Join the community!

Login, register or Connect to comment.

Daily Tips

In the shade

Published on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 at 12:12 am | Last updated on Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 at 6:06 pm

In the shade

Today's savings: $40

My mother was brought up in the Depression and she taught me to cut and re-sew the bottom of a window shade if only the bottom part is worn -- where you pull on the shade and the sun weakens the crease. This task was taught to my mother by her mother, so I am the third generation doing this simple repair job.

Take out the wooden or plastic stick that lines the bottom of the shade. Cut the shade across the bottom as close as possible to the damage, using a yard stick to draw a straight line with a pencil or chalk mark to make sure you get an even cut; fold up the shade from the bottom to create a new pocket for the stick you've just taken out. Re-stitch the shade with a long running stitch, or with dots of hot glue if you're not handy with a sewing needle, and re-insert the stick in the new pocket.

Re-hang the shade, and it's as good as new.

Fixing instead of throwing out the most basic shade can save as much as $20. Do this a couple of times in six months, and you've saved $40.

-- Beverly Coolidge, East Dixfield

If you have a smart money-saving tip you'd like to share with our readers, send it to editor@sunjournal.com. Please include your name and hometown.

In order to make comments, you must verify your account.

In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.

Login or create an account here.

Our policy prohibits comments that are:

  • Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
  • Excessively foul and/or vulgar
  • Inappropriately sexual
  • Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
  • Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
  • Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay informed — Get the news delivered for free in your inbox.

I'm interested in ...