If you love making your own festive and frugal holiday gifts, you will want to pay attention! If you are looking for a simple to make and easy to enjoy gift to give this holiday, this peppermint bath salt ornament is the perfect solution. Using just a few simple to find ingredients, you can make your very own. Perfect for hanging on the tree and then enjoying after a long day of shopping, these peppermint bath salt ornaments are great to give or keep! Take a peek below at how to make your own.

DIY Peppermint Bath Salt Ornament

Supplies needed:

 1 cup of basic epsom salts
2 drops of peppermint essential oil
2 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop of red food coloring
Clear ornament
Ribbon for hanging
Funnel

You can find essential oils needed for this recipe at most health food and discount stores. While they can run a few dollars per bottle, a little goes a long way. If you buy a bottle, you can surely make a dozen if not more ornaments out of it or save the rest for crafting later. As far as the clear ornament, you can find these in glass as well as plastic at your local craft store for around $1 each or in bulk packages for less.

Directions:
1. Begin by stirring the salt and oils in a small bowl until mixed well.
2. Separate the mixture into two bowls evenly.
3. In one bowl only, add a drop or two of red food coloring. Toss the mixture so that the salts get evenly covered.
4. Funnel some of the white mixture into the ornament. Follow up with a layer of the red. Repeat these steps so that you have a colorful layering look happening in your ornament.
5. To finish, tie a ribbon on your ornament for hanging.

When you or your gift recipient is ready to use their bath salts, all they need to do is pour the contents into a warm bath. They will dissolve and release a relaxing scent as well as soothe sore muscles. You just can’t beat that, can you?

So why not join in on this crafty fun? Gather the supplies needed to make your own peppermint bath salt ornament and see what a hit they are with your friends and family. When you are done, be sure to snap a picture and share your creation with us on our Facebook page or our Community chat page. We love seeing what our reader’s are coming up with!

Happy crafting!

Congratulations Amanda Sumner!  We selected YOUR NAME as the official name of the My Coupon Expert Christmas Elf!  Please email Caroline@MyCouponExpert.com with your mailing address and phone number so that we can ship out your VERY OWN Elf on the Shelf Deluxe Package!! 

Thank you to everyone who submitted name ideas!  We had a blast over here reading through them!  It was so hard to decided which to select, but Frugal McDoogal seemed just perfect!

Frugal McDoogal has some really cool things in store for everyone this holiday season.  He will be scoping out some of the hottest deals and also giving away a TON of prizes!  Keep an eye out, you never know when this sneaky little fellow will pop up!!

Everyone give a WARM WELCOME and blow some birthday kisses Frugal McDoogal’s way… you never know, he might have another little elf friend that he wants to share with someone else!!

Make sure you check in on our facebook fan page or our facebook chat page to say hi and hang out with all of your coupon freak friends! We are having a blast over there!

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We have been telling you for days now that the elf on the shelf is coming, and now, he is here! What exactly is Elf on the Shelf? Well perhaps you have seen these little fellas before but just were not sure exactly what the point of them was. The answer to that is simple: The Elf on the Shelf serves as the eyes and ears of Santa leading up to the holidays. It is the job of the elf to keep a lookout for the jolly ol’ fella and to let him know which children are on the good list. And while this idea is a fun one, it is not nearly as fun as all of the things you can do with this elf. You see, the elf magically moves in the middle of the night and gets into all sorts of trouble. Moms and dads, this is where you come in. Each night, you want to move the elf to a different place and position him doing something funny or wacky.

So where do you get these ideas? Right here! We will be giving you all sorts of ideas for ways that you can display your Elf on a Shelf so that he is always keeping your kiddos on their toes. But before we get into any of that, you will need to get your Elf on a Shelf ordered. Luckily, Amazon can hook you up!

You can find the basic Elf on a Shelf Doll and book here for around $29.95. It includes a website link as well that allows you to get online and register your elf. How cool is that?

You can also opt for the supreme Elf on a Shelf Bonus Kit here, which includes everything listed above plus a bonus DVD movie featuring your favorite elf. The cost of this kit is $39.95. Both kits can qualify for free 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime.

We have had our own Elf on the Shelf for some time now, and he has gotten into all sorts of trouble around our house! He can sometimes be found tucked into boxes of cereal, playing in the sink, or even with his hands in the cookie jar!

Our Elf on the Shelf adventures are just beginning here at My Coupon Expert, so be sure to get started by buying your elf on Amazon today! You will want to have one on hand when we start showing you all of the ways you can use it around the house to really get your kids into the holiday spirit. PLUS, the Elf will also be making trips to some of our favorite shopping hot spots to show you where you can find all sorts of deals this season. It will be like having your own personal shopper.

Now the only question is, what are you going to name your Elf on a Shelf? Head to our Community Chat Page and share your ideas with us!

It’s Friday! So you know what that means…we are all exhausted and maybe not feeling at our craftiest. Well that is ok, because today’s project is a simple one yet looks like something you would find in a magazine. These DIY Holiday Jar Decorations are so simple to assemble, and you can create one using dollar store and thrift store finds. To make your own, take a look below. It is the perfect, quick craft for when you want a pop of holiday charm with little time or expense!

DIY Holiday Jar Decorations

Supplies Needed:
Canning jar
Scrap Fabric
Chalkboard Label
Chalk
Old Christmas light bulbs

I was able to find the jar at my local dollar store and had some scrap fabric on hand. You can find packages of chalkboard labels at Hobby Lobby and other craft stores for around $3 a package, which considering how many come in a pack is pretty reasonable. Check your garage, attic, or local thrift store for Christmas bulbs that no longer work, as they are perfect for this craft.

Directions:
1. Assemble a handful of lights in the jar.
2. Cut a piece of scrap fabric to fit the lid. Trim it to make it even or to ruffle it.
3. Place the lid on the jar, and apply a chalkboard label. These are just peel and stick.
4. On the label, write “Glow” or some other word that would compliment the objects in the jar.

That’s it! These look so charming on a shelf or even your desk at work. Give these as gifts and it is like giving someone the holidays all bundled up in one little jar.

See, I told you this was an easy one. Give it a try and then share your results with us on the Facebook Page or Community Chat page!

Happy crafting!

Everyone loves an inexpensive craft, don’t they? If you are feeling crafty today but don’t want to spend a lot, head over to your local dollar store and grab all of the fixings for this fun and frugal DIY! This DIY Cupcake Twinkle Light set is so easy to make, and it is the perfect way to give your space a pop of holiday charm. You only need two, that’s right, TWO supplies to make this project, so take a look below at how you can get started.

DIY Cupcake Twinkle Lights

Supplies Needed:
Holiday themed cupcake cups
Strand of twinkle lights

I was able to purchase the above supplies at my local Dollar Tree store. My total cost then for this project was just $2. You can’t beat that!

Directions:
1. First, turn your cupcake cups inside out so the design is now on the inside of the cup.
2. Use a pencil and poke a hole through the bottom of each cup.
3. Take each bulb now and slide a cupcake cup over it. Pinch it over the bulb so it stays secure.
4. Plug your light strand in and watch your cupcake twinkle lights do their thing!

How easy and inexpensive was that? Hang these from a mantel, bookshelf, or even run them across your office desk. They will add a nice pop of color and soft light, perfect for adding holiday ambiance to your space. So head to your local dollar store and get all of the supplies you need for this frugal and festive project and see what you can create. Then, would you be so kind as to share your creation on our Facebook page or Community Chat page? We would love to see it!

Happy crafting!