Make Do and Mend
Other
Even more handy to be handy in the current economic crisis. I have always hated waste and how we seem to throw out perfectly serviceable items just because they're old or we're fed up with them.
This week I saved a few bob by taking off my wrinkly, ill fitting ironing board cover which had very thin padding. I took out the string that tied it round board, gave it a wash and then sacrificed two old towels (I mean decades old, not years), laid them on the ironing board then rethreaded the cover with elastic I had stashed in my needlework box before fitting it over the towels. Lovely snug, wrinkle free covering. I then cut round the towels overlapping the board and stashed the cut off pieces away for polishing and window cleaning rags.
Are you doing stuff like this?
Lynibis - it is not worth your valuable time doing this. You can get ironing board covers eg small and medium sizes for £5 or less from £shops, B&M, Home Bargains, Aldi and Lidl (special offers) (I forgotten to mention this was before 2021).
jam45 it took only minutes to fit on board and cut round towels, the elastic I sat and threaded whilst watching tv. I grant £5 saving is not much to some people (yourself I presume) but even now it will still buy 4 pints of milk £1.65, bread £1.40, 10/12 eggs £1.69 which might be important to some. All prices are approximate.
i did think or darning some of my socks, but will never get round to it. there only £13 a pair so probalby not worth my time fixing..
Antiwoke £13 for a pair of socks! Hopefully this is a typing error. I try and fix most things before binning them.
eyeballkerry no typo, they are the cheapest Rohan do. They make good clothes. £13 is cheap compared to some they do. if you think that’s bad I won’t say how much boxer shorts cost..
Antiwoke Wow, £13 for socks, at that price I hope you don’t need to darn them. Go on tell me the price of your boxers.
eyeballkerry the socks are wool, so if they get wet your feet stay warm and being wool they naturally antibacterial, clothes Rohan make is for hiking/travelling so you pay a bit more but worth it. Boxers are £30 a pair.. have a look they do some really good stuff www.rohan.co.uk/..
Antiwoke if you are lucky enough to say THEY'RE only £13 a pair then I guess giving new life to an ironing board cover will mean nothing to you. But I am proud of doing it and feel better to not have contributed to over consumerism which is killing the planet. However, I concede that your socks will probably last far longer than a £3 pair so you are also doing your bit.
Yes we mend lots of things. Just this week I noticed a small hole in my black trousers fortunately I had black pants on. When I took them off I nearly threw them away. Next morning I repaired them.
I mend a lot of things. I've mended my husbands work shirts and trousers, mended my sons trousers, tops and socks, mended my own trousers, cardigans etc before I buy new. This has reminded me that I have a pair of my sons pj's that need mended.
I've spent the afternoon sewing the hem on 2 pairs of trousers, holes in 5 socks, mending a towel where the tape loop had torn it. If I can mend anything I'll try that first.
I've recovered the kitchen stools a few times with cheap cushion covers that were picked up for 10p in B&M, but I'm not for stitching the arse in a pair of trousers.
I replaced the cracked screen on my mobile phone. I had to pay £2 (inc p&p) from ebay for 5 new ones, That means I can smash the screen another four times without it costing me anything more.
I love to recycle and save money while I’m doing it. We spend so much crap on things we don’t really need
SaveMeSunday absolutely and !manufacturers are always bringing out a better model, different colour, new flavour etc of things they think we need, too many fall into the trap of want versus need.
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