Average But Inspired

Inspiring creativity at home with crafts, DIY, and home decor projects.

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Make a Dollar Store Toolbox Planter

The kids are back in school and the temps are cooling off: my mind is definitely shifting gears toward fall!  Because of that, last week I shared a cute DIY Dollar Tree Pumpkin Sign project that will cozy up your home decor, and this week I’m sharing another fun fall project!  This dollar store toolbox planter is perfect for your your porch or an entryway table!  So cute!! Transform a Dollar Tree toolbox into a pretty planter filled with flowers for fall! Learn how to replicate this look for any season - it's so easy!

Isn’t it pretty?!?  And friends, it is SO darn cheap to put together.  EVERYTHING except the spray paint is from Dollar Tree!

Okay well enough oooooh’ing and aaaaah’ing over this dollar store fall decor – let’s get down to business!

Supplies Needed to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

Like I said, pretty much everything for this project is from Dollar Tree!  If it’s not from the D.T., I will let you know next to the supply name.  Also, some of the links may be affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

  • Toolbox
  • Floral foam brick
  • Faux flowers of your choice (I used a bunch of sunflowers leftover from my Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath, mums, and a beige flower of some sort)
  • Faux pumpkin clips (they come in a three pack)
  • Plaid wired ribbon
  • Harvest metal word (they come in a three pack of Harvest, Thankful, and Welcome)
  • Spray paint (I used this brand and color of spray paint) (not Dollar Tree)
  • Black acrylic paint to add some faux age to the toolbox (not Dollar Tree)
  • Gold acrylic paint for the metal word (not Dollar Tree)
  • E6000 glue (not Dollar Tree)

How to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

Start by spray painting the toolbox in whatever color you like.  I really liked this matte burgundy/purple color because it was bold and moody – perfect for fall!  Spray paint a Dollar Tree toolbox a fun color and use it as a planter!

Once the spray paint dried, I lightly added a bit of black paint all over the toolbox to make it look older and less “flat” – if that makes any sense. 

Next, I popped a block of floral foam inside the toolbox.  The rectangular floral foam from Dollar Tree is the perfect fit for the toolbox.  Dollar Tree floral form is the perfect base for this toolbox planter.

Next, I got to work cutting faux florals and placing them into the floral foam.  

Fall faux flowers will be beautiful in the toolbox planter.

I had a stem of faux leaves set aside to use, but decided that the colors didn’t look right with the flowers I was using, so I ultimately ditched them.  Press faux flowers into floral foam.

Once I had the flowers in place, I worked in some of the Dollar Tree wired ribbon, and then added several of the faux pumpkin clips.  Those clips are great because they just attached right to the flowers, exactly where I wanted them!  Faux flowers and pumpkins from Dollar Tree make a beautiful fall arrangement.

Finally, and not pictured here because I forgot to photograph this step, I dabbed a little gold acrylic paint on the metal word “Harvest” and let it dry.  Then I glued it to the inside of the toolbox for a little extra flair.

It all came together super cute and much prettier than the toolbox in its original form.  🙂  This is so pretty! Learn how to upcycle a toolbox into a planter! This fall arrangement is gorgeous and made entirely with Dollar Tree florals.

I can’t stop making Dollar Tree crafts – I hope you’re not sick of them!  Love this pretty fall flower arrangement! See how she transformed a Dollar Tree toolbox and made it a beautiful fall planter!

This entire toolbox planter cost $7 in Dollar Tree Supplies and $4 in paint.  I had the rest of the supplies already, so there was no cost there.  That is not bad at all!  Faux pumpkins, plaid ribbon, and faux florals make a beautiful fall floral arrangement.

So what do you think – will you be transforming a toolbox into a pretty planter for your home?  Let me know!

-Bre

 

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The Perfect Pumpkin Sign (A Fall Dollar Tree DIY!)

Dollar Tree has always been my favorite, but this season they have seriously stepped up their crafting and DIY game!  If you haven’t stocked up on fall and Halloween crafting supplies yet, you need to get over there pronto.  (And if you haven’t read my post on The Best Craft Supplies to Buy at Dollar Tree – do it!)  I picked up a few of their new fall items and make the perfect pumpkin sign for my fall decor – and it only took about 20 minutes!  Make the perfect pumpkin sign with this fun Dollar Tree DIY project! This dollar store fall craft is so cute!             

This cute pumpkin sign will stay out all fall – even through Halloween – because of the color scheme I used.  The great thing is that it can be customized however you want, so make this in any color to suit your taste or decor!

Supplies Used for This Dollar Tree Pumpkin Decor

Here’s what I used to make this fall sign:

Dollar Tree's fall craft items are adorable! Use them to create a cute fall sign that you'll have out all season.

How to Make a Fall Pumpkin Sign

First I painted the edges of the Dollar Tree canvas artwork black.  I used two coats of paint for this step.  Remember, you can use any color paint you like!  Transform a Dollar Tree canvas artwork into a cute pumpkin sign for fall.

Once the paint dried, I traced the shape of the canvas onto the back of a piece of scrapbook paper.  I cut that out and then sprayed the canvas and the back of the paper with spray adhesive.  I quickly pressed the scrapbook paper into place on the front of the canvas and trimmed any parts that stuck up over the edges of the canvas.  Use spray adhesive to fasten scrapbook paper to a canvas to create a pumpkin sign for fall.

Then I got to work painting the pumpkins!  I mixed up a few shades of orange by simply mixing basic orange and white acrylic paint.  I painted one of the Dollar Tree pumpkin ornaments and two of the DIY craft stickers.  Paint plain Dollar Tree pumpkin ornaments to create a cute pumpkin sign for fall.

After those pumpkins dried, I used one of the pieces of twine from the ornaments package and tied it around each of the pumpkins’ stems.  Then I used the hot glue gun to fasten them to the canvas.  I even hot glued the stickers because the adhesive wasn’t super strong and I didn’t want those pumpkins going anywhere!  Create a cute pumpkin sign for fall.

Next, I stamped the word “pumpkin” onto two of the Dollar Tree Jenga game blocks.  They’re the perfect little wood blocks for all kinds of projects!  If you don’t have letter stamps and/or a stamp pad, you could use the tiny letter stickers at Dollar Tree for this step!

Use stamps on Dollar Tree Jenga pieces to create a cute pumpkin sign for fall.

Finally, I hot glued the “pumpkins” piece into place and added a little black paint around the edges of both the word piece and the entire sign.  This gave a distressed look that I like!  Create a unique pumpkin sign for fall.

And that’s all it took to transform a canvas into an adorable piece of fall decor!  Make the perfect pumpkin sign with this fun Dollar Tree DIY project! This dollar store fall craft is so cute!

I’d love for you to share this pumpkin sign project with your friends, or pin it to Pinterest to help others find it!  

And, if you love fall crafting, check out some of my other great fall craft ideas in my holidays gallery!

-Bre

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DIY Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath {Perfect End-of-Summer Door Decor!}

Confession: I used to hate sunflowers.  Like, passionately.  That’s pretty weird, right?  Now recently I’ve started liking them.  I don’t know what’s happened to me!  I think I’ve begun to appreciate sunflowers because of the way they add pretty color to yards and gardens at the end of summer.  And now, I have some faux sunflowers adding the same color to my back door because of this cute DIY Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath I made!  Create gorgeous end-of-summer decor with this DIY Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath project! Make this pretty sunflower wreath for about $5.

Supplies Needed to Make a Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath

Because this wreath was made almost exclusively with Dollar Tree supplies, it came together for $5! Can you believe it?  Here are the items I used:

  • Small grapevine wreaths
  • One bunch of faux sunflowers
  • Black and white polka dot ribbon
  • Faux feathers (purchased at Michaels)
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue and glue gun

How to Make a Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath

I think the unique look of this wreath or door hanger is due to the fact that it uses three small grapevine wreaths to form a larger door hanging.  I just love having something unique on my door!

Step One

Begin by cutting two pieces of ribbon to be about 6″ long.  I love this sunflower wreath project that uses small grapevine wreaths for a unique look!

Step Two

Next, hot glue the ribbon around the top of one grapevine wreath and around the bottom of another grapevine wreath to form a loop.  Attach small grapevine wreaths together with ribbon.

Step Three

Repeat step two so that you end up with three grapevine wreaths attached together with two pieces of ribbon.  These grapevine wreaths form the base of a beautiful sunflower wreath.

Step Four

Cut the sunflower blossoms off of a bouquet of Dollar Tree sunflowers.  There are approximately six sunflowers per $1 bouquet, and I used five blossoms on this wreath.  Once the sunflower blossoms are cut off, glue them onto the grapevine wreaths in any manner you like.  Use Dollar Tree sunflowers to make a beautiful end-of-summer wreath.

Step Five

Finally, add some feather accents around the sunflower blossoms, if you like!  I purchased these cute spotted feathers at Michaels last year and used them on this Thanksgiving Embroidery Hoop Wreath, too!  There are so many in the package that you can use them for lots of projects!  Learn how to make a beautiful sunflower wreath in this post!

I love the natural touch they add to projects!

Step Six

Finally, cut a piece of ribbon about 12″ long and tie it into a bow.  Then, hot glue it to the top of the sunflower wreath for a finishing touch.  

And with that, your Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath is finished!  Create gorgeous end-of-summer decor with this DIY Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath project! Make this pretty sunflower wreath for about $5.

The contrast of the bright yellow sunflowers with the natural grapevine wreath is so beautiful!  This is truly the perfect wreath to bridge the gap from summer to fall.  Create gorgeous end-of-summer decor with this DIY Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath project! Make this pretty sunflower wreath for about $5.

If you agree, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments and share this project on Pinterest or Facebook!  It means so much to me when you share my work.  

Happy crafting!

-Bre

You May Also Like This Dollar Tree Faux Chalkboard Wreath Project 

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Vintage Tin Tile Wall Art: a Dollar Tree DIY

Last week was my daughter’s end of school year party, and I had to get some last minute supplies at Dollar Tree.  Of course some non-party related items just happened to pop into my cart, like a wooden board game and these new peel and stick tin tiles I found in the kitchen section.  After the party I got to work creating some vintage tin tile wall art with these supplies, and it turned out so cute! 

  Vintage Tin Tile Wall Art Supplies

I used a mix of items from Dollar Tree and craft supplies I had on hand:

  • Dollar Tree 3-in-1 Board Game
  • Dollar Tree peel and stick wall tiles
  • Dollar Tree twine
  • Dollar Tree foam brush
  • Dollar Tree flat push pins (optional)
  • Craft paint in brown and aqua
  • Stencil brush
  • Wooden beads
  • Hot glue
  • Scissors

How to Make Dollar Tree Vintage Tin Tile Wall Art

Don’t you just love when a project is too easy?  I know I do!  That’s definitely the case for this one.  Begin by painting the chess/checkers side of the game board how you like.  I used brown paint as a base coat so that it would hide the game board pattern and have a rustic look in the end.  A wooden game board from Dollar Tree is a perfect backer for signs, wall art, and more.

Once that coat of paint dried, I dry brushed a topcoat of aqua paint on top, leaving some of the brown base coat to show through.  Create beautiful vintage look tin tile wall art with supplies from Dollar Tree.

After that dried, I removed the tin tile decal and pressed it onto the game board.  Dollar Tree's removable tile wall decor pieces are great for creating vintage tin tile wall art.

Next, I strung wooden beads onto a piece of twine, knotted the ends, and hot glued the twine to the back of the game board.  Notice that I didn’t paint the back of the game board because I’m a lazy crafter.  Hot glue the beads and twine to the back of the game board to create a hanger for the vintage tin tile wall art.

I flipped it back over and pressed flat push pins into the board.  Because the board is thin, the sharp edges poked through the back.  I covered those with electrical tape that I had in the drawer, but something like the poster mounting ticky tack stuff at Dollar Tree would work great, too.  Adding push pins to the vintage tin tile wall art gives it the look of nails.

I dry brushed some of the aqua paint onto the push pin heads to give them the look of nails.  After that, this vintage tin tile wall art was finished!  Love it! This post shows you how to make your own vintage tin tile wall art with supplies from Dollar Tree. Seriously!

Create pretty tin tile wall art with supplies from the dollar store. You won't believe how easy it is!

I love the look of this copper patina version, but I saw silver tiles, too.  Those would look really cute with a distressed white finish all over.  These would also be awesome in a group of three or four – whether on individual boards or one large board.  The possibilities are endless!  Love this! Create beautiful vintage look tin tile wall art with supplies from Dollar Tree. It's so easy to create faux tin tile decor and this post shows you how to do it!

Can you believe what you can make with dollar store items?  I just love the challenge of creating something beautiful with bargain supplies!

-Bre

You May Also Like These Dollar Store DIY Decorative Plates

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Dollar Store DIY Decorative Ball Vase Fillers

My kids start summer vacation pretty soon, and while cruising Dollar Tree’s aisles looking for activities to keep them busy, I picked up some baseballs, among other things.  Unfortunately for my kids, I kept the baseballs and turned them into decorative ball vase fillers.  They’re super cute and an inexpensive dollar store decor item you can make really quickly!  

Love this! See how she turned dollar store baseballs into gorgeous home decor! These decorative ball vase fillers can be customized to suit any style!

 

Supplies Needed to Make Decorative Ball Vase Fillers

For this project, I purchased every single supply from Dollar Tree!  

  • Plastic baseballs 
  • Optional: floral foam ball multi-pack (I used this for smaller balls in my vase)
  • Decorative napkins
  • Mod Podge (Dollar Tree sells smaller containers of Mod Podge than the container I used, which I already had on hand)
  • Foam brush
  • Scissors

How to Make Decorative Ball Vase Fillers

This is a perfect project to make while watching TV because it is 100% mindless.  🙂  Begin by cutting strips of decorative paper napkins.  (Check out another favorite post of mine where I used decorative napkins to create a beautiful trinket dish!)Decorative paper napkins are transformed into gorgeous decor ball vase fillers in this fun post!

Next, spread a thin coat of Mod Podge onto part of a plastic baseball.  Don’t cover the whole baseball at once or your hands will become incredibly sticky!  Apply Mod Podge to a plastic baseball to create decorative ball vase fillers!

Pick up a strip of napkin press it onto the baseball.  Repeat this process of applying Mod Podge and pressing napkin strips onto the baseball until the baseball is covered.  (NOTE: I removed the plain napkin liner from each strip before I applied the strips to the baseball, but that is optional.  I think the napkins pieces stick better if you remove the liner.)  Learn how to make your own decorative ball vase fillers with supplies from Dollar Tree!

Yikes, I need a manicure . . . but getting back to the project – once the baseball is covered, set it aside to dry.  After the napkin and Mod Podge combo has dried, cover the entire baseball with a thin coat of Mod Podge to seal the decorative ball and push down any parts of the napkins that didn’t stick the first go round.  Learn how to create your own decorative balls for decor and vase fillers! Paper napkins give a beautiful pattern.

I set the decorative balls on a sheet of wax paper so that they were easier to remove once dry.  A plastic trash bag would probably work well, too.  Don’t set them on a surface they might really stick to (like a paper plate), or you’ll end up ruining your decorative balls!  Dollar store items are easily transformed into decorative ball vase fillers! This is an easy decor DIY that is made completely with Dollar Tree items.

These decorative balls work great as a vase filler!  Create beautiful decorative balls that are wonderful as vase fillers or centerpiece balls, by using supplies purchased at Dollar Tree!

I plan to put them in a lantern on my patio once it stops raining here.  Use items from the dollar store to create beautiful DIY decorative ball vase fillers! This easy dollar store craft uses surprising items for a pretty project!

I’ve seen similar decorative ball vase filler packs at my favorite stores starting at $10 – this set cost $3 (because I already had the Mod Podge and foam brush).  Create dollar store diy decorative ball vase fillers with surprising items!

I love it when I get the look for less, and I guess I can use my savings to get my kids some baseballs they can actually play with.  🙂  

-Bre

Stenciled Chair Seats – A Thrifty and Fun Kitchen Chair Makeover

Thank you to Cutting Edge Stencils for providing the stencil used in this project and the prize to be awarded in the giveaway.  The project and opinions are all my own. One thing I love is giving a plain object new life and personality with a simple change.  Stenciling the seats of my beat up kitchen […]

Two-Tone Painted Dresser Makeover in Cypress Vine Green and Wood

Have you ever had a vision of how something would look in your home – and you were convinced it would be awesome?  That’s what happened to me when I purchased this antique tall dresser in a Facebook resale group recently.  I knew it would be gorgeous in my living room (to take the place […]

Chalk Painted Drop Leaf Table Makeover

Several weeks ago my kids and I were driving when I spotted a table in the alley behind our church.  Like the dedicated furniture hoarder that I am, I immediately threw the car into reverse and backed into the alley to check it out.  It was an old drop leaf table that hadn’t sold at […]