My Halloween decor tends to center largely around skeletons and skulls – I even have a couple of skull themed pieces that stay out year-round as part of my regular decor.  (What can I say?  I have very eclectic taste!)  So it’s no surprise that I am totally in love with this bony candle lantern by Susan at Oh My! Creative.  Inspired by a similar piece from Pottery Barn, this lantern has a ton of spooky character.  I think one of these would look excellent on my bookshelf!  How about you – do you prefer spooky decor or cute decor for Halloween?  Tell us in the comments!  [how to make a glowing skulls lantern]

Project estimate:

• Cylindrical glass vase, on hand or $1,
• Plastic skulls, $1 and up
• Plastic skeletons, $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Caulk, about $2 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Battery operated tea light candle, on hand or $1

Total:  $4 and up

The post Make a Glowing Skulls Lantern appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Project estimate:

• Ceramic pumpkin, $1
• Looking Glass Spray Paint, about $3 and up
• Clear stamp, on hand
• White paint, on hand

Total:  about $4 and up

Start by spraying the glossy ceramic pumpkin with the Looking Glass paint.  Do NOT prime it first.  In order to achieve the mirror like finish, you need a glossy surface.  Follow the directions on the can.

Choose a small, clear stamp to use.  Pour a very small amount of paint (I used Martha Stewart Glass Paint) onto a plate and dip your stamp in it.  Blot the stamp on a piece of paper to remove the excess, then stamp onto your pumpkin.  I had to “rock” my stamp to get it all on the curved surface.  Repeat until the pumpkin is covered.

Your etched mercury glass pumpkin is ready for display!  You will need to handle it gently, as the paint can be scratched off because the surface wasn’t primed. If you have a spray on gloss sealer you could use that to finish the project.   Have fun creating!

Looking for more pumpkin crafts?

The post Tutorial: Etched “Mercury Glass” Pumpkins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Our most popular post of all time is the PB-Inspired Tiled Mirror, but there’s just one problem: the original tutorial for that project has been deleted from the internet. And, it used a poster frame, which adds a considerable expense if you don’t already have it on hand. Last week while I was browsing my local dollar store, I figured out a quick and easy way to get the same look, with way less trouble. To make this version of the mirror, you don’t have to know how to use any tools… just duct tape and glue. Everyone can do that, right?

With the dollar store, you are always somewhat limited because items you find there can only be so large for $1. My solution to this is to combine small things together to make a bigger impact (like I did with this bulletin board project). That’s all we’re doing with this project! Attaching some small mirrors together to make a big one.

Project Materials:

• 9 framed mirrors, $9
• Duct tape, on hand
• Piece of black foam core board, $1
• Ribbon or picture-hanging wire, on hand or $1
• Craft glue, on hand
• Hot glue & glue gun, on hand

Total: $10

Make sure you choose all mirrors that are the same size – mine were about 8.5 x 11″. I also recommend selecting the same color of frame. In my case, I chose black frames.

This project is all about the duct tape. Use the tape to attach the mirrors securely together, and then you will reinforce the whole thing with the foam core board.

Part One: Attach the Mirrors to Each other With Duct Tape

1. Unwrap the mirrors. Then, line up three mirrors on your work surface, face down. Make sure they are VERY lined up, as evenly and close together as you can get.

2. Add duct tape over the seams, and across the seams and all the mirrors, as shown. Basically, there is no such thing as too much tape.

Repeat for the next two rows of 3 mirrors, until you have three identically taped together rows.

3. Line up two of your rows next to each other. Again, keep them as even and as close as you can. Tape across the seams (as shown by the yellow duct tape), and then over the seams. Attach the third row to the first two in the same way.

4. When all three rows are securely taped together across all seams, add additional reinforcing duct tape. I put a large X across the whole thing (I ran out of silver tape in this photo, but I extended the X all the way across the mirrors. I also put tape all the way around the outside perimeter of the mirrors.

Like I said, there is no such thing as too much duct tape.

Part Two: Reinforce With Foam Core Board

At this point, you will be adding the ribbon for hanging. Just a note, I have not tested out how strong the ribbon & hot glue combination is for hanging because I have been leaning my mirror up against the wall instead. You need to add the foam core backing to the mirrors because if you leave them as they are, they are flexible and will bend and it really compromises the duct tape joints.

1. Trim a piece of black foam core to fit the back of the mirrors. I left about one inch around the whole thing, so the foam core wasn’t right up against the edges of the mirrors.

2. Hot glue the ends of a piece of ribbon to each side of the top third of the back of the mirror. Make sure these ribbons are long enough to tie together comfortably.

3. Put craft glue on the back of the mirrors, and place the foam core board over the glue – making sure you leave the ribbon sticking out.

5. Let the foam core and glue dry completely.

6. Tie ribbons together using a square knot. Don’t leave much slack unless you want the ribbon to show when you hang it.

There you go! It took longer to write this up than it did to make it. I promise, it’s super easy! You can totally do this!

The post Tutorial: PB-Inspired Tiled Mirror for $10 appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Holy cow, where did 2011 go?  I stopped paying attention for one second and – whoosh!  – it was gone!  It’s been a crazy year for DSC, and some of our posts went completely viral!  We’ve gained so many new readers this year that it makes our heads spin, and you’ve made it clear which projects you love most.  Taking a look back, here are our top 10 posts of 2011.

10.  Reconstructed Clothing Roundup: 5 Ways to Revamp a T-shirt

Knowing that budgets were tight this year, we presented you with five different ways to bring new life to tire old t-shirts.  And you loved them!  [read the post]

9.  Make Reusable Swiffer Covers

Swiffers are great, but the refills are expensive and not at all eco-friendly.  Making your own reusable swiffer covers is one way to both save money and reduce your environmental impact – everybody wins!  [read the post]

8.  Recycle a Soda Bottle into a Coin Purse

One of several crafts making a repeat appearance from last year’s top posts list, this project was DSC’s second most popular in 2010.  However unlike last year, it’s the only recycled craft to make the top 10 list.  Is recycled crafting going out of style?  We hope not!  [read the post]

7.  Make a Pebble Mat

In what might be the number one coincidence I’ve seen all year (or at least all day), this post also came in at number seven on last year’s list.  Crazy, right?  There’s a store near my town that sells these as placemats and table runners, and they are cool but pretty expensive.  This version, however, is much more affordable!  [read the post]

6.  Make a Beaded Chandelier

Falling two spots from its place at number four on last year’s list, this is still one of our most popular projects ever.  Heather did a fabulous job with the tutorial, and you won’t believe how easy it is to make your own!  [read the post]

5.  Make Water Balloon Candle Holders

We love projects that have a big “wow” factor, looking elegant and expensive on practically no budget.  (Of course, if you’re here, you probably already know that!)  This is one of those kind of projects.  Even though this post dates back to 2009, it’s gotten some serious attention from social bookmarking sites this year.  [read the post]

4. Make an Alien Abduction Lamp

As last year’s number one post, it’s no surprise that this project is still wildly popular.  It’s another of Heather’s awesome creations and it’s gotten linky love from all corners of the web.  Will it be just as well-loved in 2012? [read the post]

3.  Mind-Blowing Cake Decorating Tip

When Heather saw this cake decorating tip, it blew her mind.  Then she shared it with you, and it blew your mind too.  And then it blew up all over Pinterest, taking off like a rocket overnight.  Kaboom!  [read the post]

2.  Recommended Reading: 65 Craft Blogs We Love

When stashbusting time rolled around this spring, we thought you might need some inspiration.  We put together a list of 65 blogs we love and told you exactly why you should bookmark each one.  With these fabulous sites, you’ll never be short on ideas ever again!  [read the post]

1.  Make a PB-Inspired Tiled Mirror

Pinterest was kind to Dollar Store Crafts this year, especially when it came to this Pottery Barn knockoff post.  It came out of nowhere and jumped into not only our most-viewed post of the year, but also our second-most-viewed of all time!  The number one all-time spot belongs to the alien abduction lamp… at least for now.  Those aliens better watch their backs!  [read the post]

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Just when I think I’ve seen every possible variation on cone trees, someone surprises me with something new and different!  These festive little evergreens by Kim at Sand and Sisal were inspired by some similar trees that Pottery Barn had this season, but the DIY version cost a heck of a lot less.  I love their understated, natural look.  If you have a rustic or woodsy feel to your decor, you could even leave them out all year ’round!  [how to make bay leaf trees]

Project estimate:

• Foam cone or rolled posterboard, on hand or $1
• Aleen’s Tacky Line Roll adhesive or double-stick tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Bay leaves, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Bay Leaf Trees appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The dollar store has a lot of great fall decorations, but most of them don’t scream “upscale.” Jen from Tatertots & Jello is an amazing real-life (and blogworld) friend of mine, and she is known all over for her incredible taste. She is able to make anything look like a million bucks, which is what she did with these pumpkins she got at the dollar store. She gave them a designer look and spent only $5 to make this whole pretty vignette. I love that she chose colors that aren’t typically associated with fall. [how to make crackle painted pumpkins]

Project Estimate:

• Decorator pumpkins, $1 each
• Acrylic paint, on hand
• Crackle medium, on hand or about $2

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Upscale Pumpkin Decorations appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Beachy decor is all the rage lately, with places like Pottery Barn peddling all kinds of beach themed bits.  (Did you see the knockoff  Pottery Barn faux coral we featured the other day?)  Amanda from Crafts By Amanda saw a giant sand dollar decoration in the PB catalog, priced at $99.  She decided to knock it off and save a few bucks, using it as an excuse to try out a new product called Magikote, which is designed to use with styrofoam and give it a smooth, paintable finish.  Oh, the possibilities!  [how to make a giant sand dollar]

Project estimate:

• Foam circle, $1 and up
• Magikote, about $5 and up
• Craft knife, on hand
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  about $6 and up

The post Make a Giant Sand Dollar appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Now that the holidays are over, are you ready to tame your clutter? Valerie at The Crafter’s File Box made a designer-inspired lazy susan craft supply organizer for a fraction of the retail price. She was inspired by a similar item at Pottery Barn Kids, and made her own version with stuff from IKEA and Target’s dollar spot. Such a cute idea for keeping craft supplies in one neat and organized place (I think my sons would probably use it as a projectile launcher, but that’s another story). [how to make a lazy susan supply organizer]

Project Estimate:

• Lazy susan, $1 and up
• Metal pails, $4 and up
• Spray paint, optional, on hand or $3
• E-6000, on hand

Total: $5 and up

A note about supplies: Valerie got her Lazy Susan at IKEA for $7.99, but you can also check around for lazy susans at thrift stores, or maybe you have one on hand already. She got her pails at Target’s dollar spot for 50% off. You can sometimes find similar pails at Dollar Tree, or small ones in the wedding section 3 for $1 (although they might be a bit small for this project).

Using What You Have: Instead of buying buckets, you could reuse cans, Crystal Light containers, or other containers you already have on hand.

The post Make a Lazy Susan Supply Organizer appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Eep, it’s almost Christmas!  How did it come so quickly?  As usual, I will be scrambling ’til the last second to get everything done.  How about you?  Do you feel prepared yet?  If you still need a few more inspirational ideas before your holiday festivities commence, here are some super simple ideas from our readers that you can whip up in no time!

Inspired by decorations she saw at a bed and breakfast, Drea from Dreawood made a festive, light-filled bottle.  If you have a bottle laying around and waiting to be recycled, the cost for this project is nominal.  Set them on your kitchen countertop, slide them into empty spaces in your wine rack, or display them on your mantle.  [how to make a light-filled bottle]

If you’ve never visited Carolyn’s Homework, you should go check it out.  She’s constantly amazing me with simple, elegant projects that look expensive but can be made on a very slim budget.  Among her many Christmas  projects, Carolyn jazzed up some plain taper candles with sequins.  Gorgeous!  [how to make sequin taper candles]

Even if you’re giving gift cards this year for Christmas, you can still add a touch of handmade!  Over at DIY Newlyweds, Jenny posted a how-to for these great felt gift card holders.  They only take a few minutes to make, and cost just pennies apiece!  [how to make felt gift card holders]

Who doesn’t love a good Pottery Barn knockoff?  At Faith * Hope * Love * Happiness, Jaclyn used twine and jingle bells to dress up plain candles for the holidays.  She even used the same snowflake jingle bells that caught my eye at Dollar Tree the other day!  [how to make Pottery Barn inspired jingle bell candles]

Need an easy handmade garland?  This vintage-looking loopy yarn garland by Jenny of  The WildCards is deceptively simple to make!  The project was inspired by a similar yarn garland handed down from her mother that, after decades of service, was in need of replacement.  Anyone with basic sewing machine know-how can whip this project out in a jiffy.  [how to make a loopy yarn garland]

Clara from Bloomzine sent us these paper Christmas trees with star toppers.  Incredibly, the entire thing is fashioned from a single folded-and-cut piece of pape.  Use book pages, scrapbook paper, kraft paper, wrapping paper, magazine pages…  So many possibilities!  [how to make fold-and-cut standing paper Christmas trees]

Looking for a project to keep the kiddos busy?  Ludicrous Mama from Biting the Hand That Feeds You has a fun crafty tradition with her daughter; each year she makes her own photo frame ornament to hold her annual photo with Santa.  And you can use whatever embellishments you have on hand, making this a super cheap idea as well!  [how to make a popsicle stick frame ornament]

The post Reader Roundup: 7 Last Minute Holiday Projects appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Macey at Olivia Renn made a designer knockoff advent calendar for about 99% off the retail price. Yep! The inspiration calendar is $299, and I estimate Macey spent about $3 (or less) making this bucket and branch advent calendar. My favorite thing about this calendar is the fact that Macey made the buckets out of plastic cups!! You would never guess that by looking at them! Awesome idea! [find out how to make the bucket and branch advent calendar]

Project Estimate:

• Tree branches, on hand
• Spray paint, silver, on hand or about $3
• Craft acrylic paint, on hand or $.50
• Rope or twine, on hand or $1
• 25 buckets or cups, $1
• Hole punch, on hand

Total: $1 and up

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