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Easy Dollar Store Hostess Gifts Customized with Cricut

October 15, 2020 by Bre Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Entertaining season will be here soon!  Though our celebrations are sure to be different this year, chances are we’ll all still have a need for a hostess gift or two (or maybe a neighbor gift, teacher gift, or co-worker gift!).  That’s why I’m excited to partner with Cricut to share two FAB-U-LESS dollar store hostess gifts that you can make with the new Cricut Joy machine and/or the Cricut EasyPress 2!

This is awesome! These dollar store hostess gifts are so special when customized with Cricut Joy electronic cutting and writing machine! Learn how to put together these budget-friendly hostess gifts, which also work as teacher gifts, holiday gifts, and more!

Before we jump into the step-by-step for making these dollar store hostess gifts, I need to tell you that if you do not own a Cricut electronic cutting and writing machine, you are missing out! 

Full disclosure: I was scared to jump on board with using a Cricut because I wrongly assumed it would be confusing, time-consuming, and too big for my small craft table.  I could not have been more wrong!  I regret not incorporating Cricut into my crafts sooner.  I know you’ll see why as you learn how to make these adorable gifts!  (If you already own a Cricut, can you believe how foolish I was?)

Dollar Store Hostess Gift #1: Customized Soap Set

For this first project, you will create a luxe-looking soap set that’s practical and pretty! 

This is a great dollar store hostess gift idea! Customize or personalize dollar store blanks with Cricut Joy to make a pretty soap set gift basket.

Supplies Used to Make The Dollar Store Customized Soap Set

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

  • Plain soap tray (purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Plain terrycloth hand towel (purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Luxury hand soap (I chose Oatmeal & Lemon Verbena – purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Cricut Joy electronic cutting and writing machine
  • Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl Matte Metallic Sampler, Elegance – Permanent
  • Cricut Joy Smart Iron-On Patterned Sampler, Nature Walk Basic
  • Cardstock
  • Cricut Joy LightGrip Mat
  • Cricut Starter Tool Set
  • Cricut Transfer Tape

Customize a dollar store soap tray, dollar store hand towel, and dollar store soap to make an awesome dollar store hostess gift!

How to Make the Dollar Store Customized Soap Set with Cricut

This dollar store hostess gift could not be easier to put together! I will walk you through each of the elements so you can see how quickly and inexpensively you can transform plain dollar store items to custom pieces!

Customize the Dollar Store Soap Tray

Begin by opening Cricut Design Space, which is the software or app on your computer or smart phone (yes – you can connect Cricut Joy to your phone and design from there!), and searching for “soap” in the projects tab on the left of the screen.  From there, select whichever soap image you like.  

One of the great things about Cricut Design Space is that you can purchase designs individually for a reasonable price, or you can get unlimited designs with a Cricut Access membership (which you can pay for monthly and cancel at any time!).  Once you see how versatile the Cricut products are (the Cricut Joy alone cuts over 50 materials!), you’ll be hooked and probably want the membership to save money on your projects and always have fresh designs!

Use designs in Cricut Design Space to customize dollar store items to create unique hostess gifts.

I chose an adorable image that reads “Fresh Soap & Water  Hand Towels Free” since this hostess gift also incorporates a hand towel.  #clever  

I clicked the image to add it to my design canvas, changed the dimensions of the design so that it would fit perfectly on the soap tray, and then sent it to my Cricut Joy (which connects to my computer (or phone) wirelessly via Bluetooth).  I did not have to think about ANYTHING – the program immediately told me what to do!  First, I loaded the Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl in gold into the machine.  Since this is a Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl product, I didn’t even need to use a mat underneath the vinyl!

Cricut Joy lets you easily customize dollar store items to create beautiful gifts!

The machine then ran a self-test to make sure I had the right blade loaded and to make sure I had enough vinyl to cut this design.  Foolproof!  Then it cut the design in a matter of seconds.

Weed the design cut by Cricut Joy prior to placing it on the soap tray.

Once I unloaded the vinyl with the cut design, I removed the parts that I didn’t want on the soap tray (the professional Cricut crafters call this “weeding.”).  I gently pulled off those parts with my fingers and with the helpful Cricut weeding tools that come in the Starter Tool Set.

Add a "fresh soap & water" vinyl design cut on Cricut Joy to a dollar store soap tray to create a wonderful hostess gift.

Then I transferred the vinyl design to the Cricut Transfer Tape and applied it to the plain dollar store soap tray, again using one of the tools in the Starter Tool Set.

Use Cricut tools and materials to create unique hostess gifts.

Look how cute it is!

This plain Dollar Tree soap tray got an upgrade with a cute design from Cricut!

Customize the Dollar Store Hand Towel

The next part of this adorable hostess gift is a monogrammed hand towel.  Monograms send a message that you were truly thinking of the gift recipient, and Cricut Joy makes it incredibly easy to monogram anything!

Just like the soap tray, I picked a monogram in Cricut Design Space, added it to my design canvas, and sized it to fit the dollar store hand towel.

Use Cricut Design Space to properly size a monogram to add to a dollar store hand towel.

I chose a black and white herringbone vinyl from my Cricut Joy Smart Iron-On Patterned Sampler, Nature Walk Basic, and then clicked to start the cutting process, and was reminded that I needed to mirror image my monogram because I was cutting iron-on vinyl, which is cut upside down.  Cricut Design Space is SO SMART!  I would have ruined the vinyl had the smart software not reminded me to fix my design for my project.  It also told me how to load the iron-on vinyl properly – upside down in this case.  This makes it practically impossible to mess up.  I love it!

Cut Cricut Joy Smart Iron-On Vinyl to customize a dollar store hand towel.

Once it finished cutting, I weeded (see, I’m already becoming a professional!), and then plugged in the most fantastic tool, the Cricut EasyPress 2, so that I could get this monogram onto the towel!

Use the Cricut EasyPress 2 to add vinyl text and artwork to almost any fabric surface!

The EasyPress 2 is essentially a combination of a heat press and an iron, and it ensures that iron-on projects go off without a hitch!  I consulted the Cricut EasyPress online guide, which told me exactly which heat settings and timing to use to affix the monogram to the towel.  No guessing!

Cricut EasyPress 2 makes is easy to use iron-on vinyl! It is a cross between a heat press and an iron, and eliminates the guesswork on timing and temperature.

In less than a minute from start to finish, I monogrammed this hand towel, and it is so cute!  And I know that because I used the right temperature and time, this monogram will not come off of the towel – even with repeated washing.

This dollar store hand towel got a custom monogram with Cricut Joy! It is part of an awesome dollar store hostess gift set.

Customize the Hand Soap

Finally, to take this dollar store hostess gift to the next level of cuteness, I embellished the dollar store soap!  I found a cute border element in Design Space and popped it onto my canvas.

Use Cricut Design Space to create a cardstock wrap for a luxury soap.

I narrowed the width to about 2″ and the shortened it to about 9″ long, and then added black cardstock (that I cut into a smaller strip) to the CricutJoy LightGrip Mat.  Unlike Cricut Joy Smart-materials, cardstock requires use of a mat underneath.

The Cricut Joy LightGrip Mat is perfect for cutting cardstock.

Once again the program told me everything I needed to know about how to cut this cardstock, so I set it up and got to cutting!

Cut CricutJoy cardstock on the LightGrip mat.

In just a few seconds my paper border was ready! I got it off the mat and then wrapped it around the soap, which I removed from the box.  I put adhesive on one end of the cardstock and pressed the other end on top.

Wrap the cut cardstock around the soap.

It could not be easier to upgrade a nice soap even more!

Customize dollar store soap with a cute cardstock band to create a pretty hostess gift.

Put it All Together

To make these dollar store items into a cohesive and lovely hostess gift, I put all of them into a pretty gold wire basket (also from Dollar Tree)!  When I present them to the hostess, I will wrap them in clear cellophane and tie with a beautiful ribbon.  Oh, and I might even get crazy and make a pretty gift tag or thank you card with my Cricut Joy to tie on there, too.  (The Cricut is SO versatile that you can make practically anything with just about any material!)

Create a beautiful dollar store hostess gift with dollar store blanks and Cricut Joy! This soap set hostess gift is just lovely.

Dollar Store Hostess Gift #2: Customized Bath Spa Set

For the second dollar store hostess gift, you will customize dollar store bath spa blanks with Cricut to create a luxe gift that will help the hostess relax during the stressful holiday season!

Create a bath spa hostess gift set with dollar store items and Cricut Joy!

Supplies Used to Create the Dollar Store Bath Spa Set

  • Decorative storage jar (purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Bath salts (purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Bath scrub brush (purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Microfiber hair wrap (purchased at Dollar Tree)
  • Cricut Joy
  • Cricut EasyPress 2
  • Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl Sampler, Beachside – Permanent 
  • Cricut Joy Smart Iron-On- Holographic
  • Cricut Transfer Tape
  • Cricut Starter Tool Set

Use dollar store items to create a customized bath spa hostess gift! Learn how to customize them with Cricut Joy and Cricut EasyPress 2.

How to Make the Dollar Store Bath Spa Set with Cricut

Just like the dollar store hand soap set, this bath spa set is so easy to create, and perfect for any level Cricut user – even beginners like me!  I will walk you through each of the steps.

Customize the Bath Salts Jar

For this portion of the gift set, you need bath salts and a pretty decorative jar – both from the dollar store!  I started by searching in Cricut Design Space for spa-type designs, and I found this text art that was perfect for soaking in the tub with some luxurious bath salts: “Soak Your Troubles Away.”

Cricut Design Space is filled with images that you can use on any dollar store project.

I measured the lid of decorative jar, placed the design on my Cricut canvas, resized it to fit the jar lid, and sent it to Cricut Joy to cut!

Cricut Joy cuts Smart Vinyl without any cutting mat!

Because I used the Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl- Permanent, I didn’t need a cutting mat.  The Cricut Joy double checked that everything was aligned and that I had enough material, and it cut flawlessly!

I followed the same steps as the soap dish above: putting the cut vinyl design on Cricut Transfer Tape, and then applying the text art to the jar lid.

Customize a dollar store trinket jar to create a holder for bath salts.

I filled the jar with the bath salts and had the first component of the dollar store bath spa set finished in under five minutes!

Customize the Bath Brush

For the next part of this relaxing hostess gift, I used Cricut Joy to customize a dollar store bath brush!  I followed the same steps as the bath salts jar lid (finding the design in Cricut Design Space, resizing it on my canvas, and cutting it on Cricut Smart Vinyl- Permanent).

Cut Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl to embellish a dollar store bath brush as part of a bath spa gift set.

After I applied it to the bath brush with the Cricut Transfer Tape, I rewrapped it in the clear packaging it came in.

Customize a dollar store bath brush with a vinyl embellishment.

Customize the Microfiber Hair Towel

For the last part of the bath spa basket, I decided to add a similar floral flourish to the microfiber hair towel.  This was extra fun because I tried out the Cricut Smart Iron-On Vinyl in a Holographic material.  I love all of the iridescence and beautiful colors in this vinyl!

After I found my design and cut it per the instructions that Cricut Joy gave me, I fired up my Cricut EasyPress 2 and consulted the online guide for the exact way to add this holographic design to the microfiber hair wrap.

Cricut EasyPress 2 makes applying iron on vinyl effortless! It tells you exactly what settings to use.

Because this hair wrap is 100% polyester, I was so glad that the online directions told me exactly how to apply the vinyl for a lasting hold!  No guess work AT ALL!

Cricut EasyPress 2 lets you quickly and correctly apply iron-on vinyl to fabric and wood.

Once the heat press part was finished, I was able to see the flower embellishment shimmer and shine!

Customize a dollar store bath hair wrap with Cricut Joy Smart Iron-On holographic vinyl!

Put It All Together

As I did with the soap tray gift set, I put these lovely bath spa products all together in a gold wire basket – also from the dollar store!  When it’s time to present this gift to the hostess, I will wrap it up in clear cellophane wrap and tie with a beautiful bow.

Create a thoughtful dollar store hostess gift by customizing items with Cricut Joy! It's so easy and makes for a wonderful gift.

These lovely DIY hostess gifts are made extra-special with the customization elements I was able to create with my Cricut Joy and Cricut EasyPress 2.  With the amount of use I will get out of my Cricut products (and the ability to make even simple dollar store products look so good!), these machines will pay for themselves in no time!

This is awesome! These dollar store hostess gifts are so special when customized with Cricut Joy electronic cutting and writing machine! Learn how to put together these budget-friendly hostess gifts, which also work as teacher gifts, holiday gifts, and more!

Seriously, if you don’t have a Cricut yet – what are you waiting for?  Treat yourself (hey, it’s 2020 – we ALL deserve a treat!), or maybe ask Santa for one. 

-Bre

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Hi, I’m Bre! Thanks for visiting Average But Inspired, where I show you how to work with what you’ve got to create a home you love.

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