Hear ye, hear ye! Here are some fun summer DIYs to do this weekend:

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Whether you need stocking stuffers or gifts for your daughter’s besties, these easy DIY tutorials help you churn out impressive looking gifts that tween girls are sure to love!

Manicure Gift Set by Rhonda on Dollar Store Crafts

Gem Cluster Hair Pins from Mined Strawberry

Handmade Bookmarks from Skip to My Lou

Bent Wire Earrings from Wobisobi

 Pixie Dust Necklace by Carissa on Dollar Store Crafts

Friendship Bracelet Kit from Two Oh Two Seven

DIY Ponytail Holders from SheKnows

Sparkly Strawberry Lipbalm from Torie Jayne

Rainbow Bobbypins from Club Chica Circle

Wire Hearts Ring from Stepping Through Crazy

The post 10 Last Minute DIY Gift Ideas for Tween Girls appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We love questions about recycled crafting.  They really make you put on your thinking cap!  This one comes to us from reader Launna, who e-mailed us to get some ideas.  She says:

I have several empty Play-Doh containers. What could I make with them instead of taking them to the trash? I have seen the recycled Play-Doh container wreath, but what else can I or we make with these?

Have you made anything out of old Play-Doh containers?  If you had a collection of them, what would you do with them?

[photo by Flicker user GIANTsqurl; Creative Commons]

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I love this idea by Breanna over at our sister site Dollar Store Mom: a growth chart made from one of those standard full-length mirrors. She painted on the measurement lines and other decorative touches using the Martha Stewart decorative paint line by Plaid. You can always find these mirrors in your local big-box stores for around $5, but I have noticed that they have extra choices during back-to-school time for the college student product lines. To find out how to make the growth chart, go to Dollar Store Mom. [how to make a mirror growth chart]

Project Estimate:

• Mirror, $5
• Various paints, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $5 and up

More Martha Stewart Paint Project Ideas (sponsored by Crafterminds):

• Thrift Store Magazine Rack at Serenity Now (8)
• Revamped Bird Feeder at Crafts By Amanda
• DIY Stenciled Tray Tutorial at Pizzazzerie
• Painted Ceramic Tiles at Positively Splendid
• Stenciled Watering Can at Mom Endeavors
• Stenciled Shower Curtain at Beneath My Heart (10)
• Raceway Building Blocks at Brown Paper Packages (5)
• Quatrefoil Corkboard at Saved By Love Creations
• Bakers Rack Restyle at Mad In Crafts
• Baby Memory Box at Chica and Jo (13)
• Embellished Gift Bags at Always in Wonder
• Vintage-style pageant sash by Cathe of Just Something I Made (12)
• Stenciled quatrefoil footstool by Beckie of Infarrantly Creative (4)
• Frosted mirror by Michelle of A Little Tipsy
• Fall leaves burlap runner by Colleen of Mural Maker
• Glitter monogrammed frames by Carolina of Expect Moore (2)
• Stenciled pillows by Jen of Tatertots and Jello (11)
• Repurposed Bottles Turned Pumpkins from Gail at My Repurposed Life (9)
• Craft Test Dummies Upcycled a small chest
• Bat canvas from Eighteen 25 (7)
• Stenciled skirt from Brassy Apple (6)
• Bright and colorful recycled tin organizers from The Crafting Chicks (1)
• Crafts By Amanda went the elegant route with her his-and-hers tray tables
• Sew Woodsy made a stenciled tray and votive holders

The post Make a Growth Chart Mirror + 40 more projects appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

How far into summer vacation do you think you will make it before someone utters the phrase, “I’m bored?”  Be prepared for this inevitable moment with a summer fun checklist by Lila at Sweet and Lovely Crafts.  Inspired by summer bucket lists and to-do lists she’s been seeing around the web as well as a bunch of nifty ideas spotted on Pinterest, she came up with a bunch of activities to complete with her kids.  Her little ones are in the toddler/preschool age bracket, so the list is largely populated with ideas perfect for younger kids.  With over 60 activities listed, it’s a sure-fire boredom buster!  [summer fun checklist free printable]

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For most of us, crafting is a fun and productive way to pass our idle time.  And some of us have  a whole  lot of idle time to pass!  For those who are ill, injured, or experiencing a difficult pregnancy, it is common for doctors to order bed rest.  DSC reader Kortni is one of those crafters confined to a chair with a lot of free time on her hands.  On our Facbook page, she writes:

I’m waiting for a liver transplant and I’m pretty much stuck sitting in a chair all day. What are some specific craft ideas that I could do (besides knitting/crochet)?

Do you have any great craft ideas that would be appropriate for someone who isn’t supposed to get up?  Please share them in the comments!

[photo courtesy fixer @ morguefile.com]

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Are you a scrap saver?  It drives my husband nuts, but I can’t stand to throw away bits of pretty papers, fabrics, and other supplies that are left over at the end of a project.  Over on our Facebook page, reader Sara posed a question about one of her scrappy collections:  Little pieces of ribbon.  She has tons of little pieces ranging in length from about 6 to 10 inches.  They would be perfect as scrapbook embellishments, but alas she isn’t into scrapbooking.

Whaddaya think, folks?  What can you make with a whole bunch of odds and ends of ribbon?

(photo by  cohdra @ morguefile.com)

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While I was searching for a picture of a shotgun shell to show exactly what we’re talking about, I came across this Christmas ornament idea.

How cute is that??   The page I found it on was a free image site, so there wasn’t a tutorial attached, but I think that it would be pretty simple to figure out how to make a shotgun shell Santa ornament just by looking at the picture.

Alright guys.  Now that your gears are turning, we want to know  your thoughts!  What would you make with empty shotgun shells?

[photo by johninportland @ morguefile.com]

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Chipboard coasters — you know, the ones you get at a restaurant — what can I do with ’em??

I have a collection of these as well, since things that are colorful and free are hard for me to resist. I’ve been wanting to take some of them and bind them with paper to make miniature notebooks. I’ve also considered saving up a whole bunch of different designs and using them to create some large-scale specimen art to cover a whole wall.

So, dear readers, we put the question to you: What would you make with a collection of chipboard coasters?

[photo via Wikimedia Commons]

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It’s time to bust that stash!  You have massive piles to use up but no idea where to begin or what to make.  Crafter’s block is frustrating, though overcoming it may not be as difficult as you think.  If you’re feeling stuck in a creative rut the best way out is to try something different.  When you’re feeling less-than-inspired, here are a few exercises to help get your crafty neurons firing again.

1.  Touch Your Supplies

It may sound silly, but handling your stash is a great way to jump-start your creative side.  Close your eyes and feel the weave of your fabrics, the softness of your yarns, or the texture and weight of your papers.  What do these sensations make you think of?  I find that often, the tactile experience gets my brain moving in directions it may not have otherwise gone.

2.   Sort Your Supplies

There are a couple of ways that sorting your supplies can help to give you new ideas.  First, doing a general sort of your  stash will make exactly what you have on hand fresh in your mind.  You might come across a gorgeous sheet of stickers or a funky remnant of fabric you’d forgotten you had.  When you originally bought all of these things, something inside you saw a glimmer of inspiration.  Seeing your collection through fresh eyes can take you back to that moment in time and remind you of what you saw in each item.

If you have specific project needs, such as a piece for your mantel or a gift for a baby shower, try sorting your supplies by colors.  If you want to do an Easter project, for instance, go through everything you own and pull out anything that is in pastel colors.  Don’t discriminate based on the type of materials in your stash; include everything you can find that’s in the right colors.  For example, even if you’re making a greeting card, don’t hesitate to include materials that weren’t intended for paper crafting.  Seeing these supplies in a new context can lead to surprising and ingenious results.

3.  Randomize Your Supplies

Still stumped?  Then how about playing a fun game?  Try getting crafty MacGuyver style!

Start by writing down a list of your supplies and cutting the list out into slips of paper.   Be specific; say “pink and white gingham” or “blue grosgrain” rather than writing “fabric” or “ribbon.”  Fold up your slips of paper and put them in a hat, then draw three random items.  Challenge yourself to make something that incorporates all three of  these items somehow.

To avoid further frustration when you pick a seemingly impossible combination, give yourself a time limit.  If you haven’t come up with any ideas after 15 minutes of brainstorming, put the slips back in the hat and draw again.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Go play with your stash; it’s not going to bust itself!

[photo by taysm @ morguefile.com]

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