Having a Halloween party?  It’s not really a party without a pinata!  And on such a candy-centric holiday, it’s even more appropriate.  Using a basic pinata-making technique, Jamie at Eighteen25 whipped up this adorable and super easy pumpkinheaded guy.  She even provides a free printable of Jack-o-lantern facial features, so all you have to do is glue!  [how to make a Jack-o-lantern pinata]

Project estimate:

• Balloon, on hand or $1
• Newspaper, on hand
• Papier mache paste, on hand or $1
• Crepe paper streamers, $1 and up
• Cupcake liner, on hand or $1
• Printable Jack-o-lantern faces, free
• Glue, on hand
• Candy for filling pinata, $1 and up

Total: $2 and up

The post Make a Jack-O-Lantern Pinata appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

In honor of Earth Day yesterday, we are bringing you a whole week focusing on recycled crafts.  Today’s does of repurposed goodness comes to us from Jenn at Rook No. 17, who found a whimsical use for burnt-out incandescent light bulbs: miniature hot air balloons!  By combining the bulbs with other odds and ends that were likely otherwise destined for the trash can as well, she created a set of adorable ornaments.  You could even make them seasonally-themed to use as holiday decorations!  [how to make recycled light bulb hot air balloons]

Project estimate:

• Light bulb, on hand
• Fabric scraps, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• String or twine, on hand
• Water bottle cap, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Ribbon or ric rac, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

The post Make Recycled Light Bulb Hot Air Balloons appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Holy cow, where did 2011 go?  I stopped paying attention for one second and – whoosh!  – it was gone!  It’s been a crazy year for DSC, and some of our posts went completely viral!  We’ve gained so many new readers this year that it makes our heads spin, and you’ve made it clear which projects you love most.  Taking a look back, here are our top 10 posts of 2011.

10.  Reconstructed Clothing Roundup: 5 Ways to Revamp a T-shirt

Knowing that budgets were tight this year, we presented you with five different ways to bring new life to tire old t-shirts.  And you loved them!  [read the post]

9.  Make Reusable Swiffer Covers

Swiffers are great, but the refills are expensive and not at all eco-friendly.  Making your own reusable swiffer covers is one way to both save money and reduce your environmental impact – everybody wins!  [read the post]

8.  Recycle a Soda Bottle into a Coin Purse

One of several crafts making a repeat appearance from last year’s top posts list, this project was DSC’s second most popular in 2010.  However unlike last year, it’s the only recycled craft to make the top 10 list.  Is recycled crafting going out of style?  We hope not!  [read the post]

7.  Make a Pebble Mat

In what might be the number one coincidence I’ve seen all year (or at least all day), this post also came in at number seven on last year’s list.  Crazy, right?  There’s a store near my town that sells these as placemats and table runners, and they are cool but pretty expensive.  This version, however, is much more affordable!  [read the post]

6.  Make a Beaded Chandelier

Falling two spots from its place at number four on last year’s list, this is still one of our most popular projects ever.  Heather did a fabulous job with the tutorial, and you won’t believe how easy it is to make your own!  [read the post]

5.  Make Water Balloon Candle Holders

We love projects that have a big “wow” factor, looking elegant and expensive on practically no budget.  (Of course, if you’re here, you probably already know that!)  This is one of those kind of projects.  Even though this post dates back to 2009, it’s gotten some serious attention from social bookmarking sites this year.  [read the post]

4. Make an Alien Abduction Lamp

As last year’s number one post, it’s no surprise that this project is still wildly popular.  It’s another of Heather’s awesome creations and it’s gotten linky love from all corners of the web.  Will it be just as well-loved in 2012? [read the post]

3.  Mind-Blowing Cake Decorating Tip

When Heather saw this cake decorating tip, it blew her mind.  Then she shared it with you, and it blew your mind too.  And then it blew up all over Pinterest, taking off like a rocket overnight.  Kaboom!  [read the post]

2.  Recommended Reading: 65 Craft Blogs We Love

When stashbusting time rolled around this spring, we thought you might need some inspiration.  We put together a list of 65 blogs we love and told you exactly why you should bookmark each one.  With these fabulous sites, you’ll never be short on ideas ever again!  [read the post]

1.  Make a PB-Inspired Tiled Mirror

Pinterest was kind to Dollar Store Crafts this year, especially when it came to this Pottery Barn knockoff post.  It came out of nowhere and jumped into not only our most-viewed post of the year, but also our second-most-viewed of all time!  The number one all-time spot belongs to the alien abduction lamp… at least for now.  Those aliens better watch their backs!  [read the post]

The post Top 10 Dollar Store Crafts Posts of 2011 appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s been awhile since we had a reader question! Let’s put our heads together to help Miriam, who posted over in the Dollar Store Crafts community asking about dollar store ideas for toddler room decor:

Hello i am trying to make over my toddler room (he is 2). I am looking for something very inexpensive… dollar store room makeover? He loves balloons, and bubbles… I like vintage things and want a look that doesn’t look too babyish. Any ideas or pics will be very appreciated. Thanks!

My Quick Pick:

Sounds like you definitely need to find ROUND things to put into the room! Look for lanterns, balls, or other spheres that you can repeat around the room to evoke balloons and bubbles.

Here is a cheap and easy craft projects that will add some vintage flair (and stay within the round theme):

• Make a String Lamp (see photo at top): you just need to buy a punch balloon, string, and some white glue to make this cool light fixture.

Okay, Dollar Store Designers, it’s your turn. Things you need to work with are: balloons and bubbles, with a vintage inspiration and something that will grow with him and not look too young. What are your ideas?

The post Question: Dollar Store Toddler Room Decor? appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I am enchanted by these tissue paper lanterns made by Kleas. She used watered-down glue, tissue, and balloons (classic papier-mache style), then when they were dry, punched holes and strung yarn, then hung them from sticks. They are so bright and fun. I bet my kids would have a lot of fun making these! They would also be great wedding or other party decorations. I bet they’d look cute if you used small balloons, too. For safety’s sake, I would use battery operated tea lights inside them, or ooh, what about dismantling those solar lights and putting them inside? [how to make tissue paper lanterns] [via]

Project Estimate:

• Balloons, on hand or $1
• Tissue paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Yarn, on hand
• Battery-operated tea lights, $1 for 2

Total: $1 and up

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

It’s just not a party without a piñata!  They’re always a hit with kids (when was the last time you saw one pass up anything that has to do with candy?), they’re easy and inexpensive to make, and they offer some great stress relief when it come time to whack ’em.  Tiffany from Simply Modern Mom had an ice cream party for her daughter, who also requested a piñata for the event.  She came up with a simple design that cleverly uses crepe paper streamers and coffee filters to decorate the outside.  (My Dollar Tree sometimes has the Baskin Robbins hard candies, which would be perfect for filling this giant cone!)  [how to make an ice cream cone piñata][via CraftyChica]

Project estimate:

• Papier mache paste, on hand
• Balloon, on hand
• Wax paper, on hand
• Packaging tape, on hand
• Poster board, on hand or $1
• Newspaper, on hand
• Large masking tape, on hand or $1
• Glue sticks, on hand
• Crepe paper, on hand or $1
• Unbleached coffee filters, on hand or $1
• Cord, rope, or string, on hand
• X-acto knife, on hand
• Candy or other fillers, $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make an Ice Cream Cone Piñata appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Project estimate:

• 30 large foil pie pans, $10
• 50  small foil pie  pans, $10
• Balloon, on hand
• Newspaper, on hand
• White glue, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $20

The post Make a Foil Pie Pan Rose Topiary appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I was a kid, I was fascinated with raffia.  But for all my hours of playing around with it, I never did manage to make anything useful out of it.  Enter Chyanne from Off the List.  She came up with these ingenious raffia bowls!  [how to make a raffia bowl]

Make a bowl from raffia in autumn colors and fill it with apples for an instant harvest-themed centerpiece, use one to corral stray odds and ends while you work on a craft project, or put one in your entryway to hold keys and other leaving-the-house essentials.  For a more rustic look, try substituting twine for raffia.

Project Estimate:

• Raffia, $1
• Balloons, on hand or $1
• Mod Podge, on hand

Project total:  $1 and up

Chyanne also has some other great ideas for crafting with raffia, including a fun mobile and a spruced-up message board frame.  Use her method to add pizzazz to all kinds of items around the house!

The post Make a Raffia Bowl appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love this idea found on Flipflops and Applesauce: Make beanbags out of balloons! I love how quick, cheap, and colorful this project is! Also, these beanbags remind me of those stress balls you can find at novelty shops. I wonder if you could sub one of these for a stress ball when you’re having a bad day? These would be fun birthday party favors. [project instructions here]

You can find balloons at the dollar store, and possibly the dry rice or beans needed to fill them (although, you might get a better deal at a regular grocery store). Chrissie at Flipflops and Applesauce made her own funnel out of stapled cardboard.

Project Estimate:

• Balloons, a bag for $1 (you need 3 balloons per beanbag)
• Rice or beans, $1 or on hand
• Funnel, on hand

Total: $1 and up

The post Make Balloon Beanbags appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The comments section of the tutorial also provides a lot of valuable insight for making this project. Commenters had better luck with 7″ or 9″ balloons (instead of the water balloons used in the tutorial). Use battery-operated tea lights to avoid melting through the luminaries (the metal-cupped tea lights can possibly get warm enough to melt through), or add sand in the bottom of the luminary to keep the tea light from melting through.

Other commenters suggested adhering something to the outside of the wax to add additional interest (although I just LOVE them as they are!), or using multiple colors of wax in several dips and then carving away to allow different colors to show through.

The project recommends high-melt paraffin wax to avoid the melting issue when used with tea lights. If you use battery-operated tea lights, you will avoid this issue and can use other kinds of wax to
make your luminaries. Melt down candles from the dollar store, perhaps? Get beeswax from your local beekeeper or farmer’s market?

Project Estimate:

• Paraffin Wax*, $1 (find at the grocery store in the canning section)
• Balloons, $1
• Double boiler, on hand
• Cookie sheet, on hand
• Battery operated tea lights, 2 for $1

Total cost: $3

*one commenter said s/he made 15 luminaries out of about 8 lbs of paraffin, so figure about half a pound of wax per luminary. You will likely need multiple blocks of wax from the grocery store to get started.

Photo montage by I-Do-It-Yourself.

The post Make Water Balloon Candle Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.