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.

Solar lights are a great way to add a touch of ambiance just about anywhere once the sun goes down.  They come with a little stake for putting them into the ground, but what about those places where a stake isn’t a good option, like on a porch?  Dawn at Creative Cain Cabin discovered that solar lights can be easily fit onto the tops of jars, creating a quick and easy solar lantern that will work just about anywhere!  She used mason jars, but with solar lights coming in so many different sizes and designs these days, you may be able to find jars in your recycling bin that fit well with whatever lights you happen to have available.  And when you’re done using them, they are easily disassembled, so you can reuse the jars and lights for future projects!  [how to make DIY solar jar lights]

Project estimate:

• Solar light, $1
• Jar, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make DIY Solar Jar Lights appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to light up your outdoor spaces on the Fourth of July? These lanterns give enough glow to help mark edges of walkways without being so bright that they distract from any outdoor fireworks or light shows you might be enjoying. See how I did it over at Creative GreenLiving. [how to make fourth of july glow stick lanterns]

Project estimate:

• Empty glass jar, on hand
• Red and blue mini glow sticks, $1 for 6
• Water, on hand
• Glitter, on hand
• Dish soap, on hand

Total: $1 and up!

The post Make Fourth of July Glow Stick Lanterns appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My house came with a media room, which we currently use as a playroom for our kids.  I’m still trying to decorate it to look like a theater, and I spotted some cool spotlight lamps in a high end catalog.  I was determined to recreate the look for less, and I think I succeeded.  My spotlight is a huge hit with my husband and kids!  Now I just have to make a few more!  I found all the items I needed at the Dollar Tree.

Project estimate:

• Camera Tripod, $1
• Pencil Basket, $1
• LED Push Light, $1
• Paper, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $3

To make your own designer spotlight:

Step one:  Cut a piece of paper to place inside the pencil basket.  This will help focus the light.

Step two:  Push the LED light into the pencil basket.  Mine was too big to reach the bottom of the basket, but I pressed it in until it was stuck.

Step three:  Glue the basket to the tripod.  I used E-6000 initially but it wasn’t strong enough, so I used Aleene’s Jewelry and Metal Glue.  It worked perfectly.

To use the spotlight, just push on the LED light to turn it on.  Because it’s on a tripod, the spotlight can be adjusted.  This would make a cute table side or bedside light.  It’s modern and stylish, but without the hefty price tag!

The post Tutorial: DIY Designer Spotlight appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Both whimsical and modern at the same time, this ping pong ball pendant lamp is one of the most impressive and innovative upcycles we’ve see in quite a while.  (The balls can be attached around the frame from an old lamp shade; rescue one that is stained or dented by removing the covering, leaving only the wire structure of the frame.  Thrift stores and yard sales are great places to look for them if you don’t already have one on hand.)  Dollar Tree sells ping pong balls in packages of 8 for $1, and it took about 180 balls to make the lamp shown.  The number you will need depends on the size of the lamp shade frame you use as a base!  The project by Léa Baert originally appeared in Marie Claire Idées, a French magazine; Jan at Poppytalk shared an English translation of the process. [how to make a ping pong ball pendant lamp]

Project estimate:

• Ping pong balls, about $22
• Lamp shade frame, on hand or $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Fishing line or string, on hand
• Wire, on hand or $1 and up
• Lamp kit, about $5 and up

Total:  about $27 and up

The post Make a Ping Pong Ball Pendant Lamp appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’ve been playing house again recently – dollhouse, that is!  I came into a stack of cigar boxes (one of my favorite things to recycle) and decided that I needed to make a few miniature scenes inside of them, so I’m back on a roll with teeny-tiny projects.  First up is something that is important in any room: lighting!  I had the idea of making a hanging lamp swagged on a chain, so I dug through my collection of little odds and ends and came up with a wee, retro-chic fixture.

Project estimate:

• Coin machine capsules, on hand or $0.25 and up
• Beads, on hand
• Primer, on hand or about $1.50 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Chain, on hand or $1
• Embroidery floss, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Tiny eye screw, about $0.50 and up

Total:  about $0.50 and up

For this project, I used parts from two different kinds of coin machine capsules.  One is the bottom off of a more traditional coin machine capsule (which will become the plate that attaches to the ceiling), and the other half of a newer, sphere-shaped capsule (which will be the shade portion of the light).

Prime and paint the capsule parts.  I left the ceiling plate in the white of the primer to make it match the ceiling in my little room; I left the inside of the shade portion white as well, and chose to paint the outside of the shade in a retro-inspired green.  To give it a shiny finish, I gave the shade a couple of coats of gloss Mod Podge.

Glue a bead to the inside of the shade to represent a light bulb.

Glue a small bead centered at the top of the shade, making a place to attach the chain for hanging.

Cut a piece of chain about 6 inches long and a piece of golden brown embroidery floss that is a couple of inches longer.  Attach one end of each to the center of the ceiling plate.  (I used a hot needle to make a hole in the center of the ceiling plate piece, then strung through my embroidery floss and secured it by knotting the end on the inside of the piece.  Then I used glue to attach the end of the chain.)

Weave the embroidery floss through the chain, as you would the power cord on a real hanging lamp.  Glue the loose end of the chain to the end of the embroidery floss to secure them together, trimming the floss to make them both the same length.  Then glue them to the bead on the top of the lamp shade.

To hang the lamp, first find the point on the chain where it will attach to the ceiling and attach a tiny eye screw to the chain.  Screw it into the ceiling at the point where the light will hang.  Then glue the ceiling plate to the ceiling in the appropriate place.

The post Make a Miniature Hanging Light Fixture appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

While the inventory at Dollar Tree is constantly changing, there are some things that you can almost always find there.  One item that is a constant on their shelves is night lights, but plain, boring night lights.  Luckily, they are easy to dress up!   At Squirrel, the blog of Etsy shop Exhalia Studios, crafter Bobbie Julie shares how she used wire and beads to make a twisty tree to decorate one.  I love how the glass beads look when illuminated from behind!  If you want to work one into your fall decor, use beads in autumn colors instead for a more seasonally-appropriate look.  [how to make a beaded tree night light]

Project estimate:

• Night light, $1
• Wire, on hand or $1 and up
• Beads, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

The post Make a Beaded Tree Night Light appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My father grew up on a Boy Scout reservation, so when my brother and I were children he shared with us many practical crafts from his own childhood.  One thing I remember doing is making tin can lanterns, much like these ones shared by Amy at Mama Scout.  It’s a kid-friendly project (just be careful of pounding fingers!) that is not only fun but great for developing motor skills as well.  Amy and her kiddo made random designs that remind me of star constellations.  You can also tape a paper template to the can and pound nails through it to create more defined designs.  Leave the cans plain, or dress them up with a coat of spray paint.  You can get so many different looks out of the same simple, free project!  [how to make tin can lanterns]

Project estimate:

• Tin cans, on  hand
• Water, on hand
• Freezer, on hand
• Nail, on hand
• Hammer, on hand
• Tea light candles, on hand or $1

Total:   Free and up

The post Make Tin Can Lanterns appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You know we love itty-bitty things here at DSC, and that of course includes cocktail umbrellas!  We’ve brought you some spiffy crafts using the little drink garnishes before; Heather made a cocktail umbrella lamp and I used one to make a miniature merry-go-round.  Over at Etsy’s Storque blog, I came across another use for them (and perhaps the best one I’ve seen yet)!  Seller Allison of Zipper8 Lighting shares how to cover a simple paper lantern with the colorful little umbrellas with stunning results.  Count this as reason #872 why paper lanterns are always a good craft supply investment!  [how to make a cocktail umbrella lantern]

Project estimate:

• Paper lantern, $1
• Cocktail umbrellas, $1
• Hot glue gun, on  hand

Total:   $2

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I have to admit, I am totally ecstatic about how this project turned out!  You might even say I’m downright giddy.  I’m also super excited that I got the chance to share a tutorial for it at The CSI Project today under the theme of outdoor spaces!  I’ve been gathering the parts for this project since spring, from the first moment I saw the blue plastic stemware on the shelves at Dollar Tree.  I’m also working on how to mount solar lights inside of it so that it actually functions as a light.  Thanks  to the CSI gals for having me again!  [how to make a plastic stemware outdoor chandelier]

Project estimate:

• 9  plastic wine glasses, $9
• 6 plastic hurricane glasses, $6
• 2 embroidery hoops, about $3
• Poly rope, $1
• Mardi gras beads, about $8
• Rhinestones, about $8
• Bungee cords, $1
• Glue, on hand

 Total:  about $36

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