I’ve seen so many great parties lately that include a fun chalk board menu party. So, when I spotted this little chalkboard at Dollarama for $2 I knew I had to bring it home with me.

I wasn’t to into the multicoloured boarder, so I just painted it with some simple white paint. A couple of coats later…a fun, rustic chalk board menu, great for any party!

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make it a party!

I’m excited about a new regular feature here called “Dollar Store DIY”  where I go to the dollar store and find something to make-over into something even greater.  I love the Dollar Store, in fact my husband jokes with me that I should own shares in it!  I am frugal by nature, and love a bargain.  The Dollar Store has come a long way in the last few years, and I buy tons of craft and party supplies there.  I love going in with the feeling that I can have anything I want in the whole store.  I know some people lament that Dollarama has increased from strictly one dollar items, to now include $1.25,  $1.50, and $2.00 items, but I think it’s really increased their selection.  You know you have a Dollar Store addiction when you go to the US for a little cross border shopping and you’re most excited about visiting their Dollar Stores, and Target’s one dollar section!

Let the fun begin.  The first item I bought for some DIY was a re-usable bag.  I have been carrying my books and supplies to my mom’s group lately in a re-useable grocery bag –okay but nothing special.  When I saw this cute burlap one, for $2 at Dollarama, I saw the opportunity for a cute and easy project.  It already looked pretty great, but with the flower pin attached, it’s even greater! 

I was inspired by Jen at Tatertots and Jello, one of my favourite blogs, and her flower creations.  I really liked the idea of making them into a pin, so you could remove it and wear it with something else, or make several in different colours and change the look of the bag. 

I made my flowers out of old wool felted sweaters.  I love working with them, and since we are heading into winter, I think they seem a little more seasonal than the cotton flowers.

I decided to work with turquoise.  I had a striped one, which meant I could work with two colours from the same sweater.  The first flower I made was from the edge of the sleeve.  I simply rolled it to form a flower and put a few stitches in it to hold it.

The larger flowers are made my starting out with a circle, and cutting it into a spiral.

Then you simply roll it into a flower shape, and secure it with a few stitches from the back.

I made two flowers this way, one light blue, and one striped, and then put it with the smaller flower.  I also added three loops of some cotton ribbon.  I glue gunned all of these to a smaller piece of the felted wool to create a back, and stitched on a pin to create the flower brooch. 

This is the finished pin.

And here is the completed bag, all dressed up and ready to go!

The bag cost $2, I already had the pins, and the sweater, which were from the thrift store, so it was a great Dollar Store DIY for $2.

This post is linked to Under the Table and Dreaming, Funky Junk Interiors and Tatertots and Jello.  I also entered the Iron Crafter at Fireflies and Jellybeans, check out all their neat recycled sweater crafts.