When it comes to Halloween decorations, spooky and elegant don’t have to be mutually exclusive.  Take, for example, this creepy-in-an-upscale-way chandelier featuring a circle of nesting crows.  Lyssa from Lyssa Beth used a chandy she picked up as a yard sale freebie, but I see these things at thrift stores all the time.  (Just 2 days ago I saw a bigger, more elaborate version at Goodwill for $6, its icky, brassy finish just begging for some paint!)  If you want yours to be even creepier, give it the effect of having come from an old, haunted house by draping fake cobwebs through parts of the chandelier as well.  [how to make a crow’s nest chandelier]

Project estimate:

• Old candlestick-style chandy, about $5 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Craft foam, on hand or $5
• Spanish moss, on hand or $1
• Book pages, on hand
• Fake crows, $5
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  about $10 and up

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Super Secret Stashbuster Mich L. in LA strikes again with her tenth project! This is a great idea for those dollar store metal headbands (6 for $1!): create sliding ornaments for the headbands so you can change them out whenever you want. Mich L. shows you how to make the slidey thing so you can make as many as you want, for infinite variety in this very current trend in accessorizing! I said this at CROQ zine, but I’ll say it again: I think it’d be cool to make a bird’s nest headband as a sort of nod to the bad hair day. After I wrote that, I found a bird’s nest fascinator by Outi at Outsapop, so I guess I don’t have to actually make one since someone else already did it for me! [click here for the changeable headband tutorial]

Use any cool little doodad in your stash to make this awesome headband!

Project Estimate:

• Metal headbands, 6 for $1
• Recycled plastic, on hand
• Hole punch, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Trinkets, on hand

Total: $.12 each

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I love these little wire bird nests found over at Just Something I Made. Cathe Holden graciously provides a tutorial for making them, so now you can make your own nests to adorn rings, necklaces, or other projects. [click here for the wire bird nest tutorial]

You can find what you need to make these pretty nests at the dollar store. I have found various materials for jewelry making at my local Dollar Tree, including pearl-like beads and wire. You can even find needle-nosed pliers and wire cutters if you don’t already own some. I love that you can make jewelry with dollar store stuff without investing a ton of money (raise your hand if you’ve dropped more than you meant to at the craft or bead store on jewelry-making stuff! Good, I’m not alone!)

Project Estimate:

• Pearl-like beads, $1
• 24 gauge wire, $1
• Pliers, wire-cutters, on hand or $1 each

Total: $2 and up

The post Make a Jewelry Wire Bird Nest appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Perpetualplum posted a 3-part tutorial on making a natural-looking bird nest. You can find many of the materials needed at the dollar store. In her tutorial, she uses four materials all together to make a natural-looking nest, but she says you can make a nest using only a roll of grapevine and some wire. One of the materials she uses is bark-covered wire, which I have never heard of before, but it looks really cool! You can pick up any materials you can’t find in the floral aisle of the dollar store at your local craft store.

A bird’s nest would be a fun easter basket, or would be a great accent for spring decor. Perpetualplum uses them to display fabric bird sculptures she makes.

Part 1, Materials for a Natural-Looking Bird Nest
Part 2, Armature
Part 3, Finishing Up

Project Materials:

• Raffia, $1
• Wire, $1
• String or sisal, $1 (optional)
• Bark-covered wire, $7 (optional)
• Moss, $1 (optional)

Total cost: $2 and up

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