Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

SailorSam

I've just been reading this recycling blog and remembered that early in this thread there were some ladies talking about their knickers.
The woman from this website makes her own pants.

http://mymakedoandmendyear.wordpress.com/2014/12/13/homemade-pants/

jackel

I make DH's boxers. I use a none- flowery quilt cover - usually jumble sale and save my tops from tights for the elastic. Only costs the thread. I use an old pair for the pattern. jac.xx

Bobarella

Hi All
I had some leftover spaghetti from last night's dinner and having googled uses for it I decided on making a thai style dish using the spag instead of noodles. I added some lime rind from the freezer, chopped a couple of tomatoes, squeezed half a leftover lemon & threw in the cooked carrots and onions left over from last night's dinner. Then a good slug of soy sauce. It was really good. Fresh and crunchy. You'd never have thought it was pasta. Anyway keeping our record of zero food waste this Christmas!
Bob

cheerfulness4

fairy3 wrote: »

Have a diffuser from rituals nearing the end of it's life so in a da da moment I cut about 4 inches off the diffuser sticks and using leftover tartan ribbon from a gift wound it through the sticks and topped with a loop and knot and slipped over the mirror so looks like a mini bundle of logs and smells lovely. No more sneezing and two more can be made when that one fades.
F x

What a clever idea and in that small space it should last you for a little while. Brilliant!

SailorSam wrote: »

I've just been reading this recycling blog and remembered that early in this thread there were some ladies talking about their knickers.
The woman from this website makes her own pants.

http://mymakedoandmendyear.wordpress.com/2014/12/13/homemade-pants/

That's a really interesting site, thanks for that SailorSam.

jackel wrote: »

I make DH's boxers. I use a none- flowery quilt cover - usually jumble sale and save my tops from tights for the elastic. Only costs the thread. I use an old pair for the pattern. jac.xx

Ingenious! This is getting me thinking now. I'd love to try making undies this year.


Bobarella, that's a useful idea because I don't always have noodles to hand but I always have spaghetti. I really enjoy takeaway chicken chow mein so I might have a play with this. Never made chow mein in my life but it can't be that hard, can it?:undecided

I'm really having fun with my new tightwad approach. I already am beginning to appreciate small things more. Mum gave us an uncut loaf of tiger bread and a pack of lovely scone when we took her and dad shopping.
The scones have been frozen to have as a treat supper one night and we've enjoyed some of the bread today but are not just carving it off because when its gone its gone!

I also was a very fortunate girl because I was recently notified that I'd won a £50 Promod voucher so I used it to buy DH a lovely chunky cardigan (lovely quality) for our anniversary this month. There was even a little left for me to have a small treat. I made full use of their sale to stretch my money.
Again, it was the competitions board on this site that has helped me win a few lovely prizes along the way, our favourite being £1,500 of Amazon vouchers and a Ipad Mini that we gave my son as a present. It all helps!

Dinner was korma curry and rice using leftover chicken from our Ys chicken we roasted yesterday and a 20p jar of Tescos Korma curry sauce that we bought months ago.

I must check my receipts so I can post my spends for today.
After that I'm going to settle down and make some dusters/cleaning cloths while I watch tv. I've a flannel sheet that I've cut up that's made some lovely ones, so pretty to use.

naturaljazz

Apologies if someone has already added this code previously.
Sutton Seeds are offering a £5 discount code until January 5th . I have just used it, and you need to spend over £5.01 and p&p is a couple of pounds. But it is a very good deal I think, and if you want any vegetable seeds it is a very reputable company, the code is SUTXMAS14

Bobarella

Thanks I'm glad to help. It's only through talking that I've learnt these things myself. Well done on your awesome money stretching I bet your OH will love his cardie.

elaine241

Hello all, still loving this thread!

The howling wind last night did manage to damage the green house and topple my ancient bird table :-(. Managed to find a spare pane of glass to fit the broken one and OH fixed up my bird table although it really is on its last legs now! I will see if I can get a bird table via freecycle or see if I can make one that doesnt look like it was made by Homer Simpson! Still mend will do until I find something better.

Mucked out stable, duck house and hen house and cleared veg patch of rubbish and clutter, I smell to high heaven!

cheerfulness4

Barbarella he did love it. I couldn't wait and gave it to him already. He hasn't had anything this nice for ages and he was thrilled! :j Here it is in the link below.

http://www.promod.co.uk/men/jumpers---cardigans/cardigans/ribbed-cardigan-navy-blue-R1220162014.html

naturaljazz, thanks for the headsup. I'm deliberating over what to choose as I do have a couple of holes. For £2 postage I think we're looking at a bargain!

Elaine you've just reminded me of another make do and mend project we must do. DS made a birdhouse feeder and it blew over a few weeks back and the house came off the stand. It was only a cheap flat pack kit he made when younger but I think we'll revamp it, maybe slate the roof, too. I shall rescue all the pieces before they blow away and plan its renovations. There must be plenty of ideas on Pinterest to get him inspired.

Mrs_Cheshire

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

bubbs I'll have to ask her but I assumed London as that's where she was born. Having said that she got about a bit. Remember a stint at Cambridge but can't think she went to Northamptonshire.
(think that's where Kettering is. )

Mrscheshire, my grandson (2) has only discovered you can 'make' your own tomatoes this year and I have to make sure he only picks the red ones.
Last week when he came round he spotted a planter outside the backdoor that included one of those little winter plants that has orange ball like things on it. I thought he was going to strip it bare! :rotfl:

Do you enjoy getting the seed catalogue out each new year? Rarely buy from them but look up what I've had in the seed exchange.

Fireworks have started outside already. :eek:

Which plant is that?
I've never had a seed catalogue, we usually just get seeds from B&Q or supermarkets

Soworried

Can I join in please? My main problem will be that I can't sew or knit and we are useless at most household DIY :eek:
I'd love to be able to make some of the things we need. I have a friend that is going to teach me how to make cloth shopping bags first, this will help me earn extra green points.

I'd like to learn how to replace the seal around the shower as well instead of paying someone to do it.