Take these elephant and dinosaur toys from the dollar store and use them to make some fun photo holders to display on your desk, shelf or playroom. Add a dash of whimsy to any room. You’ll be surprised at the way these clever photo holders are constructed, so check out how easy it is to make this dinosaur photo frame craft!

Hi there! Katie here today from Punk Projects! I love using inexpensive items in my crafting. If it involves upcycling, I’m all for it! I took a trip to the Dollar Tree to get some inspiration for today’s post and I found these awesome plastic toys.

Supplies Needed:

Project estimate:

• Toy animals, $1
• Flat magnets, on hand or $1
• Super glue, on hand or $1
• Craft knife or box cutter, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

1. Decide on your animals. I loved the brontosaurus, and the elephant is for a friend.

2. Use a craft knife to cut through the animal. Most plastic animals have a seam where they were put together, cut on that seam and it will be easier. Just don’t cut yourself.

3. Once you have your animal cut in half, trace around him onto a magnet.

4. Cut out 2 magnets for each animal.

5. Go around the cut edge of your animal with super glue and glue your magnet to it.

6. Let it dry completely.

Once your magnets have been glued on and dried, slide a photo in between the animal piece and stand him back up! I love these little dinosaur photo frames!

What do you think? Would you make a dinosaur photo frame craft for yourself, or for a friend?

Pin the Dinosaur Photo Frame Craft:

I’m Katie, a lover of anything artsy. I doodle on everything I can get my hands on, however my favorite projects are scrapbooking, restyled/upcycled crafts and sewing. I write my blog, Punk Projects, where I post tutorials, inspiration and other fun things as well as designing custom shoes in my etsy shop.

You can also find me here on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The post Tutorial: Toy Animal Photo Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you are a wine drinker and a crafter, chances are you have a stash of corks.  Looking for a cute way to use up a few of them?  They make adorable photo holders!  Enid at A Charming Project whipped these up out of a few common supplies.  They would look fabulous on your desk or mixed in with traditional framed photos in a display to add a quirky touch.  They would also make great gifts for recent high school grads who will be headed off to college in the fall!  [how to make wine cork photo holders]

Project estimate:

• Wine corks, on hand
• Wire, on hand or $1 and up
• Clothes pins, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Fabric dye (optional), about $2 and up

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make Wine Cork Photo Holders appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You may have most of your holiday shopping done by now, but maybe you’re still looking for something special for that white elephant exchange at work, or something for that friend who is hard to shop for.  How about a unique ornament that no one else will have?

When I saw the post about these crystal balls, I was inspired to put my own photos inside clear ornaments, rather than stock graphics.  My kids had fun posing for the pictures, and they laugh at their unique ornaments.  I think these ornaments would be equally (if not more entertaining) if you were to use the photo of a favorite celebrity, sports team, or any other personality.

Project estimate:

The post Tutorial: Floating Photo Ornament appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Nothing makes a great gift quite like something personalized with your favorite photos! Holiday gift making season is just around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to start book marking projects like these DIY photo transfer coasters from Du Buh Du Designs. I had no idea that you could use nail polish remover for transferring photos! This is definitely going on my crafty to-do list. The directions include details about exactly what type of photocopies you new to properly use this technique – not all color copies will work – so make sure you read carefully! [how to make photo transfer coasters]

Project estimate:

• Photos, on hand
• Color photocopies, about $0.25 and up
• Tiles, $1 and up
• Nail polish remover, on hand or $1

Total: about $1.25 and up

The post Make Photo Transfer Coasters appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Recently I was invited to take part in the summer edition of Craft Lightning, a series of crafts that can be completed in 15 minutes or less.  I have a ton of neat old photos laying around that I’ve been meaning to display for quite some time, but many of them are odd sizes that will not fit standard frames.  Not to be deterred, I made some simple clips to display them instead!  These would also make great place card holders for weddings or holiday gatherings – and since they take only a few minutes and cost very little to make, you can make lots and lots of them quickly and on a tiny budget.  [how to make simple photo holder clips]

Project estimate:

• Wooden shapes, $1
• Clothespins, on hand or $1
• Paint, on hand
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make Simple Photo Holder Clips appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I saw these four packs of puzzles at Dollar Tree, I immediately thought of making my own photo puzzles.  My kids were so excited to see themselves on a puzzle!  This is a quick and easy project, and it would make a fun gift for mom on mother’s day!  I know I enjoy having play time with my kids, and puzzle time is a favorite family activity.

Project estimate:

• Puzzle, $1 for four
• Glue or decoupage medium, on hand
• Photo, on hand

Total:  $1 

To make your own custom photo puzzle:

Step one:  Cut your photo to fit the puzzle.  Flip the photo over and trace one puzzle piece at a time.

Step two:  Cut the photo into pieces.

Step three:  Use glue or decoupage medium to attach the picture to the corresponding puzzle piece.  I brushed a light layer onto the puzzle piece and then firmly pressed the photo on.

Place the pieces pieces back into the tray they came in, and it’s time to play!  As a fun alternative, you could put magnets on the back of each piece and stick them to your fridge.  Another idea is to use a greeting card image, put the pieces in an envelope, and make a unique puzzle birthday card or invitation.  Have fun crafting and creating!

The post Tutorial: Make Your Own Photo Puzzles appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Bringing natural elements into your home decor not only gives it distinctive charm, it’s also easy on the budget since you can gather the materials yourself at little or no cost.  You can give your walls a beachy feel on the cheap by using a few pieces of driftwood and some string to make a pretty photo display!  Erlend at Morning Creativity broke out the power drill and gave some wave-worn branches a purpose with this project that is as easy as it is frugal.   I would make a nice piece for a dorm room or a rental home, since it allows you to hang multiple photos without having to tack each one into the wall.  [how to make a driftwood photo display]

Project estimate:

• Driftwood, free
• Drill, on hand
• String, on hand or $1
• Clothespins, on hand or $1
• Photos, on hand

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Driftwood Photo Display appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Amy from The Idea Room was recently inspired by her mother’s church group to make some photo block puzzles. The puzzles are a great way to show off six great photos of your family, friends, pets or travels. They have been around for a while, but they are still a great project to make with your whole family and also make great gifts. The best part? You can make these for under $5!  [how to make a photo block puzzle]

Project estimate:

• Wooden blocks, about $2 and up
• Photos, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand

Total: about $2 and up

The post Make a Photo Block Puzzle appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If the special someone in your life doesn’t go for frivolous gifts, they will surely appreciate a functional Valentine’s Day gift like this adorable “love” key holder.  Over at Mod Podge Rocks!, Man Podger Walter used an unfinished, heart-shaped frame from the $1 section at Michael’s as the starting point for a useful key station that will also remind you of the one you love every time you come and go.  It’s both practical and romantic, a difficult balance to find!  [how to make a Valentine’s Day key holder]

Project estimate:

• Unfinished heart frame, $1 at Michael’s
• Wooden heart shapes, $1
• Screw hooks, $1
• Scrapbook paper, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Mod Podge, on hand
• Rubber stamps, on hand
• Ink pad, on hand
• Screws, on hand or $1
• Photo, on hand

Total:  $3 and up

The post Make a Valentine’s Day Key Holder appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’ve ever spent much time photographing kids, you know it can be a challenge.  Cranky moods and outside distractions can make it nearly impossible to get a shot of a smiling face that’s looking in the right direction. Debra from Housewife Eclectic, who also happens to do some photography, came up with an easy DIY solution to help her take better pictures of her youngest subjects.  She converted a stuffed animal to fit around her camera lens, making a fun focal point that holds kids’ attention and keeps them smiling all through the session.  [how to make a camera lens pal]

Project estimate:

• Stuffed animal, on hand or $1 and up
• Hair scrunchie, $1
• Needle and thread, on hand

Total:  $1 and up

The post Make a Camera Lens Pal appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.