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Creative Bridal Bouquets that Don’t Cost a Fortune

The wedding gown is usually the main event of any wedding. But the perfect gown needs the perfect accessory – just the right bridal bouquet. It completes the image of the bride and will be admired forever in the wedding photographs.

Some bridal bouquets can be very expensive. Even if your bouquet does double-duty as a centerpiece during the reception, it’s just not worth spending a lot of money on when you consider all your other wedding expenses. Here are some suggestions for creative bridal bouquets that don’t cost the earth.

Shop for Discounts. Your local flower shops aren’t the only place to look for bridal bouquets. Think creatively and look online for a floral supplier that will deliver your bouquet to you. You can also shop for flowers at Costco or at a farmer’s market. These places sell beautiful arrangements of flowers that you can put together into a bouquet.

Fresh Flowers. Instead of going to a floral store and paying them create a bouquet for you, consider creating your own hand-tied bouquet with flowers from the garden. To turn fresh cut flowers into a bouquet, wrap the stems together with an elastic band and then cover them with a broad ribbon and bow. You can even grow your own bridal bouquet by planting your favorite flowers well ahead of time and then cutting them for the big day.

Faux-flower Bouquet. Fresh flowers can be pretty pricey. You can keep the cost of your bouquet down by taking another creative approach and using faux flowers instead. Silk flowers are one way you could go, and are easy to find at a hobby or craft store. You could also consider another type of floral bouquet. How about a bouquet made of ribbon flowers, cookies or candy?

Non-floral Bouquet. Perhaps you don’t need to carry flowers at all. Some unique plants and greenery can be put together to make a creative and attractive bridal bouquet. Some examples of plants that would work well are ferns, pussy willows and ivy. For a fall wedding, you could carry a bouquet of colourful fall leaves.

No Bouquet. It may be that you would prefer to not carry a bridal bouquet at all. Instead of flowers, you might choose to carry a meaningful object down the aisle with you. A precious family heirloom might be the perfect accessory for your gown. For an evening wedding, a lit candle; for a Catholic wedding, a jewelled rosary; or at a beach wedding, you could carry a beautiful shell. Some brides may even elect to carry nothing at all and wear a pair of beautiful gloves or a muff instead.

The bridal bouquet is an important part of your day, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create the look you want.

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Great Wedding Favors on a Budget

by Tightwad Times

Great Wedding Favors on a Budget

When you’re planning your wedding, one of the things you’ll want to remember to budget for are the wedding favors. These are the souvenirs that your guests will take home from your wedding as a thank you for participating in your special day. So, this is not an area where you want to scrimp. You hope that your guests will enjoy your gift to them, and see it as a token of your appreciation. However, you don’t want to blow your budget on buying wedding favors either. Here are some ideas for great wedding favors on a budget.

Bulk gifts. Items like candy and potpourri can make lovely wedding favors. You can buy them pre-packaged from bridal shops, but it is smarter to buy them in bulk and package them yourself. Instead of shopping at an expensive wedding store, visit a grocery or hobby shop for discount pricing. To create your own gift wrapped packages, wrap bundles of the bulk item in tulle and tie with a ribbon.

Make homemade treats. For a personal touch, make homemade treats to give to your guests. Special cookies are always welcome. If you make homemade candy, that can also be a nice gift. When you wrap them up, add a handwritten note thanking your guests for sharing your day with you. It will be an extra special touch that will make your favour all the more meaningful.

Candles and votives. Candles and votives can be beautiful reminders of your wedding day. Look for candles in the same colors as your wedding decorations. Almost everyone enjoys candles so it is a practical gift as well. These are also very affordable when purchased at discount or bulk stores.

Bubbles. For a fun twist and lots of laughs, give each guest a small bottle of bubbles as a thank you. Tie a note with the date of your wedding around the neck of the bottle. These will provide entertainment during the reception too, as most guests won’t wait until they get home to blow their bubbles.

Make Music. Another idea is to burn a CD of music to commemorate your special day and give a copy to each guest. Be sure to follow copyright laws. Whenever they play your CD, your guests will think of you.

Flowers and Plants. If you’re having a spring or summer wedding, consider giving out packets of seeds as a wedding favor. These will be a long-lasting fragrant reminder of your nuptials. Alternatively, you can give out tiny potted plants for a spring garden. These are very inexpensive, and if you buy in bulk, you may be able to get further discounts.

Scented soaps. These are another item you might want to consider giving out as a favor. They have an attractive scent, and often come in pretty shapes and wrappings. They are another practical gift that is pretty to look at as well.

There are many options for buying great wedding favors on a budget. When you use your creativity for buying thoughtful gifts for your guests, they will be appreciated all the more.

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Chicken Coop Guide- Learn to Build Cheap Chicken Coops

by Tightwad Times

Chicken Coop Guide- Learn to Build Cheap Chicken Coops

For a long time, people who wanted to start a chicken coop had to renovate an old shed or buy a pre-built one. A pre-built coop costs $500 upwards and this does not include the cost of installation. The cost of a pre- built chicken coop with installation is usually over $1000. According to Jim and Ann, who have put together ‘The DIY Chicken Coop Guide’, you can build your own chicken coop for just $100 if you do a little extra work of collecting materials.

The process of making the shed is explained in a manner that it will be easy for anyone to follow. People who don’t necessarily consider themselves the do it yourself type can also follow the step-by-step instructions and if you need support with the process, that is also available.

With the help of the diagrams and schematics you will be able to see how the coop is built. Video library provides you with videos related to chicken coops. You will also be able to pre cut and pre label your wood with the help of the wood cutting diagram shown in the guide.

The material used in the building of these coops is also important because you want to save as much money as possible. The guide shows you how to build the coop from inexpensive materials that can be easily bought from your local hardware store. Also, special consideration has been given to keep the chickens safe from predators. The shed is raised from the ground level to provide protection and another benefit of this is that they will not be affected by the cold damp soil.

You can also give the shed your own touch by customizing and you can also scale the plans to accommodate more chicken if required.

The products that you will be able to get in this package are: ‘The DIY Chicken Coop Guide’: this guide shows you how to build small, medium and large sized coops. Special Reports) Chicken City Ordinances Guide: From this guide you can learn what the rules and regulations are in your area for building coops.) 6 Things You Must Do Before Building a Chicken Coop: This book explains all the things that you need to do before starting your DIY project.

There is also bonus material available for you which includes a Video Library and books that help you learn to talk chicken (A-Z), learn which chicken breed is best for your Lifestyle and Climate, how to build an Incubator and incubate your Chicks and how to build a Chicken Brooder and requirements of Brooding Chicks. The price of the whole package is $39.97. In case you don’t find the plans useful you can return the package within 60 days and get a full refund.

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Make Your Own Cards – Fun and Easy!

by Tightwad Times

Make Your Own Cards – Fun and Easy!

Instead of giving out a store-bought card for the next special occasion, try your hand at making your own cards. Making your own cards does not require a lot of hard work, but rather a bit of creativity and the right materials.

To start creating your cards visit your local arts and crafts store to search for materials. Most arts and crafts stores have big scrapbooking sections. This is where you will be able to find the materials to make your own cards. Let your inspiration guide you as the possibilities are unlimited. You can create various themed cards such as Christmas, birthday, Valentine’s Day cards and much more.

Rubber stamps are widely available and you can buy virtually any color ink to go with the stamps. There are several stamping methods that you can use when making cards including embossing. Embossing is the process of creating a raised image on the card and it can give the card an elegant appearance.

There are several die cuts and die cut machines available as well. Die cuts allow you to punch a shape out with ease. They come in all different shapes and sizes and can be very useful in achieving a layered look. Die cuts can be punched out of different color papers to display a colorful card.

Scrapbook papers come in all different colors, textures and themes. Patterned paper can be purchased as well as glitter paper and pre-scored card kits. Card kits come with the note cards already made and ready to decorate. The kits come in different sizes and often different colors to meet a variety of needs. During seasonal periods, such as Christmas, card kits come out with note cards, envelopes and many different die cut shapes.

Stickers are available, both regular and 3D and also come in many different themes. Disney stickers are available as well as licensed characters and many 3D designs. Adding stickers to your cards can help to foster even more creativity when matching colors and themes. You can further enhance your handmade cards by adding ribbon or brads. Ribbon comes in a plethora of colors, shapes and textures. Brads can be used to hold items such as die cuts on the card without the use of an adhesive.

Simply put, making cards is a creative process that only you can foster. Cards can be created with a variety of items found in your local arts and crafts store. You can play around using different methods to decorate the cards and have fun at the same time!

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Make Your Own Deluxe Hampers on a Budget

by Tightwad Times

Choosing the perfect gift for someone isn’t always an easy task. Sometimes we want to give a gift to someone who we don’t know very well, and we have a hard time figuring out what to get them. Other times we’re very close to the recipient, but we still can’t come up with any ideas.

When you can’t decide on a gift, a gift basket or hamper is the perfect solution. They can be created based on a variety of themes. If you know someone well, you can give him or her a basket that contains favorite foods or supplies for a hobby they enjoy. If not, you can do something more generic like a spa basket or an assortment of different foods.

Many companies sell gift baskets and hampers at premium prices. But you don’t have to shell out big bucks for them. You can often create your own for a fraction of the price. Here are some tips that will help.

* Pick up a cheap basket or hamper. You can find them at most dollar stores for 5 dollars or less. Or if you have one sitting around the house that you don’t use, there’s no harm in repurposing it.

* Avoid splurging on the filling. The fillers you’ll find at craft stores are often surprisingly expensive. Instead of allocating a chunk of your basket budget to something that’s not particularly useful, consider reusing Easter grass. Or you could use shredded newspaper as a filler. If using newspaper, make sure to wrap items that could be stained by the ink with paper or plastic wrap.

* Put lots of home-made items in the basket. Fresh baked cookies mean a lot more than even the most expensive gourmet cookies. And handmade crafts such as a knitted scarf or pair of baby booties hold much more sentimental value than their store-bought counterparts.

* If you plan to include food items, be sure to find out about any allergies or dietary restrictions before you get started. This will keep you from wasting money on things the recipient can’t eat.

* Add some inexpensive items from the dollar store if you like. Depending on the basket’s theme, you might choose candy, toys, scented candles, small picture frames, stationery, playing cards, soaps or something else.

* An inexpensive spool of wide ribbon is often all you’ll need to finish up your basket or hamper. Weave it around the handle or rim, and tie it in a large bow on top. You could also tie it around some individual items if you like.

It’s easy to go out and buy a ready-made gift hamper. But it’s much more frugal, and more fun, to create one yourself. You can include items that you know the recipient will enjoy, and it’s easy to add a personal touch.

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Compare DIY Material Costs and Save

by Tightwad Times

No matter how much you love your home, it’s inevitable that you’ll need to do some work on it at some point. Every house needs repairs when it has been around for several years. And most homeowners eventually decide that they want to add on or do something different with a room, so they end up remodeling.

Whether you’re making repairs or improvements, doing it yourself is a great way to save money. You can use the money that you save by not having to pay for labor to increase the scope of the project, or you can hold onto it to use for something else. But that’s not the only way you can save money on DIY projects.

When you hire a contractor, you usually have little say in the materials used. But when you’re in charge, you can shop around for the best deals. Here are some tips that will help you save money on materials.

* Make sure that you use materials that are appropriate for the job. If you buy materials that aren’t strong enough or aren’t intended for the purpose you’re using them for, the results could be disastrous. So don’t skimp in the interest of saving a buck or two. Instead, look for the best deals on materials that are right for the job.

* If you’re checking prices in local shops, make a list of everything you’ll need. Then go to one store at a time, and write down the price of each item. Compare prices when you’re finished. If one store has the lowest price on most items, consider doing all of your shopping there instead of making trips back to every store. Unless another store has a much lower price on an expensive item, you’re usually better off saving your gas.

* Check prices online. Large hardware stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot have websites where you can check prices and availability at any location. Take advantage of this capability and save yourself some gas. And don’t forget to check with online-only stores as well.

* Consider buying used when possible. You can get great deals on light fixtures, faucets and many other items at garage sales and flea markets. Estate sales are another source of great deals on things you might be able to use.

You can save lots of money by doing projects around the house yourself. And if you’re willing to do some comparison shopping, you can save even more. So don’t just walk into the nearest hardware store and throw everything in your cart. Taking the time to compare prices before you buy could seriously cut the cost of the project.

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DIY

Creative Bridal Bouquets that Don’t Cost a Fortune

Great Wedding Favors on a Budget

Chicken Coop Guide- Learn to Build Cheap Chicken Coops

Make Your Own Cards – Fun and Easy!

Make Your Own Deluxe Hampers on a Budget

Compare DIY Material Costs and Save

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DIY

Creative Bridal Bouquets that Don’t Cost a Fortune

Great Wedding Favors on a Budget

Chicken Coop Guide- Learn to Build Cheap Chicken Coops

Make Your Own Cards – Fun and Easy!

Make Your Own Deluxe Hampers on a Budget

Compare DIY Material Costs and Save

Categories

Archives

Blogroll

Follow Tightwad Times on Twitter

Frugal Recipes

Tightwad Living Resources

Subscribe to the Tightwad Times

Common Cents

Recommended

Popular Posts

Free Samples