The cutest St. Patrick's Day Crafts / Easy to make using dollar store supplies

St. Patrick's Day isn't just for the Irish. It's a fun craft theme too! Today, I'm sharing the cutest St. Patrick's Day crafts... made mostly of Dollarama supplies. Check out the post below... or pop on over to YouTube, and check out the video I made here.

1) Yarn Hat - This hat is easy and inexpensive to make. It's a great family craft too because it's fun for ALL ages. Find the step-by-step tutorial here.

2) Lucky charm - The wood rounds I used to make this come in a package of 50 for $4, so they are really inexpensive. Add a decal, some twine, and wooden beads to create an adorable "lucky charm". Find the full step-by-step tutorial here.

3) Wood block leprechaun hat - This craft is adorable, and looks great displayed on a shelf or tiered tray. Find the full step-by-step instructions here.

4) DIY St. Patrick's Day edible rainbow necklace - What's better than a craft you can eat?!?! Check out the full step-by-step instructions here.

Want a closer look, check out the video I made below.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

The CUTEST Valentine's Day crafts for kids, tweens, and teens.... and adults will love them too!

Crafting is a great way to spend time together, take a break from screens, and save money. Today, I am sharing FOUR of the CUTEST Valentine's Day crafts. They'll be a hit with kids, tweens, teens AND adults. Take a peak, give them a try, and let me know which one is your favourite.

1) Love bugs - Grab some items from your recycling bin and a ball of yarn. You are going to want to make a bunch of these adorable love bugs. Find the easy-to-follow instructions here.

2) Heart ornament - This is a simple craft that is made using dollar store supplies, but it's sooooo cute. You can hang it anywhere, but I love to decorate a pencil tree for Valentine's Day, so that's where I am putting mine. You can find the step by step instructions for this heart ornament here.

3) Simple heart card - This is such a fun card to make. Grab a box from your recycling bin, turn it into a heart template, and use it to create a delightful Valentine's Day card. Find the step by step instructions here.

4) Tumbling tower block love note - This little wooden craft could not be cute... or easier to make. It's sweet sitting on a shelf, but it's also perfect for a tiered tray. Find the simple step-by-step instructions here.

For a closer look at how I made all four of these cute Valentine's Day crafts for kids, tweens, teens and adults, check out the video I made below.

Which one is your favourite?

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Work with Me (contact info and media kit)

Through sharing my experiences raising my three boys, I try to inspire other moms with easy and inexpensive ideas for family fun. My blog (EastCoastMommy.com), which I started in April 2011, contains free tutorials, crafts, holiday fun, party planning, yummy recipes, DIY projects, product reviews, contests, family travel and more.

I love finding easy, inexpensive, and unique ways to build a home for, and have fun with, my family. I also love to share my favorite products and ideas with my loyal readers.

Do you have a product that I need to try?

I adore working with brands I believe in, and I pride myself on using my brand and voice to share products with my audience in an authentic way. I like creating content that is interesting and useful to my readers. I prefer focusing on creating a branded narrative with product placement over a product review/ad. 

Here's an example of what I am talking about: https://eastcoastmommyblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/fun-ways-to-decorate-room-for-hockey-fan.html

If you are interested in working with me, I'd be happy to discuss opportunities for:

• sponsored posts (with quality, well thought out content and photos) 
• social media promotion 
• brand ambassadorships 
• reviews/giveaways (I prefer reviews in conjunction with a giveaway over straight reviews, as they get more attention from my readers.) 

To download a copy of my 2025 media kit: right-click on the picture below and print the 8 X 10 jpeg.

Please email me at EastCoastMommy@gmail.com for more information and rates.

I look forward to working with you!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Bio

Gina Bell is a former Financial Analyst turned Writer, Content Creator, YouTuber, and Social Media Influencer. She's a mom of three who loves crafting, cooking, travelling, decorating, and party planning. She lives in Antigonish, NS, with her husband and three sons and is constantly on the lookout for easy, inexpensive ways to make magical memories with (and a cozy home for) her family. Follow her adventures at EastCoastMommy.com. 

Social media handles

www.EastCoastMommy.com & www.DIYparties.ca

www.Facebook.com/EastCoastMommy

www.Twitter.com/EastCoastMommy1

www.Pinterest.com/EastCoastMommy

www.Instagram.com/EastCoastMommy

www.YouTube.com/@EastCoastMommy

NEW budget-friendly (and useful!) DIY Valentine’s Day gifts & FREE Printables

I love a useful gift, don't you? There is nothing worse than spending money on things that are going to end up in the garbage (or addi clutter to a home). Today, I am sharing ALL NEW budget-friendly (and useful) DIY Valentine's Day gift ideas -- made from dollar store supplies! AND... I'm including printable tags you can download for FREE.

1) "I hope you get LUCKY" lotto ticket picture frame - A dollar store frame is the perfect way to share lottery tickets, and you can download the free gift tag I designed below. For a closer look at how I put this together, check out the video I made here.

To download the tags I designed for FREE: click on the picture below, right-click, save it, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

2) Dollar store picture frame "to do" list - A dollar store frame, a custom backing, and a fun way to display a dry erase pen come together to make a fun and practical Valentine's Day gift. Get a closer look at how I made this in the video I made here.

3) "I love our friendCHIP" tags to add to cookies - These tags are great paired with store-bought (or homemade) cookies. And who doesn't love a yummy treat??? Download the tags below, and see how I used them in the video I made here.

To download the tags I designed for FREE: click on the picture below, right-click, save it, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

4) Personalized picture Valentine's - These are so easy to make with dollar store suckers, glow sticks or pencils. Check out how I made them here.

Are you interested in a closer look at any of these budget-friendly (and useful!) DIY Valentine's Day gifts? 

Check out the video I made below...

Let me know your favourite Valentine's Day gift in the comments below. And, let me know if you'd like more ideas like this!

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

FOUR easy and adorable WINTER CRAFTS for kids and teens / Dollar store crafts and a FREE printable

Chilly winter days are perfect for crafting, and you are going to love the ideas I'm sharing today. I have 4 easy and adorable WINTER CRAFTS for kids and teens. Most use dollar store supplies, AND I'm sharing a FREE printable you can download. Check out all the fun below!

1) Wood slice melted snowman -- This is an adorable craft. It looks great on a tiered tray, but it's sweet just sitting on a shelf too. Find the FULL step by step instructions here.

2) Waterless snowman snowglobe - There is something magical about snow globes, and this version is easy to make and super-cute. Download the FREE printable below, and find the step by step instructions here.

To download the snowman and tree I used for this snow globe: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

3) Snowman lollipops - Who doesn't love a craft that is also a snack?!? These snowman suckers are sure to be a hit with crafters of all ages. Find the step-by-step instructions here.

4) Pom pom "snow buddies" - This is seriously the cutest craft! After you see how easy they are to make, you are going to want to make a bunch of these adorable snow buddies. Find the step-by-step instructions here.

For a closer look at how to make all four of these adorable winter crafts, check out the video I made here:

What do you think of these winter crafts? Which one is your favourite?

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Top 5 tips for teaching kids about MONEY / Things that helped ME teach my children financial responsibility

As a mom of three financially responsible boys (ages 15, 17, and 19), I'm often asked questions about how I taught them about money. They aren't perfect, but they have have strong work ethics and make smart decisions about money. I'm not an expert, but today I am sharing the FIVE things I'm happy I did.

1) I never gave my children an allowance. I never handed them cash for no reason, and I never paid them for doing chores around the house that I expected them to do anyway. I did, however, help them earn their own money. I helped them sell old toys, and I assisted them with a small “cookie mix” selling business. They also babysat and delivered newspapers, and when they turned 16, they got jobs.

2) I talked openly about money with my children from a young age. They often saw me pay for things with a credit card, so I made certain that they understood how credit cards worked. I showed them the bill when it came in, and explained how I paid for it from the money I earned at my job. I also talked to my children about saving, investing, and paying taxes.

3) I taught my children the difference between a want and a need. This seems like a simple lesson, but it is a difficult one to teach. From an early age, the rule in our house was always “We buy you what you need, and you buy what you want.” For example, we paid for the hockey stick they needed, but if they wanted the “latest and greatest” model, they were required to contribute the additional funds.

4) I introduced my children to the concept of delayed gratification. It’s important for kids to learn they can’t get everything they want, and they can’t always get the things they want as soon as they want them. One way I taught this lesson to my children is that I never gave my kids phones with phone/data plans. My husband and I made a rule that only people that can pay a monthly bill can have a phone. It was tough for our kids to understand why they didn’t have a phone like other children their age. However, now that they have jobs, they all have phone plans that they pay for, and they appreciate the concept (and responsibility) of paying monthly bills. They also watch their data usage carefully.

5) I tried to set a good example. My children have always seen me shop for sales, buy and sell second hand items, pack lunches for road trips, cook at home rather than eat out, and DIY home projects to save money. They see my husband and I living frugally (and within our means), and it is teaching them to do the same.

My boys are still relatively young, so there is still time for them to make money mistakes, but I hope I've given them a good start. 

These are the things that worked for me, but I'm curious... what worked for you?

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

The BEST Dollar Store Organization HACKS

If you love getting organized, but you don't want to spend a lot of money, you are going to love these dollar store organization HACKS! With a few dollars, and a couple of minutes, you can make you life much easier.

The dollar store has the best bins, hooks, and organizations... and don't be afraid to you common products in unconvential ways.

Check out this video for all my favourite products, tips, and tricks.

Do you have any organization HACKS to share? Do you have a favourite from this video? I have more tips and tricks, so if you are interested, let me know, and I'll get to work on another video.

💗 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)