One of my new obsessions this summer is making tiny fairy gardens out of teacups and bowls. I have been collecting interesting looking small containers and using them to create whimsical small gardens filled with succulents and decorated with tiny rocks and miniatures. Check out all my tips and tricks for making them over at Live.Craft.Love. [how to make a teacup fairy garden]

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The weather here in Atlanta has been nothing short of fantastical, and my family has basically been living in the backyard, soaking it in. Get your backyard spring-ready or bring some spring beauty indoors with these DIY planters. They’ll work inside or outside.

1. Copper Pipe Planters – I love the modern look of this macrame planter from A Beautiful Mess. It would look lovely hanging in a sunny window or on a porch.

2. Candelabra Planter – Redhead Can Decorate turned an old ceiling fan and candelabra into a functional indoor or outdoor flower planter.

3. Faux Stone Planter – This little polymer clay planter from Lucy Akins is perfect for showing off your favorite succulent.

4. Tin Can Planter – Making a planter from a tin can sounds easier than it is, though it’s still super duper easy. Get the deets at Crafting a Green World.

5. Recycled Hanging Herb Planter – You can’t recycle mesh produce bags, but they give the right amount of drainage for making a sweet hanging herb planter.

6. Gratitude Planter – Heather bills this as a Thanksgiving craft, but I think that these pretty chalkboard pots would work well as part of your spring decor, too!

7. Poured Paint Planter – Turn a plain terra cotta pot into a colorful decor piece!

8. Faux Stone Planters – Bonnie at Revolutionaries turns old coffee canisters into chic planters with a faux stone finish.

9. Switch Plate Planters – It’s sort of amazing how replacing yellowed old switch plates makes a room look fresher. Don’t toss the old ones, though! Turn them into cute little planters with Apartment Therapy’s instructions.

10. Upside Down Planters – Design Sponge has a beautiful, recycled spin on those old As Seen on TV Upside Down Tomato Planters. And you can plant so much more than tomatoes in them!

The post 10 DIY Planters that Work Inside or Out appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Dollar stores, thrift shops, and yard sales are great places to find lots of fun glassware for cheap.  But once you’ve collected it, what should you do with it?  One possible project is to create a unique, whimsical bird bath!

Project estimate:

• Assorted vases, saucers, and plates/platters, about $5 at thrift stores
• Bowl for base, $1 and up
• Flat glass marbles, $1 and up
• Silicone caulk, about $3 and up
• Paint (optional), on hand or $1 and up

Total:  about $10 and up

Make sure all glassware is clean and your work surface is level. Carefully stack your glassware to form your birdbath. I start with a heavy base, Dollar Tree always has a good plate and sometimes a large bowl that works great.

After you establish the shape of your birdbath, snap a picture or make a note of the order of the glassware. I strongly suggest you use clear silicone sealant to adhere your pieces together. It is weatherproof and if you need to, you can take them apart by using a flexible paring knife between the two pieces. Adhere only 2 to 3 pieces of glassware at a time, using a level to make sure that your birdbath will stand straight. Use the clear silicone sealant generously, you can always scrape up excess after it dries. Continue gluing your pieces on and checking them with the level until you reach the top.

You can decorate your birdbath using the clear flat marbles and the silicone sealant. It is completely waterproof and non-toxic so you can put it inside the bowl of your birdbath.

Optional: you can pour acrylic paint inside the vases to add some color. I would do this a day before I assembled my birdbath and make sure that it is completely dry.

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Are you ready to get outside and dig in the dirt? Whether it’s your first garden or your twentieth, you’ll want to be sure to mark your rows so you remember what you planted where! These plant markers from Creative Green Living are both adorable and easy to make in just a few minutes. [how to make plant markers from clothespins]

Project estimate:

• Clothespins, $1 and up
• Washi tape, on hand
• Scissors, on hand
• Label maker and tape, on hand
• Dowels, $1 and up

Total: $2 and up!

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These super funky flamingos are absolutely bursting with character!  Ashlee from My So Called Crafty Life gave a pair of standard plastic flamingos a polka dotted makeover, and even pretty beaded necklaces!  If you check out end-of-summer clearance sales right now, you might be able to score some birds extra-cheap.  Then grab some paint and turn the kitsch factor up to eleven!  [how to make funky polka dot lawn flamingos]

Project estimate:

• Lawn flamingos, $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Painter’s tape, on hand
• Foam spouncer, on hand or $1
• Beads, on hand or $1 and up
• String, on hand

Total:  $1 and up!

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As I’ve mentioned several times in other posts, I have been slowly putting together a “fantastical” garden area inspired by the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland.  My garden is made up of tea pot and tea cup creations, and I’m also filling it with whimsical DIY garden art.

I made a dragonfly out of a whisk, and my daughter liked it so much that she wanted to make some.  I went to the thrift store and bought all the whisks they had.  Since I had a nice collection, I wanted to make some other winged critters to go with my dragonfly, and that’s how the idea for this fun, whimsical butterfly came about.

Project estimate:

• Whisk, $1
• Spray Paint, on hand
• Large bead, on hand
• Wire, on hand

Total:  $1

Step one:  Bend the loops of the whisk to form the butterfly wings.  Start by creating the bottom two, shaping the wire with your hands to the desired form.  Then make the top two wings.

Step two:  Cut the remaining loop in half with wire cutters, and use pliers to loop them into antennae.

Step three:  Spray paint the butterfly.

Step four:   Thread a piece of wire through a bead and loop the wire around the two antennae.  The bead is now the butterfly’s head, and the excess wire can be made into a loop that you use to hang the butterfly.

I plan to make several colorful butterflies like this one and hang them from trees.  I think they will be a fun, unexpected addition to my garden.  If you prefer, they could also go on a stake or even be hung on a wall.  You could even hang chimes from them to create your own unique wind chime!  Have fun crafting and creating whatever your imagination dreams up.

The post Tutorial: Butterfly Garden Art from a Whisk appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Check out these fabulous flower solar lights from Instructables user Shomo09!  Plain path lights get a colorful makeover with the addition of a plastic cover – a cover made from melted pony beads.  You will definitely want to buy a pizza pan to use for this project – don’t use your good one!  Once you’ve finished using it to melt the beads you should no longer use it for preparing food.  (But you can use it to create magnetic toy storage!)  It is also suggested that you do this project outdoors on a gas grill rather than in your oven to reduce your exposure to melting plastic fumes.  [how to makemelted bead solar light covers]

Project estimate:

• Solar lights, on hand or $1 each
• Pony beads, on hand or $1
• Pizza pan, $1
• Tin can, on hand
• Gas grill, on hand

Total: $1 and up

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I’ve mentioned in a few other posts that I’ve been creating a Mad Hatter inspired area in my yard.  Tea pots and cups are items easily found at thrift stores, and they play a big role in my decorating scheme.  I’ve shared my tea pot stand and my tea cup bird feeder with you.  Now I’m showing you my newest addition:  a tea cup candle!

Project estimate:

• Tea cup and saucer, on hand
• Used candles, on hand
• Candle warmer or pot, on hand

Total:  Free

Step one:  I reused old candles to make my “new” candle.  First, I broke the candle into pieces and removed the wick.  Save the wick for later!

Step two:  I placed my broken candle pieces in the tea cup, and placed the tea cup on a candle warmer to melt the wax.  If you don’t have a candle warmer, use a double boiler or an old pot to melt the wax.

Step three:  Once the wax has melted, you can add color and fragrance if you have those on hand.  I added some red candle wax dye to mine.  Cut the old wick so it fits in the tea cup, and place the wick into the liquid wax.  Allow it to cool, then scrape off the excess wax if you’re as messy as I am.

I love my charming little candle!  It looks really cute in my garden.  If I find citronella oil, I’d like to add that to the wax next time to help keep mosquitos away while I relax outdoors.  I might even paint the tea cup in fun colors next time, just to add to the whimsy of it all!

This charming little candle would be great indoors or outdoors.  It’s completely unexpected and easy to customize, so you could have a candle in any color or scent you like.  Have fun crafting and creating!

The post Make A Tea Cup Candle appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Stepping stones are a great way to add both functionality and personality to your garden space. Haeley from Design Improvised wanted to out some in her garden, so she snagged a couple of plain pavers from Lowes at a price of $1.30 each and spruced them up with a pretty paint job! I love her playful combination of colors and the honeycomb pattern she chose; with the variety of stencils and paints available these days, there are endless design possibilities for this project. Other ideas that popped into my mind include making a “welcome” stone or making one with your last name or monogram! [how to make stenciled garden stepping stones]

Project estimate:

• Paver blocks, about $1.30 each
• Stencil, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  about $1.30 and up

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Moms often receive flowers for mother’s day, but who’s to say dad wouldn’t enjoy a plant for father’s day?  My husband enjoys cooking and using fresh herbs, so I thought it would be fun to make him a father’s day gift that could live on the counter, look good, and still be useful.  I went with mint because of the lovely smell and the fact that it can do well in a container, so I themed the free printable tag to match the plant.

Project estimate:

• Mason Jar, on hand or $1
• Twine, on hand or $1
• Rocks, on hand or $1
• Mint Plant, $2.50
• Printable, free

Total:  $2.50 and up

Step one:  Fill the bottom third of the jar with rocks.  I used a bag of river rock purchased at Dollar Tree.

Step two:  Add potting soil, if needed, and then the mint plant.

Step three:  Wrap the lip of the jar with twine.  I found three rolls for $1 at DT.

Step four:  Print out the free printable (reduce or enlarge it to the desired size), trim the tag, and use twine to tie it to the jar.  (Download the full-size image here.)

Now dad has a lovely mint plant he can keep close by when he makes his mojitos!  This would also make a great teacher present or housewarming gift for a new neighbor.  You could easily replace the mint plant with any other herb or plant that does well in a container.  Going green with your gift giving is always appreciated.

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