As a child of the 80s, perler beads will always hold a very special place in my crafty heart. Over at Room to Grow, see how you can use a heart-shaped perler bead pattern and a wooden clothespin to make these cute butterflies that are the perfect project for spring! You could even make a whole collection of them and string them  up as a mobile! [how to make perler bead butterlfies]

Project estimate:

• Perler beads and heart board, $1 and up
• Iron, on hand
• Clothespins, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up!

The post Make Perler Bead Butterflies appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

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.

A few weeks ago my local Dollar Tree got a shipment of small wire trellises. Since we’ve been doing a lot of work to our lawn this season, I picked one up so I could use it to make something pretty to add to our flower beds.  When I also noticed a bunch of metal hanging butterfly decorations, I knew that combining the two elements would make something just perfect for my colorful, quirky gardening style!  (And it makes a wonderful companion for my zebra striped flamingo!)

Project estimate:

• Wire trellis, $1
• Metal butterfly, $1
• Spray paint, on hand
• E6000 glue, on hand

Total: $2

The first thing I did was give it a coat of paint.  You can skip this step if you want, but I decided I wanted mine to be a bit more colorful.  Lots of people have a green trellis, but how many people have a purple trellis?  I love how spray paint is like pizzazz in a can!

Remove the hanging chain from the butterfly with a pair of pliers and set it aside for a future project.

When the spray paint is dry, line the two pieces up and place them face-down on your work surface.  Carefully add a dab of E6000 glue to the back side of the butterfly everywhere it meets the wire.  Let the glue dry undisturbed for at least an hour.

When the glue is dry, find it a home somewhere in your garden or lawn!

The post Tutorial: Butterfly Garden Trellis appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you seen the butterfly and dragonfly shaped strings of LED lights at Dollar Tree?  I’ve been eyeing them up recently and wondering what kind of crafty thing I could do with them.  Then, along comes Jessica from Mad In Crafts with this quick and colorful DIY!  After wrapping each butterfly’s wings in washi tape the lights are bright and cheerful even when they aren’t plugged in.  As a bonus, the washi tape is easily removed, so if you tire of the colors you’ve chosen or you want to redecorate for a different room, season, or occasion, you can start over and have a freshly decorated string in a matter of minutes.  [how to make washi tape butterfly lights]

Project estimate:

• Butterfly light string, $1
• Washi tape, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Washi Tape Butterfly Lights appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

So, all of the Easter stuff is half price at the stores right now, and you’ve been thinking about picking up some tidbits to use as cheap craft supplies.  What should you grab?  If you happen to spy a package of foam Easter eggs, like the ones that Sophie from Sophie’s World found, you can use them to make all kinds of adorable insects!  The possibilites for this project are limited only by your imagination.  Be sure to check out Sophie’s blog to see how she also used this idea to make a beautiful butterfly!  Can’t find eggs?  Small foam balls would also work well.  [how to make foam egg insects]

Project estimate:

• Foam eggs, $1
• Pipe cleaners, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Markers, on hand
• Googly eyes, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Foam Egg Insects appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

1. Shrinky Butterfly Necklace by Mark Montano

First, one of my favorite dollar store crafters uses one of my FAVORITE craft supplies: Mark Montano (the king of crafts), made a gorgeous butterfly statement necklace using my favorite kids’ craft supply: Shrinky Dink plastic!

2. Cat Ears Headband by DIY Doyenne

We think this cat ear headband is cute for Halloween and beyond! Your teen will LOVE to sport it any time of the year. From DIY Doyenne Margot Potter and her daughter Avalon.

3. Fall Burlap Wall Art from Handmade Happy Hour

Then my pal Cathie Filian from Handmade Happy Hour stitched up this cute and rustic Fall wall decor. Yay for acorns & Mod Podge!

4. Sequined Pumpkin from Jaderbomb

We love this sophisticated sequin pumpkin from the JADERBOMB blog – this pumpkin decor goes beyond Halloween and straight through Thanksgiving, and even into the winter holidays. You can make it with a dollar store foam pumpkin, too!

5. Steampunk Vial Earrings by Morena, here at Dollar Store Crafts!

Finally, don’t miss Morena’s excellent Steampunk dollar store craft project this week — dollar store steampunk? Yes please!

Bonus: Dia de los Muertos Story by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with a creepy tale from CraftyChica.com, who creates great crafts AND writes great stories.

The post Five Fall Crafts & a Story! appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I don’t know about you, but I have been totally basking in the spring weather lately. I have missed the green grass, the singing birds, and the flowers. The other day I even saw a butterfly for the first time this year! I love, love, love butterflies! Do you feel the same way? Check out this fun, kid-friendly butterfly craft from Amanda at Crafts by Amanda. You could even make a whole garland with these! [how to make paper doily butterflies]

Project estimate:

• Paper doilies, on hand or $1
• Food coloring, on hand or $1 and up
• Pipe cleaners, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up!

The post Make Paper Doily Butterflies 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.

There are some popular big box store retailers that sell adorable themed piggy banks. Unfortunately they also come with prices to match. There is no need to spend lots of money on an adorable change collector when Jessica from Mad in Crafts shows you how to make even an even cuter themed piggy bank on a dollar store budget. [how to make a piggy bank with butterfly wings]

Project estimate:

• Piggy bank, $1 and up
• Painter’s tape, on hand
• Glitter spray paint, $5 and up
• Butterfly floral accent, $1 and up
• Glue, on hand

Total: $7 and up

The post Make a Piggy Bank with Butterfly Wings appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have tried resin, and it is such a cool product, but it is definitely not one for beginners! There’s a learning curve in using it, and you will probably have some craftfails along the way. That said, Carmi Cimicata over at Resin Crafts has created a very cool resin butterfly necklace, using resin to reinforce a feather butterfly she found at the dollar store. By painting the butterfly with resin, Carmi made it sturdy enough to hold up to repeated wearings. [how to make a resin butterfly necklace]

You will want to get your 40% off coupon out when you buy your resin, but it is a rewarding medium to work with. Once you create your resin butterfly, you can hang it from a necklace you already own, or have fun making a custom necklace to go with your new pendant. Oh, and you will be able to make a lot of jewelry with one box of 2 part resin!

Project Estimate:

• Feather butterfly, $1
• Resin, $8 and up
• Jewelry findings, $1 and up

Total: $10

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