If you're still looking for inexpensive gift ideas we have quite a few NEW ITEMS available. Of course there are plenty more where these came from!

I came across the photo for the Home Made Beaded Candles we featured in our Blog last September and thought how pretty they would look decorated in holiday colors. So I decided to reprint the directions here in our newsletter since there is still time for adding Christmas decorations:

Today, candles are a must in any home’s decor. Not only do they add a lovely and colorful touch to the room’s surrounding, they introduce an inviting aroma to the whole house.

At home decor stores you could spend anywhere from $5 to $25 or more on beautiful and unique candles. If you hate to spend that kind of money, but long to have elegant candles in your home, here’s a quick and easy solution. Decorate your own candles for pennies on the dollar! This crafting project will allow all the creative leeway you want and it is a perfect idea for gifts as well! In only a few easy steps you will be enjoying the glitter and gleam of your own homemade designer candles.


What will I need?

Small crafting pins ( I used small sequin pins)
Beads
Plain, inexpensive candles


How do I do it?

To get started you will want to choose the candle you will be working with. Find a plain candle in any size, shape and color at a local crafting store or discount retailer. There are literally thousands of options to choose from. You could even pick up a few and make a collection of candles. Next choose the beads you want to add to the candle. There is a wide range of beads to choose from and most come in packages of 20 or more. When purchasing your crafting pins be sure to take note of the size of the hole in the beads you choose. You will need to make sure that the head of the pin is large enough to securely place the bead onto the candle. Packages of crafting pins can also be found a your local crafting store and usually come in packages of 100 or more. These pins come in both silver and gold tones, so you can choose which color best compliments the beads and candle you choose.

1) Decide on a pattern that you will be applying to your candle. You can place the beads randomly around the candle or chose a striped (or other) pattern.

2) If you decide to create a pattern on your candle, use the point of one of the crafting pins and map out the pattern by making small pin marks into the wax. Not too deep though, you may decide later to change the pattern.

3) Using a crafting pin place the bead onto the candle by inserting the pin through the hole in the bead. Press firmly until the pin is inserted entirely into the candle. Due to having to insert the pin all the way into the candle you may want to choose the smallest length of pin that will allow you to place the bead onto the candle.

4) Repeat until you have completed your pattern or have placed the desired amount of beads onto the candle. You’re done!

You now have a charming decorative candle for the fraction of the cost! Family and friends will delight in this thoughtful and creative gift.


Additional tips for this creative crafting idea:

Make a matched set of candles. Purchase the same color of candles in differing sizes, or the same size of candles in differing colors.

Display your candle collection on a glass plate (you can purchase these inexpensive candle trays at a local discount retailer or save even more money and look at the price of plain glass dishes. You can usually pick up a good sized glass plate for about a dollar).

Add several different beads to one candle.

Forgo using the beads and use just the crafting pins inserted into the candle as decoration.

If you want to make a really fancy pattern on your candle, use a stencil and map out the pattern.

Something to think about:

The Optimist Creed

Enjoy the wonderful words of wisdom found in this inspirational poem, The Optimist Creed, or as the original poetry was entitled, Promises to Yourself. This work was first published in 1912.

It appeared in the book, "Your Forces and How to Use Them", authored by Christian D. Larson. Mr. Larson was a writer and a speaker who believed that with a positive attitude people can achieve more than they can imagine.


Promise yourself….
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind;
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet;
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them;
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true;
To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best;
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own;
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future;
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile;
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others;
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear; and too happy to permit the presence of trouble;
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds;
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
 

Recipes

Brown Sugar Cutouts

I bake so many cookies for the holidays that I have one recipe box just for cookies alone! But of all of them, these simple cutouts are among my husband's flavor favorites.
-- Norma Mueller, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You Will Need
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
FROSTING
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
Green food coloring, optional

What to Do
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and lemon peel; beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda and ginger; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

2. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with 2-in. cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For frosting, in a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough cream to achieve spreading consistency. Add food coloring if desired to some or all of the frosting. Decorate cookies.

Yield: about 6 dozen.

One of our customer's is looking for  old and crude glass, pottery and porcelain insulators.
Pretty and bright colors with patent dates are a plus.
Telegraph, telephone, electric power and lightning rod insulators.
He especially would like anything odd and unusual. The photos are samples I found on the internet and may or may not depict what our customer is looking for.

Please send an email to: Sharon

And to remind you of our Name Your Price Sale.... While writing our newsletter last month a customer contacted us with her offer on a couple of our vintage linen items. She stated that she is going to make "morsbags" from the napkins she chose. These are bags that are made and given for free to people so that they will stop using the plastic bags. (Morsbags are a green alternative to using paper or plastic grocery bags from the store.) She would like to use the sheet she chose to make pajama (lounge) pants or perhaps a wrap around skirt (or both) to be sold with the proceeds going to the Pan Mass Challenge (bike fund raiser that gives 100% of proceeds to Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

We had no problem accepting her bid.

Also, I still think our Layaway program combined with the Name Your Price Sale are the two greatest tools anyone could have who is looking to save money. 

And with that, I will close this edition of our newsletter.  Oh and check out the items below before you go. Thank you!