Project Materials:

• 2 clipboards, $2
• Bulletin board, $1
• 2 wire office supply cups, $2
• Wire sorting tray, $1
• 4 zip ties, $1 for a package
• 2 baskets, $2
• Metal adhesive hooks, $2
• Scotch Chalkboard Tape, $6
• Scotch Dry Erase Tape, $6
• Scotch® Duct Tape in Dottie, $3.50
• Scissors
• Drill

Total Cost: $26.50

Note: I got all the surfaces at the dollar store, but the Scotch Chalkboard Tape, Scotch Dry Erase Tape, and the Scotch® Duct Tape can be purchased online or at other retailers.

With Scotch Chalkboard Tape and Dry Erase Tape, you can create a chalkboard or dry erase surface on anything flat and smooth. I added the tape to clipboards to make a stylish and functional kitchen chalkboard and white board. I also added Chalkboard tape to the plastic baskets to make easy labels.

Part 1: Make Clipboard Chalkboard and Dry Erase Boards

1. Cut five strips of Scotch Chalkboard Tape the height of the clipboard, from the clip to the bottom of the board.

2. Lay Scotch Chalkboard Tape strips on board one by one, slightly overlapping the edges of tape as you go.

3. Cut small pieces of Scotch® Duct Tape to lay next to the clip on the clipboard. For my wire clip-style clipboard, I lifted the clip and laid a piece of tape (cut in half lengthwise) under where the clip would go.

4. Lay pieces of Scotch® Duct Tape along the edges of the clipboard, and fold over the back of the clipboard to create a finished edge.

5. For corners, cut a notch out of the corner as shown, to make it super simple and clean to fold the corners over.

Repeat process for Scotch Dry Erase Tape clipboard.

Next, add the supply cup to the board, to provide a convenient place to keep writing utensils.

1. Drill two holes through the clipboard on the lower edge to create a place to thread zip ties through.

Note: Be sure to follow proper safety procedures when using a drill. Also, if you are afraid of using a drill, don’t be – it’s almost as easy as using a stapler!

2. If your zip tie is wider than the cup’s mesh like mine, you might need to also poke matching holes through the mesh on the cup.

3. Thread a zip tie through the top hole on the back of the clipboard, then through the top hole of the cup, then back into the bottom hole of the cup, and back through the bottom hole on the clipboard. Zip the tie closed.

Part 2: Bulletin Board Key Holder

1. Add a stripe of Scotch® Duct Tape to the bulletin board to make it coordinate with the other pieces.

2. Next, drill two holes in either end of the clipboard to attach the office supply organizer tray.

3. Attach tray with zip ties like you did for the office supply cups in the previous project.

4. Add adhesive metal hooks to the front of the tray.

Part 3: Label the Baskets

This part is easy! Just cut Scotch Chalkboard Tape, peel the backing, stick on the surfaces and smooth.

Thanks to Scotch® Duct Tape for sponsoring this project, and for providing this very fun Chalkboard Tape and Dry Erase tape to play with. Scotch® Duct Tape recently launched their Instagram account — Please follow them @ScotchDuctTape on Instagram, Scotch® Duct Tape Pinterest Boards, Scotch® Duct Tape Facebook, and Scotch® Duct Tape (@ScotchDuctTape) on Twitter Tweet your projects to them with the hashtag #ScotchDuctTape!

The post Tutorial: Cute Kitchen Command Station with Scotch® Duct Tapes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you ever wished that you had a handy way to store pencils or markers next to a bulletin or dry erase board? Kim at The Trashy Crafter is here to grant your wish! Next time you’re scrapping out an old pair of jeans, save a pocket and make this clever holder that you can hang wherever you might need to keep some writing utensils handy. With the addition of magnets, you could even hang it on the fridge or in a locker. [how to make a jean pocket pencil holder]

Project estimate:

• Old jeans, on hand
• Cardboard, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: Free!

The post Make a Jean Pocket Pencil Holder appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a thing for fancy push pins. Why hang up your memos and to-do lists with plain ol’ pins when you can use fancy ones instead? Over at Crafts Unleashed, Kelly used corks to make pretty pins for her cork board. (Irony?) If you’ve been hoarding (er, I mean saving) wine corks for crafts purposes, this would e a good way to use some of them up. Don’t have any bulletin boards to stick then in, you could glue them to magnets instead of push pins! [how to make cork push pins]

Project estimate:

• Corks, on hand or $1 and up
• Thumb tacks, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Feathers or dried flowers, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up

The post Make Cork Push Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I recently threw a party at which we used paper straws for the punch.  They were a big hit, but the package I bought contained about twice as many straws as I needed.  So I started wondering, what else can you do with paper straws besides sip on tasty beverages?  Kim at The Tomkat Studio used some cute paper straws to make fun frames!  They’re perfect for adding a little personality to a bulletin board – wouldn’t this be fab for dorm room decorating?  [how to make paper straw frames]

Project estimate:

• Paper straws, on hand or $1 and up
• Baker’s twine or string, on hand or $1 and up
• Photo, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Paper Straw Frames appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Those “silver” trays from Dollar Tree are some of my favorite items to craft with — they’re made of steel so they work with magnets, and make great magnet boards! This cute project, by Tricia from Simplicity in the South, was posted over at Fox Hollow Cottage. Maps plus magnets? Yes please! [how to make a magnetic map board]

Project Materials:

• Silver-tone tray, $1
• Old map, on hand
• Spray paint, on hand or about $3
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Magnets, on hand or $1

Total: $1 and up

The post Make a Magnetic Map Bulletin Board appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I saw these pretty push pins at Ballard Designs, I immediately thought, “I can make those!” So I did. I used pages from an old thesaurus, mod podge, and thumb tacks from Dollar Tree to make them.

Project estimate:

• Book pages, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Thumb Tacks or Push pins, on hand or $1
• Rhinestones, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up

To make your own paper flower push pins:

Step one: Cut one inch squares from a book page. I used an old thesaurus and a paper punch.

Step two: Fold the square in half two times, as pictured.

Step three: Hold the folded corner and trim the edges as pictured. I show you how to make two kinds of flowers.

Step four: Paint the front and the back of the flowers with Mod Podge. I used the antique formula. The MP will make the flowers waxy and more durable.

Step five: When the flowers are dry, glue the centers together to stack them, curl the edges slightly, and glue onto the thumb tack.

Finish your pin with a pretty rhinestone glued in the center.

My push pins add some vintage charm to my handmade bulletin board. If you don’t like text, you could make them with other patterns, or even burlap, like I did here. It would be cute to put all of them on a styrofoam ball to give as a gift, too!

The post Tutorial: Paper Flower Push Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you ask me, these fabulous faux tin tiles by Suzy at Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom look like they came off the shelf of Pier 1 Imports.  But they’re actually a DIY project!  Imagine the looks on the faces of your friends and family when you tell them that these gorgeous creations started out as disposable cookie sheets.  (For real!)  Bravo to Suzy for her amazing use of such humble materials!  [how to make colorful faux tin tiles]

Project estimate:

• Aluminum cookie sheets, $1
• Knitting needle or other pointed instrument, on hand
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Spray primer, on hand or $1 and up
• Bulletin board, on hand or $1 and up
• Thumb tacks, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Colorful Faux Tin Tiles appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Did you ever do string art as a child?  You know, the kind where you arrange nails or pins in a pattern and then wrap string around them.  The other day as I was hunting for Valentine- and heart-themed crafts, I came across a string art heart at Make Grow Gather made with straight pins stuck into a bulletin board.  My gears started turning and I had an “A-ha!” moment:  What if I made string art on a bulletin board, then spray painted over it, using the string like a stencil?  Would it look as cool as I saw it in my head?  There was only one way to find out, so I gathered up a few supplies and got to work.

Project estimate:

• Bulletin board, $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Paper, on hand
• Push pins, on hand
• String or yarn, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

I used a 12 x 12 inch cork tile for my bulletin board, which I found at a local discount store in a four-pack for about $6, or about $1.50 per tile.  (Which is making me tempted to cork up a whole wall!)  Paint the tile in the color you want the shape to be.  I wanted red for my heart, so I picked a nice, bright shade of Martha Stewart multi-surface craft paint called habanero.  I could have just painted the area where I wanted the heart, but I was concerned about how the cork would soak up the paint, so to make sure I had an even finish I went ahead and painted the whole thing.  This will take more paint than you expect because the cork will suck it right in!  You may need to add a second or third coat to get even color.

Cut a heart out of paper to use as a template.  Decide where you want the heart to be positioned on the bulletin board and place the heart there.  Using push pins, outline the heart shape.  Place the pins so that they go around the edges of the paper, but don’t put the pins through the paper.  Once all of the pins are in place, remove the paper template.

Tie one end of the string to a push pin and start wrapping.  There is no right or wrong way to do this!  When you’re happy with the design, tie off the other end of the string.  Push string down on the push pins so that it is as close to the surface of the cork as possible.

Now it’s time to spray paint!  Apply light, even coats of a contrasting color (I chose white) across the tile.  Don’t be too heavy-handed with the paint or you will lose the string details!  Paint just enough to cover up the base color.

When the paint dries, pull out the push pins.  As you remove the pins and string, your design will be revealed!  If you want, you can add extra details or embellishments to the design.

I used a pencil eraser and glitter paint to add some sparkle to the heart’s outline.  Did it turn out as cool as I saw it in my head?  Nope, it turned out even better!

The post Tutorial: String Art Stenciled Heart Bulletin Board appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a friend who tends bar at a swanky,  upscale resort.  When I mentioned to her last summer that I was saving wine and champagne corks, she said she would save me a few of each; a week later she presented me with a huge bag full of them!  I’ve since worked my way through most of them, most recently making champagne cork drawer pulls to dress up some inexpensive furniture pieces.  I still had a few left, so in the spirit of stashbusting I decided to use up the remainder of them to decorate a little bulletin board I got at Dollar Tree.

Project estimate:

• Bulletin board, $1 and up
• Wine corks or champagne corks, on hand
• Fine-tooth serrated knife, on hand
• Masking tape, on hand
• Craft paint, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

Mask off the frame of on the bulletin board and apply a coat of paint to be the background color;  I chose a creamy, light tan.

Carefully cut the corks into round slices.  I found that a fine-tooth serrated knife works well for cutting the corks.  If needed, you can use sandpaper to smooth out the cut surface of the corks.

(Tip:  Wine corks will make circles that are uniform in size; the contoured shape of champagne corks will result in circles of varying sizes.)

Use craft paint to paint the cork slices.  I divided mine into three equal piles and painted them with three coordinating colors.  Paint the top surface of each slice as well as around the edges.

Arrange the painted corks on the surface of the bulletin board.  When you are satisfied with the placement of the circles, glue them in place one by one.  (I used Tacky Glue because it sets quickly and works well on cork.)

If you want to dress up your bulletin board even more, it looks great paired with our springy silk flower push pins!

The post Make a Polka Dot Cork Board appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We’ve already established that I’m a fanatic for anything in miniature.  Incidentally, I also have a closet fascination with interesting pish pins.  Combine the two and give the project a dose of “Kill Bill” movie inspiration and you’re left with these samurai sword push pins by Jeromina at Paper, Plate, and Plane.  (Wouldn’t they make a great companion project to go with today’s voodoo doll tutorial??)  She used faux metal contact paper to make her blades, which is a little pricey but has a zillion awesome uses so it’s worth the splurge.   For slightly cheaper, you can also use the foil tape made for use on heating ducts.   [how to make samurai sword push pins]

Project estimate:

• Paperclips, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Foil tape, about $8
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $8 and up

The post Make Samurai Sword Push Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.