All of us here at DSC are loving the floral heart decorations that Dollar Tree has this year for Valentine’s Day. We’ve all been feeling inspired by them, and the other day I decided to turn a package of them into something cute and Valentine-y to hang on the wall. After a little playing and brainstorming I came up with these vertical Valentine banners – and it was super easy!

Project estimate:

• Floral heart embellishments, $1
• Wide ribbon, on hand or $1 and up
• Bamboo skewer, on hand
• Felt, on hand or about 30¢/sheet
• Baker’s twine, on hand or about $2 and up
• Glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up

The hearts come in packages of six, so one package will make two banners that each have three hearts. You could also make three banners with two hearts, or six banners with single hearts – whatever size banners makes you happy! Smaller, single-heart banners would even make nice Valentine gifts for friends or coworkers.

Based on how many hearts you are using, figure out how long you want your ribbon to be. Remember to add about 1/2 inch to the top to allow for gluing each banner around the skewer for hanging. Fold the bottoms of the ribbons in half and trim at an angle to give them a finished look. I used some wide grosgrain ribbon that I found on clearance for 75¢ a roll a few days after Christmas!

To make the red hearts stand out against the red ribbon, I added a white border to each heart.  My initial thought was to do this by gluing the hearts to white felt, then cutting around them to leave a thin white border.  But, I didn’t have any white felt on hand.  I did, however, have white yarn, so I glued the hearts to paper and then glued a yarn border around each.  When the glue dried I carefully trimmed around the yarn.  You can use either method, but I recommend the felt because it would have made this project much quicker and easier!

Cut the bamboo skewer into sections just wider than the ribbon. Center the skewer at the top end of the ribbon and wrap it around, gluing into place. (The side with the glued-down flap will be the back of the banner – make sure you remember to flip it over before you move on to adding embellishments!)  Tie a short length of baker’s twine around the protruding ends of the skewer on each side of the banner. Add a drop of glue to each knot just to be sure it doesn’t come loose or slip off the end of the skewer.

On the front side of the banner, arrange the hearts where you want them to be and glue into place. Once all of the glue is dry, your banners are ready to hang!

The post Tutorial: Mini Valentine’s Day Banners appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I don’t know about you, but when cabin fever starts setting in, I start to really notice all of the disorganization around my house. It’s easy to ignore during warmer months when I am always out and about doing one thing or another, but when I find myself barely leaving the house and staring at the same piles day in and day out like I do this time of year, it starts to get to me. And this year one of the problem areas that keeps catching my attention is in the kitchen – specifically, my overflow of seasonings. So, with the help of Dollar General, I decided to put together a little DIY spice rack!

Project estimate:

• Divided trays, $3 each (I used two)
• Bamboo skewers, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• Duct tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Cardboard, on hand
• Picture hangers (or soda can tabs), on hand

Total: about $6 and up

The folks at Dollar General must be thinking ahead to spring cleaning already, because my local store has recently received a whole bunch of really cute storage-y stuff in various sizes. Between their selection of gorgeous cardboard desk organizers and various sizes of chunky baskets, there is something here to hold just about any little tidbits and unsightly clutter you have around the house.

In particular, I was drawn to some cardboard organizers each consisting of three squares. They had several different patterns, and I thought the pretty black and white damask print would look nice in my kitchen.

I was pleased to discover that the sections of the box were just the right size to hold the Clover Valley herbs and spices that Dollar General sells. The spaces weren’t quite big enough for the taller bottles of seasonings in my collection, but knowing that I had lots of the smaller size seasonings at home, I decided to go with it. For larger bottles, you can always keep an eye open for similar divided containers that have taller sections (nice silverware drawer organizers, for instance, might be another option).

I used two of the containers stacked together to make my spice rack. Of course, you can use any number you like, provided that you make it strong enough! But we’ll get to the reinforcing bit in a minute. First, we need to glue these babies together! I applied glue to the long side of one of my boxes, then press them together. I also clipped mine together with binder clips while I waited for the glue to dry, just to be certain I got a good, tight bond.

Now to start reinforcing the bond. First, cut a piece of cardboard (I used a cereal box) that is slightly smaller than the spice rack and glue it to the back side. I spread my glue all over the cardboard surface and pressed it into place, further joining the two boxes together. I weighted down the cardboard with a couple of heavy books while I waited for the glue to dry so that I wouldn’t get any wrinkles or places where the bond wasn’t firm and even. After that, I went around the edges of the cardboard with strips of duct tape. (When you’re talking about something that is going to hang on the wall above your stove, you just can’t be too careful!)

Next, cut bamboo skewers to the right length to make a rail across the front of each row of spices. My skewers were a little short to make it all the way across with one skewer, so for each row I cut down two skewers and pieced them together to make the rails. Paint the skewers in a color to coordinate with your spice rack if you so desire, then glue them into place across the bottom of each row.

Now to add hanging hardware. If you have picture hangers or other hardware on hand that will work, you can of course use that. I wanted to use what I had on hand, and while my first instinct was to go buy a saw-tooth picture hanger, I decided to try the ol’ soda can tab trick instead. I glued two soda can tabs to the back of the rack near the top, then waited for the glue to dry. The tabs should be placed in such a way that the part touching the rack is the curved portion, so that when glued in place there is a slight gap between the loopy bit at the other end of the tab and the back of the rack.

The lady who taught me this trick years ago had been doing it since the 70s so I can’t take credit and I know it’s nothing new, but when I learned it, it blew my mind. Just nail (or in this case, glue) a soda can tab onto the back of anything and presto! It’s ready to hang! Whoever first thought of it was a genius and I wish I could thank them!

But first… More reinforcement. More is definitely better in cases like this! So I duct taped the everlovin’ daylights out of my soda tabs. And when you think you’ve taped it enough, add a little more tape for good measure. You can’t be too careful with these things. Then, I tied a length of picture wire between the two tabs, leaving just a slight amount of slack. My knot-tying skills are not exactly Boy Scout level, and I don’t always trust my knots, so I added a drop of super glue to each knot. Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce!

To keep my spice rack stable, I hung it from two hooks hung side-by-side, several inches apart. Fill it with your favorite herbs and spices and enjoy your handiwork!

The post Make a DIY Spice Rack with Dollar General appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Who can resist hula hoops from the Dollar Store? I love them! Another thing I love is making up fun games for my kids at an inexpensive price. With four hula hoops I was able to make a fun shark ball game which entertained the entire neighborhood, including kids of all ages.  This would make a great activity at a shark-themed birthday party, or just a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Project estimate:

• 4 hula hoops of different sizes, $4
• Ball, on hand or $1
• Clear tape, on hand
• Barbecue skewers, on hand
• Construction paper, on hand

Total: $4.00 and up

This is very easy and has just a few steps to complete. First you need to located the area on the hula hoop where it joins. It is taped so all you’ll need to do is cut the tape and pull at the join to make it come apart. I took the outer ribbon off to make mine look more shark-like. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a shark with stripes.

After the ribbon is removed you’ll need to secure the silver covering with a small piece of tape at the end so it doesn’t come unraveled as well.

I let my kids decorate the shark however they wanted, and they came up with a pretty fun look. The created teeth with a bunch of paper triangles; the eyes were made by tracing bowls and cups onto paper to make circles; the fin was created with two pieces of construction paper and two barbecue skewers to hold it upright.  To create a tail, we used two sections of the remaining hula hoop.

Once they had finished decorating and decided where they wanted it placed, I took wooden barbecue skewers and pushed them into the ground. I then placed the end of the hula hoops over the skewers to hold them in place.  Repeat for each hoop.

The kids created two games using the shark. For the first game, they kicked a ball through the hoops. They would see who could hit the tail fin in the back.

The other game they invented was a fun obstacle course. They had a blast with this fun, $4.00 craft!

More shark crafts:
Follow Mrs. Greene’s board Shark Week! on Pinterest.

The post Tutorial: Hula Hoop Shark Game appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you ever found yourself wondering whether you should opt for flowers or candy in a gift-giving situation?  Well, it turns out you can do both at once!  Inspired by a similar project she saw on Pinterest, Kim from seven thirty three rounded up some supplies from the dollar store and crafted a lovely bouquet of candy bars.  It’s a great alternative to a traditional flower bouquet for anyone who has allergies, or for your favorite chocolate lover.  How could anyone resist such a sweet arrangement?  [how to make a candy bar bouquet]

Project estimate:

• Candy bars, about $0.50 each and up
• Bamboo skewers, on hand or $1
• Scrapbook paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Flower pot, $1 and up
• Paint (optional), on hand or $1 and up
• Styrofoam, $1
• Paper shreds, on hand or $1
• Ribbon, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  about $5 and up

The post Make a Candy Bar Bouquet appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Brass starbursts are a retro home decor item repopularized by designers like Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler. You can make your own shimmery accessory for less than $2 with dollar store playdough, barbecue skewers and gold spray paint.

Project estimate:

• 1 package of Dollar Tree craft dough, $1
• 1 package of bamboo skewers, $1.50
• Gold spray paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $2.50 and up for two starbursts

You will need a package of mini craft dough tubs, which I found at The Dollar Tree in the toy section. Skewers can be found at most grocery stores.

For each starburst, open two mini tubs of dough. Combine the two pieces of dough and roll into a ball.

If you want to hang your starburst on the wall, take one of the tubs and turn it over. Heat a nail over a flame and punch a hole in the bottom of the tub. Wiggle around to make a large enough hole for hanging on a nail later.

Stick the dough ball into the tub and push in firmly.

Working from the center outward, insert barbeque sticks pointed side down.  I used about 50 sticks per starburst.

Set the starbursts aside and allow the dough to harden. The dough may crack while drying but the sticks will hold in place. (If you’re worried, just squirt some glue in the crack and allow to dry.)

Spray the starbursts with gold spray paint.

Allow to dry and then enjoy your dollar store decor.

The post Make Mod Faux Brass Starbursts appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

After finishing last week’s miniature merry-go-round tutorial, I decided to keep going on a carnival theme and create a companion piece for it.  I had an idea for a ferris wheel but it still needs some work (and parts shopping); bumper cars seemed like too much trouble; a roller coaster was far too ambitious of a project.  But what about concessions?  I mean, who’s ever heard of a carnival without cotton candy?

Project estimate:

• Cardstock, on hand
• Paper labels, on hand or $1
• Circus-y letter stickers or computer font, on hand or free
• Bamboo skewers, on hand or $1
• Plastic bags, on hand
• Felt scraps, on hand
• String, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total: Free and up

Start by making the sign for your cotton candy stand.  I made mine using an embossed paper label left over from my north pole street light project, but you could easily make your own out of scrap paper or print out a sign shaped piece of clipart on your computer.  I cut the paper label in half and used scrapbook lettering stickers in a circus-like font that I happened to have on hand.  If you don’t have whimsical stickers, you can also print out the wording on the computer using one of the free circus fonts listed at the end of this tutorial.

Cut a strip of cardstock that is just taller than the “candy” half of your sign.  Glue the sign to the strip of cardstock at the center as shown, so that the top of the sign lines up with the top of the strip.  This will be the front of the cotton candy stand.

Fold back the cardstock strip at the ends of the sign to create the sides of the cotton candy stand.

On both sides, measure back an equal distance from the first fold and create a second fold.  You should now be able to glue the ends of the strip together at the back to make a rectangular shape.

Cut a pair of bamboo skewers to about the height you want the finished cotton candy stand to be.  Glue the skewers to the inside of the front of the rectangle as shown.  Make sure the skewers are positioned so that they extend beyond the top of the rectangle, not the bottom.

Glue the other ends of the skewers to the back of the “cotton” part of the sign.

To make the bags of cotton candy, start by trimming the corner off of a plastic bag (such as a zipper bag or sandwich bag).

Stuff a small scrap of pink (or other pastel color) felt into the corner of the bag.  Twist the open end to close.

Secure the bags shut with a little bit of string (I used embroidery floss) or wire.  Repeat until you have the desired number of bags of cotton candy.

Use string or thread to tie the bags together in groups of two or three bags.

Glue the ends of the string or thread to the back of the “cotton” part of the sign, just to the inside of the bamboo skewers.  When the glue is dry, flip it right-side-up and you’re done!

Here are links to a few free fonts that would work well with carnival or circus themed projects:

• Action Is
• Action Is Shaded
• Alpha Fridge Magnets
• Balls on the Rampage
• Big Apple
• Carnival MF
• Chipperfield and Bailey

The post Make a Miniature Cotton Candy Stand appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Make a Pottery Barn-Inspired Tiled Mirror for $11:

One of the best ways to get the look for less from the dollar store is to combine small components into a larger piece that makes a single statement. You usually can’t find large pieces at the dollar store, but you can find small things and put them together! This designer-inspired mirror is a prime example of taking a few small items and making them look much more expensive once they are put together.

Mia at Cottage Love‘s PB-Inspired Tiled Mirror was one of my top 10 picks for awesome dollar store crafting at the recent CSI Project dollar store challenge. I know I keep talking about my top 10 list, but there are some really great ideas there!

Like the tile-surrounded mirror I featured earlier this week, this piece took small dollar store components and combined them to make a larger piece that can actually make a design statement. Kids, this is one of the best ways to get a designer look out of *ahem* cheap ingredients. This project looks so much more expensive than it was! [how to make a pottery barn inspired mirror from dollar store stuff] <–this tutorial has been removed. See below for the new instructions.

Tiled Mirror Tutorial:

The old link doesn’t work any more, but since this project has gotten so popular, I figured out a way to make this project with pre-framed dollar store mirrors and duct tape! No tools needed. Check out that tutorial here: [how to make a PB-Inspired Tile Mirror for $10]

Original Project Estimate:

• 9 mirror tiles, $1 each
• Bamboo skewers, $1 and up
• An old frame, on hand or $5 and up (look at IKEA or thrift shops if you don’t have one)
• Foam core board, $1
• Paint, $1 or on hand
• Glue (I would use e6000), on hand

Total: $11 and up

To Make: The original project (that isn’t online anymore) used a poster frame that the crafter had on hand. She then used nine mirrored tiles she got at the dollar store, and glued them onto the backing of the frame. She filled in the areas between the mirror tiles with bamboo skewers and then painted them black.

I have figured out an even easier way to make this, that anyone can do!

Go see my super easy tutorial:

I also found another tutorial for a framed tile mirror by The Lettered Cottage: [how to make a PB-inspired Tiled Mirror]

The post Make a PB-Inspired Tiled Mirror appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.