Dollar stores are treasure troves for creative individuals seeking affordable supplies to fuel their imaginative projects. With a little ingenuity, these budget-friendly stores offer a plethora of hacks that can elevate your creativity to new heights. By exploring the possibilities of various products, you can unlock a world of creative potential without spending a fortune.
Unleash your creativity and transform your home decor with ingenious dollar store hacks and deals that offer both style and functionality. With endless possibilities, simple resources can be transformed into upscale-looking items that will elevate your living space. Get ready to be inspired by these incredible ideas for your next home overhaul, all while staying within budget and unleashing your inner designer.
Custom Mason Jars
Required Materials: Mason Jars, paint, sandpaper and matte finish sealant
Price: $16
Repurpose your mason jars into stunning and practical additions to your bathroom decor. Achieve an antique charm by applying two coats of paint, distressing them with sandpaper, and sealing with a matte finish. These versatile jars are ideal for organizing various bathroom essentials, with smaller ones perfect for earbuds and cotton wool, while larger ones serve as excellent holders for toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Food Storage
Required Materials: Dollar store containers
Price: $4
Save your hard-earned money by opting for affordable storage jars from the dollar store instead of expensive alternatives. Utilizing Tupperware containers for storing dry goods allows for efficient stacking, maximizing space and keeping your cupboards tidy and accessible. Elevate the aesthetic appeal of your pantry storage by adding labels, which can be easily printed at home or conveniently purchased from the dollar store. Smaller jars are also ideal for organizing spices, as well as other dried goods such as nuts and dried fruits.
Bathroom Organization
Required Materials: Baskets of various sizes
Price: $3
Experience the blissful organization of your bathroom drawers with these essential baskets that will rival Marie Kondo’s expertise. Like a perfectly assembled Tetris puzzle, these baskets bring order to all the small makeup items, creams, gels, and other bathroom essentials. Not limited to the bathroom, these versatile baskets can be adapted to various organizational needs, such as organizing underwear, jewelry, accessories, or even tackling that notorious messy drawer in the kitchen filled with random items like strings and light bulbs.
Coffee Cup Display
Required Materials: Cutlery storage
Price: $1
Say goodbye to the chaos of scattered coffee pods with this brilliant hack that transforms an empty drawer into a coffee haven. Utilize a cutlery storage tray to neatly organize rows of coffee pods, while utilizing the perimeter of the drawer to store cups, saucers, and even a dedicated section for teaspoons. This one-stop spot for all your coffee essentials ensures convenient storage and easy access to your favorite brews.
Hanging Baskets
Required Materials: Wire dollar store baskets and chalkboard frames
Price: $6
Unlock incredible versatility with these DIY wire basket storage solutions. By using affordable wire baskets from the dollar store, all you need to do is hang them up and attach charming chalkboard frames with hot glue. Labeling options are limitless, whether you prefer a whiteboard, a more permanent label using a picture frame, or the adorable chalkboards themselves. Customize the size of the baskets to accommodate various items, from paperwork and kids’ toys to laundry and toiletries.
Shower Rod & Hook System
Required Materials: Shower rod, hooks and a basket
Price: $11
Tackle the challenge of bathroom clutter with this ingenious solution that maximizes space and organization. By utilizing the shower rod and hooks, you can create a dedicated storage area for sponges and even baskets, effectively clearing out valuable shelf space. No more scattered bottles occupying every corner of the tub—instead, they can be neatly hung from the shower rod, providing easy access and effortless storage. This perfect solution ensures a tidy and efficient bathroom for everyone to enjoy, especially in households with shared bathrooms.
Customizable Calendar
Required Materials: Sticky notes, cork board and cardboard
Price: $4
Say goodbye to the scattered sticky notes and embrace a more organized approach with this customizable wall calendar. Create it in your preferred color scheme, whether it’s neutrals or vibrant hues. Utilize a cork board with cardboard as the backdrop, arranging sticky notes for each day that can be easily removed, written on, and re-stuck. In case the sticky notes lose their adhesive due to frequent removal, you can use pins to secure them onto the cork board. Stay organized and never lose track of important notes again.
Children’s Book Banner
Required Materials: Book or magazine and twine
Price: $2
For those who prefer to preserve books intact, there are alternative options to create a stunning book-page banner. Kids magazines or activity books can be just as visually appealing, and you can find beautiful options for a bargain at the dollar store. Simply cut triangle shapes to your desired size, punch holes on either side of the base using a regular punch, and then weave the triangles onto twine through the punch holes. This DIY project offers party decor at its finest, without sacrificing the integrity of a beloved book.
Halloween Decor
Required Materials: Table tennis balls and googly eyes
Price: $11
Get ready to make a statement with your Halloween decor by creating a unique googly eye wreath that will set your home apart from the rest. Using table tennis balls and a hot glue gun, attach googly eyes to create an eye-catching display that is sure to spark conversations. To add an extra spooky touch, consider painting red veins or green details on the eyeballs for a zombie-inspired look. This fun and engaging project is perfect for involving the kids and getting everyone excited for the most frightful holiday of the year!
Cabinet Lazy Susan
Required Materials: Dollar store lazy susan
Price: $1
Put an end to the frustration of rummaging through cluttered under sink storage with this ingenious lazy Susan solution. Not only does it make organizing a breeze, saving you space and time, but it also ensures effortless access to your desired items. Simply rotate the lazy Susan and voila! This brilliant concept can be applied throughout the house, from kitchen cupboards for organizing spices and canned goods to various other areas that could benefit from efficient and accessible storage.
Vintage Lockers
Required Materials: Dollar store locker bins and some upcycled tins.
Price: $6
Achieving a uniform and elegant look often relies more on the assembly than the materials themselves. This example showcases the beauty of combining simple and affordable items to create a clean and sophisticated aesthetic. When repurposing tins, remember to file down the edges to ensure safety. These versatile containers can be used for various items like stationery or cutlery. The neutral color of the locker bins adds a sense of cohesion, although brighter colors can also be used to suit different styles and preferences.
Bookends
Required Materials: Two toys of your choosing, paint and wooden blocks
Price: $9
Save money and reduce waste by upcycling inexpensive toys from the dollar store that kids quickly lose interest in. Embracing a conscious lifestyle, repurposing toys has become a valuable practice in waste reduction. Instead of discarding unused toys, paint them and attach them to wooden blocks to create charming bookends. The toys don’t have to match perfectly, as the paint and wood will beautifully tie them together, adding character and vibrant colors to any shelf. This simple yet wonderful idea is a great way to give new life to forgotten toys while enhancing your home decor.
Clipboard Frames
Required Materials: Yard stick, paint, clip boards and wooden pegs
Price: $8
One of the greatest advantages of these ideas is their adaptability to personal tastes. While this hack utilizes a yard stick with cute measurements for a kids’ room, you can opt for a different type of stick to achieve a more sophisticated look in adult or shared spaces. After painting the wooden pegs in your desired color, glue them to the chosen stick. Then, use clipboards as a versatile base for displaying various items such as kids’ art, pictures, paintings, or family photographs. The possibilities for customization and showcasing cherished pieces are endless with this creative and practical solution.
Animal Jewelry Tray
Required Materials: Any toy you like, paint, glue and a tray
Price: $7
The power of paint, especially in gold, is truly amazing when it comes to transforming items like toy giraffes. While this idea can be applied to any toy, the giraffe’s long neck lends itself perfectly to hold bracelets and trinkets. Select your desired toy, paint both the toy and tray in your preferred colors, whether it’s an elegant combination of gold and white or a more vibrant scheme with glitter or stickers for a kids’ version. Glue the toy onto the tray, and you’ll have a beautiful trinket tray, showcasing the best of upcycling in action.
Ice Packs
Required Materials: Sponges, colorful tape and snack bags
Price: $6
If you’ve ever found yourself in need of a custom-sized ice pack for a lunch box or kids’ meals, this solution is perfect for you. Soak a sponge in water, freeze it, and then place the frozen sponge inside a snack bag. Decorate the bag with colorful tape, which not only adds a fun touch but also provides insulation. You can adjust the size of the ice pack by using different sponge sizes and folding the snack bag accordingly. This clever hack ensures you have a practical and personalized ice pack that fits your needs perfectly.
Custom Cooler
Required Materials: Kiddies pool
Price: $4
If you’re hosting a party and need a cool place to keep your drinks but don’t have a traditional tub, this hack is perfect for you. Simply repurpose a kiddie pool as a festive drink cooler on ice. It’s not only a practical solution but also doubles as decorative party decor. The best part is that it requires minimal storage space, as you can easily deflate the pool and pack it away once the party is over.
Kids Tub Organizer
Required Materials: Shower rod, hooks and dollar store baskets
Price: $8
For parents with small kids and limited bathroom space, dealing with bath time toy clutter can be frustrating. This hack offers a clever solution by using an adjustable shower rod to hang baskets at kids’ eye level inside the tub. Not only does it provide easy access to their toys during bath time, but it also allows them to independently clean up by reaching the baskets. A win-win for both kids and parents!
Drip Catcher
Required Materials: Large rubber band
Price: $0.20
Painting can be a messy task, but sometimes the simplest solutions can make a big difference. Instead of investing in expensive tools, this hack suggests using a basic rubber band, which costs just 20 cents. By wrapping the rubber band around the paint can and placing it across the center, you can easily scrape off excess paint from your brush, keeping the mess to a minimum. It’s a genius and simple solution that anyone can use.
DIY Dryer Ball
Required Materials: A tennis ball and tin foil
Price: $1.50
Dryer sheets serve a dual purpose of reducing static and adding a pleasant scent to laundry. This DIY hack offers a solution using items you already have at home, eliminating the need to buy dryer sheets. By wrapping a tennis ball in tin foil and adding a few drops of your favorite essential oils, you can achieve static-free, soft, and fragrant laundry. You can easily customize the scent by changing the essential oils to suit your preference.
Camping Spice Rack
Required Materials: Pillbox
Price: $2
Enhancing the flavor of campfire cooking is made easy with this DIY spice kit using a small pillbox. By filling each section with your favorite spices, you can ensure your meals are never bland. Additionally, you can utilize the pillbox to carry coffee and sugar, allowing you to enjoy a hot beverage alongside your delicious campfire feast. Say goodbye to forgetting essential seasonings on your camping trips!
Accessory Hanger
Required Materials: Wooden pegs and a wood slate
Price: $3
We can all relate to the frustration of searching for hair bands or mittens in the morning rush. This stylish accessory organizer is the perfect solution for keeping all those loose ends in one place and avoiding the last-minute scramble. With its soothing wood design, you can easily customize the organizer by gluing pegs to your preferred backdrop, allowing you to arrange them according to your needs and accommodate various items.
Door Crafts
Required Materials: Washi Tape
Price: $1
The versatility of this design allows for endless possibilities. Whether you prefer bold or neutral colors, frames or diagonal patterns, you can easily customize it to match your aesthetic and add a touch of dimension to your door. The best part is that the tape used in this project is easily removable, allowing for effortless changes or redecoration without damaging the underlying wood or paint.
Below-Shelf Organizer
Required Materials: Under Shelf organizer
Price: $3-15
The brilliance of this under-shelf organizer lies in its easy installation and removal process. No tools, nails, hammers, or glue are required. It conveniently fits beneath any shelf, providing additional storage space that can be utilized in various ways. Whether it’s for storing kitchen foil, dry goods, baking supplies, trays, magazines, newspapers, or linens, this organizer is a versatile solution for anyone in need of extra storage.
DIY Greenhouse
Required Materials: Clear umbrellas (1 per planter)
Price: $1-$3 per umbrella
Creating a greenhouse doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated when you can utilize affordable materials from your local dollar store. By repurposing clear umbrellas, you can easily construct a makeshift greenhouse. Simply remove the handle, insert the umbrella rods into the soil, and cover the top of the planter with the clear umbrella to allow sunlight to be converted into heat energy for optimal plant growth. For temperature control, you can create ventilation by poking holes in the plastic.
Tablet Stand
Required Materials: Two cardboard paper towel rolls, duct tape, rectangular piece of cardboard, sandwich bags, rice, spray paint, baby food jar lids, glue
Price: $20
Create your own DIY tablet stand using affordable dollar store items. Start by wrapping two cardboard paper towel rolls and a rectangular piece of cardboard with tape. Add stability and weight by filling sandwich bags with rice and inserting them into the rolls. Spray-paint four jar lids from baby food cans and glue them to the ends of the rolls. Finally, glue the paper towel rolls onto the cardboard, leaving a gap between them, and secure everything with rubber bands until it dries. Enjoy your homemade tablet stand for convenient TV watching and scrolling.
Second Shower Rod
Required Materials: Shower caddies
Price: $1 per caddy
Simplify your bathroom organization by utilizing shower caddies for extra storage. Place these square-shaped caddies under your sink to keep your soap, shampoo, and body wash bottles neatly organized and prevent them from rolling around or spilling. Opt for affordable plastic caddies that won’t break the bank, as they provide an efficient and cost-effective solution to keep your bathroom clutter-free.
Sheet Table Cloths
Required Materials: Fitted sheet
Price: $1-$2
When it comes to outdoor picnics, keeping the tablecloth in place can be a challenge due to wind. However, there’s a clever hack to solve this problem. Use a fitted sheet as a tablecloth by selecting a patterned one from the dollar store. The fitted ends of the sheet will secure around the table, ensuring it stays in place even with gusts of wind, while the pattern adds a decorative touch to your picnic setup.
Modern Chandelier
Required Materials: Hula hoops, spray paint, lightbulb with cord
Price: $20
This stunning chandelier, which exudes a magazine-worthy aesthetic, may appear to be a pricey furniture store find. However, it’s actually crafted using an unexpected item: hula hoops. By spray painting four hula hoops in your preferred color and gluing them together in a spherical shape, you can create a contemporary “chandelier” that can be suspended in various areas of your home, such as the bedroom, kitchen, or living room.
Lid Storage
Required Materials: Cooling rack, plastic bin
Price: $4
Say farewell to the chaos of a messy Tupperware drawer with this clever lid storage hack. All you need is a cooling rack and a plastic bin. Simply secure the cooling rack to the top of the bin using glue, creating a slotted surface that is ideal for organizing and storing Tupperware lids. With this simple solution, you can bid farewell to the hassle of searching for matching lids.
Basket Nightstand
Required Materials: Wicker baskets
Price: $1-$3 per basket
If you’re seeking additional storage in a small bedroom, this dollar store hack is a game-changer. By mounting a wicker basket on the wall, you can create a stylish and functional shelf unit without taking up valuable floor space. Add as many baskets as you need to store books, chargers, and other essentials, arranging them vertically or horizontally based on your preference and room layout. It’s a practical and trendy solution to maximize storage in a compact bedroom.
Homemade Swiffer
Required Materials: A microfiber towel and an old Swiffer handle
Price: 0.20c
This DIY duster project is a time-consuming endeavor, requiring sewing skills and dedication. While the resulting duster is practical and cost-effective, it’s also worth considering the convenience of purchasing a ready-made one. If you’re up for the challenge, you’ll need to cut and sew the towel into different pieces before assembling them into the duster. It could even be a fun project to engage kids in chores and create their own handmade duster.
DIY Massager
Required Materials: Tennis balls and a sock
Price: $3
After a long day, we often experience tension in our shoulders and back, and this creative DIY idea offers a satisfying self-massage solution using tennis balls and a clean sock from the dollar store. By placing three tennis balls inside the sock, you can enjoy a soothing massage for your back and shoulders. For smaller areas like the feet or neck, fewer balls can be used, and you can adjust the pressure by loosening or tightening your grip on the sock.
Home Hanging Garden
Required Materials: Tin cans, hooks, and wire
Price: $4
This simple DIY idea offers three great benefits. Firstly, it promotes environmental sustainability by upcycling materials. Secondly, it allows you to grow your own herbs at home, adding freshness to your cooking. Lastly, this hanging herb garden saves valuable counter space, making it ideal for smaller spaces or for those who prefer a minimalist aesthetic. To create it, drill holes in the tin for water drainage and hanging, ensure any sharp edges are filed down, spray-paint the tin to match your kitchen decor, fill it with soil, and plant your desired herbs.
Magnetic Display Board
Required Materials: Baking tray, craft paper, and magnets
Price: $6
This versatile organizer is not only visually appealing, especially with the wooden craft paper, but it can also be customized with any design of your choice. Simply glue the craft paper onto a cookie tray, and you have a functional organizer that can be utilized in every room of the house. With the addition of magnetic tape, you can easily keep various items in place, whether it’s makeup, stationery, or small containers for organizing miscellaneous items.
Homemade Erase Board
Required Materials: Picture frames
Price: 0.50c
Create your own personalized dry-erase board by selecting frames that suit your preferences in terms of size and color. Fill the frames with a background color of your choice, and you’ll have a functional dry-erase board. Use washable pens on the glass surface, allowing you to write and easily wipe off the markings. If you’re counting down to a special occasion or want to add a personal touch, consider using removable stickers to create a customized calendar or incorporate baby pictures with milestones. For a simpler aesthetic, plain paper can also be used in the frame instead.
Terrarium Picture Frame
Required Materials: 8 frames total, four 5″ x 7″, two 8″ x 10″, and two 11″ x 14″
Price: $4
This project is more suitable for experienced DIY enthusiasts as it involves sanding and drilling. However, the end result is beautiful and can be customized to match your decor. Select frames of different sizes and assemble them to create a terrarium, using the smallest frames as the roof. Paint the frames as desired and add flowers or herbs to complete the look.
Chic Lamp
Required Materials: 7 standard Manila folders and bamboo chopsticks
Price: $2
To make this lamp, gather materials such as a hot glue gun, pencil, ruler, scissors, craft glue, folders, and chopsticks. Use the folders to create squares, which are held together by the chopsticks. Customize the pattern of squares to your liking, whether it’s several smaller ones or fewer, larger ones. Enhance the color of the lamp by gluing textured rice paper onto the folders, choosing a color that sets the desired mood for the room, such as relaxing orange, cool blue or green, or dark and moody red or maroon.
Custom Planters
Required Materials: Dino toy, succulent, and soil
Price: $8
Unleash your inner paleontologist with these DIY planters made from dollar-store dinosaur toys. Transform these budget-friendly items into quirky and eye-catching planters that bring a touch of whimsy to your home or office. Simply cut out a hole in the back of the toy, add soil and your favorite greenery, and enjoy your unique prehistoric planter. It’s an affordable way to add character and conversation to any space.
Plastic Wall Holders
Required Materials: Plastic cups, nuts, and bolts
Price: $3
Customize your own modular storage design to meet your specific needs. Whether it’s for scarves and gloves, kitchen towels, or hand towels in the bathroom, this versatile idea can be adapted accordingly. Drill holes in plastic cups and connect them in your desired shape using nuts and bolts, ensuring to close the opposite side with another nut to prevent fabric snagging. For added protection, fill in the nuts and bolts with wool to avoid any potential catching of fabrics.
Space Bath
Required Materials: *NON TOXIC* Highlighter pen
Price: 0.50
If you’re a parent struggling with a child who refuses to take a bath, here’s a creative solution. Transform the bath into a space adventure by squeezing the sponge tip of a non-toxic highlighter pen under the flowing tap water. The ink will create a colorful bath experience. However, considering the practicality, there might be concerns about the child ending up dirtier or fluorescent. Alternatively, you can create a similar intergalactic bath experience by filling the tub with fluorescent stars for a fun and safe adventure.
Pantry Storage
Required Materials: Magazine holders
Price: $2
Gone are the days of magazine subscriptions, but don’t let your old magazine holders go to waste. Whether you repurpose them or grab affordable ones from the Dollar store, they are incredibly useful for storage. In a world where space is limited, these holders can neatly store cans, spices, filing, toiletries, and more, maximizing space and keeping everything organized. Say goodbye to clutter with this brilliant storage solution.
Boot Straighteners
Required Materials: Pool noodles
Price: 0.50c
Keeping our shoes and clothes in good condition can be a challenge, especially when it comes to storing boots. If your closet is filled with floppy boots that end up creased and disorganized, here’s a clever solution for you. Cut pool noodles to the length of your boots and use them as boot stands. This simple hack will keep your boots upright, prevent creasing, and eliminate the mess on your closet floor. Say goodbye to wrinkled boots and hello to an organized wardrobe!
Animal Ice Packs
Required Materials: washcloth and decorations
Price: $3
We’ve all experienced the challenge of comforting a child with an ice pack after a playtime mishap. This creative solution allows kids to participate in making their own “Boo Boo Buddy.” Simply fold and tie a washcloth from the dollar store, then let them decorate it with eyes, hair, clothes, or any craft materials available. Now you’ll have a personalized and kid-friendly ice pack ready for the next little bump or bruise, bringing comfort and smiles all around.
Custom Light Switch Cover
Required Materials: Picture frames
Price: 0.50
The iconic frame around the peephole in “Friends” is unforgettable, and now you can bring a touch of that charm to your own home with a fancy light switch cover. Transform your plain light switch into a conversation starter by finding the right size frame, painting it in your desired color or design, and attaching it to the switch. It’s the small details that make a big difference in adding beauty and uniqueness to your space.
Dino Tripod for Phone
Required Materials: Any toy or triangular-shaped figurine and a suction cup.
Price: $1
Let your creativity run wild with this phone stand project as the design options are limitless. Repurpose old toys or damaged ones that are no longer in use to create a unique phone stand. Fill the toy with caulking, insert a suction cup, and adjust the angle to fit your phone. Secure the stand by applying caulking under the toy’s feet. Allow a few days for the caulking to dry before using the stand.
Improv BBQ
Required Materials: Disposable lasagna pan and a grill
Price: $2
This dollar store hack is perfect for small BBQs and compact spaces. Simply find a lasagna pan that matches the size of your grill, place it on a fireproof surface, and load it with a single layer of coal. Exercise caution as the pan gets extremely hot. Once the temperature is right, you’re ready to start grilling. Keep in mind that these pans are intended for single-use, so you’ll need a new one each time. Enjoy your grilling experience!
Wicker Trash Basket
Required Materials: Rope and a glue gun
Price: $2
Transform your old trash can into a stylish piece by spiraling rope around its exterior using a glue gun. This versatile idea allows for various interpretations, as you can experiment with different types of rope, colors, textures, and thicknesses to match your decor. You can also apply this technique to revamp other items in your home, such as laundry baskets, plant pots, or toy boxes, using ribbons or any fabric of your choice. Let your imagination guide you!
Easy Arm Rest
Required Materials: Two dish sponges
Price: .50c
Combat the discomfort and poor blood circulation caused by prolonged sitting with this simple DIY solution. Attach two dish sponges to your desk where your arms rest while typing, using glue. If you prefer a different look, consider covering the sponges with fabric to match your aesthetic. It’s an easy and effective way to prevent soreness and promote better blood flow while working.
Shower Cap Concealer
Required Materials: A plastic shower cap
Price: Free in hotel rooms
Despite the environmental concerns associated with single-use plastic, finding practical uses for these items can help reduce waste. One clever idea is repurposing shower caps to cover food, as the elastic provides a tight seal to keep food fresh. Whether for picnics or storing leftovers, this hack is a convenient way to protect your food and prevent unwanted pests.
Magnetic Spice Cabinet
Required Materials: 12 magnetic containers, spray paint, labels
Price: $8
Say goodbye to the hassle of searching for spices in a cluttered cupboard with this simple DIY solution. By spray painting and labeling small containers, you can easily organize your spices. Attach a baking tray to the inside of your cupboard door with poster strips, and your magnetic spice cabinet is ready to keep your paprika and other spices within easy reach and neatly organized.
