Peony Lane Designs

DIY Dollar Tree Halloween Craft: Fabric-Covered Pumpkins

September 23, 2023

It’s another exciting Dollar Tree DIY Halloween décor project. Spruce up your Halloween home decor without breaking the bank. As I mentioned in my potion bottles blog post I’m a huge fan of fall and the spooky season. Something about the crisp air puts me in the mood for baking, and crafting. You too?

You’re probably familiar with those Dollar Tree faux pumpkins that come in bright orange. They’re not very realistic but they do provide a good base for craft projects.

For this project you might want to paint them if you don’t want the orange to show through. I decided to give mine a makeover by painting them in a lovely shade I like to call “Magic Gray.” You can find the exact recipe for this color HERE.

For this Dollar Tree craft, I picked up some rolls of Halloween themed fabric from Dollar Tree for just $1.25 each. There were a few patterns to choose from and the size is just large enough to cover a pumpkin. Of course if you’re a quilter or you want to stop in at the fabric store and get more designs choices, I won’t stop you. These would be cute for more than just Halloween depending on the pattern you choose.

Dollar tree fabric — Fabric from the Dollar Tree

Cut Your Fabric

I used decoupage glue to attach the fabric to the pumpkins. The process isn’t too complicated; the most challenging part is cutting the fabric to make the most of your chosen pattern.

I cut the fabric into strips and slightly fray the edges to achieve a tattered look. Then brushed on decoupage glue and placed the strips starting that the top and working my way around. I secured the fabric pieces in place with straight pins to so they wouldn’t shift while I was placing all the other strips. I left the pins in while the glue dried.

As you work your way around the pumpkin, you may notice some gaps. To fix this, cut thinner strips and fill in the exposed areas. After you’ve covered the entire pumpkin with fabric strips, you can further distress the edges to achieve a frayed look.

When I finished adding fabric I decided that the stems should be black to fit the fabric choice. You can pick any color you want.

And there you have it! An easy, affordable, and super fun Halloween craft using Dollar Tree supplies. You can customize these fabric-covered pumpkins to match your decor or even create a collection to sell in your own shop (these sold at the Septemeber Picket Fence Gals sale). So, roll up your sleeves, get creative, and enjoy the process.

This entire project was created for my YouTube Channel. If you want to watch how this came together click the video below.

See the full tutorial!

If you found this DIY tutorial helpful and inspiring, please consider sharing it with your friends and family on your social media feeds. Your support helps our blog gain traction and allows us to continue bringing you exciting crafting ideas. Happy crafting!

If you’re looking for more pumpkin inspiration, check out my Dollar Tree Pumpkins 3 Ways post.

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Does Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge Work?

August 5, 2023

Dishwasher safe Mod Podge jumped into my cart when I was browsing at Michaels one day. Okay so maybe it had a little help, but come on! Dishwasher safe Mod Podge? How? Does it work? There were so many questions that needed to be answered and since trying it is the only way I believe claims; I bought it.

There were so many new Mod Podge products that I hadn’t tried that I picked about three or four others that I’ll be testing out (like the outdoor Mod Podge), so don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you’re alerted about new posts.

I tried this originally on my YouTube channel for those of you who prefer to watch, but I will warn you it was a two-part video because Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge requires 28 days to cure fully. Below is part one:

How do you apply dishwasher safe Mod Podge?

The First step is to find your project. Because this was a test run and I didn’t want to pay a lot for something that might not turn out, I went to Dollar Tree and invest $1.25 in a plain white coffee mug. This mug was the perfect canvas for a project. Anything that I put over the top would stand out and it was dishwasher safe.

For my image, I chose a rub-on transfer from Prima Marketing. This little birdhouse is adorable, but I had no other project that I could see it on. I had already used part of this set for other projects, so if this experiment was a huge bust then I wasn’t out a lot.

Once the decal was applied it was time to use the Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. To apply any kind of Mod Podge I’ve found an art brush works best. I’ve tried sponge brushes but I don’t like the texture.

I applied several light coats changing the direction of the brush strokes with each application. For example, on the first coat, I brushed from left to right. Once that was dry, I brush from top to bottom. Once that was dry, I brushed at an angle across the design.

Mod Podge says to wait 1 to 2 hours between each coat so I did. I wanted to make sure that I was using this product to the letter so no one could say I didn’t do it right.

Once the image was completely covered it was time to let the cup cure.

How long does dishwasher safe Mod Podge take to cure?

28 days is the short answer. Why does it take so long for it to cure? I don’t know. I know that even chalk paints take that long to dry and cure completely. You can read my post about that issue here.

Does Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge work?

My memory isn’t the greatest so I set a reminder on my phone to alert me when it was time to test out the cup in the dishwasher.

Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge goes into the dishwasher

I decided to put it through the worst cycle possible; high heat, sani rinse (high temp), and heated dry. The product doesn’t directly say I can’t do that but I’m guessing there’s a fine print somewhere saying not to do this.

That being said the results were pretty impressive. The design held up quite well. The decal stayed in place and nothing flaked off or washed away which would have happened with a traditional Mod Podge. Don’t ask me how I know just trust me.

The only “problem” was a slight wrinkle on the edge. You can see it in the close-up image below.

I’m not sure why this happened. It could be that there were oils in that spot. According to Mod Podge, the surface should be clean and oil free, and even the oils from my hands could cause an issue. Short of wearing surgical gloves to apply; I’m not sure how to avoid touching the cup so that could have been an issue.

I’m betting that if I put it through a normal dishwashing cycle without all the extreme temps that this little cup would have been just fine. I say that because Mod Podge also says you cannot microwave anything with this product on it. They didn’t elaborate if that was because of toxins or because it would melt.

Can you drink out of something with Mod Podge?

Here’s the thing. It’s not food safe. It’s also not toxic. Well, that’s clear, right? Here’s the deal, the FDA has to approve things as “food safe” which this is not. But it’s a water based acrylic so it’s not “toxic”. For my cup, the design is on the side of the cup that will point away from me when I hold it so my mouth will not touch the surface where the Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge is applied. This should be safe enough but don’t cover a plate you’re planning to use for everyday dining unless it’s a clear plate and you put it on the back of the plate. Got it? Good.

I’m quite happy with Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. As someone who likes to put trinket boxes in the dishwasher to give them a good cleaning now and again this product is going to come in handy. For a piece that I make for the shop since I don’t know how the customer is going to treat it once it leaves my hands, it will be a good option for sealing projects that could potentially be placed in the dishwasher.

Thank you for reading and I hope it answered some of your burning questions about Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. If not, you can always reach out to me. Because of the spammers I’ve had to shut the comment section down on my blog. It became a full-time job just deleting links to God knows where. I appreciate all the people who left legitimate comments. I miss you too.

Feeling inspired? Spread the crafting joy! Share this blog post about using Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge on Pinterest or your favorite social media channels. Help me reach more crafters with this valuable information!

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DIY Vintage-Inspired Easter Flags: Add Charm to Your Decor!

March 18, 2023

Easter is right around the corner, so let’s create a DIY vintage-inspired Easter flags to decorate this year!

This is a project I created on my YouTube channel. I’ve unfortunately was quarantine with Covid for a week and was bored out of my mind. So I spent way too much time, and way too much money, surfing and buying stuff on Amazon. That’s where I came across some adorable vintage reproduction Easter stickers.

I knew I had to do something with them. So I created vintage-inspired Easter flags that are perfect for adding a little bit of vintage charm to even the smallest space. Even better they are a great project to do with kids that is way less messy than dying Easter eggs.

Here are the steps I took to create these festive DIY vintage-inspired Easter flags:

Step 1: Paint the wooden flags

Paint the wooden flags for these DIY Easter flags — Paint the flags

I started by painting the wooden flags. You want to create a nice background for your vintage stickers. You can decide what colors work best for you but I decided to go with pastel pink and blue. Easter is always pastels for me but you do you!

Step 2: Cut out the vintage Easter stickers

Next, I carefully cut out the vintage Easter stickers that I had chosen for the flags. I found these stickers amazon, but you could could also download vintage Easter images that you like if you have a color printer. I cut as close to the image as I could without losing any of the back or foreground image.

Step 3: Place the stickers

After cutting out the stickers, I placed them on the wooden flags. For some reason I always feel like I never quite get things centered or lined up when I place them. That’s okay though these are handmade, not machine made, and those little imperfections are where the love is.

Step 4: Cover the entire flag in decoupage glue

Once the stickers were in place, I covered the entire flag in decoupage glue. This glue not only helps the stickers stay put on the wooden flag, but it also gives the flags a protective layer.

Step 5: Use aging glaze over each flag

After the decoupage glue was dry, I applied an aging glaze to each flag. This glaze gave the flags an aged look and helped to blend the stickers into the background.

Step 6: Use rose gold intense glitter to add sparkle to the flags

To add a little bit of sparkle to the flags, I used rose gold intense glitter. I applied the glitter with a small paintbrush, and covered the entire surface. I played with the idea of doing spots of glitter only on certain parts of the images. I still think it would be cute to have a more intense glitter in places. Again this is a you do you moment. Do whatever makes your soul happy when you create these.

Step 7: Attach rope to hang the flags

Finally, I attached rope to the top of each flag so that I could hang them up. I tied a small knot in the rope on each side of the flag to keep it in place.

And there you have it! Vintage-inspired Easter flags that are perfect for adding a little bit of charm to your holiday decorations. This project was so much fun to complete, and I love how the flags turned out. I hope this tutorial inspires you to create something beautiful this Easter!

If you’re looking for more Easter inspiration check out my decoupaged Easter eggs post!

DIY Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day Wreath: How to Create a Stunning Decoration Using Dollar Tree Supplies

January 28, 2023

Transform your front door with a stylish and budget-friendly DIY Valentine’s Day wreath using items from the dollar store. This simple tutorial will show you how to create a beautiful wreath using supplies from Dollar Tree, such as ribbon, foam hearts, and artificial flowers, to make a stunning Valentine’s Day decoration that will impress your guests and show off your crafting skills.

I originally created this wreath on my YouTube channel. We’re always creating fun projects on my channel so you should join us! It’s a really fun community. On to the DIY Dollar Tree Valentine’s wreath!

DIY Dollar Tree Valentine’s Wreath

The nice thing about this dollar tree heart form is that it’s a two-fer. Since I only plan on using the large heart form for my wreath I can set the small one aside for another project. Or if you wanted to you could make a second smaller wreath like the large one. It’s totally up to you but for me I’m just making one.

Supplies List:

Glue Gun and glue
Heart form
Foam roses
Ribbon

First clean off the original shiny stuff. I don’t like the look of this stuff. It feels really cheap to me so this is one of the times I’m not planning to reuse something I remove from a piece. Once I started to unwrap the heart form I discovered these little nubbins on the heart. I don’t see what purpose they serve. Maybe to keep the metal pompom material from sliding down?

I don’t know what they’re for but I know I didn’t want them on my wreath. So I grabbed a clipper and started clipping them off. Since the form is plastic they came off easily. Once they were gone it was time to wrap the heart.

I chose a ribbon that was the same color as my roses. This way if any of the wreath form showed through the flowers it would blend in and not be noticed. I glued strategically in spots around the form so the ribbon didn’t end up sagging which might happen over time if you wrap something without gluing. Also, I found it more manageable to cut the ribbon into shorter lengths. It seemed to help the process for better for me, but you do what works for you.

Next it’s time to glue the roses on. Here are a couple tips before you begin:

Because the roses are made of foam us the low heat setting on your glue gun. If you don’t you will melt the foam.
Start at the middle. Put a rose at the point at the top and the point at the bottom FIRST. That way your roses will all be centered. Trust me they feel off otherwise.

After taking all that into consideration, glue away. When using this exact wreath form you will need 4 packages of the foam roses from Dollar Tree. You’ll be able to snug the roses up close to each other.

This process is one of those zen moments. You can put an audiobook on (I love audiobooks) or put a movie on and work your way around the wreath. It’s peaceful to me to craft like this.

Once you’ve completed the entire wreath, you have a decision to make. I personally loved the simplicity of this wreath as it is. But if you want you could add baby’s breadth, or other embellishments that fit your style. I won’t judge. If you want to add sparkles then you should! Make your wreath personal and beautiful to you and don’t let anyone tell you different.

When you’re satisfied with your wreath add a ribbon to the hanging loop and hang your gorgeous new wreath!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on creating a DIY Valentine’s Day wreath using items from Dollar Tree. If you were inspired to make your own wreath, be sure to share your final product with me on Instagram or Facebook! I would love to see your unique take on this craft. Don’t forget to share this blog post with your friends and family who are also looking for a fun and budget-friendly Valentine’s Day decoration. Together, let’s spread the love and inspire others to get creative with their own DIY projects.

5 Easy Steps to Create No Sew Fabric Hearts with Scrap Materials

January 14, 2023

No sew fabric hearts are the perfect project for using up scraps of fabric, ribbon, lace, and batting that you may have laying around your home. If you’re like me you can’t part with pretty piece of fabric and lace no matter how small they are. If you’ve seen my YouTube projects then you’ve seen me cut pieces off and set them aside. Because I’m always sure I’ll find something to do with them.

Fabric hearts are a fun and easy way to add a touch of handmade charm to your space or in my case to fill bowls in my booth, it’s also a sustainable option for repurposing materials that might otherwise go to waste. With just a few simple supplies and minimal effort, you’ll be able to create a beautiful and unique decoration that will bring joy to your home. So gather your materials and let’s get started!

Let’s Make No Sew Fabric Hearts!

First, choose the fabric that you want to use for your hearts. I had this tiny bit of toile left from an upholstery project. Too small for any project but a pillow. You can use a variety of different fabrics, such as cotton, silk, or felt, or mix and match to create a unique look. Just make sure you have a piece big enough to cut two pieces – one for the front and one for the back.

Next, use a template pinned to the fabric doubled over (you can cut them freehand if you’re braver than I am) and cut them out with pinking shears. Pinking shears have zigzag blades that help to prevent the fabric from fraying, so they are a great tool to use for this project. If you don’t have pinking shears, you can use regular scissors and seal the edges with fabric glue or Fray Check.

Use decoupage fabric glue to attach the two pieces. I used Martha Stewart brand which they don’t seem to make anymore but Mod Podge has an excellent alternative. Use fabric glue to attach the two pieces together, leaving a small opening at the top or side for stuffing.

Use batting to stuff the hearts until they are full. I used pieces from a huge bag of batting offcuts that I may or may not be hoarding. You can also use small pieces of fabric or other materials if you prefer. Just something to plum up the little pillows.

Once the hearts are stuffed, use the fabric glue to seal the opening shut. You can see I used clamps and gator clips to keep the shape in the correct position. The stuffing pulls the shape away from the edges so you will have to have some way to hold them in place.

Now is the fun part! Time to add embellishments such as ribbon, lace, or buttons to personalize your hearts and give them a unique touch. Go crazy and make them as ornate as you want. Since I’m selling mine I decided to make them simple. A touch of lace, some buttons and to give some of them vintage flare I used broken pieces of vintage jewlery.

And that’s it! With these simple steps, you can easily create no sew fabric hearts using scraps of fabric, ribbon, lace, and batting. This is a fun and sustainable project that is perfect for all skill levels. It’s a charming valentines give too!

Fun, Simple, and profitable!

You can tell by my smile above that I love these adorable little hearts. I’ve already added them to my vintage booth with a $9 price tag for the large and $5 for the smalls. Not bad for some scraps and a few hours of my time.

Watch the video tutorial below:

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make no sew fabric hearts! If you found this tutorial helpful, please consider sharing it on Pinterest and Facebook. Sharing this post helps others discover this fun and sustainable project. It also helps support me and allow me to continue creating content like this. So don’t forget to spread the love and share this post on your social media channels! Thank you for your support.