Dollar Tree Cleaning Supplies

I wanted to list and tell you what I use from the Dollar Tree for cleaning. I will eventually show some of my organizing items from the Dollar Tree in another blog. I am no way a cleaning expert or have one of those fancy super clean houses like on youtube. I find those videos helpful at times but unrealistic since a majority of those on those youtube channels are homebased employed people. If you have animals, kids or both combined with a spouse, work full time, school full time-you know what I am talking about. Its a losing battle at times because you can put up lists, yell at people and or even kindly ask and most of the time no one listens. How frustrating is it when you have  cleaned your home when you leave for work and come back from a 12 hour day to see your kitchen and everything else trashed and no one even left some dinner for you. Yeah,  So as the only person who basically cleans and organizes in a house of dirty men, I understand your frustration.

Here is my list

These cleaning clothes are 24 inches by 16 inches. They are great for cars but I also use them for dusting knick knacks and hand cleaning my floors. I wet them in warm water and add a little soap for either dusting or washing floors. You could also use them in your Swiffer mop. Easy to clean and dry-just throw in the washer. I don't put them in the dryer because they dry quickly just hang drying them.

I use this scrub brush not for dishes but for cleaning my shower. I add vinegar and dawn to the soap dispenser in it and wash my shower walls and glass with it.

These are great for the kitchen or the bathroom.

Mr. Clean's Magic eraser is great for cleaning walls and glass. I use it on my mirrors and glass shower doors mostly. I use the sponge dry and it wipes off spots quickly.

This brush is great for scrubbing surfaces that need a little more attention. You could use it in the kitchen or the bathroom. I find it great cleaning off kitchen sinks or shower floors. 

I use this squeegee to clean up my shower especially the glass doors when I am done showering. I know it sounds excessive but I like my shower doors clean.

Swiffers are great for reaching places that are hart to get. They pick up dust really well. I recently bought the one that extends longer(Dollar Tree doesn't sell them) and am able to get upper walls, fans and other higher up areas. I also made my own Swiffer pads with fleece. I use furniture polish to spray on my fleece pads and it attracts and clings the dust to the fleece pads.

Always handy to have on hand when you don't want to pull out a broom. It easy to get on top of places like sewing tables, floors of sewing rooms where it is hard to reach with a broom.

I love these spray bottles. I make my own shower cleaner(1 part white vinegar and 1 part dawn), glass cleaner(vinegar) and have one with just water that is used when I iron. 

I didn't want to spend money on a toilet brush. Why? Because its a toilet brush. Anyway, I pour some cleaner(you can use anything natural or store bought - I usually just use 1 part water and 1 part cleaner)into the container the brush sits in so you can quickly clean and it doesn't get gross. I usually just do  a quick clean of the toilet in the morning. I would change the containers contents every two weeks.

 I see all these gadgets on youtube and think I don't need to spend so much on cleaning items. 

I hope that help with finding inexpensive items to clean your house.

How to Organize Earring Hooks and Spacer Beads

I use the regular bead containers to organize my earring hooks and spacers. It is just easier to find when everything is organized. I already have other containers for regular beads and I will have a blog on that coming soon.

SPACER BEADS

EARRING HOOKS

MORE SPACER BEADS

How to Organize Craft Paint

I found this article from A Page in Time: How to make your own organizing system. I love it and did the same with my craft paint.

The two pictures below are of my craft paints.

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Mine aren't as great looking but it works. These are all the paints when I did t-shirt painting for my kids. I don't use them very much anymore but when I do use them they are in order.

I actually used up all these paints here. I need to restock.

How to Organize Colored Snaps

This is how I organize my snaps. It is a 30 compartment clear plastic container. I have my snaps by color and by snap parts. I also keep the list of snap color names to them. I bought this container at Michaels with a coupon about 2 years ago. You can purchase them at any craft store or online.
They are also great for thread.

Rainbow Fabric Quilted Scarf

This is the scarf I designed for a family member as a Xmas present. I have a lot of scraps and decided to use the whole color palette.  

I ironed in between seams before stitching them with matching thread.

I did a fancy stitch in between each seam not only for looks but to make the seams stronger.

I had to lay them out on the bed to see what colors I was going to use . Each scrap was ironed too. Some scraps didn't make it to final cut.

I used fleece for the inside and did the same with the joining seams.

Here's a picture of sections-white, black and gray. Batman with skeletons and Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls.

Brown, yellow and orange section.

Red, pink and purple section. You see that cute Casper part?

Blue and green section with the Justice League on the left.

This is the scarf I designed for a family member as a Xmas present. I have a lot of scraps and decided to use the whole color palette. It measures 9 inches by 80 inches.

Avengers Infinity War Shirt

I made this shirt for my dad for Xmas. I saw this fabric and right away bought for him. Bought the fabric at Joann's Fabric.

Joker Costume Part 2

I had written about this Joker costume I made back in the 90's here  I wanted to update it since now there is a pattern for it. There are many tutorials on how to make it and I give some details in my previous blog but I will give more details here.

You can just buy the Simplicity pattern which includes everything except the spats.

You can also just buy the shirt and vest at a Goodwill store but the colors are hard to find. I bought my shirt at Goodwill and dyed it. I bought a baggy pants (Zootsuit pattern) for the pants and I bought a separate pattern for the jacket and the vest. Shoes can be bought at Goodwill. It depends on what you need. It also depends on what version of Joker you are going to do. Movie versions, cartoon, video games.

Here is a pdf for a spat pattern
http://www.thankyoufornotbeingperky.com/images/spatsPattern2008.pdf

Great info from Anthony Misiano also known as Harley's Joker.
Info
here

Craft Fair at Durham Community School

  I only do one craft fair a year and do it at my kid's old school. I did horrible last year just barely covering the cost of my table. I am happy to say I had the best year ever. I don't know if it was where my table was or the new way I set it up? I also wore samples in my hair and dressed up a bit.
Anyway, here is my table.