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

The post Make a Stylish Twine & Leather Basket appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

These boho-chic rop baskets look like something you might see in a fancy boutique, but they are actually a very cheap and easy DIY! Over at I Heart Organizing, Aniko shares the how-to for this simple project, which uses just a couple of basic supplies. All you need it rope, hot glue, yarn, and a little patience! [how to make rope and tassel baskets]

Project estimate:

• Rope, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand
• Yarn, on hand or $1 and up

Total: Free and up!

The post Make Rope and Tassel Baskets appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Make perfect, beautiful wreaths out of herbs and other plant cuttings – without spending money on wreath forms! Ananda at A Piece of Rainbow used a single dollar store item – a small plastic laundry basket – to create wreath jigs in two different sizes, allowing her to make gorgeous, perfectly round wreaths every time. Check out her blog post for instructions and lots of tips for making your own! [how to make a DIY wreath jig]

Project estimate:

• Plastic laundry basket, $1
• Scissors, on hand

Total: $1

The post Make a DIY Wreath Jig appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I go thrift shopping, I am always on the lookout for inexpensive clothing items that I can reuse in other projects. I quite often see colorful jeans, and as much as I love a colorful wardrobe, it seems like most of the non-blue jeans that end up at Goodwill are also in not-so-flattering-or-modern styles. So cutting them up for a craft project is doing the world a favor, right? Next time you see ugly jeans in a pretty color, snatch them up and make one of these gorgeous leaf baskets from Amy at Maker Mama! She is using hers as centerpieces, and her denim colors are perfect for autumn! [how to make denim leaf baskets]

Project estimate:

• Old jeans, on hand or about $3 and up
• Large bowl or other object for form, on hand
• Plastic wrap, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand or $1 and up

Total: Free and up!

The post Make Denim Leaf Baskets appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We’re a bit fanatical about recycled crafts around here – is there any feeling more satisfying that taking a pile of trash and turning it into a treasure?  Priyam at Simple Joys is constantly amazing us with recycled craft ideas, like these adorable baskets made from recycled paper grocery bags.  With Easter on the way, now would be a good time to start saving bags so you can whip them up for everyone that the Easter Bunny will be paying a visit!  [how to make a recycled paper bag basket]

Project estimate:

• Grocery bag or kraft paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total:  Free or $1

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

Baskets are a great way to make a room instantly look organized. Got a pile of stuff? Throw it in a basket! Suddenly it looks neat and organized even though you didn’t change a whole lot. The downside of baskets is that they can cost quite a bit. That is, of course, unless you take the lead from I Heart Organizing, and you make your own basket using a laundry basket frame and upholstery cord! Upholstery cord dyes nicely as well, giving it lots of personalizing options. [how to make your own DIY rope basket]

Project estimate:

• Laundry basket, $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand
• Upholstery cord ($3 a package for 6 packages), $18
• Fabric Dye (optional), on hand or $3 and up
• Hot glue gun, on hand

Total: $19 and up

The post Make a Dyed Upholstery Rope Basket appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Ever since I became addicted to making 1-inch-scale dollhouse miniatures, I have started hanging onto all kinds of little odds and ends that I think might come in handy for creating tiny things. I’ve got a wee bit of an addiction to gumball machine rings and other tiny vending machine toys, so I always save the little plastic capsules. They come in very handy for making all kinds of tidbits, including these itty-bitty baskets! They are super simple to make and look so adorable!

Project estimate:

• Vending machine toy capsule, on hand
• Twine, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total: Free or $1

I used a coupe of different styles of vending machine capsules to make my baskets. You can also use bottle caps or other small vessels for this project, whatever you happen to have laying around.

Use a dab of glue to attach the end of a piece of twine to the top edge of the capsule. Carefully work all the way around the top edge, making sure the twine is evenly around the whole edge. Be sure to use enough glue to hold it securely in place all the way around, but not too much because you don’t want lots of extra oozing out. (It’s like when you go to the deli and order your meat sliced not too thick, not too thin…)

Continue working the twine in a spiral all the way down the capsule, still using plenty of glue to keep everything in place. Make sure the coils are nice and tight so that there are no gaps between the rounds of twine.

When the entire capsule is covered, you can call your basket finished if you don’t want to add a handle, like this tiny knitting basket.

If you want to add a handle, make a braid of twine slightly longer than the length you want the handle to be. Knot the twine at the ends of the braid and coat the parts of the braid right next to the knot with a bit of glue to secure them; when the glue is dry, cut off the knots. Use a couple more dabs of glue to attach the handle inside the rim of the basket.

The post Tutorial: Miniature Dollhouse Baskets appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

What do you do with a plain plastic dollar store basket? Make it super cute by weaving in your favorite ribbon! Or get a shabby, raggy look by tying short pieces of ribbon to the basket. You can use low, wide baskets like these for a variety of situations: organizing a coffee or tea station, keeping track of your fabric (or ribbon stash!), or even in the bathroom to hold towels.

Project Materials:

• Plastic basket, $1
• Ribbon*, $1 and up
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks, on hand

Total: $2 and up

*Ribbon: You can buy spools of ribbon at the dollar store, but for this sample project, I used May Arts ribbon. You might also have a stash of ribbon already, or you can use strips of fabric.

To Make:

1. Weave strips of ribbon through a basket. Alternate going over-under for each row.

2. Anchor ribbon to edges of basket with hot glue.

3. If desired, embellish the top of the basket with a row of ribbon or add additional embellishments (bows, rosettes, etc.)

Alternately: Cut short lengths of ribbon (about 4-6″ each) and tie to each line of the basket.

A Note About the May Arts Ribbon:

One way to make your dollar store crafts look really high-end is to use high quality embellishments. I love May Arts Ribbon because they have a huge selection of gorgeous ribbons, and just a little bit of nice ribbon can make a dollar store craft look like it came from a high-end department store. You can buy May Arts ribbon by the yard, so it’s easy to keep costs down when you buy the length that you need for a project.

Since I discovered May Arts, I’ve had a blast coming up with pretty ribbon craft projects. I hope I can write a ribbon craft book one day!

These crochet-edged velvet ribbons have to be some of my favorites!

Find May Arts:

• To find May Arts Ribbon in a store near you, use their Retail Store Locator.
• Or buy it by the yard on Etsy
• Follow the May Arts Blog
• Fan May Arts on Facebook

Check out this adorable wreath – The Adore Wreath.

I fell in love with this ribbon when I went to CHA. Check out what I made when I got my hands on some of it:

I embellished a thrifted basket with some ribbon, and look at this cute little thrifted pin I added:

I’ve made about fifty other projects using the May Arts ribbon, and I have had a huge blast working with it. I want you to experience the joy, too, so enter to win some May Arts ribbon below:

May Arts Ribbon Giveaway

I had a TON of fun creating projects with my May Arts ribbon. This ribbon is high-quality, gorgeous ribbon that adds so much to dollar store creations. Just look at all the pretty colors and styles of ribbon available from May Arts:

Since you can buy it by the yard, May Arts ribbon is an affordable way to add high quality to your dollar store crafts:

Want to get your hands on some May Arts Ribbon? Enter below to win 5 spools — a $125 value!

It’s easy to enter — just log in with your Facebook account to use this widget. (Remember, if you win, you will be contacted with your Facebook email address):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Tutorial: Woven Ribbon Basket + Giveaway appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Spring and summer merchandise is starting to appear on the shelves at the dollar store, which includes one of my favorite things to pick up every year: paper lanterns! They’re a great foundation for a cheap decor piece that makes a big statement. There are just so many ways you can decorate them! I am in love with this idea from Mandy at Fabric Paper Glue, which uses fabric and small baskets to turn lanterns into mini hot air balloons. They are so whimsical! She made them for a hot air balloon themed baby shower, and they would also look cute in a nursery or child’s bedroom. I also think that they would be a nice addition to a reading nook! [how to make paper lantern hot air balloons]

Project estimate:

• Paper lantern, $1
• Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Berry basket or other small basket, on hand or $1
• Twine, on hand or $1

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Paper Lantern Hot Air Balloons appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The other day I noticed that my local Dollar Tree had put out a little bit of Easter merchandise.  I got really excited and snatched up a few things that I had great ideas for, including some football-shaped plastic eggs.  I knew they would be great for the upcoming football game as party favors, but at first I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with them.  Then, as I was sorting candy by color for another project, a great idea dawned on me!  With a little creative candy stuffing, they are now both a party favor and a fun little game.

Project estimate:

• Football-shaped Easter eggs, $1 and up
• Candy, $1 and up
• Basket, on hand or $1

Total:  $2 and up

I was really lucky to find these football-shaped Easter eggs this time of year.  If you can’t get your hands on them in time for the big game this year, you can always look for them in the coming weeks, snatch some up, and hang onto them for next year’s game!

Sort out two piles of candy, one in the colors of one team and one in the colors of the other.  If you live near a good bulk candy store you may be able to buy individual colors of candy but that’s more expensive; I just picked these out of various boxes and bags of candy that I got at Dollar Tree.  The mix includes licorice, dinner mints, Gobstoppers, Runts, Sprees, and Mike & Ikes.  Once the eggs are full, mix them up and put them into a basket.  Every big game party guest can try their luck at getting the colors of the team they’re rooting for!  (Is it a jinx if you eat candy in the other team’s colors?)

The post Football Craft Tutorial: Game Day Candy Party Favors appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.