We love using fake floral items from the dollar store, but sometimes they look so, well…. fake. But that doesn’t have to be the case! Michelle at The Painted Hinge took some dollar store leaves to the next level with a clever paint treatment that makes them look so much more real. Use these on their own as table scatter, or work them into your other fall decor projects! [how to make realistic painted dollar store leaves]

Project estimate:

• Fake leaves, $1
• White glue, on hand or $1
• Chalk paint, on hand or about $2 and up
• Antiquing wax, about $3 and up
• Wax paper, on hand

Total: about $4 and up

The post Make Realistic Painted Dollar Store Leaves appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I go thrift shopping, I am always on the lookout for inexpensive clothing items that I can reuse in other projects. I quite often see colorful jeans, and as much as I love a colorful wardrobe, it seems like most of the non-blue jeans that end up at Goodwill are also in not-so-flattering-or-modern styles. So cutting them up for a craft project is doing the world a favor, right? Next time you see ugly jeans in a pretty color, snatch them up and make one of these gorgeous leaf baskets from Amy at Maker Mama! She is using hers as centerpieces, and her denim colors are perfect for autumn! [how to make denim leaf baskets]

Project estimate:

• Old jeans, on hand or about $3 and up
• Large bowl or other object for form, on hand
• Plastic wrap, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand or $1 and up

Total: Free and up!

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This festive fall garland would look phenomenal swagged across a fall mantle or over a doorway.  And it’s perfect to decorate your house for Thanksgiving dinner!

Our DSC community moderator from our crafty Facebook group, Terrie, is here with us again today to share this gorgeous fall garland!  When she originally shared it with the group, we all gave it lots of oooohs and aaaaahs, so we are very happy that she provided us with directions!

Project estimate:

• Raffia, about $2.50
• Assorted gourds and pumpkin, $1.25
• Fall leaf garland w/berries, $1.00
• Hydrangea bush (less than 1/4 used), about $0.50
• Pine cones, free
• Wired ribbon, $1.00
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  about $6.25 and up

Open the packages of raffia.  They are tied in the center …

… so untie them and attach them in the middle.  Use a pipe cleaner to secure the two lengths together…

and attach it to a stationary object. As you can see, I used a chair back.

Braid each side and tie the ends with an extra piece of raffia so that you have something that looks like the picture below:

Remove the pipe cleaner.

I used wired ribbon because it’s easier to control.  Start at one end. Leave as much as you want to hang with the raffia, and tie it down with an extra piece of raffia. I did this twice more, then the center, then did the other half.

With another piece of ribbon, tie a “shoestring bow” and cut the tails as long or as short as you like.

Now, that was the hard part!  The rest is easy!  Work in clusters where you tied down the raffia and in the center.

Hot glue your fall leaves to the underside of the garland, pretty side up.  (Put the glue on the top of the leaf).

Add gourds, pumpkins, pine cones, acorn, nuts, berries, flowers, whatever you want and make it as full as you like.

I found a light green Hydrangea bush and used them as my flowers. Sunflowers would look great, too.  If you’re using nuts, acorns or pine or spruce cones bake them at 175F for one hour to kill and critters.

I made mine a little larger in the center but you can make it symmetrical, you’re the designer! :)

The post Tutorial: DIY Fall Garland appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Yes, you can make this beautiful silk Thanksgiving centerpiece and use it for years to come!

Today’s tutorial comes to us from Terrie, our forum moderator at the Dollar Store Crafts Facebook group where we invite our readers to share what crafty things they’ve been up to.  If you love dollar store crafting, be sure to join the group to see lots more great ideas like this!

Project estimate:

• Cardboard, on hand
• Assorted gourds and pumpkin, about $2
• Fall leaf garland, $1
• Faux berries, $1
• Pine cones, free
• Piece of felt, on hand or about $0.25
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  about $4 and up!

I used an oatmeal box which wasn’t very sturdy so I used the front and back and glued them together.

Glue the felt on the cardboard so that it covers one side of the cardboard completely. Notice I folded it over about an inch and cut the corners at an angel so they weren’t so bulky.

Cut some leaves off the garland and randomly glue them on the edges of the cardboard. When you cut the leaves, do so to where they don’t have stems. I used the leaves off two different garlands for a better assortment.

Place the largest pumpkins and/or gourds in the center of the cardboard so that they are touching one another. DO NOT use glue yet. Once you have them in the position you like, making sure your centerpiece is pretty on all sides, you can glue them in to place. Pick each one up, add hot glue to the bottom and put it back in place.

Collect all smaller items along with some extra leaves and place them evenly around the centerpiece. Once you are satisfied with their placement, glue them one by one until you are done, just like before. Note: be sure to cover all the felt.

You’re finished! Your entire centerpiece is ready for the dining table, coffee table, wherever you need a touch of autumn.  You can make these in different sizes and shapes, this one is round because our cardboard was a square. If you want an oval centerpiece, make your cardboard rectangular.

To store, because it is literally one piece, you can slip it into a clear plastic bag or box and place it on a shelf for next year and years to come.

Designer Tips:

• Although pizza boxes are ideal to use, do NOT use one that has been used. The pizza aroma will linger in the cardboard for a very long time.
• Before you use pine cones “from the wild” bake them for one hour in the oven at 175F. This assures that they will be insect free.

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Wrapped pumpkins make great fall or Halloween decor. Here’s how to make one on the cheap with dollar store items!

One of the items I was most excited to see in this year’s Halloween selections at Dollar Tree was a selection of cute scarves – so of course I had to pick up a couple of them! I also grabbed a handful of foam pumpkins because they always sell out fast, and as I was unpacking my bags when I got home I was struck with an idea. Why not wrap one of the pumpkins up in one of the scarves? I’m super happy with how it looks and, as an added bonus, if I ever want to disassemble it I only have to untie a few knots and it will come apart with ease!

Watch the video to see how I did it, or keep scrolling for the written step-by-step!

Project estimate:

• Foam pumpkin, $1
• Scarf, $1
• Burlap or scrap fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Ribbon, on hand or $1
• Dowel, on hand or $1
• Clothespins, on hand

Total:  $2 and up

Lay out the scarf and place the pumpkin about 1/4 of the way from one of the ends.  Wrap the scarf around the pumpkin and gather the ends at the top of the pumpkin.

There will still be some of the pumpkin showing on the sides; to cover it, turn the pumpkin 90 degrees and wrap it a second time so that the pumpkin is complete covered with the scarf.  Adjust the edges of the scarf as needed to make them lay flat on the contours of the pumpkin.

Twist the gathered ends of the scarf together and tie an overhand knot to secure the scarf to the pumpkin, making sure to pull the knot tight.

To embellish the stem, tie a strip of burlap or scrap fabric around the knotted ends to resemble leaves; to make the curly vines, use green ribbon to make korker ribbon.

Creating korker ribbon is easy:  Wrap the ribbon around a wooden dowel and secure the ends with clothespins, then place it on a cookie sheet and bake at 275 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Once cooled, remove the ribbon from the dowel and it will stay in a spiral!

Tie a couple of pieces of korker ribbon around the stem and your pumpkin is ready to display!

The post Tutorial: Scarf-Wrapped Pumpkin appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a ton of faux leaves in fall colors hiding in my stash, and yet every year I find myself buying more of them.  Have you ever found yourself wondering what to do with a pile of fake foliage?  Colleen at Vivint’s The Neighborhood used some to create a pretty leaf bowl.  It would look great as part of your Thanksgiving tablescape, or anywhere else you want to add a pop of fall color.  You could even try adding a coat of spray paint over the finished bowl to give it an entirely different look – I think it would look amazing in gold!  [how to make a faux leaf bowl]

Project estimate:

• Faux leaves, $1
• Balloon, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand

Total:  $1

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

I love that fall decor is traditionally full if all kinds of natural elements that go along with harvest season. And I have always been a big fan of corn husk crafts, ever since I learned how to make corn husk dolls as a child. One of the best parts about crafting with corn husks, besides the fact that they look cool, is that if you save and dry them after eating corn on the cob, they are free! Haeley from Design Improvised used some to make a lovely wreath to greet her Thanksgiving guests this year. It’s simple and elegant and rustic all rolled into one beautiful project! [how to make a corn husk wreath]

Project estimate:

• Corn husks, on hand
• Wreath form, $1 and up
• Feathers (optional), on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up

The post Make a Corn Husk Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Dollar Tree always has lots of fun, seasonal decorative pieces, and it’s pretty easy to “take them up a notch” so they look more high end.  I liked the color and shape of these leaf bowls, so I glammed them up with glitter paint.  The paint I used is full of ultra fine glitter, but you could accomplish something similar with glitter and glue if you wanted to.

Project estimate:

• Leaf bowl, $1
• Glamour Dust Paint, $2
• Acorns, on hand
• Paint, on hand

Total:  $3

Step one:  Flip the plastic bowl over.  Paint the back of the bowl with the Glamour Dust paint.

Step two:  After the paint dries, repeat as needed.  I applied three applications to get the finish I wanted.

Step three:  Paint the acorns gold.  (As an aside, I had read to bake the acorns before you use the for crafting.  I wondered if this was necessary.  It is.  Trust me.  Unless you like finding little grubs crawling on your craft desk.)

I like how the gold acorns look next to the glittery orange bowl.  It makes a pretty decorative accent that doesn’t break the bank!  The leaf bowls come in different colors and shapes, so you have other options if you’re trying to match your decor.  Have fun crafting and creating!

The post Make Glittery Decorative Bowls for Fall appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

One of the quickest ways to add a little seasonal cheer to a room is with throw pillows. They are easy to make, inexpensive, and often an be whipped up in a matter of minutes! Such is the case with this leaf pillow by Amy at Positively Splendid. Using a large felt leaf decoration from the dollar store, she created a simple pillow that has a nifty secret: an envelope-style back! This means that if you use a pillow form to fill it, you can remove the covering much like a sham and replace it with a different cover when the seasons change. This way, you can store a whole collection of pillows to display throughout the year in very minimal space! [how to make a fall leaf throw pillow]

Project estimate:

• Felt leaf, $1
• Fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Pillow insert or polyfill, on hand or about $3
• Sewing machine or needle and thread, on hand

Total: $1 and up

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Halloween is just a few days away, but fear not!  If you haven’t quite finished preparing, you still have plenty of time for quick and easy projects like this yarn pumpkin garland by Haeley at Land of Nod.  And since pumpkins are very fall-y, you can keep it hanging all the way through Thanksgiving, so you’ll still get plenty of enjoyment out of it before the season is over!  [how to make a yarn pumpkin garland]

Project estimate:

• Yarn, on hand or $1 and up
• Pipe cleaners, on hand or $1
• Twine, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

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