WANT TO SAVE MONEY??? TRY "DO-IT-YOURSELF" DECORATING!

With the economy dipping, the world "climate" stormy and jobs on the chopping block, consumers are not feeling very confident. It seems as though one of the biggest priorities in American life these days is to cut back on spending and "do with less" .

But rather than fret, one enterprising business owner in New Jersey is telling his decorating store customers to "be frugal -- learn to do-it yourself!" . Bruce Heyman, the 42-year-old owner of Fabricland of

North Plainfield has taken these uncertain times and turned them into an opportunity to help his shoppers save money. By offering free classes every Saturday morning on making "no sew" window treatments and home decorative accessories, Heyman's customers are learning how to create elegant window swags, fabric-covered cornices, upholstered headboards, roller shades and fabric lampshades accented with beaded trims -- all for a fraction of the custom price.

"Many women don't have time to sew these days," cites Heyman, "and we teach them that it's really simple to make your own window and home decorative fashions without sewing a stitch." Using fabric glues, iron-on tapes, staple guns and fusible webbing, the stores' decorating experts show how to select, measure, cut, finish and install these treatments without a lot of hassles. "We've had a great response to our demos," said Heyman, "because women really enjoy them and their husbands are happy about saving some money."

For those who do sew, Fabricland offers free sewing programs and guide classes. The store, which houses the largest Bernina sewing machine dealership in the state of New Jersey, have staff members who teach the basics of sewing -- from threading a machine to sewing a straight line -- to the more complicated art of using an embroidery computer system and downloading designs off the Internet. "We're seeing an increase in the number of mothers and daughters who are learning how to sew together", explains Heyman. "Since 'quality family time and values' have brought a renewed interest in hobbies like sewing, our sewing machine business has grown over the past year and a half. "