When Aubree from Yellow Blackbird spotted a fabulous button necklace gracing the pages of a magazine, she had one of those “I could totally make that!” moments.  After all, what self-respecting crafter doesn’t have at least one jar full of buttons laying around?  It’s simple enough that the kiddos can help with the stringing to practice their fine motor skills, though younger children will need assistance adding the hardware.  This is also a great way to use up buttons that don’t have mates!  [how to make a vintage-inspired button necklace]

Project estimate:

• Buttons, on hand or $1 and up
• Beading wire, on hand or $1
• Jewelry findings, on hand or $1
• Chain or ribbon, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Vintage-Inspired Button Necklace appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Kate from Salvage Dior had been searching for an antique, scroll-y iron piece to hang on her wall as art.  Unfortunately, she couldn’t find one in her price range.  Then one day she came across a fancy rubber door mat at the dollar store and had a brilliant idea!  Would you ever guess that it’s actually a door mat?  It’s a great way to add drama and vintage charm to your decor without paying a premium price, and since the door mat is much lighter than an actual iron piece, it won’t require special hardware to hang.  [how to turn a rubber door mat into wall art] Project estimate:

• Fancy rubber door mat, $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Sandpaper, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

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I love old rotary phones.  I love their squat, curvy look, the clickity-click sound they make when you spin the dial, and even the loud, fire-alarm-like ringer.  But I’m a cell-phone-only girl, so my lack of a land line means I have no use for one.  That is, unless I were to tear one apart and make this awesome rotary phone purse from Chica and Jo!  They even provide a printable pattern to cut out the shape of the bag.  Look for old rotary phones at thrift stores (it doesn’t even have to work!); for the body of the purse, if you don’t have leather or vinyl laying around, you could use a thrifted garment or a dollar store vinyl tablecloth.  The finished purse definitely makes a statement, and the rotary dial even still works!  How cool is that?  [how to make a retro rotary phone purse]

Project estimate:

• Printable pattern, free
• Rotary phone, about $5 and up
• Vinyl or leather, on hand or $1 and up
• Sewing machine, on hand
• Purse clasp, $1 and up
• Ribbon, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• Cardboard, on hand
• Lining fabric, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  about $5 and up

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Why relegate those old family photos to a shoebox in the back of the closet?  Put them on display with this creative idea from Jenn at Rook No. 17.  She made a set of free printables that you can use to recreate this wonderful family tree wreath!  Rather than using the original photos, she made copies of them instead, keeping the heirloom prints safe and intact for the enjoyment of future generations.  This would make an excellent gift for parents, grandparents, or family historians.  Or make one featuring both sides of a newly-joined family as a wedding gift!  [how to make a family tree wreath]

Project estimate:

• Canvas drop cloth, about $5 and up
• Wreath form, $1 and up
• Freezer paper, on hand or $1 and up
• Leaf template, free
• Wire, on hand or $1 and up
• Sewing notions, on hand
• Printable  photo frames, free
• Cardboard, on hand
• Scanned or photocopied family photos, on hand
• Distressing ink, on hand or about $2 ad up
• Glue, on hand

Total:  about $6 and up

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As a kid, I had a few little treasures that I saved in a special box, including a few necklaces and friendship bracelets. This flattened bottle cap necklace is easy to make, cheap, and a good gift to give to little friends. It will only take you a few minutes, and you just need a few common supplies. Oh, and you can keep it in your treasure box when you’re not wearing it.

Don’t be intimidated! I promise this project is super easy! Even if you have never used tools like a hammer or needle-nosed pliers, you can do this. I actually put off trying this because I thought poking a hole in a bottle cap with a hammer and nail would be too hard. Nope! It was quick and easy.

Project Materials:

• Bottle caps, on hand
• A small nail, on hand
• A hammer, on hand
• A jump ring, on hand
• Needle-nosed pliers, on hand
• A piece of ribbon or cord, on hand
• A surface to hammer on, such as a self-healing mat or a piece of recycled corrugated cardboard (the sturdy, thick kind of cardboard), on hand

Total: FREE

About my supplies:

Bottle Caps: I got a pack of vintage bottle caps at the Bottle Cap Co. website, but you could buy an old-timey glass soda, drink it, and then use the cap, or even a new-timey soda like Izze, bottled root beer, or Jones Soda. They often have bottled soda in the Mexican food section of your local grocery store, or check convenience stores.

Jump Rings: These are the little split rings used in jewelry making. You can buy a small package in the jewelry-making section of your local craft store (or dollar store, sometimes), or take apart an old piece of jewelry and re-use the jump ring (check with your mom first!)

Needle-Nosed Pliers: You can buy these in the floral section of the dollar store, or ask your mom or dad if they already have a pair (they probably do!). You just need this to grip the jump ring and open and close it.

To Make the Bottle Cap Necklace:

1. Prepare your work surface by laying out a piece of corrugated cardboard or a self-healing mat.

2. Put the bottle cap on the work surface, and gently tap it all the way around the circle with your hammer. This will flatten the bottle cap a bit and make it more comfortable to wear.

3. Take your nail and put the point at the top of the bottle cap, near the edge. Lightly tap the nail until it goes all the way through the bottle cap.

4. Open your jump ring using the pliers and your fingernails. You always want to move one side one way, and the other side in the opposite direction to retain the circular shape of the jump ring. Visit this link for more detailed instructions on opening a jump ring.

5. Slide the jump ring through the hole in the bottle cap, and close the jump ring in the opposite way you opened it.

6. String the ribbon through the jump ring, tie the ends, and wear and share!

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It’s been awhile since we had a reader question! Let’s put our heads together to help Miriam, who posted over in the Dollar Store Crafts community asking about dollar store ideas for toddler room decor:

Hello i am trying to make over my toddler room (he is 2). I am looking for something very inexpensive… dollar store room makeover? He loves balloons, and bubbles… I like vintage things and want a look that doesn’t look too babyish. Any ideas or pics will be very appreciated. Thanks!

My Quick Pick:

Sounds like you definitely need to find ROUND things to put into the room! Look for lanterns, balls, or other spheres that you can repeat around the room to evoke balloons and bubbles.

Here is a cheap and easy craft projects that will add some vintage flair (and stay within the round theme):

• Make a String Lamp (see photo at top): you just need to buy a punch balloon, string, and some white glue to make this cool light fixture.

Okay, Dollar Store Designers, it’s your turn. Things you need to work with are: balloons and bubbles, with a vintage inspiration and something that will grow with him and not look too young. What are your ideas?

The post Question: Dollar Store Toddler Room Decor? appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I recently received a box in the mail from a scrapbook supply company called Vintage Street Market. It was an exciting box to open because they make some very interesting products, including one thing that immediately got my gears turning that’s called Tinted Tape. It is scotch tape that is printed with different designs, including a style that mimics the yellowed look of aged tape. Seeing this tape made me want to find some old photographs to tape down!  However I don’t have any vintage snapshots laying around, so I decided to use a free photo editing website called Picnik to create my own retro-looking photos. (That’s right, no fancy software required!) Read on to see how it’s done.

Project estimate:

• Digital image, on hand
• Picnik online photo editor, free
• Vintage Street Market “Aged” Tinted Tape, $4.95
• Paper, on hand

Total:  $4.95

First, choose a photograph to use.  (It should be a digital image, so if you’re using a physical copy of a photo you will need to scan it into your computer.)  I used this shot of my husband and I taken on our honeymoon.

Go to the Picnik website and upload your photo to the editor.  To upload, click on the “Upload Photo” button and select your image.  Once uploaded, your image will appear in the photo editing dashboard.

From the menu near the top of the screen, click on the “Crop” button.  From the drop-down menu, choose the option to crop the photo to a square shape.  Drag the box on the screen around the portion of the photo you’d like to use, then click “OK” to save.

Click on the “Create” tab at the top of the page, then select the “Effects” option.  Scroll down the menu in the left-hand side until you find an effect called “1960’s.”  Click on this effect and the colors in your photo will change slightly, giving it the look of an old photograph.  Adjust the intensity of the effect with the slider bar if desired, then click on “Apply” to save the changes.

Optionally, you can also use the text tool to add a date stamp to the corner of the photo.  Once you’re done editing the photo, choose the “Save & Share” tab to download the finished photo to your computer.

Print and cut out your image.  (I resized mine to 4 inches before printing to make it closer to the size of a standard photo.)

Now the photo is ready to be taped down with the Vintage Street Market aged-look tape.  Some ideas include scrapbook layouts or personalized Christmas cards, or you could even tape the photo to a 5″ x 7″ piece of paper and put it in a frame.  Use the Tinted Tape on the corners of the picture to complete the vintage look.

Thanks for the inspiration, Vintage Street Market!

disclosure: Vintage Street Market sent me some of their products to try free of charge; all opinions are 100% mine.

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Vintage, retro things have always caught my eye. That’s what drew me to this awesome record album cover box made by Leah at Zombies Wearing Helmets.  I’ve used covers to make notebooks before, but I like this idea even better!  It makes a great catch-all for random clutter (perhaps that stack of craft magazines next to your couch) and would also be a great housewarming or graduation gift for someone with nostalgic design sensibilities.  I see stacks of albums every time I go to Goodwill, and it’s also yard sale season, so finding just the right covers to make your box should be a snap.  [how to make a record album cover box]

Project estimate:

• 5 record album covers, on hand or about $5 and up
• Drill, on hand
• Twine or other lacing material, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

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When it comes to using dried beans as craft supplies, I usually put them in the same class as elbow macaroni.  They’re something that you give to a kindergartner along with a bottle of white glue to make a collage, and I’ve never really given them much serious thought.  I love it when blogland proves me wrong and breaks down my preconceived notions!    Using directions from a craft kit from 1972, Suzy from Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom put together this bouquet using (believe it or not)….   dried lima beans and peas!  Once  you manage to pick your jaw up off the floor, head over to her blog to see how she did it!  [how to make a vintage bean bouquet]

Project estimate:

• Dried lima beans, on hand or $1 and up
• Dried peas, on  hand or $1 and up
• Colored cellophane, $1 and up
• Faux greenery, on hand or $1
• Florist tape, on hand or $1
• Wire, on hand
• Foam, on hand or $1
• Doily, $1
• Ribbon,  on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

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These lovely popcorn box organizers were designed by Mel over at Mel Stampz. She’s provided the free printable templates for the box, which includes the old timey numbered outside layer of the box as well as the pretty vine print inside liner of the box. You can use these boxes to organize all kinds of things! Now, I think this project is really cool on its own, but another cool fact about it is that Mel used a free template I provided last year and repurposed it for this project (with permission, of course!). I’m so glad I now get to share her cool project with you. To me, this is what craft blogging is all about — the “circle of craft!” (cue Elton John music). [how to make popcorn box organizers + free printable]

Project Materials:

• Card stock, on hand or $.50 each
• Ribbon, on hand
• Printer, on hand
• Scissors and glue, on hand

Total: FREE

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