Crafts

Make a Dollar Store Toolbox Planter

August 29, 2019 by Bre 2 Comments

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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. 🙂

I can’t stop making Dollar Tree crafts – I hope you’re not sick of them!

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!

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

-Bre

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

August 20, 2019 by Bre Leave a Comment

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!

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 canvas artwork (any pattern or design will work!)
Dollar Tree “create your own ornament” wood pumpkin shapes
Dollar Tree DIY pumpkin craft stickers
Dollar Tree Jenga game (those are the wood blocks shown in the project)
Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Spray Adhesive
Acrylic craft paint in orange, white, and black
Paintbrush
Hot glue and hot glue gun
Letter stamps
Black stamp pad

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

And that’s all it took to transform a canvas into an adorable piece of fall decor!

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

DIY Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath

August 11, 2019 by Bre 6 Comments

Confession: I used to hate sunflowers. 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 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!

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!

DIY Sunflower Wreath Step One: Cut Ribbon

Begin by cutting two pieces of ribbon to be about 6″ long.

Sunflower Wreath Step Two: Form Loops with the Ribbon

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

Repeat this process so that you end up with three grapevine wreaths attached together with two pieces of ribbon.

Step Three: Attach the Sunflower Blossoms to the Wreath

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.

Step Four: Add Feathers to the Sunflower Wreath

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!

I love the natural touch they add to projects!

Step Five: Make a Bow to Hang the Wreath

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!

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.

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

How to Make a Paper Butterfly for Crafts and Decor

June 25, 2019 by Bre Leave a Comment

When you’re looking for an inexpensive craft that packs a lot of punch, paper crafts are the way to go! Let me show you how to make a paper butterfly for crafts, decor, and more. I think you’ll want to make these paper butterflies to adorn lots of things!

With so many gorgeous scrapbook paper patterns available, it’s easy to create eye-catching paper butterflies without spending much money at all.

I made a bunch* of paper butterflies for a cute piece of Fourth of July decor, but you could make paper butterflies in any color or pattern to suit your needs! (*Did you know that a “bunch” of butterflies is actually called a kaleidoscope or a swarm? I wish I would’ve known that when I painted this butterfly bench for my daughter!)

Some ideas for how to use a paper butterfly is to hang it on the wall, add it to a greeting card, or put it in a cloche jar.

How will you use any paper butterflies that you make? Share your ideas in the comments below!

How to Make a Paper Butterfly

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $2

Learn how to make a paper butterfly for crafts, party decorations, home decor, gift wrapping, and more! Paper butterflies are also fun for kids to make! Customize paper butterflies with pretty scrapbook paper.

No Ratings

Materials

Scrapbook paper in colors and patterns of your choice
Recommended: paper cutter (If you don't have a paper cutter, a ruler and scissors will work)
Recommended: paper scoring board (If you don't have a paper scoring board, you can measure and fold or fold accordion style)
Craft wire or floral wire
Scissors

Instructions

Cut patterned scrapbook paper into a square. We used a paper cutter to get perfect 6" x 6" squares quickly, but you can use scissors if you don't have a paper cutter.
Use a paper scoring tool to score the paper at 1/2" increments. Scoring the paper puts a shallow line into the paper and makes it so much easier to fold and get perfectly even folds! If you don't have a paper scoring tool, you can fold accordion style.
Cut along the edges of the paper to create the look of butterfly wings. These don't have to be perfectly even!
Fold the paper along the pre-scored lines, or accordion style, and then fold the paper in half in the opposite direction.
Cut a piece of floral wire and wrap it around the middle fold in the paper.
Bring the ends of the wire together and twist them to secure them together. Wrap each of the ends outward and curl them to create your butterfly's antennae! Gently unfold the wings to create a fuller look.
Use any paper butterflies you create for home decor crafts, gift wrap accents, and more! I hot glued some red, white, and blue paper butterflies to a piece of wood to create a Fourth of July sign!

Notes

To make larger or smaller butterflies than I created, simply cut your paper into larger or smaller squares! We cut our squares at 4" x 4", 6" x 6" and 9" x 9".

Recommended Products

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please view the disclosure policy at https://averageinspired.com/about-me-contact/disclosures.

Vintage Tin Tile Wall Art: a Dollar Tree DIY

June 4, 2019 by Bre 3 Comments

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.

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.

After that dried, I removed the tin tile decal and pressed it onto the game board.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

DIY Vase Filler Balls

May 21, 2019 by Bre 6 Comments

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. Unfortunately for my kids, I kept the baseballs and turned them into decorative vase filler balls. They’re super cute and an inexpensive dollar store decor item you can make really quickly!

Supplies Needed to Make Decorative Vase Filler Balls

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 DIY Vase Filler Balls

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!)

Next, spread a thin coat of Mod Podge onto part of a plastic baseball. Don’t cover the whole baseball all at once or your hands will become incredibly sticky!

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.)

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 vase filler ball and push down any parts of the napkins that didn’t stick the first go round.

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 DIY vase filler balls!

These decorative balls are an awesome DIY vase filler, and they look great in a pretty bowl, too!

I plan to put them in a lantern on my patio once it stops raining here.

I’ve seen similar vase filler balls at my favorite stores starting at $10 – this set cost $3 (because I already had the Mod Podge and foam brush).

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