10 Mind-Blowing Dollar Tree DIYs You Have To See To Believe - And Even Then It's Iffy

I used to think I was creative, but then I watched a lady named Lynn take $4 worth of Dollar Tree plastic dishes and storage containers, like this:

... and turn them into a vintage galvanized kitchen scale:

Um. WHAT?

Admit it, if I didn't have that first photo, you'd never believe this. You can check out Lynn's original post in the Facebook group "Dollar Trees Creative Minds" for more details on how she did it: the "metal" is a sponged-on paint finish and the dial is a print-out.

She's not the only one, either, I've seen several convincing "scales" since this, all made from dollar store materials.

Crafts like that are what hooked me on Dollar Tree DIYs. Sure, mostly you see re-painted signs and floral wreaths, but there are also crafty geniuses out there taking random DT items and transforming them into mind-blowing builds. Like this adorable kids' BBQ:

April L. of Dollar Tree Craft Ideas made this for her grandson using two big bowls, dust pan handles for the legs, a shelf riser for the grate, and painted rocks for charcoal. The only things not from DT are the hinge and cabinet handle. And LOOK HOW CUTE!

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You know how tiered trays are all the rage? Turns out all you need is a set of DT's metal burner covers, which look like this:

... plus a box of DT's generic Jenga blocks and a glass candlestick.

Put them all together, and you get THIS:

YES REALLY. Even with paint and/or stain, that's less than $5 to make a super chic tiered tray. This one's by Yasmin in Dollar Trees Creative Minds. I belong to three or four Dollar Tree craft groups on Facebook, I'll link each one as I go so you can join them all and join me in my obsession.

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Need extra wall storage in your guest bath? Then check out what Dawn S. made with two garden trellises, 3 metal baskets, and some zip ties - all from Dollar Trees:



Dawn painted her baskets white (they come silver) and punched holes in them with her crop-a-dile to attach the zip ties:

This would also be great for storing little stuffed animals in a kids' room. Or in your grown adult person's room. Hey, we don't judge here.

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If you do join any of these groups you'll quickly discover there's always one project everyone is making. These trends last about a month or two, and I love seeing all the different versions folks come up. Since I've joined my various groups they've all been through sock gnomes, ribbon wreaths, rope beehives, and now the latest Thing Everyone Is Making: the Racetrack Lantern. So named because it's made using this Hot Wheels set of race tracks:

Ready to have your mind blown again? 

 

Here we go:

BOOM goes my brain. Check out the full tutorial at KAinspired.

There are so many pretty variations on this lantern, lots of different options for the top finial and ways to decorate the side panels with ribbon, beads, or decals:

(by Maureen B. in Dollar Tree Craft Ideas)

Seriously, can you believe that started as this?

These lanterns are on my list for a future Craft Night - maybe with a Halloween twist? I need one with mini-pumpkins, stat.

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Here's one of the rope beehives I mentioned before:

This one's by Cheryl M. in Budget Friendly Crafts and DIY. She took a plastic flower pot, hot-glued rope around it, then decorated. (The bees are not from DT.) So super pretty, right? And again, who looks at a plastic pot and some rope and thinks, "hey, BEEHIVE!"

These crafts will mess with your mind, gang. Soon you, too, will be standing in a Dollar Tree aisle staring wide-eyed at a plastic beach shovel and whispering, "And what shall we do with YOU, my pretty? HMMMMM?" (Answer: This.)

Poor John. I remind him at least I'm a cheap date.

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So far most of these have been purely decorative, so here comes a practical way to make a hanging light for your back porch for a whopping $3:

Amy W. of Budget Friendly Crafts & DIY made this using a plant hanger (the wire bowl and chain) some plastic garden fencing, and a solar garden light. Come on. COME ON. How smart is this?! And you could jazz it up with fake flowers or greenery.

In fact here's another version by Kimberly T. of Dollar Trees Creative Minds:

This one uses the same garden fencing attached to a wire wreath form instead of the plant hanger, and a strand of battery lights instead of the solar one. Wouldn't this be gorgeous in a bedroom? Check out Kimberly's post for more pics and details.

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Another practical-but-pretty one: a ring display made from hair curlers, a picture frame, and a DT scarf for the fabric:

I'm afraid the blog is long gone, but Becky Dean's idea lives on through Pinterest. This would be fantastic on a vanity table; you can use the existing easel back on the frame so it stands up.

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I can already see this list will need a Part 2, since I have way more than 10 to show you. Hmm, only 2 more, let's narrow it down here....

Since I'm on a practical kick, how about a gorgeous modern display shelf made from Dollar Tree hula hoops?

Tricia C. in Dollar Trees Creative Minds made this using 2 hula hoops and long BBQ wooden skewers, all hot-glued together. The shelves - get this - aren't wood, they're foam board covered in wood contact paper. Again, all from Dollar Tree.

::sound of mind exploding::

::again::

Obviously you can't put anything heavier than a few ounces on this shelf, but it's perfect for little toy figures or felted things or papercraft, and only costs about $5 to make! COME ON.


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OK, last one, and it's a good one. I know it's nowhere near Easter, but I have to show you this bunny topiary:

Can you guess what Dollar Tree items it's made from? (That's my favorite part, guessing the ingredients.)

BEHOLD:

Susan R. in Dollar Tree Craft Ideas, you crafty genius, you. (Those are the same bowls the BBQ playset is made from.) After this she covered them in the DT moss, so total cost was probably around $10 per bunny. Not bad for such big pieces! Plus I bet you could modify this to make other characters/shapes. ::head tilt:: Hmm. Can you think of any Halloween topiary ideas?

Well there you have it, 10 of my favorite, most mind-blowing Dollar Tree DIYs. I hope these inspired you to look at your local dollar store with fresh eyes, and to pick up a new craft project or two to do with friends sometime soon.

Oh, and none of this is sponsored, btw; my DT obsession is as genuine as it is concerning. :p
 If you're in the same boat - or want to climb in with the rest of us - feel free to browse my Dollar Tree Crafts Pinterest board, where I've been amassing my favorite finds for months and months. I'm already finding so many great Fall and Halloween crafts, I may do another roundup of those next month. (Anyone else excited for spooky season?)

If you'd like to see more of my own DIYs check out my Craft Page, where I have over 150 crafty tutorials for you to browse. (I should weed that down to at least the top 100, huh?)

 Or if you're like me and love a good all-in-one kit, I also have an Amazon list of favorite craft kits, which has everything from needle-felting to chain mail to paint-by-numbers, almost all $20 or less.

Be warned: this list is a dangerous place. ;)

Happy Friday, bots and babes! May you find time this weekend to feed your passions, rest up, and check in with the ones you love. <3