Dime Store Chic

Holiday Hang Ups

Hello, My Friends!~~

Today I created two holiday decorations from my small but repectable collection of advertising wooden coat hangers.

I have looked at these wooden hangers perched in my studio for some time now, and decided today to make them into holiday decorations.

Cute elves relax on the ends of the hangers above jingle bell danglers. A vintage light reflector at the base of the metal hook holds a tiny bottle brush tree and mercury glass beads and ornaments with a spun cotton elf. Vintage letter cards spell "Merry" and Cheer" and are also decorated in tinsel and mercury glass beads.

I love it when inspiration taps me on the shoulder. Don't you?

Both holiday hangers and a few new holidays creations are in Dime Store Chic starting today!~~Thanks for stopping by!~~XXOO, Beth

Dollar Store Wreath Challenge

Hello, My Friends!~~

It's been a while since I posted in blogland. I have spent the past couple of weeks crafting my fingers to the bone getting ready for craft show season! While at the crafting table, I watch a variety of TV shows including the fabulous "Project Runway." My favorite episodes are the unconventional fashion challenges where the designers have to make a garment from items found in non-traditional places, like a pet supply store. With that in mind, I decided to challenge myself. I went to our local Dollar Tree store on Friday.

I decided to make a Christmas wreath using only materials from the Dollar Tree with the exception of crafting tools I have at home: glue gun, pinking shears, and craft punch. Other than those tools EVERYTHING in the wreath came from the Dollar Tree.

It wasn't easy. I wandered around the store trying to come up with a color scheme, theme, or both. When I found a storage box, an idea came to mind.

The candy cane striped covering on the storage box drew me in and I decided to go with a primarily red and white theme. Candy canes were too obvious and I didn't want to use anything edible. I looked at the wall of Christmas decorations but wanted to use them sparingly OR only if I could alter them or not use them in a traditional manner. I selected a few things then cruised the rest of the store. Here is what I found:

Wreath form in gold tinsel, ornaments, popcorn bags, jump rope, dish scrubbers, glittery stems, glittery JOY letters, aluminum take out pans, white garland, flocked birds.

Here is the wreath I made Friday evening while watching one of my favorite movies, "Moonrise Kingdom."

Kind of crazy, isn't it? I made mini stockings from the storage box, filled them with fibers torn from the dish scrubbers, and nested the flocked birds in them.

I made a ribbon from the aluminum take out pans and jump rope. I punched out scalloped rounds from the popcorn bags and the silver take out pan lids and dotted them on the wreath in more scrubber fibers and some of the white garland. I used the ornaments in the background to flesh out the width of the wreath.

I cut the letters from the JOY ornments and mixed the colors, putting them on more jump rope as a banner in the center of the wreath.

It was a fun challenge to myself. Maybe I'll up the ante and make a wreath from things I find at the Home Depot next time!~~Thanks for stopping by!~~XXOO, Beth

One Wreath

Hello, My Friends!~~

I pulled some of my very favorite vintage ornaments, primarilly pink, today and made this 14 inch wreath.

I used a gorgeous vintage four-layer tree topper as the feature of this shiny pink beauty!~~If you would like a closer peek, please stop by Dime Store Chic!~~Thanks so much and have a wonderful day!~~~XXOO, Beth