Dollar Store Wedding Craft Challenge

It's a scorcher outside today-- mid 90's! Flip the calendar to June and turn up the summer heat! Shove the backpacks to the back of the closet and bring out the water toys.  

You know what else June brings? Weddings! 
"For they say when you marry in June,
You will always be a bride."

Anyone? (Hint: What a great musical!)

And that is why I'm writing this post.
The fun ladies over at DollarStoreCrafts.com are hosting a challenge sponsored by The Dollar Tree. Wedding crafts is the theme and what says wedding more than the color white?!  If your looking for a bang-for-your-buck, go no further than a package of white coffee filters.  Oh, the possibilities are endless!

First, I created a Hanging Garland. 

Lay out a coffee filter flat. Bunch up four more and tape them down individually as shown. Then continue to bunch 'em up and tape them down until you get the fullness you like.  I used a total of 7 including the flat base.  Then tape it to curling ribbon (party section at The Dollar Tree) and hang.  Or pick up some dental floss over by the toothbrush isle for a more subtle string.  Hang them against a wall flat, or tape them back-to-back down the ribbon to hang freely like a curtain.

I thought they were pretty enough to set loose around the tables, too!  

Next, I made a Pomander!

I pined my ribbon to the top of my styrofoam ball (check the floral isle for those). Then I pushed pins through the center of a single filter (or sometimes two) with straight pins that I had on hand. I had to be very careful because the heads were small and kept popping through the filters.  The glue in the picture didn't help much. I'd try push pins (office supply isle) next time, they have bigger heads and will be completely hidden anyway.  Just keep stickin the filters around the styrofoam ball until it is as full as you like.  If you aren't careful about getting the pins in the center, your ball might look a bit uneven. My 5 year-old was helping me and it shows!

Then, I flexed my crafty fingers and did a google search for Coffee Filter Flowers.

Wow, are there some talented people out there! I used this blog for inspiration to come up with the following flowers. Alright, I confess-- I just scrolled through the pictures.  I am not patient enough to wait for dyed coffee filters to dry so I used a Washable Marker to color mine. I also used a twist tie and clear tape instead of floral wire and tape-- either way you go the Dollar Tree has you covered!

Flower Center:

Fold in half, then in half again. Snip the rounded edge about halfway to the center point. Color with marker. Unfold and bunch up. Using clear or floral tape, secure to your twist tie or floral wire.



Flower 1: 

Fold 5-6 flattened coffee filters in half.  Cut the curve into a scallop. Arrange and secure layers around the center with tape.

Flower 2:

Cut like the picture and assemble the same as Number 1.

Flower 3:

You know what to do! ;)

Play around with how you cut and color the filters. They come in a package of a gazillion 160 for a $1 so there are plenty to get creative with. 


Materials:
Coffee Filters, 160-- $1
Curling Ribbon-- $1
Clear Tape, 2 ct --$1
Styrofoam Balls-- $1
Push Pins-- $1
Washable Markers-- $1
Garbage bags (for the twist tie closures!)-- $1
Your Wedding-- PRICELESS

...opps! That's a different brand. ;)