10 crafty things i always buy at the dollar tree!

i figured while everybody is jumping on the january organizing bandwagon, i'd share some of my favorite dollar store finds while you're there getting organizing stuff! i admit, i'm particular about my dollar store shopping... it has to be the dollar tree! i'm almost always pleased with their quality & they have a good variety of regular stuff & a few surprises for each season. it's not unusual to find dollar tree bags hanging out in my car or on my table when i come home from a 'supplies' trip!

here are the 10 things that seem to always follow me home from the dollar store:

1- wreath forms
these are a little skinny & always need some fluffage to make them really nice & full, but they are oh so much cheaper than the ones at craft stores! there is just so much possibility for all the things you can glue to them to fatten them up & bring them to wreath-y wonderfulness. i can't help but keep 4 or 5 of these wicker wonders hanging on a hook in my craft room basically at all times! [sometimes they have small foam ones, but i find those to be much more illusive.]

here are some wreaths i've made with dollar tree bases:
fabric covered egg wreath:

scalloped paper lunch bag wreath:

snowball pom pom wreath:

2- metal hooks
i'm not sure if these are a new item or not, but i feel like i just recently discovered them... & oh the ideas i have swarming with them! they're only $1 & they come in gold & silver, but you can spray paint them pretty much any color [including oil rubbed bronze] to make them look much pricier than they are. stay tuned for a couple of fun projects i have in mind for these!

3- foam stickers
these are a quick & easy 'good behavior' treat that i can let my kiddos pick out- & they love them! they have a good variety [we've even come across the glitter ones!] in a quantity that would be much more expensive in the big craft stores. besides just using them as stickers, we also made tiny foam stampers out of them!

4- sidewalk chalk
both my kids super big puffy heart love sidewalk chalk & i like having another great non-candy snack i can indulge them in when they've been good on an errand trip. i actually like the soft texture of them better than the more expensive brands like crayola & it comes in little 4 packs of 4 sticks for just a buck! we keep it in a big bucket with our porch/backyard toys & i've even used it on my dining room chalkboard.

5- kiddo craft supplies
in addition to sidewalk chalk, they also carry lots of other great crafty supplies for kiddos! pom poms, foam shapes, shaped sponges, paint brushes, wood shapes, picture frames, markers, crayons, & notebooks are all things we've bought one time or another! it's easy to put several together to give as toddler craft kit gifts! you don't have to feel bad about amassing a great kiddo crafting stash when the whole thing cost just a few bucks.

almost all the same things also work great for operation christmas child boxes, if your family does those! this has become one of our favorite ministries & traditions, we try to do them every year & always have a funny story. it becomes even more fun as our kids start to understand why we do them!

6- other 'hardware' stuff!
it seems like every time i'm there, there's something else that jumps out at me from the hardware section of the aisle- cotton twine, a little spool of jute, clothespins, floral tape, & non-slip rug mats! there's lots of fun things you can think outside the box with- here is a ribbon chandelier i made out of a dollar tree wire trash can!

6- glass vases
the internets are literally overflowing with seasonal & special occasion centerpieces/decor to be made on the cheap with dollar store glass vases! seriously, a quick search will bring up at least eleventy billion [actual statistic]. here are some projects i've made with them:
candy cane vase

easy mantle decor -just add branches & twinkly lights! or table decor!

pinterest-inspired cupcake liner storage

7- baskets! all kinds of baskets/bins/buckets.
dollar tree has come through for me about a billion times when it comes to needing an inexpensive way to store multiple little things in different places. we have their plastic baskets organizing something in almost every room of the house!

they're especially great for kids' rooms, not only since they usually have all the little trinket-y stuff, but also because they come in so many pretty colors! here are a few examples:

8- lots of seasonal decor!
dollar tree has some tried & true favorites they bring back every year, but they also have a couple of surprise elements each year. here are some things i've made seasonal crafts with from the dollar tree in the past:

styrofoam floral supplies into flippy bookpage trees

cardboard party hats into winter table trees

cheapo garland & glitter snowflake into christmas porch trees

styrofoam pumpkins into painted twine pumpkins

9- clothespins & thumbtacks
pinterest is absolutely brimming with cute clothespin ideas- i use them for lots of little jobs around the house. both kinds of thumbtacks are ready & waiting at the dollar tree- the clear plastic tipped ones that i use in a pinch to hang lightweight things on the wall & the flat gold ones that look like nailheads.

the clothespin wreath i made was a fun project, all you need is ribbon, and embroidery hoop & clothespins:

this is a clear thumbtack that somehow accidentally got hit with some spray paint, but you know what i mean:

you can line the edges of a fabric-wrapped cork board to fancy it up:

you can even cut off the pointy part of the tack & hot glue them on if need be, like i did for my front door diy  barn star:

10- birthday & party favor supplies!
the dollar tree especially is a great place for party supplies- they have themed plates/napkins/utensils etc but usually i just stick to the solid colored ones in a coordinating color. that keeps the party from being too character/themed & you can also use the leftovers for other parties or get togethers later. i've also had good luck with their gift wrap and candy/baked goods giving baggies.

very related to kiddo crafty supplies, the dollar tree is also my first stop when it comes to party favors [& some decor!] for my kids' birthday parties. almost every party i've done so far, if it has had a party favor, the stuff in it & even the container has usually been from dollar tree! 2 exceptions were my daughter's sweet shop party where the favors were just bags of serve-yourself candy & my son's bear party where the favors were little stuffed bears from target's dollar spot.

ps- i was not paid or perked for writing the above... just love me some dollar tree! i also love the target 'dollar spot' & other places like dollar general for fun crafty decor & seasonal cheap stuff. [although, i noticed the other day that target's dollar spot used to have things either for $1 or $2.50 & now they've raised the $2.50 stuff to $3. bummer! they must be catching on to us thrifty crafters!]