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.

This pumpkin has gone incognito.  It’s like it’s wearing a costume!  But seriously, how cute and clever is this idea?  Kelly at Studio DIY has a bit of a pineapple obsession, which led her to this fun design.  This is a pumpkin decorating technique that doesn’t require any cutting so it is very kid-friendly, and uncut pumpkin last longer before they begin to rot.  Or do this with a fake pumpkin and you can enjoy it for years to come!  What other fruits could you dress up your pumpkin as for Halloween?  [how to make a pineapple pumpkin]

Project estimate:

• Pumpkin, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Sunglasses, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make a Pineapple Pumpkin appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My iPhone is one of my most important possessions – it goes everywhere with me and serves so many different purposes that it’s indispensable! But you know what would make it even handier? A tripod! Shannon from eat.sleep.MAKE. made one for herself using the back half of a plastic dinosaur and I could not be more delighted with her design. Not only is it functional and inexpensive, it’s also freakin’ hilarious! [how to make a dinosaur phone tripod]

Project estimate:

• Plastic dinosaur, on hand
• Caulk, about $5 and up
• Suction cup, on hand or $1

Total: about $5 and up

The post Make a Dinosaur Phone Tripod appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

There are some popular big box store retailers that sell adorable themed piggy banks. Unfortunately they also come with prices to match. There is no need to spend lots of money on an adorable change collector when Jessica from Mad in Crafts shows you how to make even an even cuter themed piggy bank on a dollar store budget. [how to make a piggy bank with butterfly wings]

Project estimate:

• Piggy bank, $1 and up
• Painter’s tape, on hand
• Glitter spray paint, $5 and up
• Butterfly floral accent, $1 and up
• Glue, on hand

Total: $7 and up

The post Make a Piggy Bank with Butterfly Wings appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you follow our Facebook page, you might have seen my recent post about my shenanigans at work.  On a slow day around the office all by myself, I decided that the bulletin board in our hallway was too empty.  So I made a flyer – a very silly flyer featuring a collection of “tearable puns.”  (Awful, I know!)  By popular demand, we’ve made it available to download as a PDF!  Just print it out and cut slits between the puns so they can be torn off.  I zipped off a couple of extras and hung one at the local coffee shop as well, as seen here.  I hope it brings a smile to someone’s day who really needs it!  Where will you hang yours?  [click here to view the PDF]

The post Free Printable: “Tearable Puns” Silly Flyer appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Is there anything more adorable than a baby with a handlebar mustache?  Thanks to a free printable by Emily at PaperSeed, you can choose from 6 different faux facial hair styles for your little guy.  She designed them after looking at a list of baby crafts and noticing that there were significantly fewer things specifically for boys.  They make great photo props, or the perfect addition to a dapper little Halloween costume!  [how to make a mustache baby pacifier]

Project estimate:

• Pacifier, on hand
• Double-stick tape, on hand or $1
• Paper, on hand
• Mustache template, free

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a Mustache Baby Pacifier appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Project Estimate:

• Old photos, magazines, etc., on hand
• Googly eyes, $1
• Glue, on hand

Total: $1

The post Silly Project: Crazy Eyes Photos appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When your child peeks into this magic mirror, he’ll see a cheeky leprechaun looking back! Make this altered mirror as a silly decoration for St. Patrick’s Day. Or, get a hand mirror for each child and let everyone get in on the fun of making one!

Project Estimate:

• Mirror (I used a magnetic mirror with a wide frame), $1
• Craft felt, on hand or $.25 a sheet
• Craft foam (optional), on hand or $1
• Craft glue (I used Aleene’s Tacky Glue), on hand

Total: $1 and up

To make, cut out orange pieces for hair: bangs, sideburns and beard. Cut out green pieces for hat and hat band, and a yellow square for a buckle. Cut out a shamrock.

Glue pieces on mirror. Peek in the mirror to get a glimpse of your inner leprechaun!

The post Make a Magic Leprechaun Mirror appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

This would be a cute gift for a kid or tween, or maybe the right high school or college student. I bet even some boys would like this project. (My brother used to wear a stuffed animal on his belt in high school… it was supposed to be ironic, I think!) You can always adjust the stuffed animal to something that’s more appropriate to your giftee’s interests, too, like something super heroey, for instance. Don’t forget that headphones are useful for more than just music-listening too! Anyone with a portable gaming device can also use headphones.

Project Estimate:

• Pair of headphones, $1
• 2 small-medium stuffed animals, $2
• Seam ripper or scissors, on hand
• Needle & thread, on hand

Total cost: $3

The post Make Stuffed Animal Headphones appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Take some dollar store speakers and embed them in a stuffed animal or two for some quirky-cute speakers for your favorite music listener. The dollar store electronics aisle is often neglected on this blog. It’s not because I don’t love that section (because I totally do!), but more because I’m more comfortable with a sewing machine or hot glue gun than I am with a soldering iron. Never fear, this project doesn’t actually use a soldering iron! [click here for project instructions by hey_oblomov on Instructables]

This is a great gift for many guys, ages 12-30, depending on their disposition! This is also a good one for tween or teen girls. You’ll know if it’s appropriate for your giftees!

Check your stuffed animal section at the dollar store, and pick up some portable speakers in the electronics section. Make sure the speakers are the kind that don’t require external power or batteries. In the words of hey_oblomov: “What we are looking for is something that leeches directly from your ipod or laptop…”

Project Estimate:

• Stuffed animal, $1
• Portable speakers,$1
• Scissors or seam ripper, on hand
• Needle & thread, on hand
• Screwdriver, on hand

Total cost: $2

The post Make Cuddly Portable Speakers appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.