This quick, easy project doesn’t just have to be for Valentine’s Day.  You could easily use different stamps to create custom decorative candles for your home, for parties, or for gifts.  I made several winter themed candles as gifts for my neighbors for Christmas, and they loved them!  So pull out your inks and stamps, and let’s decorate some candles!

Project estimate:

• Candles, on hand or $1 and up
• Stamps and ink, on hand
• Tissue paper, on hand
• Hair dryer or heat embossing tool, on hand

Total:  Free or $1 and up

It’s a good idea to do a few practice runs with old candles or dollar store candles.  I often find bags of new to barely used candles at thrift stores, and they are great for practicing this technique.  The candle I used in this project was purchased at Dollar Tree, and while it is a battery operated votive candle, it has a wax coating on the outside, so it works for this project.

To make your own stamped Valentine’s Day Candle:

Step one:  Cut a piece of tissue paper to fit around your candle.

Step two:  Stamp the tissue paper.  First, I covered my paper with a text stamp that has the definition of love. Then I stamped the heart image over the text.

Step three:  Wrap the stamped tissue paper around the candle.

Step four:  Heat the tissue paper with a heat embossing tool or a hair dryer.  As the wax melts, the tissue paper will seem to disappear into the candle, leaving only the image.  Be careful to keep moving your heat tool so you don’t burn the tissue paper or create uneven dimples in your candle.

If you want to, you can further embellish your candle with ribbon, string, rhinestones, etc.  I’m decorating a few candles with blue and green damask stamps to match my living room.  Which stamps are you going to reach for?  Have fun creating!

The post Tutorial: Stamped Valentine’s Day Candle appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Dollar store “prayer candles” have to be one of my favorite supplies to work with — they are clear glass containers filled with a candle. You can easily decorate them any way you like. I especially  like these spooky candle holders I found over at Today’s Creative Life: [DIY Spooky Candle Holders]

Project Estimate:

• Prayer candle, $1
• Vellum, less than $1
• Tape, on hand
• Printer

Total: $1-2.

The post Make Easy Spooky Candles With Dollar Store Candles appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When it comes to Halloween decor, my preferred aesthetic is spooky-but-not-too-spooky. These dripping blood candle holders fit right in with that look! Making them is extremely easy because gravity does most of the work. They’re a great finishing detail for a Halloween mantel, centerpiece, or anywhere else you need a little touch of creepy!

Project estimate:

• Glass candle holders or jars, on hand or $1 and up
• Red glass paint, on hand or about $2 and up*
• Wax paper, on hand or $1 and up
• Red LED candles, $1

Total: $1 and up

* I used DecoArt’s Americana Gloss Enamels in transparent red for a fairly realistic blood look.

To make my candle holders I used these votive holders from Dollar Tree that look like mini fish bowls. But you can do this project will all kinds of different glass candle holders, even small jars out of your recycling bin!

Lay out some newspaper and top with a piece of wax paper – this is gonna get messy!

Flip your containers upside-down on the wax paper and then pour some glass paint over them.  I used a paintbrush to push the paint around and make it drip where I wanted. Then just let them sit still to drip and dry.

When the paint is completely dry, carefully peel away the wax paper. If needed, use a craft knife to remove any excess paint from around the top of the candle holder, giving it a more finished look.

Read the instructions on your glass paint – some paints (especially multi-surface paints) will cure as they air dry, while other paints (especially glass-specific paints) will have directions for curing in the oven.

Then pop in a candle and enjoy! I found some red battery-powered votive candles, also from Dollar Tree, that I thought would be a great compliment to the dripping blood look.

The post Tutorial: Blood Drip Candle Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Pool noodles are back on the shelf at Dollar Tree!  There are a lot of great ideas out there for using pool noodles in crafts, including these cute luminaries by Jill at Create Craft Love.  You can even float them in the pool!  How cool is that?  They’ll be great for creating mood lighting at your summer parties!  [how to make pool noodle luminaries]

Project estimate:

• Pool noodle, $1
• Battery operated tea lights, $1 and up
• Plastic wrap, on hand or $1 and up
• Hair elastics or rubber bands, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up

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This is the perfect gift for someone who wants the fragrance of a candle but can’t use a candle.  Some of these places include nurseries, children’s rooms, Senior Care facilities, the office, and I’m sure you can think of a few other places.

Project estimate:

• Plush Easter animal, $1
• White candles, $1 and up
• Scented oil, on hand or $1 and up
• Small plate, on hand
• Wax paper, on hand
• Coffee can or metal bowl, on hand or $1 and up
• Wooden skewer, on hand
• Easter decorations & ribbon, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $2 and up

Fill a skillet about half full of water. Break the candles so that they fit in the coffee can or metal bowl.  (You can also use a hard plastic bowl, but keep a very close eye on it so it does not melt!) YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THIS CONTAINER AGAIN EXCEPT FOR WAX. Turn the burner on to Medium-Low and watch the candles and skillet. You can use the wooden skewer to stir after the candles start to melt and to remove the wicks.  Do not leave the melting wax unattended!

While the candles are melting, remove all tags off the plush animal. Tie a bow around the neck. To do this so that the tails are under the bow, turn the animal to where it is lying on its back with its head closest to you. Cut the tails and wait for the wax to melt.

Cut a square of wax paper and place it on top of the plate you intend to use. This will keep the plate clean and if it isn’t completely flat the plush animal will fit the top of the plate and sit correctly.

Once the wax has melted, turn the burner off add your scented oil. If you are using a scented white candle, you won’t need to add scented oil.

Put on gloves and immerse the plush animal into the wax. If you have kept the burner on low to medium, the gloves will protect your hands from the heat. Turn the animal over and over until it is fully covered with the wax. Gently squeeze out any excess wax and place the plush animal on the plate. You may have to hold him up for a few minutes until the wax starts to harden.

While still on the wax paper, use the hair dryer on High to remove any excess wax from the eyes and bow. Let dry and harden, about 30 minutes.

Remove the plush animal from the wax paper. Decorate with grass, eggs or as you like.

The post Tutorial: Scented Plush Easter Animal appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You can make this battery-powered taper candle clip-on ornament with all dollar store supplies.

Have you seen the little battery-operated taper candles at the dollar store this holiday season? They are perfect for adding a festive touch just about anywhere! With this project you really can put them nearly anywhere too – even in your Christmas tree! All it takes to turn these into versatile decorations is a package of spring-loaded clips and a few embellishments.

Project estimate:

• Wired ribbon, on hand or $1
• Clips, $1 and up
• Battery operated taper candles, $1 and up
• Stapler, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Black tape (duct or electrical), on hand

Total: $2 and up

I covered the pink parts if the clip with black tape.  (I tried painting it with acrylic paint and nail polish but neither worked, both scratched off.  You may have different results if you are using a different type of clip – or you may not even need to do this step at all.)

Take a 15″ piece of ribbon and fold it over to where it meets in the middle.

Fold it in the center and staple it.

Fold a 10″ piece of ribbon in half and staple it to the other piece of ribbon.

Glue the ribbon onto the end of the clip.  Optionally, paint the taper base the same color as the ribbon.  Glue the taper base to the top of the ribbon.

Insert the candle and you’re done! Clip onto a sturdy branch of your tree and enjoy.

The post Tutorial: Taper Candle Clip-On Ornament appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you liked my kitchen towel angel tutorial, then you will also love her companion – the oven mitt angel!  Pair these up for a wonderful, useful gift for anyone on your holiday gift list who loves to cook.  These also make great hostess gifts, so whip up a few before you head out to any parties this season- or if you are hosting the party yourself, these also make great party favors to gift your guests!

Project estimate:

• Oven mitt, $1
• 2 Wash cloths, $1
• Rubber bands, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand
• Small Christmas decoration, on hand or $1

Total:  $2 and up

Take the thumb part of the oven mitt and put it behind the side you’re going to use. Wrap a rubber band around It to secure it in place.

Take one of the two wash cloths and fold it accordion style.  Fold it in half and tuck it under the rubber band in the back.  Fan it out to look like wings.

Fold the second wash cloth into a triangle until it is about one inch wide. Fold it in half and put it in the middle under the angel’s wings. These are the arms, wrap a rubber band around them about one inch from the end.

Tie a ribbon around the neck and add an ornament or other small embellishment to cover the rubber band around the hands.

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Nuts in the shell are a holiday classic.  But what do you do with those shells once the nuts have been removed?  Over at One O, Chiara turned a few shells into festive little tea lights!  Of course, as with any candles, don’t leave these burning unattended – especially since the bottoms of the nuts are rounded, so you’ll need to be careful about how they sit.  They make a great additon to a fall or winter centerpiece!  [how to make nut shell tealights]

Project estimate:

• Nuts, on hand or $1 and up
• Tea light candles, on hand or $1 and up
• Candle wicking, about $2 and up

Total:  about $2 and up

The post Make Nut Shell Tealights appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love finding ways to make inexpensive dollar store glass look high end.  Not only is it fun to craft, but it makes it easier to decorate on a budget.  Here’s a pretty idea that will make great decor for fall and holiday parties.  Create faux cracked glass that shimmers and shines!

 

Total:  $1 and up

Step one: Spray paint the glass gold.

 

Step two:  Paint a thin application of Glossy Accents over the spray paint.  Let it dry.

 

Step three:  Paint a heavy coat of Rock Candy Crackle Paint over the dried surface.  Sprinkle glitter onto the wet paint.  I used ultra fine Glamour Dust Glitter.

 

As the crackle paint dries, you will see the gold paint bubble and crack as it is pulled apart.  It takes a few hours to dry, and you will see more cracks develop as it dries.  The surface is not sharp, and you can handle it carefully.  The paint does not chip off when handled gently, but you could peel it off if you tried to, so handle it with care.

 

These votive candle holders would be great for lots of different events.  Display them with acorns that have been painted gold for pretty fall vignettes.  Attach a jewelry pin with some pretty ribbon and transform the piece in to sparkly Christmas decor.  You can even try different spray paint and glitter colors to create different effects.  Have fun crafting and creating!

The post Faux Cracked Glass Votive Candle Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My Halloween decor tends to center largely around skeletons and skulls – I even have a couple of skull themed pieces that stay out year-round as part of my regular decor.  (What can I say?  I have very eclectic taste!)  So it’s no surprise that I am totally in love with this bony candle lantern by Susan at Oh My! Creative.  Inspired by a similar piece from Pottery Barn, this lantern has a ton of spooky character.  I think one of these would look excellent on my bookshelf!  How about you – do you prefer spooky decor or cute decor for Halloween?  Tell us in the comments!  [how to make a glowing skulls lantern]

Project estimate:

• Cylindrical glass vase, on hand or $1,
• Plastic skulls, $1 and up
• Plastic skeletons, $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Caulk, about $2 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Battery operated tea light candle, on hand or $1

Total:  $4 and up

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