A Tisket, A Tasket...A Penny-Pinching Basket & Placecard

This past week in Atlanta has been dreary & rainy. :-( I'm holding out hope, though. I'm holding out hope for a beautiful spring that I know is just around the corner. Don't you just love spring colors? 

In honor of spring & specifically Easter, I decided to create a cheapo place card that will make you hatch with excitement. (hmmm...that was a very, very poor attempt at a pun) 

Aren't these soo cute? But, this blog is called, "Parties for Pennies" & we'd be shellin out a lot of green paper instead of shiny little round things for these suckers. Here's a poor gals imitation: 

...This also doubles as a name/initial place card. And guess what it's made out of?? 

A toilet paper roll! 

Here's what you need & it will only take some change from your penny jar :

A couple of scrapbook sheets, a toilet paper roll & the green stuff is green paper that I put through my shredder. Side note: I LOVE my shredder. It's to me like a power tool is to a guy. There are so many ways to save money by using your shredder. And yes...I will be posting more later. Foil + shredder = love! :p 

Cut a slit half way up the tp roll. 

Cut another slit on the other side & make one more cut across the middle. Continue on the other side until you basically have half of a toilet paper roll. I know...super easy.

Like so... Don't judge me for the remaining tp left. It took me a little while to peel all that off. :p

Cut a piece of scrapbook paper & wrap around the tp roll. (Side note: I first learned of the term "TP-ing" in middle school when I toured with the Young Continentals. We stayed at one of the girls houses in California & they asked me, "Let's go TP-ing!" In Georgia, we just called it rollin'...but we also eat grits. I assumed this was the "cooler" term. ;p)

I used a glue stick to secure the paper around the roll. I'm sure spray adhesive or regular ole' elmers glue will work too. 

Who'd ever think that the thing you use to wipe your booty could look this purty! :p Well...the roll it came from any way. 

Next comes the smelly part. Hard boil your egg(s) & then make sure they cool down. Add 1 tsp. of vinegar to 1 cup of warm/hot water & add your desired amount of food coloring. 

Let your egg soak in the coloring mix until it reaches the desired color. I got impatient (it was only taking a couple of minutes, but the commercial break had ended on Dancing with the Stars) so my "purple" egg actually was more of a bubble gum pink.

I had some old stick-on letters that I stuck on there, but you could also use a crayon/wax to write the initial/name on the egg before you dye it. 

I think I like the blue one better...but I did the purple pink one for fun too.

What do you think? Any other thrifty Easter/Spring ideas? 

And...brownie points to anyone that noticed a difference with the pics. I've upgraded from my IPhone to my nifty camera that has this brilliant thing on it...called the "Easy" button. Seriously. And it lives up to its name. :-) Have a great week...sending some sunshine & daffodils your way.