A funny thing happened on the way to our reduced family income, our creativity is blossoming. My husband and I experienced pay cuts this fall. We both work for organizations that not only froze salaries, they reduced them. I am not complaining, I am explaining. I am honored to be part of the middle class. We are hard workers. We are resilient. We are resourceful. We have less money. So what to do?
Change. Now our monthly dollars are used to purchase food, shelter and insurance. Beyond those items, we set aside money for savings and a minimal amount for necessities. That is it. No more eating out. No more Starbucks. No more Black Friday. No more land line. No more wants, just what we absolutely need. Budgeting is taking on a whole new meaning for me.
So with Christmas around the corner, I am facing my first big challenge. How to preserve our gift giving traditions without spending much money. We are letting creativity be our guide.
This weekend I continued to cut up an old sweater as I made sweater jar candle holders.
To make my sweater jar candle holders:
- I found jelly jars that have resided in my pantry for years.
- I cut a rectangular shaped section of sweater slightly larger than the height and circumference of my jar.
- I sewed a straight seam down the side so that the ‘sweater’ fit snugly on the jar.
- To finish the top and bottom I folded the edges under and hem stitched or attached a strip of fleece, which I had on hand.
- I cut flowers and hearts from felt from my felt drawer and hand sewed them on with buttons from my button box.
The cost for my project, nothing but time. And my sweater? I returned the unused portions to my sewing basket. I am beginning to think this sweater regenerates because no matter how much I cut I still have more!
If you want to see what else I have made from this sweater, check out Old Sweater, New Life
Prairie Wisdom 