How to Re-Use Candle Jars

I hate to throw out the glass jars that candles come in and even worse is when they have beautiful designs on the outside.  When I stumbled across this one on Pinterest, I had to give it a try!

I am happy to say, it worked like a charm!  Now I do not waste the jars and instead either re-use them for other things or make new candles with them.  It’s a great money saver and if you find the right candles, they could make a great gift!

1. First take your “burnt out” candle and place it in the freezer for an hour or so.  If you for get about it…no worries!
2. Next using a butter knife, break apart the frozen candle and remove the bits from the bottom.  Get as much as you can out. 
3. Pull off the label.  Now depending on the type, you might have to use a little bit of goo be gone to get off the labels.  Once removed, you are ready to go onto the next step.
4. Next with soap and warm water, clean off the soot and anything else from the jars.  Use a paper towel so you don’t ruin your sponges.
5. Next use vinegar or olive oil to remove the wax residue.  It works like a charm!  Apply it with a paper towel.
6. Now rinse again with a little soapy water and you are set! 

You can use the jars for new candles, as storage containers or even as cool drinking glasses!

DIY Holiday Table Cloth

I love Dollar Store Crafts!  They are the best!  This one is great because you can use the two packs that many Dollar Stores have or buy them in bulk from some place like Oriental Trading and make a really cute table cover on the cheap!

This one is easy to make.  If you sew, you know what to do, just sew them together and you are set!  You can make it any size you like in just about 45 minutes to an hour!

If you don’t sew you want to find iron on adhesive tape and then bind them together using a very hot iron and the adhesive tape.  It is a simple craft that you will wan to use every year!

Fun 2B Frugal Teacher Appreciation Gifts

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and we hope you have had the kids tell their teacher thanks for all the work they do.  As many know teachers often work hours long after the “time to go home bell” rings for the day.  Although we are homeschoolers, I have many friends that are teachers and they tell me that these are their top gifts or little thank you’s that they have enjoyed most over the year:

• Gift card to their favorite restaurant
• iTunes gift cards
• Parents that offer to come and help a the end of the year (inventory books, clean up, host activities)
• Functional gifts like cool tote bags, eco-friendly cups, or things that reflect what they love to do like cook books for a teacher that loves cooking or a book on hiking for the out doors lover.

You don’t have to be really crafty to get a great gift!  Check out these great ideas:  They are simple but really nice.

If you have some extra time, you might want to ask your child’s co-teachers what their interests are if you don’t know.  Often just showing your appreciation through making a meaningful gesture like thanking them is just as wonderful as a gift!