Throughout the year I am frequently looking at the Thrifty Fun website and others to get the scoop on links to free stuff. Well, I had saved all the FREE samples requested over the last 6 or 8 months.

 

I received several really cool items, like a free bowl from Beechnut Baby Food with a matching spoon and a small bottle of paint for fixing paint chips on washers and dryers. I'm keeping the paint and saving the bowl as a baby shower gift (I'm sure I'll be invited to one sooner or later).

 

I also received samples of shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, laundry softener, dryer sheets, drink mix, nail polish, makeup and even a free $5 card to Starbucks (boy, was I tempted to use that one for myself). 

 

I had also won a door prize at my church for a women's event I attended, nothing fancy, just some fabric placemats with a Christmas theme.

 

Now, you may be wondering how I combined these two things into a free gift for my sister? It was easy! I craft with anything I can get my hands on, so I have supplies of all types. Ones I have picked up at the Only A Dollar Store and ones that are given to me as gifts. What I did was this: I took one placemat and folded it in half gluing the short edges together with an all purpose glue (one that works on fabric, wood, etc, etc). I set heavy books on top for a secure fit and let it set overnight. (Put the placemat between sheets of wax paper to keep any leaky glue from getting on your bools). After the glue was dry, I took some ribbon (of which I had a gold, wire-free, ribbon about 1.5 inches wide) and hand sewed it inside for handles. Viola! A tote bag for the season. I took the free samples and put them inside the bag, tied a bow to the handle and there you have it! One present for no $$ and very little time.

 

I was talking to my sister just the other day and she said she was considering making homemade gifts for Christmas next year. She is like me and doesn't like the avenue that the materalistic businessmen have driven this holiday season into.

 

However, she was shocked to find out that I would go to Thrift Stores to buy gifts for my kids.

 

I explained it to her like this: I'm NOT paying $50 for a new pair of jeans that look like they are 15 years old - not in this lifetime anyway.