A few weeks ago, I shared a cute spray paint makeover on some dollar store pumpkins, and today I have another project from the same great blog, Up to Date Interiors. This time, the project is transforming dollar store faux leaves into a pretty decorator garland, using the magic of (you guessed it) — spray paint! Find the instructions here: [painted fall leaves garland]

Project Materials:

• Faux fall leaves, $1 and up
• Spray paint, white and copper, on hand or about $3 a can*
• Needle & thread, on hand

Total cost: $7 and up

*I do NOT recommend buying the $1 spray paint – it covers poorly so you have to paint multiple coats, and it just never looks that good. Much better use of your money to buy a decent quality spray paint instead!

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When it comes to dollar store crafting, spray paint is one of the best tools you have to transform dollar store materials into pretty home decor accents that look much more expensive! I love this fall centerpiece that takes humble dollar store pumpkin pails into an upscale home decor element. This great project was found at Up to Date Interiors, so hop over and check out the full tutorial: [Copper Pumpkin Centerpiece]

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Geometric patterns are all the rage in decor these days. Want to get in on the action? Over at Drawn to DIY you can find the instructions for this cute grid desk caddy. Believe it or not, this started out as a dollar store suet bird feeder! The post also includes a couple of other clever ideas for different ways to make over the same suet feeder into functional decor pieces, so make sure you check it out! [how to make a geometric desk container]

Project estimate:

• Suet bird feeder, $1
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Scrapbook paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up!

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If you spend much time in thrift stores or going to yard sales, you have probably seen a bajillion wicker paper plate holders.  Next time you see them, grab ’em and make some of these cute Jack-o-lanterns by Sarah at Sadie Seasongoods.  And if you find a whole stack pf plate holders, you can cut out all kinds of different faces to make a fun display!  [how to make a paper plate holder Jack-o-lantern]

Project estimate:

• Wicker paper plate holders, $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Felt, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Fake leaves, $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up

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Maybe you’re redecorating a room around a specific piece.  Maybe you’re DIY-ing a wedding.  Whatever the reason, there may come a time that you find yourself needing a certain color of fake flowers, but you can’t find just the right shade.  What do you do?  You paint ’em!  Over at DIY Candy you can find a tutorial showing how to take a bouquet of faux floral from almost to just right, all with a little bit of spray paint!  [how to paint fake flowers]

Project estimate:

• Fake flowers, $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

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Some crafts are of the you’ll-love-it-or-you’ll-hate-it variety, and I have a feeling this project falls into that category.  What do you think of this snake bowl by Jenna at Rain on a Tin Roof?  Personally, I am firmly in the LOVE IT camp!  It’s sure to be a conversation piece.  Her method for making the bowl is quite clever, so make sure you check out her great tutorial!  [how to make a gold snake bowl]

Project estimate:

• 2 toy snakes, $2
• Gold spray paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up

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Have you seen that Dollar Tree has paper straws for Halloween?  I got super excited when I saw them on the shelf and immediately threw a pile of them into my cart.  And now I need to figure out what I am going to do with all of them…  So maybe I will make one of these adorable paper straw buntings from Jeran at Oleander and Palm!  She painted hers with gold spray paint to give it a metallic effect, but you could also leave the straws as-is, especially if they are in colors or patterns that match your decor or your party theme.  [how to make a paper straw bunting]

Project estimate:

• Paper straws, $1 and up
• String, on hand or $1
• Spray paint (optional), on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

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This is actually an idea I had last year, when I first bought a large felt skull cutout from Dollar Tree.  I’ve had a can of frosted glass effect spray paint sitting on my shelf for a couple of years waiting for just the right project, so once inspiration struck, it was just a matter of finding the right mirror.  When the right one and the right price didn’t surface last year, I ended up putting the idea aside.  Then the other day I went to Goodwill and happened across a mirror in just the right size for $4!  It wasn’t exactly what I’d originally pictured, since it doesn’t have a frame, but I knew as soon as I saw it that it was *the* mirror for the project.

And when you finish checking out this project, scroll to the bottom of the post for 11 more awesome Halloween craft ideas as well!

Project estimate:

• Felt skull cutout, $1
• Mirror, $4
• Krylon frosted glass spray paint, about $6 and up
• Repositionable spray adhesive, on hand or about $3 and up

Total:  about $10 and up

Spray the back side of the skull cutout with repositionable spray adhesive, then let it dry completely.  (If you don’t let it dry all the way, it will leave a sticky residue on the surface of your mirror!)  Clean the surface of the mirror and then center the skull on the mirror.  Press the skull firmly to the mirror, paying special attention to the edges.

Spray the entire piece with several light,even coats of frosted glass spray paint.  Add layers until you are happy with the coverage – fewer coats will make a more subtle, ghostly effect, while more layers will make a more dramatic impact, so it all depends on your preferred look!

Let the paint dry completely, the carefully peel away the felt cutout, revealing the shape of the skull as a reflective surface.  I’m super happy with how this came out, and can’t wait to get the rest of my Halloween decor finished so I can see how it all looks together!

Love Halloween crafts? Here are even more great ideas from some of our bloggy friends!

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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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As I’ve mentioned several times in other posts, I have been slowly putting together a “fantastical” garden area inspired by the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland.  My garden is made up of tea pot and tea cup creations, and I’m also filling it with whimsical DIY garden art.

I made a dragonfly out of a whisk, and my daughter liked it so much that she wanted to make some.  I went to the thrift store and bought all the whisks they had.  Since I had a nice collection, I wanted to make some other winged critters to go with my dragonfly, and that’s how the idea for this fun, whimsical butterfly came about.

Project estimate:

• Whisk, $1
• Spray Paint, on hand
• Large bead, on hand
• Wire, on hand

Total:  $1

Step one:  Bend the loops of the whisk to form the butterfly wings.  Start by creating the bottom two, shaping the wire with your hands to the desired form.  Then make the top two wings.

Step two:  Cut the remaining loop in half with wire cutters, and use pliers to loop them into antennae.

Step three:  Spray paint the butterfly.

Step four:   Thread a piece of wire through a bead and loop the wire around the two antennae.  The bead is now the butterfly’s head, and the excess wire can be made into a loop that you use to hang the butterfly.

I plan to make several colorful butterflies like this one and hang them from trees.  I think they will be a fun, unexpected addition to my garden.  If you prefer, they could also go on a stake or even be hung on a wall.  You could even hang chimes from them to create your own unique wind chime!  Have fun crafting and creating whatever your imagination dreams up.

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