It’s no secret that we love novelty silicone ice cube trays.  They come in a ton of fun shapes and are really great tools for crafting!  Sara at Tell, Love and Party came up with yet another great idea for them: custom push pins!  She used a flamingo ice cube tray for hers, but with so many different shapes of ice cube trays out there these days, there are a ton of other possibilities too.  Do you have a favorite ice cube tray shape?  [how to make novelty push pins]

Project estimate:

• Novelty silicone ice cube tray, on hand or $1 and up
• Push pins, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Glitter (optional), on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

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

Today is National No. 2 Pencil Day!  In honor of the occasion, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite pencil-related crafts.  With back-to-school sales in full swing, now is the perfect time to stock up on a bunch of pencils and tackle some of the projects on this list!

Crafts made out of pencils

Washi Flower Pencil Bouquet by Morena’s Corner

Anthropologie-Inspired Pencils by Homework

Sleek Pencil Wreath by Crafts ‘n Coffee

Back to School Pencil Frame by Stir the Wonder

DIY Custom Photo Pencils by Morena’s Corner

Pencil Cube Photo/Memo Holder by Crafts ‘n Coffee

Crafts that look like pencils

Candy Covered Pretzel Pencils by The Country Chic Cottage

Craft Stick Pencil Bookmarks by Crafts by Amanda

Accessories for your pencils

Write Start Teacher Gift Tags for Pencils by Sweet Rose Studio

Pencil Gift Bag by The Country Chic Cottage

DIY Pencil Toppers by 100 Directions

Easy DIY Pencil Case by How Does Your Garden Grow?

Felt Heart Pencil Toppers by Kids Activities Blog

School Bus Pencil Holder by Playtivities

The post 14 Crafts for No. 2 Pencil Day appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Dollar Tree is a great source for plain ol’ school and office supplies, but what if you are looking for supplies with a little more personality?  Well, you can always give those plain supplies a makeover!  Over at I Heart Naptime, Courtney gave some dollar store clipboards a school-themed makeover using vinyl and her Silhouette.  If you don’t have a vinyl cutting machine, you can also get the same look with a stencil or by painting the design freehand.  And as a bonus, the back side of each clipboard is actually a chalkboard!  [how to make a back-to-school clipboard]

Project estimate:

• Clipboard, $1
• Vinyl, on hand or about $3 and up
• Chalkboard paint, on hand or about $3 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make a Back-to-School Clipboard 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.

We love back-to-school time.  It’s always sad to see summer end, but fall makes up for it with some of our favorite things:  fun school supplies!  Over at The Crafted Life, Rachel used a simple color blocking technique to dress up plain pencils.  You don’t have to be a kid to appreciate this project – even adults need some fun office supplies every once in a while!  Who wants a boring cup of regular ol’ pencils when you could quickly, easily, and cheaply whip up a set with some personality?   [how to make color blocked pencils]

Project estimate:

• Pencils, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Tape, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Color Blocked Pencils appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you haven’t noticed yet, I like shiny things.  The quickest way to up the glam factor on an inexpensive item is to make it shine with paint or with bling.  I decided to transform my office supplies quickly and inexpensively by using bling on a roll, a mesh that has rhinestone like “stones” on it.  The mesh makes for a quick and inexpensive way to “bling” ordinary items.

Project estimate:

• Stapler, on hand
• Tape Dispenser, on hand
• Bling on a Roll, $2.00 and up
• Glue, on hand

Total: $2.00 and up

Step one:  Cut a strip of bling on a roll to fit one side of the stapler.

Step two:  Put glue (I used E-6000) on the side of the stapler and adhere the bling.

Step three:  Repeat until all sides are covered.  You can fill gaps by cutting individuals facets off the mesh and gluing them on.

If your glue is taking too long to dry or the bling is slipping, use a dot of hot glue to hold the bling mesh in place while the glue dries.

I think my desk supplies look so much more chic now!  Why not start the new year with a bling and a bang?  It would be fun to make a few of these to slip on co-workers desks over the holidays, so they can start the new year with some sparkle and a smile.  Next on my bling list:  my pencil holder!

The post Tutorial: Quickly add Bling to your Desk Supplies appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s that time of year again.  If you haven’t already, you’ll soon be taking those traditional first-day-of-school pictures of your kids.  Want a cute way to display them?  Michelle at A Little Tipsy used pencils to give a basic frame a simple, scholarly makeover.  This would also make a great way to display school or class photos, or to give as a teacher gift!  [how to make a pencil picture frame]

Project estimate:

• Picture frame, on hand or $1
• Pencils, $1
• Embellishments (optional), on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make a Pencil Picture Frame appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Why do I love washi tape?  Because it makes virtually everything cuter.  You can add a little bit of it to just about anything and it instantly has personality and flair.  Even the most mundane items, like office supplies, can benefit from a little bit of the colorful, sticky stuff – and since it peels away easily without leaving a glue-y residue, you can seriously go crazy with it.  Jessica from How About Orange used a wee bit of washi to liven up some thumbtacks and kiss the boring bulletin board blues goodbye; what other everyday things can you think of to decorate with washi tape?  [how to make washi tape covered thumbtacks]

Project estimate:

• Thumbtacks, on hand or $1
• Washi tape, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

Love washi tape?  Looking for a whole bunch of washi tape projects all in one place?  Check out a brand new blog called Washi Tape Crafts!  If you aren’t a washi addict yet, this site is likely to turn you into one!

The post Make Washi Tape Covered Thumbtacks appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love patterned duct tape. The only thing better than patterned duct tape is patterned duct tape for $1! When I saw my local dollar store had a fun new pink zebra pattern, I knew I had to make something with it. Since my rainboots are already patched up, I kept looking around and found my answer in the school supply aisle.

Project estimate:

• Patterned duct tape, $1 and up
• Solid colored duct tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Composition notebook, $1
• Bulletin board shape, $1
• Scissors or craft knife, on hand
• Small piece of velcro, on hand
• Glue (I used E-6000), on hand
• Pen, on hand

Total: $3 and up

The duct tape and bulletin board shapes come with enough to cover multiple notebooks, making this a great project for your whole family or for a teen girl craft night.

Step 1: Make the closing flap. Run a piece of duct tape across the front cover (leave 1/2″ extra hanging off the front edge to wrap around the cover). Wrap the tape around the spine and across the back of the book. Leave a 4.5 inch tail.

Fold the long tail back on itself at the two inch mark. This will leave a 2 inch piece of smooth duct tape “fabric” and leave a .5 inch allowance to adhere to the inside of the cover.

Step 2: Cover the rest of the notebook in duct tape.  Continue wrapping strips of duct tape across the front, around the spine and across the back of the notebook. Leave about a .5 inch tail on each side to wrap around to the inside of the cover.

Step 3: Make the butterfly. Cover the bulletin board shape by applying strips of duct tape to the front of the shape.

 Flip the shape over and trim the tape, leaving a .25 inch border all around.

Fold the duct tape down to make the shape of the butterfly. Cut slits in the duct tape (especially around curves and corners) to make folding easier.

Step 4: Attach with glue. Use your glue (I used E-6000) to attach both the butterfly and the velcro to the front of the notebook. Allow to dry for the suggested amount of time before using the notebook.

Step 5: Optional matching pen. If you’d like, you can even create a matching pen by wrapping a piece of patterned duct tape around a non-tapered plastic pen.

The post Tutorial: Embellished Duct Tape Notebook appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love book page crafts. I also love crafts that are useful. So when I saw these book page pencils made by Jenny from Cresendoh, I was smitten. These pencils would make perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for students and grown ups alike (maybe with a card that says “You’re the Write One for Me”?). Personalize them by choosing a kind of paper that suits you: a book, sheet music or even plain deli paper for a more subdued look. [how to make book page pencils]

Project estimate:

• Pencils, on hand or $1 and up
• Book page or sheet music, on hand
• Liquitex or Mod Podge, on hand
• Foam Brush, on hand
• Baker’s twine, on hand
• Buttons, lace or other adornments, on hand

Total: Free and up!

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