Wow! I love it when people hack crafts and do specialized techniques with stuff you already have at home. Ann from Make The Best of Things has done just that with her amazing crackle paint technique tutorial. You know how you have to buy special paint to do this crackle technique? Well, guess what, you don’t have to buy that special crackle medium anymore because Ann has posted a detailed tutorial about how to do it with a very special school supply. And she tested it on many different surfaces. You might just be my new best friend, Ann! [click here to learn all Ann’s secrets of crackle painting] [via]

Let me take a moment to tell you where I found this link. I found this link at a blog that is very reliable for sharing amazing stuff. You should subscribe to this blog: Someday Crafts. Do it now. I’ll wait!

And now, back to the discussion about crackle glaze. You might be a mod type of girl, and you might think “I don’t do faux finishes like crackle glaze because that’s not me.” But I know of a situation when you might want to make use of crackle glaze, even if you’re not a fan of shabby chic. Ready for it?

Crackle Glaze on Prints: Well, when making art reproductions (like if you download art from the Feed Your Soul project), you can print them on canvas art paper, and then cover them with a layer of crackle medium, and then a very light antiquing glaze. This is what the pro decor companies do to make their art prints look “like the original” and this is something you can do to make your art look more, well, art-like. This is also a technique that could be really good for making dollar store pictures and knick-knacks look more classy (hopefully NOT Klassy with a K!).

Project Estimate:

• White school glue, $.25/bottle (during back to school sales) — you probably have this on hand
• Acrylic paint, $.50/bottle or on hand

Total: FREE and up

The post Make Your Own Crackle Finish (for CHEAP!) appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I went to the dollar store today and they have a ton of awesome decorations for Christmas there right now. Truly, the quality of decorations at the dollar store has improved drastically over the past few years. They have some super-cute mirrored and beaded conical trees this year. I’ve been tempted to buy them and use them as they are (similar cone trees cost at least $10 at craft stores, and more at department stores!), but with this great idea found at Let It Shine, I’m going to run right back out to the store and pick up a bunch of them so I can alter them like this! She antiqued the trees to take some of the old dollar store chintz away and to make them look like cherished antiques. A stroke of genius, I say! Also, check out the dollar store birdies under a glass cloche. So sweet! When I grow up, I’m going to decorate like this (right now, my living room is decorated with the Alien Abduction Lamp and very well-loved toddler books!). [click here to find out how to antique these dollar store goodies]

Project Estimate:

• Mirrored tree, $1
• Antiquing glaze, $1

Total: $2

The post Dollar Store Decor: Antiquing Trees Adds Class appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love this creative idea for creating depth and dimension on your walls by using joint compound to stencil over at Creative Jewish Mom. A chunky stencil would be a really cool way to dress up more than just your walls, too. I can see it as an interesting addition to a piece of wooden furniture (chest of drawers, coffee table, storage chest?), or even on a vase. Joint compound can also be tinted to create a custom look. [click here for full instructions]

Project Estimate:

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Reader Judy Streger tipped me off about her amazing experimentation with plastic Easter grass to create a substance much like Angelina Fiber. She also had to tip me off about what exactly Angelina Fiber is, but once I found out (an iridescent fusible fiber used for fabric, paper, and other crafting), I was impressed with her findings! You can find Easter grass a-plenty at the Dollar Store this time of year, so go pick some up and start experimenting according to Judy’s findings! Or save the grass from your kiddo’s Easter basket to use after the holiday is over!

She also experimented with fusing punchinella (the background left after sequins are punched out) into beads! I love that idea! She fused the punchinella around a dowel using an iron and two layers of parchment paper.

Project Estimate:

• Easter grass, $1 (or on hand, after Easter!!)
• Parchment paper, on hand
• Iron, on hand

Total cost: FREE and up

Thanks, Judy, for sharing your findings with us!

Here’s a photo of fused Angelina Fiber from Sojournersheep.com (some info on Angelina at this page). [The Sojourner Blog]

For a very good idea of what Angelina Fiber is and how it works (plus lots of gorgeous pictures!) check iHanna’s page.

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