I like wine. I like it hard. It’s for that very reason that I own many wine glasses. While my preferred use of a wine glass is as a vessel to deliver wine to my mouth, there are some other sort of awesome things you can do with them.

I think picking up a bunch at the Goodwill or Salvation Army to make these centerpieces would make them doubly awesome. When you add “thrift” to anything, I find it twelve times more interesting. Yes…you’re probably thinking I could just use the wine glasses I have at home. Sadly, that’s not possible as I have to keep the ratio of wine glass to Sher at a consistent 27 to 1. (I am a breaker.)

(Follow the links to the creators’ websites to learn how to make these super adorable wine glass centerpieces.)

Wine Glass Centerpiece Ideas

1. Made by: Kelly’s Art Journaling

2. Made by: Poppies at Play

3. Made by: Etsy Shop: Neat Stuff

4. Made by: Frou Frou Frilly

5. Made by: Madigan Made

I will admit I love paper ornaments. Wait. I said that like you’re interrogating me under the hot lights and I’m finally willing to tell you all about my love of paper Christmas ornaments.

I’m such a geek.

Meanwhile, these talented crafty women have taken pretty paper ornaments to a whole new level. Even better, you can click the links to their sites and learn how to make them yourself. Love it.

1. GigglyGirl on Craftster

2. ByStephanieLynn

3. HGTV

4. Laura’s Left Hook

5.  House Revivals

Store bought toys are expensive. They could also be considered wasteful if you think about it — all those resources spent manufacturing and transporting a toy that will be played with a handful of times and then ignored. It seems almost criminal. At the same time, kids love having something to play with, and they need a few toys to flex their imagination muscles. So give your kids the best of both worlds with these five homemade toys that use cheap, easily available, and even recycled materials.

Homemade Toys You Can Make With Your Kids

Guest post by: Adrienne Erin

1.  Super Easy Jet Pack — This toy will delight little boys, and probably little girls as well. The homemade jet pack makes use of those empty plastic bottles you have laying around with just a little bit of creativity. Make some for your own kids, or for a fun, inexpensive gift for other kids’ birthdays when you’re on a budget.

All you need are two plastic bottles, some plastic primer paint, silver paint, a piece of cardboard, crepe or construction paper, glue, and a bit of ribbon or duct tape. You could also use aluminum bottles, such as those that coconut water comes in, if you want to skip the painting step. Just be sure to use a strong adhesive if you go that route.

2.  Bouncy Balls — Every child loves bouncy balls, and they are so easy to make that you’ll hate you ever spent money buying them retail! These make a wonderful project for any day of the year, and you can even turn it into a fun, at-home science lesson as it comes together.

For this toy, you’ll need glue, borax powder, cornstarch, food coloring, and a bit of warm water. You’ll also need a couple of small cups for your mixing. Your kids will love the mixing and kneading part of this project as much as they love playing with the finished product. Try adding glitter to the mix, or just be creative with the possibilities.

3.  Mousetrap Cars — This classic toy is often used as a physics project, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun to make and play with. Mousetrap cars are great for boys and girls alike, but younger children will probably need a bit of help with the assembly.

To make this toy, you’ll need a Victor mousetrap, Bic pens, balloons, eye hooks, soda can tabs, and scrap CDs or DVDs. Of course, you can vary the sophistication level of your supplies based on age and preference. Once you make your first one, you and your children can try coming up with ways to make them even faster.

4.  Clothespin Dolls — Clothespin dolls are a popular summer camp craft project, but that doesn’t mean you and your kids can’t enjoy making them sans the camp part. Make fairies and princesses for little girls, and turn your clothespins into action figures for little boys.

You may need to make a trip to the craft store for this one. You’ll need old-fashioned clothespins, craft paint and brushes, material for clothing, scissors, clothespin doll stands and heads, and a glue gun at minimum. If painting is too much, and you aren’t trying to make anything super professional-looking, you can let your kids use markers to decorate the heads.

5.  Grocery Bag Jump Rope — Talk about recycling! A jump rope made from plastic grocery bags is a fun, innovative way to thin out that never-ending supply of bags that seem to procreate in dark closets.

This is so incredibly simply it’s crazy. All you need is a few plastic bags, scissors, a strip of painter’s tape, and duct tape for the handles. A little cutting and braiding later, you have a totally recycled, completely free jump rope. Once it wears out, just toss it in the recycle bin with the rest of your plastic and make another!

 Adrienne Erin is a crafty mom who is always seeking out new ideas for low-cost and sustainable toys. Building toys with her kids has been a memorable experience that has taught them about social responsibility and patience. You can read more of Adrienne’s work by checking out her personal blog, Pongra.

For those of us who love autumn, pumpkin pie spice is like a drug. I’m serious. If I ever find a man who wears pumpkin pie spice cologne, I’m going to marry him on the spot. But, then again, I once married a man because he smelled faintly like Chunky Monkey ice cream.

I was sitting here thinking about pumpkin pie spice and resting my arms from all the fire baton twirling I was doing earlier this morning, when it dawned on me! I’ll bet the interwebs can give me ideas for things I can do with pumpkin pie spice – other than sprinkling it all over men I find only mildly attractive.

PS: I’ve decided “Pumpkin Pie Spice” is my new stripper name. Trademarked. Bam.

1. Pumpkin spice salt dough ornaments via Fun at Home With Kids – This craft is supposed to be for small children who probably can’t even tie their own shoes. Meanwhile I’ve been consistently tying my own shoes for a good 7 years and yet I still want to do this craft. Just me. No kids. Because there is glitter. And pumpkin pie spice.

2. Pumpkin Pie Spice & Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats via Nerdy Baker – There are 8 cups of mini marshmallows in these. That’s like enough marshmallows to take a fluffy bath.

3. Pumpkin pie spice marshmallow pie pops via The Decorated Cookie – I’m on a roll here. Stay with me. Rather than pumpkin pie spice out of the authorized tiny container, these involve pumpkin spice marshmallows made by Jet-Puffed. I’m not making that up. The fluffy scientists at Jet-Puffed made – at some point – completely unbeknownst to me – pumpkin spice marshmallows. I know. It’s madness. Brilliant collaborative madness between The Decorated Cookie and Jet-Puffed.

4. White chocolate pumpkin spice popcorn via The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie – I’m not gonna lie. This made me cry a little. Look upon it and marvel, oh ye fans of pumpkin pie spice, for it is good.

5. Homemade pumpkin spice creamer via What Megan’s Making – Every year, I spend roughly the equivalent of the gross national product for Ireland on pumpkin spice coffee creamer. I’ve always thought if International Delight ever stops making it, my kids were going to have to put me in a home. Now, there’s a recipe! This should be viewed by all concerned as one sign that we should still believe in magic and unicorns.

6. Pumpkin pie spice tortillas via Sweet Little Bluebird – This. Is. Smart. Like algebra smart. Or understanding how pictures show up in my TV smart. I’m going to do this!!!! (she said, knowing full well she never does anything she peppers with exclamation points.)

7. Pumpkin cream cheese via After Dinner Dance – Cream cheese & pumpkin pie spice. I want to go to the store right this minute and purchase what I need to make this. But, I won’t. Because of the strict drinking while blogging laws in this state.

If you are in any way a kind and generous person, I challenge you to pin these images and go at once to visit the bloggers who whipped up these brilliant pumpkin pie spice jewels. They are such talents, aren’t they?

And not for nothing…before you run away…

if there’s a man in your life who thinks Pinterest is not for them, I’d consider it an honor if you’d tie them down and force them to read this article I wrote… How to Pin Like a Manly Man. It’s for their own good. Trust me on this.

Thanks a zillion, Momcasters!

I’m so crazy for vintage images. When I see the crafts people can make using them, it absolutely delights me! But, when I started searching for Royalty Free Vintage Images, I learned really quickly that I was going down a rabbit hole. There were so many websites… but so many were just sort of created to push visitors to other (paid) sources.

Very disheartening.

Until recently, I had no idea chicken coop designs were so trendy these days. Some chicken coops look better than most of the houses I’ve lived in. These chicken coops I found around the interwebs are proof of that.

My friend Mel has the prettiest little chicken coop in her back yard. That’s because she has chickens, not because she just woke up one day and wanted to build a chicken coop. (In other news, Mel lives in the country so it’s like she opened a McDonald’s for foxes and raccoons.)

Have you ever tried to make knobs? Has anyone ever asked you that question before? 🙂 The truth is every time I see pretty knobs in the store, I’m overcome with the desire to screw them into my body and wear them as jewelry. The idea that you can easily make your own knobs at home fills me with delight.

But, know this my friendo…when in life you realize the knobs you use to pull open the drawer where you keep broken pens, Sweet Tarts from Halloween 1987 and empty pill bottles are at least 92% prettier than your jewelry, it’s time to reevaluate how you treat yourself. Am I right? Am I right?

Let’s Make Knobs!

I’m more than in love with these knobs found on Welcome to Cheltanham Road. I actually need a bigger word than “love” to express how much I heart these knobs. Perhaps something in French.

Meanwhile, I cannot believe these knobs are handmade. What an amazing result, right? And not for nothing, but anyone who uses the phrase “sticky extravaganza” in a blog post is my new best friend forever. Follow this blog, y’all. But, only if you want incredible inspiration to make stuff.

WeekendTinkers says in order to make these awesome resin knobs, you have to know how to handle poisonous and harmful substances and materials.

I use industrial strength glue to adhere fake eyelashes to my skin at least once a week. I think that qualifies me.

Sadie Tip: make sure you actually get the eyelashes on your eyelids. I can’t tell you how often my man-partner has had to point out an incredibly hairy mole on my chin that suddenly came out of nowhere.

I can’t remember the last time I had champagne. I think it was when I turned twenty-one and the champagne came with a a free keyring, or a complimentary condom or something. That was 108 years ago and I’ve slept since then, so who remembers?

Rhonda over at Dollar Store Crafts must have a cooler life than I do because she had champagne corks lying around, woke up one day and made knobs out of them. Can you even stand what kind of crafty genius it takes to think of something like this, much less do it? Why doesn’t my brain work like that?

These DIY knobs from Curbly look spendy, no?

PSYCHE! They are faux stone cabinet knobs! She used Sculpey, which apparently is French for inexpensive crafty awesomeness. (You can snag some Sculpey on Amazon for less than what you’d pay per knob if you bought the real deal stone.)

Okay. I will admit to you that I’d never heard of this Sculpey stuff before today. But lookie here… more Sculpey drawer pulls and knobs. The Polka Dot Closet says if you can roll a meatball, you can make these completely beautiful cabinet knobs.

She did not comment about what you can make if you can eat a meatball.

Using Button Cover Kits, JCaroline Creative made these lovely tangerine colored drawer knobs. I dig this. Truly I do.

I am swooning over these stunning DIY knobs created by “from Generation to Generation“. If you don’t love them awful, I find you to be a highly suspicious character and I feel it my duty as a human to report you to some authority. Perhaps the Earth Citizens Against Ugly Knobs tribunal.

Becky uses E6000 Adhesive to slap those sexy jewels on her knobs. (That was unintentionally dirty and I apologize to my Southern Baptist Daddy.) I’m no expert, but I suspect E600 is infinitely better than E5999 so go all out and buy the good stuff.

Keep clicking, kiddo, because on page two there are even more knobs you can make… and they are awesome sauce.