Make your own felt board

Debt Free Holiday: DIY Felt Boards

That’s right, it’s that time of year again, when we are thinking of how to have a lovely, thoughtful holiday without breaking the bank (or the planet!). Every year I look for “green” gift ideas that save cash and reduce, reuse, recycle while still being special and encouraging creativity. (I recently saw Polar Express for the first time, and I LOVE the scene where they explain that Santa is now in the refurbishing business, giving unloved toys new life. I’ve been saying that for years!)

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Sock Monkey and beyond: Stuffed toys to make

You can make a stuffed toy out of anything. Scraps, fabric you get off freecycle, old sheets, old t-shirts, you name it. Fleece and flannel make particularly cuddly toys, and since blankets and sheets tend to wear out in the middle first, you may be able to score plenty of toy making materials with a “wanted” on your local Freecycle list or the free section of Craig’s List. If you’re planning ahead for next year, be advised that those Christmas prints are going to be on super-duper sale starting sometime in December, and will be going for pennies starting December 26. For some reason, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa prints tend to follow the same sale price schedule, even though they don’t follow the same calendar. You can sometimes find craft panels that will be great gifts at those sales, too.

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