When it comes time to throw a party on a budget, decorations don’t get much cheaper than these fabulous recycled newspaper pom poms!  At DIY Candy, Jacy shows how to turn a stack of old news into new baubles with just a little bit of folding and cutting.  In addition to making great decorations on their own, you could make a garland out of them, use them to embellish your gift wrapping, or even as decorations on a Christmas tree!  [how to make newspaper pom poms]

Project estimate:

• Newspaper, on hand
• String, on hand

Total:  Free!

The post Make Newspaper Pom Poms appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’m always on the look out for easy kids crafts and this definitely fits the bill! Haeley from Design Improvised was playing around with pipe cleaners when she came up with this cute idea to link pipe cleaner hearts together. The look is adorable and the process is easy enough that even little kids can get in on the action! [how to make a pipe cleaner heart garland]

Project estimate:

• Pipe cleaners, on hand or $1 and up
• Scissors, on hand

Total: Free and up!

The post Make an Easy Pipe Cleaner Heart Garland appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Paper bags are handy for so many things, but here is a use you probably haven’t thought of yet:  Making paper lanterns!  These lanterns, made by Landee at Landee See, Landee Do would make such a fun, easy addition to any party decor (or even your regular decor!), and with party stores offering bags in just about every color under the sun, you can make them match any scheme or theme you want.  (How great would these be for weddings?!)  You could even use plain white or brown paper bags, or hand over the bags and some markers to your kiddos to create fun kid drawing lanterns.  Or splatter paint plain bags.  Or use tea or coffee to dye the bags for an antiqued look.  Or coat the finished lanterns with a bit of Sparkle Mod Podge…  The list goes on and on!  Oh, the possibilities!  [how to make paper bag lanterns]

Project estimate:

• Paper bags, on hand or $1 and up
• String, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Paper Bag Lanterns appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Wheat straw trees are a fairly traditional Christmas ornament; my mother has a couple, and I have seen them in my grandmother’s collection as well.  However, wheat straw isn’t a material that is readily available to everyone.  Pam at Gingerbread Snowflakes set out to find alternatives to wheat straw trees using the same technique with different materials.  Her favorite (and ours too!) came straight out of the recycling bin:  cardboard!  She also experimented with a couple of other materials.  Check out her blog post for more ideas!  [how to make recycled cardboard “wheat straw” tree ornaments]

Project estimate:

• Recycled cardboard, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• Ribbon or string, on hand

Total:  Free

The post Make Recycled Cardboard “Wheat Straw” Tree Ornaments appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You know we love cheap projects, but they’re even better when they are quick and easy too.  This one falls into all three categories!  Vivienne from The V Spot used a simple masking technique to turn a plain piece of wood into spooky, rustic owl art that is perfect for a Halloween mantle display or vignette.  You can also use the same method with different shapes and color schemes to create custom ombre art for any season, occasion, or decor theme!  [how to make ombre owl Halloween art]

Project estimate:

• Board or canvas, on hand or $1 and up
• Owl cutouts, $1
• Spray adhesive, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Ombre Owl Halloween Art appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Have you started decorating for Halloween yet?  It’s one of my favorite holidays, and I pull out all of the stops – I decorate more for Halloween than I do for Christmas!  I enjoy the creepy, macabre aesthetic of many Halloween decorations, filling my home with a collection of strange curiosities.  This altered book art by Marilyn at Seeing Things That Aren’t Really There would fit right in with the rest of my spooky decor!  Giving new life to a ratty, falling-apart book, she used inexpensive embellishments to turn it into a creepy relic that would look fabulous as part of a mantle display or centerpiece arrangement.  [how to make easy Halloween altered book art]

Project estimate:

• Old book, on hand or $1
• Picture frame, $1 and up
• Skeleton hands, $1 and up
• Cardboard, on hand
• Printable graphics, free
• Paint, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  $2 and up

The post Make Easy Halloween Altered Book Art appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

This month we challenged our readers to come up with ideas for our Wedding Craft Challenge sponsored by Dollar Tree.  There were so many awesome entries, and once again it was a huge challenge to choose a winner.  And now it’s time to announce that winner!

Our guest judge for this month’s challenge is Amy Anderson from Mod Podge Rocks!  Her blog is all about Mod Podge (and you know we love us some Podge!) and features a myriad of projects involving the craft room staple, including these Mr. & Mrs. blocks that would make adorable table decor!

After much contemplating, we narrowed the field to our top five entries.  We know you’re excited to see which ones, so here they are!

5.)  Heart Chandelier by Malia at Yesterday on Tuesday

4.)  Lotus Blossom Wax Paper Pomander Ball by Carolyn at Carolyn’s Homework

3.)  Placemat Bridesmaid Clutches by Lavender Paper Hearts

2.)  Amazingly Cheap T-shirt Flower Bouquet by Sara at Endorsed by Igor

And the number one entry and winner of a $100 gift card to Dollar Tree is…

1.)  Faux Pewter Bird Centerpiece by Morena at Morena’s Corner

Congratulations, Morena!  We can’t wait to see what you do with $100 worth of stuff from Dollar Tree!  There were a ton of other great entries too, so make sure you check out our contest linkup to see them all!

Stay tuned for another great challenge sponsored by Dollar Tree, coming soon!

The post Wedding Craft Challenge Winner and Best-Of Roundup appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I scream, you scream, we all scream!  Whether you’re planning a birthday party, decorating a nursery, or you just love ice cream, these ruffly decorations by Melissa and Kellie at Icing Designs will add the perfect touch of whimsy to your decor.  (These are hung from a chandelier to dress it up for a party.)  They’re a great way to use up some of those fabric scraps tucked away at the back of your craft stash!  [how to make ruffled ice cream cone decorations]

Project estimate:

• Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Sewing machine or needles and thread, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Foam balls, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Polyfill, on hand or about $3
• Ribbon, on hand or $1
• Pins, on hand

Total: Free and up

The post Make Ruffled Ice Cream Cone Decorations appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

As Allison at little lovelies watched Valentine’s Day decor posts pop up all over the blog world, she am once again reminded of how lame her holiday decoration collection was. She wasn’t exaggerating – she did not own one Valentine’s decoration. Until now. I really love the simplicity and the gradient color. I also like that these can be framed, left in en embroidery hoop, or even given out as Valentines to your loved ones! [how to make cross stitch ombre hearts]

Project estimate:

• Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Embroidery hoop, $1 and up
• Embroidery floss, on hand or $1 and up

Note: Instead of buying four colors of thread, you can start with white and use RIT dye or Kool-Aid to color it. For each shade, leave the thread in longer to create a darker color.

The post Make Cross Stitch Ombre Hearts appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Last year, Allison from House of Hepworths fell head-over-heels for some fabulous nutcrackers in the West Elm catalog.  But at almost $30 each (or $60 for a larger model), she couldn’t justify buying them.  Not when she knew she could make them!  You won’t believe the “before” picture of these guys; they were pretty hideous when she found them at Dollar Tree.  A few modifications later, their mod makeover made a world of difference!  [how to make mod nutcrackers]

Project estimate:

• Nutcracker, $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Mod Nutcrackers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.