Car boot Bargains 11/5/13 and Dolly Nappies the Recycled Way

Well this weekend has been a bit wet, so not so many people doing car boot sales this weekend, but managed to pick up a few bargains. There were some jeans for the kids for 50p each, books for the kids for 10p, I am all for them buying books. I managed to find two big bags of wool for £2.00 , which is perfect as I want to learn how to crochet, so that will get me started. I also found a "how to make clothes" book for me for 20p always handy for hints and tips, no matter how much sewing you have done.
But the star of the show for a grand total of One Shiny Pound is shown below
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It is a dolls baby changing station and bath, you can even fill the bath with water and empty it like a paddling pool, you put the lid down and it is a baby changing station.
This inspired some more upcycling, as we discovered much to my daughter's abject horror, her babies have no nappies , and what good is that when you have a baby changing station.
So I made nappies for her babies, I used an old Terry towelling nappy I had, and got two nappies out of it, but you could use an old towel, or tea towel or even buy cheap flannels if you have nothing available, and you will also need a small amount of Velcro(hook and loop fastening) Here is how I did it.

1) First get your doll that requires the nappies and draw the shape of a nappy on paper to fit, add a 3/8" seam allowance all around , and cut it to check fit. Below is a picture of the finished flat nappy to give you an idea of shape.


2) Next use your paper cut out to cut a double layer of your fabric , you will need two pieces of fabric(one double layer per nappy) I placed the short end of the
pattern on a fold to be a bit lazy and cut out some sewing.

3) Place your fabric right sides together and sew all around with a 3/8" seam allowance leaving a 2-3" gap along the middle of the long side of your nappy for turning the right way around.

4) Turn right side out and with the raw edges turned inside sew along the long side of the nappy close the gap.

5) Now with the nappy flat , sew a longish strip of hook and loop along the top edge of the short edge of the nappy about 1/2 inch down from the edge , measurement is not critical.

6) Turn the nappy over and use the opposite piece of hook and loop and sew a small tab on each end of the long side of the nappy, hopefully this will make sense from the picture below if you imagine it opened out, and you have a dolly nappy






Until next time happy upcycling

Car Boot Sale Bargains 5th May 2013

I thought I would share a few of the car boot sale bargains that I have found this weekend, we have two large car boot sales close to us, since my husband was off Saturday and Sunday, we treated ourselves to two :
These are just a few of the bargains we found this weekend, first and most importantly my sewing bargains shown below.
A pair of monster curtains, as soon as I saw these I thought little tote bags , so that is what they are destined to be, you can see the finished article here
The trims were from a lovely lady who used to do a lot of upholstery work at one point and no longer had the room for them.


The trims have already been used here really pleased with how they turned out, makes me think "Moroccan" for some reason

Also really pleased with this little table, we have been after a little drinks table for the garden and this was perfect for £1.00



As the old saying goes "one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Another item I haven't photographed but that I was really pleased with was a Power Rangers duvet and curtain set for my middle son for three pounds , he currently loves them. We don't need the curtains as his room has velux blinds but they are cotton and perfect for pyjama making. I will share these at a later stage as I will need to draw the pattern for these so may take a few weeks to fit them in.
Other bargains included brand new branded make up for 50p , threading beads, plasticine and how could I forget the Power Rangers book for 20p, so all in all a good haul.
I hope this has inspired you to do a spot of bargain hunting yourself.

Lawn Mowing Interupted

I thought I would share with you a little project that Mr. Martisanne undertook in the garden in the sunshine this week, he disappeared into the garden to mow the lawn, the lawnmower wouldn't start so this is what happened instead, he unleashed a little of his creative spirit




We were gifted maybe a year ago some small mosaic tiles and have been waiting for a project for which to use them and here it is.



Very easy to do , just use "hard as nails" or similar strong adhesive, spread it on a concrete post with a tile spreader and stick the tiles on, it was only done last week so can't vouch for the longevity of project , but for the time being it looks very pretty.



Next to be mosaiced is the fishpond walls.

You could pick tiles up for this project fairly easily, people usually have spare tiles from tiling, so keep an eye out at your local recycling centre or freecycle or car boot sales. Sometimes diy shops may have discontinued lines cheap ,or part boxes heavily reduced if a couple have broken in the box.

You could use this idea for endless projects, walls , plant pots , a table top or indoor projects like mirror frames, picture frames, upcycle a wooden box to pretty jewellery box,I would love to here of any ideas you have or projects you have undertaken with recycled tiles

Joggers to Shorts Upcycling tutorial

Well with a sniff of Summer last week I thought I had better get my skates on with the kids summer wardrobes. My middle son had outgrown a couple of pairs of jogging bottoms that were fine on the waist but were rapidly becoming "Harry half masts", I had to take them out of circulation to stop him wearing them so on the upcycling pile they went. Last week they were changed from the unwearable to wearable again with a little help from a pair of scissors and my sewing machine.
Here is how I did it.

1) First lay out your joggers or jeans or other trousers you want to cut down to shorts folded flat down the centre seam , with the crotch pulled out and make sure each leg and the crotch and waist band is lined up with each other so your legs end up the same length, as shown below




2) Use chalk or tailors chalk or a tailors pencil to mark the length you want your shorts to be, use an existing pair that fits if this helps and draw across the legs of the trousers, if you are not sure go longer they can always be cut shorter, but you can't stick it back on once you have cut it.

3) Mark another line 1 inch below this , this is the line you will cut along (this allows for a hem allowance), and cut as shown below, making sure everything is still lined up before you cut.


4) Open up your shorts and look to see if they look even and if possible try them on the intended victim, remember they will be an inch longer approx than you want at the moment you need that for the hem allowance.

5) Now turn the cut off trousers inside out and iron the bottom edge up 1/2 inch and then 1/2 inch again and iron so that the raw edge is enclosed , you should have the first chalk mark now running along the bottom edge of the shorts.

6) Pin the ironed hem down and use a straight stitch and sew all around the bottom hem of the shorts using a 3/8 inch seam allowance, don't forget to use a jersey/ball point needle if using a stretchy fabric like jersey joggers.

7) Et voila new shorts


You could skip the sewing part if you like, as denim frays and looks good this way, and jersey doesn't really fray ,if you do this cut along your first line,you won't need the extra inch for the hemline, but I prefer the neatness of hemming.

Although it's very tempting don't go cutting all your trousers down to shorts, or you will have very cold legs come Autumn and probably through the Summer too if you live in the UK.

Easy Gardening and Recycling

I thought I would share with you , what I have been up to this week, especially Thursday, when the sun was shining, and I decided it was finally time to plant my seeds.
I am all for cheap cheerful and recycling, so here is where I combine it all with gardening. Firstly the seeds themselves I have been purchasing some of my seeds in the end of season sales in shops, seeds generally have a few years shelf life , but check on the packet to make sure they are ok or the following year. Another good source of seeds if you are in the UK are "The 99p Shop" and "Poundland" I have recently bought some 6 in 1 packets , with a variety of seeds in these are ideal if you want an inexpensive way to give growing a go without too much outlay.
Now this is the recycling bit, collect together empty plastic fizzy drink bottles keeping the lids on , 2 litre ones are best and clean them out and take the labels off. Now cut the bottles in half approximately ,doesn't have to be accurate half way between the lid and the base. I find it easiest to start the cut off with a sharp knife in a sawing motion so it doesn't crack, then use sharp scissors to cut around, be careful as the cut plastic is sharp.
You now have two halves of a bottle, you will need one bottle for every two plant pots.
Fill your plant pots with compost and follow the seed instructions for planting , try to make sure you only plant in the pot in an area that can be covered by the bottles cut end, water as instructed .
Now place your plastic bottle halves cut side down in the compost over where the seeds have been planted, make sure you stick a little stick in the pot labelled so you know what you have planted, please don't think you will remember which is which plant, trust me from experience you won't and you will be quite surprised by your long spicy chilli like item growing on your carefully grown tomato plant :-)
Voila you have just made propagators, your seeds are protected from the elements. You could leave them in windowsills to grow , or I put mine in my cold frame outside , or green house especially now the weather is getting warmer. Just check a few times a week to make sure the soil is damp, if not add a little water. Check your seed packet to see when the seeds are ok to be moved on.
Here you can see my tray of seeds I prepared.




I think I have covered everything, if I think of anything else I will add it later, and I would be interested to hear of any tips you have

Oh and nearly forgot last year Autumn time my son wanted to grow apples from the seeds in his eating apple , we dried them out on a tissue in the windowsill for a month and planted them in a pot using the pop bottle propagator method as above, I was feeling a bit dubious about it ,but he was insistant. I forgot about them till I was clearing out my greenhouse last week, only water they have had is from the atmosphere and what has blown in through the green house window and tada look what we got, we got free apple trees, well I hope they are , they look like the ones in my book but only time will tell.

Car Boot Sale Etiquette

If you have never been to a car boot sale you probably have a lot of questions about what happens at these strange affairs, the answer to all of these is "nothing to be afraid of".I will try and cover what is expected or not so , if you are going for the first time you are prepared and know what to expect.

Prices

How much do things cost ?

This varies from seller, everyone sets their own prices this can be anything from free and upwards, yes I did say free I have frequently come across people with a little box of free to a good home items.

Will items be labelled with prices ?

Yes and no some people will diligently stick stickers on every item, others you will need to ask. Please don't be afraid to ask , it by no means obligates you to buy an item, if the price is not to your liking then just say "Thank you" and move on no one will think any the less of you , or try the next tip.

Are prices set in stone ?

You will find a small minority of people will not budge from the stated price, but most are very open to negotiation especially toward the end of the car boot sale when they really do not want to pack items up and take them home, I speak from experience selling at car boot sales too.

How do I haggle ?

So you have asked the price and it is more than you were wanting to spend, that lovely pair of jeans is £1.50, you only wanted to spend a pound, just politely ask the seller "would you accept £1.00" for them, if the answers yes everyone is happy, if the answer is "no" then decide are you willing to pay £1.50 after all, if so then politely "I will take them please" or if you are not willing to spend that much then politely "Thank you anyway" and move on to better bargains.
If you are wanting to buy multiple items use this as a bargaining tool instead of £1.00 each will they take £2.50 for three, the worst that can happen is they say no, if they were in your position they would do the same.

Is it ok to pick things up and examine them ?

Yes indeedy whether it is a 10p mug or a £20.00 painting it is your money and you want an item that is fit for the purpose you require it for, no one expects you to pay for an item you have inspected from the other side of the field, sellers expect you to examine items before purchase.
If clothes are in a big pile, have a rummage , you may find the best bargains at the bottom, just be respectful of other peoples belongings , if clothes are neatly folded look through them by all means , but leave them as you found them it is only polite.
A lady once commented to me at a car boot sale after I had looked through her stall that it was lovely to come across someone who put the clothes back folded as they found them and she couldn't believe the rudeness of other people just throwing them down in a pile, neither could I.
As with life treat other people the way you would want to be treated yourself.

If I change my mind and want to buy something I passed up earlier can I do this ?

If it is still there go for it , I have been back to stalls where I have decided its worth the higher price and said I will take it after all, you get what you want seller makes a sale everyone is happy.
Our current garden chairs were a bargain we went back for , an hour after seeing them on the way back to the car they were still there, we offered the lady the same lower price again, so she would not have to take them home, she accepted and we have lovely garden chairs, don't be afraid to be cheeky and ask, as long as you are polite with it this will sometimes swing things in your favour.

Car boot sales are sociable events , most people buying and selling are there not just for the buying and selling, but for the social side of it, be friendly, smile and chat, some people even have stories about what they are selling.
They are a social event as a family too, get some exercise and chat on the way round, the things we see as a family can become talking points of peoples like and dislikes, seeing interesting items not seen before, what are they for ? what does it do ?

I hope I have dispelled any myths , and if you have not been to a car boot sale before,I hope this has given you the information for you to go confidently forward bargain hunting

Preparing to go to a car boot sale

Before going to a car boot sale there are always items that I pack to take with me, as its not a bargain for 50p if I have had to spend an additional five pounds on items I could have taken with me.Below is a list of preparations I make, and items I pack in my 20p car boot sale bargain rucksack, I hope this will give you a starting point of things to consider before setting off on your bargain hunting adventure.

First make a list, I write it on a memo on my phone of items you are on the look out for, I have my children's shoe and clothes sizes, lists of presents I need to buy etc. Always handy to refer to so you are buying the right size etc, it is not a bargain if it's 2 sizes too small


1) Check time and day and location of the car boot sale you are going to attend and make sure you know the way, try if you can to get there near to the opening
time so you don't miss out on bargains.
2) Try and make sure you have loose change for your entrance fee and also for paying for items as sellers won't necessarily have a lot of change it's pot luck if
they do or not
3) Little packs of tissues , I take these for toilet use as frequently with portaloos there is inevitably not a lot of toilet paper
4) Hand sanitiser again for toilet use, especially if you are taking children
5) Raincoats,suntan lotion, caps and sunglasses, to cope with the typical British weather
6) Snacks and drinks as you don't want to be spending money you are aiming to save on food and drink
7) I frequently give the kids an ice pop in the car in the summer on the way there saves them begging at the ice cream van as they have already had one
8) Don't forget your list as mentioned above
9) Make sure you are wearing comfortable footwear as some of these boot sales can be quite a way around and you want to be comfortable.

In the next post I will be discussing etiquette , what to do when your there