You’ve probably seen plenty of acorns incorporated into fall crafts, but what about other nuts? At the blog Mad in Home, Cecile shared her tutorial for making this gorgeous hazelnut wreath. I hadn’t thought to use hazelnuts this way, and now my brain is churning about all the other great fall looks they could achieve! (Not gonna lie – also thinking about eating all of the nuts once it’s time to tear down the fall decor. Bonus!) [how to make a hazelnut fall wreath]

Project estimate:

• Wreath form, $1 and up
• Hazelnuts, about $5 and up
• Hot glue, on hand
• Ribbon, on hand or $1 and up

Total: about $6 and up

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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

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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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The problem with seasonal decor, especially if you live somewhere with limited storage space, is finding a place to put it once its season has passed for the year.  If you are familiar with this conundrum, then you need to see these adorable fabric pumpkins by Ananda at A Piece of Rainbow.  Believe it or not, these cute little decorative pumpkins are constructed using rolls of toilet paper and various fabric items from around the house: kitchen linens, clothing, scarves, or whatever else you happen to have on hand.  When it comes time to change your seasonal decor, just disassemble them and return all of the items to where they belong – no special holiday storage required!  [how to make no sew fabric pumpkins with toilet paper]

Project estimate:

• Toilet paper, on hand
• Fabric items, on hand
• Twig, on hand

Total:  FREE!

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School is starting back up, the air is getting cooler, and bits of color are starting to show in the trees.  That means it’s time to start your fall crafting!  We’ve long been fans of the humble popsicle stick as one of our favorite craft supplies.  Check out how Menucha at Moms and Crafters used popsicle sticks to create this 3D pumpkin decoration.  These would be cute as part of a centerpiece or mantel display, or you could make a bunch of them and string them together as a fun garland!  You can use colored popsicle sticks, like Menucha did, or use plain sticks and give them color with a little bit of paint.  [how to make a popsicle stick pumpkin]

Project estimate:

• Popsicle sticks, on hand or $1
• Water, on hand
• Drinking glass, on hand
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Buttons, on hand or $1 and up
• Twine and/or ribbon, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

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I always pick up at least one bag of these fabric leaves at Dollar Tree each year.  They’re such a pretty, inexpensive product to craft and decorate with.  Last year I let my kids scatter them on the table for decor, and we used some as tail feathers for our paper turkeys.  This year, I decided to give them a metallic finish to create a more luxe look.

Project estimate:

• Fabric leaves, $1
• Gold paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Dimensional Magic, on hand or about $3
• Mirror, $1
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $2 and up

Step one:  Paint both sides of the leaves gold.

Step two:  Drop a small amount of Dimensional Magic on the leaf, and use a brush to paint the front of the leaf with the DM.  This makes the leaves a little stiffer and gives them a beautiful sheen.

Step three:  Arrange the leaves as desired around the mirror, and glue them in place.

It makes a gorgeous mirror, but if you don’t want to hang it up, you could set it on a table to create a pretty centerpiece.  I think it would look beautiful paired with the cracked glass votive that I showed you how to make recently.

I liked the leaves so much that I painted a few more to make myself a pair of earrings.  Pretty, don’t you think?  I can think of so many ways to use these pretty gold leaves:  place settings, napkin rings,  or to embellish cards.  Have fun crafting and creating!

The post Tutorial: Faux Gold Leaf Mirror DIY appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

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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Boot season is back, baby! One of my favorite parts of fall is dusting off my little collection of cute, comfy boots. It’s always a bummer to pull out a favorite pair and find scuffs and scratches. Or just realizing that last season’s boots might be a little blah for this year. Instead of going shoe shopping, try some of these ways to refashion those old boots.

1. Glitter Boots – A pop of glitter is a great way to cover up scuffed heels on an old pair of boots.

2. Pop of Color Boots – Raid your fabric stash and use your prettiest scrap pieces to add a little colorful detail to your favorite boots.

3. Color Blocked – I love how this boot refashion reminds me of saddle shoes. So sweet.

4. Gold Toes – Who says socks are the only way to sport a gold toe? Cover scuffs and scratches and add a little sparkle at the same time.

5. Lace-Covered Boots – Use a bit of lace to cover imperfections and add interest to a plain pair of boots.

6. Polkadot Rain Boots – Make your puddle-stomping a little bit cuter.

7. Removable Bling – Give your combat boots a glam touch without committing with this removable embellishment.

8. Western Faux Steel Toe – This is a more stylized take on the color-blocked toe, and it’s so cute!

9. Studded Ankle Boots – Trim and transform your boots into trendy ankle boots with a little bit of a hard edge.

10. Cut Out Boots – Take a pair of tall boots from modest to sassy with an X-acto knife.

The post 10 Ways to Refashion Old Boots appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

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!

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