It’s no secret that we love novelty silicone ice cube trays.  They come in a ton of fun shapes and are really great tools for crafting!  Sara at Tell, Love and Party came up with yet another great idea for them: custom push pins!  She used a flamingo ice cube tray for hers, but with so many different shapes of ice cube trays out there these days, there are a ton of other possibilities too.  Do you have a favorite ice cube tray shape?  [how to make novelty push pins]

Project estimate:

• Novelty silicone ice cube tray, on hand or $1 and up
• Push pins, on hand or $1
• Hot glue, on hand
• Paint, on hand
• Glitter (optional), on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up!

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

You know that around here we love our silicone ice cube tray crafts. So when I spotted a new one with spiders and spiderwebs on the shelf at Dollar Tree in this year’s Halloween selections, I got a little giddy – especially when I had the idea to pour the spiders with two contrasting colors of glittery resin! I’ve used these kind of ice cube trays to make resin jewelry before but this is the first time I’ve tried using multiple colors, and I am really happy with how they turned out. Watch the how-to video below!

Project estimate:

• Spider ice cube tray, $1
• Resin kit, about $5 and up
• Glitter, on hand or $1 and up
• Pin backs, on hand or $1

Total: about $6 and up

The post Make Glitter Spider Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Looking for a non-candy Valentine trinket idea that’s a little more on the grown up side?  Check out these cement conversation hearts from Chelsea at Lovely Indeed!  This is yet another of the million-and-one uses we’ve seen for those silicone ice cube trays that they have for each season at Dollar Tree, and the resulting heart makes a nice little bauble to decorate your desk.  (And it even functions as a paper weight!)  [how to make cement Valentine hearts]

Project estimate:

• Cement mix, about $3 and up
• Silicone heart mold, on hand or $1 and up
• Alphabet stamps, on hand or about $5 and up
• Paint (optional), on hand or $1 and up

Total:  about $3 and up

The post Make Cement Valentine Hearts appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

It’s not too early to start thinking about Valentine’s Day – it’ll be here before you know it!  This great little 3D string art by Mona at Craft Klatch uses a candy mold as a form for making a dimensional heart, but if you don’t have a candy mold, this is yet another project you can complete using the silicone ice cube trays they sell for each holiday at Dollar Tree.  (There are lots of ways you can use those ice cube trays, and we just adore them!)   Use the finished hearts as decorative ornaments, or work them into jewelry or other projects!  [how to make a string heart Valentine ornament]

Project estimate:

• Heart mold, on hand or $1 and up
• Embroidery floss, on hand
• Liquid starch, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand

Total:  Free and up!

The post Make a String Art 3D Heart appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

• Skull ice cube tray, $1
• Resin, on hand or about $5 and up
• Glitter, on hand or $1
• Black Paint, on hand
• Bail, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up

The post Tutorial: Make a Resin Skull Pendant appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

You know we’re big fans of the fun, shaped silicone ice cube trays that Dollar Tree carries for every holiday.  We’ve used them to make all kinds of different things!  Beth from Hungry Happenings used hers to make something we haven’t tried yet: gumdrops!  Your sweet tooth will get some serious satisfaction out of these homemade confections.  Or if you have a candy-loving friend, these would make a gift they will surely appreciate.  You can also use different combinations of colors and shapes to make gumdrops especially for other events throughout the year!  [how to make red, white, and blue gumdrops]

Project estimate:

• Star-shaped ice cube tray, $1
• Vegetable oil, on hand
• Butter, on hand
• Water, on hand
• Pectin, about $3
• Baking soda, on hand
• Sugar, on hand
• Corn syrup, on hand
• Flavored oil, on hand or $1 and up
• Food coloring, on hand

Total:  about $4 and up

The post Make Red, White and Blue Gumdrops appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’ve ever planned a wedding, you know that one of the best ways to save money is to DIY as much of it as possible.  (My father always says, “Why pay someone else to do what you could do yourself?”  Mind you, that doesn’t make me any more likely to change my own oil, which is more along the lines of what he was usually talking about.  But hey, whatever, right?)  We love cheap wedding ideas, so when we got wind of the Crafterminds Wedding Crafts series, we rounded up a collection of our favorite DIY wedding projects.  Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the post for more wonderful wedding ideas from some of our friends!

Wedding decor doesn’t have to be expensive to be eye-catching and memorable.  These DIY rope words from Wednesday at Green Wedding Shoes (pictured above) are a great example of how a simple, inexpensive material can be manipulated into something that is much more than the sum of its parts.  Use this idea to create wall art, table decor, or even placecards for your guests.  For large letters use thick rope; to make smaller words, try twine instead.

[10 DIY Garland Ideas by A Beautiful Mess]

Another way to add special yet inexpensive touches to your wedding decor is with a pretty garland.  Over at A Beautiful Mess, Elsie came up with ten different garland ideas that are all as cute as can be.  Can’t decide which one is your favorite?  They are easy and inexpensive enough that you can go crazy and make them all!

[Tablecloth Ball by A Girl and a Glue Gun]

If you like the look of the big tissue paper pom-poms but are having an outdoor wedding, you may find yourself concerned about how they will hold up in the event of inclement weather.  Using a plastic tablecloth from the dollar store, Kim from A Girl and a Glue Gun made this pretty alternative that is just as cute and easy but far more rain-resistant.

[DIY Bath Bombs by Intimate Weddings]

I’m a fan of functional party favors – things your guests will find useful.  Things like these pretty DIY bath bombs by Christina at Intimate Weddings!  A big chunk of the ingredients list are things you probably have in your pantry already!  These bombs are fairly large because they were made using snap-together Christmas ornaments as a mold; for making smaller bath bombs, silicone ice cube trays or candy molds would also work well.

[Hot Pepper Party Favors by Project Wedding]

And how about plants as wedding favors?  Small potted plants make a fun gift that keeps on giving, whether you opt for pretty flowers or for something edible, like these hot pepper plant favors from Project Wedding.  The options for customizing this project are endless between the infinite combinations of plant choices, ways to decorate the pot, and clever sayings to print out and turn into plant stakes!

If you enjoyed these ideas, be sure to visit our friends below for more DIY wedding inspirations!

The post Wedding Roundup: 14+ Creative Ideas appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’ve been on a skull crafting roll! After I made glitter skull pins in my silicone ice cube tray the other day, a friend inquired about getting a pair as earrings or barrettes. The skulls were a little heavy and large for that, so I decided to try making some smaller ones. I had some silicone clay called Sugru in my stash, as well as some skull rings left over from last Halloween’s trick-or-treating, so I tried something completely new to me: making my own silicone skull mold! You can see how I did it in my guest post at The CSI Project today!  I made my first casting of the mold with resin and the skulls turned out awesome.  Since the silicone is heat resistant to pretty high temps, I also plan to use it with polymer clay! [how to make your own silicone molds]

Project estimate:

• Sugru, about $3*
• Skull ring, on hand or $1
• Cooking spray, on hand
• Wax paper or freezer paper, on hand

Total: about $3 and up

*You can order Sugru directly off of their website. You can get a package of a dozen packets in various colors for $18 plus shipping; this project uses 2 packets, or about $3 worth.

The post Make Your Own Silicone Molds appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love silicone ice cube trays, especially the skull one that we’ve featured a few times.  With Halloween but a fortnight away, I decided to pull mine out and make something with it.  I wanted to use it for one thing we haven’t talked about using with ice cube trays yet:  resin!  These glittery skulls are mounted as tack pins, but you can also use them as necklace pendants, magnets, glued to candle holders, or anything else you see fit!

Project estimate:

• Skull ice cube tray (or any other silicone mold), on hand or $1
• Resin,  on hand or about $8 and up
• Glitter, on hand or $1
• Fake button pins, $1

Total:  $1 and up

Start by mixing up a batch of resin according to the directions on the package.  While you are stirring your resin, dump in some glitter.  I used 2 little pots for one tray, one red and one pink.

Carefully pour the glittery resin into the skull molds.  Try not to overflow the molds or make any drips between the skulls.  (I’m kind of a messy crafter, so not dripping is probably the hardest part of the project for me!)

Let the resin cure for about 4 hours, so that it is tacky but not completely hardened.  Then it’s time to add the pin backs!  The pin backs on my skulls are actually those fake button pins.  You know, of the “my-pants-don’t-fit-properly” variety.  I have several packages of them laying around, so I decided to finally use them for something! Gently press a button into the back of each skull.  The backs should work into the resin just a little, but not sink in too far.  If your pin backs are sinking, carefully remove them and let the resin cure a little bit more before trying again.

Wait at least a full 24 hours before you remove the skulls from the mold.   The skulls might resist at first, but carefully bend and work the silicone tray and they will pop out.  You might need to bend back the tray and kind of pry the skulls to remove them, but they will come out, I promise!

If  you have any excess resin on the edges of any skulls, use sharp scissors or a craft knife to trim  it off.  Your skull pins are ready to wear!

The post Make Glitter Skull Pins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I’m still having fun with my skull molds. The funny thing is, I’m not that into scary decor (including skulls), but I am LOVING the multitude of crafting possibilities presented by a single silicone ice cube mold from the dollar store. Today I made scented wax tarts with the skull mold. You’ll laugh when I tell you where I got the wax: I saved it from a wax-covered cheese! I deserve some kind of frugal crafting medal for this, don’tcha think? You can use scented wax tarts with those little heated potpourri pots.

If you don’t have wax from a cheese (and really, who does?), remelt the wax from a burned-down candle, or use a new candle from the dollar store. You could also use crayons (specifically the cheap ones from the dollar store because they have less pigment than the brand-name crayons), but I’m not sure what crayons would do to a potpourri pot.

You can use fragrance oil from the dollar store for this project, but I used Passionfruit Rose scented flavor oil (also safe for lip balm) from Brambleberry.

Project Estimate:

• Silicone ice cube mold, on hand or $1
• Recycled wax from a cheese (or a dollar store candle, crayons, etc.), on hand or $1
• Recycled can, washed, on hand
• Saucepan and stove top, on hand
• Stirring stick (skewer, popsicle stick, plastic spoon, etc.), on hand
• Fragrance oil, $1

Total: $1 and up

Normally, I’m a wax microwaver (when I make lip balm or candles), which is quick and easy, and seems like less trouble. If you microwave, use a pourable glass measuring cup; microwave at half power for 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts.

Today, I put my wax in a recycled can, and put the can in a saucepan with some water in it — otherwise known as a double boiler. Use a recycled can because then you don’t have to deal with wax cleanup.

Heat the water at medium-high and stir the wax intermittently as it melts.

When the wax is fully melted, remove it from the heat (use tongs if you are using this method).  Add fragrance oil at this point — for scented tarts, you will want to use a decent amount so that it is very scented. Mix well with your stirring stick.

Pour carefully into molds (see how careful I was??). Allow molds to cool. I put mine in the fridge for a few minutes.

Then, just pop them lightly out of the molds and stick them in your potpourri warmer.

If you enjoyed this project, don’t forget to check out all the other things we’ve made with this exact same mold, and don’t forget you can use these techniques with any silicone mold or ice cube tray:

• Molded Papier-Mache Skulls
• Molded Sugar Skulls
• Melt and Pour Soap on a Rope
• Chocolate Skull Pops

The post Make Recycled Scented Wax Tarts appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.