Luggage tags help you find your baggage, but they can be so much more than that. Get cheap luggage tags from your dollar store and use them as napkin rings. Bonus points if you put names on them so you can organize a dinner party! This is a much more cost-effective solution that works for any occassion.
The best part about using luggage tags as napkin rings is that, just like buying actual napkin rings, you can find them in a variety of designs that are actually a whole lot more personalized than some boring napkin ring. Imagine a Star Wars-themed party for your kids with some Star Wars luggage tags!
The worst thing about the bathroom is all the hairstyle stuff all over the place. File boxes are perfect for organizing everything. Hang one on the wall or the side of the cabinet and store everything there. If you don’t use heating tools, you can put extra personal care items or magazines in it.
File boxes are the ideal way to remove clutter from your bathroom and totally makes finding what you need a lot easier. How many times have you been looking everywhere looking for that comb or curling iron? Too many, that's how many. And lets face it: there's never enough room to store things in the vanity.
Everyone knows that plastic is bad for the environment because it ends up in the ocean. Instead of using plastic bags, purchase a set of reusable bags. These reusable bags are ideal for all kinds of food storage. Whether you're storing leftovers or packing snacks for your child's lunchbox, these will be a gamechanger.
Reusable bags are totally easy to wash and in the end, they are a whole lot more economical than continuing to buy disposable bags. Thus, reusable bags benefit your wallet and the environment. You can usually purchase them in packs of multiple bags and in different sizes, including snack size and sandwich size.
Candy is typically packaged in bags or boxes, and although there's nothing wrong with this type of packaging, it's not aesthetically pleasing. If you wish to display your candy, buy a few glass jars or containers from the dollar store. These offer a trendy and decorative alternative to storing candy in the pantry. You can even label the jars if you're feeling extra crafty.
Keeping candy in your cupboard or on your counters can cause a ton of clutter. Jars can help you organize your candy, so you can keep the good stuff from the kids and have your own private stash. Plus, it makes it more difficult for the little ones to sneak candy when you aren't looking, unless their little hands can manage to open them.
Remember the days when people would use decorative trays to carry stuff? You can bring those days back by making your own tray. Purchase a large picture frame and a placemat. Slip the placemat into the frame and voila! You have your own fancy tray. And it works better than you might expect!
The sides of the frame manage to do a better job of keeping things from rolling off the tray than the typical curved edges of a normal tray. Plus, the ability to customize how your decorative tray looks makes it a whole lot more appealing. Breakfast in bed, anyone?
The trick to looking organized is to use containers that are similar in appearance. Things like rice, oatmeal, and baking supplies can be stored in dollar store containers. This will turn rogue bags of powder into something that looks super chic and thought-out. Make sure to use a label maker or stickers to mark what's inside.
Setting up your pantry with cohesive storage masks the clutter and also let you grab what you need at first glance. There’s nothing worse than needing that one thing in the pantry and having to dig through everything else to find it. You can find wicker baskets, plastic, and even wire baskets if you’re into the industrial look!
Corkboard is great for holding pictures and memories, but when you grow older, you may not want to display your favorite photos in this fashion. Instead, transfer that cork board to the kitchen to hold measuring cups and other light objects that you find yourself searching for.
You could also use your corkboard to pin up your shopping lists and recipe cards! It’s functional and honestly pretty cute for being so cheap. Stick it on the inside of your cabinet or pantry door to conceal it from view when you don’t need it, and you’ve got your self a handy place for your reminders.
Little glass greenhouses or terrariums can upgrade any home. You can make your own by using picture frames. It takes an hour or so, but you can make one by gluing each frame together. Don't forget to add hinges to one of the frames or create a liftable top so you can get inside the greenhouse.
You could use this as both decoration and cute storage! This would be a great little house for your recipe cards, wine corks, you name it! If you have a nice, sunny windowsill, you could even use this for a little herb garden or succulent garden. Regardless of how you use it, this is a fun craft for an afternoon.
Colanders can do more than just strain spaghetti. You can create your own rustic-looking planter using this kitchen accessory! Best of all, the holes make it great for any plants that can’t survive in a lot of water. The soil will remain damp without retaining a ridiculous amount of liquid.
Colanders come in several shapes and sizes, so finding the perfect fit for your little plant friend is easy breezy! Loop some twine through the handles to make them hangable so you can let your pothos ivy (or your preferred houseplant) hang its vines as long as its heart desires! You could even make a tiered hanging planter with three different sizes!
Purchase a few basic plastic organizers to get that junk drawer organized. Nothing is worse than having to dig around for 10 minutes looking for something specific because the drawer is so messy. These plastic organizers from the dollar store fix that, and they’re especially great for drawers that are too small for traditional organizers.
You can find these for dirt cheap at any dollar store in all sorts of colors and sizes. But if you don’t absolutely love the colors available just spray paint them the color you want! You could even decoupage the bottoms of the organizers with patterns and designs! If you’re not crafty, surely no one will judge you for the standard white or black.
Rope can turn that ugly laundry basket into a basket with a nautical or rustic theme. All you have to do is hot glue rope to your plastic laundry basket. You can also dye the rope to create your own design or leave it au natural.
Designer baskets can cost anywhere upwards of a hundred bucks, especially for a decent-sized one. So, if you’re not opposed to putting in a little elbow grease, you could make your own for way cheaper! All you have to do is spiral the rope up the outside of the basket using lines of glue between the layers of rope. It’s super easy!
After a while, beauty products really start to pile up. It can be hard to find a place for everything, and eyeshadow palettes can slip and fall, cracking the pressed powders inside. Sort and organize all beauty products with drawer inserts. This will create an easy-to-access beauty bar!
These drawer organizers come in varying sizes that are perfect for the different shapes beauty products come in. Getting into your glam should be a relaxing process, not one that requires hurried digging through drawers to find the perfect lip liner. While you’re in the spirit of organizing, take some time to throw out any expired makeup you may have hiding in there too!
Hear us out—this one may take a bit more time, but it’s worth it. You can create a sunburst mirror with a plain, round mirror and bamboo skewers. Tape or glue the bamboo sticks to the back of the mirror in a pattern that makes you happy. Then, spray-paint the skewers and the mirror. Allow your project to dry before hanging.
You could even make these in a series of different sizes to cluster in the corner of your bathroom or even closet! There’s nothing wrong with adding a little glam in your getting ready areas! Especially if you can make it yourself! While your guests think you’ve really went all out on your décor, you can be snickering knowing you made them yourself from the dollar store!
Mirror boxes are adorable, but they can be on the pricy side. We don't get why, so we found a way to make our own. Simply buy five mirrors and glue them together. You can use it to hold plants, pens, or whatever you need organized!
You could even line the inside of the box with cardboard and glue felt over it to give it a more finished look. But if you’re just going to put a plant or fake plant in it, just fill it with some rocks. No one will know the difference! This way you’ll have a super chic piece without spending an excessive amount of money.
Full-length mirrors don't have to be just the boring, rectangular decorations you purchase from Walmart. If you purchase one or more of these mirrors, you can use them in new and innovative ways. Hang one horizontally above your bed or your couch, or hang two vertically on either side of your bed!
Mirrors are great for adding dimension to a space. They also allow light to be transferred around the room, so if you’re dealing with a room that’s a little on the dim side a mirror could totally transform your space! There are plenty of options at your local dollar store, so don’t feel like you have to sacrifice an arm or a leg to get one!
This craft is a little more intermediate but worth it. For this project, you'll need cardboard letters, tracing paper, scissors, flickering flameless candles, a craft knife, and electrical tape or hot glue. We've found plenty of tutorials online, but one of our favorites was found via Pinterest!
These are perfect for adding a little flare in your closet or bathrooms. The perks of the battery powered candles are that it can be cordless and turned on and off as needed. However, if you’re looking for something a little more permanent you could always use string lights. After all, who doesn’t love seeing their name in lights?
Cake stands are a great way to lift anything off of the countertop. It gives you a little extra room while making a convenient stand for things like dish soap and dish sponges. You can also use it in the bathroom to hold bar soap and lotion.
Anything that frees up a little more counterspace is crucial when thinking about organization. Also, having a designated, intentional, space for your commonly used items gives you the freedom of accessibility without making your counterspace look cluttered. Cake stands come in different sizes, we personally would keep it as small as possible to keep the space clear.
Magnets don’t have to be boring. In fact, magnets can brighten up your kitchen. Instead of paying a ton for magnets on Amazon, you can make your own. Purchase hallow animal figures from the dollar store, paint them whatever color you want, cut them in half, and then hot glue a magnet inside. Done and done!
They say it’s the little things in life that make it fun! So, make your inner little kid smile with your kitchen magnets while you’re hanging up your chore list. Maybe you’ll actually get to them if you’re inclined to look at that cute little magnet holding them up on the fridge! These could also be a fun craft for kids to help with as well.
Terrariums are strangely expensive, but you can make your own easily. A fishbowl or candy jar works great. Fill it halfway with colored sand and put in a few cacti. If you don't feel like keeping live plants, get plastic ones.
These contained gardens are super chic and brings a little life into your space without the clutter of free-growing plants. We’re not saying a house full of plants is a bad thing, it’s just not the look everyone is going for! So, if you have a green thumb (or if you just like to pretend like you do) check out some terrarium tutorials online and see what you can come up with!
You could hide your towels, or you could display them for the world to see. It can look good as long as you put them in something decorative. Displaying towels in wicker baskets will instantly stylize your bathroom and put your towels out for easy use without cluttering up your bathroom.
Designer baskets can be a bit pricey, but you can find cheap ones at the dollar store all day long! If wicker isn’t your look of choice, sometimes you can find metal wire baskets. After a while those might rust around your shower and stain your towels, so we may stick with the wicker to be safe. Either way, this shows your guests where the towels are without them having to awkwardly ask.
Plain planters are fine, but is fine all you want? If you could jazz them up, why not? Grab a bit of rope or twine and glue it around the edge of the planter. It can change the whole look without costing a lot of money or time.
Nice planters can cost a pretty penny for no reason at all. And finding the right one to fit your space can take months. If you could find one that was the right shape, size and material you’ve struck gold. After that, some spray paint and accents could go a long way. So if you’re not afraid to get handy, you can create the planter of your dreams without blowing the budget.
No matter the season, you can make your own wreath. All you need is a few fake flowers, berries, or ribbon, and a metal wreath form. Some dollar stores only have wooden wreath forms, but they work just as well!
A quick Pinterest search for some inspiration can guide you through picking your materials and colors. There are tons of different looks and styles you could chose from and the great thing is that they all pretty much use the same elements! So bring in the season with a wreath made special by you!
With a few trays, stickers, spray-paint, hanging hardware, and super glue, you can make your own signage. Spray-paint a wooden sign and let it dry. Then, prime it a few times. Next, hot glue the hanging hardware on the back. Finally, stick the applique on there, and you're done! Add a coat of paint if you want some color!
You can also pretty much transform anything with some chalkboard paint. We love taking something intended for one thing and turning it into something completely different! Cute décor is all about creativity, so don’t be afraid to get WILD! The dollar store is full of little things that you can use for scrap materials.
There’s nothing worse than a mess of scarves in your closet. Luckily, the dollar store has all you need to round up those scallywag scarfs into a nice and neat hanging organizer. Don’t store your scarves in a box or a bag. Instead, clip shower curtain rings around a hanger. Slip each scarf through each ring, and you’ll never have to search for your favorite scarf again!
A closet can swiftly turn into a nightmare if you don’t stay on top of organizing things. So, give yourself a break and make it easy. A scarf hanger like this is just the beginning of things you could do. If you’re not a scarf wearer it could also be used for ties! You can free up some precious drawer space and store your loose ends somewhere easy to find.
Don’t spend a ton of money for non-slip hangers when you already have plain ones hanging in the closet. Instead, add hot glue to the edge of the hanger. It will make hanging delicate camisoles and heavy sweaters that much easier. Adding a few dots of glue along the top side of the hanger gives you all the non-slip surface you need without paying out the nose for felt.
It's senseless to waste a ton of money on expensive hangers when you’re going to cover them up with your clothes anyways. Yes, we’ll admit those rose-gold hangers look phenomenal in pictures, but let’s get real…no one’s home is an Instagram showroom. So stop trying to keep up with the Jones’s and join the rest of us in reality.
This tip is an easy organization tool. Use magazine holders to store books, folders, mail, or whatever. If you hate the color, you can paint them. A painted plank of wood on top can even create the perfect shelf to hold decor. Larger sized holders can even be used to house those cumbersome tupperware lids.
Use a few of these holders together upright to make handy cubbyholes to stack water bottles and more! Stack them on their sides for lids and even dishes. Whatever you use them for, it doesn’t hurt to have extra storage in your cabinets. The easier you can make it to stack things, the more space you’ll be able to use efficiently in your cabinet.
We’ve been using spice racks for years to organize our oregano and sage, but they can also be a spinning rack for other things like office supplies and beauty products too! Your family will thank you for making everything easy to find, and you’ll even be able to squeeze in a little extra counter or cabinet space. The spinning kind even let you grab items towards the back.
From lotions and potions to jewelry and makeup, these little racks are small but mighty. Who knew a spinning shelf could make such a difference, but they do! You can find these in many different materials and finishes. The clear ones are great for the bathroom, but if you can’t find the one you like, you can always break out the spray paint!
The best thing about the dollar store is that it has tons of things to help you get organized at a cheap price, like storage hooks! Storage hooks can help you keep everything within grabbing distance and off your countertops. You can hang just about anything on them and you can even get the stick on kind and avoid drilling a hole in the wall.
In the kitchen, they can be used on the insides of cabinet doors to hold the lids to your pots and pans. In the pantry, they can hold your shopping sacks and cleaning tools. Use them in your closets for quick-grab jackets, scarves and even robes! You can hang your keys on them, your beach towels, and your umbrella. One thing is for certain, you can never have too many hooks.
A small thing you can do to upgrade your space without spending a ton of money is to put picture frames around your light switches. It makes a room look a bit cozier and a step above builder-grade. You can go with something really ornate or a plain frame–it’s up to you!
Light switches are in every room, in every house in every part of the world almost! So, since they’re unavoidable, you might as well dress them up. Just make sure the color of the frame is a close match to your trim, otherwise it may look a bit out of place in your space. The dollar store usually has the standard colors of white, black and sometimes gold and natural wood toned.
Takeout menus are necessary, especially for a busy family. The only issue is that they can pile up, and you’re left with a stack of messy papers. Grab yourself some plastic folders and stick them to the side of the fridge with sticky tack. Now, you have an easy way to organize your takeout menus.
You can also put these on the inside of your cabinet to conceal them from plain sight. Hanging them upright frees up your drawer space and keeps them in good condition. There’s nothing worse than not being able to find the number of your favorite Chinese dish because of that coffee stain.
Storing your earrings and other jewelry in ice trays can be a great way to keep everything tangle free. Just put each pair of earrings or necklace in its own individual little place. With all the different types of trays out there, it should be easy to find one with large enough compartments for your jewelry.
We know those trays aren’t the most gorgeous things on the planet, but a little sprucing up wouldn’t be out of question. You can rhinestone them, paint them, or just leave them be. The choice is yours! However you do it, they’re pretty useful in a drawer to keep everything separate and organized in pairs.
For this hack, you’ll need a plastic bin that has holes. You can store your ribbon in the tray and pull a piece of ribbon through the hole. Next time you need it, you’ll be able to find the design you want and pull on it without everything getting tangled.
If you’re in any way crafty, chances are you have spools of ribbon on standby. Those jumbled up piece of fabric can definitely be a nightmare to organize. As soon as you use one, they’re immediately out of their place, disheveled and an eyesore. Do your self a favor and conquer the carnage. Your craft cabinet will thank you!
Your shower has plenty of free real estate! Get yourself a second shower rod and a few plastic baskets with holes and handles. Loop the handles of the baskets in the rings, and you’ll have plenty of extra storage for all those extra soap bottles.
You can also use this to double up space for spray bottles by hanging the bottles by the trigger. One thing’s for sure, there’s no shortage of cleaning supplies in the kitchen and bathroom, but there’s always a shortage of space to put it. The more you can maximize the space you have, the better! You can find cheap shower rods at the dollar store and sometimes they even have different sizes.
Do you have a lot of toothbrushes sitting on the counter? Not only is it unsanitary, but it can also be hard for little ones to distinguish their brush from another. Get a plastic tray and organize those toothbrushes. Plus, you can write a name on the plastic tray so that everyone can tell their brushes apart!
Leaving your toothbrush out on the countertop leaves your toothbrush exposed to all sorts of things throughout the day. Harsh cleaner, general bathroom debris, who knows what! So, these handy tray organizers can keep your family’s toothbrushes clean and safe in the drawer without touching each other. It's definitely worth the few dollars it costs.
Every cook spends far too long looking for the spices they need. This DIY magnetic tray makes it easy for you to find whatever you use on a regular basis. All you need is a metal tray (like a pizza pan) and small spice containers. Some have magnets already in the bottom of the pot, but you can add your own magnets with hot glue if you don't already have them.
Traditional spice racks can be messy and unorganized. It seems like you can never find what you need and you’re always knocking over what’s already packed in there. A magnetic holder will keep your spices upright and organized. You could even hang this on the wall of your pantry for easy access when cooking! Consider labeling the tops of them too so that you can find what you need at first glance.
A common coat rack has tons of uses outside of hanging up your winter wear! Our favorite use for these is hanging your coffee cups, especially if you have some that are exceptionally pretty or decorative. Plus, it keeps them close at hand for those sleepy mornings when you desperately need a cup of coffee.
We all know the work week grind and those mornings we’re definitely fumbling for our mugs. Since we use those puppies every day, why not keep them where they’re accessible? Using hooks to store your mugs frees up counterspace and cabinet space alike, it’s honestly a win-win, and we’re kicking ourselves for not thinking of it sooner.
You know those little boxes that hold beads and other craft supplies? They can actually be used for other things too! They’re great for organizing hair accessories like barrettes, hair ties, and bobby pins. Those little buggers can create quite a mess in a drawer, and you can never seem to find one when you actually need them.
These dollar store craft boxes come in different shapes and sizes and can even be stacked if your drawers are deep enough. If you can find some with lids, you may even be able to keep the house gremlin from seemingly stealing them! Keeping them organized can also show you when you’re running low, so you’ll never run out when you need one.
Cereal containers can be used to hold tons of stuff, including trash. Whether you need it for everyday trash or you’re going on a road trip, make a bin out of a cereal container. Simply slip a bag into the tub and use the top to hold it in place.
An unavoidable fact of life is that you’ll have some sort of trash in your car almost every day. Having a sealed container for it can help you keep your trash contained and not spilling all over your upholstery. Also, if there is any sort of smelly fast food wrappers, a sealed container can keep the smell down until you can dump your trash.
Most of us don’t utilize every nook and cranny in our kitchen. For example, your fridge probably has tons of free space. Create magnetic bins and stick them to the side of the fridge. These are perfect for storing spices or everyday utensils. Our suggestion: don’t put it on the front because the sudden movements will knock them off.
You can store chip clips, Recipe Cards, to-do lists and so much more! If you have a few kiddos, you can also make a designated bin for their fun fridge magnets, so they can store the ones they’re not currently playing with or using. Whatever the case, having a little bit of extra storage never hurt anybody.
We all know how difficult it is to keep track of those disappearing bobby pins. This dollar store hack uses a magnetic strip to hold all of your bobby pins in one place. They won’t move, and as long as you put them back, they’ll always be easy to find.
You could put this magnetic strip on the inside of your cabinet door, or even the side of the inside of your vanity drawer. There’s no doubt that those pesky bobby pins have a habit of growing legs and running away, but maybe with this helpful hack we can keep them sticking around a little while longer.
