How to make washable reusable bowl covers and other kitchen savings tips

Socks and lids. Oh where, oh where do they go? I have an entire laundry basket of unmatched socks and a cupboard full of dishes that no longer have lids. This is perhaps the greatest mystery of all time. Exactly where do these things go when they disappear? I long ago gave up on trying to find the missing socks. I just started buying socks for my kids that were always the same color and design so that I can match as many as possible. But the lids for my dishes still frustrate me. I tried to buy replacements but they cost more than the bowls. I tried using the plastic bowl covers but they are expensive and don’t last. So I decided to make my own washable and reusable bowl covers. Along with step by step instructions for making bowl covers, I will also be sharing a few other kitchen savings tips.

Let’s start with a short list of tips to help you save time and money in the kitchen because after all that is why I decided to make these reusable bowl covers.

Kitchen Savings Tips

1. Buy and use good quality trash bags. Nothing is more irritating than a leaky trash bag. Not only do you have to clean up the mess but you also have to use a second trash bag. What a waste of time and money.  For my sanity, Hefty Ultra Strong bags are a great choice due to their outstanding quality and new, lower price. They have active tear resistant technology which helps prevent tears thus preventing leaks.  Bonus: you can get scented Hefty Ultra Strong bags to help keep unpleasant odors at bay. These trash bags are so great I may even start taking out the garbage myself instead of making my husband do it. Psssttt: keep reading to find a link for a coupon for a $1.00 off.
2. Use cloth napkins. I started doing this several years ago and I am so glad I did. I bought several dozen cloth napkins, nothing fancy, on clearance. They can be used for more than one meal since my family members are creatures of habit and always sit in the same seats. They just leave their napkin at their place at the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it is not too soiled. Once a week I wash all the napkins. This has been a huge kitchen savings for our family.
3. Save citrus zest. I used to have to go out and buy lemons, limes, or oranges just to have the zest I needed for a recipe. This usually meant that I wasted the rest of the fruit if no one wanted to eat the orange or I did not have another use for the lemons or limes. Now, whenever I use a piece of citrus fruit for something I always grate the peel and save the dried zest for use in future recipes.
4. Make your own washable reusable bowl covers. The plastic stretchy bowl covers are so convenient especially when you have a bowl that is an irregular size or you have lost the lid. However, they cost a lot, are not reusable, and tear easily. To solve this problem I decided to make my own. Using laminated fabric makes them so they could be washed and reused. This is a huge kitchen savings.
5. Bonus Tip: Use your new bowl covers to cover half of a watermelon or other large melons. 

How to make washable reusable bowl covers

Materials needed:

laminate or vinyl fabric

thread, same or complimentary color of  the fabric

elastic band

scissors sewing machine

safety pin

Instructions:

Start by tracing two circles the same size on the back of your laminate fabric. (I used plates to trace as circles).

Cut out the circles.

Put two of the same size circles on top of each other with the right side of the fabric facing in.

Sew the two circles together, leaving an opening about an inch long.

Use the opening turn the circles right side out.

Sew another seam about one half inch from the edge all the way around to create a channel to hold the elastic band

Attach one end of a piece of elastic band to the inside of the opening with a few stitches

Attach a safety pin to the other end of the elastic band and use it to work the band through the channel you created

Work the elastic through the channel by slowly pushing the pin through the channel until it comes out the other end.

Trim the end of the elastic and attach the end inside the opening

Sew up the opening and your bowl cover is ready to use.

I hope that these tips will help improve your kitchen savings and I have a special offer to share with you for even more savings. Visit Coupons.com for a printable coupon to save $1.00 off one box of Hefty trash bags.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.