Metallics are super trendy these days, and our friend Tanner from A Little Craft In Your Day recently shared a couple of organizational projects that involve metallic paint.  These projects – painted wooden bowls and animal bookends – would be great for DIY dorm decor!  Look for the plastic animals at the dollar store, and check yard sales and thrift stores for wooden bowls on the cheap.  See how he made both projects in the YouTube video below, or visit his YouTube channel.

Project estimate:

• Wood bowls, on hand or $1 and up
• Masking tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Plastic animals, $1 and up
• Wood block, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up!

The post DIY Metallic Crafts for Organization appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’ve got a pocket full of keys, you probably know the frustration of grabbing the wrong one.  House key, office key, your friend’s key that they gave you in case they lose their copy, they key for your shed…  Keep all those keys straight with these color-coded covers by Mollie at Wild Olive!  If you felt really ambitious, you could event make this project a step farther and embroider cute designs on the felt.  [how to make felt key covers]

Project estimate:

• Felt, on hand or $1
• Cord, on hand or $1 and up
• Embroidery floss, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Felt Key Covers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Could your desk use a little help in the organization department? Make yourself a set of organizers using an assortment of items from the recycling bin! I covered mine with free maps I got while on vacation.You can use newspaper, magazine/book pages, scrapbook paper, wallpaper, music sheets, wrapping paper, or anything else you want to decorate yours!

Project estimate:

• Assorted empty boxes and cans, on hand
• Maps, free and up
• Hot glue, on hand
• Black marker, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand or $1 and up
• Poster board, on hand or $1
• Packing tape, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

Collect the boxes and cans and make sure they are clean and dry.  Prepare the boxes and cans.

Cereal box magazine holder:

• Mark one side of the box and cut it out.
• Use the piece you cut out as a template for the other side.
• Tape the side pieces that were cut off back to the sides of the box to make it stronger.
• If desired, cover the outside of the box with tape to reinforce it further.

Vegetable can pencil holder:

• Cut a piece of poster board to fit around the outside of the can. (This will cover the ridges of the can)
• Tape the poster board to the can and cover the seam with tape.

Sweetener box (or other small box) business card holder:

• Cut into the shape you want to hold business cards.
• If desired, cover the outside of the box with tape to reinforce.

Apply a coat of the Mod Podge onto the surfaces you want to cover with maps. Apply the paper and press it down using a sponge brush.  Carefully work out as many air bubbles and wrinkles as possible.

Once the paper has dried brush on a coat of Mod Podge over the top. Let dry. Depending on the finish you want, you can do this several more times. Each application makes the boxes stronger.

On the bottoms of cans, fold over the excess in small sections, much like gathering fabric, and use Mod Podge to hold them down.

Measure and cut a piece of black poster board to line the inside and bottoms of the boxes and cans. You can use the cans to trace circles for covering the bottoms. Apply hot glue to hold the poster board in place.

The post Tutorial: Map Desk Set appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Dollar Tree has some really cute plastic storage containers, but their bright color scheme might not match your room.  No problem!  Carrie at Lovely Etc. took some dollar store containers and gave them a faux metal makeover using a technique that involves layering multiple different kinds of paint. The result has a vintage appearance that will blend much more subtly into your decor. [how to make plastic dollar store containers look like metal]

Project estimate:

• Plastic containers, $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Plastic Dollar Store Containers Look Like Metal appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Recycle a Crystal Light canister into a handy sunglasses case or eyeglasses case – just add cute contact paper. For all of those Crystal Light lovers out there who can’t bear to throw away the empty containers. check out Heather’s fun stop motion how-to video! Or if videos aren’t your thing, keep scrolling for photos and written directions.

Project estimate:

• Empty Crystal Light container, on hand
• Contact paper, $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

Trace the bottom of the container onto the contact paper and cut out.

Cut a strip of paper that will cover the rest of the container.  Make it just a little longer than the container so that there is a little extra at the bottom end.

Peel off the backing and apply the larger piece of contact paper to the container, lining it up so it is flush with the top lip.  Around the bottom, cut small slits, which will allow you to fold over the excess on the bottom.

Cover the folded over bits by attaching the piece you traced to fir on the bottom of the container.

Add sunglasses and snap on the lid!

The post Tutorial: Recycled Sunglasses Case appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you always trying to find your shades?  This quick and easy DIY project will help you organize your sunglasses.  Just hang it by your door and you’ll never waste time searching for them again!  Check out the video to see how Heather whipped this one up, or keep reading to see the project in photos.

Project estimate:

• Picture frame, on hand or $1
• Lace or ribbon, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: Free and up!

Measure and cut two lengths of ribbon or lace that are just wider than the frame – make them long enough that the ends will wrap around to the back of the frame.

Place the ribbon or lace across the front of the frame at the desired spacing and glue the ends to the back of the frame and use hot glue to secure the ends on the back of the frame.

Hang it on the wall and add your collection of sunglasses!

The post Tutorial: DIY Sunglasses Holder appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Whether you need to organize your desk, your craft studio, or your bathroom vanity, there are a ton of ways you could incorporate these fun, colorful containers!  Courtney from A Little Craft In Your Day made these out of colorful plastic bottles from the dollar store.  They’re an inexpensive way to add a personal touch to your space in a practical, functional manner.  [how to make upcycled plastic bottle organizers]

Project estimate:

• Plastic bottles, $1 and up
• Rubber band, on hand
• Marker, on hand
• Craft knife, on hand
• Iron, on hand

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Upcycled Plastic Bottle Organizers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Do you have an excess of ribbon that you need to tame?  See how I used materials that I had laying around to create super easy, really quick racks to contain my collection!

Ribbon, ribbon and more ribbon!  I have so many spools that they were starting to take over my craft studio. It’s much more organized now, with everything in plain view on my shelves so I can always see exactly what I have on hand.

Watch the video below to see how I made it, or keep scrolling for written directions!

Project estimate:

• Scrap board, on hand
• Drill, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Pencils, on hand or $1
• Ribbon, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

Drill holes in a board where you would like each stack of ribbon spools to go.  A 5/16 inch drill bit will make a hole that is just the right size!

Squirt a little hot glue into the holes, the firmly press a pencil into each hole.

I added some ribbon to trim the edges of mine to make it a wee bit prettier.  This is an optional step, but since you’ve got all that ribbon on hand anyway, why not?

Slide your spools of ribbon onto the pencils, then sit back and enjoy your handiwork!

The post Tutorial: Cheap and Easy DIY Ribbon Organizer appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It seems like I am constantly going through pairs of jeans, buying new ones to replace the most recently blown-out pairs in a constant cycle.  This, of course, means that fairly frequently I find myself wondering what to do with the ones that are starting to shred – I mean, a girl only needs so many pairs of “painting pants” in her wardrobe, and even if you cut them off into shorts, there is still the question of what to do with the leftover legs.  Well, wonder no more – Megan from Upstyler shows you how to turn an old pant leg into a cute basket for decorative storage!  What will you put in your denim basket?  [how to make a recycled denim basket]

Project estimate:

• Old jeans, on hand
• Sewing machine or needle and thread, on hand

Total:  Free!

The post Make a Recycled Denim Basket appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We love a quick and easy makeover.  Take, for example, these adorable storage bins by Katie at Little House of Four.  Would you believe that they started out as a brightly-colored four pack?  That’s right, they were just a quarter each!  By taming the color with spray paint and adding some nifty drawer pulls, she gave them a super high-end look for just a couple bucks!  [how to give plastic bins a fancy makeover]

Project estimate:

• Plastic bins, 4/$1
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Drawer pulls, $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up!

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