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.

What do you do with your empty egg cartons? Michelle from MollyMoo had some pretty purple cartons laying around, so she decided to turn them into this amazing paper bowl! You can do this project with any of the cardboard egg cartons – if yours aren’t colorful, you can add a few drops of food coloring to make the finished bowl any hue you want. It would also be a great project for using old cardboard quarts and pints from produce! [how to make a recycled egg carton bowl]

Project estimate:

• Egg cartons, on hand
• Water, on hand
• Food coloring (optional), on hand

Total: Free!

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Any occasion, even an everyday occasion, is more fun when it involves pretty decorations!  Whether you’re throwing a party or you just want to add a party-like atmosphere to a room, this lit papier mache garland by Ashley at Oh Happy Day ought to do the trick.  If you’re worried about the lights being so near the paper and creating a potential fire hazard, look for LED Christmas lights, which stay cool to the touch.  [how to make a lit papier mache garland]

Project estimate:

• Christmas lights, $1 and up
• Balloons, on hand or $1
• Tissue paper, on hand or $1
• Papier mache paste or Mod Podge, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

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So you want a pinata at your party, but you don’t want it in the shape of a donkey or a dinosaur or a car.  But you don’t want just a plain ol’ geometric shape either.  How about a fun, funky pinata made using party hats?  At Oh Happy Day, Jenny shows how to make this unique idea for your own party.  It’s easy to customize to any party’s theme or color scheme, from birthday parties to family picnics and even weddings!  (If you can’t find just the right ones, you can customize party hats to get the look you want!)  [make a party hat pinata]

Project estimate:

• Balloons, on hand or $1
• White glue, on hand or $1
• Newspaper, on hand
• Party hats, $1
• Tissue paper, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand
• Double stick tape, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make a Party Hat Pinata appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We’ve totally been crushing on ideas using the carveable foam pumpkins from Dollar Tree.  There are just so many possibilities for them!  Here’s another one we love:  Jenn from Rook No. 17 turned a handful of them into adorable folk art!  Their quirky look will fit equally well with cute Halloween decorations or more creepy decor.  And their primitive styling means that perfection isn’t a must, which is great for crafters like me who enjoy a rough-around-the-edges aesthetic!  [how to make folk art pumpkins]

Project estimate:

• Foam pumpkin, $1
• Papier mache, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Wire, on hand or $1
• Printable facial features, free

Total:  $1 and up

Looking for more pumpkin crafts?

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What do you do when you really want something you can’t find?  You fake it!  Rose from Projectville kept seeing photos of antlers being used to store jewelry, scarves, and hats, but she couldn’t find a set of real antlers anywhere.  By manipulating cardboard and wire into a base for papier mache, she whipped up fun faux set instead!  She gave hers a bright, wacky paint job, but you could also opt for a more traditional color scheme, which would yield a fairly realistic-looking rack.  [how to make a faux antler rack]

Project estimate:

• Cardboard, on hand
• Wire coat hanger, on hand
• Hot glue, on hand
• Papier mache, on hand
• Paint, on hand

Total:  Free

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If your Halloween decorating sensibilities run a little on the “Nightmare Before Christmas” end of things, then you’re going to fall in love with this project!  Using mini pumpkin buckets that she found in 6-packs at the dollar store, Gail from That Artist Woman papier mached up some funky, far less traditional little Jack-o-lanterns.  She also has more projects planned using the same plastic pumpkins, so if you pick up a bunch of them next time you’re out shopping, make sure you bookmark her blog for additional ideas!  [how to make crazy papier mache pumpkins]

Project estimate:

• Small plastic pumpkins, $1
• Papier mache, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Wire, on hand or $1
• Beads, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

Looking for more pumpkin crafts?

The post Make Crazy Papier Mache Pumpkins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Leah from Zombies Wearing Helmets found this idea for “painting” with yarn in a vintage 1970s magazine.  It’s a great project for using up odds and ends of scrap yarn!  You can use coloring book pages as templates for your designs, or come up with your own original ideas.  [how to paint with yarn]

Kids love papier mache.  (How can you not love something that’s so delightfully messy?)  Since campfire songs and musical instruments are staples of the summer camp experience, these papier mache maracas by Rebecca from Beauty All Around are perfect for the occasion!  If your kids really enjoy this project, try making drums and other musical instruments, then have a parade around the block!  [how to make papier mache maracas]

Using items from nature as craft supplies is a surefire way to capture the summer camp spirit.  Head out for a little stroll through the woods or around the neighborhood to find the makings of these adorable pine cone owls by Amanda of Crafts by Amanda.  (She is currently running a fabulous series of camp-themed crafts on her blog, so be sure to take a look around for more ideas!)  [how to make pine cone owls]

One specific craft I remember doing at camp is weaving on a cardboard loom.  (My mother still proudly displays a tiny rug I made for her with this method many, many years ago!)  Dig a sturdy piece of cardboard out of your recycling bin and head over to CraftStylish, where contributor Diane shows how to construct and use your loom.  [how to make a cardboard weaving loom]

It just wouldn’t be summer camp without making a lanyard, bracelet, or other macrame project, right?  (Napoleon Dynamite:  “I already made like infinity of those at scout camp.”) Monica from Smitten by a Knot has a great, easy-to-follow tutorial showing how to make a simple square knot bracelet that’s adjustable in length.  [how to make an easy macrame bracelet]

The post Camp Crafts Roundup: 5 Fun Kids Projects 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

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