Dollar Store Decor: 100 Projects for Lush Living That Won't Break the Bank [Paperback]

Mark Montano (Author), Jeremy Nelson (Photographer)

Book Description

Release date: August 9, 2005

From the most popular decorator on TLC’s hit show “While You Were Out” comes a guide to the coolest kind of decorating on the skimpiest of budgets. Just a few dollars and a bit of creativity go a long way toward adding spice to your living space without breaking the bank. Stores like Dollar Tree and 99¢ Dream are popping up in every city in America with a treasure trove of items from frames to faux flowers. With these materials―and some easy instructions from Mark―readers will learn how to create and embellish everything from lampshades to storage areas for a fraction of the cost they would pay anywhere else. These projects are so cool no one will ever guess how little was paid!
Edgy and stylish, this book is the hippest guide available on shoestring budget decorating.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The most enthusiastic designer on TLC’s hit show, “While You Were Out,” Mark Montano is also a contributing editor to several hit teen magazines, including CosmoGirl, where his hit column “Cool Room” is published every month. He also has a syndicated column with Knight Ridder called “Make Your Mark,” which runs in roughly 75 newspapers worldwide. The longtime owner of a fashion and home decor boutique in New York’s East Village, Mark is the youngest member ever to be inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Universe (August 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789313030
• ISBN-13: 978-0789313034
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 0.5 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hello everyone! Thank you for your interest in my books. Well, THE BIG-A#S BOOK OF CRAFTS 2 is officially on the shelves after 2 years of writing and gluing things together. It's filled with over 150 projects made with stuff you can find almost anywhere and probably already have! Make sure to join the Big A*# Blog: http://markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com/ (I'd love to see you there). Where do I begin? I guess you should know that I was a fashion designer in New York City for most of my career. Yup, I showed with the big designers in the tents and had HUGE fashion shows which you can see on Youtube if you're interested. Through a series of terrific opportunities I became a writer and editor for Hearst Publications at Cosmo Girl! Magazine and stayed there for 10 years writing the COOL ROOM column which I turned into a book called Super Suite: The Ultimate Bedroom Makeover Guide for Girls. I also wrote a syndicated column for Knight Ridder called Make Your Mark which ran in 70 newspaper across the country. During that time I was offered a designer role on the TLC show WHILE YOU WERE OUT and after several years I became the host of the show 10 YEARS YOUNGER, also on TLC. That's the show where we put people in a glass box and guess their age. After 10 YY I was lucky enough to land more TV roles. MY CELEBRITY HOME on Style and SHE'S MOVING IN on WE TV, a recurring role on THE TONY DANZA SHOW and then MY HOME 2.0 for FOX. All during this filming I've been writing books about craft, home decor and anything I can create using commonly found objects. Look under your kitchen sink and we'll find something amazing for a project! Thanks for visiting me here and you can always contact me at [e-mail].

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Okay. February 25, 2006

By Chelsea

Format:Paperback

I absolutely LOVE the idea of this book, but it left me a bit disappointed. Out of 101 ideas, I only found four or five that I might want to try, which also may just be my personal taste. A couple things bothered me about the book. Some of the stuff just looked cheap and icky. Also, some of the ideas were repeated over and OVER throughout the book but on different items, like a tray a lamp a box, etc. It's all really the same idea, so why does it count for more than one? Just something that disappointed me.

104 of 124 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Save Your Dollars for the Dollar Store September 25, 2005

By Bliss3333

Format:Paperback

This book is a complete and utter waste of money. The projects are completely recycled... for example, how many different cheap items can you hot-glue to a picture frame? Apparently all of them. Most of the designs are not only lame, ugly and done-to-death... they are the type of thing that will end up being ready for the garbage after a week. For example, covering a garbage can with tissue paper. As a matter of fact, Mark Montano seems to think that everything in your house would be bettered by adding a coat of tissue paper. Forget that the colours fade almost immediately, it is just a stupid idea. My sister and I agree that anyone with $20 and 5 minutes to spend at the buck store could come up with hundreds of better ideas. Do not waste your money! Even if you see this dog at the dollar store, it would still be a rip-off.... The positive reviews given this book were obviously written by either Mark Montano's minions or denizens of the Land of Bad Taste. Check their other reviews... only books by Mark Montano... coincidence? I think not.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment! October 17, 2009

By A. Olson

Format:Paperback

I had added this book to my wishlist and subsequently received it for my birthday a few days ago. I was really disappointed as I flipped through this book. It was page after page of cheap looking crafts. I could see making a few of these with my kids just for fun, but to spruce up the look of my home, I don't think so. As another reviewer mentioned, most of these projects are all about gluing cheap, dollar store, items to things like frames, trash cans, magnets, etc. Want to find several ways to repurpose a dollar store rag rug? This is your book! Besides the fact that the projects are cheap looking, they also require tools that most people don't have sitting around their house. So good luck spending just a few dollars on these projects!
Seriously though, I'm bummed that this book was bought for me. I feel bad for the one who spent the money. Save your money and go to [...] where you'll find fun dollar store crafts with lots of creativity!