Auntie's Workshop

  Not a sponsor I know that Thanksgiving is this week and Christmas decorating will quickly follow after, but I had one more fall project I wanted to add to my autumn table display... So here's my version of this craft. I'd bought the Tumbling Tower blocks a few months ago before the crafters started hoarding them all.  (Y'all stop!)  I've just now made time to make them.  I like that these blocks are so small that the project can be held together with high temperature hot glue.  However, if you have kids or pets and want to make these, I'd suggest a stronger glue like E-6000. Well, with that, I've completed my Dollar Tree Challenge from my 50 for fifty list .  Will I do more challenges?  Absolutely.  Happy  Thanksgiving, y'all. So, what do y'all think?

Not a sponsor While summer breezes are still blowing, crafters and decorators are already creating for fall.  I wasn't going to join in so soon, but I went to the Dollar Tree and... Well, you know the rest.  I go there for soap and toothpaste and I come out with that, plus a couple of bags of craft supplies. Anyway... I saw some fabulous new supplies and decided to try my hand at another mesh wreath: No, this isn't my new challenge, but it's pretty, ain't it? In the supplies I bought were some picks (floral stems with stuff on them besides flowers) and a fall leaf garland, plus I had a package of Dollar Tree metal words that Diana had given me.  I had a 12 x 16 practice canvas that I'd painted a few times and a 9-inch grapevine wreath I bought at the thrift store when I first moved here.  It had decorations on it that worked when I first moved but didn't go with my decorating scheme ... now that I have one.  So I took them off. Voila!  An idea for a mi...

Not a sponsor Several years ago, my niece Cassandra started making Deco mesh wreaths and selling them on Facebook .  She offered to teach me how, but life happened and I moved away.  Over the years, I watched several YouTube videos to see if I could get a grasp of the concept.  They looked quite tedious (yeah, I know this is coming from someone who will paint on a 16 x 20 canvas with a brush with 4 hairs in it). Anyway... In the winter of 2018, I determined to make myself a mesh Christmas wreath and purchased what I needed, but later chickened out and returned it all to the store. Yeah, I know. Leave me alone. Fast forward to last month when my sister Clara and I decided to keep our tradition of starting Christmas crafting in July and planned a crafting day over video chat.  I decided I was going to tackle this project since I knew sis would be encouraging and honest all at the same time.  If it looked a hot mess, she would tell me.  So, th...

Not a sponsor One of the YouTube crafters my sister introduced me to is Amber Riley from This Southern Girl Can . She's an awesome creative from North Carolina.  Her specialty is Dollar Tree crafts.  This past week, she did a simple Independence Day craft that looked fun and I just had to try it.  Here's her video explaining the craft: The only things I needed to buy were the picture frame and the bag of Styrofoam stars. I already had clothespins, craft paint, and hot glue. I haven't figured out an appropriate space outside my apartment complex where I can spray paint, so I hand painted the clothespins.  I liked the color of my picture frame, so I didn't paint it.  I also had some jewels and metal letters in a box of craft supplies I was given a while back that I used on the plaque.   The only things I would do differently if I made this again are 1) I'd paint the inside of the frame backing since the pins don't fit perfectly (she warned abou...

Not a sponsor Part of what I've been doing during quarantine is watching some of the YouTube crafters my sister, Clara, introduced me to.  Many of them know how to take inexpensive items from the Dollar Tree and create gorgeous crafts, art pieces, and home decor items.   This inspired me to take up the challenge and see what I can make.  So, at least once a month, I'll attempt a project and let y'all know how it went. When I first moved into my apartment, I was given a gorgeous set of canisters that were the perfect size for every day necessities like coffee, and salt for use and display.  However, I've needed some larger ones for things like flour and sugar for baking.  When I started drinking Link's Smoothie , I saved the protein powder containers for use as canisters.  The only problem is, they were ugly: See? I know they're just in the cabinet, but I want to enjoy using them, so I decided to use my first Dollar Tree challenge to deco...