I remember doing yarn painting projects like this one from Kate at Picklebums when I was a kid. this, however, is a much less messy version that the watered-down-white-glue method of my youth! The secret is using contact paper or another self-adhesive surface. You get all the fun of this classic kids craft without the headaches of the cleanup! It’s a great project for a summer day or for a scouting group. [how to make yarn paintings]

Project estimate:

• Yarn, on hand or $1 and up
• Contact paper, $1 and up

Total: $1 and up!

The post Make Yarn Paintings appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My kids love to raid the recycling bin for craft supplies (lately my 9 year old son has been creating weapons, but I digress!). Here are nine ideas for crafts you can make using cereal boxes (and no guns on the list–you’re welcome!). I posted this article over at eBay: [9 Cereal Box Crafts for Kids to Make]

The post 9 Cereal Box Crafts for Kids to Make appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you a saver of cardboard tubes? If so, then this idea is just for you! Helena from Crafts and Creativity used an empty TP tube to create a cute little cardboard rocket. This is a great project for Memorial Day or the 4th of July, or for anytime if you have an aspiring astronaut or astronomer! This is also a great stashbusting project – make a pile of paper scraps and let your imagination run wild. [how to make a cardboard tube rocket]

Project estimate:

• Cardboard tube, free
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Scrapbook paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total: Free and up!

The post Make a Cardboard Tube Rocket appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

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.

No tea party is complete without some treats, right? That’s why you need these paper cookies from Kate at The Craft Train! “Bake” them up once and nibble on them over and over. These would also be great for your favorite little baker to have in their play kitchen, or for any kid who loves both sweets and imaginative play! [how to make paper cookies]

Project estimate:

• Cardboard, on hand
• Cookie cutters, on hand or $1 and up
• Cotton balls, on hand or $1
• Tissue paper, on hand or $1
• Kraft paper or brown paper bag, on hand
• Construction paper, on hand or $1
• Glue sticks, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Glitter, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up!

The post Make Paper Cookies appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’ll admit it: when this post from Diane of Homan at Home popped up in my RSS reader, I did a quick double-take, and then clicked out of a combination of equal parts amusement and curiosity. I mean, an Easter Bunny centerpiece made out of a roll of TP? It’s kinda brilliant, and pretty hilarious. She even provides a printable of the ears and nose, so you can easily put these together at the very last minute. It would also make a really cute project for kids! [how to make a toilet paper Easter bunny]

Project estimate:

• Toilet paper, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Printable bunny ears and nose, free
• Googly eyes, on hand or $1
• Marker, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total: Free or $1!

The post Make a Toilet Paper Easter Bunny appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As the mother of four boys, I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage them to read. Adding a few extra minutes of reading time at bedtime is a great way to encourage budding readers! One way to make reading time even more fun is to give kids a reading light they can use in their dark bedrooms. Here’s a quick and easy DIY duct tape reading light tutorial to “power” your imagination, inspired by Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot, sponsored by Scholastic.

Supplies Needed:

• A clip on book light, $1
• Coordinating duct tape, $1

Total: $2

I got both the book light and the duct tape at my local dollar store!

Step 1: Cut a piece of duct tape the length of the book light’s neck. Cut or tear the tape in half lengthwise.

Step 2: Wrap duct tape around the book light’s neck.

Step 3: Use the remaining half of the duct tape strip to wrap around the bulb of the book light. Trim tape to fit.

Step 4: Wrap remaining duct tape to fit to bulb.

Quick and easy! A custom book light for your little reader!

My kids are so excited for the newest installment of the Captain Underpants book by Dav Pilkey! Thanks to Scholastic for sponsoring this tutorial.

About Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot

About the Book:

There’s something rotten in the state of Ohio, and it’s smellier than a pile of putrid gym socks! Steer clear–it’s Sir Stinks-A-Lot!

George, Harold, and their doubles, Yesterday George and Yesterday Harold, have a good thing going. Two of them go to school, while the other two hide in the tree house and play video games all day–then they switch! But when their malicious gym teacher, Mr. Meaner, creates a method of mind control that turns their fellow students into attentive, obedient, perfect children, the future of all humanity will be in their hands!

About the Captain Underpants series

Best friends George Beard and Harold Hutchins are the unofficial class clowns of fourth grade. There’s nothing they love more than making comic books about a silly superhero named Captain Underpants. But now they’ve accidentally transformed their mean school principal, Mr. Krupp, into Captain Underpants himself! Join George, Harold, and the Waistband Warrior as they fight for Truth, Justice, and all that is Pre-Shrunk and Cottony – and save the world, too!

Author Dav Pilkey. *Credit: Kai Suzuki 2013*

About the Author

When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he suffered from ADHD, dyslexia, and behavioral problems. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hall every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories, so he spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books.

In the second grade, Dav Pilkey created a comic book about a superhero named Captain Underpants. His teacher ripped it up and told him he couldn’t spend the rest of his life making silly books.

Fortunately, Dav was not a very good listener.

Dav continues to create books in the Pacific Northwest where he lives with his wife. Visit him online at www.pilkey.com.

LEARN MORE

• Visit Dav Pilkey at www.pilkey.com
• Check out scholastic.com/captainunderpants
• #PilkeyPower

This post was sponsored by Scholastic, and I was compensated and provided a copy of the book. All opinions are mine.

The post Tutorial: Duct Tape Reading Light appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Did you ever make spin art as a kid?  It ‘s just the right amount of random and messy and bright that make it amazingly fun!  You can easily make your own spin art using one simple tool from the kitchen – a salad spinner!  Over at DIY Candy, Cheryl shared this easy method.  You’ll probably want to reserve the spinner strictly for craft purposes once you’ve used paint inside of it, but the good news is that so far this summer I have seen approximately 1,329 of these things at yard sales for cheap, and I often see them on the shelf at Goodwill.  [how to make DIY spin art]

Project estimate:

• Salad spinner, on hand or $1 and up
• Paper plates, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make DIY Spin Art appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Our friend Amanda at Crafts by Amanda is constantly coming up with amazing, low-cost craft ideas for kids.  She recently shared these absolutely adorable biplanes, made out of clothespins and popsicle sticks.  These are painted up as military planes, but the possibilities for a paint job are endless – check out her blog to see another pair she made that are painted up as Snoopy and the Red Baron!  Make some up for the kids to play with, or attach a magnet to the bottom to make a fridge clip for your favorite airplane enthusiast.  [how to make clothespin biplanes]

Project estimate:

• Clothespins, on hand or $1
• Popsicle sticks, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Paint, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Clothespin Biplanes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Less than two weeks to go util Halloween!  If you still have crafting to do, the clock is ticking, but luckily you still have plenty of time left to make these adorable pencil toppers from Nina at Waffle Flower!   You can run with this idea in so many different directions, because there are a ton of ways you could dress these up with different faces and embellishments.  Which one is your favorite?  [how to make Halloween pencil toppers]

Project estimate:

• Pencils, on hand or $1
• Foam balls, $1
• Felt, on hand or $1
• Googly eyes, on hand or $1
• String, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Halloween Pencil Toppers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.