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The time has come for the final Dollar store post. *sniff* It’s one of those occasions that’s both sad and happy. Like watching a child go off to school for the first time, or eating a whole strawberry-rhubarb pie in one sitting.
Mostly though, this is an exciting moment. The final Dollar store post is perhaps the most dramatic transformation ever to be recorded in history. Ever. If you don’t count some of the better drag queens.
So here we go …. deep breath … the final Dollar Store post.
Clay pot
Ta da! An outdoor lantern. I’m almost positive the other shoppers in Dollarama heard something in my head *pop* when I came up with this. I was actually looking at Dollarama’s Chinese paper lanterns thinking how I liked them, but how they’d get wrecked if they were left outside in the rain for one night. Not a good thing for someone who might not be exactly, completely on top of things like bringing stuff in from the rain. Ever. Also a poor trait for someone who has a sunroof in their car. Just sayin’.
To prove that you could do this with ONLY things bought at a Dollar store I bought everything at Dollarama. You can improvise with stuff you already have at home, like chain or metal rods or whatever else you have in your basement or junk drawer. The Led lights I bought are meant for outdoors and are thusly waterproof, so pay attention to that if you go shopping around to do this.
So here we go … it’s simple enough to do but here are the instructions just in case you need ‘em:
Remove the chain from your really ugly cat plaque. It is now your choice as to whether you would like to display your really ugly cat plaque or throw it in the garbage.
Slip a thin metal rod through chain ends. I used a hex key I bought at Dollarama. Wind elastic band around ends to keep chain from slipping off. Hook LED light into middle.
Put light and rod inside pot. Pull chain through drain hole in pot. The rod acts as a brace to keep everything in place. this way you can also easily remove the light for when you need to change the batteries.
this is what it will look like inside the upside down pot.
This is what it will look like outside at night. I put mine on the fence outside my dining room window so I can see them when I’m inside at night.
And guess what?!! You can do this with just about anything! I used plastic pots, clay pots and woven baskets. With a little screwing around with your materials and technique whatever you want or find should work. For example:
This one is done a little differently:
Remove the chain from your still ugly cat plaque.
Turn your basket upside down, slip chain through weave and tie ends of chain together with fishing line.
cut a long thread of fishing line and loop through hooks on back of light
run fishing line that’s looped around light through weave in bottom of basket so it comes out other side.
grab ahold of your fishing line that you’ve run through what is now the top of your basket (shade).
pull the fishing line so it lifts the led light right up to the top of the basket. tie the fishing line into a tight knot, then cut the ends off.
see? the light is nice and snug against the top of the shade. i’m kindda shocked i just used the word “snug”. that’s an old person word.
Hang your fancy new basket lamp on the bracket.
or even better! hang 2 fancy basket lamps on brackets!
Ready for a party! that i’ll never have. which is o.k. this way i don’t have to clean up before or after the party. yet i still get to enjoy the lamps. And cheesies if I want. win, win really.
Total cost for each of these outdoor lanterns? About $5. I ate more money in snacks while making them. Curse you Smartfood.
This concludes my very first Dollar store series. If my brain doesn’t explode I’ll have another series for you in a while. If my brain doesn’t explode. Probably eating more Smartfood would help with preventing that.
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shannon@bakeandbloom.com
AH-MAZ-ING! I love it. Our dollar shops in Australia are prohibitively expensive compared to thier American & Canadian counterparts. I was in one today & saw a cute candlestick & it was $38….thats not a dollar!!! I love the way the light looks with the second basket lanterns it is attractive
Liz
Ugh, you’re so smart. It’s not fair.
Karen
Liz – Well that depends on who you ask. If you ask all of my highschool math teachers I’m sure they’d disagree. And rightly so.
michelle
You’re a genius. Do you take orders? We would like to place an order for the cottage. I think six of those baskets would look really nice. I’ll send my chauffeur to pick them up.
earthpuppy
Wondrous!
Tricia Rose
You have surpassed yourself Karen! And saved the world from several ugly cat plaques. Maybe you could turn them into something else too – pot stands? Plump Halloween ghosts?
Jan
Absolutely stunning! So very cool…and I love the way you don’t need electricity. Though I must say my cats were a little insulted about calling the plaque ugly–they’re quite sure those are the paw prints of their great uncle from Tallahassee!
Mike
So much for Pottery Barn. You’re going to put them out of business.
Shauna Wobeser
That’s so cool!! I am going to make those! Just don’t know where I will put them yet!
Karen
Thanks! They’d look good hanging from a tree on a chain too. Hmm … maybe I’ll try that actually.
Rita
I love this and know exactly where they are going… right into my backyard Lounge.
Tickled Red
Okay you officially Rock!!!
Alissa
Glamming up cheap battery-operated lights. Brilliant! Why haven’t I thought of that? Always on the lookout for renter-friendly ideas, and this is definitely one.
Oonafey @ Little Pink Houses
So pretty!
mick
Absolutely awesome idea!!! Off I go to Dollarama.
Karen, you are amazing!!!
Mick
ann
wow- are those the battery-operated lights? They look so much brighter in the pic! Maybe its the effect of the shade? Gosh I gotta do this…I added a link to your great blog in my latest post!Love this blog! (found you on design*sponge)
Karen
They’re battery operated LED lights from a Dollar Store. I know, eh?! Super-bright. Thanks for the link by the way! Yay!
Ixbi
I… I think I’m in love.
I’ve just moved away from home for college, and your ideas have given my so much inspiration for decorating my new place!
You’re incredibly brilliant and innovative! <3
Karen
Well, well! Thank you very much Ixbi. Stay tuned … plenty of more inexpensive, quick ideas to come. I think. I hope. Oh God … what if I run out of ideas like my mother says is likely to happen? I have to go to bed now.
Brandi
Ummm… LOVE THESE! As a matter of fact, I think I love all of your posts. I just found you today and have been laughing the whole time while reading your posts.
I totally have a blog crush.
Keep em’ coming!
Reed
just wanted to say… your idea for this was so amazing and wonderful, that me and my co worker couldn’t wait to try it out… so we went to the dollar tree, picked up the stuff and made one today!!! we are in love with your stuff!!!
Karen
Reed – I’m happy to oblige! I’m awfully busy now with building the chicken coop but once that’s done and over with I plan to do another Dollar Store series.
LOVE dollar stores. ~ karen
Kevin
Karen, I happened unto your bog by sheer luck! This was a excellent design! Often times, when I walk into a Dollar store and persuse the isles, I come with these types of design ideas! I sincerely hope that you continue with the Dollar store series! It is such a novel idea overall!
Karen
Thanks Kevin! Yes, I’ll get back to the Dollarama stuff once I have time. (once the chicken coop is built) ~ karen!
Julie
yay for dollarama creativity!
Do you know how long those LED lights last for?
Karen
Julie – Thanks! The lights tend to last forever, but the batteries will die out. If you buy them at a hardware store as opposed to Dollarama, you can get ones that hold larger volt batteries than AA’s. The bigger the battery, the longer they’ll last. ~ karen!
becky
you are genius! love them
becky
this is another fabulous idea. put the led light in a pretty bowl – then light it up and put glass half colored marbles in it. Pretty ~
Karen
Good thinkin’. Thanks Becky. ~ karen
Cortney
This is such a great idea! I have so many left over pots and such from years of gardening misadventures, now I know what to do with them!
Karen
Thanks Courtney! Yeah, it’s been a favourite around this house.
~ karen
Elisa
i love Dollar Store! and this is a great idea! im going to try to do my own lamp, hope that it look as good as yours :S
Karen
Elisa – It will! ~ karen
Jessica@nucheysmommy
This is awesome & soooooo clever!!!! I love the pot but the baskets with the light showing through looks fabulous! Great job
Visiting from tipjunkie
Karen
Thanks Jessica! Yup. Tipjunkie’s been good to me.
She’s featured several of my projects. Glad you dropped by AND left a comment! ~ karen
Colette
What a clever idea and great tip!
Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks!
Barb
Wow! Happened upon this site from TipJunkie. You are amazing. I unfortunately did not find any of the stuff to make these in my dollar store. Love the idea and I am now on a mission to find the stuff to make these.
Thanks again!
Karen
Barb – Thanks! The Dollar Store I use in Canada is Dollarama. You could probably find similar stuff at Walmart! ~ karen
Inga
Hi Karen – I went out to Dollarama last night on a mission. It may have been just the location I went to or because it’s seasonal, but I couldn’t find the items except for the ugly cat plaques, of which I now possess five
Maybe this is something that needs to wait until spring? The LED lights with the hooks are key!
Karen
Inga – The LED lights are in the aisle with the lightbulbs. In case you didn’t look there. And they always have regular clay pots, but the fancier ridged ones I found may be seasonal. I saw them there this summer, but it makes sense for them to pare down their pot selection for the winter.
Super-fantastic you got a bunch of ugly cat plaques though, LOL. Oh dear. I’ll try to get to Dollarama next week to come up with a winter Dollarama craft. ~ karen!
Inga
Yeah, checked there at two locations (another one today near work). The one today had the lights but not the kind with a hook on the back. Ah well, getting closer. Thanks though! Looking forward to getting rid of my fire hazard backyard lights in the spring and replacing them with these bad boys.
Karen
Inga – If there’s a plug handy, you could also fill them with outdoor Christmas twinkle lights. Then you would plug them into a timer and they’d come on and off whenever you like. ~ karen
Pinky
I found you on Pinterest! Someone esle has a category of BLOGS and yours sounded great. This is genius and I plan to make these! Thanks. I will be your newest follower. XO, Pinky
Karen
Hey Pinky! Thanks! I’m glad you found the site. Welcome aboard. I think you’ll find my commenters are as entertaining as the site. ~ karen!
Linda
This is a fantastic idea. I’m wondering if you could rig the solar powered landscaping lights to go inside. then there would be no need to turn them on & off. they would go on all by themselves at dusk! Any suggestions, let me know
Karen
Hey Linda! That’s a good idea! I’ll look into it. It would take some finagling. The only problem I have, is those solar lights aren’t usually very bright. They’re not quite living up to their potential yet! ~ karen
Michelle Witt
This is an amazing idea! Thank you for sharing!!
Karen
You’re welcome Michelle. ~ karen!
Lex
Please tell me this isn’t your last ever dollar store post! You’re such an inspiration when it comes to turning cheap crap into something pretty and cheap!! MORE PLEASE!
Karen
Lex – Lord no. I’ve done a bunch of Dollar Store posts since then. The pot was just the last in a week long series of Dollar Store posts. If you click on “I heart Dollar Stores” on the right sidebar of my page, you’ll see alllll the dollar store posts. The 2 most recent I can think of are a pillow and windowsill decoration. ~ karen!
Mimi
Are you a mind reader too? Last night the H and I sat on the patio trying to figure out how to light it up and all we came up with were Christmas lights. This morning I log on to Pinterest and there are your amazing lights!! I’ve already made myself presentable, driven an hour round trip to my dollar store, and am going to have two of these made before the H gets home from golf! He’s going to love you!
Karen
HI Mimi. Thanks! Make sure you look at this http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/glowing-orbs/ . It’s the star of the backyard show every year. ~ karen!
Alicia
In a very NOT Stalker way, I would love to go to the Dollar store with you! Great job!!!
Mimi
Those orbs are yours!!??? I have had those pinned on my outdoor board forever! You are quickly becoming my bff!
DeNacho
very smart indeed!
Debbie
Very clever!
Anne
Hi there – awesome idea. Did you use wireless LED lights? I imagine you did since I do not see cords but there was no mention of electricity. Thanks!
Melina Buxton
very creative, wish I had a Dollarama
Karen
Thanks Melina. Dollarama *is* the happiest place on earth.
~ karen
Christine Mason
You are an inspiration!
Karen
Thanks Christine! But I’m not the inspiration … Dollarama is. O.K. …. I’m pretty inspiring too. LOL! Welcome to my site. ~ karen
teri
I love the lamps!!! I need to know where you found the lights to go in them. If you don’t mine. I want to make some. Tks
Karen
Teri – Everything came from my local dollar store. If yours doesn’t have them hardware stores carry the same sort of thing. ~ karen!