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Fall and Halloween

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!  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 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

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

Filed Under: Crafts, Dollar Tree, Fall and Halloween, Holiday

DIY Thanksgiving Embroidery Hoop Wreath

October 31, 2018 by Bre 2 Comments

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Another Halloween has come and gone, and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.  Although there’s increasing pressure from every direction to jump straight into Christmas, I remain steadfast in my dedication to giving Thanksgiving the respect it deserves!  As such, I made this little Thanksgiving Embroidery Hoop Wreath to help acknowledge the holiday AND keep my family grateful during this special season!  The “interactive” component lets you and your family add things for which you’re thankful all season long – so sweet!

Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

Supplies Needed for Embroidery Hoop Thanksgiving Wreath

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

  • Embroidery hoop
  • Craft felt (2 sheets)
  • Scissors
  • Ribbon
  • Faux feathers
  • Faux pumpkin floral pick
  • “Thankful” word art
  • E6000 glue
  • Large popsicle sticks
  • Optional: Rose Gold wax and cloth

How to Make an Embroidery Hoop Thanksgiving Wreath

Before I jump into the tutorial, I have to tell you that I did not buy anything new to make this project!  I’ve challenged myself NOT to buy any craft supplies for the rest of 2018, so I’m only using what I’ve got.  The first project I made in my “craft stash de-stash challenge”, was my leaf stamped tea towels, and this is the second project in my challenge!

To give my Thanksgiving wreath something “special,” I applied rose gold wax to the outer edges of the embroidery hoop, but that is totally optional!  You could leave your embroidery hoop plain or paint it.  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

Next, I stacked two sheets of acrylic felt on top of each other and put them into the embroidery hoop.  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

When they were secure, I cut off the excess felt from around the edge of the embroidery hoop.  This created a pocket in my wreath.  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

Next, I tied several different ribbons to the top of the embroidery hoop.  I mixed some burlap, gingham, and solid cream colored ribbon for a fun look.  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

After that, I put some feathers and pumpkin picks into the ribbon.  This really bulked up the top of the wreath and gave it an abundant look – perfect for the Thanksgiving season!  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

Finally, I glued the “thankful” word art to the front of the felt pocket.  I carefully applied a bit of the rose gold wax to the word art to make it blend better with the embroidery hoop.Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

To make this Thanksgiving wreath even more special, I wrote some things my family and I are thankful for on popsicle sticks and put those in the pocket.  We will add to this in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  I think it will be a great conversation starter at dinner!  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

I think this wreath is beautiful and sentimental, and perfect for the Thanksgiving season.  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

It’s currently on my fall mantel, but I will probably move it into the kitchen so we can all easily see it and remember to add our “grateful sticks” each day!  Make a beautiful Thanksgiving embroidery hoop wreath to help you remember what you're grateful for this season!

How do you remember to be grateful for the blessings in your life during this time of year?

-Bre

You May Also Like These DIY Thanksgiving Place Cardsblank

 

Filed Under: Fall and Halloween, Holiday

DIY Vintage Bug Halloween Decorations

October 10, 2018 by Bre Leave a Comment

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Forget mummies, witches, and skeletons – the thing that scares me most at Halloween is the plethora of creepy crawly insects at every turn.  From spiders to centipedes, those little buggers are enough to make me squirm.  I overcame my fear of these pests to make some Creepy Crawly Vintage Bug Halloween Decorations to add to my interior decor (you saw my outdoor decor in my Halloween porch post last week), and think they turned out too cute not to share!

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Thank you to DecoArt, Inc. for providing the paint used in this post.  The project is all my own.  Also, this post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Supplies Needed to Create Vintage Bug Display Halloween Decorations

  • Unfinished wood plaques
  • Small plastic bug toys
  • Multi-surface acrylic paint (I used gold, black tie, chocolate, and cotton ball)
  • Paint brushes
  • Stencils (I used a harlequin pattern, polka dots, and stripes)
  • E6000 glue
  • Metal label holders
  • Paper
  • Plate stands

How to Create Vintage Bug Display Halloween Decorations

Begin by painting the edges of the unfinished wood plaques with gold multi-surface paint.

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Then paint the tops of the wood plaques with ivory multi-surface paint.

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Once the paint has dried, use stencils to add pattern to the plaques with black multi-surface paint.

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Set the plaques aside to dry.  Paint the plastic bug toys with gold multi-surface paint.

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Once that paint has dried, highlight the details on the bug toys with bronze multi-surface paint.  This will make the bugs look aged.

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Next, add metal label holders and labels to the wooden plaques.  I printed my labels out on regular printer paper.

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Finally, glue the bugs to the plaques with glue that attaches plastic to wood.  E6000 is my new favorite multi-purpose glue!

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Display the Vintage Bug Decorations with plate stands or tiny easels (I’ve even seen them at Dollar Tree)!  Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Super creepy and also super cute!  Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages.

Please PIN this image to Pinterest to help others find this fun Halloween craft project!

Cute and creepy! Make these vintage bug Halloween decorations with inexpensive craft supplies! They're a fun Halloween craft for all ages. #halloweendecorations #halloweencrafts #halloweendecor

-Bre

P.S. You Might Like this Halloween Wreath Craft Video, Too!

Filed Under: Fall and Halloween, Holiday

Dollar Store Halloween Porch Decor

October 4, 2018 by Bre 7 Comments

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While I absolutely love Halloween, I’m not typically a big decorator for the holiday.  I’m not really sure why – it is what it is.  But this year is different because my kids (ages 6 and 8) insisted that we “go all out” and make our house the spookiest on the block.  They wanted to spend my entire life’s savings on Halloween decorations, so I had to rein them in and take them to Dollar Tree to get their fix.

We put up their decorations over the weekend and I’m happy to share their vision** with you!  (**Everything you see is what they picked out.  My version of a Halloween porch would have looked a lot different!  It was hard to let them drive this bus, but I’m glad they got a chance to express their creativity and vision for a Halloween porch.)

This Halloween porch is filled with dollar store items! Check out the post to see how to use dollar store Halloween decorations to deck out your home for Halloween.

The caution tape was a big hit with my kids.  I think we bought four different types.  Currently only two are displayed on our porch (wrapped around the mum planters and along one of the sidelights), but I’ve been told that the others will definitely be going up for Halloween night.

Planters wrapped in caution tape are a great Halloween decorating idea!

This “creepy” skeleton dude is the splurge item on the porch.  Press his hand and his eyes glow red and he says all kinds of weird stuff to you (REALLY LOUDLY).  The kids were lucky they caught me in a generous moment during one of our Home Depot trips.  🙂

This post is filled with ideas for decorating your porch for Halloween with dollar store items!

The planters are my favorite part of the porch.  They’re filled with lots of random Dollar Tree finds, but it kind of works!

Fill an outdoor planter with dollar store Halloween decorations for a spooky look on your front porch! This Halloween front porch has lots of budget-friendly ideas!

I mean, when doesn’t a skull look good next to your front door?Fill an outdoor planter with dollar store Halloween decorations for a spooky outdoor Halloween display! This post has lots of good dollar store Halloween decor ideas!Glittered skulls in an outdoor lantern are a fabulous way to decorate for Halloween! These dollar store Halloween porch decor ideas are not to be missed!

Now this doormat combo is a huge point of contention with my kids.  My mom gave me this personalized pumpkin doormat earlier this fall and I love it.  The kids say it’s too cute.  They want it gone.  What do you think?  Should it stay or should it go?Layered doormats make a beautiful statement at the front door.

Well, that’s the end of my Halloween front porch tour.  My porch is so tiny that there’s not much to see!  I hope you enjoyed seeing my kids’ handiwork.  Stop by on Halloween night for some candy!

This Halloween front porch is filled with dollar store Halloween decorations. See how to decorate your Halloween porch on a budget!

Filed Under: Dollar Tree, Fall and Halloween, Holiday

DIY Dollar Tree Pumpkin Picture Frames

September 19, 2018 by Bre Leave a Comment

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Fall is my favorite season for Dollar Tree crafts and makeovers, so when I saw their fresh crop of fall arrivals, I suddenly felt inspired to get dollar store crafty. (You might like my Dollar Tree Pumpkin Sign Project or Candy Corn Topiary, too!) 

I purchased a couple of their fall pumpkin chipboard decorations (NOTE: even though this post was written in 2018, Dollar Tree currently has these same decorations in the 2021 season and I linked them in the supply list!), and knew I could turn them into something cuter and more personal – DIY pumpkin picture frames, to be precise! 

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

Supplies Needed to Create Dollar Tree Fall Pumpkin Picture Frames

  • Chipboard pumpkin decorations from Dollar Tree
  • Acrylic paints in colors of your choice (I used cream, beige, and orange)
  • Paint brushes
  • Dollar Tree fall ribbon
  • Scissors
  • Twine
  • Raffia
  • Hot glue gun and hot glue

How to Create Dollar Tree Fall Pumpkin Picture Frames

Begin by ripping off the decorative accent portions of the chipboard pumpkins (for example, the raffia and the chipboard flower and/or pumpkin).  Once those are off, rip off the printed layer of the chipboard.  This came off easily!  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

Next, paint the pumpkins whatever color you like.  I went for a white pumpkin look, so I used a cream acrylic paint and then added some beige lines to give the pumpkins a bit of dimension.  I then painted the stand portion of the project orange.  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

After the paint dried, I tied ribbon and raffia around the top of each pumpkin for some cute detail and color.  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

Then I wrapped twine around the top and bottom portions of each pumpkin and hot glued it to the back of each pumpkin.  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

When the hot glue dried, the pumpkin frames looked like this.  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

Super cute, but even cuter once I added pictures of my kids at the pumpkin patch, and my dog posing with a pumpkin.  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

The twine holds the photos in place, and these little Dollar Tree pumpkin frames are the perfect spot to display fall themed photos!  

So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

It doesn’t get much easier than this, so I’d appreciate it if you would pin this project on Pinterest to help others find it!  So cute! Transform Dollar Tree pumpkin decorations into adorable pumpkin picture frames that are perfect for displaying fall photos! #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #dollartreedecor #fallcrafts

Will you be heading to Dollar Tree to find some of these chipboard pumpkins to transform into pumpkin picture frames?

Filed Under: Crafts, Dollar Tree, Fall and Halloween, Holiday

A Pumpkin Filled Fall Mantel

September 12, 2018 by Bre 10 Comments

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The weather has started turning cooler and the sun has begun setting earlier with each passing day.  Although I’m still in somewhat of a summer mindset, there’s no denying that fall is on its way.

Because of that, I’m so glad to be part of the Decorate Your Mantel Fall Blog Hop, which is hosted by my friend Amy at My Life From Home.

It gave me the kick in the pants that I needed to pull my fall decor from storage, pick up a few new items, and get things moving toward a cozier look in my house!  Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

Although I love the vibrant colors that fall brings, I went with a muted look for this mantel.  For some reason it just felt right this time around.  Maybe I’m craving a break from the sun and brightness of the summer – who knows?Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

Buckets, bowls, and containers in varying shades of silver give faux pumpkins the height they need to flank the mirror.  Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

Although each pumpkin is different, the commonalities in their pedestals makes the look cohesive.

The picture frame holds oak leaves cut from book pages (a terrible piece of chick lit I read back in the early 2000’s.  My tastes have matured since then.  Ha!), and acorns I gathered from my mom’s yard over Labor Day weekend.  Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

Faux floral picks stuffed in a wood centerpiece box I use all the time completes the look.

Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

P.S. the new candelabra I put in the fireplace is totally beautiful when it’s all lit up.  Just perfect for my non-functional fireplace.  Beautiful! See how this blogger used inexpensive items like faux pumpkins, book pages, and acorns to create a pretty fall mantel in shades of green, orange, and white.

To me there’s something very peaceful and comforting about this year’s fall mantel.  I love looking at it and thinking of all the fun fall activities ahead for me and my family.

Have you begun decorating for fall yet?  What type of look are you going with this year?

-Bre

Filed Under: Fall and Halloween, Holiday, home decor

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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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