Remember the classic “best friends” necklaces, with two pendants that fit together to form one piece?  That’s what I think of when I see these puzzle piece necklaces by Cheryl at That’s What Che Said!  This idea is easily customizable, as you can paint and decorate the pieces any way you want, and it’s a great use for old puzzles who have lost some of their pieces over the years.  This would be an excellent project for slumber parties or other preteen/tween gatherings!  [how to make puzzle piece necklaces]

Project estimate:

• Puzzle pieces, on hand or $1
• Hole punch, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Jump rings, on hand
• Chain, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Puzzle Piece Necklaces appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Whether you need stocking stuffers or gifts for your daughter’s besties, these easy DIY tutorials help you churn out impressive looking gifts that tween girls are sure to love!

Manicure Gift Set by Rhonda on Dollar Store Crafts

Gem Cluster Hair Pins from Mined Strawberry

Handmade Bookmarks from Skip to My Lou

Bent Wire Earrings from Wobisobi

 Pixie Dust Necklace by Carissa on Dollar Store Crafts

Friendship Bracelet Kit from Two Oh Two Seven

DIY Ponytail Holders from SheKnows

Sparkly Strawberry Lipbalm from Torie Jayne

Rainbow Bobbypins from Club Chica Circle

Wire Hearts Ring from Stepping Through Crazy

The post 10 Last Minute DIY Gift Ideas for Tween Girls appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Host a Tween Spa Party

by Felicity, craftymodern.com

My daughter is 10 (she declares herself a tween) and asked to have a sleepover and to make it a spa party. She received a book recently with lots of recipes for fun homemade masks and treatments and wanted to try them out and I wanted to keep it relatively inexpensive. This was a small party for four girls (I wouldn’t have much larger). First thing we did was come up with a schedule of activities to keep things going and of course a name for the spa (Chateau Ooh La La). Next it was off to the Dollar Store and the fabric store, then home to print out a few items off the computer.

At the Dollar Store we bought the following:

• Plastic champagne flutes (3 packs of two for sparkly grape cocktails), $3.00
• Blue plastic tubs (for foot soaks and to put all their spa goodies in), $4.00
• 6 packs of spa flops, toe separators (came all in one pack), $6.00
• Cotton balls, $1.00
• 3 glass apothecary jars (for decor and use and going to re-purpose for Halloween), $3.00
• Stretchy headbands – two packs of 5 (to keep the girl’s hair back while doing face masks), $2.00
• 5 packs of battery-powered tea light candles (to add ambiance to the party without fire hazard; the girls loved these!!), $5.00
• 3 white plastic table cloths, $1.00
• Assorted polka dot paper plates and napkins in pink and blue (to match the spa drawstring bags I made), $3.00
• 2 packs of small plastic bowls (each pack had 4 bowls; for the banana face mask and the sugar scrub), $2.00
• 2 packs of white wash cloths (4 in each pack; for face masks etc.), $2.00
• 4 bottles of mini lotion for gift bags, $4.00
• 4 nail clippers with files for gift bags, $4.00

Total at Dollar Store:  $40.00

We spent $20.00 at discount fabric store on tulle and ribbon for sparkly entrance to spa, plus one yard of blue polka dot cotton and 4 yards of blue ribbon to make cloth drawstring gift bags.

How We Set Up 

We made an “entry way” to the spa with the sparkly tulle and hung the fabric from the free fabric roll tube we had received from the fabric store (one of the girls declared that the entryway made her feel like they were VIPs).

I made and printed out Chateau Ooh La La signs and labels for the apothecary jars. We used the plastic cloths to cover the tables and then extra spa flops, battery candles, and the apothecary jars (filled with cotton balls, q-tips, and Kleenex) to decorate the spa table. A smaller card table was used separately for the snacks and “cocktails.”

We made the banana face mask and sugar scrubs in advance and had them in the fridge waiting to be used (they were put in the small plastic lidded containers we bought from the Dollar Store, just the right size). I made the cloth polka-dot spa bags (actually used a sheet of paper as the pattern started as 8 1/2″ by 11″ squares)  and you can click here for my drawstring bag tutorial.  We filled the drawstring bags with the spa flops, lotion, toe separators, wash cloths, and nail clippers. Each girl received a blue tub with a filled drawstring bag inside it. We also sprinkled the bathroom counter with battery candles and placed a Chateau Ooh La La sign on the bathroom mirror.

The Party

Guests arrived at 4:00 pm on a Saturday. The girls ate snacks and chatted (got silly) for about an hour and then we began spa activities. Each girl was served a grape juice and sparkling water cocktail as part of their experience.  They did homemade face masks (banana and honey) and homemade hand sugar scrubs (plain white sugar and vegetable oil), foot soaks, and there were cucumber slices to place on their eyes.

They finished by doing each others nails (they had all brought their own polish to the party). After dinner we made frozen yogurt smoothies, had chocolate covered strawberries, and the girls watched movies.

Then they jumped around and danced for HOURS. For breakfast we served home baked muffins (blueberry and cinnamon) and fresh fruit. The party ended at 10:00 am on Sunday and was declared a success.

Note:  One thing I would have bought for next time is hand mirrors for each of the girls (these can be bought at the Dollar Store). And the girls say that having teen magazines is essential (e.g., Tiger Beat).

The post Host a Tween Spa Party appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Jewelry that serves an additional function is something I’ve always appreciated.  (Hence my love of lockets and the like.)  Our ever-so-crafty Malaysian pal PC from MeiJo’s Joy brings us a new twist on jewelry with storage space; her zipper cuff bracelet opens up to reveal enough space for some spare change, a folded-up note, or other small items.  It’s perfect for wearing with outfits lacking pocket space!  I’ve been seeing zipper accessories everywhere lately, so this idea is also the perfect addition to a back-to-school wardrobe.  [how to make a zip-up cuff bracelet]

Project estimate:

• Zipper, on hand or $1 and up
• Ribbon, on hand
• Embroidery floss, on hand
• Snaps, on hand or $1
• Beads, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Zip-Up Cuff Bracelet appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Last fall, I was hoping to make a Lady Gaga costume dollar store style to share with you, but I ran out of time. Thankfully, the smart cookies over at the Bowdabra Blog created an awesome Lady Gaga-inspired hair bow with $2 in supplies from the dollar store. The tutorial is great, and the final product looks amazing! Do you think I’m too old to rock one of these bows to the grocery store? Don’t answer that! If you think you’re too old to rock the hair bow like Gaga, maybe make one for your little girl (grade school through teen, I would guess!) or save it for your Gaga Halloween costume. [how to make a lady gaga hair bow]

Here’s the inspiration photo. One of Lady Gaga’s more tame looks! You can find the hair headbands in the dress-up aisle of the dollar store toy section. You can also get higher-quality hair at a beauty supply store (like Sally’s).

Project Estimate:

• 2 toy dress-up hair headbands, $2
• Rubber bands, on hand
• Wire, on hand
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks, on hand

Total: $2 and up

The Bowdabra tool was used to make the bow, and it looks like it would make the project super easy.

The post Make a Lady Gaga Hair Bow Headband appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Here we go again with more tiny things…  Miniatures seem to be a popular theme here at DSC lately — and I am just eating it up!  Today’s project is no exception; I just adore how it turned out!! My daughter’s Barbie is going to be sleeping comfortably and in style in her gorgeous new bed.  The scale of the striped fabric is perfection — and the bed frame is just so cute.  Can you guess the source for my materials?  [Get instructions]

Project Estimate:

• Two Zen Garden trays, $1
• Pillow cover, $1
• Eyelet trim scrap, on hand
• White fabric scraps, on hand
• Polyester batting scraps, on hand
• Wood glue, on hand
• Finish nails, on hand

Total:  $3 and up!

Caroline Sanchez (Care) has been sewing since her mom taught her the basics at around six years old.  She has always been driven to CREATE, even from a very young age.  She is mommy to two little boys and one little girl, and almost every spare moment she has is spent in her sewing room or working on her blog, Obsessively Stitching.

The post Posh Doll Bed for Under $5 appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s no secret that I love tiny — and it is also no secret that I love office supplies!  I simply adore going to the office supply store and looking at notebooks, pens, pencils, journals, folders, etc.  For that reason I was thrilled to find four packs of tiny little key chain notebooks in the party favor aisle at the dollar store.  Tiny + notebook = Love at first sight!

One small problem:  The notebooks I found had a princessy theme to them.  Not a fan.  No problem for me, though!  I simply created little removable covers for them, using some cute little scraps of fabric, and — ta da!  Super cute key chain notebooks!  They would be so cute clipped onto a backpack or purse!

Project Estimate:

• keychain notebooks, 4/$1
• fabric scraps, on hand
• velcro scraps, on hand
• posterboard scrap (for pattern), on hand
• pencil

Total:  $0.25!!

STEP ONE: Get rid of the cheapo plastic snap closure.  Cut off the tab flush with the edge of the notebook, and pop off the other side of the snap using a table knife.  It will leave an ugly mark, but this is not a problem.  Just be as careful as you can not to bend or tear your cover.

STEP TWO:  Create a pattern.  Start by opening your notebook flat on your piece of posterboard and tracing around the perimeter.  Refer to photo and mark your pattern as follows:  Mark and draw a center line.  Mark the center of both left and right sides.  Draw a line on 3/8″ to either side of your center line.  Cut a 1/4″ square 3/8″ from one side.

STEP THREE: Cut fabric pieces as follows:
front and back cover pieces:  cut two 1 7/8″ x 2 1/2″ rectangles
spine:  cut one 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ rectangle
inside pockets (that fit over the cover):  cut two 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangles
tab closure:  cut two 1″ x 1 3/4″ rectangles

STEP FOUR: Press one long edge of each of your pocket pieces down 1/4″ and hem with a 1/8″ seam allowance.

STEP FIVE: Layer your tab pieces right sides together and sew around as shown.  I just eyeballed my curve, but you could draw it on first if you are nervous.  Trim with pinking shears (notch if you don’t have any) and turn, then topstitch around the edge.  You will then sew a 1/4″ square of the scratchy side of your velcro to the curved end of the tab.

STEP SIX: Sew your cover and spine pieces together as shown.  Press seam allowances open and topstitch on either side of your seam, as shown.

STEP SEVEN: Lay your pattern on top of your cover piece.  Line up your seams with the lines drawn on your pattern, as shown right above my middle finger in the photo.  Center your pattern vertically.  Draw an X in the square to mark where you will sew your velcro.  On the opposite side, mark on the very edge of your fabric (with pencil) a dot where the center point of your pattern is.  Sew a 1/4″ square piece of velcro (fuzzy side) right on the X.  Center the raw edge of your tab on your mark on the opposite side, velcro side UP, and sew just along the edge to hold it in place.

STEP EIGHT: Layer your pocket pieces on top of your cover, right sides together and hemmed edges toward the middle, as shown in the photo.  You will then lay your pattern on top, centering it again as in Step Seven, and draw a line all the way around the perimeter of the pattern, using a sharp pencil.

STEP NINE: Sew all the way around, directly on your line.  Trim just around the curves, using pinking shears if you have them.  If you don’t have pinking shears, be sure to notch your seam allowances so it will turn nicely.

STEP TEN: Turn your cover right side out and carefully press — don’t melt your velcro!  :o)

STEP ELEVEN: Open your notebook covers back as shown, and carefully slip on your cover.  You’re done!

So cute and tiny!
These would make great little gifts to have on hand for any occasion!

Caroline Sanchez (Care) has been sewing since her mom taught her the basics at around six years old.  She has always been driven to CREATE, even from a very young age.  She is mommy to two little boys and one little girl, and almost every spare moment she has is spent in her sewing room or working on her blog, Obsessively Stitching.

The post Tiny Covered Notebook Keychains appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Covering school books is a back-to-school tradition. Whether your school requires it or not, it’s a fun activity to do in preparation for the new school year. Over at Make and Takes, I posted a tutorial for making book covers out of recycled chip bags and patterned duct tape. I love the pop art element of reusing commercial packaging, plus the earth-friendly aspect of reusing packaging that would otherwise go in the trash. Plus, I just wanted to use my fun patterned tape for something! Because the original food packaging is so cool-looking, it would be great to use clear packing tape for this project, too. Or, go the old traditional route of using recycled paper bags to cover books. [how to make recycled packaging book covers]

Project Estimate:

• Recycled packaging, such as a potato chip bag (I needed two to cover my medium-sized book), on hand
• Duct tape in one or more fun colors (or packing tape), on hand
• Book to cover, on hand

Total: FREE

The post Make Recycled Chip Bag Book Covers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

What do you do when you have spare upholstery samples, a couple of hours to kill, and no sewing machine? You hand-sew a backpack out of upholstery samples, that’s what you do! I could have finished this in fifteen minutes with a sewing machine, but there was no sewing machine.* The good news? If you are afraid of sewing machines, you can make this backpack in about an hour and a half. Or, you can have your kids (mid-grade school and up) hand-sew them as a fun summer project.

I made this backpack last week while attending the Summit of Awesome (which, let me assure you, was AWESOME. I highly recommend you put it on your calendars for 2011). They had an all-hours craft table stocked with supplies, which could have entertained me for the entire week. I found a sample of this indoor-outdoor upholstery, which came in two pieces which were the same width, but one piece was about six inches shorter than the other one. The difference in size suggested “backpack” to me, and since I was at the conference sans my little toddler shadows, I thought they’d appreciate it if mommy made something for them. Yes, I craft all the time. No, I never craft for my kids (rarely, anyway). It’s a sad fact.

If you don’t have upholstery samples, use two dish towels or placemats. Or scrap fabric will also work. I padded the backpack straps with a felted sweater (because that’s what they had at the craft table), but you can use scraps of batting or no padding at all. I just like padded backpack straps. I used strips of pleather to make the fasteners for the buttons. You can cannibalize an old purse or a dollar store pleather purse for these if you need to.

*It’s a good thing I hand-sewed this, though, because if I used a sewing machine it wouldn’t have been done in 15 minutes because I would have complicated the construction by adding a lining, extra pockets, and other things. I kinda like how this turned out – elegant in its simplicity. And a great sewing project for kids.

Project Estimate:

• Set of upholstery samples, on hand
• A bit of scrap fabric or more upholstery samples, on hand
• Scraps of felted sweater or batting, on hand
• Scraps of sturdy, non-fraying material like pleather, leather, wool felt, on hand
• Four buttons, on hand
• Needle and thread or other sewing stuff
• (optional) Pinking shears

Total: FREE and up

To Make:

The upholstery samples come pre-pinked so they won’t unravel, which is another great reason to use them. If you are using scrap fabric, use pinking shears to finish the edges, or zig-zag around them with your sewing machine.

If you’re cutting your own pieces, you want to

Cut these pieces:

• one about 12×18″
• and another about 12×12″
• two pieces of fabric for the padded straps, about 6×12″
• four pleather straps about 5″ long and one inch wide
• two pieces of batting/felted sweater for strap padding, about 2×10″

note: increase strap length for an adult backpack

I’m giving you instructions for hand-sewing. If I made this on a sewing machine, I would change some of the steps, like sandwiching two pleather straps in between the upholstery pieces, at the bottom (they’ll be sticking up toward the good side of the fabric, in between the 2 pieces).

1. Place upholstery samples good sides together and sew around the edge with a running stitch (or a straight stitch on a sewing machine). There will be about 6″ of fabric sticking off the top. This is gonna be your backpack flap.

2. Turn good side out. Poke out corners.

3. Make straps by taking the 6×12″ piece of fabric, laying the 2×10″ piece of batting in the center, and folding the fabric over the batting (you’re basically folding the fabric in thirds, but putting batting inside first). If your fabric isn’t pinked, you’ll want to fold the unfinished edges under as well. Pin. Put one of the pleather straps inside one of the edges of the straps, sticking out from the bottom about 4″. Pin and sew the whole strap up, making sure the pleather strap is securely attached to the padding.

Alternately: Skip the padding, and just cut two strips of pleather about 16″ long and 2 inches wide, and use those for straps.

4. Sew top of strap to top of backpack by folding the strap over, and then sewing securely through the width of the strap. I used a backstitch for extra reinforcement.

5. Sew buttons to bottom back of the backpack, roughly corresponding to the placement of the straps.

6. Cut a slit the size of your button in the bottom of the pleather strap. (You can cut an additional slit above the first slit, if you want to make the straps slightly adjustable. Just leave plenty of space between the two slits to give the strap adequate structural integrity!)

7. Sew two pleather straps to the flap. Make sure they’re securely attached to the flap.

8. Sew buttons to the front of the backpack, roughly corresponding to the placement of the pleather straps on the flap.

That’s it! Hope this will keep your natives entertained for a few hours this summer!

Here I am making the backpack! Woo!

I stole this photo from the Summit of Awesome Flickr pool but I can’t figure out who I stole it from! Sorry person!

The post Make an Upholstery Sample Backpack appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Today’s project is inspired by the idea of “kitbashing,” where you take pieces from several model kits to create something new and unique.  My family first got into this concept on a recent trip to my brother J. Clark’s house, where we created some unique model spaceships out of items we went and found at a local thrift store.  That was only a few weeks ago, and we have already had two additional “building” sessions here at home since then!

For the Dollar Store Crafts version of “kitbashing,” you might pick up a few toys or household items at your local dollar store and combine them with thrifted items or things you no longer use at home.  The possibilities are quite literally endless, and you may be surprised how fun it is to look at everything you find in a new light — with spaceship-building in mind!  [see how it’s done!]

Project Materials:

• Junk!, mine totaled approximately $3
• screwdrivers (for disassembling junk)
• E6000 glue, $5 or on hand
• spray paint, $1

Total:  (for my ship) about $4

Caroline Sanchez (Care) has been sewing since her mom taught her the basics at around six years old.  She has always been driven to CREATE, even from a very young age.  She is mommy to two little boys and one baby girl, and almost every spare moment she has is spent in her sewing room or working on her blog, Obsessively Stitching.

The post Model Spaceships out of JUNK appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.