How to Make a Beautiful, Cheap, Interchangeable Watchband in under 15 minutes

Being a huge fan of hers, I recently found a Wonder Woman watch on ebay for $6.  Hooray! However the watchband was cheap plasticky fake leather.  I set out to find a fun way to make a watchband and ended up with something that looks great!

How to Make a Bolster/Neck Roll/Tube Pillow Case

If you're a long time reader, you know that I have a bulging disc in my neck.  It is much improved, but is still a problem.  I found a wonderful pillow that has helped tremendously.  I just happens to look like a log.  Now I need a pillow case for it so that it will last a long time.

Adoption Quilts for San Antonio Child Protective Services

This post is a little different.  I am involved with a group of people who make quilts for National Adoption Month (November), to give to kids being adopted in San Antonio, TX.  We are making over 100 quilts.  Each child will choose which one they want to bring to their new home.  The ages range from infant to 17 years old.  So we're making lots and lots of them.

If you're interested in joining us, we need all the help we can get at any skill level! Please contact me for more information.

Here's some of the ones I've made...

How to Make Easy Old-Fashioned Refrigerator Pickles

If you're old enough to remember drug store barrel pickles, or like me and have never eaten them, you will absolutely fall in LOVE with these easy to make, long lasting, homemade, refrigerator pickles...

How to Dye Eggs on the Cheap with Koolaid

Dying eggs with Koolaid is super cheap and easy...

How to Make a Cheap, and Easy Bird House in 15 minutes

Last year a wren built a nest on a shelf on our back porch.  In the past couple of days, with the weather warming up, we have seen a couple of wrens.  We have since moved that shelf and taken down the nest.

So, I made a simple, easy, cheap bird house...

Advanced - How to Knit a Hairnet / Snood

So, it turns out my How to Knit a Hairnet / Snood post is one of my most popular.  I know I reposted the actual pattern from another blog, so I figured I'd enhance my own post by offering different knitting stitches to make fancier hairnets / snoods...

Pallet Garden Update

Just a quick update on my pallet garden so far.  I love it!  Here's 7 reasons why...

Pick Your Own Farms near San Antonio, TX

For all the fruits and vegetables I can't grow on my own, I'd like to be able to pick them fresh from the plant.  They taste sooooo much better that way!  So, I'm compiling a list of places within a day trip time frame from San Antonio, TX.

How to Plants Seeds Cheaply Using Milk Jugs and Toilet Paper Rolls

An easy way to plant your seeds indoors to have seedlings to put out in your garden, is to use milk jugs and TP or paper towel rolls.

Save your TP rolls and milk jugs.

You can also use your milk jug caps as poker chips!

Becky's Pallet Garden

I've been planning and working on my garden for over a month now getting it all ready to go for when it's a little warmer.  I decided to go with pallet gardening.  It was much easier than the rock wall I was thinking of making.  And, you can get pallets for free!  You know me, all about the cheap stuff.

How to Make Homemade Pill Pockets for Pets

I found out today that Fuji has Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) which is very sad.  It is in super basic terms, bulging discs that are causing loss of function in his hind limbs.  It's the kind in older dogs, so it is slow and didn't happen all of a sudden.  It can lead to paralysis.  It is, sort of, like what I have in my neck.  Unfortunately, there's no physical therapy for dogs like what Dr. Turner does with my neck, since dogs can't locate where the pain is and let you know.  However, we're hopeful that some medication will help him get back to somewhat normal.

What to Do with Raw Alpaca Fleece

Raw Alpaca Fiber

I went to the Kid 'N Ewe fiber festival this weekend in Boerne, TX just north of San Antonio.  I had so much fun!  Being new to the whole spinning thing, it was amazing to see so many people spinning and the variety of wheels out there.  There were almost no two alike.  There was also roving and more roving.  Lots of yarn, which now is boring.  And there was raw fiber.  What I've been waiting for!

Let Me Spin You a Yarn

I realized I have not shown my readers my latest yarn that I've spun.  I think I have the hang of it, now especially since I'm not looking at it as I spin, rather going by feel (for my neck's sake).

I got a pack of 8oz of plain old, non-dyed, cheap ($9.50/8oz) wool roving from Pacific Wool and Fiber.  The wool is great.  I really like the earthy feel to it, and it spins better than the fancy wool.  This wool really grasps, rather than being shiny and slipping.  I did find a place in TX, Mohair and More, with the same Corriedale Cross wool roving that has a better shipping price ($5), though.  Gotta support the locals.  I'm ordering my next batch from them of the same wool.  I'll let you know if it's not the same quality.

I think my yarn turned out great!  Here's the first wool I spun ever vs. the first of the above wool I spun:

How to Make a Cheap Arrow Quiver, Finger Tab, and Arm Guard for Archery

I wanted to make my own quiver for my new hobby, archery.  I know what you're thinking.  You don't need another hobby.  But of course I do.  My husband had gotten a couple of recurve bows way back when, and they were just sitting in his closet until last weekend.  We went to an archery store and got strings for them.  And voila, new hobby!

Cheap, DIY Archery Quiver

How to Knit a Hairnet / Snood

In addition to my neck woes, I found out recently I have hypothyroidism.  One of the symptoms is hair loss.  While we're still getting the right dosage of meds for me, I am losing hair.  Not in clumps but I see my hair all over the place, especially when I comb/brush it.  Gross!

In order not to have hair in my food, I decided to knit a hairnet.  I found a hairnet knitting pattern online.  And I made some adjustments to make it easier to wear.  Fancy hairnets that ballet dancers wear are called "snoods."

How to Make Homemade Knitting Needles

So, I've been busy.  I was sick with a sore throat for a week, so that halted everything.  I'm pretty sure I got that while going on a great thrift store hunt, where I found a couple t-shirts for my husband and a bowl.  Not what I bargained for!

I was able to knit a lot though.  I finished a Halloween colored sweater, and made a matching one for my dog.  When it actually gets cold enough to wear, I will post some pics.  Right now it's still in the 90's.

Ever hopeful, I'm working on a pumpkin pie colored cardigan.  That ought to be fun.  So, I discovered I didn't have the right sized knitting needles for that project.  Being me, of course, I decided to make my own.

Cheese Glorious Cheese - Press

I can't wait to get my home cheesemaking starter kit in the mail.  It should be here tomorrow or the next day!

While I was waiting, this weekend I made my own cheese press.  As I told the guy at Lowes when he asked what does a cheese press do, it presses cheese.

How to Roll a Ball of Yarn with Bert and Ernie

Now that you've made your T-shirt yarn or are ready to start on your next knitting project, you'll need to roll your yarn into a ball.  It's easy and free.

For my next trick...T-shirt Yarn

You may have seen this around, but too bad, I'm making my own tutorial.  In case you haven't heard of T-shirt yarn, you're probably thinking, huh?  Here's the basics: