Can you believe that the 4th of July is just a little over two weeks away?  (Is anyone else’s summer flying by waaaaay to fast?)  If you’re planning a get-together over the upcoming holiday weekend, remember that no party is complete without party favors!  These cute firecracker favors from Vanessa at Tried & True are quick and easy, and you can churn out a whole bunch of them assembly-line style in no time.  Kapow!  [how to make firecracker party favors]

Project estimate:

• Cardboard tubes, on hand
• Washi tape, on hand or $1 and up
• Scrapbook paper, on hand or $1
• Double-sided tape, on hand or $1
• Star paper punch, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand
• Wooden dowels or skewers, on hand or $1 and up
• Candy or other treats, $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up!

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We have declared this week to be Back to School Week here at DSC, and we’re devoting a whole week to school supplies, teacher gifts, and more!  We’re kicking it off with these great free printables from Mr. Printables – a set of pencil and eraser shaped favor boxes to fill with your favorite treats or other small goodies!  Use them for classroom gifts, teacher gifts, or for any party where school/office supplies are an appropriate theme.  Or just print them out because they are cute – that’s a good enough reason for us!  [download the free printable pencil and eraser favor boxes]

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I love candy favors. Any excuse to eat candy is fine by me. So when I saw some carrot-shaped Easter eggs at Dollar Tree, I knew that I had to come up with some way to use them. I ended up planting a little “garden” of candy-filled carrots in a window box, and I think this might be one of my cutest ideas ever!

Project estimate:

• Window box planter, $1 and up
• Carrot-shaped eggs, $3 to $4
• Candy, on hand or $1
• Egg cartons, on hand
• Floral foam, on hand or $2
• Paper shreds, $1
• Craft foam, on hand or $1
• Wooden skewer or chopstick, on hand
• Cardboard, on hand
• Embellishments, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $5 and up

Depending on the size of your window box, you will need about 9 to 12 carrots. (They come in packages of 3.) Fill the carrots with candy – I used all orange colored candies but you can use any candy you like.

The carrots will rest in egg cartons, but you’ll need to raise them up inside the box so that they aren’t in so deep that the carrots don’t show when you’re done.

Cut the bottoms of the egg cartons off (you won’t need the lids for this project). Place the foam inside the the window box, then put the egg cartons on top. You may need to trim the foam and/or the egg cartons to make them fit.

Place the filled carrots in the egg cartons, staggering them in two rows using every other space as shown.

If you are adding a row marker sign, make a small hole in the bottom of the egg carton where you would like it to go and press a skewer or chopstick through the hole and into the foam below.

To make grass, cut a zig-zag line up the middle of a piece of craft foam. Use hot glue to attach the grass to the front of the window box.

To finish the display, cover the egg cartons with brown paper shreds (from the gift wrapping department) to represent dirt. Use cardboard and a marker to make signs and attach them with hot glue. I also added a butterfly from the floral section at Dollar Tree to complete the look.

The post Tutorial: Carrot Garden Easter Favors appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Little sweet treats are a traditional Valentine’s Day gift between friends, so this time of year they’re everywhere.  But if you’re looking for handout selections that are a bit more grown-up?  Most don’t look like something you’d want to hand out at a formal party, or to impress the folks around your office.  With a few inexpensive supplies, however, you can turn many Valentine’s Day items from kiddy to classy!  I made these candy favors using heart-shaped plastic containers intended for use as a classroom handout, giving them an easy makeover with a much more sophisticated look.

Project estimate:

• Heart containers, $1 and up
• Cupcake liners, on hand or $1
• Candy, $1 and up
• Washi tape, on hand or about $1.50 and up
• Stickers, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up

I found my heart containers at Walgreens in packages of 18.  Coincidentally, the cupcake liners I got from Dollar Tree also come in packages of 18.  It’s like it was meant to be!

If you can’t find the same containers, I also spotted these at Dollar Tree.  I think they are a little bit smaller, but they will also work for this project!

The outsides of my containers were printed with several different conversation-heart-style sayings.  This was a little too juvenile for the look I wanted so I decided that I needed to do something to cover up the outside.  First, though, they need to be filled!

Tuck a cupcake liner into each container.  Fill the liners with the candy of your choice, but don’t over-fill them.  You’ll need space to fold down the top of the cupcake liner!

Fold in the top of the cupcake liner over the candy to contain it completely inside the liner.  Use your thumb to hold the liner shut while you put on the lid.

To decorate the tops of the containers, you will need washi tape and some stickers.  I used washi tape with a black and white floral pattern (I found this pattern at Wishy Washi – they have the most gorgeous tapes!) and paired it with some amazing layered paper heart stickers that I found at Hallmark.

Seal each container with a strip of washi tape.  Even just covering up the lettering makes an immediate difference!

Add a sticker to the each container to complete the look.

When recipients tell you that they’re almost too pretty to open, you can chuckle to yourself, knowing how easy and inexpensive the project was!

The post Tutorial: Classy Valentine Candy Favors appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you giving out treats for Valentine’s Day, or having a party?  If you need favor boxes, here’s an idea from Amanda at Shindig Parties To Go: she used plain favor boxes from the wedding section of the dollar store and some scrapbook paper to execute an adorable transformation.  She embellished them with hearts made from paper and pierced with coffee stirrer arrows, but you could also change that up to reflect any style or theme.  She used them as part of an incredible snack spread!  [how to make Valentine’s Day favor boxes]

Project estimate:

• Favor boxes, $1
• Scrapbook paper, on hand or $1
• Tape, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Embellishments, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Valentine’s Day Favor Boxes appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’re looking for a quick-and-easy idea for a little holiday treat, candy is a classic choice.  Can you ever really go wrong with chocolate?  Laura from The Pharma Blog came up with this cute idea for gifting a handful of Hershey’s Kisses, complete with a free printable template.  This project has more possibilities than just Christmas treats, though; I think these would make awesome wedding favors, which could be personalized by adding names and a date to the little paper flags sticking out of the tops.  [how to make merry kiss-mas treat pouches]

Project estimate:

• Scrapbook paper, on hand
• Sewing machine or glue, on hand
• Printable template, free
• Hershey Kisses, $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Merry KISS-mas Treat Pouches appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Can you believe that another school year is almost gone?  That means we’re coming up on graduation season!  From preschool all the way up to college, students across the country will be hitting major educational milestones.  Whether  you’re helping wrangle a classroom full of soon-to-be-elementary-schoolers or you’re planning a party for a teen about to make their way into the adult world, Cris from Crissy’s Crafts has an idea that makes a great treat or favor item.   She used paper and ribbon to wrap rolls of Smarties candies to look like tiny diplomas, then packaged them in a recycled paper towel roll.  She even provided a set of free printables on her blog so you can make them for the grads in your life!  [how to make Smarties diploma graduation favors]

Project estimate:

• Smarties candies, $1 and up
• Printer paper, on hand
• Printables, free
• Curling ribbon, on hand or $1
• Paper towel roll, on hand
• Scrapbook paper, on hand or about 50 cents
• Mod Podge, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Smarties Diploma Graduation Favors appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you haven’t checked out the dollar store (in this case, Dollar Treespecifically because it’s the store I’m familiar with) for its wedding section, it should be your first stop.

Best Wedding Deals at the Dollar Tree:

• Vases: they have several styles, including the straight cylindrical ones that have a classic look
• Vase Filler: river rocks, sand, glass marbles, moss, etc. There are lots of good, cheap choices.
• Packaging for Favors: round tins, foldable boxes, organza bags, and many other options for packaging up your favors.
• Favors: rose petals, favor rings, teeny doves, and a bunch of other goodies

What are your favorite wedding items at the dollar store?

Remember, you can use components from the dollar store to create what you want for your wedding. Don’t be afraid to find inspiration pieces (favors, decorations) and then try to recreate them with stuff from the dollar store. Or, take what you find at the dollar store and further embellish them to give them more personality.  [these lanterns from Happy Together – check this post for some dollar store wedding favor tips]

In the photo at the top of the post, Lacey shows a cookie buffet she had as her wedding favor to her guests. The baskets came from the dollar store, and the signs are handmade. [check out Life Of Lacey for a list of all the great ways she saved money on her wedding, including getting stuff at the dollar store]

Here’s my advice on how to have an affordable wedding.

Number One (remember this): The Wedding industry wants you to believe that you have to spend $30,000 on your wedding for it to be meaningful to you.

If you can’t spend $30K, then they want you to spend $10,000, or any other large amount that you aren’t comfortable with. Wedding magazines are not your friend. Yes, you will remember your wedding day fondly for the rest of your life. But no, the money you spent will not necessarily make it more memorable.

[image via]

[Check out Jess’s advice on saving money for your reception at mad in crafts]

2. Spend money on the things you think are important.

Things that were important to me: photos, and a dress I liked.  I happened to have a friend who is a really great photographer, so I employed her to take my photos. She charged me only for the film (yes, it was before digital cameras were common!) and prints I decided to buy. The dress was about $500, which is as much as we spent on the rest of the wedding put together.

3.  Examine traditions to see if they are for you.

Does he really need a tux? Do you need a big formal dress? Do you want lots of attendants in silk gowns, or would it be all right for them to wear less formal attire? Do all the dresses have to match, or can they all be one color? Must your wedding take place in a church, or would a public park suffice (if so, check the local rules on having an event in your public park)? Could you have it in someone’s yard, garden, or house (that’s what we did). Do you want a big formal dinner reception, or would something more humble be more meaningful to you?

In my wedding, my husband wore a suit he already owned, and bought a tie that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses (regular dresses that I found at a store*). We bought matching shirts, ties, and suspenders for the groomsmen at a discount clothing store. The guys were responsible to wear black slacks and black shoes.  Total cost to us was probably about $150-200, but you could ask your attendants to reimburse you.  We just chose to provide these things. My brother-in-law and his wife bought Hawaiian shirts and matching dresses in Hawaii (where they met and fell in love). The guys wore jeans and Converse All-Stars, and the girls went barefoot.

Basically, what is meaningful to you and your fiance? Don’t worry about tradition or what other people expect. Do the things you care about, skip the things you don’t care about.**

Centerpiece by Holly [art meet craft]

4.  Make whatever you can, or are inclined to.

I bought fresh flowers at Costco the day before (I didn’t know this then, but you can go into Costco a week ahead and order the specific flowers you want for the same low price) and my sister (who is a confident flower arranger) made two bouquets and some corsages and boutonnières.  Total cost was about $100… waaaay cheaper than flowers from a florist. My mom made dresses for the flower girls for the cost of a pattern and a bit of fabric and ribbon.

Just for fun, here are some other things we did:

Cake: We bought two or three big sheet cakes at Costco for $14/each to serve as wedding cake. Someone ended up giving us a little cute wedding cake, but the Costco cakes tasted a lot better than the “official” wedding cake. Our parents and friends made finger foods the day of and the day before for the food at the reception. We served sparkling cider, punch, and coffee for drinks.

Location: We had our wedding in a large house, and the reception in a neighboring house (we were planning an outdoor wedding, but it hailed minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin, so we had to improvise. If you plan an outdoor wedding, I recommend a backup plan!)

Music: My aunt played classical guitar at the ceremony.

Invitations: We made our own invitations. I picked out neato triangular stamps for postage.

*Bridesmaid dresses: I only had two girls to get dresses for, and they were similar in build and coloring, so that helped. I figured they could wear the dresses again if they wanted to… not sure if they did or not!  I think that’s a bridal cliché – just pick dresses you like because they will NEVER want to wear the dresses again no matter what.

**Skipped: we skipped lighting a “unity candle” and the number of groomsmen and bridesmaids didn’t match. P.S. I hear that lighting a unity candle in an outdoor wedding is a bad idea… the wind can blow them out, and that’s aaaawkward.

P.S. I’m starting a Dollar Store Wedding page where I can collect all our great dollar store wedding ideas. Feel free to send your ideas to me anytime!

[this photo by redcouch; it’s reader heather s’s wedding! hi heather!]

Other Resources:

• There are always good wedding links at One Pretty Thing
• DIY Flower Arranging Simplified by Crafty Smurfette
• Eco-friendly flower girl basket ideas at Crafting a Green World
• Wedding Cake Stacked Cookies at Dabbled
• Red Couch Photo – my sister = amazing photographer
• Oriental Trading Company has deals on wedding stuff too

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