Bow DollsIt's what girls hang their hair bows on. There is ribbon all the way around the skirt that you put the bows on. If you run out of room, it has a long braid in the back and a mirror face so she can see to put the bow in her hair.
Save That Pillow CasingI have purchased several little pillows that are stuffed with tiny beads. I think the beads are Styrofoam. After several months of usage, the beads start to break down, leak out of the seams, and the pillow begins to go flat. Because of this, I have thrown some away which I felt was a big waste. The thought of saving the casing finally hit me.
My First WreathThis is the first wreath I have ever made. I just had to post it. I know it's not the best, but hey! I am pretty proud! The supplies that I used were: a grape vine wreath, burlap ribbon, faux flowers, and a hot glue gun.
Inspiration Wall ArrangementMy husband made the shelves. I put together the items to decorate on the shelves, some I made or did floral arranging for some I purchased at Goodwill.
Transforming Gourds Into Elegant DecorI have a few gourds left over from my fall/Thanksgiving decor. They are in great shape and can last almost forever! Just by using silver metallic spray paint, you can create elegant decor for less, the gift that keeps giving!
Buy Cheap and Revamp Into Your StyleI bought this chalkboard during last year's 90% Christmas sale at Target for only 30 cents (originally $3). I changed up the original bow that I did not like (which was a simple thin red bow) into this burlap bow. Now the chalkboard looks as if it was more expensive and looks nicer.
Spice Up Napkin Holders with Fall Craft LeavesI wanted to spice up our normally solid black napkin holders and used fabric craft leaves to do it. If the napkin holders you are using have holes in the design, it's easy to add leaves. Simply stick the stems into the sides along the bottom and attach with zip ties that match your holder.
Bragging Rights! Second Place State FairI won 2nd place for my embellished mirror at the State Fair for Oregon/2018!
Decorated Flower VaseThis a tip about decorating a flower vase. You will need: any kind of vase, decorations of your choice, a glue gun, glue sticks, and ribbon.
Fancy Tea LightsIt's easy to bling up plain tea lights with fancy tape. There is such a lot of choice and so many designs, colours, and patterns available that you can make them up for any occasion. Add sticky gems too for a bit more sparkle.
Fall Decorated Artificial Pencil Christmas TreeAs a retired couple, my husband and I were on a budget and this year we need to purchase an artificial tree, but we could not afford it. My daughter gave me two, three foot pencil trees that are normally used for Christmas; they have a burlap base.
Hexagon Popsicle Stick ShelvesThis one is fun and easy to make. It is a great project for younger kids as well.
My Dollar General ButterflyI went to the Dollar General and decided to paint a little butterfly. It comes in a kit with acrylic paints and a brush and the butterfly with a magnet on the back. If I would have bought each of the items alone, it would have cost more than the dollar it cost me to buy the kit. The brush and the paint impressed me with their quality.
Simple Beach CenterpieceRecently our family went on a rare vacation to the beach. I collected a lot of shells during that trip and wanted to keep them where I could see them. This is what I came up with.
Display Figurine Collection in Crystal BowlAfter I take all my Christmas decorations down, everything looks so bare. I try to redecorate a little different and more exciting. Winter is boring, I need to get a spark going in me.
Fabric Covered Christmas Candy CaneI found some fabric remnants at Walmart and decided to repurpose a Christmas tree ornament, which was scuffed from many years of use. With the fabric cut into strips and wrapped around the ornament, I ended up with an adorable fabric candy cane which I loved!
Fluffy Plastic Storage CubeI had a storage cube that I was using for my pills and vitamins. I also had a lot of long fabric strips. I put the two together by trying bows through the holes and the result was a fluffy version of what I had before. I love it.
Hubcap Lighting FixtureI wanted new lighting for my 1979 kitchen remodel, but they were too pricey. At the thrift store, I saw a set of chrome wheel covers, exactly the size I wanted. I bought them for $6 and a new utility light fixture at Home Depot for $5. For the bulb cover I used a desk top pen holder from Dollar Tree.
License Plate LampI am always trying to make or find something unusual for my grandson who has Aspberger's. Since he is now 19, it has gotten more difficult. He likes cars and soon will be going to an autotech school. So, digging through my packrat room, I found a car part (transmission pan?), an old lamp, and a set of old license plates.
Kindle Pocket for an End TableI have a chair that eats things like remotes, scissors, and Kindles. Yep, you read that right. When I sit and charge the Kindle it has to be on the floor. I once thought the cable kid had stolen it as it had slid down into the side of the cushion.
Autumn CenterpieceHere is a simple and colorful way to recycle pine cones into an autumn centerpiece.
Fear of DyeingDid I say "dying?" I meant "dyeing", as in dyeing material! I found a great new looking, three piece heavy duty bathroom rug set at a garage sale recently. They were priced for only $1 and looked great. The only problem? They were light blue, not the color I wanted for my bathroom.
Mini Beach ScenePerfect for when you're missing the beach. Take a little glass bowl and put some sand in it. Then decorate with seashells, a little chair, an umbrella; whatever reminds you of the beach. It would also be cute to give to a hostess at a beach themed summer party.
Reusing Vintage TinsI save the tins with cute, vintage looking graphics after cleaning out my cupboards to make desk sets and/or refridgerator magnets! They would make a cute gift too.
Don't Discard Your Egg Coloring WaterI always hate to throw out all those pretty cups of colors after we color our Easter eggs. So this year I decided to dilute them a bit and put them in pretty glasses on my window sill to decorate the house a bit for the holidays!
Spice Up Your Office SpaceI am turning my office space at home into a "creativity room" so I wanted to spice up the filing cabinet. I added some left over wrapping paper to the top and front and livened it up!
Decorating a Throw Pillow with SharpiesOn a recent shopping trip to Ikea with my daughter and her children we saw these beautiful black and white graphic pillows on sale for $5. The kids wanted to get one each to decorate with markers. I got one too, to share in the fun.
Camper Van CushionsHere are some cushion covers I made from 3 tea towels - ideal for our camper van.
Handprint Wall BorderMy DIL took some wide border paper, painted it white and put it just about the height of a chair rail around the room. She had the kids put the palms of their hand on shallow plates of paint in bright primary colors and put their hand prints on the border paper.
Decorating an Old Bud VaseOld bud vases make great decor or find new usefulness as a candy dish.
Tie BlanketsReally fun and fast to make!
Handmade Fairy DoorsMy hobby is making cute decorative fairy doors. Lots of shops have bargain bins and I use them a lot and a bit of imagination.
Decorated Picture FrameTable wood frame with glass cover, picture size 4 X 6', hand painted and decorated with dry nature from my garden.
Shelf Sitter from New or Recycled ScarvesSew cute scarf decor from old scarves or $1 store scarves. I had some felt laying around and an old scarf and decided to make a cute shelf sitter for my daughter's new baby room. Her theme is "owls". This took hardly any time and it looks great.
Homemade Garbage CanThis is a kitchen garbage can that my hubby made for my niece. He built it and I painted, decorated, and decoupaged it. This is the top cover for it.
Stained Glass Effect Using CellophaneAfter moving into a 150 year old farm house, I wanted to enhance the beauty of the entry door but didn't want to disturb the old leaded glass window panes. I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased cellophane wrapping paper.
Cheap Pillar CandlePillar candles can be expensive for holiday arrangements or weddings. I discovered a cheaper way to make one.
Framed Fabric HandprintsI wanted to find a fun way to display how much our kids were growing when they were young. I made tracings of their hands when they were newborns, 1 year old, and 2 years old.
Book LampLamp, with the lampstand being a stack of books.
Fall Crochet Hats for Flower Pot CoziesJust a quick idea when pulling out our fall/winter clothes.
Using Pillow Shams to Recover Throw PillowsI had two pillows that were used a lot! I had washed them several times and finally the covering just almost disintegrated. The inside pillow was still good so I decided to recover them (since new pillows are $15.00 and up when you buy them).
Wooden Bead and Wire TrivetMy trivet measured 4 inches X 4-1/2 inches. You can buy the large assorted packs of beads for approximately $10, and there will be enough to make a trivet.
Hiding an Attic Access PanelOur over 200 year old home has a square opening in the attic that was obvious. I changed it into a skylight with paint!
Old Door Knob ArtI found an old window screen, attached dried herb bundles, and screwed old door knobs on the bottom for a unique decoration for my garden room.
Cheater Quilt in Embroidery HoopI love the older craft ideas like this. Mine is really simple. Take some cheater quilt, the kind that looks like it was sewn together, but wasn't, and bind or cut a square out and put in the hoop.
Heirloom ShadowboxesHere's a way to get your family mementos out of old shoe boxes in the attic or jewelry boxes in your dresser drawers and into display boxes where they can be enjoyed every day.
Embellishing an Older FrameI bought a nice wooden frame with a colander of apples in it for .50 a couple of years back. Today I finally had the time to fix it up properly by adding ribbon, buttons, fabric scraps, and an old glove. It turned out really nice.
Craft: Painted Rock CupcakesI like to collect small stones, the size of maybe two inches in diameter, and paint them with fingernail polish first and then puffy paint.
Sewing Curtains From SheetsMost of my curtains I've made from sheets. I simply measure the length then fold the top down and stitch two lines across leaving enough room at the top for the ruffle, and enough between each line for the rod to go through.
Instant Bolster PillowI recently replaced my bedspread and didn't want to sell or donate the older one. I have a chaise lounge pad on my mattress, so it makes a "gap" between it and the wall. To fill it, I needed some pillows.
Recycled Throw PillowsI had 2 long body pillows my son didn't use. I made gorgeous throw pillows for my couch using 2 curtain panels. Measure two 20 inch squares per pillow. Put patterned sides together and pin.
Pillow from a Decorative T-shirtI somehow got a hole in a decorative t-shirt I only wore once, right in the front. There was no way of fixing it so that I could wear it again so I decided to cut just above the hole and make a pillow out of it.
Bedroom MuralThis is the first mural I painted, on my bedroom in my old apartment. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping; so when I can't sleep, I paint. On my bedroom wall I decided to paint the ocean. It had fish jumping in the water, the sand was even textured.
Turn Cloth Scraps Into Cute TP HolderDon't throw away those old cloth scraps you've accumulated. It just takes a few little pieces to sew together a toilet paper roll holder. If you aren't good with sewing, you can also use a hot glue gun.
Fragrant Wax BottleI like to recycle glass bottles, such as soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, etc. into decorative glass bottles. Here is one I made using scented candles to drip onto the bottle.
Making Shower CurtainsI was reading all about shower curtains on here, on how to wash them. I made one and I cut it about a foot from the top all the way across. I sewed a zipper on it and now all I have to do is unzip it and wash the bottom part. I don't need to mess with the hooks.
Cover Comforters With SheetsI used sheets to make my covers. Just sewed togther three sides. I sewed the sides and bottom of sheets. Then on the other end, I made button holes on one, the buttons on the other. Then I could just slide in the comforter and button it.
Chicken in a Jar CraftTake a Kerr or Mason jar, put in some egg noodles, a small stuffed chicken of your choice, and cap it! You can make a circular fabric topper to really "countrify" it.
Lace "Chandelier"I have a love of old linens, lace, etc., and came up with a unique way to display them. I took a wire hanging basket and attached lace around each basket.
Centerpiece for July 4th 2011We had this arrangement of flowers and flags on the BBQ table for Memorial Day, and now we will use it for 4th of July. I change the centerpiece decorations for fall and Christmas. In the spring, I use pastel colors.
New Life For Ceramic FigurinesI am partial to angel figurines and have actually found some nice ones in the dollar store, but they were a bit too colorful for me (pink cheeks and so on). So, I have sprayed them white or off-white craft paint to paint in the colored parts of the figurine.
Make Your Own Blackout CurtainsInstead of paying $50 and up for blackout curtains, just go through old clothes and find opaque large skirts, t-shirts, or button-up shirts and sew them all together to fit your window. It helps if you have a sewing machine, but it can still be done by hand.
Decorate Your Christmas Tree For Every SeasonMy husband and I stopped by an unusual shop last week. This sweet lady had a Christmas tree upside down in one corner of her store and had decorations on it. This theme was spring with birds, butterflies and different sprays of flowers.
Painted Pot HoldersI came across some plain potholders at a dollar store and thought they would go good with my denim child's apron. So I painted all the members in the birthday girl's family and called them her little peeps.
Velvet Bow-Tie Neck PillowIf you are a less-than-tall person, but want a chair to fit you anyway, you may need a nice soft neck pillow. I made mine out of an of an old velvet bathrobe.
Tablecloths for Covering Patio CushionsWhen covering patio cushions or patio pillows, look for tablecloths on clearance. The material is really durable and has some stain and water repellent in it. You can also re-spray it with a good stain repellent.
Remote Control HolderI m always looking for my remote in the bedroom, so I decided to make a remote holder with plastic canvas. I used left over yarn and beads, and some wire for the handle, and made a tassel for more decoration.
Leaf Patterned Glass Table TopA glass top coffee table can be changed to match the seasons. Every few months. I gather leaves from either my cedar or oak tree and lay them atop the glass. I give it a light coat of spray paint, remove the leaves and once dried, flip the glass over.
DIY Apothecary JarsSuper cheap to make, so stylish when completed. You will need a jar with a lid, a glass/crystal candlestick holder and a little Gorilla glue.
Make Placemat With PhotosI take pictures from trips I have taken, laminate them on placemat size paper. They are always of interest when people come to dinner. I have also done this with various holiday cards, so I have placemats to go with all holidays.
Make a Wind Chime with Old Beads and...I recently put together a rather pretty hanger/wind chime for the patio using lots of leftover beads, old odd earrings, bits of old brooches and necklaces, and some colored glass pieces from a broken wind chime.
Use Logos from Old T-Shirts as Wall ArtMy grandchildren live with me, and we are always have to buy new T-shirts for them. We recycle old T-shirts with sayings and such on them, by taking a hoop that is used for sewing projects, and putting the shirt in the hoop with the part you want to show.
Make Cloth Napkins from RemnantsI love to have tons of dinner napkins, but I do not like the high price on them. I go to Walmart and look through their remnant bin for cheap materials. I just took a remnant home that cost 39 cents and made four dinner napkins out of it.
Touch Up Old Picture with MarkerI had found an old framed oil painting of a bowl of flowers by a window in the trash when a neighbor moved. The picture was sort of nice, so I hung it in the bathroom. I had the idea of "mashing up" the colors on the picture. What did I have to lose?
Convert a Clock Into a Picture FrameI bought a $2.00 Goodwill clock, only to find it didn't work once I put the battery in.
Crystal ChandelierI've always loved crystals. So, this is my latest creation as my winter project this year. It started as a black faux crystal hanging light, bought at a chain discount store.
Oven Door TowelThis was made from two kitchen towels purchased from the Dollar Tree Store. The total cost was $2.16. Materials: 2 towels, thread, button.
Towel HolderUsing a leftover shirt sleeve, I made this towel holder for my stove. Cut the sleeve in a rounded pattern at the shoulder end. Turn wrong side out and sew around that cut edge.
Recycled Wall ArtUse empty kitchen cardboard as a pallet to display favorite fabrics!
Stand Mixer CoverLiving in a small home, my stand mixer has to be left out on the counter. To make it sort of blend in, I made a cover out of a towel.
Decorating With Beach GlassWhat can be done with a $1 bag of beach glass? Use it for a little decorating in a plain place. My bathroom is so plain. I am doing what I can when I feel like it. I decided to attach beach glass around my plain mirror to try to make it a little more interesting!
Fabric LettersThese DREAM alphas were made from an old shirt I liked the print too well to toss it into the "rag bag".
Coasters Made From Old ShirtI loved this print and really could not feel right in not making a nice little craft from it so I decided on coasters! The pattern was cut from paper left from a sheet of stickers which was high gloss and somewhat waxy so it will last a good long while.
Plywood TableMy dad had an old plywood table just sitting on his porch and I'd been wanting to do something with it for the longest. I turned it into a mosaic tabletop and love it on their porch now!
Embellished $1 Tea TowelsYour local Dollar store carries a variety of plain and holiday printed hand-towels that provide an ideal and decorative way to use up your scrap ribbons, buttons, and fabrics.
Wallpaper Flower DecorDeco hole punches are especially nice to have a whole set of in varying sizes. Here, I punched out flowers from both scrap wallpaper and from another roll I picked up at either a thrift shop or rummage sale for $1 each.
Craft: LED Mini Jar LampThis is a LED tea light in a jar with a lamp shade made from scrapbook paper. I used a vintage glass jelly jar, but you can also use a baby food jar or any other small jar.
Decorative Story JarStory Jar made from recycled kitchen jars. After the contents of the jar are emptied, wash and dry. If you want a "peep hole" in the front, cut peel-n-stick shelf paper the desired shape and place it where you want it, then paint the jar.
Shell Soap DispenserI thought up this idea last night as I was looking around my house and seeing all these hand sanitizer bottles I have sitting around. As I am known for not liking to display commercial labels, I decided to get my supply of seashells out and decorate the outside of the bottles.
Refrigerator CaddyI came up with the idea because my counters were always cluttered. I simply used pre-quilted cotton fabric measured to fit my refrigerator and added the pockets much like you would make a shoe bag, but of course, the pockets are smaller.
Gourd DecorI enjoy raising and decorating gourds. The one here is one of my favorites. It only required tan leather dye, a skill saw with a fine blade and a drill and bit along with a little sandpaper and leather lacing.
Vinyl Wall AccentsUse inexpensive vinyl wallpaper for accents in your room if there isn't enough for your task. Buy it at thrift shops or rummage sales and get creative!
Make a Trivet From Tile and Wine CorksGo to Home Depot or Lowe's ceramic tile department. Choose a tile that is one color, but has a design in it. Take 6 corks, cut them in half as evenly as possible. Glue them to the underside of the tile.
Craft: Plastic Milk Jug SnoopyThis snoopy is made from two plastic milk containers. I used black felt for the floppy ears, nose (the cap is left on one of the milk jugs), eyes, and buttons on the body. I cut a hole in the side of one of the milk containers for the head to fit over the body.
Decorative Plaque From Clay SaucerI spray painted the bottom of the clay pot saucer white and added a body tattoo butterfly. I wrote "Welcome Friends" with a gold paint pen and sprayed a top coat of silicone.
Chopsticks Diffuser JarSomeone asked a question as a recent TF Craft request about ideas for reusing chop sticks. I came up with an idea and figure I might as well also submit it as a recycle tip.
Garden ChandelierI made this candle chandelier from an generic looking gold light fixture that I bought on craigslist for five dollars. I cut the electrical wiring out of the top and just left the chain. Then I painted the chandelier a dark brown with a can of Rustoleum spray paint.
Birch Wood Candle HolderThis candle holder is so versatile. We give them as house warming gifts, anniversary gifts, and just because we like our friends.
Personalize Kids Pillows With Printed FacesMake kids a pillow of themselves. You can put any fabric through an inkjet printer by ironing it to freezer paper. Make sure to first wash it to remove any sizing.
Potholder Kitchen Scissors HolderI will be making kitchen scissor holders to hang on the wall for Christmas this year. You take a potholder, a regular sized one, and fold it to a cone shape like an ice cream cone.
Make Two Throw Pillows from a PillowI wanted to make new throw pillows to decorate my granddaughter's bedrooms. Fiberfill is so expensive, so I started buying pillows, and taking them apart (I see that's now a tip on this site!). That's when it hit me! Why was I going through all this trouble?
Mini Bell DecorationThis is a mini bell I made from a terra cotta pot, paint, and odds n ends.
