Make your own: Health24: Parenting

Your guide

Check out our step-by-step guides

Weekly Poll

What's your top choice to prevent flu?

Make your own

No one said having children is inexpensive. But there are several things you can make - to use, play with or just to make life a little easier - and you'll save a few cents along the way. Thanks to tips sent in by readers, we'll show you how!

Skid-proof socks and knee pads

Here are some great ideas for inexpensive pad covers for the changing table, and great baby knee pads or sure-grip bottle holders.

A towel that stays on the rack

When hanging a towel on the towel rack for small children, use an extra-long towel that reaches almost to the floor.

An oatmeal bath for itchy skin

Instead of buying expensive over-the-counter oatmeal baths for itchy skin conditions, here's how to make your own.

Place mats for kids

The best place mats for young children are paper towels.

Spray bottle for cuts and scrapes

This is a clean and less painful way to clean out a dirty cut or scrape.

Paper becomes bedroom mural

This reader's kids love to draw, here is her very good idea.

A puzzle of me

Children love to play with their own homemade puzzles, especially when it's a picture of themselves or of the whole family.

The art of body tracing

Have siblings or friends trace around each other's body while lying flat on a large piece of butcher or poster paper.

Homemade wetwipes

Here's how to make your own wetwipes.

Make your own baby food

Many baby products can be made at home in minutes and for a fraction of the cost you would pay in a store.

Make new shoes less slippery

Here's a way to make the kids' new shoes less slippery on slick floors.

Frozen sauce packets for bruises

I keep a few sauce packets, the tiny ones found at fast food restaurants, in my freezer to soothe my children's small bumps and bruises.

Slippery highchair seat

Scared that your baby will slip out of his highchair? Here’s a tip to stop that from happeing.

Keep those old photos

Don't throw away those not-so-perfect photos.

I keep an old king-size fitted sheet in my van for long car trips or for transporting wet or muddy children. Before leaving, I spread the sheet over the top of the back seat, tuck it in between the seat and the back, and let it drape down so it covers most of the floor.