While you’re waiting for the weather to warm up, forget cutting snowflakes–take some brightly-colored tissue paper and cut papel picado, traditional Mexican cut paper art instead. Once your flags are cut, string them on string for cheerful decorations that will bring you into spring! Keep them up for Cinco de Mayo. Amida at Journey Into Unschooling has instructions for many different papel picado designs. [find out how to make papel picado]

Project Estimate:

• Tissue paper, $1
• String, on hand
• Scissors, on hand

Total: $1

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Nela from Cut, Nela, Cut added a photo of this amazing cut-paper tealight holder in the Dollar Store Crafts Flickr pool. Such intricate work, and so pretty! Nela’s work is all this impressive (or even more impressive), so check out her blog. You can make it out of cardstock, or how about using one of those take-out box containers to make a unique light? You could even use paper punches to simplify the paper-cutting process. (Sidenote: Check out Craftypod for an awesome article on getting tons of decorative patterns from just two craft punches. The technique probably won’t work for this particular project, but it’s so cool I wanted to share anyway.) [here’s a link to the tealight holder project]

Looks like you could use it as a shade for the Wine Glass Lamp.

If you want to save money and skip the take-out box, you can make the container yourself for an even cheaper project! Nela’s box used the free template from Stampin’ Mathilda that you can download here. This photo is of Stampin’ Mathilda’s original project, which is so pretty! I think this would make a great wedding table decoration, or other romantic party decoration. You can customize it pretty much any way you want, too, so I think it’s great inspiration for all kinds of adaptations.

Don’t forget to use a battery-operated tealight for these projects, since they’re paper! You don’t want a craftfail on your hands!

Project Estimate:

• Take-out box, $1 (or paper, on hand)
• Paper punch, on hand or $1
• Battery-operated tealights, 2 for $1

Total: $.50 and up

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