Um, it’s almost 2016? Yikes, that certainly snuck up on me quick! Luckily there is still plenty of time this week to make some cute and festive accessories for ringing in the new year, like these glittery headbands from Sarah Hearts. Whip up one for yourself, or go assembly-line-style and make up a whole batch for your entire crew! [how to make glittery New Year’s headbands]

Project estimate:

• Printable 2016 template, free
• Headbands, $1 and up
• Streamers, on hand or $1
• Paper, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• Glitter, on hand or $1

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Glittery New Years Headbands appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you only have a few minutes and a few dollars with which to put together your Halloween costume this year, this cactus costume is a win in both departments! Over at Brit + Co, Kirsten shares this super simple idea that is over-the-top adorable. If you don’t have a green dress or shirt on hand that you can use for this project, keep an eye out a thrift stores to pick one up for cheap. For a less-flowery version you could use a green stocking cap with pipe cleaners attached to top the outfit off instead. [how to make a cactus costume]

Project estimate:

• Green dress or shirt, on hand or $1 and up
• White pipe cleaners, on hand or $1
• Headband, on hand or $1
• Faux flower, $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up!

The post Make a Cactus Costume appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Lately Dollar Tree has been carrying really cute, lightweight scarves for every season and holiday, and we love them!  Heather recently used one to decorate a headband, giving you the perfect knotted-on-top-of-the-head look with practically no effort.

Watch Heather’s video to see how she did it, or keep scrolling to read more.

Project estimate:

• Plastic headband, $1
• Scarf, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up!

First, tie the ends of the scarf together in a knot so that they make a cute bow shape.

This will create a loop of scarf.  With the bow at one end of the loop, find the midpoint of the other end and use scissors to snip it, giving your bow two long tails.

Hot glue the bow onto the headband where you would like it to be positioned – you will probably want it a little off-center.

Wrap the long tails around the rest of the headband. Trim the excess from the ends and glue in place.  Repeat with both tails to cover the entire headband with scarf.

That’s it!

The post Tutorial: Easy Scarf Headband appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Whether you have a little one around your house who would like playing dress up with a mini bunny top hat, or you want one for yourself to dress up for Easter (you’re never too old!), this bunny headband is a super fun project.  You can even substitute some of the store-bought materials for things out of the recycling bin, making this not only adorable but affordable too!

Project estimate:

• Headband, $1
• Felt, on hand or $1
• Poster board, on hand or $1
• Foam board, on hand or $1
• Wire, on hand
• Ribbon and lace, on hand
• Rose button or other embellishments, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

Decide how big you want your hat to be. The one in the picture is approximately 1.5″ tall. Cut a length of poster board the width you want your hat to be tall. I used a tube of caulk to help me keep the poster board even. Tape the end.

Cut two round pieces of foam board. Because I had used it to establish the size of my hat, I used the tube of caulk to mark the round pieces. Cut just inside the line that you drew so it will fit properly. I used an X-acto knife.

Glue a few dots of glue around the edges of one of the circles of piece foam board. Put a piece of tape on the top of it and secure it to the top of the hat. Tape across the top of the hat as shown.

Glue a circle of glue inside the hat approximately 1/4″ and push the other circle into the hat. YOU DO NOT WANT THIS PIECE EVEN WITH THE BOTTOM. It needs to be in this position so that the finished hat will properly fit on the headband.

The brim of the hat should be about 1/2″ bigger than the hat on all sides. I used a bolt of ribbon to draw a circle on poster board. I placed my hat in the center of the circle and drew another circle. So that the two pieces fit, I drew one more circle about 1/8″ smaller than the hat. After I finished marking, I cut on the outer circle then carefully cut out the smallest circle in the middle. Using that as a template, I cut another one and glued the two pieces together.

For the bunny ears, I cut four pieces of felt 2″ tall and approximately 1/4″ wide at the bottom. I shaped the wire as shown and left some longer than the felt. Using the wire helps the ears stand up and bendable. You will want to make each piece of wire 1″ longer than the ears. USING CLEAR HOT GLUE, adhere each ear with the wire sandwiched on the inside. Paint the inside of the ears pink.

Cover the two pieces of the hat with the white felt, the side and top, and adhere USING CLEAR HOT GLUE. Cover the brim of the hat as shown in the picture. Glue the two pieces together.

Decorate your hat any way you like, as much as you like.

To add the ears, make two small holes on each side of the hat, four in total. Push the two wires through the holes and secure them around the headband, bending them flat when you’re finished. If you are using a wide headband, just twist the wires and bend them flat against the brim. Attach the other ear on the other side and to the headband.

If you used the thin headband, cut two small pieces of white felt to cover the wires. Hot glue them on top of the wires so they don’t show or poke the person wearing the headband. If you are using a wide headband, glue the hat on to it where the wires are. Make sure that the wires aren’t exposed.

Notes:

• I put the hat at an angle on the headband intentionally. Place it where you want to.
• The hat will also attach to a knit headband.
• If you are using a knit headband, don’t poke the wires through the brim. Glue the bottom and side of the ears to the brim.
• You can use craft glue but it takes a lot longer because of drying time.
• If you prefer more of a Derby style hat, cut a styrofoam call in half and cover it with felt. Hollow out the middle a tiny bit so it fits the headband properly.

The post Tutorial: Make a Bunny Headband for Easter or Your Dress Up Bin! appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you seen the long, skinny scarves that Dollar Tree had for St. Patrick’s Day the last couple of years?  I realized that they are absolutely perfect for making fabric flowers, which inspired me to make this fun headband!  If you can’t find these scarves (the best seasonal stuff usually sells out pretty quick), then you can also substitute any long, skinny strip of fabric.

Project estimate:

• Headband,  $1
• Shamrock scarf, $1
• Needle and thread, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $2

Making the Roses:

Thread your needle with about 24″ of thread, doubled. Fold the scarf putting the hemmed edges on the inside until it is about 1″ wide. Fold the end over to make a point as shown in picture.

Start rolling the scarf. After about three rolls, sew the bottom as in the picture. Continue until your rose is the size you want.

Cut the scarf and fold it over to hide the raw edge and make a few more stitches to hold it in place. I made three roses.

Making the Leaves:

Each leaf takes 5″ of fabric. Fold the scarf so that the edges are hidden then fold to a point as shown in the picture.

Fold the two edges in towards the middle and then again. Make a few stitches so that it will keep its shape. The hot glue will keep it from coming undone. I made three leaves.

Gluing the Roses and Leaves to the Headband:

Apply two leaves and then the third. Put the glue directly on the headband then gently place and hold each one down. The same with the roses, apply the glue directly to the headband. This keeps you from using too much glue and burning your fingers.

Here is the order in which I added the parts:

When placing the roses, do so that they are facing at a slight angle.

The post Tutorial: St. Patrick’s Day Headband appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Want to dress up for Halloween in an understated way? How about a fun Halloween fascinator headband? I have created three different looks for the Live.Craft.Love blog: A creepy spider, a fanciful bat headband, and a bird’s nest. Each of these headbands takes less than 15 minutes to make! Find out more: [3 Halloween Headbands]

I also created three different custom treat buckets for Halloween: a bat, an owl, and a ballerina basket. These were a lot of fun to make – I think the bat is my favorite! Find the instructions for these treat buckets: [3 Halloween Treat Buckets]

The post 6 Fascinating Halloween Ideas: Headbands & Treat Buckets appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As a gal who loves everything retro and vintage, one of my go to hair accessories is a wire headband.  Ever seen one?  It’s kind of like a scarf with wire in it, and you can wrap it around your head in a variety of ways to make an adorable fashion statement.  (Or just hide the fact that you didn’t have time to do your hair!)  These headbands are very simple to make, and you can make them quickly with items from the dollar store!

Project estimate:

• Tie, $1
• Floral wire, on hand or $1
• Needle and thread, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

Step one:  While you could use fabric scraps and sew, I saved time by using fun ties purchased at Dollar Tree.  I measured around my head and added 8 inches, then measured the tie and cut off the wide end.

Step two:  Cut the floral wire two inches longer than the length of the headband.  Wrap the ends of the wire into circles so there are no sharp ends.

Step three:  Slip the wire into the tie, starting at the uncut end.

Step four:  Fold and stitch the ends of the tie shut so the wire can’t slip out.  I made points on my shamrock headband, and left flat ends on the Valentine headband.

This is such a quick, simple project when you use a tie!  The floral wire was enough to make two headbands, and I made both of these in less than 15 minutes.  I’ll be stalking the dollar store for other colors of ties to make more headbands.  Just wrap and twist one around your head, and you’re ready to put your best face forward!

The post Tutorial: DIY Wired Headband appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you seen the adorable fabric Valentine hearts at Dollar Tree?  After Rhonda posted about them here, I had to have a few!  These are so well made and a total steal at six per pack for $1.  They can be used in many ways, and here are two quick ideas that would make for fun gifts or just for you to wear on Valentine’s day.

Project estimate:

• Puffy hearts, $1 for 6
• Headband, on hand or $1
• Hair clip, on hand or $1
• Craft feathers, on hand or $1
• Felt, on hand
• Glue gun, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

To make the hair clip,glue feathers to the back of the heart.  Place a small piece of felt behind the clip, and glue the heart onto it.

For the headband, simply hot glue the hearts in alternating colors onto the headband.  For a more finished look, glue a strip of felt behind the hearts.

I’ve already had people ask me where I bought my cute headband!  This is such a quick, easy project that you can easily make in under 10 minutes.  I think they’d make cute Valentine gifts, but make sure to save at least one for yourself to wear on the 14th!

The post Tutorial: Heart Hair Accesories for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2013!  Do you have any special plans to usher in 2014?  Whether you’re just hanging out with immediate family and watching the ball drop or you’re headed out to a big party, Cathie and Steve at Handmade Happy Hour put together four different coordinating projects to spiff up your New Year’s Eve celebration:  plate chargers, a champagne gift box, painted champagne glasses, and a festive tiara.  Have a safe and happy celebration, everyone!  Here’s to much crafting in 2014!  [easy New Year’s Eve party ideas]

Project estimate:

• Plate charger, $1
• Champagne glasses, on hand or $1 and up
• Tall box, $1 and up
• Headband, on hand or $1
• Paper, on hand or $1
• Feathers, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Other embellishements, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up!

The post Easy New Year’s Eve Party Ideas appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

1. Shrinky Butterfly Necklace by Mark Montano

First, one of my favorite dollar store crafters uses one of my FAVORITE craft supplies: Mark Montano (the king of crafts), made a gorgeous butterfly statement necklace using my favorite kids’ craft supply: Shrinky Dink plastic!

2. Cat Ears Headband by DIY Doyenne

We think this cat ear headband is cute for Halloween and beyond! Your teen will LOVE to sport it any time of the year. From DIY Doyenne Margot Potter and her daughter Avalon.

3. Fall Burlap Wall Art from Handmade Happy Hour

Then my pal Cathie Filian from Handmade Happy Hour stitched up this cute and rustic Fall wall decor. Yay for acorns & Mod Podge!

4. Sequined Pumpkin from Jaderbomb

We love this sophisticated sequin pumpkin from the JADERBOMB blog – this pumpkin decor goes beyond Halloween and straight through Thanksgiving, and even into the winter holidays. You can make it with a dollar store foam pumpkin, too!

5. Steampunk Vial Earrings by Morena, here at Dollar Store Crafts!

Finally, don’t miss Morena’s excellent Steampunk dollar store craft project this week — dollar store steampunk? Yes please!

Bonus: Dia de los Muertos Story by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with a creepy tale from CraftyChica.com, who creates great crafts AND writes great stories.

The post Five Fall Crafts & a Story! appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.