDonations.org. “Thrift store holiday décor can sometimes make you feel like you’ve opened a time capsule from your childhood,” says blogger Brittany Goldwyn, “but there are always goodies mixed in.” If you use your imagination (and perhaps a touch of spray paint), your home can quickly exude holiday cheer.

Crafting Christmas Cards for a Personal Touch

Posted on by Jordank

Southern Living says you can make Christmas cards every bit as clever and stylish as those you’d find in a store, and “be able to add personal touches to each and every card.” Make French knots on a card to illustrate a string of Christmas lights or a red-nosed reindeer, for example, or use decorative holiday ribbons to form the shape of a tree. Use buttons and bows to sew a wreath onto cardstock, or use glue and felt to create a holiday scene. Now get those cards in the mail — your addressees will appreciate the thought and creativity you put in!

Print Your Own Holiday Greetings at Home

Posted on by Jordank

Fancy greeting cards can cost up to $5 each. If you want to save money during the holiday season, try printing your own. Simply add a greeting to ready-made kraft paper greeting cards using a computer printer, Earnest Home says, and use a hot glue gun to affix a miniature wreath of boxwood to it. Total cost? 35 cents per card. You can try sprigs of rosemary, pine needles or holly instead of boxwood sprigs to suggest the holiday season, too; just use your creativity to get into the holiday spirit.

Harvest a Few Fall Deals at the Thrift

Posted on by Jordank

The apples are crisp, and the air is crisper … it must be fall! And there’s no better time to score a few bargains at the local thrift store. With cold weather and the biggest holidays just around the corner, you can prepare for the season without spending a lot of money — and at the same time, help fund veterans’ programs.

The first thing you’ll want to look for at the thrift is cold-weather clothing. If you need sweaters, scarves, gloves or a winter coat, you can find them on the cheap at the thrift. Likewise with blankets, comforters and throws — and if you start shopping for such items early, you’ll have a great selection of stuff from which to choose.

You may also want to add a little fall flair to your home. Try a warm color palette and a harvest theme, Midwest Living says. Corn husks, mums, gourds, leaves and pine cones are among the many natural accents that suggest the season; use them creatively and emphasize red, brown and orange hues to celebrate autumn.

Halloween closes out the first full month of fall, and many thrift stores will have lightly used or brand-new decorations from last year that people either didn’t use or are no longer using. String lights, paper skeletons, plastic lawn decorations, you name it; they all wind up at the thrift for reuse. But they won’t be there for long!

The thrift is also a great source of raw materials for your Halloween costume. In no time, you can source the used clothing and accessories needed to cement your status as a disco dude, zombie, cheerleader or pirate. For something more topical, you can pick up a dark suit and an extra-long red tie fast at most thrifts.

Whatever you find, you’ll experience the thrill of the hunt and save yourself some money while helping the nation’s veterans. Donations of lightly used clothing, housewares and accessories made to ClothingDonations.org are sold to thrifts for resale, with all proceeds going directly to programs that help veterans access housing, health care and more.

So shop freely for all of your fall festivities! But don’t buy new — harvest some deals at the thrift!