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Show It Makes Cents BY VI JUDGE Dear Readers: Now that Christmas is over, what can we do with our leftover cards? Maud Dibble, one of our readers, tells me she cuts pretty scenes into strips about 2V4 inches wide, adds tassels of yarn, and has a nice book marker for herself and friends. There's really no need to buy gift tags next year if you're willing to spend a few minutes cutting your own out of old greeting cards. A darning needle pulling yard or string quickly adds the ties. Clever baskets can be made from used cards by punching holes around the edges and crocheting them together. These can be filled with goodies for good-neighbor gifts. The picture part of a pretty card entered on a small package wrapped in plain white paper gives it a festive look at no cost. I have a set of lovely framed Christmas cards to display in a wall grouping each season. Each is a copy of a famous masterpeice, including several of the Christ Child. One of my friends from San Diego has her freinds save their old cards for the scrap books she's always making for children in an orphanage. Another thoughtful reader, Dora Frehner, cuts off the picture part, adds a 13c stamp, and gives these to patients at the rest home where she does volutneer work. These are gratefully received because most of them have no money for either cards or stamps. Sometimes Dora mails cards to certian patients who eagerly watch for letters that never come. "It's so heartwarming to see the joy this brings them," she reports. "I sign the cards Mary, Dick or some name I've heard them mention, and they never guess. They just feel happy to be remembered by somebody anybody." Isn't it nice that card we receive from residents and loved ones can continue to serve us and others in so many ways? Dear VI: I fasten a sponge around the end of a yardstick with a rubber band and use this for cleaning behind and around my refrigerator and other hard-to-get-at places. When slicing cheese, I always heat the knife first. This makes for a neater and easier job. Eleanor Largent, Rexburg Dear Vi: Whenever I have some extra pie dough, I roll it out thin, sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon, roll it up and v slice it about Va inch thick. The resulting pinwheel cookies can be baked right along with the pie just long enough to brown the edges slightly. My family likes them so much I sometimes make extra pastry dough to use this way. Also, when I have leftover pancakes, I spread them with jelly or jam and roll them up like miniature jellyrolls. Our grandchildren consider this a special treat, especially when I warm them for two or three seconds in the microwave oven. Joyce Warner, Cedar City, Utah Dear Vi: When frying chicken, I cut off four or five inches from the bottom of a large grocery bag to form a disposable pan for the flouring mixture. I cut open the top part of the same bag to catch the waste from the chicken as I clean it and any vegetable or fruit parings from the meal preparation. One bag used this way can save a lot of cleaning-up time. Tonya Wagstaff, Evanton, Wy Dear Vi: When the corners of a throw rug start to turn up, I cut pieces to fit the comers from plastic lids and sew these to the rug. This also works on round rugs, but, of course, you need to shape the pieces accordingly. Mrs. C. J.Tucker Another good use for those plastic lids. And this reminds me of another. I cut my patterns for quilt block pieces out of this plastic. If you cut them accurately with a razor blade and ruler you have a good, sharp edge to trace. I like it much better than cardboard. Readers: We invite you to share your expertise and good ideas with all of us. Send yours to IT MAKES CENTS, P.O. Box 122, St. George, Utah 84770. You'll receive $2.00 for your trouble and we'll all profit from your sharing. |