Sometimes it is the simple things that can save you money. When you can use a common household (not to mention cheap) item such as a toothpick to take the place of a more expensive tool, then you save money. You also save clutter from having all of those extra things around, but hey, this is the Frugal Blog, so you know we are all about saving money.
Cake Decorating Tool
Forget those fancy cake decorating stencils or imprint molds that allow you to decorate a cake with letters or fancy piping. Those tools basically put an imprint on the cake that you can then trace over with your frosting. Instead use a simple toothpick to lightly trace out the letters or design in your icing. If you make a mistake, you can smooth it over with a knife and try again. Once you have everything perfectly placed, then get out your piping bag (or ziploc baggie) and use it to go over the lines.
Eyeglass Repair Kit
You know those little eyeglass repair kits that you can buy? Probably 90 percent of the time you need to purchase them just because you lost an eyeglass screw. Save the expense with a toothpick to the rescue. Slide a toothpick into the hole to hold things together. You can add a dab of glue or a bit of tape, if needed. Use tape to hold it together temporarily, if you plan on taking advantage of the fact that many eye glasses stores will repair glasses for free.
Craft Supplies
Forget those expensive foam and other craft supplies. Use blunted toothpicks (for safety, and allow the kids to create toothpick art. How about building blocks? Inexpensive sugar cubes combined with toothpicks will create a lot of possibilities.
Tiling spacers
How do you place tile evenly? Well you use spacers, of course, which you normally have to buy. Instead of purchasing spacers, pick up a box of ordinary toothpicks. They will work just as well and cost less.
Garden Hose Repair
This one gets filed under “Why didn’t I think of that?” I spotted it in Woman’s Day Magazine (they also featured the eyeglass repair and cake decorating tips which I already knew about). If you get a leak in your garden hose, stick a third of a toothpick in it. I’m guessing that this works because the water will swell the wood in a wooden toothpick and seal the leak, although the article doesn’t mention this! It does recommend, however, securing the patch with waterproof tape.