Search Results for: blog new uses for old jeans

New York Fashion Week’s Greenshows

It is Fashion Week in New York and many up and coming designers were concentrating on one thing – sustainable fashion. The Greenshows part of Fashion Week was held during four days this week in Village Green, an environmentally friendly condo in East Village. Among the designers featured their eco couture was Gary Harvey, who made a fun dress of recycled laundry bags and newspaper pages. Other designs of his featured reclaimed fabric from such items as wedding dress, old t-shirts and jeans, trench coats, scarves, and Army jackets. Harvey said, “Too many garments end up in landfill sites. They … Continue reading →

Dryer Envy: How to Tell If You Need a New Dryer

Every time we are at the local Lowes or Home Improvement, which tends to be more often than not, since we own an older home, we always pass by the appliances department. I have to hide my eyes from the sparkling brilliance of the new washer and dryers that come in so many fashionable colors. In fact the exact reds and blues of the pairs remind me of browsing the new car dealerships. Think of all of the options that you can get on a dryer, including one that talks to the washer to find out how it should set … Continue reading →

New Uses for Old VHS Cases

We are slowly in the process of getting through our many VHS movies. Over the years, we’ve picked up quite a few of them from thrift stores and yard sales. Friends have given us their VHS tapes when they have upgraded to DVD because they knew that we would use them. We were one of the last hold outs in purchasing a DVD player. Some of the movies are starting to wear out and are so loved that we will have to attain the DVD versions. Others have been watched a few times but are not worthy of precious space … Continue reading →

New Uses for Old Inflatable Toys

Now that summer is here and in full swing, you are probably raiding your garage, closets, attics, shred and wherever else you store your summer swim toys. You know the types of toys I am talking about? Those inflatable tubes, mats, beds, dolphins, snakes, water wings, beach balls, etc. And chances are, when you go to blow them back up, at least a few will be flat as a pancake and unable to be used. Maybe the toys were split at the seams near the end of last summer, got thrown into storage and forgotten about. or maybe they got … Continue reading →

More New Uses for Old Soda Bottles

There are so many wonderful uses for empty soda bottles. You can save money by using the bottles that you already own instead of spending money buying something new. (Or if you don’t drink soda, ask for some empty bottles from a friend.) In yesterday’s article, New Uses for Old Soda Bottles, I shared some basic ideas on using the empty bottles to save on boots, heating pads and water. Now here are some more creative ideas and ways to use empty soda bottles and be frugal. Custom bag dispenser. You are saving your plastic grocery bags, aren’t you? Well, … Continue reading →

New Uses for Old Soda Bottles

Do you buy soda? Instead of throwing the empty bottles out, put them to good use around your home. By now you know all of the three principals of frugal living: reduce, reuse and recycle. Oftentimes there are plenty of things you already own that can be used for things you might otherwise purchase. Take the humble 1-liter plastic soda bottle. There are so many things that can be done with it. And, when you are done with its new use, you can always recycle the bottle the traditional way, at a recycling center. Less waste means more savings for … Continue reading →

New Uses for Wire Hangers

While cleaning out our master closet the other day I found….ack!!!! Oh the horror! I found several wire hangers. Now this wouldn’t normally be such a terrifying experience if it were for the fact that I thought I had just cleaned out all of the wire hangers. Somewhere perhaps I missed one behind the coats. And that one must have been pregnant. So, now I was left with wire hangers I didn’t know what to do with. I had already donated a large amount of them to the local thrift store, and they threatened banning me if I came back … Continue reading →

New Uses for Clothespins

Well, this new house is finally starting to come together. Tom is back to work, and Andrew started at his new school, which so far, he absolutely loves. He comes home with a happy face after school. The weather has turned a bit colder this week, but I am looking forward to getting a clothes line hung in the back in some inconspicuous place, so I can hang our laundry. I have my clothes pins all ready to go. In fact, in my excitement, I probably have more clothespins than I will actually use. So, of course I was inspired … Continue reading →

Trendy Tee’s and Jeans – on a Budget

I’ll admit, I’ve always been a “t-shirt and jeans” gal. Frankly, nothing makes me happier than a comfy pair of jeans paired with a basic white shirt and some sneakers. Maybe it is a pre-mid life crisis, but lately I’ve grown tired of looking like I walked out of a Gap commercial. It’s time to spice things up a bit. Thankfully, I was able to consult with two of my favorite frugal fashionistas (my cousins) during our holiday get-together. Trust me, these gals could give the folks at Project Runway a run for their money. My college aged cousin (Ally) … Continue reading →

New Frugal Uses for Pillowcases

Pillowcases can often be found around the house or at thrift stores for pennies. Recently I found a bunch of new ones in some funky designs on clearance. They were a mere 50 cents a piece in the package (2 for a dollar). The nice things about pillow cases is that they are often made of cotton, and they have nice sturdy seams. You can take advantage of those features to turn the pillowcases into some great items. Here are some frugal ideas that will reuse pillow cases. A pretty linen or embroidered pillowcase will make a cute toddler summer … Continue reading →