There are so many things you can do with those little foam pumpkins from the dollar store, but this topiary has to be one of the cuter ideas I’ve ever seen. Nobody would guess it was made from dollar store stuff! Get the tutorial over at Kim Six Fix: [Dollar Store Pumpkin Topiary]

Project Materials:

• 3 foam pumpkins, $3
• Chalkboard paint, $2 and up
• Orange feather boas, $1
• Container (or urn), $1 and up
• Bamboo skewers, $1

Total: $8

Tip: Look at the thrift store for an urn-like container (you can paint one if it has the right shape), or just use a terra cotta pot.

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I call myself an “omni-crafter,” which to me, means that I enjoy jumping from one craft to another. I always like to learn something new! I have a few crafts on my “crafting bucket list” that I would like to try, like glass-fusing, mixed media collage, and POTTERY! Well, I did have the opportunity to try pottery when I took a pottery class a few years ago at my local YMCA.

I took the class for 6 weeks, and came home with several very misshapen pots and bowls, but I had a blast. I would love to devote more time to learning and improving my pottery techniques.

Over at eBay*, I’ve written some Tips for Getting Started With Pottery — some things to think about before you jump in. Check my article out! (*I wrote that article as a part of a paid collaboration with eBay.)

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Wow, can you believe that this chandelier is made from ANY materials you can find at the dollar store? That’s right, over at Ciburbanity, Charlotte created this stunning chandelier using bottles she found at the dollar store. You can read all about her innovative process in making this chandelier (and learn how to make one for yourself) here: [dollar store chandelier]

Dollar Store Material Used:

• Plastic travel bottles

Check out our Dollar Store Beaded Chandelier Project:

One of our most popular projects ever: Make a Beaded Chandelier

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The reason I started this website was because of inspirational projects like this stylish crocheted twine and leather basket. Yes, it’s actually made from dollar store materials! How would you use a pretty basket like this one? I think I’d like to use it in my bedroom to add some quiet style to my bedside (and I could keep some of my extra books in there). Find the instructions for this basket over at Make and Do Crew: [Dollar Store Twine & Leather Basket]

Supplies Needed:

• 6 balls of dollar store twine, $6
• Thrift store leather belt, $1 and up

Total: $6 and up

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Don’t let your budget limit your decorating options! Over at Small Home Soul, Toni used dollar store materials on a small budget to create an eye-catching backsplash. Find out what she did: [Dollar Store Glass Backsplash]

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Today I’m excited to share my latest wreath, made with Mardi Gras beads, seashells, and a little mermaid glitter! Would you like to make a Mardi Gras Mermaid Wreath too? Read on for instructions.

This article contains affiliate links.

Wreath a Day #6: Mardi Gras Mermaid Wreath

I have had these pretty seashells in my stash for a few months. I bought them because I thought it would be fun to make a dollar store mermaid crown, but I never made it. When I saw the shells in my Craft Hoarder’s Paradise (aka CHP, aka my garage), I thought “Hmm, maybe I’ll never make that mermaid crown. But you know what I need to make right now? A wreath! Maybe I should make a mermaid wreath!” And the idea was born.

I held onto the shells for a few days because I couldn’t settle on the right background on the wreath. I had neutral colored ribbon that would have made a perfectly serviceable beachy wreath, but what I really wanted was something mermaid-y. I wanted a sparkly blue or green background. When I was visiting the dollar store, I saw these Mardi Gras style beads, and I knew those were the final component in my mermaid wreath.

Supplies Needed:

• Foam wreath form*
• 3 packages of Mardi Gras beaded necklace (approximately 18 necklaces)*
• Assorted seashells and starfish
• Blue glitter paste or glue* and blue glitter*
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks*
• Paint brush*

*Items with an asterisk can be purchased at the dollar store or DollarTree.com.

Step 1: Glue beads to wreath

Before you glue the beads to the wreath, you need to break the beads on the spot where they are glued together. Find the two beads that are fused together and break them apart with your hands (or hold one side with pliers if you have trouble breaking them). Alternately, you can just snip the string between any two beads.

Put a line of hot glue on the wreath form and put the end of the beads on the glue. Hold the beads on the wreath form until the glue cools, then begin to wrap the beads around the wreath form.

When you reach the end of one strand of beads, glue the next strand to the previous strand, and secure it onto the wreath with a dab of hot glue. Continue to wrap the wreath with beads until it is fully covered.

Production note: You might want to paint the wreath form before you begin, as the wreath form does show through the beads a little bit. If I made another wreath (or made one to sell), I would definitely cover up the wreath form before I glued the beads.

I didn’t have enough blue beads to cover the entire wreath (which would have looked amazing, I think), so I had to split the wreath coverage between blue and green beads.

Step 2: Glue the shells onto the wreath

Before you add the beads, tie a piece of ribbon around the top of the wreath to provide a hanger.

Hot glue the starfish and seashells in place on the wreath.

I arranged the starfish evenly around the wreath first, then arranged the seashells between them.

Step 3: Add glitter paste

When I got all the seashells glued in place, the wreath didn’t look finished, so I rummaged around in my CHP and found some sapphire blue glitter glue paste. You can buy the paste at your local art store, or online.

Or, you can just use liquid glue and blue glitter (both of which you probably have in your stash, or you can find at the dollar store).

I brushed blue glitter paste on all the shells to add some shimmer, and also to tone down the brightness of some of the shells and help them blend into the beaded background a little better.

That’s better! I like how the glitter looks kind of like sea gunk, but glittery sea gunk. It also tied the disparate seashells together more and made them fit together as a unit of related items.

Overall, I like how it turned out! I think it would look neat if I spray painted the whole thing white and then added some glitter glue over that. I wouldn’t mind trying it.

I hope you are having as much fun watching me bust my stash as I am having making these crazy wreaths! To follow along with my project, check out my other Wreath a Day posts.

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Today’s wreath will teach you how to decorate a wreath form with frosting-like clay (decoden), and embed an adorable tiny tea set, creating the cutest wreath for tea lovers. I got the wreath form at the dollar store, and the rest of the supplies for this craft from my stash. This wreath is super easy to make, and it looks so darn cute when it’s finished.

Wreath a Day #3: Tea & Frosting Decoden Wreath

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Have you heard of decoden? It’s a silicone clay that looks like frosting, and is great for decorating just about any item. You can embed little trinkets, rhinestones, or other items in the clay, and when it dries it looks like a delicious, whimsical, treat, but it’s completely permanent.

For this project, I used Mod Podge Collage Clay, which is by far the easiest and quickest version of decoden frosting I have found. You can also create your own “frosting” with silicone caulk and a decorating tube nozzle.

Supplies Needed:

• Foam wreath form*
• Mod Podge Collage Clay, white and pink
• Tiny ceramic tea set*
• Resin flower cabochons

*Items with an asterisk can be purchased at the dollar store

I got the tiny tea set in the $1-2 dollar section at my local toy store, but you can sometimes find comparable tea sets at your local dollar store. The resin flower cabochons can be purchased from many different online places, including Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Step 1: Decorate the Wreath with Pink Decoden Frosting

If you use Mod Podge Collage Clay, this step is very simple. Remove the lid on the pouch of collage clay, screw on your chosen frosting tip (several tips are included in the box), and start decorating.

I chose the star tip and decided to pipe random stars of pink frosting on my wreath form.

If you are concerned with perfection, you can practice on a scrap surface first, but remember, you will be embedding things into the collage clay later, so you can easily cover up any ugly frosting dollops. Squeeze from the bottom of the tube and lift the tip to create a star.

As you can see, my frosting dollops weren’t that good. I think it’s because I got the collage clay out of my cold garage and it needed to come to room temperature first. You can solve this problem by leaving the lid on the pouch of frosting and gently kneading it for a minute or two. Or, just keep your collage clay inside your house instead of in your freezing cold garage!

Step 2: Fill in the Wreath with White Frosting

Next, fill in the rest of the wreath with white frosting. As you can see, I have a few gaps in some areas of my wreath. This is something we can fix later.

Step 3: Add the Embellishments

Space your tea set around the wreath. Use a dollop of decoden frosting to keep the lids on the teapot and sugar bowl.

Add the resin flower cabochons to fill in the blank spots. I also added some contrasting blue flowers around the wreath to add a little bit of visual interest.

Fill in any remaining gaps in frosting with the rest of the frosting.

Let the decoden frosting dry overnight, or according to package instructions.

See all the wreath a day wreaths here!

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My mom collects Advent calendars, and also loves crafts that feature photos of her favorite people, so I used her interests as inspiration for my newest Advent calendar craft: a Magnetic Photo Advent Calendar. This project uses some items from the dollar store, and some from the craft store, and the instructions can be found over at MyPrintly: [Magnetic Photo Advent Calendar]

It might be a bit late in the season to make this for this year, but don’t forget to pin it for next year!

Project Materials:

(Items in bold can be found at the dollar store)

• 9×12” metal cookie sheet
• 1” flat-backed clear glass marbles
• Turquoise acrylic paint
• Glossy decoupage medium
• Strong button-style magnets
• E-6000 glue (clear)
• A piece of green scrapbook paper, at least 8.5×11”
• 1” round paper punch
• Paint brush
• Scissors

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Take advantage of dollar store ornaments to create a pretty winter wreath using white floral mesh. This wreath isn’t holiday-specific so you can leave it up through the month of January, which makes it great for the transition time between the holidays and Valentine’s Day. I found a lot of pretty ornaments at the dollar store to give this wreath that special sparkle. Find the complete tutorial over at Live.Craft.Love: [make a mesh winter wreath]

If you like this project, you may also like this Butterfly Mesh Wreath.

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Want to bring the most aww-inducing gift of your next baby shower? Make a DIY Diaper Wreath, all from stuff you can buy at the dollar store. This craft looks impressive, but is really simple to make, and best of all, every item on the wreath is useful for baby. I posted the full instructions for this cute craft over at MyPrintly, so go check it out! [DIY Baby Shower Diaper Wreath]

I got every single item for this baby shower wreath at the dollar store!

Project Materials:

• A baby photo collage
• A 12” or 14” wire wreath form, $1
• 10-12 new baby diapers, $3 (3 packs at the dollar store)
• Assorted new baby accessories (such as pacifiers, washcloths, rattles, etc.), $5-10
• Pipe cleaners, $1
• Curling ribbon, on hand or $1
• Scissors
• Clear tape

Total cost: $10 and up

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