Craft Or Creative items

I always like to include creative, crafty, items in my shoe boxes for both boys and girls. I think all kids need to express themselves in this way. 

I am particularly like this idea. I found these stencil at Oriental Trading ($1.88 for 12). I also got a jungle set for boys. These paper doll stencils should be fun for a long time. 

At Ollies, found a tablet of 200 sheets of construction paper for $3.69.  I have access to an industrial paper cutter and cut the pad into quarters. I split each quarter into smaller stacks. Ended up with 24 stacks at 15 cents each. 

You can check with your church or school as they often have paper cutters that can handle a big stack. I bet you could get print shop to do if for free. 

Put the four stencils and the construction paper into a ziplock sandwich bag. I had some small sheets of patterned cardstock already cut and stuck it in the bag. 

Cost effective:  .63 + .15

creative and long lasting

Something to share with friends and doesn't take up a lot of room in the box. 

Shoestring? Toys R Us

Colored Pencil set in metal tin with metal pencil sharpener Toys R Us

http://m.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=71370716

$1.08

This maybe above your "buy" price. I really like this set for a shoebox. Love the tin storage box and the metal pencil sharpener. I hate the plastic sharpeners from the Dollar Tree. Those just chew up the pencil. 

I think this worth the little extra money 

ON-LINE 

SHOESTRING; MAKE FOLDER FOR STATIONARY, ORIGAMI, OR PAPER AIRPLANES

When you include homemade or loose items, it is nice for the kids to have a place to store them.

To make this, you will need:

Pocket Portfolio (15 cents from STAPLES back to school sale)

Ruler

Hole Punch, if tying

18" Ribbon or Twine

Optional: 

Velcro Dots

Scissors if you want to cut down the fold

Measure 5' down from the top edge of the portfolio and score a line going across.  You can use the back edge of pair of scissors or a bone folder.

Fold along the fold.  Creasing the fold.

Option 1:  While folded, punch holes for the ribbon closure

Option 2:  Place velcro sticky dots as pictured.

If using velcro, I would cut the portfolio along the middle down to the fold.

You can place origami paper (remember it needs to be square) in one pocket and instructions in the other.  

SHOESTRING: CLEARANCE AT WALMART TODAY

I never seem to find the deals that other people seem to find at Wal-Mart.  I stopped in today for something else and picked up some things in the clearance aisle. I took most to the scanner to check prices.  Lots of things not marked down far enough.  Here are some highlights:

 Prepacked clear backpacks full of school supplies.  For someone doing only a couple of boxes, this is an easy way to get school supplies.  I think $7 was a pretty good deal and could easily be used in a couple of boxes.  The Three ring binder wouldn't fit but I can always use these. Clearance tag said $13

50 page lined notebooks.  Not as big as a full size composition book so will fit great in a shoebox.  Clearance tagged 50 cents but price was only 25 cents

Set of two notebooks and case of 8 sharpened pencils/pencil sharpener  50 cents each.  Wasn't marked at all but in clearance aisle.

If Staples is out near you (they have a better brand on sale this week for the same price), you can pick these up for 50 cents.

They also had a multi-pack of Fiskars Student Scissors (the best brand ever) for $4 for a five pack.  They were clearance stickered $7.  

SHOESTRING: DR SEUSS PENCILS 4 CENTS

Amazon has these super cute Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham pencils for a great price.  $5.26 for 144!  Great to add to Shoeboxes or give out for Trick or Treat.

Thanks Shopping for Shoeboxes for the heads up on this deal

SHOESTRING: TUESDAY MORNING VS DOLLAR TREE

Cheap thread at Tuesday Morning.  I know Dollar Tree is a favorite place to fill a shoebox.  It isn't always the best place in terms of quality and price.

This is a great example that I found yesterday at Tuesday Morning. This package of 12 spools of thread, needles and threader were only 49 cents. You could even split up between two boxes.

This little kit from Dollar Tree is cute and comes with more needles, less thread but it is twice the price.

What do you think?  

TIME SENSITIVE: BON TON TODAY ONLY SALE

I saw on Hip2Save that Bon Ton is having a great clearance sale Today ONLY.  To to her blog to see all the details and promo codes. 

She didn't feature this item (also a pink flamingo option and a red/white/blue option), melamine kids items.  Each piece will be $1.19 after codes (free shipping with $25 purchase using SEPBDAY.

Flatware Set $1.19

Divided Plate $1.19

Lidded Bowl $1.19 

REG $8-$14

http://www.bonton.com/sc1/livingquarters-americana-kids-dinnerware-collection-873440.html

http://www.bonton.com/product/873439.html?rec=05

http://www.bonton.com/sc1/livingquarters-shark-kids-dinnerware-collection-873438.html

TIME SENSITIVE SHOESTRING DEAL; MAKE YOUR OWN MINI BOOK

HIP2SAVE is one of my favorite mommy-savings blogs.  She posted this week that MyPublisher is giving you five mini books.  Follow through to her link.  This is HER affiliate link, not mine.  $1.39 is all you have to pay for shipping.

I want to show you what I did:

I made a Tanagram Puzzle Book.  I have uploaded the individual pages to Dropbox.  The pages are sized to the mini book.  Here is the link to the actual book.  Downloaded the puzzles and solutions from Google Images.  I put them an a colorful background in Photoshop.

I am going to cut the pieces from a magnet sheet and store in an Altoid's Tin or get someone I know to cut from very thin wood.  The pattern is also in the dropbox link.

I think it will be a great addition to a shoebox for boys or girls and almost any age.

SHOESTRING: OLD SCRAPBOOK STICKERS

Do you know a scrapbooker?

I am 100% sure if you do, they have some supplies that would be a great addition to your shoeboxes. 

• Stickers

• Pads of "dated" papers

• Decorative Scissors 

• Embellishments 

I have tons of this kind of stuff in my craft room. The decorative edge scissors would be such a fun addition to a box and your scrapbooker friends would be happy to give them up!

TIME SENSITIVE SHOESTRING DEAL

End of Season toy clearance can be a shoestring way to get perfect things to stash away. 

Rite Aid has their summer toy clearance 75% off right now. 

I liked the price on the jump ropes 79 cents and the bouncy balls are a SUPER item at 37 cents. They had a lot at my store and in a lot of different patterns .  These are heavy and solid, far nicer than anything at Dollar Tree. 

I am sure there were other items but I was in a  hurry. 

Another item, I should have bought:

5 pack of throwing and catching toys. 

$7.99*.25= 1.99/5=  40 cents each

Much cuter than this picture