I found this tissue paper pom-pom garland at the dollar store, and I knew it had to transform into something new, so I fluffed up all the poms, and turned them into a cute wreath. Find out how to make this bird wreath in my column at eBay: [tissue pom-pom wreath instructions]

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You know how it goes:  You walk into the dollar store and see something really neat.  You have no idea what you will do with it, but you know it has to be good for something, so you put it in your cart because you know you’ll kick yourself later if you pass it up.  Sound familiar?  That’s exactly what happened to Vivienne from The V Spot, who spied some nifty plastic chains around Mardi Gras time.  They make the perfect, spooky addition to her Halloween wreath, which also features a dollar store crow (or, if you’re feeling Poe-ish, it could also be a raven).  See, you’ve been collecting all of those tidbits for a good reason!  [how to make a spooky raven Halloween wreath]

Project estimate:

• Wreath form, $1 and up
• Bird, $1
• Chains, $1 and up
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Ribbon, on hand or $1

Total:  $3 and up

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I think every crafter has this problem:  ribbon remnants.  You know, the bits of ribbon that are too short to keep on the roll, but too long to toss.  I’ve tried keeping them in jars, storage totes, and small bags.  It always wound up a jumbled mess.  It was hard to find what I was looking for.

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Now I finally have a solution for this problem.  I used an adorable paper mache house to create a scrap ribbon holder!  The little “preview” poking through each window helps me see at a glance what’s available.  I can easily pull out and cut the length I need anytime.  Plus, it looks adorable sitting on the counter in my craft room.  I love when storage items can be functional and fashionable!

Project estimate:

• Paper mache bird house, $4 and up
• Paint, on hand
• Glue, on hand
• (Optional) Texture paste, on hand or $5 and up

Total: $4 and up

Step one:  Paint the roof of the house.  I applied a texture paste first, to give it a different appearance, but that’s optional.

Step two:  Paint a base coat over the house.  You may also want to paint the inside of the house (mine is hot pink!)

Step three:  Paint glue over the base coat to create your own crackle finish.

Step three:  Let the glue dry slightly, then paint your top coat over it.  The paint will crackle as it dries.

Step four:  Paint the base green, like grass.

Now you can start to fill your house with ribbon bits!  Poke a small amount through each window.  When you need a bit of ribbon for a project, simply pull the desired amount out of the window and cut. Easy to use and cute to look at!  This is so much better than a drawer full of ribbon, don’t you think?

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One of my favorite movies as a child was Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland.”  I was enchanted by the crazy antics that ensued at the Mad Hatter’s tea party, and always imagined how fun it would be to happen upon an “un-birthday party” in the woods.  Now that I have my own yard, I’ve decided to create a Mad Hatter inspired garden area, where my kids and I can picnic and celebrate un-birthdays.

As part of my theme, I’ll need lots of tea cups.  I thought it would be fun to have cups not just on the table, but also hanging from the trees.  I’ve seen several versions of teacup bird feeders, and knew I wanted to make one.  Here’s how I did it.

Project estimate:

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I mentioned in this post that I like to stock up on the cute little birds that Dollar Tree brings out in the spring.  I’ve made several things with these birds, like a faux pewter dish and a jewelry tray.  Well, the birds are back for another project:  recycled decorative jars!  These adorable containers are easy and inexpensive to make, and they’re perfect for gift giving or storage.

Project estimate:

• Glass Jars, on hand
• Birds, $1
• Acrylic Flowers, $1 and up
• Glue, one hand
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $2 and up

Step one:  Clean your jars and remove the labels.  I was able to wash the label off my tomato sauce jar, but the Frappucino jar required some Goo Gone to remove the residue.

Step two:  Glue the bird onto the lid of the jar.  My birds had wire legs that I removed.

Step three:  (optional) I like to add little flowers under the bird.  It just seems to finish off the “look”.  Glue the flowers in place.  I used E-6000.  Allow it to dry.

Step four:  Spray paint the bird and the lid.

I think these bird topped decorative jars would look great filled with Cadbury chocolate eggs for Easter.    Another idea is to fill them with bath salts for a pretty mother’s day or teacher appreciation gift.  What else might you do with them?

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I realize that many of you are snowed in right now, but I’m ready for spring!  Flowers, birds, and butterflies in pastel colors are hitting the shelves.  This is when Dollar Tree seems to get a lot of adorable bird figurines in stock, and I like to buy a LOT of them to craft with.  For today’s project, I’m using a Dollar Tree bird and platter to make a jewelry dish that looks like it cost more than $2 to make!

Project estimate:

• Bird figurine, $1
• Platter, $1
• Glue, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Glaze, on hand or $2

Total:  $2 and up

To make your own jewelry dish:

Step one:  Glue the bird onto the platter.  (I purchased both items at Dollar Tree).

Step two:  Prime and paint the platter.  I used Krylon’s Ivory spray paint.

Step three:  Brush the glaze onto the bird, then wipe off the excess with a towel.  Repeat until the entire project is covered.  If you make a mistake, wet a clean brush and wipe off the excess glaze.  (I used DecoArt’s Renaissance Brown Metallic Glaze.)

If this dish is going to get heavy use, you may want to seal it with a finishing spray.  I think it would make a cute bird feeder, too, if you added a pedestal.  You could even make your jewelry dish in other colors to match your decor.  There are so many possibilities with this project!  What will your jewelry dish look like?

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We love a good crafty challenge.  Nothing gets the creative juices flowing quite like it!  Jane from Buzzmills is took part in a “Feather Your Nest” challenge recently, the parameters of which were that the project had to:  1) include recycled materials and 2) it was a stitch-along, so there had to be sewing involved.  Taking a literal twist on the bird-related theme, she dug into her pile of magazines (who doesn’t have a million of those laying around collecting dust?) and came up with a simple (and free!) mobile.  She drew her own bird template for this project, but you could also do an image search for bird clipart to print and cut out if you don’t feel so artistically inclined.  Or you could go for a different shape altogether!  [how to make a recycled paper bird mobile]

Project estimate:

• Magazines, on hand
• Template, free
• Sewing machine, on hand
• String, on hand
• Twig, on hand

Total:  Free!

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Jane at Buzzmills shares a tutorial for an adorable felt lovebird necklace. This is a great craft to make for someone for a Valentine’s Day gift, or “just because!” Once you whip one up, you’ll want to make one for all your friends and loved ones. Plus, once you master the art of the felt bird, they can be used as appliques, barrettes, on headbands, as single charms and much more – the ideas are endless. [how to make a felt lovebird necklace]

Project estimate:

• Felt, on hand or $1
• Embroidery thread, on hand or $1 and up
• Chain or necklace, $1 and up

Total: $1 and up

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If someone said to you, “I made a cloche out of a garbage can,” your first response probably wouldn’t be, “ooh, I bet that is really pretty!”  And yet…  it is really pretty!  I love how Krista from The Gathering Place Design styled her creation with a nesting bird figurine, giving it a look reminiscent of a vintage bird cage.  On her blog, she also shows the same arrangement with a different cake stand and a crystal knob instead of a filigreed finial to demonstrate that the project can also take on a softer look.  [how to make a wire basket cloche]

Project estimate:

• Wire trash can, $1
• Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Knob or finial, on hand or $1 and up
• Cake stand, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

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While I’m not a huge fan of eating turkey (give me a big ol’ chicken breast instead), I do love Thanksgiving.  Which, if you haven’t been paying attention, has been sneaking up behind Halloween and is now less than three weeks away!  Eek!  Don’t feel too overwhelmed yet though because there are a lot of super-quick projects you can do in preparation for the holiday.  Over at Gwenny Penny, Gwen made this abso-freakin’-loutly adorable turkey inspired by embroidery hoop snowmen she spied on Pinterest.  I love that she used burlap for this project; it’s super trendy right now, but I really think that the look is classic!  [how to make an embroidery hoop turkey]

Project estimate:

• Embroidery hoops, on hand or $2 and up
• Burlap, on hand or $1
• Felt, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total:  Free and up

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