Crafts

Dollar Tree Silver Tray Wreath

September 19, 2017 by Bre 6 Comments

Over the years I’ve made quite a few pieces of door decor or wreaths from Dollar Tree supplies. (Take my Fourth of July Tinsel Wreath or my Egg Tray Wreath for Easter, for example.) I just can’t help myself! Every time I go to Dollar Tree I find cute new supplies that call out to me, and I am forced to create. It’s a real problem, friends (the creating and the fact that products at Dollar Tree talk to me. HA!)! On a recent trip, I bought supplies to make an atypical fall wreath for my backdoor – and today I’m going to show you how to transform a Dollar Tree silver tray from the party supply section into a beautiful Silver Tray Wreath!

Supplies Needed to Make a Silver Tray Wreath

Some of these links are affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy here.

Silver tray (I purchased a nickel plated metal serving tray at Dollar Tree)
Chalkboard paint
Paintbrush
Light gray and dark gray acrylic paint
Sponge
Chalk
Faux fall leaves (I also purchased them at Dollar Tree, but here’s an alternative)
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Mini 3M Command Hooks
Ribbon

How to Make a Silver Tray Wreath for Fall

I started with this plain silver tray from the party supply section at Dollar Tree. These are actually really sturdy and they come in three shapes/sizes. They’re great for crafting and entertaining!

Next, I turned the center of the silver tray into a chalkboard with my favorite chalkboard paint. I used two coats of chalkboard paint to make sure there was good coverage!

Once the chalkboard paint was dry, I worked to take the shine down on the silver tray, and to make it look like it is aged or antique. I began by lightly sponging on acrylic paint in a light gray color. I gently dabbed the light gray paint all around the edge of the tray.

When that light gray paint dried, I then used by sponge to rub dark gray acrylic paint along the raised portions of the silver tray. Unlike with the light gray paint where I dabbed the color on, this time I rubbed the color on in order to accent those raised portions of the tray.

This painting technique went a long way toward giving my Dollar Tree silver tray an aged look!

Once that paint dried, I cut leaves off of my Dollar Tree fall leaf garland and began to hot glue them around the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the silver tray. I layered them and angled them in different ways, rather than lying them flat and in a row.

Next, I flipped the tray over and attached two 3M Mini Command Hooks to the back, upside down. These things are my go-to for just about everything that needs a hook. I love them! I then ran a ribbon through the hooks and tied it at the top.

Then I flipped the tray over and gently ran a piece of chalk all over the chalkboard portion of the tray to season it. Next, I tried to write “Hello” in fancy script on the front. (Note: need to practice chalkboard lettering!)

Before I hung up my Silver tray wreath, I bent my ribbon streamers and hot glued them to the edges of the tray. Then my silver tray wreath was ready to be displayed on my backdoor!

I love the pretty touch it adds to the door, and it was such an affordable way to bring some charm to the back porch!

Can you see why I love to go to Dollar Tree so much? What’s your favorite thing to buy there? Also, if you enjoyed this project, I would appreciate it if you would PIN it to share the love!

-Bre

You Might Also Like This Dollar Tree Project!

DIY Fork, Spoon, and Knife Kitchen Plates Decor

Dollar Tree Pizza Pan Craft: Pretty Memo Board

August 9, 2017 by Bre 4 Comments

Pizza pans from Dollar Tree are the new “hot” crafting item. People have so many creative ways to use them, and I’m going to add another Dollar Tree pizza pan craft idea with this pretty memo board project!

This is a great project because it is really fast to make and the supplies used are inexpensive!

Supplies Needed to Make a Dollar Tree Pizza Pan Memo Board

Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no added cost to you if you purchase through them. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Pizza pan (they’re $1 at Dollar Tree – don’t buy anywhere else!)
Scrapbook paper
Spray adhesive (permanent)
Elmer’s ProBond Adhesive
Pencil
Scissors
Multi-surface acrylic paint or chalky finish paint in the color of your choice (I used this paint)
Small paintbrush
Natural Rope (1/4″ thick)
Ribbon
Small 3M Command Hooks

Dollar Tree Pizza Pan Craft Instructions

This pizza pan craft project is fun to make!

Step One: Paint the Pizza Pan

To begin, flip the pizza pan so its upside down, and paint around the outer edge. This will ensure that if your scrapbook paper circle isn’t perfectly shaped (mine definitely was not!), it will still look nice and not as much like a pizza pan!

What kind of paint do you use on a pizza pan?

Make sure to use a paint that has good adhesion properties! I used chalk paint because it sticks to just about anything. You could also paint a Dollar Tree pizza pan with a multi-surface acrylic paint. Two coats of acrylic paint will likely be needed, whereas you can probably get away with just one coat of chalk paint.

Step Two: Cut Scrapbook Paper to Fit the Pizza Pan

Once the paint has dried, trace the pizza pan onto the scrapbook paper.

Then cut about 1/4″ smaller than the circle you traced.

Step Three: Spray the Pizza Pan and Scrapbook Paper with Spray Adhesive

Next, spray the pizza pan and the scrapbook paper with spray adhesive, and carefully place the scrapbook paper onto the pizza pan. It will be hard, if not impossible, to move the paper once it’s made contact with the pizza pan, so be very careful in your placement.

If there is a significant amount of scrapbook paper sticking over one side or the other, you can carefully trim the excess with the scissors.

Step Four: Add Rope to the Edge

Next, cut a piece of rope long enough to wrap around the pizza pan.

Glue the rope around the edge of the pizza pan and weigh it down with heavy objects or craft clamps to get it to lie in place and form a strong bond with the pizza pan.

Step Five: Get the Pizza Pan Memo Board Ready to Hang

When everything has dried, flip the pizza pan over and press two 3M Command hooks to the back of the pizza pan, upside down.

Run a ribbon through the hooks and tie a bow at the top, and then you’re ready to hang your Dollar Tree pizza pan memo board!

It is just that easy to upgrade a pizza pan to a stylish and functional magnet board!

Two important things on this to-do list: (1) call mom; (2) buy wine. (That’s my to-do list; not my daughter’s.)

And I just have to show you these adorable magnets my daughter picked out for her magnet board – they’re animals and pretty glass gems!

I might have to borrow those animal heads for my own workspace! 🙂

If you enjoyed this project, would you please pin it so others can find it, too?

Now that we have a cute magnet board for my daughter’s room, let’s hope that it will help control some of the clutter she manages to keep in there!

-Bre

How to do Nail Polish Marbling {A Video Tutorial}

August 2, 2017 by Bre 6 Comments

Two weeks ago my family and I went to Colorado for a vacation and family reunion, and I have not been able to get my you-know-what together to get anything done on this blog! It’s like my brain is still on vacation! No creativity happening up there at all. I think I left it all in the mountains.

That being said, I did have a blast putting together a new video tutorial that shows you just how fun it is to do nail polish marbling! I made these beautiful marbled Christmas ornaments last year, but it was hard to show just how cool this technique is through photos.

So . . . I snagged a white ceramic bowl and nail polish at Dollar Tree and brought this project to life! Click to watch the video and be mesmerized! And then keep reading for three great tips that will make nail polish marbling even better for you!

Now, here are the tips I promised:

Tip One: get some disposable latex gloves to keep your hands polish free while doing this. I wish I would have had some on hand!

Tip Two: wipe off any stray nail polish (like I had on the inside of my bowl), with nail polish remover. It comes right off!

Tip Three: if you want to wash your marbled object in the dishwasher, coat the marbling (once dry), with two or three coats of dishwasher safe Mod Podge!

Nail polish marbling is so fun and so easy! If you enjoyed this video tutorial and my nail polish marbling tips, I’d appreciate it if you would “pin” this post so others can find it, too!

-Bre

12 DIY Vacation Souvenir Ideas

July 19, 2017 by Bre 1 Comment

I feel like everyone I talk to is going on vacation in the next few weeks! And if they’re not going on vacation this summer, they have some amazing adventure planned in the near future.

I like it. We should all travel more!

While I’m not one to load up on souvenir tchotchkes, I do love to have something special from the trips I’ve been on; whether it’s a rock I found, a photo I took, or a postcard I picked up in a local store. There are so many creative things to do with items like that, and I feel like those types of souvenirs often outlast the cheap, junky ones you find in a souvenir store! Because of that (and because this is a DIY and crafts blog), here are twelve DIY vacation souvenir ideas to help you keep those vacation memories alive long after your trip ends! Click through to visit the original posts and get the full tutorials!

Pressed Penny Souvenir Bracelet– Dukes and Duchesses

Souvenir Wine Cork Ornaments – The Kim Six Fix

DIY Glossy Photo Wood Slice – Hazel + Gold Designs

Clay Vacation Map Photo Ornament – Where the Smiles Have Been

DIY Beach in a Bottle – Average But Inspired

Souvenir T-Shirt Pillow – Happy Hour Projects

Memorabilia Shadow Box – Dwell Beautiful

Vacation Memories Map Box – View From the Fridge

DIY Map Coasters -The Country Chic Cottage

Postcard Gallery Wall – The Weathered Fox

Beach Treasures Shadow Box – Table + Hearth

Travel Photo Display in an Old Window Frame – Green with Decor

Are you going on any fun trips soon? Tell me where and what kind of souvenir you’re thinking of buying or making! And please make sure to pin this post to help others think of creative ways to remember their trips!

-Bre

DIY Burlap Basket from a Laundry Basket

July 12, 2017 by Bre 14 Comments

Looking for a Dollar Tree laundry basket idea? Why not turn one into a pretty basket! This is a great, low-cost makeover for any home!

Baskets are an organization and decor staple; you can never have enough! They’re a perfect spot to plop your pillows and blankets, stick a potted plant, or hide some junk when you need to do a quick house pick up before guests arrive.

Because there is no such thing as too many baskets, I decided to add another to my collection with this upcycle of a Dollar Tree laundry hamper to a pretty decorative basket for my office space!

Now, let me show you how to upgrade a plain laundry basket into a stylish burlap basket for your home!

Supplies Needed to Make a DIY Basket from a Laundy Basket

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

5 inches wide x 10 yards roll burlap ribbon
Dollar Tree laundry hamper
Scissors
Plastic spray paint in the color of your choice
Small wooden tag
Paint pen
Yarn pom poms

How to Make a Burlap Basket from a Laundry Hamper

Before I give you instructions, I have to show you the plain old laundry basket that I bought at Dollar Tree. So simple, right?

Step One: Spray Paint the Laundry Basket

I started by spray painting the laundry basket with spray paint that adheres to plastic. My favorite type of plastic spray paint is Rustoleum 2x, but I had to use a different kind from Target for my project.

The Target spray paint worked just fine in case you were wondering.

After I spray painted, I let the basket dry for a looooong time to make sure it really stuck to the plastic hamper, and I plotted the best way to transform it from a laundry basket to a pretty basket.

Love Dollar Tree DIY? I Think You’ll Like These Projects, Too!

Step Two: Cut Burlap Ribbon Into Strips

Once it dried, I grabbed some soft burlap ribbon that is extra wide at 5″ across, and that has sewn edges to reduce fraying. This burlap ribbon comes in an 11 yard roll, which is the perfect size for this project!

To begin, I cut a piece that measured 1.5 times longer than the circumference of the laundry hamper base. (How do you like me throwing around those math terms from second grade?)

Step Three: Weave the Burlap Ribbon

Then I began weaving the burlap ribbon in and out of the slots in the bottom row of the laundry hamper.

Step Four: Cut the Excess Burlap

When I got all the way around the base of the basket, I tied off the ends on the inside of the basket and cut off the excess burlap ribbon.

Step Five: Repeat the Process

Next, I cut another piece of burlap ribbon and moved up to the next row of slats on the basket; repeating the steps above and making sure to start my weaving one column of slats to the right in order to offset the weaving pattern.

I did this until all of the basket was woven with burlap ribbon!

In all, I probably used about 8 yards of the burlap ribbon, so I’m glad this spool came in such a long length!

To finish off this burlap basket, I added a little hang tag that reads “Cozy Things,” and some pom poms. Pom poms are my fave.

Can you believe how easy it was to transform a plain Dollar Tree laundry hamper into a pretty basket?

Jasper couldn’t resist posing for this photo shoot. He’s a big fan of this DIY burlap basket. 🙂

Next time you see one of those small laundry baskets at the store, make sure to pick one up and transform it into a cute piece of functional decor for your home!

And please make sure to pin this post to share the love!

DIY Birth Stats Monogram {Easy Baby Gift or Nursery Decor}

June 28, 2017 by Bre 2 Comments

For the first time in my life I am officially an AUNT! You might recall me mentioning my excitement last month when I shared pictures from the Secret Garden Baby Shower that I hosted for my sister-in-law and “Peapod,” my soon-to-arrive niece. Well, I am so happy to report that “Peapod” is here, she has a real name, and she is perfect in every single way! To celebrate her arrival, I did lots of online shopping for the cutest baby clothes I could find, and of course I made her a little something for her nursery wall – this cute and colorful DIY Birth Stats Monogram!

I’m so excited to give my niece her personalized baby gift because it was made with love (and I think it will look great in her nursery, which her mom and dad filled with adorable DIY and personal touches)!

If you have any babies in your life, consider making a personalized birth stats monogram for a gift or for nursery decor. It is such a fun project to make and doesn’t take a lot of time at all.

Supplies Needed for a Birth Stats Monogram

Some of these links are affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Unfinished wooden letter
Acrylic paint or chalk paint in the color of your choice (I used this paint)
Wood craft cut in the shape of a heart (or any other shape you like!)
Paint pen marker
Scrapbook paper
Pencil
Scissors
Mod Podge (I used matte finish)
Paint brush
Wood glue or other strong adhesive
Ribbon
Staple Gun

Making a Birth Stats Monogram – The How To

First up, paint your unfinished wood letter in the color of your choice. I used chalky finish paint on my letter because it had a black finish on it already, and I wanted to make sure the paint would stick really well. If you’re using acrylic paint on a letter with some pre-existing finish, get a multi-surface acrylic.

I gave the letter two coats of paint and let it dry completely. Then, I traced the letter onto a piece of adorable scrapbook paper.

I cut out the scrapbook paper letter and applied a thin, even layer of Mod Podge to the front of the wooden letter.

I placed the scrapbook paper letter on top and smoothed it all down. Once that first coat of Mod Podge dried (about 25 minutes), I put a thin, even layer of Mod Podge on top of the scrapbook paper and let it dry.

While that was drying, I wrote my niece’s birth stats on a wooden heart. Double checked to make sure I had it all right, and then I went over the pencil with an oil based paint pen.

Once the Mod Podge dried on the letter, I used wood glue to attach the heart to the letter.

After that dried, I repeated the tracing, cutting, and Mod Podging (not a real word) of scrapbook paper onto the back of the letter. Because it’s the back, you definitely don’t have to do that! Anyway, when that was dry, I cut some ribbon and stapled it to the back of the letter so that the birth stats monogram can hang in my niece’s room!

It makes such a cute decoration for a baby’s room!

I think the best part is that it’s totally personalized and a really sweet thing to give as a gift!

Make it in any color and with any patterned scrapbook paper you like, and you have a sweet DIY baby gift or DIY nursery decor for any newborn. I’d love for you to PIN this post so that you remember to make it later or to help others find it!

What’s your favorite gift to give a newborn?

-Bre