Around our house we recycle as much as possible, but some things still find their way to the garbage can instead – for instance, only #1 and #2 plastics are accepted at the recycling center. Save some of that waste from the landfill by using clear plastic containers to create faux stained glass suncatchers! They are as easy to make as they are pretty to look at.

Project estimate:

• Nail polish, on hand or $1 and up
• Clear plastic packaging, on hand
• 4″ Brass ring, $1 and up
• Fishing line, on hand or $1 and up
• Pattern, free

Total:  $1 and up!

First you will need to find at print a pattern to use.  If you do a Google image search for “stained glass pattern” you will see thousands to choose from!

Clean the plastic and dry with a paper towel.

Using double stick tape, attach the pattern to the underside of the plastic. If your piece of plastic doesn’t lay completely flat, tape it to your work surface so that it does.

Patterns vary but you will want to use the same technique. Start by outlining your pattern and allow it to dry.

To avoid brush marks when filling solid areas, apply excess nail polish. Load the brush and dab it in the center of your design. Take the brush and push the polish so that it meets the outline. Dab on more paint if needed. (Note: I used clear nail polish on the clear areas.)

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 the outline, it is easier to make the outline wider.

Once you are finished and the paint is dry, glue the brass ring to the plastic. I glued 1/2 of the ring and once it was secure, I lifted it away from the plastic and glued the rest. Using a sharp cutting tool, cut as close to the ring as possible. Using a pin, make two small holes at the top and close to the inside of the ring and add your fishing line to hang it.

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

A necklace made using an acrylic photo frame for materials?  I betcha you never would have guessed!  This clever and economical idea comes from Aki at Minted Strawberry, whose brain must just be overflowing with clever dollar store crafting ideas.  Even if the tribal theme of this jewelry isn’t your thing, the process of making it is pretty amazing and could be used to make charms and pendants in all kinds of different shapes.  It opens up a whole new world of possibilities for making custom pieces for your jewelry projects!  [how to make an Aztec-inspired faux brass necklace]

Project estimate:

• Acrylic photo frame, $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Dremel or drill, on hand
• Beads, on hand
• Jewelry findings, on hand or $1 and up
• Chain, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

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Some of my favorite seasonal items at the dollar store are the brightly-colored plastic plates, bowls, cups, and other servingware – I call it “picnicware”. Our pal Kathy, aka Crafty Chica, snagged a stack of colorful cups knowing that they would be great for some kind of crafty project. Inspiration struck while she was painting her fingernails, and the rest, as they say, is history! Head over to her blog for a video tutorial. Have you ever decorated anything with nail polish? [how to make enameled plastic tumblers]

Project estimate:

• Plastic glasses, $1
• Nail polish, on hand or $1
• Stencils, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Enameled Plastic Cups appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you don’t watch too carefully, plastic bags seem to breed like rabbits! Since one can only use so many miniature garbage bags, it’s a good thing there are lots of great things you can do with plastic bags that are fun and even creative! Over on Home Made Simple, Heather teaches us 10 great ways to transform plastic grocery sacks into something way more awesome. [10 creative ways to reuse plastic grocery bags]

Project estimate:

• Plastic grocery bags, on hand
• Iron, on hand
• Scissors, on hand

Total: Free and up!

The post 10 Creative Ways to Reuse Plastic Grocery Bags appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

There are some craft supplies that I have a hard time using to make grown-up looking crafts.  Pony beads are one of those supplies; I look at them and all I can see is the lizard-shaped keychains I learned how to make a summer camp when I was ten.  And despite the fact that I never actually use them in my crafting, somehow there is still a huge Ziploc full of them in my stash, always taunting me.  Do you know the feeling?  Wondering what to do with those darn things?  Here is a great idea from Desiree at The 36th Avenue that is as easy as it is cute.  She and her girls melted some beads to create bright, cheerful jewelry!  [how to make melted bead jewelry]

Project estimate:

• Plastic pony beads, on hand or $1
• Oven or toaster oven, on hand
• Jewelry findings, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Melted Bead Jewelry appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

A plain sweater is a great wardrobe element, but what to do with it once you have tired of its plainness?  At Virginie Peny we found this gorgeous, inexpensive means of embellishing a sweater.  She used colorful plastic covers from exercise books, which look about the same as plastic report covers or folders, that she cut into scale-like sections.  Applied to the shoulders of the sweater, they provide a fun, unexpected element to the ensemble.  Not into the stuff-on-your-shoulders look?  Experiment with placing the embellishments elsewhere, such as around the collar or hem.  [how to make a DIY jelly sweater]

Project estimate:

• Sweater, on hand or $1 and up
• Plastic report covers, $1
• Needle and thread, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make a DIY Jelly Sweater appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

There is a special satisfaction that comes from making crafts out of recycled materials. Sometimes we save things because we have a specific project in mind for them, but other times we end up with a stash of something that we know has a use… We’re just not sure what. Know the feeling? So does DSC reader Maria, who sent us this question:

I have tons of plastic soda bottle caps in my kitchen, and I wonder how can I transform them into a beautiful craft. What do you think we can make using them?

Can you think of any ideas? If you had a collection of plastic bottle caps, what would you do with them?

[photo by Alvimann @ morguefile.com]

The post Reader Question: What to make with plastic bottle caps? appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Project estimate:

• Recycled plastic, on hand
• Tissue paper, on hand or $1
• Mod Podge, on hand
• String, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Recycled Raindrop Suncatchers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Use a recycled plastic container and a cast-off sweater sleeve to a unique pendant lamp. Industrial designer Sara Ebert made this lamp as part of Pratt’s Design for a Dollar contest for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. [More about this lamp project at Inhabitat]

I love the use of the recycled apple juice bottle for this project. I have been meaning to make a sweater-covered hanging lamp since I saw this project by Lucy Turner, but I never actually considered how I would add shape to the lamp. (I was just thinking of removing fabric from a barrel-shaped lampshade and stretching a thrifted sweater over it). I also never got past the thinking about it stage! This project seems even simpler and more straightforward – so simple that I want to run out to the home improvement store to pick up some pendant lamp kits. It would be super cute to make a group of these with individual serving-size drink containers, too (just so long as the light bulb used was low-heat).

The post Make a Sweater Sleeve Lamp appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Another great use for your old soda bottles is to cut ’em up, color ’em, and heat them into these pretty and colorful beads! What a chic way to celebrate Earth Day! These would be a fun project to make at a crafty get-together with your girlfriends. After the beads are made, have fun making them into funky jewelry. Project via Cut Out & Keep. (Photo by Threadbanger)

Project Estimate:

• Plastic soda bottle, on hand
• Permanent markers, on hand
• Acrylic paint, on hand
• Pliers, on hand
• Heat gun, on hand

Total cost: FREE

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