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The Dollar Store Diva: More Fall Paper Craft Ideas

October 24th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Fall Paper Crafts

I recently shared my giddiness over the Dare-to-Be-Square pumpkins I created with my new Gift Box Punch Board here.

And the fun continues.

Since the gift box punch board can create boxes in 20 different sizes, I decided to explore a few of them with my FALL display. I used this free font to cut out the letters FLL and used a wooden jack-o-lantern for the A. I punched and scored three boxes from three different colors of cardstock and matted the letters with paper and burlap before adhering them to the boxes. For a colorful base, I wrapped a book in scrapbooking paper.

Fall Paper Pumpkin Craft

I couldn’t resist trying one more project, so I made a box in the largest size using 12×12″ paper, then adhered a piece of orange-striped scrapbook paper to the front of the not-even-remotely-orange pumpkin. I used a strip of corrugated cardboard for the *stem.

So there you have it–paper crafts for this lovely fall season.

*Check out my pumpkin-stem birthday gift idea at the end of my post here.

***

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!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Dare-to-Be-Square Paper Pumpkins

October 23rd, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Pumpkin Candle

I am in love. Well, maybe I am in really, really like. With a gadget.

My frugal nature resists spending money new gadgets, but when I watched this video, I was smitten.

I have Amazon Prime so I could get it for $11.99–40% off– here , but they are also a deal at Michaels using their 40% off coupon.

Before my first evening of ownership was over, the Box Punch Board had stolen my heart.

Gift Box Punch Board

Since it was nearing Halloween, I decided to make a pumpkin–yup, a square pumpkin.

 Following the board’s directions, I simply punched and scored a 12″x12″ sheet of orange card stock. Before I folded it into a box, I used an exacto knife and cut out a smiling jack-o-lantern face. For the stem I used a strip of green corrugated cardboard.

LED Candles

For the final Halloween touch, I slipped a Dollar Tree tea light–that flickers like a candle–behind the smile.

Square Pumpkins

 So there you have it. My happy dare-to-be-square pumpkin display.

By the way, I made one of these for my grandson’s birthday; I rolled his money gift, slipped it into a slice in the top of the box, and used it as the stem of the pumpkin. Oh, the ideas are limitless!

***

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 and crafts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

Pumpkin Spice Latte {for a Fraction of the Price}

October 17th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I just heard this announcement on TV: Pumpkin is back at Dunkin’ Donuts!

Typically those words would make me grab my car keys and start my engine.

But no longer.

You see, my friend Sally introduced me to a frother. Yep, a frother.

IKEA Milk Frother

The truth is, I had never heard of a frother before, but when I saw the magic it performed, I knew that I wanted one.

 I decided to start with a basic IKEA Milk Frother that I found on Amazon -a mere $6.49 to whip up a creamy froth for my morning coffee. And it paid for itself within days.

Oh, isn’t this pumpkin spice latte a thing of beauty?

A Thing of Beauty

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte:

 I discovered many recipes online for homemade pumpkin spice syrups; I had fun trying a couple of them and this was my favorite.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup Happy Fall, Y’all Tag

But I have to confess that I am smitten by International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer.

Ahhh, such a sweet coffee treat.

Pumpkin Pie Creamer

So how does it work?

For a latte,  simply put about a 1/4 cup Pumpkin Spice creamer in the bottom of your favorite mug, then place the frothing whip into the creamer. {Do NOT turn it on until it is fully submerged in the liquid!} Be careful not to touch the sides or the bottom of the mug with the vibrating whip. Vibrate for 30+ seconds until you have a lovely thick foam. Fill the rest of the mug with hot coffee and you have a thing of beauty indeed.

{You may need to experiment a bit until you get the right amount of cream and coffee for your personal preference.}

So there you have it. Pumpkin may be back at Dunkin’, but I’m sipping my own lovely latte {for a fraction of the price}.

***

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!

You might also like:

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Easy Homemade Coffee Syrups

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Easy Autumn Burlap Wreath + Free Printable

October 2nd, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Blessings Galore Harvest Wreath

 I’m not much of a fabric DIYer, but when I saw this autumn burlap-tied wreath here, I knew immediately that I wanted to make it.

I followed the tutorial but tweaked the directions a bit by using a smaller frame. I also created my own tag, printed it on beige cardstock, punched a hole in the corner, and tied it to the wreath. Click here for the tag with two size options: Blessings Galore Printable

I used a 12″ wire wreath frame from Jo-Ann’s, so  I cut the strips  shorter: 2″ x 12″.  I wasn’t too fussy; that’s the beauty of this project.

 12" Wire Wreath

When I bought the fabric at Jo-Ann’s, they strongly recommended that I spray the burlap with hairspray before I started the project. It keeps the fabric from fraying and makes it easier to work with.

So there you have it! A lovely harvest-season reminder of the overflowing of blessings in our lives.

***

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 and crafts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

Stocking Up at the Dollar Tree

September 18th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Dollar Store Diva Stocks Up

There is a difference between stocking up on and hoarding. “Hoarding” is about piles and stacks of products that I may or may not ever use. “Stocking up on” means finding a good deal on a product I use regularly then buying a quantity I know I will use in the upcoming months.

I read an article recently on Mother’s Niche on time management. There were several helpful tips, but I especially benefitted from Tip #4: Always Buy 2

 To avoid frantic last minute expensive trips to the store, this blogger actually encourages shoppers to buy household products once a year. But if you can’t do that, she writes, at least buy two!

So, here are three goodies I found on a recent trip to my local Dollar Tree:

Dollar Tree Decorative Tape

I have learned that if I find a holiday product I know I will use, I need to seize the opportunity–it will go fast. When I saw this decorative tape at $1/roll, I grabbed seven rolls. Oh, the fun that is in store: I plan to use it on gift wrap, stationery, and Christmas crafts.

Dollar Tree Scotties

This was a great deal, and I already wish I had bought more: 200 2-ply sheets of name-brand tissues for a dollar! Now that’s a good deal. The Dollar Tree  usually has name-brand tissues on the shelves, but not 200 sheets.

Dollar Tree Dermasil

I have dry skin; I rely on hand lotion all year long, but especially during the winter months. Our Dollar Tree normally has 8 oz. Dermasil on it shelves, but this was an extra-sweet deal: 10 oz. tubes for a dollar!  Now that was something to stock up on. [I checked Amazon, and this same tube of Dermasil is priced for $5.99.] On a cold January day, I’ll be grateful to grab a new tube of hand lotion off my shelf at home instead of having to brave a New York winter.

So, there you have it. Three Dollar Tree deals worth stocking up on.

Looking for more Dollar Tree Stock-Up deals? Check out our weekly Dollar Tree coupon matchups here. 

***

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!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Saving money Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Dollar Store Just-for-Fun Wall Art

September 11th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

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We have a bathroom upstairs in our little Cape Cod that’s hardly big enough to store two toothbrushes. Besides that, it’s b.o.r.i.n.g. “Someday” we’ll spend some time and energy on it, but for now I just wanted to make it a bit more fun since it’s the bathroom my grandchildren often use when they come to visit.

I found these frames at Dollar Deals. I have no idea what the numbers and letters on the frames stand for, but it’s kind of fun speculating.  On the same trip, I bought two dishtowels with stripes of the same blue as the frame.

This is what resulted; talk about easy…

Wall Art

I cut one towel in half and stretched a piece behind each of the 4×6 frames. That’s it; it was that simple. It is standing on our counter along with an ironstone bowl of matching washcloths. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And then there is this: I separated the two frames and, once again, cut a towel and used the two halves as a mat for the letters. I chose a font easy to cut (you might want to check out the funky font I used here) and printed two each of the H and I, cut them out, and matted the cranberry letters with yellow letters.

They hang on the wall at an angle. Somehow it just seems appropriate.

So there you have it: some easy just-for-fun Dollar Store wall art. I get a kick out of them every time I look at them.

So what do you think? Any idea what the 23.42 and LR 1218 painted on the frame stands for?

***

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!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Gift Wrapping with Free Funky Font

September 4th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Tatumn is 3!

My sweet little niece recently celebrated her 3rd birthday. Her gift box was rather large, so I wanted to think of a happy way to fill up all that empty space.

Awhile back I had downloaded this FREE HOT COFFEE FONT, and I had used it a few times when I wanted something a bit frisky.

 Aha! Just what the doctor ordered for Tatumn’s package.

Griffin
Shortly after, my grandsons Griffin and Lincoln also celebrated birthdays. Though they’re too young to drink a cup of joe, their packages called for the same HOT COFFEE FONT!
Stencils
I wanted to create stencils because I knew that I would use these letters for other projects, so I opened Microsoft Word:
#1-I chose Hot Coffee Font in the drop-down font menu
#2–On my Mac, I went to Document Elements and clicked on Word Art
#3 In Word Art I chose the option with the lightest outline
#4–I clicked on that and a text box appeared
#5–With the font size set to 200 pts. I typed the entire upper case alphabet in the text box
#6–After I printed the alphabet on white card stock, I cut out the cardstock letter shapes I needed for these three gifts.
And now I was ready to go. I chose scraps of celebrative paper, drew around the letter stencils with a pencil, and cut them out. Each box was wrapped in Dollar Tree kraft paper so now all I had to do was to adhere the names with double-sided tape.
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For an additional touch on Griffin’s, I added a strip of blue Dollar Tree painter’s tape across the bottom. For Lincoln’s, I couldn’t resist an additional strip of chevron tape. And there you have it, a happy way to fill up all that kraft paper space.
NOTE: If this seems a bit overwhelming,  you can search for outline fonts on your computer; many free outline fonts are available and can be downloaded. This would eliminate the Word Art step and simplify things a bit.
What about you? Do you have an easier way to outline fonts? Feel free to comment below and share your tips.
***

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!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Giving, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Add Some Dollar Store Birthday Pizzazz!

August 21st, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Birthday Decorating with Dollar Store Items - super cute ideas!

Decorating Ideas with Dollar Store Items

For my daughter-in-law’s recent birthday, I wanted to add some colorful touches to the annual singing of Happy Birthday, dear Macia!

As usual, the Dollar Store came to my rescue.

Birthday Decorating with Dollar Store Items - super cute ideas! I already had several of these items in my  Dollar Store finds stash and had used them on other projects. The others I was fortunate to find on a trip to Dollar Deals.

I got a kick out of wrapping one of her gifts with–of all things–Dollar Store wallpaper. And then–of course–I secured the wallpaper with three wispy headbands. Is that fun or what?!

Birthday Decorating with Dollar Store Items - super cute ideas!

My 10-year-old granddaughter helped me with these beauties. First, I ripped some pages out of a book and adhered a strip of the lovely translucent tape across the top. Then Karis used washi tape from my collection and created a letter for each page. I couldn’t believe how quickly and perfectly she did them! [Macia just informed me that she has them hanging on her wall! Now that makes me happy.}

And there you have it: some Dollar Store birthday pizzazz.

{Don’t you wish that you had been invited to the party?}

***

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!

I shared this with Thrifty Thursday. 

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Giving, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

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My  name is Kaley. Wife, Mama, and Dreamer, I have a passion for saving money, living simply, and helping others find creative ways to live large on a limited budget.

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