[FINISHED] Craft Challenge #1 - Under $5 From a Dollar Store

[leah]

Craft Challenge #1 - Under $5 From a Dollar Store - Due May 31 to June 2 (2005)

I love dollar stores!  You never know what craziness you're going to find!  And it's usually of the kitschy, plasticy, cheaply made vibe which is just so appealing!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make something fabulous and hopefully totally unexpected out of items you buy at a dollar store  that cost $5 or less.

Official Rules:

• Post your craft during the period of May 31 to June 2. No sooner. No later.
• To enter, just post your project in this thread during the period of May 31 to June 2.
• Voting will happen from June 3 to June 8
• Each participant can enter up to two different projects

The item(s) you buy at the dollar store should be the focal point of the craft.  But you can use traditional craft supplies (needle & thread, glue, whatever!) as needed and those don't have to come from the dollar store or be included in the $5.00 limit.  You don't need to buy 5 $1.00 items.  Just spend $5.00 or under at the dollar store.

Originality:

It's probably impossible to know whether your project is 100% original and has never been posted on Craftster.  But if your project was inspired by something on Craftster, then just give credit to that project.

Non-U.S. Participants

You can participate if you are not from the U.S.  Just spend the equivalent of $5 in a store that's similar to a dollar store.

Prizes:

At the end, I'll set up a poll right here in the thread and whoever people vote as the winner gets:

(1) their project in the Featured Projects area
(2) their project in the Craftster Blog
(3) and this prize: one dozen Craftster one-inch buttons



(prizes will be different every month for each new Challenge)

So who's up for a challenge?!

Feel free to post any questions or comments you have here too but note that I may delete them once submissions come in to keep the thread tidy.

[swalsh]

Here's my entry!
I call it a candlier - sort of a hanging candle-holder.

dollar store supplies:
package of colorful votives


wooden "spoons" - the kind you get with those little cups of italian ice, or, for those of you in the northeast, Hoodsie Cups


paper rope



the results:
top-view of the candlier


close-up


hanging view


hanging with candles lit



I'm really happy with how it turned out. I love the colors - especially for summer. I think I'm going to make more and hang them from the trees in my backyard for an evening bbq I'm having. The only non-dollar store supply used was glue. Also, extra caution was taken so the rope doesn't get too close to the flame.

I can't wait to see what everyone else came up with.

[quartney]

I bought tissue paper, "go fish" cards, kraft paper, envelopes, and sticky notes.  I wanted to make myself some much-needed stationery in a cute marine theme.  I got everything from Dollar Tree, except for the kraft paper (from Big Lots).



To make the brightly colored envelopes:  I took apart the envelopes, spray-glued the tissue paper onto them, and then reassembled the envelopes with a glue stick.  Then I spray-glued the sticky notes on the front of the envelopes as address spaces.  I also put some fish postage stamps (I already had these) on the envelopes.

I cut the kraft paper to fit the envelopes and sewed a "go fish" card to the front of each.  Then, I lined the inside with scraps from an old nautical map that had been discarded from the library.

[Fonduie]

First of all yeah for Dollar Tree!

I Bought a metal spatula, a little grooming set that included a small hand mirror, a bag of small decorative stones and a bag of large decorative stones (and had a dollar left over for snacks!.)  I used my handy glitter glue gun to put it all together.

and I turned it into a hand held or hanging (as shown hanging from my kitchen wall where I normally keep my oven mitts) little vanity mirror.  We're talking about a glamor spatula turned mirror, baby!  Who says that you can't check yourself out whilst cooking!

Anyway, thanks for this contest.  I had a blast for $4!

[peptogirl]

I don't know if this will qualify for the contest, since I used some additional parts that cost more than $5. But I still wanted to show off my project.

4 - 99Cent Store Photo Frames w/ mats ($4 or 99 cents x 4 to be exact!)
1 light bulb (99 cents)

Additional Parts:
Photos printed on vellum, with my photo printer
Lamp Kit

I printed my family photos on vellum with my photo printer and inserted the photos into the frames. Then I cut some drawing paper and slid it behind the photos as a backing (this is an optional step). I glued the 4 photo frames together to make a box. Then, I added a lamp kit (this one was made for a hanging lamp). The lamp kit came with a hook so I improvised by screwing the hook into the back of one of the frames so that the cord and bulb could hang down from the top. I made sure the bulb wouldn't touch the sides of the lamp, of course! When the lamp is on, the light shines through the pictures.

[dreamisle]

Ugh! I'm such a failure! Well, I can honestly say that I could have hunted out better stuff at other dollar stores, but my brilliant idea of making a checkerboard still can't outdo some of the projects I see here. Great job everyone! 

For my checkerboard centerpiece I spent $5 at the 1 Dollar Bargain place.

• $1 - Foam sheets used for the board and decorations on the cups and the little throne pieces that go under 'kinged' pieces (not shown)
• $1 - Muffin baking pan used for the base of this centerpiece to store the pieces in cups
• $1 - Plastic glass-looking pieces for playing the game. 3 colors, 16 of each piece (12 and 4 replacement)
• $2 - Two votive candle holders for the end of the board, either to hold captured pieces or for candles or sand or whatever I'd use if I wanted to make it adapt to the theme of a room.
• Hot Glue not included in total
• Use of exacto knives not included in total

The board part rests nicely atop the pan and the pieces fit beneath without making bumps. Since the pieces don't stack well (at all), I cut extra squares of thefoam to make little star shaped 'thrones' underneath the 'kinged' pieces. The votive cups stay in fairly well but I haven't exactly tried shaking the whole thing upsidedown yet. I used blue and white for the board because the yellow foam didn't match the yellowish-green-ness of the yellowish-green pieces. 

[kiki*eks]

Just have to say so far - WOW to all you craftsters - loving all the ideas and craftyness... 
Heres my booty from my local Dollar Tree:
One gift bag with sturdy wooden like handles, one bamboo place mat, and one 3/pack cloth napkins = $3.00 even (no sales tax in Oregon ) and one purse.



I know we are only to submit 2 but just wanted to share. So these are NOT submissions but just wanted to share my first two tries:

$3 @ Dollar Tree - I hated the smell of the glue and I have no patients to grout it. So I have banned this from the house and its sits outside I will use it as garden art...



This was my first try and spent $5 at the Dollar Shoppe - its a candle and I weaved the beads into the sticks for a candle base - not really my style so I have no Idea on what I am going to do with it.

[elmonerd]

Here's what I found at the dollar store, yummy fruit!

Oversize-Fruit Shower Curtain

The supplies:

1 clear shower curtain - $1
1 Strawberry plastic Placemat and Coasters Set - $1
2 Orange plastic Placemat and Coasters Set - $1 each

Total = $4.00

The Supplies


The curtain


Scary Jumbo Strawberry


i tried to glue the placemats onto the shower curtain with regular white glue it wouldn't dry, so I had to tape the ends of the big fruits and then I put it up, amazingly they're still stuck on!

I love this craft challenge it's so fun to see everyone elses stuff, good job guys.

[Randommarble]

Hi, um don't know if this counts 'cause I couldn't find a pound shop anywhere so I looked for random stuff.

I got two cork floor tiles from homebase. They would normally work out about 70p each but had to be bought in packs of 9. There were a couple loose ones so I smiled sweetly and the manager gave them to me for free.
I also went to the £1/m (closest thing I could find to pound shop) to see what oddments I could find. I found this small piece of zebra canvas fabric 25cm long so only cost 25p.

Total cost: 25p (50 cents ish)

Several hours later and lots of sticking (no more nails is my friend, I borrowed that off my dad), me and my friend came up with these.





EDIT:  If you can't see the pictures please try to see them at my site

www.freewebs.com/sewsimple

It's the zebra sandals, which comes under 'Shoes'

[gg05]

OK - I'm almost embarassed to post this. Didn't turn out as cute as I imagined but HERE GOES! Wish I was as crafty as the rest of you...I'm pretty new to this all. I've always wanted to make cool stuff but I've got "Crafter's block" or something.

This is what I started with....all from Dollar Duz It...


And this is the finished project...I like to call it "Who ME, do DISHES? Are you CRAZY?!"


And a close up of the bling on the ring finger...a funky button I found in my awesome stash of buttons from my Grandma...


The colors don't show up so great on screen...the "nails" are painted purple and the ribbon is purple, green and yellow/gold...think Mardi Gras. I had some funky mardi gras stickers too but couldnt' work them in anywhere.