If you liked my kitchen towel angel tutorial, then you will also love her companion – the oven mitt angel!  Pair these up for a wonderful, useful gift for anyone on your holiday gift list who loves to cook.  These also make great hostess gifts, so whip up a few before you head out to any parties this season- or if you are hosting the party yourself, these also make great party favors to gift your guests!

Project estimate:

• Oven mitt, $1
• 2 Wash cloths, $1
• Rubber bands, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand
• Small Christmas decoration, on hand or $1

Total:  $2 and up

Take the thumb part of the oven mitt and put it behind the side you’re going to use. Wrap a rubber band around It to secure it in place.

Take one of the two wash cloths and fold it accordion style.  Fold it in half and tuck it under the rubber band in the back.  Fan it out to look like wings.

Fold the second wash cloth into a triangle until it is about one inch wide. Fold it in half and put it in the middle under the angel’s wings. These are the arms, wrap a rubber band around them about one inch from the end.

Tie a ribbon around the neck and add an ornament or other small embellishment to cover the rubber band around the hands.

The post Tutorial: Oven Mitt Angel appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Do you have someone on your holiday gift list who enjoys spending time in the kitchen?  Turn a collection of practical kitchen items into a fun present by making a kitchen towel angel!  With a few rubber bands and a little folding, you can easily transform a potholder, a dish cloth, and a dish towel into this heavenly doll.

Project estimate:

• Pot holder, $1
• Wash cloth, $0.50
• Dish towel, $1
• Rubber bands, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand
• Small ornament, on hand

Total:  $2.50 and up

Place a rubber band around the middle of the pot holder; this will form the wings.

Fold the wash cloth accordion style and fold in half to establish the middle. Put it on top of the pot holder and fasten it with another rubber band. These are the angel’s arms.

For the head and body, fold the dish towel accordion style and fold it in half. Place a rubber band about one inch down, this is the angel’s head.

Lay the body on top of the wings and bring the arms around the body. Fasten them together with another rubber band.

Tie a ribbon around the neck and make a bow, like with shoe laces. Attach a small ornament to the top of the angel’s hands and tie it underneath, hiding the rubber band.

The post Tutorial: Kitchen Towel Angels appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a love/hate relationship with my stainless steel refridgerator.  While I love the look of stainless steel, I hate how hard it is to keep it clean!  I’m always wiping fingerprints and smudges off the doors and handles.  I saw these adhesive backsplash sheets at Dollar Tree and knew I’d found a solution to my problem.

 

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Need some inexpensive wall art for a kitchen or dining area?  The gals at A Joyful Riot have a fun solution: painted spoons!  What a great excuse to buy all of those pretty, mismatched spoons that lurk at every thrift store and yard sale!  Customize it for your own decor by choosing paint colors that coordinate with your room, and make sure you check out their post for the brilliant method they used to hang all of the spoons in perfectly straight lines.  [how to make painted spoon wall art]

Project estimate:

• Spoons, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Double-stick tape, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Painted Spoon Wall Art appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I don’t know about you, but when cabin fever starts setting in, I start to really notice all of the disorganization around my house. It’s easy to ignore during warmer months when I am always out and about doing one thing or another, but when I find myself barely leaving the house and staring at the same piles day in and day out like I do this time of year, it starts to get to me. And this year one of the problem areas that keeps catching my attention is in the kitchen – specifically, my overflow of seasonings. So, with the help of Dollar General, I decided to put together a little DIY spice rack!

Project estimate:

• Divided trays, $3 each (I used two)
• Bamboo skewers, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• Duct tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Cardboard, on hand
• Picture hangers (or soda can tabs), on hand

Total: about $6 and up

The folks at Dollar General must be thinking ahead to spring cleaning already, because my local store has recently received a whole bunch of really cute storage-y stuff in various sizes. Between their selection of gorgeous cardboard desk organizers and various sizes of chunky baskets, there is something here to hold just about any little tidbits and unsightly clutter you have around the house.

In particular, I was drawn to some cardboard organizers each consisting of three squares. They had several different patterns, and I thought the pretty black and white damask print would look nice in my kitchen.

I was pleased to discover that the sections of the box were just the right size to hold the Clover Valley herbs and spices that Dollar General sells. The spaces weren’t quite big enough for the taller bottles of seasonings in my collection, but knowing that I had lots of the smaller size seasonings at home, I decided to go with it. For larger bottles, you can always keep an eye open for similar divided containers that have taller sections (nice silverware drawer organizers, for instance, might be another option).

I used two of the containers stacked together to make my spice rack. Of course, you can use any number you like, provided that you make it strong enough! But we’ll get to the reinforcing bit in a minute. First, we need to glue these babies together! I applied glue to the long side of one of my boxes, then press them together. I also clipped mine together with binder clips while I waited for the glue to dry, just to be certain I got a good, tight bond.

Now to start reinforcing the bond. First, cut a piece of cardboard (I used a cereal box) that is slightly smaller than the spice rack and glue it to the back side. I spread my glue all over the cardboard surface and pressed it into place, further joining the two boxes together. I weighted down the cardboard with a couple of heavy books while I waited for the glue to dry so that I wouldn’t get any wrinkles or places where the bond wasn’t firm and even. After that, I went around the edges of the cardboard with strips of duct tape. (When you’re talking about something that is going to hang on the wall above your stove, you just can’t be too careful!)

Next, cut bamboo skewers to the right length to make a rail across the front of each row of spices. My skewers were a little short to make it all the way across with one skewer, so for each row I cut down two skewers and pieced them together to make the rails. Paint the skewers in a color to coordinate with your spice rack if you so desire, then glue them into place across the bottom of each row.

Now to add hanging hardware. If you have picture hangers or other hardware on hand that will work, you can of course use that. I wanted to use what I had on hand, and while my first instinct was to go buy a saw-tooth picture hanger, I decided to try the ol’ soda can tab trick instead. I glued two soda can tabs to the back of the rack near the top, then waited for the glue to dry. The tabs should be placed in such a way that the part touching the rack is the curved portion, so that when glued in place there is a slight gap between the loopy bit at the other end of the tab and the back of the rack.

The lady who taught me this trick years ago had been doing it since the 70s so I can’t take credit and I know it’s nothing new, but when I learned it, it blew my mind. Just nail (or in this case, glue) a soda can tab onto the back of anything and presto! It’s ready to hang! Whoever first thought of it was a genius and I wish I could thank them!

But first… More reinforcement. More is definitely better in cases like this! So I duct taped the everlovin’ daylights out of my soda tabs. And when you think you’ve taped it enough, add a little more tape for good measure. You can’t be too careful with these things. Then, I tied a length of picture wire between the two tabs, leaving just a slight amount of slack. My knot-tying skills are not exactly Boy Scout level, and I don’t always trust my knots, so I added a drop of super glue to each knot. Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce!

To keep my spice rack stable, I hung it from two hooks hung side-by-side, several inches apart. Fill it with your favorite herbs and spices and enjoy your handiwork!

The post Make a DIY Spice Rack with Dollar General appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Does your kitchen decor need a facelift? Colleen from Just Paint It! has a quick, easy, and practical idea. After she discovered some glass jars from Dollar Tree had lids just the right width to decorate with washi tape, she ran with the idea and, after adding a little coordinating paint, ended up with a cute set of custom jars in under 15 minutes. They would also make great containers for gifting homemade candies or other yummy treats! [how to make washi tape kitchen jars]

Project estimate:

• Glass jars, $1 each
• Washi tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Washi Tape Kitchen Jars appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When Kierste from Simply Kierste needed some salt and pepper shakers in a pinch, she had an idea that turned out to be practical, simple, quick, and inexpensive – how can you go wrong with a combination like that?  By adding custom cardboard inserts to the tops of small mason jars (she used the 4 ounce size), she created a charming set of shakers that are perfect for summer picnics or casual dining with friends and family.  They would also make a wonderful hostess gift!  [how to make mason jar salt and pepper shakers]

Project estimate:

• Small mason jars, $1 and up
• Cardboard, on hand
• Small hole punch or needle, on hand
• Twine (optional), on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Mason Jar Salt and Pepper Shakers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love these glass bowls by Shannon at Madigan Made, largely because I own the same set of bowls (though unpainted), which I bought because their shape reminded me of vintage mixing bowls.  Shannon had the same thought but too it a step farther, giving hers a colorful makeover!  This is a great way to add some accents to your kitchen decor that perfectly match your room while spending just pennies – these cost about 33 cents each to make.  [how to make vintage-inspired painted bowls]

Project estimate:

• Glass bowls, $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Vintage-Inspired Painted Bowls appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Corn cob holders and handy little tools indeed – but who says they can’t be fun and quirky as well?  Whether you have young corn-on-the-cob lovers or you’re just a kid at heart, our resident man crafter mikeasauraus created these fun dino corn holders over at Instructables.  Not into dinosaurs?  Use the same process to make a whole zoo of corny critters!  Go ahead and play with your food, we don’t mind.  [how to make dinosaur corn cob holders]

Project estimate:

• Toy dinosaur, $1
• Corn cob holders, $1
• Resin, on hand or about $10

Total:  $2 and up

The post Make Dinosaur Corn Cob Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I recently purchased a wood burning tool and have been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to use.  Basically, you hold it like a pen and just draw on a wood surface!  I practiced several times on scrap pieces of wood before making my own items to use.  Here’s a fun idea that would make a cute gift:  customized wood utensils!

Project estimate:

• Wood Utensils, $1
• Wood Burning Tool, on hand or about $10
• Stamps and ink (optional), on hand

Total:  $1 and up

To make your own personalized wood utensils:

Step one:  Choose a wood utensil with a wide handle.  I found this bamboo pair at Dollar Tree.  Plan your design.  I’m not much of an artist, so I prefer to stamp an image or word using a light colored stamp pad.  Then I can just trace it!

Step two:  Screw the desired tip on to the wood burning tool and plug it in.  When the tip is hot, hold the tool like a pen and trace over the letters.

If you’re familiar with my work, then you know I have a silly streak.  My husband helped me come up with these sayings, and I laugh every time I use these utensils.  A little humor makes dish washing more fun!

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