The dollar store is one of my favorite places to pick up inexpensive seasonal crafting items.  A perennial favorite across all seasons is their glitter table scatter. Over on Creative Green Living, I show you how to take some wired burlap ribbon and combine it with Valentine table scatter to make a cute bunting perfect for a mantle, door, or mirror.  [how to make an easy burlap and glitter valentine heart banner]

Project estimate:

• burlap ribbon, $1
• Glitter heart table scatter, $1 and up
• Scissors, on hand
• Jute twine, on hand or $1 and up
• Hot glue gun & glue, on hand

Total: $3 and up

The post Make a Dollar Store Valentine Bunting appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a lot of random jewelry components in my Craft Hoarder’s Paradise (aka, my garage), so I’ve been dipping into that stash to create my latest wreaths. For today’s wreath, I used a color palette I’m very fond of (turquoise and red) to create a small fun and funky wreath that has a bit of a folk art/Scandinavian flavor: a Red & Turquoise Valentine Heart Wreath.

Wreath a Day #5: Turquoise & Red Valentine Heart Wreath

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I have a lot of jewelry supplies because I love making jewelry, but the sad truth is, I don’t make jewelry often enough to use up all the supplies I own. I could make a necklace every day for a year (maybe that will be next year’s project?), and still not use up all the supplies I have. Does anyone else have the same craft supply hoarding problem I have?

I got these jewelry components from the Fire Mountain Gems $1 Sale (Check out my haul video here).

Supplies Needed:

• Grapevine wreath*
• Wireless chenille stem ribbon
• Red ribbon*
• Turquoise Beads
• Metal Leaf Beads
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks*

I got the wireless chenille stem ribbon at Consumer Crafts, but you can use any white or silver ribbon you have on hand for this project. In fact, you can substitute any supplies you DO have for the ones I used in this project. Just use it as a jumping off point for your own creativity!

You can get wreath forms at DollarTree.com.

Step 1: Wrap Ribbon Around the Wreath Form

Secure a piece of silver ribbon or the wireless chenille stem ribbon to the back of the wreath, and then wrap it around the wreath form. When you get all the way around the wreath, cut the ribbon and glue the end of the ribbon to the back of the wreath. (Bonus points if you manage to line the ends of the ribbon up with each other!)

Step 2: Add Beads

Next, hot glue some of the metallic leaf beads to the wreath. I arranged them in alternating color order, and placed a wire mesh heart bead at the top of the wreath.

But the wreath isn’t finished… it needs something more.

Add 1″ plastic turquoise-colored beads to the top of the flat leaf beads. Hot glue them in place.

Somehow the wreath isn’t quite done. It needs something to pull it all together.

Step 3: Add More Ribbon

When I added this red ribbon over the top of the wreath, it really came together.

Hot glue the end of red ribbon to the back of the wreath, and then wrap it around the wreath, between the round turquoise-colored beads.

Tie a piece of ribbon or baker’s twine to the top of the wreath to provide a way to hang your wreath.

The red ribbon really makes the turquoise beads pop, and the chenille ribbon and leaves make a great backdrop and add visual interest to the wreath. Finally, the valentine heart at the top gives the wreath a sweet focal point.

I hope you are having as much fun watching me bust my stash as I am having making these crazy wreaths! To follow along with my project, check out my other Wreath a Day posts.

The post Turquoise & Red Valentine Heart Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’re a regular here, you know that I’ve been obsessively making minis for a while now.  I’ve made all kinds of little odds and ends that are starting to add up to entire rooms and scenes!  So far, though, there has been one thing glaringly missing from my collection:  food!  Are your dollhouse residents hungry?  Bake them a tiny pie!  (No really, you actually bake it!)

Project estimate:

• Bottle cap, on hand
• Polymer clay (tan and red), on hand or about $4
• Spray paint (optional), on hand or $1 and up
• Toothpick, on hand
• Clear nail polish, on hand or $1*

Total:  Free and up

*Note:  I’ve heard mixed things about clear nail polish and polymer clay.  Some people warn of disasters, while other people say they’ve used it for years and never had a problem.  Use at your own risk!  If you’d rather be safe than sorry, you can also use Sculpey Gloss Glaze, which you can find in the $3 to $4 range.

Before you can use the clay, you will need to condition it.  (Straight out of the package it is too stiff to mold properly.)  You can do this by running it through a pasta machine multiple times until it becomes pliable; if you don’t have a pasta machine, knead it between your fingers until it is soft enough to work with.  Optionally, you may choose to paint your bottle cap.

Press a chunk of tan clay into the bottle cap.  Press your thumb down in the center of the cap so that there is a slight depression in the clay at the center of the cap and a little excess clay spreads over the edges of the cap.

Roll a bunch of teeny-tiny balls of red clay and pile them in depression on the center of the cap.  Add them until they form a rounded, slightly heaping pile.

Switching back to the tan clay, roll a long, very skinny “worm” shape.  Cut the worm into short segments and press it into the top of the pie to form stripes.

Turn the pie and repeat in the other direction to complete the lattice top.

To give the edges of the pie crust a crimped appearance, use the tip of a toothpick to press tiny indentations around the perimeter.

Bake the pie according to the directions on the clay packaging.  Allow to cool completely, then seal using clear nail polish.

The post Make a Miniature Dollhouse Cherry Pie appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Summer sneaked up on me this year! I’m not going to let the 4th of July do the same without a little planning. How about these adorable chalk favors by Sarah at the Bowdabra Blog? Such a simple, cute, and unique idea, and who doesn’t love chalk? Kids can use it to draw on the sidewalk, or maybe you can provide them with another chalkboard surface to write on. Sarah says you can make 14 favors for just $2! [how to make a chalk firecracker favor]

Project Estimate:

• Chalk, $1
• Metallic star garland, $1
• Red, white, and blue ribbons, on hand or $1 each and up
• Hot glue

Total: $2

The post Make Chalk Firecracker Favors appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

When I worked in retail, I learned that a monochromatic color scheme is very dramatic for displays. This is no less true for your decor choices at home. Reader Georgette demonstrated this in her contending wreath in December’s handmade wreath contest, which was a bold red wreath made with poinsettias and red bulb ornaments.

She said: I used a dollar store wreath, then wrapped ribbon around it, hot glued faux poinsettias and ornaments. Everything was 5 bucks! so much fun to save and make something pretty.

Project Estimate:

• Wreath form, $1
• Glass bulbs, $1
• Ribbon, on hand or $1
• Faux poinsettias, $2-3
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $5

The post Make a Red Poinsettia Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.