A Project That Could Change Your Life

Around these parts we exchange neighbor gifts for Christmas.
It is usually an inexpensive item, with some sort of inspirational/seasonal, poem/quote/story attached to said item.
It can almost be intimidating.
To come up with an idea that hasn't yet been passed around *your* neighborhood, and then to actually be able to purchase the item at the Dollar Tree before they are completely wiped out by other people handing out the same thing.
I usually make a list of people I want to give to, and then just about double it.
You always have those folks who show up with a gift, that you inadvertently forgot about...

This year I received my favorite neighbor gift ever.
A dishrag.
Yep.
A dishrag.

I love it so much that when I have to wash it I am sad, and camp out in front of the washing machine anxiously awaiting its return.

I am not a huge sewing buff.
To say the least.
I think it stems back from Junior High Home Ec.
We sewed hideous Bermuda shorts that year.

After I painstakingly measured, cut and stitched the pants together, I tried them on.
They were jacked.
I could not figure out what was going on.
After the teacher looked at them, she said I sewed the back to the front and the front to the back or something. The memories are fuzzy.
I had to un-stitch the whole #@$! thing.
Stitch by stitch.
With a seam ripper.
AND START OVER.
Truth be told, through tears, I bribed my Grandma to sew them for me.
I think I got a good grade.
But more importantly my love for purchasing clothing items already made! at a store! was born.
Each and every attempted sewing project since that time conjures up memories of cursing and tears.

Anyway, back to the dishrags.
I sewed myself up some more.
Yes, I did.
It was really, really easy, and I am going to show you how.
Do yourself a favor and make some of these, mmmkay?

Here is what you will need:
Some Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scour Pads.(Not the kind with sponges attached. Just the plain green ones. I found mine oddly enough at my local grocery store. They were $2.50 for a package of 3.)

A package of dishcloths, whatever kind you prefer.
I found these at Walmart for about $2.00 a package.
Then you will need some pins, and your sewing machine.
First, you cut the scouring pads in half:

And then in half again:

Then pin that sucker in place, in a corner of the dishcloth, and zig-zag stitch it on. I hope your sewing skills are way better than mine. You can clearly see I am not going to be winning any domestic awards any time in the near future.
Sorry Grandma.

What you have now, is a completed dishrag!

Repeat for as many dishcloths as you have.
The beauty of these things is that you will save your fingernails.
You know what I am talking about!
When you are wiping off the breakfast mess, and Cocoa Pebbles are shellacked to the counter top, you try to scrape them off with your fingernails...right?
Not anymore.
Find your scrubby part of your dishrag, and Pebbles Be Gone!!
Trust me.
You will love these.