Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

Living Large on a Limited Budget

Merry Little Christmas: Too, Too Fun Wrapping Idea #3

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dollar--store-diva-Christmas

Hark!

I love the simplicity of this package.

The gift is wrapped in shiny red dollar store paper. I found this exquisite black and white tag here, printed it at 70% to fit my package, and matted it with black paper.

Then I wrapped some of my favorite yarn around the package and hung the tag from the yarn.

 And there you have it: too, too fun wrapping idea #3.

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Merry Little Christmas: Too, Too Fun Wrapping Idea #2

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dollar--store-diva-Christmas

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Wintery Scene #2

Ready to wrap with too, too fun idea #2?

Then let’s go!

This cereal box gift bag is the extra large size–just right for those extra large gifts.

I wrapped the box with some snowy paper from the dollar store the same way I did with Idea #1. I found the idea and tree template here and adapted it for my project.

For an added touch, I wrapped a piece of colorful ribbon around the bottom of the quiet wintery scene.

And there you have it: too, too fun wrapping idea #2.

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Merry Little Christmas: Too, Too Fun Wrapping Idea #1

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

dollar--store-diva-Christmas

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Too, Too Fun #1

Are you ready to wrap? OK then–here we go!

One of the goals of the  Merry Little Christmas Project is to get organized before the calendar turns to December. But how can not-yet-purchased gifts be wrapped?  Aha! The secret behind pre-wrapped gift Idea #1 is: a cereal box! And if you can wrap a present, you can wrap a cereal box.

Too, too fun wrapping idea #1 supply list:

one cereal box

scissors

adhesive

Christmas wrapping paper

construction paper or scrapbooking paper for mittens

twine

clothespins (Optional)

Easy Steps:

1) Cut the top flaps off the top of the empty cereal box.

2) Insert a book or two inside the box to make it firm so that it will be easier to wrap tightly.

3) Wrap the box just like you would a gift. I buy my wrapping paper only at the dollar store, and I happened to have this snowflake paper in my stash.

4) At the top of the box where you have removed the flaps, fold the excess paper down the inside of the box and adhere with tape.

And now the fun begins!

5) Cut the mittens in an appropriate color using the Too Fun Mitten Pattern.

6) Tie a length of twine around the box and hang the two mittens. I had some little clothespins that I had found at Michaels for almost nothing, but tape or paperclips would also work.

7) Remove the books from the box, then insert a sheet of tissue paper.

And there you have it–just waiting for a gift for your loved one.

Too, too fun!

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

The Dollar Store Diva: So Many Thanks Stationery with Printables

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Thanks Colored Paper8

When I discovered this neon Astrobrights paper and the matching envelopes–at two different dollar stores several months apart–I knew I would find a use for them.

Thanks Colored Paper1

 They were just too fun to pass up.

Thanks Colored Paper3

And, as I expected, I did indeed find a use for them!

Thanks Colored Paper4

We had a wonderful Hill family vacation this past summer with 22 of us spending an action-packed week together. It coincided with my birthday (Clever planning on my part, huh?!), and my family poured blessing on me.

Thanks Colored Paper5

 I wanted to thank them thoroughly  for the many ways they made this birthday so special.

Aha! Astrobrights to the rescue!

Using this printable, I printed  “So many thanks” in the bottom corner of the paper and then wrote each of the families an individual note.

Thanks Colored Paper6

I filled a page with Thank you! in a variety of fun fonts, printed them and cut them into strips with my trimmer. I used scissors to snip the individual phrases. Along with my thank you note, I sprinkled a handful of the Thank You Confetti into the envelope.

I like to think that when my children opened their notes they felt my sincerest gratitude.

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

The Dollar Store Diva: Welcome Banner with Free Printables

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DIY Banner

My husband and I recently downsized to a small Cape Cod. It has taken some ingenuity to create nooks and crannies for our out-of-town family to sleep when they come to visit. There is actually only one bedroom upstairs, but at the top of the stairs is an open space that I have turned into a bedroom for my grandchildren. It has a single bed and room for a folding mattress to be placed on the floor when needed.

As you may already know, I have 16 grandchildren ranging in age from two months to almost 22 years. The older grandchildren live 1730 miles away, so when my Texas family recently traveled across country to visit, the teddy bears and nursery rhyme books didn’t seem appropriate for my 19- and 21-year-old grandsons.

An online search led me to a Grandma-perfect way to welcome my two over-six-foot-tall grandsons: printable alphabet banners.

Banner COM

I re-sized the online letters before I printed them to make them a bit smaller for the wall space available. I printed the letters on off-white cardstock, then matted them with $1 store kraft wrapping paper. Of course, they could also be printed on plain white copy paper or decorative scrapbook paper.

I hung each matted letter on the hemp cord I had stretched above the bed, choosing to attach them with clothes pins so I could change-up the banner from time to time.

Welcome Banner with arrows

I felt like it needed a few more touches, so  I created a couple of my favorite paper flowers out of multi-colored paper scraps, and–for a final touch–added a few wisps of  fuzzy yarn.

Welcome Banner 3

And there you have it: this is what greeted my Texas family as they came up the stairs of Grandpa and Grandma’s little Cape Cod.

I had so much fun doing this that my brain is already whirring, thinking about all the celebration and holiday banners I can make.

Got any ideas coming your way?

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into treasures that would brighten anyone’s day!

Click here to check out more Dollar Store Diva posts.

 

The Dollar Store Diva: A You’ve-Got-to-Be-Kidding Birthday Gift

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Macia's Gift PicM

Macia just celebrated her second birthday since becoming my daughter-in-law. [No, M-a-c-i-a is not a typo; even though spell-check rejects it, her name is Macia.] Her parents invited my husband and me to dinner to celebrate the happy occasion. Since we were going to be at her parents’ house, I wanted to be sure that I chose just the right birthday gift  to show them what we think about our son’s wife.

Macia's Gift2

And, of course, I wanted to wrap it up all pretty. I used a basket I got for almost nothing at a thrift store and yarn I found at a Dollar Deals dollar store. [How could I resist buying yarn called Geranium, Raspberry, and Petal Pink?]

Macia's Gift3

So, are you wondering what gift we gave to Ryan’s wife?

Ta Dah!

Macia's Gift1

Cleaning supplies.

 Honest.

And you’re saying You’ve got to be kidding!

But wait! It’s not what it seems. This gift was designed to be a symbol of a beautiful aspect of Macia’s character.

Just short of two years ago, my husband and I moved into a smaller house. I will never forget the day of the big move; our future daughter-in-law came early and, let me tell you, she worked. And it was dirty work. All day. She scrubbed the tile floors in our basement–on her hands and knees. She sorted through packs and piles of musty, dusty “stuff” from years of: “What should we do with this?”  “I don’t know; put it in the garage.”

She did dirty work. All day. With a smile on her face.

When I mentioned it to Ryan, he said, “Macia has the gift of service.”

So the Mr Clean and Scotch-Brite were not an insult; instead, they gave us an opportunity to rehearse this act of service in front of her husband and her family and to honor the daughter-in-law we adore.

And, yes, just in case you were wondering–we did give her another gift. 🙂

Perhaps this will spark an idea for you of someone you would like to honor. Can you think of a fun you’ve-got-to-be-kidding gift that would actually be a symbol of something beautiful or honorable in his or her life?

If you come up with any good ideas, we’d love to hear about them. Feel free to share in the comments below.

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

 

 

The Dollar Store Diva: Dropcloth Ideas Galore!

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Dropcloth Ideas Galore

In my previous post I offered an idea about curtains on the cheap. I received  some stimulating ideas in response to the post, so I decided to see what Pinterest might have to offer.

Oh, my.

 I have inserted a few of my favorites, but if your interest has been piqued, just do a Pinterest search for drop cloth (dropcloth? drop cloth?). You might find just the painters-drop-cloth-idea you didn’t even know you were looking for.

Let the fun begin!

1) These lovely framed pictures can be printed directly on canvas dropcloth fabric

Print on dropcloth

 Print on Dropcloth

2) O. My. Goodness. I love these no-sew curtains!!

Vintage Hanger Curtains

3) How about these no-sew curtains!

No-sew-dropcloth-curtains

No sew script curtains

4) Isn’t the soft simplicity of these book covers soothing?

Dropcloth Book CoversDropcloth Book Covers

5) Oh! I want one of these, don’t you?!

Dropcloth tentDrop Cloth Tent

6) So lovely for any time of the year, but especially so at Thanksgiving.

Give Thanks Pillow

Give Thanks pillow.

7) One more “I-can-do-this” idea: Thanksgiving hymn traced on tablecloth with a Sharpie

Come Ye Thankful Tablecoth Drop cloth tablecloth

And if these ideas aren’t enough, give this site a try:

DropClothProjects 50+ Things to Make

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So, are your creative juices flowing? Got any ideas of your own? We’d love for you to add your own comments below.

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

The Dollar Store Diva: Curtains on the Cheap

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Curtains on the Cheap

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My husband and I just spent a week in a cottage on Leroy Island. When we walked out the back door of the cottage, we were listening to the waves of Lake Ontario lapping against the shore. When we went out the front door, we were standing on the shore of beautiful Sodus Bay.

How cool is that?!

When we first arrived, I noticed that the temperamental venetian blinds of past vacation stays had been replaced with floor-length drapes. A lovely and refreshing change. When Scott, the owner of the cottage, stopped by, he told us the secret of his new curtains.

“Do you know what they are made of? ” he asked. I shook my head no. “Drop cloths.”

Yup, you got it right: canvas drop cloths!

You know, the fabric that painters put on the floor to keep the splatters and paint drips from splattering and dripping where they’re not supposed to splatter and drip.

Canvas Drop Cloth Curtains

And did we ever enjoy those drapes! When we wanted a full view of Lake Ontario, we opened the drapes wide; when we needed to keep out the heat of the afternoon sun, we pulled them shut.

All for the price of canvas drop cloths.

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These drop cloths can be found at stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot and, of course, online.

In fact, one reviewer on Lowe’s website said she used them for table cloths at her wedding and put burlap table runners over them. Or–how about bed skirts? Or–using them for divider curtains to hide the storage mess in the basement? Oh, my! Now the ideas are starting to flow…

How about you? Do you have any ideas for using canvas drop cloths? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Dropcloth Ideas Galore

Looking for more creative Drop Cloth Ideas?  Check out my Drop Cloth Ideas Galore post here. 

Check out more from the Dollar Store Diva.

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For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!