Function in Frugality
This is kind of silly, and a little embarrassing, but my frugal what's in your hand idea for this week is home-made place-mats for tots. How very kindergarten.
Here's the thing, I used to have a lot of those educational plastic placemats
I looked online at several different ones, but by the time I paid shipping, I thought they were really overpriced. I live in a pretty small town, and to pick up this sort of thing I'd have to make a special trip or remember it a week later when I'm in a bigger town. Counting in my memory is relying on a broken reed.
Then I remembered that old kindergarten stand-by- contact paper
I am not very talented, and I was in a hurry, so it doesn't look real pretty. But it is really functional and will do what I want it to do. After I did that, I thought of other things I could have done:
Cut up a plastic tablecloth or an old ironing board cover and duct taped the edges.
Purchased thin vinyl at a fabric store
Cut up an old window shade
Use a plastic cutting board or chopping mat 
The small, specific, narrow point of this post is that you can make a place-mat for your toddler instead of buying one. The larger principle here is thinking creatively and frugally. I did that by starting with function- figuring out what I wanted the item to do, and then thinking of something I had in my hand that could do the same thing.
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6 Responses to “Function in Frugality”
March 19th, 2010 at 7:22 am
We did this years ago, too. We actually traced some characters the kids where in to, made super large colouring pages out of them, let the kids go creative and when they were finished, we laminated them!
And now perhaps our youngest would also enjoy this activity? Thanks for re-introducing me to this simple solution!
(Next time, please to give us a picture *smile*)
March 19th, 2010 at 8:52 am
Instead of individual placemats, we put clear vinyl over our entire table: one huge placemat. I lay maps, timelines, and other schoolish things underneath, then rearrange periodically.
I’ve thought of laying down pretty fabric first, then maps, then the vinyl, but haven’t actually tried it yet. Instead, we grimace at the state of the finish on the tabletop where it peeks through between the maps.
March 19th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Andrea, my version really does look like a kindergartner did it. I am too embarrassed to add a picture.=)
March 19th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Brilliant! We use plastic placemats for our kids on top of the tablecloth (which is top of a vinyl tablecloth). I so agree that we must train ourselves to think out of the consumer-box and encourage each other.
March 21st, 2010 at 11:06 am
He he this is a pretty cool idea… Reminds me of the technique kids in my school used to use to make fake IDs (that never worked)… I think the bendable cutting boards would work great too.
March 24th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Hmm. We have a slightly ripped vinyl fish-themed shower curtain that I put in a closet for a possible play background. But cutting it up your placemat idea would help it see more frequent use!
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