Give your shoes a temporary kitty makeover! Heather used electrical tape to make adorable cat faces on the toes of a pair of plain flats to dress them up. This is a great way to add a little bit of fun to your outfit, while still leaving your favorite flats wearable for other occasions. When you’re done, simply peel off the tape and the shoes go back to their original state.

Project estimate:

• Shoes, on hand or $1 and up
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

Apply strips of tape to cover the toes of the shoes. Cut little slits in the edge of tape to make it go on more smoothly over the curved surface.

Cut and apply two triangles for the ears.

Cut facial features out of colored tape and add them to the shoes.

Don’t forget to add pupils to the eyes!

Once the faces are complete, just add feet!

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The gals over at A Beautiful Mess are always sharing amazing projects, like these decorative wire vases that Mandi made.  While they don’t hold water, they are a fabulous way to display silk flowers, dried flowers, or any other flora that doesn’t need a drink.  The finished form is wrapped in strips of fabric to give it a softer look; try using different fabrics to get totally different effects.  How cute would these be wrapped in strips of denim from an old pair of jeans?  [how to make wire vases]

Project estimate:

• Wire, on hand or $1 and up
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1
• Fabric, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up!

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If you’re into anything that has to do with photography, Photojojo is an amazing site full of DIY tips, tricks, and projects for all aspects of picture-taking.  This idea reminds me of the old slide shows that people used to put together for loved ones – remember those?  Next time you go on a vacation or dig up a bunch of old family photos, you too can have a slide show…  Using your smartphone!  How seriously cool is that?  All you need is about $1 worth of materials and a blank wall, and it’s like you’ve got a little movie theatre in your pocket!  (Got Netflix on your phone?  Grab some popcorn and have a movie night!)  Projectors are also handy when you are trying to enlarge an image for a project, such as painting a logo on a wall.  This might be the handiest use for a cardboard box you’ve ever seen!  [how to turn your smartphone into a projector]

Project estimate:

• Smartphone, on hand
• Magnifying glass, $1
• Cardboard box, on hand
• Paper clip, on hand
• Black paint, on hand or $1
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

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There are few things that boys between 4-10 love as much as a pretend pirate sword. Sara from Mom Endeavors has a great video showing you how simple it is to make these swords. These would make great party favor for your little pirate’s next party or a fabulous addition to your dress up trunk. [how to make a pretend pirate sword]

Project estimate:

• Paint stir stick, on hand or $1
• Popsicle sticks, on hand or $1
• Stapler, on hand
• Scissors, on hand
• Duct tape, on hand
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up!

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I remember my first “real” camera, and the excitement of getting a roll of film developed. While the art of film photography has taken a backseat to the digital age, there is something about doing it the old-fashioned way that no newfangled methods will ever be able to match. If your kids (or heck, even yourself) want to play around with film photography, you don’t need any expensive equipment. In fact, you don’t need to spend any money at all except for the cost of film and developing! Ashley from Lil Blue Boo made her daughter a pinhole camera constructed out of a recycled pudding box and a few other odds and ends she had laying around. It’s no Nikon, but it certainly gets the job done, and you don’t have to worry about it breaking in the hands of the kiddos! [how to make a Jello box pinhole camera]

Project estimate:

• Empty Jello box (or similar), on hand
• Film canisters, on hand
• Clothespin, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1

Total: Free and up

PS – We found some cheap 35mm film on Amazon that qualifies for free Supersaver shipping: 35mm film, 200 speed, 36 exposure

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Fancy light strings are lots of fun, but they often also carry price tags that are a little steep considering that you can get plain ol’ lights for so cheap and dress them up yourself!  While I used to associate decorative light strings with Florida campgrounds full of retirees (flamingos and Tiki heads, anyone?), lately I’ve seen a trend taking them away from tacky and into the realm of tasteful with designs like these rosebud-inspired lights by Rachel at Pointless Pretty Things.   For safety’s sake, make sure you use a string of lights with LED bulbs which stay cool to the touch.  [how to make a string of rosebud lights]

Project estimate:

• LED Christmas lights, on hand or $1 and up
• Organza or other sheer fabric, on hand or $1 and up
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

The post Make a String of Rosebud Lights appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We’ve already established that I’m a fanatic for anything in miniature.  Incidentally, I also have a closet fascination with interesting pish pins.  Combine the two and give the project a dose of “Kill Bill” movie inspiration and you’re left with these samurai sword push pins by Jeromina at Paper, Plate, and Plane.  (Wouldn’t they make a great companion project to go with today’s voodoo doll tutorial??)  She used faux metal contact paper to make her blades, which is a little pricey but has a zillion awesome uses so it’s worth the splurge.   For slightly cheaper, you can also use the foil tape made for use on heating ducts.   [how to make samurai sword push pins]

Project estimate:

• Paperclips, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Foil tape, about $8
• Electrical tape, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $8 and up

The post Make Samurai Sword Push Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you have a bit of electrical tape and some cardboard tubes on hand, you can make a fashionable bracelet. Dimensional scrapbooking stickers look like studs on these DIY fashion bracelets. [original written instructions for diy fashion cuff bracelets]

Supplies:

• Vinyl electrical tape, $1
• Scrapbook sticker embellishments, about $2
• Paper towel/cardboard tube or yogurt container, On hand
• Hot glue gun, on hand

Total: $3

The post Video: DIY Fashion Studded Cuff Bracelet appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

By Kirsten at Studs-and-pearls.com

Supplies:

– Vinyl electrical tape, $1
– Scrapbook sticker embellishments, about $2
– Paper towel/cardboard tube or yogurt container, On hand
– Hot glue gun, on hand

Total: $3

Closeup of the scrapbook embellishments I chose.

1) Cut two circles from your cardboard tube or yogurt cup, cut slits in both and attach to each other with some hot glue. Or, cut one circle if it’s wide enough to fit around your wrist.

2) Wrap cardboard in electrical tape. It’s easier if you do this one long strip at a time. When you’re done wrapping, secure the end with some hot glue.

3) Stick some scrapbook embellishments on; the best part about sticker embellishments is that you can keep repositioning them. When you decide on a design you like, hot glue them down.

Burberry sells a studded bracelet for $450. Your DIY version will be much cheaper!

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