Pages

Showing posts with label Dollar Store Craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dollar Store Craft. Show all posts

DIY Dinosaur Air Plant Holders


There's something about going to Walmart that's inspiring.  Usually I'm inspired to never go back.

This time though, I stumbled upon plastic dinosaurs and was inspire to craft.  (And to never ever go back, though I'm sure it'll happen again.)  I've stumbled across planters made out of plastic animals and I think the idea is hilariously awesome--and dinosaurs just seemed right.  Originally I intended to make these planters for some succulent cuttings from my wildly successful succulent garden (finally, I've kept plants alive!) but my husband and I found ourselves on a kid-free trip last weekend where I found an air plant vendor at a Farmer's Market.  I've always been intrigued by air plants and I'm stoked to have some of my own.  In hollowed-out plastic dinosaurs, nonetheless.  Can life get any better?


I found these hollow plastic dinosaurs at Walmart for a dollar each while searching for a slinky as a gift for a kiddo birthday party.  (When in doubt for what to give a kid, a slinky is awesome, right?!  Inexpensive, loved by generations, and made in the good ol' USA.)


Making the dinosaur transition from toy to planter is as simple as cutting a hole with an Exacto knife.  A box cutter would probably work, too.  Maybe even a steak knife.  I'm pretty sure there aren't rules on what you can and can't use to cut into dinosaur toys when you're a grown-up.


Since I'd intended to use this with dirt and succulents, I made a drainage hole.  And yes, I laughed at the placement...but it just seemed like an obvious place for a drainage hole. 

Then I spray painted those bad boys for good measure.  Ever wondered what caused dinosaurs to go extinct?  My current theory is spray paint fumes.


Since I went with the air plants, all I had to do was stick the plants into the holes I'd created.  Bam.  Pretty awesome, right?


Jack-o-Lantern Puppets

On one hand I can't believe it's almost Halloween because it feels like Christmas just passed. 

On the other hand, I can't get Tracy Jordan's Werewolf Bar Mitzvah out of my thoughtsicles, so I know it's definitely time for the spooky, scary holiday.  (Does anyone love 30 Rock like I do?  I secretly hope that Tina Fey, while on maternity leave, is sitting at home checking out crafting blogs when she stumbles upon mine and we become lifelong friends.)

Pumpkin Puppets

Moving forward...  My mom is a veteran preschool teacher who now provides ideas and cirriculum to a few local preschools.  She recently stumbled upon these car mitts at our local Dollar Tree and instantly knew they'd be a great prop for her October planning. 

Car Wash Mitts

Somehow my big mouth got me the task of turning these mitts into jack-o-lanterns, so I took them home and got right to work.  Well, I took them home and left them on my dresser for a few days, and then I got to work.  My first thought was to applique felt pieces on to the faces but reason got the better of me when I thought about the fact that the mitt is already sewn together and the hand space is narrow.  What a pain that would have been. 

Then I thought I'd do some freezer paper stenciling to get the jack-o-lantern faces just right, but as I was reaching for my exacto knife, I stumbled upon an acrylic paint pen.  Aha!  Perfect.  An acrylic paint pen!

Pumpkin Puppets 004

All I did was free hand the faces directly onto the mitts.  Not only was this a cheap craft ($1 each), it's also SO quick.  I made four in under 10 minutes.  Boo yah!  I think this particular mitt would also make great lion and scarecrow puppets. 

Pumpkin Puppets 009

To make this puppet a fun prop for your little one, you can sing a fun jack-o-lantern song with it.  I found the following song on EverythingPreschool.com.

Did you ever see a pumpkin?
(Sung to: Did You Ever See A Lassie)

Did you ever see a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin?
Did you ever see pumpkin, with no face at all?
With no eyes, no nose, no mouth, and no teeth?
Did you ever see a pumpkin, with no face at all?

So I made a Jack O-Lantern, Jack O-Lantern, Jack O-Lantern.
So I made a Jack-O-Lantern with a big funny face!
With big eyes, a big nose, a big mouth, and big teeth.
So I made a Jack-O-Lantern with a big funny face.

Pumpkin Puppets 007

The longest part of this craft was editing my sub par photos.  Does anyone else love Picnik like I love Picnik?  I need to take some photography classes so I don't rely on photo editing so heavily, but Picnik is an awesome free tool in the meantime.

Pumpkin Puppets Before and After

Happy Werewolf Bar Mitzvah!

Tristin Signature

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...