Thrifty Tip

I found this book at Urban Outfitters at a mall in Denver when I was visiting my brother called "The Big-Ass Book of Crafts" by Mark Montano.  I've seen him featured on a tv show called "She's Crafty" on the ION channel and he's also on TLC's "While You Were Out" show.

Me being a craftaholic I was really curious on what I could find in this book but I wasn't about the shell out $20 + Denver sales tax. I figured I can find it cheaper later at Barnes & Noble or something which I did for a good price.  However, I checked and see if my local library had in stock so I can look through it and see if it was really worth me buying.  I put in a request to reserve my copy and it was ready for pick up a week later.  I was really excited to go through the book but I was kind of disappointed since most of the stuff wasn't really my taste and my hubby wouldn't go for most of it being decorated in our home.

I did though come across this one idea that caught my eye and it was how to make homemade dryer sheets.  It never really occurred to me that dryer sheets are really just fabric softener, like Downey, dried onto a small piece of fabric.  Same stuff you put into the washer but in a solid form.  So to help save money you can make your very own dryer sheets with old scraps of fabric and a bottle of liquid softener.  This is even better for those you have loads and loads done every week and are on a very tight budget.

Here's all you need:

• 1 yard of cotton fabric, any pattern
• Pinking shears
• Spray bottle
• 1 bottle of fabric softener, any brand
• if you use concentrated softenter, just mix one part softener and one part water.

Optional: Sewing machine, with zigzag stitch capability.  Sew a zigzag stitch around the fabric pieces to prevent fraying and to make them look pretty.

Directions:

• Cut your cotton fabric inot 8" x 8" squares
• Fill your spray bottle with fabric softener.
• When you're ready to do a load of laundry, spray a cotton square six to eight times, and toss it in the dryer.

**Wash your squares every once in a while to remove buildup of softener.  With a little care, these dryer sheets should last for years.**