TWO Fantastic Outdoor Games For Summer... made using dollar store supplies

This time of year, as the temperatures are rising, my family is spending more and more time outside. My boys enjoy shooting baskets and playing street hockey, and we love having outdoor campfires and watching movies on our deck, but we also like having a few outdoor games to play. So, today I'm sharing TWO fantastic outdoor games that you can easily making using dollar store supplies. You are going to love these!

1) The first option is a classic Tic Tac Toe game. I found this one at the dollar store for $4, but I wanted to upgrade it to look more "high end" sitting on my deck.

So.... I grabbed some yellow craft paint and a dollar store paint brush and painted the box holding the Xs and the Os. I also sprayed it with a clear sealer so that it could withstand the elements.

Didn't it turn out great? It's amazing what a little paint can do.

I love how the yellow "pops" and co-ordinates with the other yellow accessories on my deck.

2) The second option is this "deck dice" game you can easily make using the oversized foam dice that are for sale at the dollar store.

All you need to do is find a container to hold the dice, and attach the label I designed to the front. Click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Then, print the score sheet below, and start playing.

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

If you want to make the sheets reusable, you can laminate them and use a dry erase marker.

This game (which is like Yahzee) is such an easy game to throw together, and it's perfect for a variety of age groups.

I hope you take a trip to the dollar store and get the supplies you need to make these fun outdoor games. Let me know (in the comments) which one is your favourite.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

You might also like the dollar store decor ideas here.

Simple DIY Graduation Gift

It's graduation season, so lots of people are looking for easy and inexpensive ways to celebrate the special graduate in their lives. Recently, I made a bunch of these champagne glasses with graduation caps for my online shop, and I thought it would be helpful to share the tutorial in case you want to make your own. 

To make your own graduation cap glass cover:

1) Cut a strip of black card stock, wrap it around the top of a glass to get the correct measurement, and tape the ends together to form a circle.

2) Cut a square piece of black card stock, add a circle of hot glue to the bottom, and attach the card stock ring.

3) Make a tassel with embroidery thread, poke a hole in the top of the cap, insert the end of the tassel, and secure in place with a knot and a drop of hot glue. (If you need a tutorial on making tassels, check out the video I made with my boys here.)

You can place the caps on top of plain glasses, or you can use stickers or a Cricut to personalize your glasses. (I used some gold permanent vinyl to write "Class of 2021" on mine.)

You can also do beer mugs (which I think is kind of fun).

These glasses are perfect for toasting (just as they are), but they also make wonderful holders for candy or cash. Cute, right?!?

I think it's a fantastic gift for a highschool or university graduate, but it would be cute for a Preschool graduate too. Adults can toast with champagne, and young kids can fill their glasses with candies or milk. What do you think? Do you know someone celebrating a graduation this year? How are you celebrating?

♥  
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in this graduation treat treat.

Covid Time Capsule

Living through a pandemic is something none of us will soon forget, and it is definitely something worth remembering. So, as a family, we created a simple Covid Time Capsule, and we filled with with a few items to help us remember this very interesting time. Keep reading to find out what we put in our time capsule. I'm also sharing a free simple questionnaire you can print and have everyone in the family fill out.

In our time capsule, my family included:

• pictures of our time at home
• our schedule during homeschooling and lockdown
• masks
• a sample of the crafts we made
• a piece of yarn 6 feet long (to help us remember social distancing
• a piece of toilet paper to help us remember some of the shortages
• a sample of our favourite masks
• time capsule questionnaires (filled out by each member of the family)

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

We just stuck all our items in a large envelope, but you could use any container for your time capsule. It might be fun to have kids use stickers and markers to decorate a box or bin.

Don't you think a Covid Time Capsule is a wonderful idea? I hope it helps us to remember the good things we've experienced (and the extra family time spent together) during this difficult time.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Budget-Friendly YELLOW Wreath for Summer... made from a $3 placemat

When it comes to budget-friendly DIY decor, sometimes it helps to think outside the box. Recently, I made a fun "flamingo" wreath using a $3 Walmart placemat, and I loved it so much that I decided to make a cheery yellow version. Now I can't decide which one I like more!

Here's the one I made a few weeks ago. I love how whimsical and fun it is, don't you? (You can find all the instructions for my flamingo wreath here. 

Now you can see why I wanted to make another one. 

Here's how I made my budget-friendly, cheery yellow wreath:

1) I started with this fun lemon placemat that I purchased at Walmart for only $3. I also used a dollar store pizza pan, hot glue, and dollar store jute rope. 

2) Then, I used my cricut to write out "Hello Sunshine". If you don't have a cricut, you could use alphabet stickers from the dollar store to spell out the words.

3) Attach the words "Hello Sunshine" to the placemat.

4) Use hot glue to attach the placemat to the pizza pan. (You can use stronger glue if you are worried about the hot glue melting in the heat.)

5) Use hot glue to wrap the jute twine around the edges of the placemat. (I wrapped it 4 times to make sure the pizza pan wasn't visible at all.)

6) Add a piece of twine to the back of the pizza pan using duct tape... and you are ready to display your gorgeous, budget-friendly, yellow summer wreath.

Note: The placemat I used is made of polypropolene, so it's naturally durable and resistent to water. I have mine under a covered porch, so I didn't spray it with any type of sealer... but you could if you wanted to.

For another look... check out the "how to video" I made here.

I love the pop of colour this wreath adds to this little seating area on my deck. What do you think?

I love how easy it was to make this cheap and cheerful wreath. If you see a cute placemat, I hope you consider turning it into summer decor. It really is an easy and inexpensive way to decorate a porch or patio.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the summer DIY decor ideas here.

Father's Day gifts kids can make for their Dads

Handmade gifts from kids make the most special Father's Day gifts. Over the years my boys have made many goodies for my husband, and they are always appreciated. Today I am sharing a really easy Father's Day DIY the special man in your life will love. Print the templates (below), follow the simple instructions, and you are "good to go"!

How cute is this "#1 Dad award" kids can make for the their fathers? 

Print the template (below), colour it, glue it to a colourful piece of cardstock, punch a hole in the top of the "medal", and insert a piece of yarn or thread.

To print the template: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print.

A coupon for a special activity is another great gift. You can print my template below, colour it, and fill it in with whatever you want!

To print the template: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print!

These gifts would be great placed inside a homemade Father's Day card, and this "shirt card" is my favorite. You can find the full tutorial (and video) here. 

How happy would these gifts make a father on Father's Day?

I hope you take the time to make these sweet Father's Day crafts with your kids. I think these homemade gifts will be big hits with Dads!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


You might also like this:

and these fantastic Father's Day ideas...

Simple (budget-friendly) YELLOW Summer DIYs

The first step to creating inexpensive decor that looks high-end is to select a cohesive colour palette... and yellow is the perfect choice for summer. Today, I am sharing budget-friendly summer decor DIYs that are easy to make and look fantastic.

*** Check out the fantastic ideas below, and click on the links for additional information. ***

Free lemonade print - This lemonade print is super-cute and couldn't be easier to make. I spray painted a dollar store frame yellow, and then I designed a simple lemonade print to put inside. It's cheerful and fun... and you can download your own copy for free here.

Serve yourself lemonade tray - The perfect companion to the lemonade sign is this simple "serve yourself lemonade" tray. The tray is actually a dollar store picture frame with wooden balls glued to the bottom. Pretty clever, right? Find all the info you need to make your own here.

Tiered tray - Decorating a tiered tray for different seasons and occasions is easy and fun. I love how cheerful and bright my summer tiered tray turned out. The birdhouse on the top was a plain wooden house I found in the dollar store craft section. I painted it yellow, and added brown "wood grain" contact paper to the room. I also love my jar of yellow and white dollar store buttons, my dollar store greenery and yellow flowers, and the book stack I made from scraps of wood.

Flower arrangement - What is summer decor without flowers? I found this "flowers & garden" tin at the dollar store and knew it would make a lovely summer garden arrangement. I inserted a piece of floral foam, covered the foam with moss, and inserted dollar store flowers. I think it looks really high-end, and it only cost me a couple of dollars. What do you think?

And look how cute it looks when you display it all together.

If you want a closer look at my projects, check out this video.

This simple yellow wreath is fantastic too. Can you believe it was made with a dollar store pizza pan and a $3 placemat from Walmart?!?! You can find the full step by step instructions here.

I alsolutely love my NEW summer decor, and I can't believe it only cost me a few dollars. Which summer DIY is your favourite? I love the tiered tray, but my kids would definitely pick the lemonade tray. 😄

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the DIY planter I made using dollar store supplies here.

FREE printable Farmhouse Lemonade Print... and a dollar store frame upgrade

I love updating my decor with the changing seasons, but I don't like to spend a lot of money. DIYing dollar store items is a wonderful way to create unique items on a budget. Today, I am sharing a super-cute FREE lemon-inspired print that looks great in an updated dollar store frame. It's the perfect inexpensive piece of Summer decor.

I started with a cheap, white, plastic dollar store frame. I took it outside, and I added a couple coats of yellow spray paint.

When it was completely dry, I inserted the cute "lemonade" print I designed.

I created two versions of the print.

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

To download the 4x6 version of the print: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

I plan on creating a few more pieces of lemon decor and making a little "Summer" vignette... but for now, I love how it looks with this dollar store lemonade pitcher, dollar store napkins, and Walmart lemon placemats. Cute, right?

Don't you just love lemon decor for Summer? There is something so cheerful about bright yellow decorations. A few pieces of lemon decorations will make your home feel fresh and full of sunshine.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in this fun DIY wreath for summer.