St. Patrick's Day Treats & DIYs... made using dollar store supplies (and a few freebies!)

I love a good bargain AND a holiday celebration, don't you?!? If you answered "yes", you are going to want to check out the fantastic easy and inexpensive St. Patrick's Day treat ideas I'm sharing today! (I have some freebies for you and a step-by-step video too.)

First... you are going to want to visit the dollar store and pick up your favourite green or rainbow themed goodies. I purchased: Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, Rainbow Eggies, chocolate coins and Mike & Ikes.

The Lucky Charms cereal can be easily transformed into leprechaun bait. Scoop some into a bag, add the free tag I designed (here), and enjoy. 

Or, you can pop some into a dollar store jar, add the words "leprechaun bait" with a Cricut or stickers, and use it as a piece of St. Patrick's Day decor.

It looks super cute on a tiered tray.

Another fun idea is to turn dollar store chocolate coins into unique treats to share. Print off the card I designed (for free) here. Then, use an X-acto knife to cut a small slit in the card and insert a coin. Cute, right?

A festive drink can also be made using dollar store supplies. Thread Froot Loops onto a straw, and insert the straw into a glass filled with a green drink. I like using 7UP with a few drops of green food colouring.

Finally... why not make a St. Patrick's Day basket OUT of candy and FULL of candy? Use hot glue to attach green candy boxes together and add a cupboard rectangle to the bottom. Then, thread Froot Loops onto a pipe cleaner and attach to the basket with hot glue. Finsh by filling the basket with green and rainbow-coloured treats. Easy peasy!

For a closer look at how I made ALL these treats, check out the video I made...

Which of these treats do YOU think is the cutest? Don' you just love how easy and inexpensive they all are? Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Make a Rainbow for St.Patrick's

I love an easy, inexpensive and fun holiday celebration idea... and this simple activity is PERFECT for St.Patrick's Day! Check out the instructions and 1-minute video below. You are going to LOVE this DIY Skittles Rainbow!

All you need is: a plate, a bag of Skittles and warm water.

Then: line a plate with Skittles, pour water into the middle of the plate, and watch the magic happen.

Seriously... how cute is this?!?

You can also grab a toothpick and play a bit with your rainbow.

Check out this video to see a demonstration of this cool experiment:

Have you ever made a Skittle's rainbow? If you haven't, grab a bag of candy and give it a try.

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE St.Patrick's idea here.

5 *NEW* St.Patrick’s Day DIYs ☘️ They are Easy and Inexpensive… but look HIGH END

Looking for a couple of easy and inexpensive St. Patrick's Day crafts to add to your home decor this year? Today, I'm sharing 5 NEW St.Patrick's Day DIYs that you are going to LOVE! They are simple to make, use cheap (mostly dollar store) supplies, and look fantastic. Check out the written instructions (and easy to follow video tutorials) below.

1) Fabric covered shamrock - I love this framed fabric shamrock. The mix of textures and colours really gives it a rich, high-end feel. To make it:

1. Paint the inside of a picture green.
2. Cut a shamrock from a cardboard box.
3. Put some mod podge on the front of the shamrock and lay it flat on a square of scrap fabric.
4. Use hot glue and scissors to wrap the fabric around the shamrock and secure it on the back. 
5. Use hot glue to attach the shamrock to the frame.

Isn't it super-cute? 

2) Dollar store cutting board update - I found this ugly cutting board at the dollar store, but I knew I could make it into something cute, so I threw it in my cart. 

Then:

1. I painted both sides of the cutting board green.
2. I used hot glue to attach a strip of checkered ribbon to the bottom.
3. I used hot glue to wrap twine around the top of the board (and cover up the hole in the cutting board.
4. I created a vinyl decal on my Cricut and attached it to the front of my board.

If you don't have a Cricut, you could paint something, use decals or add stickers. What do you think? Is it better than what I started with?

3) "Lucky" rolling pin - These little rolling pins are great for crafting. I found mine for $2.29 in the toy aisle in a local store, but you can sometimes find them at the dollar store. There are also many inexpensive options on Amazon.

Then:

1. Paint the handles to match your St.Patrick's Day decor.
2. Add the word "LUCKY" and a shamrock. I used a Cricut, but a Sharpie or stickers would work too.
3. Tie bits of scrap ribbon the handles. 

4) Yarn wrapped shamrock - This is a super-easy craft, and it's practically free.

1. Start by cutting a shamrock shape out of a cardboard box. I used an old Amazon box. You won't see the box, so any box will work.
2. Use hot glue to attach the end of a ball of yarn to the shamrock. 
3. Start wrapping the shamrock with yarn... periodically securing the yarn in place with hot glue.
4. Continuing wrapping and gluing until the entire shamrock is covered.

 

You can turn these shamrocks into ornaments by adding yarn hangers, or you can leave them as is. I have some hanging on a fake tree in my house, AND I have one on my tiered tray.

5) Leprechaun bait jar - Every holiday needs a treat, and leprechaun bait is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. To make this adorable goodie, you'll need a cheap candy jar from the dollar store. There are tons of options, but I like the shape of this one.

Then:

1. Use a Cricut, stickers, paint, or a glass marker to add the words "leprechaun bait" to the front of the jar. I also added a cute little Shamrock.
2. Fill the jar with "Lucky Charms" cereal.
3. Tie a bit of ribbon to the top of the jar.

That's it! You could add any treat you want to the jar, but I think the cereal looks really cute and festive.

And here's how great the 5 DIYs look when they are all together. I love the mix of colours and textures, don't you?

And here's how they look on my tiered tray. (And if you like the little St.Patrick's Day picture sitting beside my tiered tray, you can download it for free here.)

For a closer look at all of these projects, you can check out the YouTube video I made here:

I hope you like all these easy and inexpensive St. Patrick's Day DIYs. Do you have a favourite? I like the fabric shamrock, but I REALLY like how they all look together on my tiered tray.

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE St.Patrick's idea here.

Simple St.Patrick's Day Treat Idea... with free printable cards

One of my favourite things to do on this blog is give away things for FREE. Today, I am sharing an adorable FREE printable St. Patrick's Day card that is perfect to share with friends and family. It would make a wonderful party favour too.

All you need is the FREE card below and some chocolate gold coins (or real coins).

First download and print the free cards. Click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Then, use an x-Acto knife to cut a slit (the same width as the coin) above the cauldron. 

Note: Be careful with the sharp knife, and make sure you use a cutting mat.

Finish by inserting a chocolate coin (or real coin) into the slot. You can leave it as is... or you can secure it on the back with a piece of tape.

I made three with loonies and three with chocolate coins, and I plan on giving them to my boys on St.Patrick's Day. Cute, right?!?

I think these would be fun to share with neighbours and classmates, and they'd make fun and inexpensive party favours too.

Who will you share your lucky coins with this St.Patrick's Day?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE St.Patrick's idea here.

St.Patrick's Day Yarn Ornaments

Holiday crafts are so much fun, and the two I am sharing with you today are super-cute and easy to make. They use yarn and dollar store supplies, and are perfect for kids and adults. Check out the adorable St.Patrick's Day crafts below.

The first craft is a green yarn hat ornament. Trust me, when you start making these hats, you are going to be totally addicted. 😄

1) Cut a 1 cm slice from an empty toilet roll. Then, cut approximately 35 strands of yarn (30cm in length). Note: You may need more or less yarn. It will depend on the weight/thickness of the yarn.

2) Loop all the strands (one at a time) through the cardboard roll and pull tight. Continue until the entire cardboard piece is covered.

3) Push all the yarn down through the centre of the roll to create a hat "brim", and tie the top of the hat (about an inch from the top) with a piece of matching yarn. Tie a loop (at the top of the piece of yarn used to tie the top of the hat) to create a hanger for the ornament.

4) Trim the top of the hat to make a pom pom, and use hot glue to attach a felt shamrock to the front of the yarn hat.

You can display the leprechaun hat as it is, or you can make a pom pom and transform it into a St.Patrick's Day gnome.

To make the St.Patrick's Day gnome:

You'll need to make the hat (above), and then you'll need to make a pom pom for the beard. You can find a video explaining how to make pom poms here.

1) Wrap yarn around your hand approximately 60 times (or more if the yarn is a lighter weight/thinkness).

2) Carefully remove the yarn from your hand and tie a piece of yarn tightly around the centre.

3) Cut the loops with sharp scissors, and trim the pom pom until it is round and fluffy.

4) Then, assemble the ornament. Use hot glue to attach the hat to the handmade pom pom.

5) Use hot glue to attach the pom pom nose.

Cute, right?!? You can hang them anywhere, or set them on a shelf. I have a bunch around my house, but I especially love them hanging from this little white tree.

Check out this video for another way to learn how to do this simple craft.

This really is the perfect craft project for St. Patrick's Day. It fun for kids, and adults will love it too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE St.Patrick's idea here.

FREE St.Patrick's Day Printable Sign

I love an inexpensive piece of holiday decor, don't you? So, for St.Patrick's Day, I designed a simple sign to fit a dollar store frame. It's a pretty cute addition to my St.Patrick's Day decorations, and I'm sharing it (for FREE) below.

Isn't it cute? All you need to create your own St.Patrick's Day sign is the free dollar store sign I designed and a cheap white dollar store frame.

To download the print I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

Doesn't it look cute next to this little vase of pom pom flowers I made?

I hope you make this simple piece of DIY St.Patrick's decor for your home this year. It's bright, cheerful, festive, fun... and FREE!

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE St.Patrick's idea here.

Simple St.Patrick's Day Food Ideas

When it comes to St.Patrick's Day food, many people opt for traditional Irish fare, but a simple way to celebrate is to go with a green and rainbow coloured theme. How fun is this simple St.Patrick's Day buffet featuring green pancakes with rainbow sprinkles?

Green milk in  a wine glass with a rainbow straw (plastic straw covered with Froot Loops) is also fun!

Froot Loops also become "rainbow seeds" when you add the free printable tag you can find here.

And, if you have a Shamrock-shaped cookie cutter, you can easily cook up these adorable Shamrock pancakes. Cute, right?

And finally, extra Froot Loops can be used to make rainbow necklaces for dessert. It's a fun and festive craft for kids of all ages!

What are you serving your family on St.Patrick's Day? I think I'll set up a green buffet. It's an easy and inexpensive way to celebrate March 17th!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in this fun idea.