DIY Dollar Store First Aid Kits

Yesterday I took a look at our calendar and realized we would be attending a wedding every weekend this month! That is right, it's wedding season and this time around I am getting creative yet practical. I am making first aid kits. To start out with I thought I would buy enough to make 4 comprehensive kits.

Step Number One:

Print yourself a good old fashioned list of contents. There is a nice list put out by the American Red Cross here. The only things I did not include in my kits were the space blanket and breathing barrier. 

Step Number Two- 

Check your local grocery store for sales on bandages. I was able to find a really great deal at Smith's and got all my mine for a dollar a box. Each kit needs about 25 bandages of varying shapes and sizes. Here is what I purchased:

• 2 boxes (10)  Kroger Sterile All One Size Extra Large 2 in x 4 in
• 1 box (60) Kroger Sterile All One Size 3/4 in x 3 in
• 2 boxes  Kroger Sterile Assorted Sizes Knuckle (10) and Fingertip (10)

Step Number Three-

Take the rest of your list on over to the Dollar Tree. I found almost everything else here for a fraction of the price I would have anywhere else. Here is the breakdown:

• 4 digital thermometers
• 1 package digital thermometer plastic covers (30 per package)
• 2 packages 2 in x 2 in gauze pads (15 per package)
• 4 pairs hair trimming scissors
• 4 pairs tweezers (usually they have these at Dollar Tree I found mine at Smith's for about $1.50)
• 4 packages Extra Strength Cold n' Hot Patches
• 4 packages 3 inch wide elastic bandage
• 4 packages 3 inch wide rolled gauze
• 4 packages Hydrocortisone Cream
• 4 packages Triple Antibiotic Ointment
• 1 package Antibacterial Moist Wipes (20 per package)
• 4 bottles of Aspirin
• 2 packages of Arm and Hammer Vinyl Gloves
• 4 packages of medical tape
• 4 plastic containers with lids for storage

Step Four-

Un-package and assemble your kids.  Almost everything on this list is double packaged, so get rid of that bulky packaging (don't forget to recycle!) and assemble your kits. Each kit should have the following.

• 15 regular bandages
• 5 extra large bandages
• 5 knuckle bandages
• 5 fingertip bandages
• a dgital thermometer
• one package of plastic covers
• 5 gauze pads
• a pair of scissors
• a pair of tweezers
• a package of two Hot n' Cold patches
• an elastic bandage
• a roll of gauze
• a tube of Hydrocortisone Cream
• a tube of Triple Anitbiotic Ointment
• 5 pouches of Antibacterial Moist Wipes
• a bottle of Aspirin
• 2 sets of non-latex gloves
• 1 roll of medical tape

and... a triangular bandage! This is the final piece to the kit and cost nothing to add if you have spare fabric lying around the house. I grabbed a simple jersey knit fabric I found months ago for a dollar a yard.The goal is to make a 3 foot by 3 foot square and then cut it on the diagonal. First I folded it in half. Then, I folded the outside corner to the fold to make a triangle. Finally, I cut along the two folds and voila! I have 4 triangular bandages in a matter of minutes!

Here are the finished first aid kits! 

What Does it Cost?

Total Cost- $60.00
Per Kit Cost- $15.00
Comparable kits-$25-$30

Win.