Events DEE-signed: Dollar Junction Inspiration

I LOVE walking through Dollar Junction for inexpensive things to spark my creativity!! If I spend a couple of dollars and an idea doesn't work, I'm not out too much money. If the idea does work, I either have a very inexpensive new idea, or a base for a project that works, and I can confidently spend a little more to make it just right.

This time through, the red, white, & blue was catching my eye.

Okay, I admit it, I am usually drawn to the candy aisle. The wrappers have done most of the decorating for me already!! Just plopping these in a bowl on a table looks plenty festive, but I did think of a couple of different possibilities.

Tying the curling ribbons around the Tootsie Pops, I was trying to make the streamers look like bursting fireworks. It seemed to look better when I didn't curl them, but cut them plenty long. I used red hots in the bowl to hold the sticks up. You could even hold the stick between your palms and twist back and forth to make the ribbons "fly."

This red pot with the star border fits right in with a "star-spangled" theme. It was too deep for the sucker sticks, so I placed a shorter bowl on top of old ribbon spools to make it sit higher.

These tootsie rolls look great in this star dish (also found at Dollar Junction!!) If you place them under the upside down dish, you can put a candle or other decoration on top. Looks good, but the guests can't really get to the candy. Hey, perfect for saving a few for yourself after the celebration!!

Above is just another option combining both kinds of candies. Below, I was attempting to make a tootsie roll star, but it could also easily be decorated as a "4th of July guy." You know, a couple of googly eyes in just the right spot.

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't use the fudge-filled candy stars in any of the photos. Well, I re-learned an old lesson with those. If you are shopping on a warm day, DO NOT leave any type of chocolate in your hot car. I ended up with a red, white, & blue lump!! Still tasty, but not very pretty. The bright side is that it was only $1 lost, and I've got enough time to get back to the store before July. The stars would be great sprinkled on cupcakes or used to decorate sugar cookies.

I really hope some of these ideas sparked a little of your own creativity. What holiday things have you found lately to inspire you?

I'll plan, so you can party!!