Handpainted mugs make great Christmas gifts. Is there a tea or coffee lover on your list? Try this technique and make them something extra special! This stunning floral design by Alison at iLoveToCreate is easier than you might think. (Note that this particular project is done with special mugs and paint markers that are food-safe. If you use other glass paint markers that are not food-safe, you should be mindful of the placement of the flowers and keep them away from the rim where your lips will touch, just in case! You can find more details about the food safe paint pens on the tutorial page.) [how to make painted marigold mugs]

Project estimate:

• Mug, on hand or $1 and up
• Ceramic paint markers, about $3 and up

Total: about $3 and up

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When it comes to Halloween decor, my preferred aesthetic is spooky-but-not-too-spooky. These dripping blood candle holders fit right in with that look! Making them is extremely easy because gravity does most of the work. They’re a great finishing detail for a Halloween mantel, centerpiece, or anywhere else you need a little touch of creepy!

Project estimate:

• Glass candle holders or jars, on hand or $1 and up
• Red glass paint, on hand or about $2 and up*
• Wax paper, on hand or $1 and up
• Red LED candles, $1

Total: $1 and up

* I used DecoArt’s Americana Gloss Enamels in transparent red for a fairly realistic blood look.

To make my candle holders I used these votive holders from Dollar Tree that look like mini fish bowls. But you can do this project will all kinds of different glass candle holders, even small jars out of your recycling bin!

Lay out some newspaper and top with a piece of wax paper – this is gonna get messy!

Flip your containers upside-down on the wax paper and then pour some glass paint over them.  I used a paintbrush to push the paint around and make it drip where I wanted. Then just let them sit still to drip and dry.

When the paint is completely dry, carefully peel away the wax paper. If needed, use a craft knife to remove any excess paint from around the top of the candle holder, giving it a more finished look.

Read the instructions on your glass paint – some paints (especially multi-surface paints) will cure as they air dry, while other paints (especially glass-specific paints) will have directions for curing in the oven.

Then pop in a candle and enjoy! I found some red battery-powered votive candles, also from Dollar Tree, that I thought would be a great compliment to the dripping blood look.

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If you haven’t visited Dollar Store Craft’s Facebook group, you really should!  I get so many fun ideas and am often inspired by the other crafters in the group.  Not too long ago, someone posted pictured of Princess inspired wine glasses.  Someone asked how to make them, and I offered to make a tutorial for the project.  It took a while, but here it is:  how to make glittery princess wine glasses!

Project Estimate:

• Wine glass – $1
• Glossy glass paint- $2.50
• glitter glass paint – $2.50
• Printout – free

Total:  $6

You could cut down on the cost by simply using the glitter glass paint.  I like using a gloss color first just because it makes the project quicker and you don’t need to apply as many layers.  You can achieve the same look with just the glitter paint, but you’ll have to apply more layers of paint.  The key to getting an even finish with glass paint is to apply multiple thin layers and to allow each layer to dry completely before adding more paint.  If you put too much paint at once it tends to look streaky or you chip paint off.

Step one:  Paint the stem with the gloss blue paint.  Let it dry, then add another layer of paint.

Step two:  Paint over the blue paint with the glitter paint.  Apply three layers of paint.

Step three:  Print out a silhouette if the desired princess figure.  Tape it inside the glass.  Use a fine tip brush and repeat steps one and two.

Follow the directions on the package to set the paint permanently.  Usually you have to let it dry for about three days, then place the glass in a cold oven and bake according to package instructions. Once the paint is set you can use the glass regularly without worrying about scraping off the paint.  Then you can enjoy your custom made glass!

The post How to Paint A Princess Glass appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Liven up your windows for spring with a bright, cheerful suncatcher made from a glass plate!  It’s inspired by stained glass, but unlike actual stained glass this project doesn’t require any special tools or skills.

Project estimate:

• Glass plate, $1
• Assorted nail polish, on hand
• Double-sided tape, on hand or $1
• E6000 glue, on hand
• Hanger, on hand or $1
• Nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol, on hand
• Pattern, free (search “stained glass patterns” for thousands of them!)

Total:  $1 and up

Clean the face of the plate with nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol and let dry.

Using the double-sided tape, stick the pattern to the underside of the plate. Remember that you will be adding a hook so make sure your pattern covers that area.

Patterns vary but you will want to use the same technique. Outline your pattern and allow to dry.

Then fill in the outlined areas.  To avoid brush marks, apply excess nail polish. Load the brush and dab it in the center of your design, in this case, one of the wing sections. Take the brush and push the polish so that it meets the outline. Dab on more paint if needed.

Once you have filled in all the sections and they are dry, go over the outline again. If, when held to the light, you have areas that didn’t reach outline, it is easier to make the outline wider.

Clean the area where you’re putting the hanger with nail polish remover and let dry. Apply E6000 to the plate and place the hanger on top of it. Hold the hanger in place with something heavy any let dry overnight. (I used the tip of my wire cutters)

The post Tutorial: Glass Plate Suncatcher appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’ve been a little bit burlap-obsessed lately, and suddenly it’s showing up all over in my decor.  And not just by itself, either; I have been head-over-heels for the combination of burlap and lace together.  Over at Mrs. Greene I made these springy burlap topiaries out of foam cones and glass candlesticks, which I intended as decorations for spring but like so much that I think I’ll leave them out year-round.  If burlap and lace aren’t your thing, you could also substitute other fabrics and embellishments to make your own version of this project!  [how to make burlap and lace topiary trees]

Project estimate:

• Foam cone, $1
• Burlap, on hand or $1 and up
• Lace and/or ribbon, on hand or $1 and up
• Rhinestones, buttons, and other embellishments, on hand or $1
• Glass candlestick, $1
• Glass paint (optional), on hand or about $2 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $2 and up

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Does your kitchen decor need a facelift? Colleen from Just Paint It! has a quick, easy, and practical idea. After she discovered some glass jars from Dollar Tree had lids just the right width to decorate with washi tape, she ran with the idea and, after adding a little coordinating paint, ended up with a cute set of custom jars in under 15 minutes. They would also make great containers for gifting homemade candies or other yummy treats! [how to make washi tape kitchen jars]

Project estimate:

• Glass jars, $1 each
• Washi tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Washi Tape Kitchen Jars appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s gardening season again!  I’ve been anxiously awaiting this time of year because it means I get to plan and plant this year’s flowers and veggies.  And no garden is complete without some decorations, right?  Beckie from Infarrantly Creative made herself a gorgeous glass flower assembled from various plates and candle holders from Dollar Tree – would you ever guess?  You can also display this beautiful flower indoors by staking it into a houseplant, or leave off the stake portion completely and set it in a plate holder for guests to admire.  [how to make glass flower garden decorations]

Project estimate:

• Assorted glassware, about $3 and up
• Glass marbles, on hand or $1
• Glass paint, on hand or about $2 and up
• E6000 glue, on hand or about $2.50 and up
• Coupling nut, about $1
• Threaded rod, about $2

Total: about $6 and up

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Looking for a great handmade holiday gift to give your family and friends this year? Look no further — you can create simple, designer-looking custom glassware with dollar store supplies and some goodies by Martha Stewart. I’ve been experimenting with glass painting on dollar store glassware, and this is one of my favorite results: butterfly silk screened tumblers. These look professional — your family and friends will not believe you made them yourself!

The dollar store (Dollar Tree, specifically) has a great selection of glassware. I used these basic tumblers and silk screened a butterfly image on each one, using Martha Stewart glass paint and silk screens.

A note about the supplies: Let me just take a minute to say that the Martha Stewart glass paints and silk screens are premium supplies, NOT dollar store supplies, but the thing is, these high quality supplies make humble dollar store goodies look very high end. And think of all the money you will save by making a set of these designer glasses (instead of buying a comparable product at a store like Anthropologie). To me, this is the essence of dollar store crafting — making something amazing out of dollar store stuff.

Also, the silkscreens and paints will allow you to make hundreds of glasses or other projects, so the investment will pay off as you make more projects. These butterfly glasses are perfect for your handmade gifts this holiday season! You can make a set for nearly everyone on your gift list. If butterflies aren’t your style, there are many other silk screen styles to choose from.

Project Materials:

• 4 tumblers, $1 each
• Martha Stewart Glass Silk Screens, Butterfly, retail price $12.99
• Martha Stewart Glass Paint in Purple Orchid, $3.49 retail
• Martha Stewart Glass Paint in Copper, $3.49 retail
• Martha Stewart Squeegie Set, $12.99 retail

Total cost: $36.96 to get started

You need about $33 in Martha Stewart glass supplies to get started, but you will be able to make tons of projects using these. If you want to make a gift (set of 4 glasses) for five friends, the cost per glass will be less than $3 a glass.

Save Money On This Project: Use your 40% off coupon at your local craft store when buying the stencils or tools, and look for sales. This will reduce the supply cost dramatically. You can also skip the squeegies, although they make it really easy to do this project, and I don’t know how frustrating it might be to use the wrong tool for this job.

Okay, enough about the facts – let’s see how to make them!

How to Make Silk Screened Butterfly Glasses:

1. Clean your glass surface with soap and water. Thoroughly dry, and then wipe down with rubbing alcohol.

2. Apply silk screen. It is designed to cling to the glass, which helps keep it in place as you apply paint.

3. Apply a small line of paint across one side of the silkscreen.

4. Pull the squeegie slowly and firmly across the silk screen in one smooth motion.

5. If any area of the silk screen is not covered with paint, pull paint gently over that area.

6. Immediately pull the silk screen up from the glass, starting at one corner and pulling up and away from the glass.

7. Rinse the silk screen out immediately, and dry by blotting with an absorbent towel.

8. Repeat for other glasses.

9. Allow paint to dry for a couple hours, then follow instructions on paint bottle for curing.

Thanks to Paint Me Plaid for these glass silkscreening images!

These butterfly glasses would also make great wedding favors!

Disclosure: I received the Martha Stewart Glass Paints from Plaid to try. No payment was received and no obligation to post a project.

The post Tutorial: Silk Screened Butterfly Glasses appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Do you change your home’s decorations as the seasons change?  Keeping things fresh doesn’t have to be expensive; you just have to get creative with inexpensive things.  Things like picture frames!  Jen from Tatertots & Jello gave her mantle a fall makeover with this cheap, easy artwork.  Using glass paint, she added designs directly to the glass that came with her frames.  The resulting art has interesting texture and depth to it that you wouldn’t get by just framing a painting.  She also let her kids decorate a couple of frames to add to the mix!  [how to make painted glass framed art]

Project estimate:

• Picture frame, on hand or $1 and up
• Glass paint, about $1.50 and up
• Painter’s tape, on hand
• Paper, on hand

Total: about $1.50 and up

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