Whether you’re making a full lettered sign for party decor or you are looking for some cute monogram art to decorate a bedroom, this DIY marquee letter tutorial from Natalie at Doodlecraft is a super cute (and super cheap) solution!  She used some cute LED flower lights to illuminate foam core letters – with the selection of light strings differing from store to store and from season to season, keep an eye out for lights in colors and shapes that you like for making your own version of this project!  [how to make a marquee light monogram]

Project estimate:

• Foam core board, on hand or $1
• LED lights, $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

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Maybe you found an old keyboard at a yard sale or thrift shop.  Maybe you had to replace yours after an oops-I-spilled-my-coffee incident shorted it out.  Whatever the reason you have that extra, unused keyboard laying around, you’ll be glad you have it around to make this geektastic jewelry!  Valentina from le idee della Vale disassembled an old keyboard and turned the keys into charms that can in turn be used to spell out anything you like!  You can make lots of different statements with this idea, creating monograms, names, or even just random letters.  The tutorial is in Italian, but there is a handy translate option in the sidebar!  [how to make computer keyboard jewelry]

Project estimate:

• Computer keyboard, on hand or about $5
• Pliers, on hand
• Nail, on hand
• Candle, on hand
• Jewelry findings, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up!

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Hosting a movie night?  Really wow your guests with these DIY marquee letters!  Jordan from Oh Happy Day used – believe it or not – foam core board and posterboard to create these fab light-up letters.  The lights she used were about $15 a string at Target, but you could just as easily use cheaper strands of lights (preferably LED lights to reduce the risk of fire).  Not limited to just movie nights, you could use these letters to spell out anything you want and use them for weddings, birthday parties, and more.  Or even work them into your everyday decor!  [how to make DIY marquee letters]

Project estimate:

• Foam core board, $1
• Posterboard, $1
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue and/or tape, on hand
• Lights, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up

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If you’re a typography geek or a book nerd, chances are you’ve swooned over Anthropologie’s “library letters” series of books cut into the shape of the alphabet.  They are amazing, unique pieces, but at $20 each it could get a little spendy of you wanted to actually spell something out with them.  Over at Handmade Mood, Marissa offers up a DIY alternative, allowing you to create this for as little money as it costs you to find the books – thrift shops are a great source – and using some basic woodworking tools.  Now the only question is, what will you spell with your book letters?  [how to make typography book decor]

Project estimate:

• Book, on hand or $1 and up
• Letter template, free
• Painter’s tape, on hand
• Scroll saw or band saw, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Anthro-Inspired Typography Books appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As part of a series of outdoor decorating projects, Breanna from Dollar Store Mom decided that a lank section of fence in her yard was in need of some art.  Using a pile of picture frames that she already had on hand and some large wooden letters, she decided to give her garden a word of encouragement.  Don’t have access to or the budget for wooden letters?  In her post she also discusses other ways that you could make a similar project for even cheaper!  [how to make easy DIY fence art]

• Picture frames, on hand or $1 each and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Wooden letters, $1 each and up
• Push pins, on hand or $1

Total:  about $4 and up (depending on length of word)

The post Make Easy DIY Fence Art appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Jen from jk jk decided that the space above her kitchen cabinets was too bare, so she figured she would dress it up a little bit.  And dress it up she did!  Using an easy process and inexpensive materials, she created a wall art installation to greet all who enter.  I love how the elegant look of the large letters is given a playful touch with bright, colorful string.  Her letters were made by nailing directly into the wall; if you don’t want to (or aren’t allowed to) punch that many nail holes in your wall, you can use the same method on a piece of wood instead.  [archived link: how to make nail and string letters]

Project estimate:

• Printer, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Nails, on hand or $1 and up
• String, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Nail and String Letters appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Alphabet magnets are a staple of childhood play and learning.  Most come in solid colors, but why settle for those plain ol’ letters when you could make a set of your own full of tons of personality?  Carissa from Carissa’s Creativity Space found some plain wooden magnetic letters and decided to give them a makeover with a little paint and glitter, jazzing them up with funky patterns in bright colors.  It adds a whole new dimension of fun to learning how to spell!  [how to make funky alphabet magnets]

Project estimate:

• Wooden letter magnet set, $1
• Paint, on hand
• Glitter, on hand

Total:  $1

The post Make Funky Alphabet Magnets appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Fun, educational playthings don’t have to cost a lot of money.  For instance, Rena from The Cheese Theif came across some large foam letters at Dollar Tree and, using only a little bit of glue and some packaging foam saved from a fate in the landfill, turned them into a set of rubber stamps for her little one.  They provided hours of entertainment!  It’s a great way to learn about the alphabet and writing for children who have yet to master using pencil, crayons, or markers.  [how to make oversized alphabet stamps]

Project estimate:

• Foam letters, $1
• Foam, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $1

The post Make Oversized Alphabet Stamps appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Use your child’s name (or any words you like) to make this fun hidden word wall art. With a simple painting technique, anyone can make this art, and you can make it in any color scheme. Kids will enjoy finding their names within the jumble of letters, as well as naming the letters they recognize. I hid my three sons’ names and our last name in this painting. Read on for my instructions!

Project Estimate:

• Canvas, $1 and up
• 3 colors of paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Self-stick vinyl letters, about $5

Total: $6 and up

Gather Your Supplies:

Canvas: I got inexpensive 16×20″ canvas 2-packs from Michael’s for about $6 ($3 each). You can use a 40% off coupon to get a similar deal, or find smaller canvases at the dollar store (blank, or pre-printed). Don’t worry, you will paint over the canvas in the first step anyway. You can also use a foam-core poster board (find at dollar store), a cut piece of wood, etc. Use your imagination — almost any flat surface will work.

Paint: I used spray paint for quickness and ease of use. You probably have a few spare cans of spray paint on hand. If not, you can use craft acrylic paint. Use whatever you have on hand! The important thing is to let the paint dry between layers of paint.

Self-Stick Vinyl Letters: The quickest and easiest way to do this project is to use pre-made self-stick vinyl letters. They run about $5 a package, but you will get enough to make your project, and you can reuse the letters for a few other projects if you want. Other options: use your craft cutter (I used my Silhouette) to cut letters out of vinyl, or buy a package of die-cut letters and use a glue stick to lightly adhere the letters. The dollar store carries die-cut letters in the teaching supply section of the store. For ease in removing the stickers, try to remove them as soon as the final layer of paint is dry.

I found some at Amazon for $4.80: Chartpak Press-On Vinyl Letters

To Make It:

1. Paint canvas your first color. This color should contrast with the final color. If your final color is dark, make the first color light or very bright. I used yellow.

2. Once paint is dry, stick child’s name or inspirational words on. Whatever you stick on now will be the only thing that stays the original color. Depending on how hidden you want your names to be, add a few other letters randomly around the canvas.

3. Paint second color. Any color that complements or contrasts with your final color works. Try to use a color that is not quite as exciting as your first color. I used light blue.

4. When paint is dry, stick letters randomly over the rest of the canvas. I let a few letters overlap some of the first round of letters, just for a fun effect.

5. Paint final color. I used dark blue. I also added a dark gray around the edges of the canvas just to add a little extra dimension to the image.

6. When paint is dry, remove letters.

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When secret stashbuster Caro of Caro’s Thrifty Adventures opened up her magical box of goodies and saw fabric and a zipper she panicked for a moment, since she doesn’t fancy herself much of a seamstress.  She shook it off, got to brainstorming, and came up with this project that incorporated both without requiring her to pick up a needle and thread:  a framed monogram with subtle detailing that makes it quite elegant.  Since she’s an avid paper crafter, she had a bunch of letter stickers and chipboard letters on hand; if you don’t happen to have any in your stash, check out Dollar Tree for stick-on craft foam letters that will give the same dimensional effect.  [how to make a monogram frame]

Project estimate:

• Picture frame, on hand or $1
• Letter stickers, on hand or $1 and up
• Chipboard letters, on hand or $1 and up
• Fabric, on hand
• Zipper, on hand or $1 and up
• Embellishments, on hand
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Cardboard, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total:  Free and up

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