Madigan made... over-sized decorated clothespins. (from the dollar store)
Yep! This is another cheap, easy and simple project!
After showing you my dollar store magnetic memo boards on Wednesday, I thought I'd show you a different dollar store project.
I spotted these big plastic clothespins at the dollar store (Dollar Tree, to be specific). I found them this past fall. I'm not sure if you will find them around today, but you make get lucky if you look.
They clearly were begging for a little 'something.'
To decorate them I used fun paper, a paper cutter, a foam brush and Mod Podge.
I originally thought about adhering the paper to the outside of the clothespins. But then I figured I could glue the paper on the inside of the clothespin. They definitely look more professional that way and are easier to keep clean.
To make them I took the following steps: (see the pics above that correspond to each step)
Step 1: After a little trial and error, I figured out the dimensions I need for 3 pieces of paper to fit behind the three sections on each side of the clothespin. I cut the pieces for each using one long strip of paper. (this way the pattern on the paper looked like it continued down the side of the clothespin)
Step 2: I brushed a layer of Mod Podge on the 'good' side of the paper.
Step 3: Very gently, I placed the paper glue side down on the inside of the clothespin, so the good side was visible. (the smaller sections were a little tricky, just take your time)
Step 4: I smoothed out the paper and any bubbles in the glue. It was easy to see the bubbles through the plastic. The glue dried clear.
I made a bunch of these clothespins for the craft fair in November. I clipped two matching ones to a piece of paper and tied a cute ribbon around each pack. They were a hit and I sold several of them.
What I love about these clothespins is that they can be positioned upright to hold a photo, a memo, a recipe. The back has magnets, so they also could go on the fridge.
(That's not our family, just a photo that came with an old frame... it was perfect for a display at the fair)
My favorite set was the pink one with the houndstooth paper.
What about you?
Update 3/11: Because this project cost a few dollars to make ($1 clothespins + a little paper + a little Mod Podge + some ribbon) I'm adding it to the $5 Challenge party at:
