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Homemade Parmesan Crisps – Go Great with Salad!

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September 6, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Frugal Living, Instagram, Pinterest, Recipe

Parmesan Crisps

I seriously love a salad but the side of something crunchy, salty and irresistible makes it even better! You will love these Parmesan Cheese Crisps. A few suggestions I have are use good quality cheese and a splat mat to prevent sticking and burning.

Ingredients:

8 ounces good quality Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Finely grate the cheese into a bowl.
Line a large baking sheet with a non-stick pad or Parchment paper.
Add a heaping teaspoon of cheese to the pan until you have six mounds, evenly spread apart.
Lightly press the mounds out until they are flat. Push in any stray pieces that stick out.
Bake for 5-6 minutes or until the egdes are golden brown but not all the way to the center. They will look wet, and that’s ok. If you bake them until entirely brown, they will be bitter.
Remove from oven. They will begin to firm up almost immediately.
Carefully remove with a metal spatula and place on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and gently press down to absorb the grease.
If you’d like to mold them, be sure to do it before they harden, which happens quickly. You can free hand it, or use a large wooden spoon handle to roll them up.
Once they are completely cooled and crisp, you can store them in an airtight container between layers of wax paper for up to three days. Keep them in the refrigerator.

Makes 25-30 crisps

I like to drag my Silpat (or parchment) off of the pan to speed the cooling process up and get another batch in, but it’s up to you if you want to encourage your readers to do that. The recipe works the either way, but that just makes it go quicker.

Homemade Parmesan Crisps – Go Great with Salad!

Author: Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 6 mins
Total Time: 16 minutes
Yield: 25-30 crisps 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

8 ounces good quality Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Finely grate the cheese into a bowl.
Line a large baking sheet with a non-stick pad or Parchment paper.
Add a heaping teaspoon of cheese to the pan until you have six mounds, evenly spread apart.
Lightly press the mounds out until they are flat. Push in any stray pieces that stick out.
Bake for 5-6 minutes or until the egdes are golden brown but not all the way to the center. They will look wet, and that’s ok. If you bake them until entirely brown, they will be bitter.
Remove from oven. They will begin to firm up almost immediately.
Carefully remove with a metal spatula and place on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and gently press down to absorb the grease.
If you’d like to mold them, be sure to do it before they harden, which happens quickly. You can free hand it, or use a large wooden spoon handle to roll them up.
Once they are completely cooled and crisp, you can store them in an airtight container between layers of wax paper for up to three days. Keep them in the refrigerator.

Notes

I like to drag my Silpat (or parcment) off of the pan to speed the cooling process up and get another batch in, but it’s up to you if you want to encourage your readers to do that. The recipe works the either way, but that just makes it go quicker.

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We also have a Keto Approved Cheese Chips with Everything Bagel Seasoning!

Love these Parmesan Crisps? They go great with salad – pair with this Copycat Olive Garden Dressing. Pin to Pinterest.

Follow all Recipes on Frugal Coupon Living as well as FCLAsh on Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Teaching Kids Manners

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August 29, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Kids, Parenting, Pinterest, Social Media

Teaching kids manners? This list of list of manners and etiquette will raise a child with discipline and good character. Includes teaching manners activities, manners for kids games, how to write a thank you note, cell phone etiquette and more.

Teaching Kids Manners – Essential Etiquette and Practical Tips

Teaching kids manners is extremely important. When a child is well mannered, he or she knows how to behave and interact with others properly. They can make friends easier, be more successful in school and work, have better relationships with adults, and feel happier and more confident overall. It’s never too early (or too late) to start teaching your children good manners—be it on a playground during recess or sitting around the dinner table with the family.

Why is Teaching Kids Manners Important?

Teaching children good manners isn’t just about teaching a few phrases – it’s often about giving them tools for social intelligence so they’re able to communicate well throughout all aspects of their lives.

Teaching kids manners teaches them how to interact with the world around them.
Manners are about treating others well, and teaching children this will help reduce conflict with others because they’ll know how to get along better in social situations.
Manners are about having respect for others and teaching children manners can help them see the world as a place where they’re respected too.
It’s not just about showing up on time or using your words, it’s also making sure that you’re conscious of how people feel in the way you act toward them.

Essential Manners to Teach Your Kids

For a quick overview of teaching manners to kids, refer to this handy Guidelines for Good Manners chart from Thirty Handmade Days.

Learn the Magic Words

When you were a child, your parents and teachers probably taught you that some words were “magic words.” These were please, thank you, may I, and you’re welcome. These are still essential phrases every parent should teach young children today. They never go out of style!

To practice these skills for an upcoming holiday dinner or staying at a friend’s house, play this Yes Please, No Thank You Meal Manners Game from Happy Home Fairy.

Say please and thank you to service workers after receiving services or goods. This is especially important for kids to learn, because those who work with the public deal with a lot. Good manners go a long way toward making them feel appreciated.

Write Thank You Letters

No matter how old you are, writing thank-you letters is a way to show appreciation for gifts and gestures. It’s always good manners to take the time out of your day to write grateful messages back in return.

Nicole from Coffee and Carpool offers tips on writing meaningful and thoughtful thank you letters. She recommends that parents take note of gifts their children receive as well as who sent them; taking pictures of the child using the gift; writing the note on the back of the photo, and keeping the number of notes you write at once to five or fewer.

Another handy idea is using templates to help your child get their thoughts organized and on paper. Fantastic Fun and Learning offers three cute thank you note templates for Christmas gifts—one is blank, one is lined, and one has three boxes for drawing and writing.

The Suburban Mom offers a cute thank you template for teachers where young children can fill in the blanks and draw a picture of their teacher. It’s a great way for kids to show their appreciation at the end of the year.

Setting the Table

Setting the table is a skill that every kid should know how to do. It’s not difficult, and it teaches kids about organization and etiquette. The goal is to create an attractive place setting for your family mealtime.

These table setting placemats from Positively Splendid are an excellent place to start to teach kids who are just learning to set the table. Of course, tea parties, wedding receptions, and formal dinners are fancier affairs, so here’s a nifty diagram of informal and formal place settings from Simply Sprout to use for such occasions.

Be a Good Hostess – Practice with a Tea Party

Hosting a tea party is an elegant affair. You’ll have the perfect gathering with these Tea-rrific Tea Party Ideas! We’ve got ideas for everything you need to make your next garden party extra special—tea finger sandwiches, floral teacup centerpieces, and vintage books for display.

Hosting such events helps kids practice many different types of manners, including sending out personalized invitations, accepting RSVPs from guests, and mingling at gatherings. They’ll also practice proper etiquette when setting the table, eating with the correct utensils, and using good table manners.

Phone Etiquette

Kids love answering the phone, but they don’t always use their best manners when doing so. Teach your child the proper way to answer the phone from an early age. You may prefer your child give a simple “Hello” or “Good morning” or a more formal “Hello, this is Chloe. To whom am I speaking?” response. Also teach children to answer the phone promptly, preferably before the third ring.

When it comes to teens and their phones, there’s a lot more cell phone etiquette that needs to be covered. This cell phone contract from Thirty Handmade Days is an excellent place to start. Teens must agree to always answer their parents, to never bring the phone to the dinner table, to never call or text anyone after 9PM, and other manners and responsibilities. Have your tween or teen sign the contract upon getting their first phone!

Don’t Interrupt Others

Kids are full of energy and curiosity, which is why they want to chime in on conversations. However, some kids have a hard time with self-control when it comes to interrupting others. More importantly, being interrupted can be frustrating for the person who was speaking, kids and adults alike. If you find yourself getting frustrated with your child’s interruptions, here are a few tips that may help:

Teach your children polite phrases like “excuse me” and “may I please?” so that when they want people’s attention, they will politely say those phrases instead of just jumping in with an interruption.
Wait to respond to their questions. Many parents tell their children to stop interrupting, but in the next moment, they respond to the child’s interruption anyway. This just makes it more likely for your child to keep interrupting. Wait for an appropriate pause in the conversation before you turn to your child and ask what they need.
Teach “the squeeze.” Let your child know that when you are speaking to an adult, she can gently squeeze your hand to let you know she needs you. Gently squeeze her hand in acknowledgment to let her know that you’re aware she needs you, and respond to her as soon as possible.
Take turns talking. Practice this skill with your children or have them practice with each other. No one can say a word until the speaker is finished talking.

Cover Coughs, Sneezes, and Yawns

Do you find yourself really grossed out when someone coughs or sneezes into the air? You’re not alone! Kids need to learn to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or with their arm if a tissue is not available. This keeps saliva and germs off hands. Of course, this will take some practice. A simple way for children to remember is with this short rhyme: “Cough or sneeze—cover it please!” Don’t forget to encourage them to cover their yawns, too, as this is the polite thing to do in the company of others.

Clean Hands Often

Keeping your hands clean is as much about manners as it is good hygiene. Kids should also be encouraged to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. This glitter germ activity from The Simple Parent provides kids with a good visual of how germs can cling to hands without thorough washing.

Manners may seem like a small thing, but they are key to making others feel comfortable and valued. With a little bit of guidance from parents or teachers, kids can learn the importance of good manners in everyday life.

After learning every thing about good manners, host a tea party! These Tea Party ideas are quite fun! Pin to Pinterest.

Elf on the Shelf Ideas | Elf is Back!

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August 27, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Christmas, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media, The Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Are you following all of Frugal Coupon Living’s Elf on the Shelf Ideas? See well over 100s of creative, funny, and original ideas for your Elf! Today Elf is Back through an Elf Door!

Elf on the Shelf Ideas | Elf is Back

We are back, so is the Elf! If you have been with us a long time, you know we have brought you a new Elf on the Shelf Idea every day in November and December. Today we are focusing on Elf on the Shelf Arrival Ideas.

Elf on the Shelf Door

We have a few ways for you to reintroduce your Elf into your home. Yesterday we shared Elf comes back with a welcome back package. Today we have another option for Elf returning to your home. Consider having him come through an Elf door.

Elf is Back! All of a sudden, a door showed up in our home and the next day an Elf came through! In our photo, we added this Mud Pie Elf Door. I love the Christmas lights around the door frame! Very festive.

Arrival Elf Door

You can also find more Elf Doors online. I mean, you guys, the possibilities are really endless.

In first Elf on the Shelf Door, you can get a ladder (to climb up the baseboard) and little footprint templates to have your shelf walking across the floor (just add flour!)

In this second Elf Door, you get a cute white picket fence and evergreen wreath. What would scream home sweet home more?

This final idea is a sticker Elf Door – easy peasy.

See all of our Elf on the Shelf Arrival Ideas. So many ways to say I’m Back and Hello!

Don’t forget our Elf on the Shelf Departure Ideas – Creative Ways to Say Good-bye to Elf on the Last Night. Save to Pinterest for when you are just too tired to come up with an idea!

Here at Frugal Coupon Living, we celebrate Elf on the Shelf for 2 months, the month of November and the month of December all the way through Christmas Eve. We like to share a few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, when Elf comes, to give you idea and then we like to join you with ideas when the Elf arrives in your home.

Pin to Pinterest because you will want to stay up to date on these ideas each Christmas season. So many more to come, see our previous Elf on the Shelf Ideas. Here we have a lot of FREE Printables! Be sure to also follow the Elf on the Shelf Pinterest Board for fun ideas from other bloggers too.

What is Elf on the Shelf?

Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas Tradition. The tradition has a book and a elf doll. The book is poetic and in rhyme sharing the purpose of the Elf’s visits. The Elf visits each Thanksgiving. He/She goes and returns from the North Pole each evening. Every morning he can be found in a new location in the house. The Elf has been found in the refrigerator, fishing in the toilet, writing messages on the mirror or hanging from the lights. It is VERY IMPORTANT, the Elf is not touch each evening or his Christmas magic will be lost! Each family is able to name their special elf. The elves return to their home (Santa’s North Pole Work shop) every Christmas Eve. An Elf’s Story can also be found on DVD.

Don’t forget all of our daily Elf on the Shelf Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

We can’t do this alone. Don’t forget WE WANT YOU! We would love to share your ideas too. Send us your easy, creative and Funny Elf on the Shelf Ideas! We might not be able to share them all, but we will share some creative ideas! Pin to Pinterest.

Online you can find ENDLESS Elf on the Shelf Accessories, Books, Games and Toys. We love some of the creativity coming from Etsy too!

Be sure to Follow Frugal Coupon Living on Pinterest where there are many Pinterest Elf on the Shelf Ideas.

30 Days of Elf on the Shelf Jokes

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August 23, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Christmas, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media, The Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Your new daily Elf Ideas are covered with you download these 30 Days of Elf on the Shelf Jokes. Silly Christmas jokes that create a funny Elf all season long. Plus over 500 original Elf on the Shelf Ideas plus free printables.

Want the newest Elf on the Shelf Ideas in your inbox daily in the month of November & December? Sign up here!

30 Days of Elf on the Shelf Jokes

We are back, so is the Elf on the Shelf! If you have been with us a long time, you know we have brought you a new Elf on the Shelf Ideas daily (in the months of November and December) for the past seven years. You can view our Elf on the Shelf Master List for a full list of ideas including every idea we have ever done.

Elf on the Shelf Jokes Cards

Many of you expressed relief over having 8 days of Elf covered with the Elf on the Shelf Jokes for Kids. We get it. It’s still possible to be creative with your Elf ideas and keep it simple. That is why we put together an entire season of Elf on the Shelf Jokes. This printable set will take place of 30 Days of Elf on the Shelf. You guys, that likely covered the entire Elf on the Shelf season and gives you an Elf theme for the entire year. Anything to make life easier for you!

30 Days of Elf Jokes for Kids

Funny Elf Jokes

Take a look at nine examples of our printable Elf on a Shelf Jokes.

Elf on the Shelf Cereal Joke: What’s an elf’s favorite cereal? Frosted Flakes.

Elf on the Shelf Selfie Joke: What kind of photographs do elves like? Selfies.

Elf on the Shelf Cow Joke: What does an elf farmer call his cow? An Eskimoo.

Elf on the Shelf Car Joke: What kind of cars to elves drive? Toy-otas.

Elf on the Shelf Santa Joke: How does Santa take care of his sick helpers? He nurses them back to Elf.

Elf on the Shelf Baseball Joke: What do elves play during the summer? Little League Baseball.

Elf on the Shelf Wrap Joke: What kind of music to elves like best? Wrap music.

Elf on the Shelf Angel Joke: What did one angel say to the other angel? Halo-there.

Elf on the Shelf Pumpkin Joke: Who lives at the North Pole, lost a shoe and rides around in a pumpkin? Cinder-elf-a.

For many of these silly jokes ideas, make sure you have a Scout Elf Doll that can bend. You can do that easily with our Bendable Elf on the Shelf tutorial.

Elf on the Shelf Supplies Needed

The Elf on the Shelf Doll

Optional Supplies

None of these supplies are needed but adding them to your daily Elf Jokes steps up your Scout Elf Ideas.

Snowman
Angel
Jolly Ranchers
Frog
Frosted Flakes
Pumpkin
Cinderella
Gift Wrap
Cookie Sheet
Gingerbread
Camera
Cow
Reindeer
Coca-Cola
Knitting Needles
Christmas Tree Needles
Baseball
Popsicles
Play Car
Jingle Bells
Skunk
Scented Spray
Phone
Turkey
Drum Stick
Ice
Ear Muffs
Santa
Alphabet
Craft supplies: scissors, tape, etc.

Printable Elf on the Shelf Jokes

Our most popular Elf on the Shelf printables can be found in our Elf Store. In our Elf store, you can also shop Elf costumes, our Elf Twister board, the Magic Shrinking Machine and so much more!

Download these 30 Days of Elf on the Shelf Jokes for Kids. That covers an entire month of funny Elf ideas!

You can also grab these Printable Elf on the Shelf Jokes for Kids – this covered 8 Days of Ideas if you do not need 30!

All of these Christmas Jokes can be used a holiday lunchbox joke cards or can pair with your new daily Elf on a Shelf ideas.

30 Days of Kids Jokes for the Elf Doll

Free Elf Printables

We also love sharing Elf on the Shelf free printables! Get all of our free Elf on the Shelf printables by entering your email address below. Look for an email to confirm you signed up. One you confirm, look for a second email in your inbox with a link and password!

Free Printables Step by Step Directions

1.) Enter your email address here.

2.) Look for a confirmation email in your inbox and confirm you requested a sign up.

3.) We will send you a Free Printables Welcome Email with link and passcode to all of our free printables.

4.) Enter your passcode at the top of the page here and click “Access Printables”

5. Enjoy your Elf on the Shelf Printables.

Elf on the Shelf on Social Media

Save these ideas because you will want to stay up to date on these ideas each Christmas season. We do our best to mix up easy and hard Elf on the Shelf Ideas.

Elf on the Shelf Facebook Page

Multiple ideas are added each day to our Elf on the Shelf Ideas Facebook page. This is a great way for you to share your own Elf on the Shelf Ideas and share our ideas to your page. There are some good ones! Be sure to like the page!

Elf on the Shelf Pinterest Boards

We also are in charge of a Elf on the Shelf Ideas Pinterest board. On this board, we have invited other bloggers to share their ideas and free Elf on the Shelf Printables too! Be sure to follow the board!

Our goal, to make Elf easy for you!

Elf on the Shelf Explained

Don’t forget all of our daily Elf on the Shelf Ideas. Pin to Pinterest on your Christmas and Elf Boards.

We have been doing Elf on the Shelf forever. See our Elf on the Shelf Master List. Pin to Pinterest.

Elf on the Shelf Jokes for Kids

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August 23, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Christmas, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media, The Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Create the funniest Elf ideas with these adorable Elf on the Shelf Jokes for Kids printables. Eight funny jokes to get you through eight easy Elf displays. New creative, funny, and original Elf on the Shelf Ideas daily.

Shop Elf Jokes for Kids

Want the newest Elf on the Shelf Ideas in your inbox daily in the month of November & December? Sign up here!

Elf on the Shelf Jokes for Kids

You guys, this might be my favorite set of Elf on the Shelf printables. Three reasons. First, this printable set covers 8 days. Eight days mamas! If you are someone who does Scout Elf from December 1 to December 24, that covers 1/3 of your creative ideas. Second, this brings clean Elf humor to your home. No naughty, mischievous Elf ideas. Cute, clean fun. Third (and really not final, but I didn’t need to ramble any more), these Elf on the Shelf Ideas are really easy. Like, pull out an apple and pair with this a pineapple. Grab some mushrooms, display your joke card and your elf. Yes, we are talking easy ideas. And easy, memorable jokes. Your kids will share these at school with their friend!

As a reminder, you can view our Elf on the Shelf Master List for a full list of ideas including every idea we have ever done.

For many of these Elf on the Shelf ideas, make sure you have an elf that can bend. You can do that easily with our Bendable Elf on the Shelf tutorial. You also can sign up for all of our Free Elf on the Shelf Printables here.

Funniest Elf Jokes for Kids

There are a total of eight easy Elf Jokes for Kids in this package. These are clean, memorable jokes your kids can reshare with their friends.

Jokes for Elf on the Shelf

Joke 1: What do you get if you cross a Christmas tree with an apple?

For this cute Elf vignette, have on hand your Christmas tree, an apple, and (hint) a pineapple!

Jokes 2: What do you call fake noodles?

For this funny Elf idea, have on hand (hint) pasta!

Joke 3: What does Santa use when he goes fishing?

For this cute Scout Elf idea, have a fishing pole and/or fish.

Joke 4: What room can no one enter?

For this funny Elf on the Shelf idea, have (hint) mushrooms!

Funny Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Jokes

Joke 5: What do you call a sleeping bull?

For this Elf humor, have (hint) a bulldozer!

Joke 6: How do you get a tissue to dance?

For this silly Elf on the Shelf idea, have a box of tissues.

Joke 7: What falls on the North Pole but never gets hurt?

For this Elf on the Shelf idea, have (hint) snow!

Joke 8: Why did Santa go to music school?

For this Elf joke, have (hint) gift wrap and wrapping supplies.

All printable Elf joke cards are supplied with the answer written upside down!

Get our Elf Jokes for Kids

Funny Elf on the Shelf Idea and Printable

Elf on the Shelf Supplies Needed

The Elf on the Shelf
Printable Elf Jokes for Kids
Pasta
Pineapple and/or apple
Gift wrap
Tissues
Fake snow – we like this brand (optional: sugar or flour)
Bull or bulldozer
Mushrooms
Fishing pole and/or fish

Elf Printable Products

We love sharing Elf on the Shelf free printables! Get all of our free Elf on the Shelf printables by entering your email address below. Look for an email to confirm you signed up. One you confirm, look for a second email in your inbox with a link and password!

Free Printables Step by Step Directions

1.) Enter your email address here.

2.) Look for a confirmation email in your inbox and confirm you requested a sign up.

3.) We will send you a Free Printables Welcome Email with link and passcode to all of our free printables.

4.) Enter your passcode at the top of the page here and click “Access Printables”

5. Enjoy your Elf on the Shelf Printables.

Elf on the Shelf on Social Media

Save these ideas because you will want to stay up to date on these ideas each Christmas season. We do our best to mix up easy and hard Elf on the Shelf Ideas.

Elf on the Shelf Facebook Page

Elf on the Shelf Pinterest Boards

Our goal, to make Elf easy for you!

Elf on the Shelf Christmas Tradition

Don’t forget all of our daily Elf on the Shelf Ideas. Pin to Pinterest on your Christmas and Elf Boards.

We have been doing Elf on the Shelf forever. See our Elf on the Shelf Master List. Pin to Pinterest.

A to Z Letter Crafts for Preschoolers

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August 22, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media

One of the best ways to teach the alphabet is through ABC Letter Crafts. These A to Z alphabet crafts create fun hands-on activities for preschool or kindergarten aged children. Teach the kids the ABCs through a fun, memorable, visual craft. Learning is fun!

A to Z Letter Crafts

Who knew there was an entire underground community of people who craft letters for kids. This hidden community is pretty crafty too. Whether you are a master spy and “of course you knew” or this entire craft idea is just as surprising and exciting to you, take a look at these letter crafts for kids when studying your ABCs.

Letter Craft Kits

Hey Ashley, I am not the crafter. That is okay! I have a solution for you too.

Guess what, you can buy an ENTIRE Uppercase Letters Craft Kits. Use embellishments to bring these letters to life! Each letter comes with enough pieces for 12 students!

Includes: A Is For Alligators, B Is For Bumblebee, C Is For Crabs, D Is For Dinosaurs, E is for Elephants, F is for Foxes, G Is For Giraffes, H Is For Houses, I Is For Ice Cream, J Is For Jaguar, K Is For Kites, L Is For Lions, M Is For Mice, N Is For Nests, O Is For Owls, P Is For Peacocks, Q Is For Queens, R Is For Robots, S Is For Snakes, T Is For Tractors, U Is For Umbrellas, V Is For Vegetables, W Is For Walruses, X Is For X-Rays, Y Is For Yaks and Z Is For Zebras.

Grab the Lowercase Letter Crafts Kids too or buy Both Upper and Lowercase Letter Craft Kits and save!

This A to Z preschool letter kit is perfect for young kids. The pieces are perforated and can be taken apart easily by an adult. The animals are very cute and colorful. The graphics and printing are nice. These sets come presorted, so each student gets their own bag. Also, each letter set comes with a little bag of extra pieces for the little pieces, so if you lose and eye or nose, no worries! (Oriental Trading Company things of everything!

Letter Crafts for Preschoolers

Ready to craft? Enjoy these letter crafts for preschoolers. Cute and creative ideas to help children learn their letters!

A is for Alligator – Fun With Mama

B is for Butterfly – A Little Pinch of Perfect

C is for Cookie – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

D is for Dinosaur – A Little Pinch of Perfect

E is for Elephant – Kids Activities Blog

F is for Flower – School Time Snippets

G is for Grass – No Time For Flashcards

H is for House – A Little Pinch of Perfect

I is for Insect – Fantastic Fun and Learning

J is for Jellyfish – STEAMsational

K is for Koala – A Dab of Glue Will Do

L is for Ladybug – School Time Snippets

M is for Mac and Cheese – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

N is for Night Sky – Fantastic Fun and Learning

O is for Octopus – Kids Activities Blog

P is for Penguin – STEAMsational

Q is for Quilt – School Time Snippets

R is for Road – Kids Activities Blog

S is for Snake – A Dab of Glue Will Do

T is for Tutu – Views From a Stepstool

U is for Unicorn – Fun with Mama

V is for Vase – School Time Snippets

W is for Web – School Time Snippets

X is for X-ray – A Dab of Glue Will Do

Y is for Yarn – I Heart Crafty Things

Z is for Zebra – School Time Snippets

See more Paper Plate Preschool Crafts. Pin to Pinterest.

Don’t forget our Five Minute Science Experiments for Kids! Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Printables for (Back to) School. Pin to Pinterest.

Shelfies Are the New Gallery Walls – Shelves Decor Ideas

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August 22, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media

What are Shelfies? How Can I Decorate My Shelves? Bookshelves are the new gallery walls. Get inspired with these Shelfies Shelves Décor Ideas.

Shelfies Shelves Decor Ideas

You heard it here first, mmm-kay? Shelfies. Shelfies are the new gallery walls and learning to display your “stuff” can express more about yourself than you realize.

What are Shelfies?

Shelfie is an amazing picture of a shelf. It’s top notch shelf decor ideas to show off off someone’s books, movies, art, collectibles, special belongings, etc. A shelfie displays completed bookcase decor with aesthetically pleasing design and home decor ideas.

How Can I Decorate My Shelves?

It’s easy to decorate shelves. Mix up the size, orientation, and shapes for visual interest. Begin with collectables and home décor that tell a story of oneself. This can be family heirlooms, travel souvenirs, favorite books, photographs and more. When you have collected pieces that tell your story, place them all together on a table for easy assembling. You want to begin with a cleaned off shelf.

There is a formula for decorating shelves. When searching for things to put on its important to mix larger and smaller items, as well as textures. Try to keep complementary colors together (i.e. Navy blues and lights blues, blacks and whites.) Your shelves need to produce layers. Backgrounds and foregrounds. Remember simple is more. When you create a cluttered shelf, the story is lost and no longer told.

A few shelf décor ideas include the tips…

Start with larger items and then add touches of smaller items (high and low)
Use a triangle formula for bringing yourself together
Mix textiles and consider contrast and texture
Create layers (photo in back, vase in front, small décor piece beside)
Mix in greenery to give life
Arrange in odd numbers – pair things in sets of 3, 5, 7…
Place collections together like candle sticks or glass bottles
Pull elements forward on the shelf (not pushed back)
Add lighting without hiring an electrician to highlight favorite pieces

Once you have decorated bookcases, look for areas where the are gaps or missing pieces. To fill these spots, it is time to visit a flea market, thrift store, or your mother’s china cabinet (please ask her first). You can even visit home good stores like Michaels, T.J.Maxx, Home Goods and more. I have even used the internet or Facebook Marketplace to look for treasures from favorite countries I have visited (i.e. India, Singapore, Mexico and more.)

Whatever your personal style, perhaps you’ll feel inspired when challenged by your next bookshelf organizing endeavor!

Bookshelves Decor Ideas

Before we get started with these amazing Shelves Decor Ideas, take a look at these related posts…

Zebra stripes, bright pinks, and neon greens… The bookshelf styling in this home office offers a touch of Kate Spade-esque style! | Source

Guess what!?! It’s okay to break the rules shelving books spine in. Turn your books around to keep with a neutral color pallet using beige, white and off-white colors. No judging a book by it’s cover with these backwards books on shelf décor. | Simple Home Simple Life

Consider painting the back of bookshelves the same color as the walls, allowing the white frame of the book shelf to pop. Break the rules for decorating shelves and keep all your books horizontal, grouped by color with small accessories dispersed throughout. | Amanda Reynal on Martha Stewart

When it comes to the art of styling bookshelves, add accessories in various heights. By adding small decorative elements in front of, next to or even on the books you create a diverse whole. | New England Home Mag

Try to find a cohesive color scheme or let your True Colors shine through, like a rainbow (yes, I meant the pun.) Get inspired by this ombre bookshelf décor idea. | The Guardian

Speaking of color coding books for display, try this fun idea. Organize each shelf individually. For instance, keep warm colors on the right, cool on the left, and neutral in the middle. The end product will make the color coding vertical. | Up to Date Interiors

Have grandmillenial taste? Style with your favorite coffee table books and hide your magazine vices with artwork and sketches. | Coastal Home

Have a built-in can be quite expensive unless working with something like a DIY Billy Bookcase Design. If DIY isn’t your think, try a floating bookshelf like Clear Acrylic Bookshelves. (This is what we used in my sons room and they look amazing!) | Source

Organize books by the color of their spines to create color-blocked bookshelf décor. Vary heights and create interest by stacking books horizontally as well as lining them up vertically. If you have volumes that don’t fit with the others, turn their spines to face the wall so only the pages are visible. | BHG

I am swooning over this gorgeous Grandmillenial French country style bedroom with double built-in bookshelves surrounding a gorgeous vintage mirror. Makes me want to lay in bed on a rainy day. | Source Unknown

This home library design includes a beautiful art overlay bookshelf. All the books are vertical but there are beautiful horizontal elements mixing in china and beautiful paintings. | Windham House Design

Looking to style a boy’s bedroom with out all the frou frou? This Boys Bookcase is everything masculine yet organized. | The Makerista

Deep bookshelves give you the luxury to play with layers. Lean artwork along the back of the shelves, and anchor them with books or heavier objects. To decorate the bookcase, place a few small pieces of art near the front of the shelves to give them depth. Bulky vases or decorative plates can hide their heft behind small frames without losing their uniqueness. | BHG

Create vignettes. To keep your bookshelf from feeling too stark you will want to create a few vignettes within the stacks of books. Let the books be the focus, but adding a small lamp, a little accessory in front of books, or even some flowers can help break up all of the vertical and horizontal lines that the books create. | Style by Emily Henderson

… and in summary, Overflowing with books but still don’t have any idea how to arrange them in a book case? Stack ’em. Here are 7 ways to stack books so they look good. | The Art of Doing Stuff

Billy Bookshelves Ikea

It doesn’t have to cost much to create a custom built in shelf for your space. Take a look at these IKEA Billy Bookcase Hacks and Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Reading Corners

If you like a styled bookcase, you likely like to read. Look at these Creative Reading Corners for the Home. Pin to Pinterest.

Tide Pod Container Ghost Craft for Halloween

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August 20, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Crafts, DIY, Facebook, Halloween, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media

You will never guess the upcycled product that created this fun and exciting Halloween Ghost Craft. Print our ghost template printable and use with or without a Cricut machine. Taking only a matter of minutes and a free ghost face cut out printable, this makes a cute and ridiculously easy Halloween craft for adults or the kids.

Halloween is coming up, and it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to make this year spooky. You could go the traditional route of telling ghost stories in front of a roaring fire or dressing up as your favorite character for trick-or-treating. But if you want to make something that is fun and easy to make, then this Tide Pod ghost craft is just the thing!

How to make a Halloween ghost craft

This upcycled craft is inexpensive to make and uses supplies you might already have in your home. Even if you don’t use Tide Free & Clear Pods, you can purchase the laundry soap and use it while repurposing the container for this Halloween ghost craft.

Materials needed:

An empty, clean Free & Gentle Tide Pod container
Ghost eyes and mouth template – download and save it to use later
Black adhesive vinyl for the ghost’s face – you can also use black Sharpie, construction paper or an adhesive printer label
Liquid glue (if not using adhesive vinyl)– to attach the eyes and mouth onto the ghost head. I found that regular craft adhesive works well but you can also use Modge Podge and it looks great.
Scissors (if not using a vinyl cutting machine)

Instructions:

First remove the top from the container and discard. We won’t be using the lid for this project.

Next I removed the label from the laundry pods container by soaking in hot water until the label softens. Then I scraped the label off carefully, using GooGone to remove it completely.

Tip: You can also use a heat gun to warm the label but the ease of this option varies based on the brand. For instance, I found using a heat gun to be easy on Gain containers but difficult on Tide containers.

Once the container is ready, print out the ghost face template and cut out the pieces. Place the ghost face pieces on the back of the adhesive vinyl and trace them with a pencil. Cut out the pieces.

For a Cricut Halloween project, if you’re using a cutting machine, open the template in your software and trace the pieces. Cut the eyes and mouth out of the adhesive vinyl.

Peel the backing off the vinyl and apply the face pieces to the side of the container.

If you’re using colored paper, trace the shapes and cut them out. Apply glue to the pieces and place them on the side of the container.

If you’re using printable labels, print out the template, cut the pieces out and apply them.

If you are using a black permanent marker, use the ghost face cut out as a guide to trace your own face.

Can I use a different container?

Although I used a Tide Free & Clear soap container, you can substitute a different brand that’s white or use a colorful one like the orange Tide container. Perhaps turn it into a fun pumpkin or spray paint it white.

Got milk? In our Halloween Hacks, we shared light up ghost crafts using a gallon milk jug for iSave A to Z. Just incorporate upcycled Christmas lights and you have a boo-tiful luminary. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Ways to display your Halloween ghost craft

There are so many fun ways to display your ghost craft. You can place your ghost on a table or counter to set up as the perfect Halloween night scene. You might want to include other Halloween decorations like spiders, black cats, and witches hat bowls filled with candy for trick-or-treating.

This cute ghost would also be a great addition to your Halloween front porch décor with some pumpkins around him. Get a small hay bale from your local craft store and set up a spooky setting with spider webs that will impress your trick-or-treaters. Or use as fun Halloween lighting displaying up and down the staircase.

Ghost Template Printable

There are two formats you can get this FREE Ghost Template printable. Choose either a PNG for your Halloween Cricut Craft or download at a ghost PDF to use the ghost face as a template for tracing with a sharpie marker.

Download our free ghost face cut out printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in your inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s).Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

How to Print at Staples

Don’t have a printer? You an print at your local print shop or your Staples Printing Center. Watch this video for how I print my PDF documents at Staples.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final Halloween Ghost Craft. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

More Halloween Ideas

I love a frugal low-cost Halloween Craft. Take a look at these affordable Dollar Tree Halloween Crafts too. Pin to Pinterest on your Halloween Board.

Every holiday needs amazing lighting. Take a look at these Spellbinding Halloween Lighting Ideas. Pin to Pinterest on your Halloween board.