Summer is around the corner, and I want to get my patio ready for cookouts and backyard parties.  I adore tropical flowers, and I have several varieties, like hibiscus, planted in my yard.  I wanted to bring that beauty to the table, so I used a lei to create a quick, inexpensive centerpiece.  At just $2 per centerpiece, you could make enough for a big gathering.  Or, since it IS a wreath, hang it on your door instead.  Your choice!

Project estimate:

• Wreath form, $1
• Lei, $1
• Rhinestones, on hand or $1
• Glue gun, on hand

Total – $2 and up

(I purchased the wreath form and lei at Dollar Tree.)

To make your own wreath form centerpiece:

Step one:  Cut the lei to remove the flowers.  Discard the straws and just use the flowers and leaves.

Step two:  Use the glue gun to attach the leaves and flowers to the wreath form.  I glued two flowers together to make them fuller.

Step three:  Glue rhinestones to the centers of the flowers.

Your wreath/centerpiece is now ready to display!  You can place a hurricane glass in the center and put a candle inside.  You could also arrange a few candles inside the wreath.  As for me, being in mosquito country, I’ll probably plop a big citronella candle in the middle.  But it will be the prettiest citronella candle around!

The post Tutorial: Flowery Wreath Centerpiece appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

So, we all know Dollar Tree is the best place to get craft supplies, right? But did you know that DollarTree.com also has all kinds of craft project instruction sheets? I was impressed with how many cool ideas I found! This lemon daisy centerpiece is so bright and cheery, and you can get everything you need for it at Dollar Tree. Just seeing this picture makes me want to plan a lemon and daisy tea party. Want to come? [get the Freshly Arranged Daisies Centerpiece craft sheet]

Project Materials:

• Floral Foam, Half Ball, $1
• 2 Silk Daisy Bushes, $2
• 1 Silk Ivy Bush, $1
• Mini Artificial Lemons, $1 and up
• Wire Cutters, on hand or $1
• 4-oz. Glass Hurricane Candleholder, $1

Total: $7

disclosure: Dollar Tree is an advertiser of Dollar Store Crafts. Opinions are all mine!

The post Sunny Lemon Daisy Centerpiece appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Challenge 18 – April Showers… You know what they say about April Showers (or in some cases April Snow), it brings May Flowers. Let’s kick spring into full force, this week’s challenge was flowers. [See all the submissions from Iron Craft]

Rhonda Greene’s Submission: Flowery Yarn Bomb Ever since Rhonda heard about International Yarn Bombing Day coming up on June 11th, she’s had yarn bombing on the brain. This week’s Iron Craft Challenge was all about flowers (it is now May, after all!) so that’s been swimming around in her head too. Funny, then, that when her neighborhood woke up one morning, they found this at a fairly busy intersection! Not that she’s admitting to anything. *twiddles thumbs and whistles* Read more about it on her blog!

Melinda Hileman’s Submission: Upcycled Flower Pot Melinda found an old flower pot in her grandma’s barn and had been meaning to spruce it up for a while. She decided it would be great re-painted to match the new curtains and shower curtain in their barn apartment. After multiple layers of paint and crackle medium, Melinda finally got the color she wanted!  Then she added some faux flowers she had so it could go in the barn bathroom where the broken TV used to sit! See more pictures and read the whole story.

Challenge 19: Spring Contest For this week, the challenge was simply “Spring”. Were were to do a project based on the season. As a bonus, it was also a contest week! [See all the submissions from Iron Craft]

Rhonda Green’s Submission: Layered Crepe Paper Card Rhonda was a little late getting her entry up for the “spring” Iron Craft Challenge. Her original idea involved a papier mache project that ended up being a much bigger undertaking than she expected. She’s  still planning to finish the original project but it’s going to take a while!  In the meantime, Rhonda’s been on a card making kick lately, so she made a spring greeting card. She used crepe paper and Mod Podge to create a textured, layered effect on the front of the card. See the complete tutorial here.

Melinda Hileman’s Submission: A Gift of Spring For under $10, Melinda made a cute apothecary jar with a nest and eggs, with an accompanying blue bird! The tag reads “A Gift of Spring.” Click the image to the left to see the price breakdown. Before painted, the eggs were wooden, and the porcelain-like bird was flesh-tone and had sand glued all over it (ick!). (Not included are the E-6000, cardstock, paint, paintbrushes and crackle medium.) Melinda had a blue parakeet, so anything with cute little blue birds is special to her (and her favorite color is shiny light blue – just like the eggs!) See more pictures and read more about the project.

Melinda had what it took to be Iron Crafter Spring 2011! Check out what she won!

Did you submit a craft for these Iron Craft challenges? Share yours in the comments section!

The post April Showers and Springtime (Iron Craft Weeks 18 and 19) appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

$5 Snowmen Family Tutorial

by Paula, JC’s Loft

• Small white flowers, $1 and up
• Container, $1
• Floral foam, on hand or $1
• Sheet of “snow”, on hand or $1
• Skewers, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand
• Yarn, on hand
• White and black Card stock, on hand
• Paint Pens, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $2 and up

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Circle Cutter
at Joann.com

The post Make a Flower Snowman Family appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Pinecones are such a great fall staple in crafts and decorating, yet I don’t recall EVER seeing them paired with mums before! Why not? What a perfect fall combination pinecones and chrysanthemums make. Over at Katie Grace Designs, Katie made these cool chandeliers from pinecones, faux mums, grapevine wreaths and a few other ingredients. You still have time to put some together for your big Thanksgiving party, so get to work! [how to make pinecone chandeliers] Looks like the original link is dead, so check these directions at Home Confetti: Pinecone chandelier

Check out Katie’s Pumpkin Celebration for more cool fall party ideas.

Project Estimate:

• 14” grapevine wreath, $1

   

• Ribbon of choice for hanging, on hand

   

• Different size pinecones, gather outside or about 10 bags at the dollar store, free or $10

   

• Grapevine wire, on hand or $1

   

• Orange silk mums, $5 and up

   

Total: $7 and up

The post Make a Fall Pinecone Chandelier appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

A month or so ago, I commented that I have no idea what to do with the aisle of faux flowers at the dollar store. A couple readers raised their hands and said they have lots of ideas for silk flowers, and one of those readers was Paula of JC’s Loft. So, today I’m happy to share Paula’s great idea with you: making a monogram wreath. Everyone loves wreaths! And monograms! So thanks Paula, and everyone else check out her blog!

Hi! I’m Paula and I am a fake flower junkie…it’s a sickness really.  So when I read Heather’s post  on the Spooky Witch Hat Flower Arrangement where she joked about having someone volunteer to do a guest post on fake flowers I thought…that’s ME that’s ME.  Nobody loves fake flowers as much as I do, ha!

I’m grinning ear to ear because I’m posting here : )  YAY I’m excited for the opportunity!  I love Dollar Store Crafts and always walk away inspired and wanting to RUN to the Dollar Store : )

Today I’m going to show you how to make a floral monogram wreath!

Project Materials:

• 20 gauge craft wire, $1 (or metal hanger from closet)
• Wire cutters, on hand or $1
• Silk flowers, $3
• Floral tape (optional), on hand or $1

Total: $3 and up

Note about supplies: I got my 20 gauge craft wire in a 30 pack from Wal-Mart, and I got the silk flowers at Dollar Tree. I had wire cutters  and floral tape on hand, but you can get them at Dollar Tree, and they’re a great tool to have on hand for a variety of craft projects. I used $3 worth of silk flowers, but the quantity you need will depend on the size of your monogram.

Step 1.

Take 4 pieces of craft wire and wrap floral tape around them from the top to the bottom.  Repeat this step. (To do without purchasing floral tape use 1 piece of craft wire and wrap around 3 pieces of wire or untwist a metal hanger and skip to step 3) If you want a larger monogram repeat this step another time or two!

Step 2.

Take your two clusters of wire and twist the bottoms together to form one long wire.

Step 3.

Shape your wire into desired monogram and set aside.

Step 4.

Take a new piece of wire and cut in 3 inch pieces.  You need one 3 inch piece of wire for each flower you have.

Step 5.

Take 1 piece of 3 inch wire and use wire cutter to bend the tip into a small circle.

Step 6.

Take a flower head and push wire from step 5 into the center of it with straight end first and curved tip on top.

Now you have a flower with a wire stem.

Step 7.

Wrap the wire stem onto your monogram.  I like to start at the bottom and work my way up.

When you are finished the back of your monogram will look like this:

Now you have a Monogram Wreath to place on your Mantel:

Hang on your front door for custom decor:

Attach dowel rods and decorate a potted plant or by your mailbox:

Hope you enjoyed my tutorial!  Thanks to Heather for the opportunity…..Paula?

Visit Paula at her blog, JC’s Loft!

Linking to Shabby Nest’s Frugal Friday

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Everyone loves quick and easy ideas! Here are some great Halloween crafts from Better Homes & Gardens that can be done with dollar store materials. First up is this awesome spooky silhouette project. You don’t have to be artistic, because BHG even has the spooky templates available for download – just cut them out of black cardstock. Buy a dollar store frame and paint it black. Pick up a mat for a couple bucks, or make your own out of card stock. [how to make a spooky silhouette]

Project Estimate:

• Frame, $1
• Card stock, $1

Total: $2

Spooky Witch Hat Flower Arrangement: $5

The dollar store has a whole aisle of faux flowers, and I am floral department impaired, so I never make anything with faux flowers (anyone out there want to volunteer to do a guest post for me featuring faux flowers?). BHG made this stylish and sassy halloween flower arrangement that looks like a witch hat. You can make this with stuff from the dollar store, too! I think this would be a fun arrangement to have on your desk at work. [how to make a witch hat flower arrangement]

Project Estimate:

• Floral cone, $1
• Black and purple faux flowers, $4 and up
• Card stock, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $5 and up

Evil Googly Eye Pom-Pom Wreath: $6

This wreath made me laugh. It’s half-Martha half-Muppet! Make a googly eye wreath with stuff from the dollar store – a wreath form, pom-poms (although these look like moss to me – you could use those moss-covered rocks they sell at the dollar store), googly eyes and a pretty ribbon. Everyone likes making wreaths! [how to make a googly eye pom-pom wreath]

Project Estimate:

• Wreath form, $1
• Pom-poms, $3 and up
• Googly eyes, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand or $1

Total: $6

Long-Legged Spider

This project is cute, fun, and simple. My kids would be very entertained by this. Ooh, I bet it would be cute to make a mini version of this guy. [how to make a long legged spider]

Project Estimate:

• Foam balls, $1
• Wire, $1 or on hand
• Black craft paint, on hand
• Glue gun, on hand
• Wire cutters, on hand
• Googly eyes, on hand

Total: $1 and up

Ghostly Image Mirror: $1

This craft is kind of mind-bending, but awesome. They show you how to transform a mirror to reflect a ghostly image – so creepy! This is a definite dollar store craft candidate, because you will want to use a mirror that you don’t love for this project (you have to permanently alter the mirror). [how to make a ghostly image mirror]

Project Estimate:

• Mirror, on hand or $1
• Sandpaper, on hand or $1
• 2 printed pages, on hand

Total: Free and up

Halloween Glasses: $1

These glasses are decorated with hand-painted skellies. You could easily do this with dollar store glassware, and BHG makes it easy by providing skeleton templates that you can easily copy. [how to make halloween glasses]

Project Estimate:

• Glassware, $1
• Craft paint, on hand

Total: $1 each

Creepy Plate Display: $1

These creepy dishes make a great display, and are made with free clip art and our friend Amy‘s favorite technique: decoupage. [how to make creepy plates]

Project Estimate:

• Plates and serving ware, $1
• Printed creepy pictures, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand

Total: $1

I probably could have featured almost every halloween craft from Better Homes & Gardens on my site. Their readers must like the same things as my readers: simple, quick, and attractive crafts. These were a few of my faves. Which ones did you like? Will you make any of these?

The post 7 Quick & Easy Halloween Craft Ideas appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The dollar store has an entire aisle of faux flowers. I admit, these have stumped me. I am not much of a faux flowers person, so I just never buy them and never make anything with them. This idea, by Holiday Crafts and Creations, is a wedding kissing ball, or pomander. The pomanders shown in this photo are made with handmade paper daisies (awesome!), but the process of making all those paper flowers is way too fussy for me. Instead, I would buy faux flowers at the dollar store and use them to make wedding kissing balls inspired by these. Similar look, but a lot simpler. [click here to find instructions to make these paper flower pomanders]

Use these to decorate for your wedding, as pew decorations, or hanging from a ceiling, awning, or chuppah. You can also carry one as a bouquet (or have your bridesmaids carry them). They’d also make amazing decorations for parties or showers.

Project Estimate (Faux Flower Version):

• 4” Styrofoam ball, $1
• 12 brads (for one ball), $1 and up
• Ribbon, on hand or $1
• 3 faux flower branches (3 different types: small, medium, and large, in complementary colors), $3
• 35 – 40 pearl head pins (for one ball): 6mm, $1
• X-acto knife
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors

Total: $5 and up

The post Make Faux Flower Wedding Kissing Balls (Pomanders) appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’m always on the lookout for things that fall into the categories of bright or funky when I visit the dollar store.  Recently, a bouquet of bright pink and yellow silk flowers caught my attention.  Having just redecorated the bulletin board in my entrance hallway, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them: turn them into fun push pins!

This project is perfect for dorm room decor or bulletin boards in kids rooms.  It is also a great way to add a little cheer to your office or cubicle.

Project Estimate:

• Silk flowers, $1
• Push pins, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up

Remove the heads of the flowers from the stems.

Pull off all of the plastic parts of the flower and separate all layers of petals, being careful to lay them out in order.

Apply a dab of glue to the back side of a push pin.  Starting with the top layer of petals, slide the push pin through the center of the flower.  Add another dab of glue and add another layer of petals; continue until all of the layers are glued into place.  You may need to hold the petals in place on the back of the pin until the glue dries.

Voila!  Press them into a bulletin board and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this project, check out more of my craft tutorials.  [link]

The post Make Silk Flower Bulletin Board Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Recycled Jar Vases

Kellie at Ada and Darcy shared this tip for making colorful vases out of recycled glass containers. Don’t you love her color palette? Her blog is full of pretty flowers and pretty colors. [visit it to find out how she made these vases from jars and paint.]

Rolled Paper Flowers

This is a fun and happy project made from recycled catalog pages! Find out how to make rolled paper flowers over at Frugal Life Project. [make rolled paper flowers from catalogs]

Altered Dollar Store Flowers

So the dollar store sells a LOT of faux flowers, but I never buy any because I just don’t know how to make them look decent. I have basically zero experience with faux flowers to begin with, and *ahem* less-expensive faux flowers can look kinda cheesy if you pick the wrong ones and arrange them the wrong way. Well, Nikki from Salty Pineapple has a tutorial on how to make dollar store flowers look pretty and romantic. [find out how to make over dollar store flowers]

Additional Resources:

• Spring Soda Bottle Flower Arrangement at A Little Tipsy
  
• Candy and Lucky Bamboo Arrangement at Birkat Chaverim
• Wrap branches with yarn (so cheerful!) at Leethal

The post Roundup: Flower Crafts appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.