Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it brings together my entire (and very large) family for some quality time.  And while the traditional Thanksgiving dinner scene shows a family all sitting around one table, our family is so large that not only do we not all fit at one table, we also don’t fit in one room!  For this reason our holiday meals are served buffet-style.  This also means that we don’t have fancy place settings – but that doesn’t mean we can’t still make everything pretty!  Over at Mom Endeavors I shared my contribution to this year’s festivities, a cute little bucket to hold all of the rolled silverware.  It’ll look so festive sitting next to the plates at the beginning of the spread!  [how to make a decoupaged Thanksgiving silverware holder]

Project estimate:

• Metal bucket, $1
• Silk leaves, $1
• Letter stickers, on hand or $1 and up
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Silverware, on hand or $1
• Napkins, on hand or $1
• Curling ribbon, on hand

Total:  $2 and up

The post Make a Decoupaged Thanksgiving Silverware Holder appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’m sure I’m not the only parent wary of the ingredients in kids’ art supplies. We once received a kids activity kit that was labeled as “Non-Toxic” but also carried a warning to call poison control immediately if a child ingested any of the contents. Yikes! Luckily, Heather did a great tutorial on Home Made Simple showing us how easy it is to make your own watercolors using ingredients from your kitchen. Not only are these paints truly non-toxic, but you can customize the palette to make any color your heart desires! [how to make your own watercolors]

Project Estimate

• White vinegar, on hand or $1
• Light corn syrup, on hand or $1 and up
• Baking soda, on hand or $1
• Cornstarch, on hand or $1
• Liquid food coloring, on hand or $1 and up
• Bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout, on hand
• Containers for paint, on hand
• Spatula, on hand
• Wood craft sticks, on hand or $1 and up

Total: Free and up

The post Make Watercolor Paints with Ingredients from Your Kitchen appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’ve long been a fan of using popsicle sticks in craft projects, so it’s no surprise that back in my days of working at a coffee shop I actually bought a whole box of wooden stir sticks from my employers.  And when I saw this awesome container made out of them, I immediately added the project to my ever growing to-make list.  However, you don’t have to go out and buy them in order to have enough for this project; each time Scott from What I Made grabbed himself a cup of coffee, he saved his stir stick instead of throwing it in the garbage.  If you are as addicted to the stuff as I am, you’ll have a collection of them in no time!  (If this project looks familiar, you might have seen it when it was featured in Make Magazine!)  [how to make a coffee stir stick container]

Project estimate:

• Coffee stir sticks, on hand
• Wooden beads, on hand or $1
• Soda can, on hand
• Wire, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make a Coffee Stir Stick Container appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You may have seen chalkboard paint labeled containers before, but this version has a nice twist for anyone who has the-easier-the-better taste in crafts.  Using glass jars from Dollar Tree with recessed squares on the faces, Sarah from Just the Bee’s Knees made her set of jars in record time by skipping a step: no masking!  The surface of the jar provides a barrier, allowing her to paint perfect squares without the need to tape or measure.  With organizing season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to make a set for yourself!  [how to make easy chalkboard paint labeled jars]

Project estimate:

• Chalkboard paint, about $4 and up
• Glass containers, $1 each

Total:  $5 and up

The post Make Easy Chalkboard Paint Labeled Jars appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As someone who spends several hours a day surfing craft blogs, it’s hard to seriously “wow” me.  That said, our friend PC over at MeiJo’s Joy is constantly impressing me with her ability to make awesome stuff out of junk.  Her most recent incredible recycled craft is a rotating,  multi-compartment storage container that started out as a Pringles potato chip tube.  With the holidays on the way, this would make a great way to present a gift in a unique, reusable package!  [how to make a rotating Pringles tube storage tower][more photos of the finished project]

Project estimate:

• Pringles can, on hand
• Cardboard, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• Drinking straw, on hand
• Chopstick, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Rotating Pringles Tube Storage Tower appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Now that Halloween has come and gone, it’s time to start thinking forward to the rest of the holidays!  As Christmas approaches (and trust me, it will be here faster than you want), one thing is always on my mind: gift packaging.  I like to present my gifts in reusable wrappings whenever possible.  It’s greener, and it’s like giving an extra gift!

The other day after I finished using a couple of pots of glitter, I set aside the empty containers, thinking they would be the perfect size for gifting a pair of earrings or other dainty gifts.  Using little bits and pieces from my stash, I turned them into teeny-tiny gift boxes that can hold treasured trinkets for years to come.

Project estimate:

• Empty glitter containers, on hand
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Nail polish, on hand or $1
• Felt, on hand or about $0.33
• Glue, on hand
• Buttons or other small embellishments, on hand

Total:  Free and up

Start by giving your glitter containers a few coats of spray paint.  I did one of mine in a textured gunmetal finish, and the other in a hammered copper finish.

Pick a coordinating color of nail polish and use it to paint the inside of each little gift box.  I chose a dark royal blue for inside the gunmetal container and a shimmery pink for inside the copper container.

Cut a circle of felt to fit in the bottom of the gift box.  (This is great for using up some of those little scraps you’ve been saving!)  Use a few dabs of glue to hold it in place.

Glue buttons or other small embellishments to the lid of the gift box.  Now it’s ready for giving the teeny-tiniest of gifts!

The post Make Tiny Recycled Gift Boxes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The recycled plastic bottle coin purse is one of our most popular features ever, so I’m happy to share this adorable recycled plastic craft with you today! Alessia at Scrap & Craft made these super cute mini pumpkin treat containers out of the bottoms of two recycled plastic bottles. These little cuties can be sent to school in the lunch box, or filled with a special gift and given to a teacher or friend. [how to make a recycled plastic pumpkin container]

Note:  The original post is in Italian, so I tried to link you to the English-translated version! Let me know if that doesn’t work!

Alessia was inspired by these cute recycled plastic apples by Sara at Creative Jewish Mom – also a very cute project idea! You can make either style of container using the same basic construction. [make recycled plastic apple containers]

Project Estimate:

• 2 clean plastic soda bottles, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand
• A stick or a piece of rolled-up felt, on hand
• Felt scraps for leaf (apple), on hand
• Green pipe cleaner (pumpkin), on hand
• Scissors and hole punch, on hand
• Hot glue gun, on hand

Total: Free!

The post Recycled Plastic Bottle Pumpkin Container appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Some people have a true gift for turning ordinary, mundane, inexpensive objects into high-end looks.  One of those people is our crafty pal Carolyn over at Carolyn’s Homework, who is constantly blowing us away with projects that look expensive but are accomplished on a dollar store budget.  She spotted a rope-wrapped container by Centsational Girl, who copycatted the look from West Elm, and knew she wanted to make one for herself.  She didn’t have have any rope on hand but she had plenty of twine, so she improvised!  The West Elm version is no longer available on their website, but I bet it cost a lot more than a buck!  [how to make a twine-wrapped tin container]

Project estimate:

• Container, $1 and up
• Twine, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make a Twine-Wrapped Container appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Project estimate:

• Polymer clay, on hand or about $10
• Wire, on hand
• Oven, on hand

Total:  Free and up

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

The post Make a Scary Shark Mouth Container appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s been awhile since we had a “what can I do with THIS” post! You know, the posts where someone needs ideas and we sit around and come up with crazy crafty ideas for them! I know you love a good brainstorm (and so do I!) I just got an email from Cathe with a request:

Just want to say that I love your web site. Cute ideas. I teach a craft to elderly people 65 to the high 80’s. I hope they have something that I could teach them one day. I need help. I have a bunch of cylinder tubes (Crystal light comes in them) and I’m trying to come up with a craft idea for them. Any idea’s. Thanks Heather and much success to you.

Cathe

Thanks for your request, Cathe! I have actually wondered what you could do with these very same containers, myself, because we go through them pretty quickly at my house. These elliptical-shaped ones are the newer model, and the old containers (and the generic ones) are round, but about the same.

My Quick Ideas:

Spectacular spectacle case: Since you are crafting with elderly people, how about making a glasses case? You could decoupage pretty paper on the outside, or maybe even glue some fabric to the outside.

Bonny bracelets: Cut the containers into 1″ pieces and use them as the base for bracelets.

I know I’ve seen a couple people around blogland that use these in crafty ways, but I can’t remember where, so if you have done some crafts with these containers, please speak up! Everyone else, please brainstorm your ideas here!

The post What To Make With a Crystal Light Container? appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.