When I heard about the Scribble Challenge, I got really excited.  See, Scribble Shop is an online craft store that sells over 75,000 different items.  (Yeah, they have pretty much everything!)  For this challenge post, they sent me a box containing a selection of a few of the items they sell; my job was to create a project using as many of the contents as possible.  When my box arrived, it was so much fun to open!  I found that it contained:

• Wool roving, green, $2.09
• Wool roving, royal blue, $2.09
• Feathers, $3.19 (or on hand)
• Large glitter brads, $3.79 (or on hand)
• Martha Stewart glitter, $3.99 (or on hand)
• Fabric charm squares, $5.99 (or on hand)
• Chalkboard paint, $3.49
• Ferrero Rocher candies, $1 and up

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the wool roving was something that’s been on my crafty bucket list:  needle felting!  Then the combination of the feathers and glitter, along with the colors in the box, made me think of Mardi Gras.  It was an “a-ha!” moment.  I knew I had to make some sort of felted mask.  The materials were begging for just such a treatment!

We could also use items from our own stash to supplement the materials provided in the box.  In addition to the goodies that Scribble Shop sent, I used:

• A felted thrift store sweater, on hand or $1 and up (or you could use store-bought wool felt)
• Embroidery hoop, $1.59
• Needle felting mat, $10.49
• Needle felting tool, $16.95

Depending what  you have on hand and whether or not you use the exact same components, you should be able to replicate this project for about $10 and up.

First I used a Sharpie to draw the shape of a mask on my felted sweater.  (If you don’t feel comfortable drawing freehand, sketch it on a piece of paper first, then cut it out and use that as a template to transfer the image to your felt.)

Then I used my needle felting tool and mat to fill in the mask with wool roving.  I twisted the pieces of roving as I attached them to create a swirl-like pattern.

Once the entire mask was felted, I mounted it in the embroidery hoop and trimmed away the excess felt.  I used the chalkboard paint to paint the embroidery hoop black before mounting the mask in it.

Next came the best part: embellishing the mask!  I started by gluing a grouping of feathers to the top of the mask.

Then I carefully pressed the glitter brads through the felt to dress up the corners of the mask.

I used the fabric to cover the base of the feathers.  I cut a circle out of the fabric and used my i-top button maker with brad backs to make a custom brad.  Alternatively, you can get the same effect using an upholstery button kit.

After I ate the candies (trust me, they didn’t survive long), I carefully smoothed out the foil and tucked it aside.  I pulled it back out to give the mask gilded features.  I cut two eye shapes and a lip shape out of scrap cardboard, then wrapped them in the gorgeous gold foil.

I used the glue pen that came with the glitter to make a fine line around the edge of each gold-wrapped piece, then dumped on some sparkle.  Once the glue dried, I tapped off the excess glitter and glued the features into place.

Huzzah!  I managed to use everything in the box!!  (*Pats self on back*)  If you had to use everything in the box to make one project, what would you create?

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Disclosure:  This post is part of a paid campaign with ScribbleShop.com and Blueprint Social.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Full disclosure here.

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I love checking out the holiday deals at all of my favorite stores.  This year  in the Halloween aisle at Walgreens I found a box of plain, masquerade-style masks made out of craft foam priced at 2/$1.00.  Score!  Since I’ve always had a fascination with masquerade masks, I picked up a handful of them.   I’ve also been wanting to make a pair of  steampunk goggles, so I thought, why not combine the two into a single project?

Project estimate:

• Mask, $0.50
• Chopstick, on hand or $1
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Felt, on hand or about $0.33
• Thumb tacks or paper fasteners, on hand
• Bottle caps, on hand
• Plastic bottle, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Spray adhesive, on hand or about $5

Total:  $0.50 and up

The mask came with an elastic string, which I immediately removed.  The outside edge around the beveled imprint was also quite uneven, so I trimmed it up with a pair of scissors.  Then I glued a chopstick to the back side of the mask with a liberal dose of  hot glue.  Here it is sitting in a shallow box and waiting for some paint!

Spray paint your mask.  Metallic paints work well for a steampunk look; I chose to go with a hammered copper finish.

Carefully cut the centers out of two large, plastic bottle caps.  (Mine are from Powerades.)  Sand the edges of the holes to smooth as needed.  Spray paint the caps in a contrasting metallic shade.  (I used a textured spray paint in a gunmetal color.)

Widen the eye holes on the mask so that the openings are round and just a little smaller than the bottle caps.  (I traced the bottle caps on the back side of the mask, then used scissors to cut holes slightly smaller than my marks.)

Cut a piece of felt to go across the mask, making sure that the eye holes line up and that it fits over the bridge of the nose.   Embellish the sides with paper fasteners.  When I went to the store they were out of paper fasteners, so instead I used some thumb tacks that I had on hand; I bent the back side of each tack all the way over, then poked the end of each tack through  the felt and glued them into place.

To make lenses for your goggles, cut two circles out of the curved top portion of a plastic soda or water bottle and snap them into place inside the painted caps.

Glue the bottle caps over the eye holes on the mask.

You could call it finished at this point, but I like lots of details so I did some outlining with a silver Sharpie.  This step is totally optional, but I love how it makes everything stand out!

The post Make a Steampunk Goggles Masquerade Mask appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Some costumes just aren’t complete without a mask.  If you’re looking to make your own mask this Halloween, here is a simple way to do it.  DeeDee from Whatever Dee-Dee Wants has a  free, downloadable template for this basic felt mask that I think would be the perfect accessory for a super hero costume.  It would also be a wonderful base for a masquerade-type mask, or add feathers and make it a bird mask.  The idea is quick, easy, and cheap enough to also work well as a party favor!  [how to make a felt superhero mask]

Project estimate:

• Felt, on hand or about $0.33 per sheet
• Ribbon or elastic, on hand or $1
• Mask template, free

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Felt Superhero Mask appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Hi Heather,
I first want to say that I love your blog and always enjoy seeing the crafts you showcase. I have seen you come up with ideas for several other decorating and party schemes (and your readers are wonderful too!) so I was hoping you might be able to help me out.

My husband’s family (of 14 kids *gasp) has 7 birthdays from April through May (ages 17 through 30, boys and girls) and every year we do a mass birthday party instead of trying to have a party every week. This year we are trying to plan a masquerade theme and I would really love some cheap ideas. I’m already making giant and over sized paper masks to hang on the walls and I have a couple of wrought iron candliers to hang up (we’re decorating in our large unfinished basement) and I plan to use lots of twinkly lights as well as balloons but I would sure love some ideas for centerpieces and other decor. We plan to have the party on the first of May in the evening with indoor and outdoor entertaining areas so we’ve got a couple of weeks and I’ve got a LOT of free time.

Thanks so much in advance for any suggestions you can make!

Melissa

My idea:

A Candy Buffet: Since there will be guests of all ages, a candy buffet would be a fun and colorful centerpiece (and the best part: you don’t have to spend money on stuff you won’t use again, because it’s all edible!) Here are some ideas for how to make a candy buffet:

I found a fantastic example of a candy buffet at Kara’s Party Ideas. She gives a lot of info on how she created her candy buffet in this blog entry, but some of the cool things she made are: marshmallow pops, tissue paper pom-poms, and a Dum Dum topiary, which is a fabulous centerpiece idea for a masquerade!

The Dum Dum topiary is a great dollar store craft! So great, in fact, that I’m gonna cost it out for you right here:

Project Estimate:

• Planter, $1 (paint your theme color)
• Floral foam, $1
• Foam ball, $1
• Dowel, $.50 (will make several topiaries)
• Maribou boa, $1 (if you can find one in the toy section of the dollar tree, otherwise more like $3-5 per boa)
• Bag of Dum Dums, $1 and up (sometimes they have these at the dollar store)

Total: $5.50 or so

One reason why I like the topiary is that it gives a lot of visual impact (and the appearance of a LOT) of candy, but you can make it for relatively little money. Instead of having to fill an entire vase with candy, you can strategically place your candy on the foam ball and visually extend it!

Lollipop Display Idea: There are a lot of other great candy buffet ideas at Hostess With The Mostess, including this Sesame Street candy buffet post in which she gives a lot of good advice for setting your own buffet up. I like how she displays these lollipops by filling a container with a flat piece of foam, sticking the lollipops in the foam, then topping with loose candy.

Sourcing Your Candy: If I were doing a candy buffet, my first stop would be Winco–a west coast grocery store that has a great bulk food section, including lots of candy. If you don’t live in WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, or UT, you might have a similar grocery chain in your area. The dollar store has some novelty candy (although not in big quantities!), so you might be able to do some fill-in candy from the dollar store. You can also buy a variety of candy in bulk from Oriental Trading Company (and they also have some masquerade party supplies). [I found the swirl sucker assortment shown here at OTC: $24.99 for 110 pieces]

This photo is from a Pirate birthday party I had for my son. As you can see, you don’t have to have huge containers of candy to make visual impact! I used dishes I already had at home for a few kinds of candy, and then filled in with other cheap, colorful items like plastic containers of bubbles, and basket of fruit.

Candy Buffet Display: You can find various colorful or clear receptacles for holding candy at the dollar store. They have a lot of candy dishes, bowls, vases, glasses and goblets. You can also make your own tiered serving dishes from trays and a candlestick, like this one at Tatertots & Jello, or this tiered bowl would also be especially great for a colorful candy display. Don’t overlook the cylindrical vases! They’ll make a great visual impact filled with colorful layers of candy.

[this candy buffet by Holly at Art, Meet Craft]

Serving the Candy: Remember to provide some kind of portable receptacle for people to take their candy in. Clear plastic party glasses are good for at-party snacking, and little favor bags or boxes work well for to-go boxes. You can find all of these things in the wedding section at your local Dollar Tree.

Now it’s your turn: Readers, I know you have a lot of good ideas for masquerade party centerpieces and decor, so please chime in with your ideas!

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