Treat your skin with this DIY salt scrub recipe using African Black soap from the dollar store. Handmade bath and body scrubs are a great way to soothe your dry skin, and are quick and easy to make at home using items you have in your pantry. I took a quick trip to the dollar store to find ingredients for this Black Soap, Shea Butter and Coconut Sea Salt Scrub recipe, which is a great way to cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize your skin all at once.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click the links and make a purchase, I may receive a small percentage commission from the sale, at no additional cost to you. 

I got the Black Soap, Sea Salt, and the cute glass container for this project at the dollar store. You can find coconut oil at the grocery store.

What is Black Soap?

I found a bar of African Black Soap with Shea Butter at the dollar store, and according to the box, black soap is made from the nuts of the African Karite Tree. Traditionally, black soap has been used as an application for stretch marks, wrinkles, dry skin, and various other skin conditions, and shea butter has been used to penetrate, heal, and moisturize skin.

Why Exfoliate?

Exfoliation is the process of removing the dead outer skin cells from your body, which exposes the softer, healthier skin. A DIY salt scrub is an inexpensive way to give your body a spa treatment on a tiny budget. Sea Salt has beneficial minerals that are good for your skin.

DIY Salt Scrub Recipe (African Black Soap & Coconut):

• 2 cups sea salt, $1
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, approx $1.33 cost for recipe (Buy in bulk on Amazon: Organic Coconut Oil)
• 3+ tablespoons of grated Black Soap, $1 (or Buy on Amazon: African Black Soap)
• Bowl & Spoon, on hand
• Grater, on hand
• Container for storage, $1 or on hand

Total cost for recipe: $3.33 and up

Grate Soap:

Before we mix up this sea salt scrub, we need to prepare the black soap.

The hardest thing about this recipe is grating the soap, and that takes about 30 seconds!

Grate about 3 Tablespoons of Black Soap. 

Note: if you are making multiple batches of this recipe, you will be able to use a single bar of soap for about 4 recipes, which makes the total cost for soap in the recipe just $.25.

Mix it Up:

Next, we put all the ingredients into our mixing bowl.

Measure 2 cups of sea salt into a bowl, and add about 3 Tablespoons of grated black soap.

Add Oil:

Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the microwave using a microwave-safe glass measuring cup (such as a pyrex pouring measuring cup), then add it to the soap and salt mixture. Stir all ingredients until combined.

Store it:

Measure the DIY salt scrub mixture into your chosen storage container, such as a swing-top glass container, a small apothecary jar, or even a reusable plastic storage container or zip-top bag.

I used a glass storage jar with a metal lid that I found at the dollar store.

How do you use a salt scrub?

Use a handful of salt scrub while you are showering – rub it on your elbows, knees, feet, or on any place you have dry or flaky skin. The salt will slough off dead skin cells, and gradually dissolve in the water, becoming a body polish as it dissolves. The soap will help to cleanse your skin, while the coconut oil melts into your skin and provides moisturizing and softening properties.

Salt is fairly abrasive, so if you want a milder scrub, try using sugar or baking soda in place of the salt in this recipe.

Use the scrub about once a week.

More Body Scrub Recipes:

Spiced Apple Cider Sugar Scrub Recipe

Himalayan Sea Salt & Honey Scrub Recipe

5 Minute French Vanilla Cappuccino Sugar Scrub Recipe

5 Minute Coffee & Coconut Sea Salt Scrub Recipe

Coconut & Mint Foot Scrub Recipe

The post Sea Salt Scrub Recipe: Black Soap, Shea & Coconut Oil appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Looking for a fur hood crochet pattern? The Fable Fur Hood is a quick crochet pattern I made using Knit Picks Fable Fur, a new faux fur yarn made of a super soft fuzzy polyester. It looks almost like real fur (or like a really snuggly teddy bear), and it works up extra bulky, so this pattern is SUPER QUICK.

Seriously, it took me about an hour to make, and just used a bit more than one skein of Fable Fur.

Because the yarn is so furry, I did a very open-work rectangle made of double crochets in chain spaces. This makes the hood very light, and you can sink your fingers through the mesh if you want, but it still looks solid. Super quick and easy!

Project Materials:

• 2 Balls of Knit Picks Fable Fur, Bjern color, $4.99 each
• P-16 Hook (11.5 mm) or other jumbo crochet hook

Total cost: less than $10

To make your own Fable Fur Hood:

Ch 27

Row 1: Turn, ch 3, dc in 3rd chain, (ch 1 sk 1, dc in next stitch)* Repeat to end, with a dc in turning chain.

Row 2: Turn, ch 3, dc in ch sp, (ch 1, sk 1 dc then dc in next ch sp)* repeat to end with a dc in turning chain.

Row 3+ repeat row 2 until rectangle is about 28″ long. then fasten off.

To assemble: fold in half along the long side (like a book, not a hot dog bun!) and sew (or slip stitch) along the top of the “book” to make the top of the hood.

Add 2 chain tails to the bottom corners of the hood for ties.

For more info on this yarn, find Fable Fur at Knit Picks.

Check out my project on Ravelry.

*I was not paid for this post, but I do work for Knit Picks. This post was written on behalf of myself, and not my company.

The post Crochet: Fable Fur Hood Pattern appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Because I Crochet

Do you want to know why I have been spending all my free time in the past 3 months crocheting?

I got a new job!

I’m working at a yarn company developing a new secret crochet project! I can’t tell you everything yet, but if you are a crocheter too, it would help me a lot if you would pop over to take this 5 minute survey about crochet.

After you do that (and you can enter to win a $100 Visa card when you complete the survey), come back and I’ll show and tell some of the crochet projects I’ve been working on lately!

My Crochet Show & Tell

I’ve been posting most of my projects on my Instagram and Ravelry profile, but here’s a peek at some of my crochet projects:

Crocheted Easter Baskets

I crocheted some quick Easter baskets for my four sons — each of these took about an hour.

Puff Stitch Beanies

I started crocheting hats to practice with different yarns and techniques, and discovered that puff stitch beanies are a lot of fun to make!

(I called my hat crocheting the Heather Hat Project and ended up making 20+ hats of various styles and yarns).

Granny Square Welcome Mat

I made a giant granny square welcome mat for my cubicle at work (it also kind of looks like a flag for Granny Square Nation).

Rainbow Ripples

My sons started making requests, and the 11yo asked me to make a “black and rainbow” neck warmer (aka cowl), and I loved how it turned out so much that I made the exact same design a second time but stitched the top up into a hat.

Epic Afghans

I started crocheting afghans a few years ago. I didn’t know if I would make it through ONE because it was such a big project, but I had so much fun changing colors and yarns that it kept me going.

And then I made TEN MORE. I call them my “Epic Afghans.”

So that’s where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Do you crochet too? Let me know in the comments, and please go take my survey!

The post Do You Crochet? appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Don’t throw that milk container away! Recycle it into a Halloween Treat Bucket, perfect to take along with you when you go trick-or-treating. Kids will have fun making this recycled Halloween container, and taking it along on night to collect their candy haul.

Recycled Halloween Treat Bucket Materials:

• 1 recycled milk container, washed well
• 2 sheets of orange paper (construction, card stock, or scrapbooking)
• 1 sheet of black felt or craft foam
• 2 green chenille stems (pipe cleaners)
• markers
• glue dots
• scissors
• hole-punch
• pencil

Instructions:

1. Fold a piece of paper in half and draw pumpkin stem in the top area of the paper. To draw it, make a round or oval shape, then draw a few lines going down from the side edges and the middle.

2. Draw the round part of the pumpkin around the stem, and add a few wrinkle lines coming down from the stem. Draw 3 more pumpkins the same way on your remaining orange paper. Note: make two of the pumpkins shorter, to better fit on the handle sides of the jug.

3. Cut out each pumpkin around the outline.

4. With a washable marker, draw a line around the lid area of the milk jug, and down around the front of the jug. Cut around this line with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors, leaving the handle intact. (See photo.)

5. Attach the four pumpkins to the sides of the milk container with glue dots.

6. Make a hole in one of the front pumpkins with the hole-punch.

7. Thread a chenille stem through the hole. Twist the stem to secure it to the pumpkin, and then twist it around the pencil to make the curly pumpkin vine tendrils.

8. Do the same with the other front pumpkin so it also has a chenille vine.

9. With felt or craft foam, cut pumpkin eyes, noses, and mouths to decorate your pumpkins as jack-o’-lanterns. Attach the facial features with glue dots. Alternately, draw faces on the pumpkins before you attach them to the container.

Additional Recycled Halloween Bucket Tips:

Different Decorations: Instead of jack-o’-lanterns, cut out different shapes to adorn your treat bucket. How about black cats or ghostly shapes?

For Younger Tots: Give your toddler or pre-schooler a half sheet of paper and let them draw or color. Cut scribbles into a pumpkin shape.

Personalize: Use foam letter stickers to put your child’s name on the container and keep everyone’s treat bucket straight!

The post Recycled Halloween Candy Pail appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Does your child love ladybugs? You can make this simple, No-Sew Ladybug Costume in less than an hour and your little critter will look adorable. Remember the grade school trick to making symmetrical hearts? If you can fold a piece of paper in half and cut out a heart, you can make this project! Just remember to tie the cape around your child’s shoulders; never tie it around your child’s neck.

Want more Halloween ideas? Take a look at more No-Sew Halloween Costumes.

Materials:

• 1 piece of red felt, measuring 18-inches by 18-inches
• 2 sheets of black craft felt
• 2 red or black pipe cleaners
• 1 piece of red or black ribbon, measuring 54-inches by ¾-inch
• hot glue gun (adults only)
• chalk
• 1 roll red or black duct tape
• scissors
• black t-shirt
• black pants
• 2 red or black pom-poms (optional)
• 1 headband (optional)

Instructions:

Make the Ladybug Wing Cape:

1. To make the ladybug wing cape, fold the 18-inch by 18-inch piece of red felt in half. Draw a half-heart shape on the felt with chalk. Be sure the curved part of the heart is facing away from the fold on the fabric. Cut out the heart along the chalk line.
 

2. Open up the heart shape, and make sure the curves are at the bottom and the point is at the top. Cut the point off, making the top end flat.

3. Hot glue the center of your ribbon 1-inch from the flat top of the lady bug wing cape, then fold over top inch of felt and hot glue it to the ribbon, leaving both ends of the ribbon loose so they can be tied around your child’s shoulders—always avoid tying this around your child’s neck. (See photo.)

4. Cut several hearts out black felt. Turn cape over and glue black hearts to back in a ladybug spot formation.

Make the Antennae:

There are several ways to create ladybug antennae for your costume:

1. Create antennae by bending a pipe cleaner in the middle and duct taping the bent part to a headband.

2. Add hearts or pom-poms to ends of the pipe cleaners with hot glue.

2. Alternately, cut a band of felt 1-inch wide and long enough to wrap around your child’s head with about 1-inch extra. Hot glue the felt into a headband, and attach a bent pipe cleaner with hot glue. Cover the bent part with a small felt heart. Curl the ends of the pipe cleaner around a pencil.

3. Or, if your child is wearing a hooded sweatshirt as part of her costume, attach two pipe cleaners to the front of the hood with duct tape. Curl pipe cleaners around a pencil, and hot glue hearts or pom-poms to the ends of the pipe cleaner with hot glue.

Put the Costume Together:

1. Have your child wear a black, white, or red long-sleeved shirt or turtleneck and black white or red pants.

2. Put the antennae on your child’s head.

3. Secure the cape on your child using the ribbon. It’s best to avoid tying anything around your child’s neck for safety reasons, so I take each ribbon end and lop it around my child’s shoulders, going over his shoulders and then under his armpits so the ribbon ends come out dangling down his back. Then I tie both ends together at his back leaving them loose and giving him plenty of room.

The post No-Sew Ladybug Costume Tutorial appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Need a great Halloween costume in a hurry? Here is the ultimate guide to creating a last-minute pirate costume for Halloween. There are so many different ways to make a great No-Sew Pirate Costume, so I’ll give you all my secrets on how to make, find, or modify each part of the pirate costume to make it work for you.

Arrrgh, don’t worry about yer Halloween costume this year, matey! It’s easy to make a pirate costume using items you already have in your closet. With just a little cleverness and an eye for repurposing, you’ll have a great costume fit for collecting booty (or candy).

• Related Post: How to throw a Pirate Party

Last-Minute Pirate Costume Materials:

(*can be purchased at the dollar store)

Pirate Hat (choose one):

• 1 scarf or bandanna*
• 1 long-sleeve striped t-shirt sleeve
• 1 pirate accessory kit (from the dollar store)*
• 1 large round sun hat (from the thrift store)

Pirate Top (choose one or more):

• 1 striped t-shirt or long-sleeved tee
• 1 vest
• 1 white blouse (women’s, lacy or flowy is good)
• 1 women’s jacket (plain, in corduroy or velvet)

Pirate Pants (choose one):

• 1 pair plain pants (black, brown, navy blue)
• 1 pair pin-striped pants
• 1 pair plain capri-style pants
• 1 skirt

Pirate Shoes and Socks (choose one):

• knee-length white socks and black shoes (tennis shoes, dress shoes, or mary jane-style)*
• knee-length striped socks and shoes (tennis shoes, dress shoes, or mary jane-style)*
• sandals

Pirate Accessories (choose one or more):

• 1 wide women’s belt (black or brown)
• 1 leather belt with metal buckle
• 1 long lightweight scarf
• 1 white or plain-colored bandanna (or piece of fabric)
• eye-patch*
• hook hand*
• toy or paper parrot*
• hoop earring or earrings*
• sparkly jewelry*

DIY Pirate Costume Instructions:

Make the Pirate Hat:

A. Bandanna Hat:

Tie scarf or bandanna on your child’s head for a ship’s mate style hat.

• For square bandannas or scarves: fold in half diagonally. Place long flat side against forehead, and tuck opposite point at back of neck. Bring side points around the back of head and tie together in a knot.
• For long lightweight scarves: put on head and tie in the back. Let long ties hang down back.

B. Stocking Cap

Cut the sleeve off a long-sleeved striped t-shirt for a pirate-style stocking cap. Stretch the wide part of the sleeve over your head like a hat and then, knot the top. Cut off excess.

C. Buy a pirate hat

I found a pirate accessory kit at the dollar store that included a pirate hat, plastic sword, and eye-patch.

D. Make a Tri-corn hat

This is the style of hat worn by famous movie pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow. To make one, find a large, round women’s sun hat at a thrift store. Fold the brim up and staple to the crown of hat, on three sides. I made a video tutorial for making a tri-corn hat, so check that out if you need more visual help.

Put together the pirate top:
A. Long-sleeved t-shirt

A long-sleeved t-shirt is a great base for a ship’s mate style pirate costume. Look for long-sleeved striped t-shirts in 2 colors — any color will do, but just build the rest of your costume color palette around the shirt colors. Or, use a plain white or cream colored henley or thermal shirt.

B. A women’s blouse

A plain white or off-white blouse makes a great pirate captain shirt (or other plain colors, if the details of the shirt fit the pirate aesthetic). If you are dressing your child but using an adult blouse, roll up the sleeves, or put a loose rubber band around your child’s wrist and tuck the cuff around it. 

• Things to look for in a pirate blouse: lace (especially at the neck or cuffs), an interesting non-modern detail on the front like pleating, collars or no collars are fine.
• Things to avoid: zippers and snaps.

C. Add a vest

Add a vest over the base shirt to include another layer of detail. Dark, plain vests are best: black, brown, navy blue, and red are all good choices.

D. Add a jacket

You can also add a women’s jacket if you have one that looks somewhat pirate-y. A plain jacket in dark corduroy or velvet could be good, especially with a belt over the shoulder.

Make the Pirate Pants:

A. Knee-length pants

Many pirates wore short knee-length pants. Choose plain pants (black, brown, navy blue) or pinstriped pants and roll them up to the knee or tuck them into long socks. Plain, dark capri pants can also work.

B. Raggedy pants

Get the shipwrecked pirate look by taking a pair of old pants and cutting them off jaggedly at the knee.

C. Pirate skirt

Twist the idea of the pirate costume by wearing a plain dark skirt. Who says girl pirates can’t wear skirts?

Assemble the Pirate Shoes and Socks:

A. Choose knee-length socks in black, white, or stripes. Pull them all the way up to the knee.

B. Wear black or brown shoes. Best shoes: dark boots, leather dress shoes or mary janes. Add an oversized cardboard buckle, if desired. Plain dark tennis shoes will also work.

C. Another option is to wear sandals without socks (good for the shipwrecked pirate look).

Just Add Pirate Accessories (choose one or more):

The accessories really make your pirate costume. Try to have at least one of the classic pirate details: an eye-patch, a hook, or a sword.

A. Belt/Bandolier: The best pirate accessory is a wide belt with a large buckle, slung over one shoulder. A plain leather belt with metal buckle will also work.

B. Scarf Sash: Make a sash for your waist with a long lightweight scarf. Wrap it around the waist once or twice and knot at the side.

C. Neckerchief: A white or plain-colored scarf (or piece of fabric) tied around the neck with the knot at the neck is a great pirate detail.

D. Eye-patch: You can make an eye-patch if necessary, but it is far easier to buy one. Store-bought eye-patches fit well and look good. You can find eye-patches at the dollar store (toy section), or at a drug store near the visual aids section.

• DIY Eyepatch: If you want to make an eyepatch, cut a half-circle piece of felt and tie on two pieces of ribbon or elastic. Adjust to fit.
  

E. Hook Hand: To make a hook hand take a party cup (make sure the pirate’s fist can fit inside comfortably), cut a slit in the bottom of the cup. Insert a hook made from cardboard (cut a hook shape out) or the end of a plastic hanger. Secure with duct tape or hot glue. (Note: Avoid using wire hangers because they can be dangerous and cause injury).

F. Pet Parrot: Use a toy stuffed parrot or other bird and attach to shoulder. Or make this fun paper parrot with your child.

G. Pirate Earring: Pirates often wore earrings. Hoop earrings are a good choice for girl pirates with pierced ears, or find a clip-on earring for pirates without pierced ears. You can find these at party or dollar stores.

H. Accessorize with jewelry. A pirate medallion will do for a hard-working pirate, or clip on sparkly pins to a fancy pirate captain.

I. Pirate Weapons: Attach a sword or pirate gun to the costume. Find these at party or dollar stores, or make them out of cardboard. Tuck the weapon into the costume with a sash.

• Related: How to Make a Play Pirate Sword

DIY Pirate Costume Tips

Finding your supplies: Remember, you are not limited to just your child’s wardrobe. Don’t overlook old clothes from other members of the family as well. An old blouse from Mom’s closet will make a great pirate captain’s shirt. After you’ve checked your closet for pirate gear, fill in with items from the thrift store or dollar store to round out your outfit. If you are going to cut up or modify clothing, you might want to buy it at the thrift store. Pirate accessories are easy to find at the dollar store or discount store.

Pirate Perfection: Don’t worry if you can’t get everything perfect. Pirates had to use what they could get, and it’s okay to do the same with your pirate costume!

The post Last-Minute Pirate Costume for Halloween appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Let’s go out to the lobby and dress up like a snack! Your little movie-lover will be thrilled to wear this no-sew Popcorn Costume for Halloween. With a few clever materials, you’ll be able to make this no-sew costume in about an hour.

Materials:

Main Costume:

• ½ yard white felt
• 1 roll red duct tape
• 4 pieces of ribbon, each measuring 18-inches by ¾-inch (choose black, white, yellow or red)
• 1 package of 2-inch white pom-poms
• 1 package 1-inch white pom-poms
• 1 sheet yellow craft foam or felt
• 1 sheet red glitter craft foam or felt
• 1 yellow marker
• hot glue gun (adults ONLY)
• hot glue sticks
• scissors
• stapler
• staples
• ruler

Hat:

• 8-inch round piece of white felt
• 5-inch round piece of white felt
• 6-inch round piece of scrap cardboard
• 1 large white pom-pom
• 3 small white pom-poms
• elastic, ¼-inch wide (length depends on your child’s head size)

No-Sew Popcorn Costume Instructions:

Make the Popcorn Box:

1. To begin, lay the white felt flat and cut out 4 rectangles. Two of the rectangles should be sized 12-inches by 18-inches (these will be known as “the long pieces”) and 2 of the rectangles should be 5-inches by 13-inches (these will be known as “the short pieces”).

2. These 4 felt pieces will form the popcorn bucket. Arrange all 4 pieces in line on your work table. They should be arranged like so: long piece, short piece, long piece, short piece. It’s important that the bottom edges of the felt pieces are aligned so they form an even line, and there should be about ¼-inch gaps between each felt piece.

3. Use your red duct tape to tape across the bottom section where all the felt pieces align, so they are connected. Fold the tape over (horizontally) the other side of the felt, so no sticky parts of the tape are exposed. (This will be the bottom of your popcorn box.)

4. Run red duct tape between the felt panels (along the ¼-inch gaps between each piece of felt) to secure them together. Then flip the felt over and run tape between the felt panels on the other side, and press the two pieces of tap together where they touch in the gaps (this will allow the edges of the popcorn box to crease into the corners of the box).

5. Run red duct tape (folding it horizontally, so half covers one side of the felt and the other half covers the flip side of the felt) over the edges of the long pieces of felt past where they align with the short pieces so all edges are covered.

6. Now, all pieces of the white felt should be taped together and every edge of the white felt—except for the tops of each panel—should be covered with red duct tape. At the bottom, the felt pieces align evenly and at the top they are staggered, with the longer pieces taller than the shorter pieces.

7. Attach the felt panel on the right with the felt panel on the left with the red duct tape creating a loop of the felt fabric. Crease each corner (between each panel) so the felt piece is now the rectangular popcorn box. The long pieces are the front and the back of the costume, and the short pieces are the sides of the box.

8. Use the red duct tape to add vertical stripes to each panel of the costume. I added two stripes to the front and back panels of the costume, and one stripe to the side panels.

9. Staple 2 pieces of the ribbon to the front of the costume (staple each ribbon about 6″ from each edge, so they look like the ties on an apron), and staple 2 pieces of ribbon to the back of the costume.

10. Cover exposed staples at the top of the costume with two pieces of duct tape – one across the front of the costume and one across the back.

11. Cut a popcorn shape from the yellow piece of craft foam or felt.

12. Cut out letters that spell “POPCORN” from red glitter craft foam (or use pre-cut letters) and glue them onto the popcorn shape. Once dry, glue this to the front of the popcorn box.

13. Make popcorn pieces by gluing 2 small pom-poms together and then gluing these to a large pom-pom. Glue 1 more small pom-pom on the other side of the large pom-pom to form a popcorn kernel. If desired, color popcorn kernel lightly with the yellow marker (especially in the crevices where the pom-poms meet each other) to make the popcorn look buttery.

14. Glue popcorn kernels to the costume, or attach popcorn kernels to t-shirt with safety pins (or hot glue if you don’t intend to use the shirt again).

15. To wear, have your child stand inside the box and tie the ribbon over his shoulders.

Make the Popcorn Hat:

1. Crumple up the paper towel sheet and glue it to one side of the 6-inch cardboard circle. Then, turn the cardboard circle over, and put a line of hot glue around the outside of the cardboard circle, close to the edge. Fold the 8-inch felt circle over around the entire edge so it’s covering the side with paper towel (which will make the hat puff up on top) and is secured by the glue on the other side.

2. Measure the ¼-inch elastic all the way around your child’s head going under his chin. Cut the elastic so that it’s snug but not too tight. Glue raw edges of elastic flat to middle of cardboard circle (on the underside of the hat).

3. Glue the 5-inch round piece of felt over exposed the cardboard and elastic (on the underside of the hat).

4. Make another pom pom popcorn kernel by gluing 2 small pom-poms together and then gluing these to a large pom-pom. Glue 1 more small pom-pom on the other side of the large pom-pom to form the complete popcorn kernel. If desired, color popcorn kernel lightly with the yellow marker (especially in the crevices where the pom-poms meet each other) to make the popcorn look buttery.

5. Once dry, glue the popcorn kernel to the top of the hat. 

No Sew Costume Tips

What to wear underneath the popcorn costume: Wear neutral pants or leggings (black or white) or tights (black, white, red or striped) and black, white, or red shoes. Wear a black, white, or red turtleneck, long-sleeved shirt, or hooded sweatshirt underneath the popcorn bucket.

Popcorn treat buckets: Pick up a cardboard popcorn bucket next time you go to the movie theater and add a ribbon handle; or buy a plastic popcorn bucket at the dollar store and add a duct tape handle.

The post No-Sew Popcorn Costume Tutorial appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Welcome to day 4 of Homemade Costume week. This bumblebee Halloween costume looks great in person, and could not be simpler to make. A black shirt, yellow duct tape, some pipe cleaners, and a pair of dollar store wings. You can make this no-sew bee costume in about 15 minutes.

Project Estimate:

• Black hooded sweatshirt, on hand
• Yellow duct tape, $3
• 2 yellow chenille stems, on hand
• 2 yellow pom-poms, on hand
• 1/4″ elastic, $1
• Hot glue gun and hot glue stick
• Pair of bee wings from dollar store, $1

Total: $5

To make a no-sew bee costume:

I originally made this costume for Kaboose.com, a site that closed down several years ago, and unfortunately, there is no longer an internet archive of the instructions, and my version of the instructions are long-lost on my old defunct computer.

Basically, add yellow duct tape stripes to a hoodie, then hot glue pom-poms to a couple of chenille stems, then duct tape them to the inside of the hood. Curl the stems around a pencil.

Add a pair of yellow dollar store fairy wings to complete the look.

My Design Process:

I don’t know if you folks care about seeing my sketches or not, but it amuses me, so I’ll just keep posting them. My original sketch was slightly more complicated than the costume ended up — I originally envisioned a black hoodie with a yellow t-shirt over it, but when I started making the costume, I eliminated the yellow t-shirt and just went with yellow duct tape stripes. I also called for the costume to be stuffed with grocery bags (to make it more round) but I decided the stuffing was unnecessary when I put it on my model (my 4 year-old).

My craft planning process is this:

• sketch the project and label what each part is
• think through the actual process of making it and what supplies I will need
• write down the process as I imagine it (so I have “instructions” to follow)
• then take a step back and see if there is anything I can eliminate in terms of supplies or extra work
• collect my supplies (from my stash, or shop for them)
• do the project and change something (usually!)
• make sure to photograph most of the steps so I can remember how I made it

How do you plan for your craft projects? Do you have a sketchbook?

The post Make a No-Sew Bumblebee Costume appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The Princess Costume is a classic for a reason! Who doesn’t want to dress like a princess? It’s simple to create your own no-sew princess costume for use as a Halloween costume, or just for everyday pretend play. 

Even if you don’t sew, this princess costume idea is perfectly simple to construct. You can make this princess dress in under an hour using a few no-sew tricks. The main requirements for a great-looking princess dress are proper length and the right color, so let your child help you pick out the perfect color of fabric and ribbon for a dress she’ll just love.

Don’t let these instructions stress you out! You’re basically making a tube of fabric with elastic. You can do it!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which may provide a small percentage of any purchase you make when clicking on the links, at no additional cost to you.

DIY Princess Costume Materials:

• 1 yard of fabric (color of your—or your child’s—choice)
• 1 spool of coordinating ribbon
• fusible fabric webbing tape (I used Stitch Witchery)
• ¼-inch wide elastic (length depends on your child’s measurements)
• safety pin
• hot glue gun
• hot glue sticks
• scissors
• iron
• measuring tape
• ribbon (at least 36-inches long)

Princess Costume Instructions:

Adjusting the Size: This dress fits a 5T nicely, but if you want to make a different size, measure from your princess’s armpits down to the tops of her feet and get your fabric cut to that length. Once you add the casing and the bottom hem, the dress should be about 3-inches above her feet, to keep her from tripping.

1. Iron the fabric to remove excess wrinkles and creases. Open up the fabric and lay with right side down. You should have a rectangular piece of fabric with two raw edges and two finished edges. Fold over one raw edge about 1-inch and iron to crease. After fabric is creased, iron a piece of fusible fabric webbing tape under the crease and fuse fabric according to package instructions. This is the hem of the dress.

2. With fabric still right side down, fold the other raw edge over about 2-inches and iron to crease (this will be the edge opposite the hem). Use your hot glue gun to glue just the very edge of the 2-inch fold, leaving a casing. You will run the elastic through this casing later, so be sure to leave an unglued area wide enough to eventually feed through a safety pin and the elastic.

3. Lay fabric out flat with right side up. Fold in half so that the plain edges meet. Hot glue the two plain edges together to form the back seam. You should now have a tube of fabric with the hem at the bottom, the casing at the top, and a seam at the back. The dress will be inside-out.

4. Leave dress inside out for now. Flatten the dress so the seam is in the middle back. Cut a 24-inch piece from your ribbon. Fold the ribbon in half to find the middle. Hot glue the very middle of the 24-inch piece of ribbon to the front-center of the dress (over the casing) so it forms a V. This will be a halter strap to keep the dress from falling down.

5. Turn dress right side-out. Flatten dress so seam is in the middle back. Take your remaining piece of ribbon (about 12-inches depending on your child’s size) and fold it in half to find the middle of the ribbon. About 6-inches down from the top of the dress, squirt a 4-inch line of hot glue horizontally on front of dress, and attach the center of the ribbon to the line of hot glue. This will fix the ribbon waist ties to the dress.

6. Use the measuring tape to measure around your child’s chest right at the armpits. Add 2-inches and cut a length of ¼-inch elastic using that measurement. Attach a safety pin to the end of the elastic, and thread through the casing at the top of the tube. When the elastic is threaded completely through the casing, tie ends of elastic together.
 

7. To wear the dress, the elasticized top will be pulled up to the armpits. Tie the neck ribbon around the back of the neck halter-style. Take the long waistband ribbons and criss-cross them around the body as many times as you can and tie at the back or the front.

No Sew Princess Costume Tips

What to Wear With This Costume: Pair this dress with a long-sleeved top or t-shirt underneath, and add tights for warmth while trick-or-treating.

Accessorize: Be sure to glam this dress up with the right accessories. Every princess needs a crown, jewelry, a wrap or feather boa. You can find most of these things at the dollar store or your local department store, or craft them up yourself.

Fabric choices: Plain cotton is the cheapest option, and the easiest to work with in terms of ironing. Polyester can come in many different finishes, and can look very shiny and princess-y, and will have a good drape and fluidity. You can find inexpensive costume fabrics at your local fabric store that will work nicely. You can add additional ribbons and trim to fancy it up as much as you like.

Washability: You can actually wash this garment, even though it’s constructed with hot glue! Hang to dry.

The post No-Sew Princess Costume Tutorial appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Want to learn how to make your own sugar scrub, but you’re on a budget? Let me get you started with this super easy and cheap sugar scrub recipe! I found all the ingredients to make a cheap sugar scrub at the dollar store… of course! I used packets of spiced apple cider drink mix to make the ultimate yummy DIY sugar scrub inspired by my favorite season of the year.

But wait, how do YOU feel about FALL? What are your favorite fall traditions, and are they spiced cider flavored? Sure, everyone likes to drink warm, cozy drinks once the weather turns cool, but how many of us can say we SMELL like a yummy fall beverage? I’m raising my hand because I just made and tested out this delicious Spiced Apple Cider Sugar Scrub and I have to say, I smell DELICIOUS.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click the links and make a purchase, I may receive a small percentage commission from the sale, at no additional cost to you. 

This sugar scrub smells like a sweet, spicy, and tart spiced apple cider, and my skin feels so smooth!

Instead of imagining the smell, why don’t you whip up a batch of homemade sugar scrub for yourself? It takes just about 10 minutes to put together, and I found almost all the ingredients for this recipe at the dollar store! Just head to the grocery store for coconut oil. Oh, and everything in this recipe is edible, so you can eat it if you want… just sayin’!

Dollar Store Cost Estimate:

• Cane sugar, $1 (Buy on Amazon: Organic Cane Sugar (3 lbs) by Anthony’s, Gluten-Free & Non-GMO)
• Spiced Apple Cider Mix, $1 (Buy on Amazon: Bulk: Alpine Spiced Cider Apple Flavor Drink Mix )
• Cinnamon, on hand (Buy on Amazon: Saigon Cinnamon)
• Coconut Oil, on hand or $1.33 for this recipe (Most popular on Amazon: Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
• Swing-top container, $1 (Buy on Amazon: 24-Count Swing Top Spice Jars Value Pack)

Total cost: $3 and up

Cheap sugar scrub recipe notes:

Oil: Depending on your source for coconut oil, this scrub recipe can cost a few bucks to make, including buying the packaging. If you buy a large jar of coconut oil (like this bulk coconut oil from Amazon), you will pay about $.33 an ounce, which means this cheap sugar scrub recipe uses $1.33 worth of coconut oil. If you want to save money and you don’t already have coconut oil in your kitchen, just substitute any oil you already have on hand — I recommend coconut oil because it is solid at room temperature but melts in your hand when you use it.

Packaging: Save money on packaging by skipping the glass jar and simply package it in a reusable container you already have (like a lidded plastic tub, for example). Either way, it’s a a frugal way to make a high-quality homemade bath scrub.

How to Make DIY Spiced Apple Cider Sugar Scrub:

Spiced Apple Cider Sugar Scrub Recipe:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 packets of powdered spiced apple cider mix
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• Bowl and spoon
• Microwavable pourable measuring cup (Buy on Amazon: Pyrex 2-Cup Glass Measuring Cup)
• A jar to package the scrub in

Why Use a Sugar Scrub?

You mean, besides wanting to smell like a delicious fall drink? Well, the sugar gently scrubs and polishes away dead and dry skin and reveals the healthy skin underneath. The soap gently cleanses your skin, and the coconut oil moisturizes and protects your skin.

Once you try it, you will be hooked!

1. Measure the Dry Ingredients:

To start out, measure 2 cups of sugar into your mixing bowl.

I used Pure Cane Sugar that I found at the dollar store, which is slightly coarser than regular white granulated sugar. You can use any sugar you want, including brown sugar, turbinado (raw) sugar, or extra fine granulated sugar. Each sugar has its own texture, but each will work well in this recipe.

Add 2 packets of spiced apple cider mix (or more, to your desired scent).

Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Mix all dry ingredients together with a spoon until they are well-mixed.

2. Melt Oil & Mix:

Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the microwave (about 1 minute, depending on your machine), then add the melted oil to the dry mixture.

Note: You can substitute any oil in this recipe, but I prefer coconut oil because it is solid at room temperature. When you use it in the shower, it simply melts onto your skin.

Mix dry ingredients and oil until they are completely incorporated.

3. Package the Scrub

Once the sugar scrub is completely mixed up, package it in your choice of container.

I chose a swing-top glass jar that I found at the dollar store, but you can use any container that works for you, from a plastic resealable container to a fancy decorative jar.

You Will Also Enjoy These Recipes:

Creating cheap sugar scrub recipes is my new obsession. Every time I use up a jar of my homemade scrub, I get to make a new batch, so I have experimented with many different scents and styles of scrub. Check these out, and make some of your own:

Himalayan Sea Salt & Honey Body Scrub Recipe

Black Soap, Shea & Coconut Sea Salt Scrub Recipe

Coconut & Mint Foot Scrub Recipe

5 Minute French Vanilla Cappuccino Sugar Scrub Recipe

DIY Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub Recipe

The post Make Spiced Apple Cider Sugar Scrub appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.