Looking to save money as a homeowner? I know I am, times are tough right now and things are only getting more and more expensive as time goes on. Here's a great list of 75 frugal hacks for your home. It's got a lot that I already do, but there are many that are new to me. Go check it out!

I've been looking for ways to store my craft supplies, and I think I've found a neat solution. I wanted something that was cute and not expensive. Lady Harvatine used this storage cart from Ikea and decoupaged pretty wrapping paper over it. Thanks for the inspiration!

Via: Craftzine

In order to do anything right, you have got to have the right tools. And it's best to have them all in one place, or else you'll be running around all over the place looking for everything.

Save yourself some time and sanity and make yourself one of these toolbelts! There's a tutorial over at Cut Out + Keep.

Talk to me, kids. What are your favorite DIY sites? Where do you go to find inspiration, fab information, and other kinds of -ation? Me, I adore Curbly, Craftster, and I just found a neat site called Cut Out + Keep. What are you digging?

For those with the tiniest apartments, or maybe if you just have kids who don't seem to know how to use the coat closet, try this chair that doubles as coat storage. Fabulous idea!

Have a history of sales? Like to work from your home? Love our site? Well then, Shakadoo may need you.

We are looking for experienced and motivated individuals to add to our sales staff. If you think you might be a good fit or know someone who who would be, email your resume to us here at  sales@shakadoo.com

With the current housing market being the way it is, more people are opting to remodel instead of buying a larger home. My friend Carol is doing just that- when I saw her last week, she told me she needed a bigger house, stat.

Her biggest concern was finding a good contractor to do the remodeling. She told me that seems to be the hardest part, because it's hard to find good reviews of contractors anywhere, and one person's good experience can be another person's nightmare. It's hard to know, really.

I told her about CalFinder. They have free estimates for all kinds of home improvement, and I love what they say about why you should use a CalFinder contractor:

Why You Should Use a CalFinder Contractor?

• Quality workmanship
• Fair pricing
• Availability for your questions
• Happy customers and vendors
• Clear contracts and agreements
• Friendly service

We only feel comfortable referring contractors that we would have work on our own homes. When we certify a contractor we are looking for more than just quality workmanship or a final product.

We care about the customer experience and look for contractors that ease the process of home improvement. Our contractors are reliable, you can count on the promises they make.

Being able to count on your contractor is so important! Remodeling is a major transition time in your life, and anything to make the process easier is a blessing.

Carol's going to finish her basement to make more space in her house. Finishing your basement can be a great way to both add space and value to your home. She also told me that while she was having remodeling done, she's going to add value to her home by remodeling the bathroom. Having a fabulous bathroom makes your home easier to sell- that's so important in this stagnant market.

I'm excited to see what Carol's home looks like when it's finished. It is good to know there are companies out there like CalFinder that can make the process a little easier.

If you're going to be making some pillows, curtains, or other home decor items, you're going to have to buy some fabric. You don't want just any fabric, you want gorgeous fabric that's going to really pop, right?

Enter Jessica of How About Orange's new designs for J. Caroline Designs. When I saw this on on the Craftzine blog this morning, my heart began to sing. Yes, sing! I simply must have some of this fabric.

And you can get your own, too- keep an eye out at Jessica's blog, she'll let us know when it's available at J. Caroline Designs.

Back in December I wrote about CFL bulbs. I may have been the last person on the planet to have heard about the mercury disposal issues with the CFL bulbs. I have been using them in my house for about 6 months.

I'm not as grossed out by the light they put out as other people are, but I do have incandescents in many of my ceiling fan lights, so perhaps the mix makes it less bothersome.

No, I don't like them because they don't last as long as they claim to- three of the lights that have been installed for 6 months or less have burnt out already. And, I now I have these burnt out lightbulbs that I'm not entirely sure of how I am to dispose of them.

Jennifer at The Felt Mouse sums up my feelings about CFL bulbs perfectly. Head over to read what she has to say about them.

If you're looking for high quality draperies at a good price, look no further, because I've found the source! I've been struggling to find drapes that look beautiful and are a good quality. The drapes I have right now I have only had for a year or so, and they're already looking kind of worn, tired, and sad.

This time I wanted to buy drapes that are both beautiful and a very good quality. No more of this buying cheaply- when you do so, you end up having to buy again. The source I've found for high quality drapes at a good price is called Factory Bargain Drapes.

Their website is pretty easy to navigate- I love how you can choose by color, style, fabric, or size. I also love their frequently asked questions about decorating with drapes, there's a lot of helpful info there! They also have a section for their hot deals and liquidation sale. Pretty neat! Head on over to Factory Bargain Drapes and check out their deals!

One of my very favorite bloggers in the whole wide world, Mrs. Fussypants, shared a tutorial on how to make your own jewelry organizer. This looks to be simple and makes a beautiful addition to your bathroom or dressing room. Go check it out!

Ah, is there nothing more gloriously simple than felt? Felt takes me back to my childhood, yet with designs like this, felt has grown up into something that is decidedly adult.

Get your custom felt mobile here.

Via: Craftzine

If you have rafters in your ceiling, here's a beautiful way to store your books. It makes me wish I had rafters somewhere so I could do this- Lord knows I have a lot of books!

HT: Craftzine

If you're a DIY crafty type, you've probably looked at some vintage patterns and wondered what they were thinking when they took some of these pictures and did some of these illustrations. Sometimes they're downright ridiculous. Of course, it doesn't help that I like to make up stories about the people, either.

Bob is so irritating.

Mary and Katherine have always had an unusual relationship.
Marcie makes a discovery a little too late.

Saving on energy costs not only helps your pocketbook, but also the environment. But old houses can be hard to keep the energy costs down on! What's a homeowner to do? Strollerderby has ideas.

My dad always carries his pocketknife that has a million different uses. His even has a fork, I suppose in case you're caught in the wilderness and lose your fork, you're covered.

This knife has no froofy forks, but it does have scissors.

Modish is changing their "Handmade Traces" column to a DIY column with simple projects most people can do themselves. If you're a DIYer, this might be your chance to be featured on Modish! Check here for more info.

Image: Lightcliffe Scout Group

Say hello to warmer colors, and goodbye to minimalism. It appears that several interior designers and industry insiders are saying you should be ready to introduce color into your decor. According to Sean O'Driscoll of the Associated Press in an article Hot Trends Of Home Design for 2008 , Minimalism is out.

“Susan Gutfreund, who designs for some of the most expensive apartments in the U.S and Europe, said that minimalist white and beige are being pushed out in favor of color, textures and layers. Speaking from Paris where she is redesigning an apartment, Gutfreund said there is a move toward warmer colors and away from the shininess and flatness of interiors over the last few years.

In 2008, red tones take on a decidedly soft, warm feel, such as watermelon or a carrot orange. Black and white continues to be used, but with unexpected combinations of yellow, lime orange and fresh green," she said.

Janice Simonsen of IKEA Designs said

“fruit colors such as lime yellow, kiwi and tangerine will be very popular in 2008, especially when used in the kitchen. But blue will continue to be the number one color choice for homeowners. In 2008, blue will be combined with camel and tan, pale green and yellow,” she said.

Think you’re ready to try out 2008 colors but not sure what fits your style? CALFINDER (the source for certified remodeling contractors) has an excellent post about basic color psychology. They say,

"All too often homeowners choose colors without understanding basic color psychology. Color impacts our mood, appetite, and energy level. Years of color response research have shown that certain colors elicit specific and often strong responses."

Check out their awesome post Color Options-Painting for a guide to help you narrow the choices when choosing colors for your home.

Also remember you can get FREE ESTIMATES from CALFINDER for pre-qualified contractors in your area to do the work for you when you’re ready to add that splash of color to your life! From painting to general remodeling, to complete home renovations, they have the expert for you.

What colors do you plan to decorate with this year? Leave us a comment, we'd love to know!

One of my goals this year is to turn my bedroom into a haven, an oasis in an otherwise chaotic house. I have found my inspiration.

Photo: art_tastic in saucy dwellings

I've always used my dryer lint in my compost, but Stephanie at Stop The Ride has 12 other great ways to recycle dryer lint. Most interesting to me: you can apparently turn it into yarn. Now that's some smart thinking there.

I have several very specific things in my home, home improvement-wise that I would like to accomplish this year. Some of them are things left over from projects my husband and I started last year and some of them are entirely new projects to take on. I'd like to finish what was started first, then get to the new stuff.

First, I would like to finish up the laminate floors we installed back in April. My husband had said he would take care of it, but I suppose if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. So I'll be learning how to use the miter saw his buddy Will got him for Christmas. Wish me luck, I'm scared of power tools.

The next thing I want to do, and it is something that can be done quite easily, is organize the mess of cleaning supplies on the top of my refrigerator. Heck, I might even remove them from the top of my refrigerator and put them under the sink, now that my kids are old enough to trust that they won't eat or drink the cleaning supplies.

I would like to get my bedroom really clean and painted. Several years ago, while I was in Minneapolis visiting family, my husband decided to paint the bedroom. Red. Four hours before he was to pick me up from the airport. Needless to say, we have one unevenly coated reddish wall and 4 white walls. It's a hot mess and it's something I need to take care of and have been saying I wanted to take care of. Well, I just need to do it. I might paint that one wall black, just for the fun of it.

I also have a leaky outside faucet behind my house. The whole faucet assembly needs to be replaced since the builders installed this really bizarre kind of faucet you cannot hook a hose to. I like plumbing, so this should be an interesting project.

So that's what I need to get done this year, what are you doing for home improvement in 2008?