There’s enough candy on Valentine’s Day! Make quick and easy healthy valentine snacks for your kids to give out in class. Here are some Free printables for apple sauce squeeze pouches, oranges, and juice boxes.

To make them:

Download the free printable, print it out on your printer.

Cut out the labels to fit your healthy snacks. then attach with double-sided tape.

EASY!

The post Healthy Snack Valentine Printables appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Looking for a lovely last-minute gift to make, or a way to perk up your kitchen for the new year? This free printable folk-inspired 2018 tea towel calendar is the perfect project for you! You just need a few simple supplies to create a gorgeous Scandinavian folk art-inspired tea towel calendar, and you get to choose from THREE different colorways so you can get just the look you want for your kitchen. And don’t forget to download the coordinating printable card to give along with the calendar.

• This is a long post, so if desired, jump to the Calendar Download here.

Download the coordinating printable card!

About the Collaboration:

In 2010, I teamed up with talented designer Cathe Holden of Inspired Barn to create a printable tea towel calendar. She designed the printables, and I made the calendar and wrote the instructions, and then we provided the free printables to you! This year, we have a new design available — our all-new 2018 printable tea towel calendar, as well a sweet card, that you can download (click the image above), print, and make for a special handmade touch.

Now, on to the project!

Supplies for the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar:

This project is simple, but you definitely need a few supplies that will make it WAY easier. Don’t skimp on these supplies, as it will save you some headaches.

Supplies Needed:

• Free Printable: 2018 Tea Towel Calendar
• A flour sack towel
• 2 Iron-on transfer sheets (buy them in a pack)
• Freezer paper
• Parchment paper
• Inkjet printer
• Iron and Ironing board
• Large wooden cutting board
• Sewing machine & thread
• Scissors, pins

Notes about the Materials:

Dollar store materials: I got the flour sack towel and parchment paper at the dollar store. I have seen iron on transfers there before, but I have never used the ones they sell, and I don’t see them there consistently. If you are using the dark fabric iron-on transfers, DO NOT SKIP THE PARCHMENT PAPER!

Tea towels: I got flour sack towels from the dollar store, but I also wanted to try something less plain, so I picked up a pack of four colored and patterned flour sack towels from Target for about $5 total. (The grey polka-dot towel used in the photo above is from the pack from Target).

Iron-On transfer sheets: I just bought a pack at my local craft store that had both transparent sheets and the type you use for dark fabric, because I wanted to experiment with both kinds. Honestly, I would not recommend the kind I used (you can see the brand in the photo), as I had many craftfails while making this project! If you are using a patterned tea towel, use the dark fabric type of iron-ons, but if you are using a white tea towel, use the transparent kind.

Freezer paper: This paper is waxed on one side, and paper on the other side, which means you can iron it onto your fabric and then easily remove it later. The freezer paper is a DO NOT SKIP supply because it stabilizes the flour sack towels while you apply the iron-ons, which is essential because of the loose weave of the towels. You can find freezer paper in the food wrap section of your local grocery store, or online (affiliate link to Amazon for your convenience): buy freezer paper.

Freezer paper is cheaper if you buy it in a store, but one roll will last you forever, and you can use it for many cool craft techniques like making iron-ons for perfect fabric stencils, or for paper piecing in quilting.

Download the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar:

Phew, that was long. Let’s dive into the project!

Step 1: Download the Calendar Top & Bottom

Choose your favorite color combination, and download the files you will need for your calendar. Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the printable tea towel calendar files you want.

Note: If you are using transparent (light fabric) iron-ons, you will need the REVERSED bottom calendar image. If you are using opaque (dark fabric) iron-ons, you will need the normal, readable one!

Red & Blue 2018 Tea Towel Calendar Downloads:

Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the files you want.

• Download Red & Blue Calendar Top
• Download Red & Blue Calendar Bottom (Regular)
• Download Red & Blue Calendar Bottom (Reversed)

Blue 2018 Tea Towel Calendar Downloads:

Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the files you want.

• Download Blue Calendar Top
• Download Blue Calendar Bottom (Regular)
• Download Blue Calendar Bottom (Reversed)

Green 2018 Tea Towel Calendar Downloads:

Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the files you want.

• Download Green Calendar Top
• Download Green Calendar Bottom (Regular)
• Download Green Calendar Bottom (Reversed)

Step 2: Print the Calendar Printables on Iron-on Transfer Paper

I don’t have a recommendation for a specific variety of iron on paper at this time (because I didn’t like the type I used). Do be aware: if you are using a dark or patterned tea towel, you will need to use the dark fabric type of iron-ons.

If you are using the transparent kind of iron-ons, you will need the REVERSE image file for the calendar.

How to Make the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar

Step 3: Cut & Sew the Tea Towel

1. Iron your tea towel before you start.
2. Flour sack towels are usually large and square, so cut it in half.
3. Fold the cut end over and iron it flat. This is where you will hem it to make it match the other side! Pin the hem (don’t skip this step, because this floppy fabric is hard to sew if you don’t pin it).
   

Sew the side hem.

Step 4: Freezer Paper — The Secret Weapon

Iron a piece of of freezer paper to the back of the tea towel. Place the waxed side DOWN onto the fabric, and iron over the paper side. It will stick to the tea towel and stabilize it, making it WAY easier to successfully apply the iron on transfer to the other side. When you’re all done with the process, you can easily remove the freezer paper by peeling it away. (Do that at the end of the project!)

Step 5: On to the Calendar!

Your iron-on transfer paper will come with instructions for printing and application, so follow them. I will give some general guidelines for success here:

1. Use a hard, heat-proof surface to iron on, if you can. I pulled the built-in wooden cutting board from my kitchen counters.
2. If you are using opaque (dark fabric) iron-ons, use a piece of parchment paper to iron over the top of your iron-on. My iron-ons included a piece of parchment paper that was the same size as the iron-on sheet, and since it was impossible to keep the same-size parchment paper covering the transfer while I moved the iron, it ruined my transfer.
3. Iron the top and the bottom pieces very close together. Once you’ve ironed the first one, protect it with a piece of parchment paper while you iron the second one.

Remove the freezer paper from the back by simply peeling it off!

Pin this Project!

If you enjoyed this project, I would appreciate any shares you can spare! Thank you for reading, and please let me know if you have any feedback on this project, or tips you discovered while making it!

Don’t forget to download the matching free printable card!

The post Free Printable: 2018 Tea Towel Calendar appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you looking for the perfect printable card to top off that perfect gift? I have a fabulous FREE PRINTABLE card for you. Just in time for holiday gift wrapping, I have collaborated with Cathe Holden of Inspired Barn to give YOU a gift! Please print out these adorable folk art-inspired printable cards and use them for all your holiday occasions (and beyond). And don’t forget to download the coordinating printable for the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar!

About this collaboration:

In 2010, talented graphic designer Cathe Holden and I teamed up to create a printable tea towel calendar. She designed the printables, and I made the calendar and wrote the instructions, and then we provided the free printables to you! This year, we have a new design available — our all-new 2018 printable tea towel calendar, as well as this sweet card, that you can download, print, and make yourself for a special handmade touch.

Download the Printable Card Templates:

Download the files below to print out your own cards. Each printable will make two cards (just cut the printed sheet in half, then fold the cards to make them complete). They will fit in an A2 envelope.

To download, just click on the image to be taken to the file on Google Drive, where you can download it.

Red and Blue Printable Card Template

Blue Printable Card Template

Green & Blue Printable Card Template

Card-Making Tips:

You really can just print this, cut it, fold it and go, but if you are looking to make your printed cards look nicer, I recommend a few products to get a top-of-the-line look. I used these products to make the cards you see in the photos in this post, and they are some of my favorite products that I can’t do without (disclosure: these are Amazon affiliate links):

1. HP Inkjet Brochure Paper

If you are using an inkjet printer, I hands-down recommend this HP brochure paper for gorgeous printing. It is smooth, heavy paper that can be printed on both sides, and it makes the ink shine. It’s great for paper projects like this one, or for printing anything that you want to make look extra pretty.

I should also disclose that I work with HP, and have received this product for free, but they did not ask me to promote it here. I just really love it and I highly recommend it.

2. Trimming and Scoring Board

If you make cards or paper crafts often, you should treat yourself to a Trimming and Scoring Board – it is a paper trimmer with a built-in board that has grooves in it so you can gently add a crease wherever you want to fold the paper. It also comes with a bone folder (which you use to make the score in the paper) that you can also use to make a clean, crisp fold.  The paper trimmer is so handy for creating perfectly measured and cut lines — no more wiggly scissor lines!

Thank you for joining me at Dollar Store Crafts! I truly value everyone who is part of my community, and I would love to hear your feedback about this project or the site.

The post Free Printable Card: Folk Art Gift Notecards appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Happy holidays! Are you already wrapping gifts? If you need some pretty gift tags, Leethal.net has provided some free printable gift tags featuring pretty watercolor images. Head on over to her site to grab the free printable files: [click here for free printable gift tags]

Looking for more free printables? Here are some you might enjoy:

• Free Printable Herb Jar Labels
• Free Printable Christmas Favor Box

The post Free Printable Watercolor Gift Tags appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you started thinking about Halloween decor yet?  Only 7 weeks left until the end of October, and if you are a DIYer you know that it’ll sneak up on you way too fast if you don’t get a head start on your projects!  At See Vanessa Craft, Kiki from Kiki and Company shared how she made this spooky eyeball wreath using a free printable that she designed.  Head over there for the complete instructions, and to download the free eyeball printable to use for this project or elsewhere in your Halloween decorating!  [how to make an eyeball Halloween wreath]

Project estimate:

• Wreath form, on hand or $1 and up
• Paper, on hand
• Eyeball printables, free
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: Free and up!

The post Make an Eyeball Halloween Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Do you have a bunch of old tote bags in your stash, like I do? So many events give out free canvas totes right now, and I can’t resist them. Some of them already have awesome art on them, but for plain old totes, they could use an upgrade for spring. Here are some cute ways to embellish a plain tote bag from your stash.

1.    Photo Transfer – Transfer any image you want – a photo, a magazine image, or a laser-printed photo. Radiant Home Studio used it to make a faux quilted pattern on a plain tote, and it looks amazing.

2.    Bleach Spot It – This is a cool technique that works well on dark fabric. A Beautiful Mess used it on a foot stool, and it would work just as well on a dark tote.

3.    Replace the Handles – Grab your seam ripper, and pull off those boring webbing straps. Replace them with these awesome DIY purse handles from Blue Susan Makes. You can always save those webbing straps for another project.

4.   Magnetic Tote – Cut Out + Keep kind of blew my mind with this one. What a great way to deck out a tote and turn it into an on-the-go activity for when you’re out with your kids!

5.    Monogrammed Doily Tote – Turn a doily into a stencil! This is a simple, genius tute from Under the Sycamore.

6.    Watercolor Popsicle Totes – This free printable from Creature Comforts is meant to be used to make favor bags, but you could totally use them to deck out your favorite tote, too.

7.    Neon Ombre – Give your plain ol’ tote bag a color-dipped look with Madigan Made’s simple instructions.

8.    A Pop of Color – I made this tote from scratch, but since you add the colorful stripes after the fact, you can just pick up the tute at step 6 with any bag in your stash.

9.    Geometric Tote – Momtastic uses freezer paper stencils to create this cool graphic tote bag.

10.    Typographic Tote – This is another simple iron on, and the instructions at How About Orange leave you open to putting whatever saying you want in whatever font and colors you choose on your tote bag.

The post 10 Cute Ways to Decorate a Plain Tote Bag appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Paddington is coming to theaters January 16, and in honor, I created a fun and furry bear ears tutorial. Now you can dress like Paddington when you go to see the movie, which is based on the beloved novels by Michael Bond and from producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER).  You just need a few inexpensive supplies to create this fetching headband (do you think cast member Nicole Kidman would wear it?) And hey, don’t forget to check out our 15 Free Paddington Printables after the tutorial!

Thanks to my sponsor, The Weinstein Company, who brought you this fun project!

For this project, I started with a dollar store headband, and added some fun goodies from the craft store — oversized chenille stems (we’re talking GIANT pipecleaners, kids!), some fuzzy brown craft fur, and some pretty red ribbon.

Project Materials:

• A headband
• 2 pieces of giant chenille stem, cut to 8″
• 2 pieces of fun fur, cut to about 2′ x 2″
• 2 pieces of red ribbon or fabric, cut to about 2′ x 2″
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Scissors

To Make a Paddington Headband:

1. Cut two pieces of giant chenille stem to 8″ lengths.

2. Wrap the ends of the chenille stems around the headband to form ear shapes. Wrap the ends of the chenille stems around to secure.

3. Using the ears on the headband as a template, cut two pieces of craft fur in ear shapes. Note: Make sure the fur is facing upward toward the curve of the ear before cutting.

For best results when cutting craft fur, turn fur over so you can see the back of it, then clip very close to the backing fabric with the tips of your scissors. This way, you won’t give the fur an inadvertent awkward hair cut!

4. Stick a piece of fun fur through the ears so all the hair is facing the front of the headband. Hot glue the bottom of the fur to the base of the headband.

5. Pull the corners and edges of the fur piece through the ears and hot glue around them, attaching fur edges to the ear. Be careful to leave the fur front sticking out through the front of the ears.

6. Trim any excess fur edges.

7. Cut a piece of ribbon or fabric large enough to cover the messy back of the craft fur. Trim to fit the ears shape, then hot glue over the back.

Let all the glue dry, and then you’re ready to wear your Paddington ears! And by the way, they’re reversible!

Here’s my tiny assistant August, who tried them on while I was making them.

Paddington – In Theaters January 16

Official Paddington Websites:

• Like Paddington on Facebook
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest
• #PaddingtonMovie

PADDINGTON arrives in theaters January 16! More about the movie:

From the beloved novels by Michael Bond and producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER), PADDINGTON tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.

Starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Nicole Kidman.

Free Paddington Coloring Pages and Activities

Paddington loves adventure. Enjoy these fifteen fun, free printable activities!

1. Connect the Dots: PDF
2. Paddington Story Starter: PDF
3. Paddington Memory Game: PDF
4. Map Game: PDF
5. Printable Gift Tag: PDF
6. Learn to Draw Paddington’s Hat: PDF
7. Paddington Word Search: PDF
8. Paddington Fill-in-the-Blank: PDF
9. Paddington Coloring Page (1): PDF
10. Paddington Coloring Page (2): PDF
11. Paddington Coloring Page (3): PDF
12. Paddington Coloring Page (4): PDF
13. Paddington Coloring Page (5): PDF
14. Paddington Coloring Page (6): PDF
15. Paddington Bookmarks: PDF

The post Tutorial: Paddington Ears Headband & Free Printables appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We have declared this week to be Back to School Week here at DSC, and we’re devoting a whole week to school supplies, teacher gifts, and more!  We’re kicking it off with these great free printables from Mr. Printables – a set of pencil and eraser shaped favor boxes to fill with your favorite treats or other small goodies!  Use them for classroom gifts, teacher gifts, or for any party where school/office supplies are an appropriate theme.  Or just print them out because they are cute – that’s a good enough reason for us!  [download the free printable pencil and eraser favor boxes]

The post Free Printable Pencil and Eraser Favor Boxes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Do you know a little dinosaur lover?  They will love this fun art project from Kate at The Craft Train!  She has a great set of free printables available to turn a pile of paper plates into a herd of dinos.  These are decorated using glitter, but if you don’t have any of that around (or don’t want to deal with the sparkly mess that ensues), you could also paint the plates instead.  Rawr!  [how to make paper plate dinosaurs]

Project estimate:

• Paper plates, on hand or $1
• Paint and/or glue and glitter, on hand or $1 and up
• Stapler, on hand
• Dinosaur parts printables, free

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Paper Plate Dinosaurs appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Raise your hand if you’d like to win with a fabulous prize that will help create lasting summer memories with your family?!?!

We’ve collaborated with some of our FAVORITE FRIENDS on Pinterest to make your summer even better!

One LUCKY family will win their choice of….

a Cedar Play Set,

a Splash Pad,

(or) a Bounce House!

(Your kids are going to L-O-V-E you!!!!)

If you don’t have kids or your “little ones” are not so little anymore, enter to win this for the deserving family of your choice!

Before you enter – check out the amazing bloggers who are making this all possible!

• Somewhat Simple – Somewhat Simple features simple ideas for your home and family- DIY crafts, design projects, family-friendly recipes and more!
• The Dating Divas – The Dating Divas offer fabulous date ideas, FREE flirty tips, tricks, tutorials, & darling printables to keep the romance alive and the sparks flying’.
• Simple As That – Simple As That shares simple craft ideas, easy to follow photo tips and more!
• Mod Podge Rocks – Mod Podge Rocks is the place to get all of the best decoupage ideas, how-tos and tutorials – with a little bit of humor in between!
• Something Swanky – Something Swanky is all about the sweet stuff! Find hundreds of creative dessert recipes, from decadent to comforting to healthful and everything in between. If it’s sweet, it’s on Something Swanky!
• Dollar Store Crafts – DollarStoreCrafts.com is a daily crafting blog with an emphasis on projects that are cheap, chic, and easy to do. Most of the materials in our projects can be purchased at your local dollar store.
• Craftaholics Anonymous – Looking for loads of Crafts, simple DIY’s, and Holiday Ideas? Head over to Craftaholics Anonymous® for a huge dose of creative therapy!
• The Idea Room – The Idea Room is a site written by a mother of five, who enjoys sharing her love of all things creative in hopes of inspiring other women and families. Sharing tutorials for home projects, recipes, crafts and so much more.
• The 36th Avenue – The 36th Avenue is your number one destination for easy DIY projects, free printables, adorable handmade gifts and holiday ideas, delicious recipes and everything EXTRAORDINARY!
• Infarrantly Creative – Your place for DIY, crafts, trash to treasure projects and home decor.

THESE BLOGGERS ARE READY TO FILL YOUR PINTEREST FEED WITH AMAZING CONTENT!!!

So what are you WAITING for?

Enter NOW, here is HOW!!!

Click on each blogger’s link to Pinterest and follow all of their boards. Make sure you follow everyone to be entered!

Winner will be announced Thursday, July 3rd.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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