picnic Archives » Dollar Store Crafts

Make a Stamped Watermelon Tablecloth

Rhonda — Mon, 26 May 2014 16:00:07 +0000

With Memorial Day upon us, the start of summer picnic season is here! And what picnic is complete without watermelon? Over at the iLoveToCreate blog, Aunt Peaches shares how she made this festive watermelon tablecloth using an apple stamp. Yes, an apple! She used an old bed sheet as her fabric for this project; a drop cloth would also be a great option. If watermelons aren’t your thing, try other fruit and vegetable stamps to make your design. (Perhaps roses stamped with celery are more your style?) [how to make a stamped watermelon tablecloth]

Project estimate:

Apple or potato, on hand
Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
Fabric paint, on hand or about $6

Total: Free and up!

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Make a Paper Napkin Picnic Wreath

Rhonda — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:58:10 +0000

Paper napkins come in so many fun colors and designs that they just beg to be used as craft supplies. Have a package of them you’re longing to use but don’t know what to do? We love this idea from Lizbeth at Just Dip It In Chocolate! She used napkins with a picnic tablecloth print to make this fun picnic wreath – but you could use napkins with different patterns or colors to make this project work for just about any occasion. [how to make a paper napkin picnic wreath]

Project estimate:

Grapevine wreath, $1
Napkins, on hand or $1
Embellishments (optional), on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

The post Make a Paper Napkin Picnic Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Make Neon Tablecloth Weights

Rhonda — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:19:23 +0000

Picnics are a fun staple of summertime activities. But even the slightest breeze can make things go awry of your tablecloths aren’t weighted down! While anything heavy will work (my grandmother always uses big rocks), if you’re like me you want something pretty to do the job. Enter Heidi of Hands Occupied, who turned a few basic dollar store supplies into bright tablecloth weights. We’re loving the current neon trend, but if it’s not your thing, use any color scheme that suits your fancy! [how to make neon tablecloth weights]

Project estimate:

Washers, on hand or $1
String, on hand or $1 and up
Clothespins, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up

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Make Paper Food Baskets

Rhonda — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:00:28 +0000

This week friends and family will gather in back yards all across the country to eat food, play games, and enjoy each others’ company. If you’re looking for a fun way to add a little handmade flare to the festivities, or to any picnic or barbecue, try making pretty paper food baskets for serving your guests! Jessica from Zakka Life has provided a free printable template for making them; all you have to do is cut and glue! I love the carnival-like feel they have, and by using different papers, you can customize them to go with any occasion! [how to make paper food baskets]

Project estimate:

Printable template, free
Paper, on hand or about $0.10/sheet and up
Wax paper, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up

The post Make Paper Food Baskets appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Grandpa’s Tie Quilt Pillow & Iron Craft Roundup – May 2011

melinda — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:30:09 +0000

Now that our summer break is over, it’s time to catch everyone up on the Iron Craft challenges we did this summer! Today we’re looking at the May challenges – we crafted T-shirts, looked to our past and went on picnics. How did you spend your May?

Challenge 20 – To A Tee

We look at the catalogs that parade into the house with fancy T-shirts, and some of us can’t help but be inspired to try to make some of those ourselves. We could always freezer paper stencil, or iron on transfer. Paint. Embroider. Cut. Sew on. … the possibilities are endless. [See all the submissions from Iron Craft]

Melinda Hileman’s Submission: Garnet-Hill Inspired Shirt

Melinda used a medium t-shirt from Michaels (they had a big sale, so she got 4 shirts – this project uses 2 of them), and cut up an XL to create the cap sleeves and ruffles down the front.

Melinda knows what she wanted it to look like, and where she might have gone wrong (her pattern for the ruffles wasn’t quite right) , but considering this is the first garment she’s sewn without a pattern (and the only garment she’s sewn since middle school), she thinks it turned out pretty good.

She’s at a brick wall with her sewing skills, and it took two full days, so she may take it to an alterations person to finish off the neckline. Melinda also thought about ombre dying it so that it’s darker at the bottom, and the color it is now at the top. She’d love any suggestions on how she can make it look better without ripping the whole thing apart!

Challenge 21: Where We Come From

This week’s challenge was to create something based on our family’s heritage. We could go back one generation, or ten – whatever inspired us! [See all the submissions from Iron Craft]

Melinda Hileman’s Submission: Grandpa’s Tie Quilt Pillow

Melinda’s grandmother saved a bunch of her grandpa’s ties after he died. Her grandmother wanted to make a quilt from them, but since her Parkinson’s only got worse after his death, they have been hanging in her closet.

Melinda decided to use a dresden template to create a quilt square using her grandpa’s ties. It uses 6 ties (two sets are from one tie) and printable fabric with their family tartan on it (her dad scanned his tie and emailed it to her!). The middle has Melinda’s grandfather’s name, date of birth and date of death. It wasn’t until she typed that part that she realized it had been 10 years, this Christmas.

Melinda even added a tag on the side – the front says “Made by Melinda 2011” and the back says “Dry Clean Only; Do Not Get Wet.” This is important since pieces of the pillow are printed on fabric, and getting it wet will make all the ink run!

Note: Melinda’s grandmother died in late July, and this pillow was at her bedside through the whole process.

Challenge 22: Al Fresco

It was Memorial Day weekend in the States and to a lot of people (especially those of us in colder climates) it is the unofficial kick-off of summer. People everywhere were getting out in their backyards and local parks, firing up the barbecue and having a picnic. Our Iron Craft challenge for this week was to create something that can be used at a picnic, bbq or cookout. [See all the submissions from Iron Craft]

Melinda Hileman’s Submission: Beach Picnic Collage

Melinda and her husband husband had recently gone on a romantic weekend which included a picnic on the beach. She embellished a Dollar Tree frame with shells and rocks from the beach and put in a couple pictures from that day. They tried putting up a tent to keep the sun off, but as you can see, the top isn’t on the tent because it was windy and it tried to fly away! So, they just took the top off and kept on going in true Hileman fashion!

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

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Make a Suitcase Picnic Basket

Rhonda — Mon, 30 May 2011 15:00:09 +0000

Happy Memorial Day! It’s that time of year again already, can you believe it? If you’re celebrating with a barbecue or picnic, you’ll surely be wishing that you had one of these. Sibylle from Funkytime found an old suitcase that had seen better days that she redid to make a portable birthday party with a classic picnic theme. It’s the perfect romantic accessory to bring along on a date at the beach as well as a fun novelty for a family trip to the park. This would also make a wonderful, unique wedding gift! [how to make a suitcase picnic basket]

Project estimate:

Vintage suitcase, about $15
Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
Elastic, on hand or $1 and up
Ribbon, on hand
Velcro, on hand or $1 and up
Sewing machine or needle and thread, on hand
Tea towels, $1 and up
Plastic plates/cups/silverware, on hand or $6 and up

Total: about $16 and up

The post Make a Suitcase Picnic Basket appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Man Crafts: lawn drink caddy

mikeasaurus — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:01:31 +0000

Hopefully warmer Spring weather has hit wherever you are. Springtime means getting out outside and enjoying the sun, and nothing goes better with lounging outside than your favourite ice cold beverage. But, who can handle hanging onto a cold drink for too long? Instructables member DepotDevoid shares his method of keeping his chilled bevvy close at hand, without chilling his hands, all while chilling out on the lawn.

In the seasonal section of the Dollar Store, he picked up a metal shepherd’s crook pot holder (designed to be staked into the ground) and a wire mesh pencil holder. With some creative bending and liberal application of epoxy he’s created an elevated drink holder. Perfect for staking into your lawn during that next croquet tournament, or just somewhere to rest your drink while you scarf some BBQ goodies. [how to make a lawn drink caddy]

Project Estimate

Wire mesh pencil holder/basket, $1
Shepherd’s crook ground-stake pot holder, $1

Total: $2.00

The post Man Crafts: lawn drink caddy appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Make Colorful Painted Silverware

Rhonda — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:30:35 +0000

My silverware drawer is hopelessly mismatched. When Adam and I got married, we combined our collections, which were both eclectic to begin with. (How I ended up acquiring so many random forks and spoons over the years is a mystery; there are at least a half dozen different flatware patterns currently lurking in my kitchen.) I’d love a full matched set, but my budget dictates that what we currently have will have to do. But now, thanks to Christy of Creatively Christy, I have a solution that will tie all of my odds and ends together into a unified set: Painted handles! I’m going to paint different patterns all in the same color, but you could also do the opposite and paint pieces in the same pattern with all different colors! [how to make colorful painted silverware]

Project estimate:

Silverware, on hand or $1 and up
Spray primer, on hand or about $5 and up
Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
Masking tape, on hand
Sandwich bag, on hand

Total: Free and up

The post Make Colorful Painted Silverware appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Reader Question: What to Make from Wicker Paper Plate Holders?

Rhonda — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:30:36 +0000

Every once in a while, you’re bound to have someone offer you some sort of oddball item in mass quantity. You’ll be tempted to accept them, but you’ll have no idea what you can possibly do with them. What should you do? Well, you can always do what reader Robin did via our Facebook fan page and ask DSC!

Robin’s mother-in-law made her a very tempting offer: a whole stack of wicker paper plate holders. What can you do with this picnic staple besides stabilize flimsy plates? So far, other readers have suggested using them decoratively underneath house plants or spray painting them different colors and hanging them as a grouping either on an interior wall or to dress up an outdoor space. If you had a bunch of them, what would you do?

[photo by cohdra @ morguefile.com]

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Make Terra Cotta Picnic Food Cloches

Heather — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:33:51 +0000

Camilla from Family Chic has a ton of great ideas (like last week’s cupcake liner patio lights); here’s another great one — picnic food-covering domes made from terra cotta planter pots. Simple, innovative, and made with stuff you have at home — all qualities I love in a dollar store craft! You can get terra cotta pots at your dollar store or home improvement store, and drawer pulls can be found at thrift shops or hardware stores. These pretty cloches will make a great statement on your picnic or party table, and could be at home at the right wedding reception. [how to make terra cotta picnic pots]

Project Estimate:

Terra cotta pot, $1 and up
Drawer pull, $1 and up
Washer and nut, a few cents each

Total: $2 and up

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