West Elm style on practically no budget?  Yes, it’s possible!  Believe it or not, Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers grabbed some cereal boxes out of her recycling bin and used them to create these stunning faux metal spheres.  In a store you would probably expect to pay $15 to $20 each for the real metal spheres, but nobody will expect to find out that you made these yourself, and that they started out life as humble trash!  Try painting them different metallic shades for different effects, or skip the metallics altogether and make them any color under the rainbow to blend with your decor.  [how to make recycled faux metal spheres]

Project estimate:

• Cereal boxes, on hand
• Paper fasteners or brads, on hand or $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

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What kid (or adult) doesn’t love bubbles?  My children have so much fun outside, blowing and popping bubbles.  We go through a lot of bubble solution!  To save money and clean up time, I came up with this solution.

I buy bulk size laundry detergent, and the dispenser it comes in is perfect for cleanly delivering liquids.  I painted the outside and filled it with homemade bubble solution for hours of outdoor fun.

Project estimate:

• Detergent dispenser, on hand
• Painter’s tape , on hand
• Spray paint, on hand
• Craft paint, on hand

Total:  FREE

Step one:  Cover the top and dispenser nozzle with painter’s tape.  Spray paint the container.  I was using a light yellow color, so first I had to paint the label white, so the label wouldn’t show through the yellow paint.

Step two:  Use craft paint to decorate the container.  I used a stencil to make polka dots and the add the lettering.

Step three:  Fill the container with your favorite bubble solution!  Our homemade recipe is 10 cups water, 4 cups dishwashing soap, and one cup corn syrup.  I doubled the recipe to fill this container.

Set the bubble dispenser outside, and provide containers (I used plastic tumblers) and wands.  The kids can fill their cups as needed and start blowing bubbles!  I also found that this dispenser makes it easier for me to fill my little bubble machine.  Less mess to clean up means more time to play!  Have fun crafting and creating!

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I’ve always loved books.  As a child, I spent my allowance at the book store and my weekends in the library.  When I visit thrift stores and garage sales, I’m always on the lookout for interesting books, not just to read, but to craft with.  I found this wonderful dictionary at Goodwill and picked it up so I could use the text in projects.  The cover was so nice that I decided to use it, as well.  Now I have a fun mail holder in my office that matches nicely with the books on my shelves!

Project estimate:

• Hard cover book, on hand or $1 and up
• Cardboard, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Twine or string, on hand
• Hot glue gun, on hand

Total:  Free or $1 and up

Step one:  Cut the binding to remove the text portion of the book.

Step two:  Place the book at a 45 degree angle on cardboard and trace.  Add “wings” to the edge of your tracing.  Cut as pictured, and fold as pictured.

Step three:  Use Mod Podge to adhere some of the book pages to the binding and both sides of the cardboard.

Step four:  Make two holes in the back of the book cover.  (Optional:  I added eyelets to the holes.)  Pull string through the holes and tie to make a loop.

Step five:  Glue the “wings” of the cardboard to the book cover.

Your new mail holder is now ready to be hung on the wall!  You could make one for each person in your home, or one for “incoming” and another for “outgoing” papers.  With hardcover books every where (even the dollar store), you could make one in any color or size you like!

The post Tutorial: Turn a Book into a Mail Holder appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Green and recycled crafts are kind of my specialty. Any time you can turn a can destined for the recycling bin a into a cute and useful item for your home is a win all around! Maiko from Maiko Nagao makes it easy: she even provides you with a free printable to help make your cans cute for free! [how to make tin can desk organizers]

Project estimate:

• Empty can, on hand
• Free printable from Maiko Nagao, free
• Scissors, on hand
• Tape, on hand

Total: Free!

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

Calendars aren’t just a great way to keep track of what day it is, or what we need to do when, they are also a great way to show off our personalities. With 2012 here now, most of us aren’t thinking about replacing our old calendars, so I decided to put together a quick roundup of a couple free printable calendars to help you ring in the new year with style!

We know you’re always a step ahead :: 2012 Printable Calendars by Red Stamp

Red Stamp had such great reactions from their 2011 calendar that they decided to share TWO great year-at-a-glance calendars this year!

Free Printable 2012 Calendar by DECOR8Rgirl

I decided that I needed a punch of color in my office, and only had room to put up a one-page calendar, so I created this calendar to share on my blog and to share with you!

2012 Black and White Calendar by Don’t Eat the Paste

This black and white calendar with a spiral dot pattern is sure to go well with any color scheme.

Free Printable: 2012 One Page Doodle Calendar by Creative Mama

The beautiful purple flowers doodled on this calendar add a touch of class and whimsy to your day.

Free DIY Printable 2012 Calendar with Motivational Quotes by The Tiny Fig

Need a little motivation? Each month of this calendar has a different motivational quote to get you moving,

2012 Free Designer Calendar – Pigment to Pantone by Brilicious

For the designers out there, this calendar, inspired by paint pigments the old masters used, the modern Pantone colour system, Swiss typography and 70’s graphics; combines graphics and poetry for a completely unique piece of work.

Free printable 2012 calendar – notepaper theme by Clementine Creative

Print this calendar so that it’s double-sided. There are six months on each side, and there’s a place to write notes on. Just laminate the calendar and write on it with a white board marker!

Free Printable: 2012 Doodle Write In Calendar by Creative Mama

The doodle background evokes almost a kind of old wallpaper feeling with its different flowers and designs, but feels very edgy with its doodles and typesetting.

2012 Printable Calendar by the TomKat Studio

This calendar has a different page for each month, leaving you room to write in notes for each day. Although the design is simple, the colors and add  some fun.

Printable Tea Towel Calendar – 2012 Download by Dollar Store Crafts

Two years ago, Heather collaborated with Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made to design a printable tea towel calendar, and due to popular demand, she’s updated it again for this year!

Subscribe to Melinda’s Pinterest 2012 Printable Calendar Pin Board to find more calendars as she adds them!

The post 10 Free Printable 2012 Calendars appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Wondering what to do with that stack of magazines you’ve got tucked away in your closet?  (Okay, besides write a ransom note.)  How about making a pretty, loopy wreath?  Christie from Childhood 101 raided her recyclables, grabbed her stapler, and made a little magic.  This is a great project to do with kids.  You can even have them help you find pages that are predominantly in your Christmas decor colors!  [how to make a recycled magazine page wreath]

Project estimate:

• Magazine pages, on hand
• Cardboard, on hand
• Stapler, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total:  Free

The wreath was created as part of a recycled magazine page challenge.  Check out Christie’s blog post for links to tons of other recycled magazine projects!

The post Make a Recycled Magazine Page Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Make a Christmas wreath for your front door for next to nothing. Instructables member jackierusted shows you how to use stuff you probably have around your house already to make a colourful and festive wreath.  Wadded newspaper is taped to the circular-bent coat hangar and taped in place, then painted and layered with embellished of leaf shapes and colourful cut outs. Not bad for almost zero dollars.  [how to make a Christmas wreath for zero dollars]

Project estimate:

• Cardboard, on hand
• Wire coat hanger, on hand
• Newspaper, on hand
• Scotch Tape, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Green (or whatever color) spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Assorted acrylic paints, on hand
• Craft wire, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Christmas Wreath for Zero Dollars appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As part of a challenge to create Halloween crafts for free, Delia from Delia Creates went on a twig-collecting mission.  After rounding up a few supplies she had tucked away in her stash, she came up with a simple, spooky wreath design.  The bright orange spider ring is a perfect touch!   (I think I also have some purple spider rings left over from last year laying around somewhere.  Hmmm…  That makes me want to go twig hunting myself!)  [how to make a Halloween twig wreath]

Project estimate:

• Cardboard, on hand
• Twigs, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Spider ring, on hand or $1
• Ribbon, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Halloween Twig Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have what probably constitutes a lifetime supply of buttons, but unfortunately my collection doesn’t have as much variety as I’d like.  A couple of years ago I sorted my buttons into two separate sets, making a jar full of colorful buttons and another full of white, black, brown, and other not-as-pretty colors.  As it turns out, I have about 4 times as many of the latter!  That’s why I’m glad I came across this head-slappingly simple idea from Patty at Capture the Details.  She took a bunch of white buttons and applied some spray paint, giving them a completely fresh look!  (If you plan to use them on clothing projects, I’d suggest spraying on a coat of primer first, or using a primer-and-paint-in-one product.)  [how to spray paint buttons]

Patty is also a very talented illustrator and photographer, so be sure to check out the rest of her blog.  You’ll be glad you did!

Project estimate:

• Buttons, on hand or $1
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Newspaper, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Spray Paint Buttons appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’re a green-minded gardener, this is an idea you will adore!  Carolyn from Carolyn’s Homework used empty plastic Parmesan cheese containers and plastic bakery trays from danishes to assemble tiny recycled greenhouses that are perfect for seedling-sized terra cotta pots.  (I’ll admit, I inherited my mother’s brown thumb so I’m not so brilliant when it comes to plants.  But I’d love to make these for gift giving, maybe for my mother-in-law who is much better at *not* killing plants!  Perhaps a bookmark for next Mother’s Day is in order?)  [how to make a recycled mini greenhouse]

Project estimate:

• Empty Parmesan cheese container or other plastic container, on hand
• Bakery roll tray, on hand
• Tape, on hand

Total:  Free

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