Saturday, April 8, 2017

25 Creative Dollar Store Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

Japanese Lanterns from Manila Envelopes

You can create beautiful Japanese lanterns from cheap manila folders and a few bamboo skewers. Each lantern costs only about three bucks to make and you may already have a few of the supplies on hand. With a little cutting and gluing and some decoupage, you can create gorgeous lanterns that you can use to decorate outdoors for summer parties or hang them indoors all year long. These are so easy to make and the envelopes are only around a dollar for several, plus the bamboo skewers are really cheap, too. You will want to avoid folders that have logos printed on them, unless of course you want those logos as part of your overall design.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Dollarstorecrafts

Japanese Lanterns from Manila Envelopes

DIY Dry Erase Boards

Whether you have little ones that love to draw or you need a dry erase board to help keep schedules in check, you can use cheap Dollar Store supplies to make them. You need a cheap picture frame, some scrapbook or contact paper, and a few dry erase markers. You can create this entire board for less than $5 and that's including the markers. Now, if you don't want to buy scrapbook or contact paper (which is used for the backing design) you can just print off something to put in there. The glass of the picture frame is perfect for writing with dry erase markers and it wipes off clean every time.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Thebutterflymom

DIY Dry Erase Boards

Wood Grain Laptop Skin

Imagine a beautifully designed laptop skin for around $1. Well, this is a Dollar Store hack post so we're absolutely going to show you how to cover your laptop cheap. You just need a roll of contact paper, which is around $1 at most Dollar Stores. Be sure that you power down your laptop before you begin. You just have to unroll the contact paper, lay your laptop on it, and then cut around it, leaving a border on each side that you can fold over. You can cut a design out if you want or just leave it and you don't necessarily have to do wood grain. If you find another contact paper design that you like, just use that.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Fineandfeathered

Wood Grain Laptop Skin

Toddler-Proof Door Stopper

Imagine having a house where your little ones don't slam the door or get their little fingers caught when the door closes. For around $1, you can take care of virtually every door in your house. You just need a pool noodle (these things are so versatile!). Just cut off a piece of the noodle about six inches long and then cut halfway through it so that you have a hollow center. Then just stick it on the door, up where little ones can't remove it. The door won't close completely so your little ones' fingers will never get pinched again. You can get about 12 of these from one noodle.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Dianamattoni

Toddler-Proof Door Stopper

Magnetic Memo Boards

You can create a lovely magnetic memo board with cheap Dollar Store supplies. You need a pack of two metal stove burner covers, or you can use a pizza plate, both of which you can find at the Dollar Store for around $1. You also need some ribbon, mod podge, and a few other supplies to customize your memo boards. Drill holes on one end of the plate or burner cover to add ribbon for hanging. You can decorate however you want and the metal will be perfect for holding kitchen magnets so you can leave those notes in style.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Madiganmade

Magnetic Memo Boards

Cheap Crayon Holders

A popsicle tray is the perfect way to keep crayons sorted and put away. The trays only cost a dollar at the Dollar Store and you can separate crayons so they are much easier for little fingers to find. Organize them by color or just let the kids stuff all of their crayons into their new case. The lids will even fit on so you can store them in the trays all the time. This is actually a really neat idea for kindergarten and daycare classrooms. You can sort crayons by color and have each popsicle holder for a different color of crayon.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Teachjunkie

Cheap Crayon Holders

Drop Cloth Curtains

If you need rather large curtains but you don't have the budget to support covering several windows, head to your local Dollar Store and pick up a few drop cloths. Really. They make excellent curtains and they are really cheap. In fact, it's much cheaper to use drop cloths than it is to buy fabric to make new curtains and you don't have to spend nearly as much time creating them. Plus, drop cloth curtains look really elegant and can be used indoors or out. So, if you need curtains on the deck or porch, these are perfect. Not only do they cost very little, they are very versatile and can withstand much more than ordinary fabric curtains.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Chachingonashoestring

Drop Cloth Curtains

Beaded Chandelier

You can make a beautiful beaded chandelier that is perfect for any room and it will only cost you around $10. You'll need a hanging wire basket that you can pick up at the Dollar Store for around $1. You also need some metallic beads, which are really cheap, some spray paint, floral wire, and a few other tools and supplies. Overall, this one will cost less than $10 even if you use several beaded necklaces to make it and it looks great wherever you hang it. Plus, you can do it in any color that you want. Just buy beaded Mardi Gras style necklaces in the appropriate colors.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Dollarstorecrafts

Beaded Chandelier

Shower Cap Food Savers

Yep, these are food savers made from shower caps. This one isn't really even a DIY project. It's just a simple hack that allows you to cover those bowls that you don't have lids for, without spending a lot on those food savers that do the same thing as a cheap shower cap. Just stretch the shower cap out and it will literally snap into place around bowls of all shapes and sizes. The best thing is that shower caps are really cheap at the Dollar Store and they help you to preserve those foods that need to go in the fridge. You can also use them to tote foods to family functions and other out of the home events without spilling.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Thekitchn

Shower Cap Food Savers

DIY Pebble Bath Mat

Pebble bath mats are gorgeous but they can be a little expensive depending on where you get them. You can actually make one yourself using really inexpensive stones that you can pick up from your local Dollar Store. You'll need a rubber welcome mat, four bags of river rocks, and some contact adhesive, all of which you can find at the Dollar Store. These pebble mats normally run around $30 or more each if you buy them in stores. However, you can make this one yourself for less than $10 from start to finish.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Curbly

DIY Pebble Bath Mat

DIY Laptop Stand

Keeping your laptop cool is essential if you want it to last for a long time. Instead of buying those expensive stands that elevate your laptop (they can be fairly expensive), you can make one yourself for less than $5. You'll need a couple of twisted gauge display easels which are only about a dollar each at the Dollar Store. You also need a few rubber bands and a small piece of foam. This is such an easy laptop stand to make and for just a couple of dollars, it's a great solution for keeping your laptop cool without spending a small fortune on one of those more expensive stands.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Instructables

DIY Laptop Stand

Comfy Crochet Hooks

If you crochet much, you may notice that the hooks you use are really not that comfortable, especially if you've been at it for an hour or so at a time. Just a few dollars will allow you to upgrade all of your crochet hooks into much more comfortable tools for your favorite hobby. The solution? Pencil grips. Pencil grips are around a dollar each at the Dollar Store and you can use them to create great little holders for those crochet hooks that make them much more comfortable to use. These cost around $2 for each crochet hook which is great considering the comfort that you get with them.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Dollarstorecrafts

Comfy Crochet Hooks

Zoo Animal Bookends

Plastic animals are great for toys but they can be much more useful as bookends. Seriously, the Dollar Store has these in packages of several for a few dollars. You can turn them into great bookends for the kids' rooms or use them for yourself. Dogs, elephants, horses, whatever animal you want can be turned into very stylish bookends and the entire project takes very little time. You simply choose your animals, paint them and a few blocks of wood and then assemble. It's easy and best of all, it's a really cheap way to display those books.

DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Lovegrowswild

Zoo Animal Bookends

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