Dollar Store Goodies

There is a great article by Toni Burghout in the latest issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (Spring 2008) about dollar store finds. She found great items that can be used for your scroll saw projects. From salvaged clock parts, to clipboard blanks. So I thought I'd drop by my local dollar store to see what I can find. You wouldn't think it, but what a great resource of supplies! Not only can you find items to use in your projects, you can find a multitude of products to help you make your projects.

Here are a few items that caught my eye:

Foam Makeup Applicators - These those wedge shaped foam applicators that would work great for applying stains. Just toss them when you are done!
Foam Brushes - I use these to apply BLO to my projects. I just toss it when I'm done.
Craft Knives - I found both the Xacto style of craft knife, as well as the retractable craft knives where you break the tip off to get a new cutting surface.
Roasting Pans - I use these as dipping trays for my projects. It hurts my feelings to pay $2-3 for a roasting pan at the grocery store. $1 seems much more reasonable.
Baster - Never thought of it, but I could use a regular turkey baster to 'baste' my projects in BLO.
Sand Paper - I found a lot of sandpaper. No need to pay premium prices for those.
Super Glue - Super Glue is a savior when you spend hours working on a fret piece, only to have one of the fragile areas break. Super Glue fixes it without anybody being the wiser.
Dust Masks - Safety is cheap. Medical bills are expensive. Kinda a no-brainer, huh?
Table Cloths - I'm a bit messy. So these make great drop cloths.
Popsicle Sticks - Great for mixing up small amounts of epoxy, or glue some sandpaper to sharpened Popsicle sticks. They make great sanding tools.
Plastic Cups - Great for mixing paints, stains, or whatever. Toss 'em when you're done!
Plastic Plates - Great paint mixing palate.
Emory Boards - Another great detail sanding tool.

This is just a few of the items I found. There's so much more potential. So check out your favorite dollar store and see what you can find. I bet you'd be surprised. I'd love to hear your dollar store goodies. Post your finds in the comments section of this post. It would be fun to see what others have found.