Had enough of the daily struggle to keep your home clutter-free without breaking the bank? We get it – we all dream of those Pinterest-perfect homes, but reality often hits hard. Luckily, our dollar store hacks are just what you need to make your life easier. No need to stress about fancy organizers – we're talking about practical, easy fixes that won't bust your budget. Say goodbye to the mess and hello to a stylishly organized home. Keep reading for some down-to-earth, wallet-friendly tips that'll transform your space without the usual fuss. So, are you ready to make your home feel like a haven without the hefty price tag? Read on!
Hanging garden
Having plants in your house is always a nice touch. They improve the look and mood of a room, and many plants don't even need much attention. But what if you live in an apartment with little space? Well, that shouldn't stop you if you are creative enough.
With some cans, wires, and a bit of paint, you can make your own hanging garden. Plant in any room of your home to add color and a lovely smell. Or you can use them in your kitchen to grow ingredients like basil and mint. By recycling old cans, you are decorating your home and helping the environment.
Multi-use muffin tins
How many of us have bought a muffin tin only to make muffins or cupcakes one time? Let's think of ways to use those muffin tins because as Antoine Lavoisier said, “In nature, nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything changes.”
You can use them to freeze almost any liquid, like giant ice cubes. Use them to freeze milk, iced tea in the summer, and fun drinks for a party. You can even use the tins as trays to carry glasses, snacks plates, or condiment trays.
Organizing your drawers
Our kitchen drawers can quickly become a mess with all our utensils. We waste a lot of time looking for a spatula or tongs stuffed in the drawer; there must be an easier way to keep it organized. Pencil holders are the perfect organizational solution.
These bins can be used to organize other things besides pencils. You can organize all your cookware, tea bags, salt, and pepper packets with a few containers. They can be used outside the kitchen to contain makeup or anything else you keep in a drawer.
Custom plates
When we celebrate a special event, we want to have the perfect decorations, including table settings. It's hard to find the dishes you want, so a simple solution is to make them yourself! With a set of plain Dollar Tree dishes, some paint markers, and your creativity, you can make something special and unique in no time.
You will surprise everyone with your custom dishes and have a great conversation starter. Be sure to follow the instructions for painting and baking the plates before using them!
Untangled cords
Cords, cords, cords – our worst enemy. No matter what we do, they always get tangled. We have tried many different ways to avoid it, but they eventually become a messy pile of cords again.
We have found a solution for this. With a cord command hook station, you won't have annoying tangle-ups and will always find them in their spot when you need them. You need adhesive hooks and a clean surface to hang them. And voilà, your cords are now safe and sound.
Frame your light switches
Light switches are so mundane that most of us ignore them. They are in every house and have a simple purpose. We don't think much about them, even when they sometimes feel really out of place in a room.
But what if we enhance them? What if we spruce up the light switches, with little to no effort. All you need is a small picture frame and some paint to match the walls. You can easily customize all the switches in your house. Something so simple will become unique to you and make a statement in your home.
Snack carrier
Nighttime is for relaxing, getting comfortable, and forgetting about your long day. Movie nights are ideal. You pick a movie to watch with a special person or enjoy it alone, get your favorite snacks, and relax, right?
You think you are ready to relax and sit down, but you need a bunch of bowls for your snacks and a place to leave your drinks. That relaxing night suddenly becomes a bit uncomfortable. A basic shower caddy is a fantastic solution to hold and carry all your snacks to the couch. Now you can enjoy the night as you should.
DIY bookends
Books are great. Not only are they amazing entertainment, but having a collection of books is aesthetically pleasing. But if your library is not full, books can be unsteady. That's why bookends are perfect.
Depending on the material, bookends can also be expensive unless we make them ourselves! The best part of DIY bookends is that you can make it out of anything. You need two blocks of wood glued perpendicularly, an object of your choice (like an animal figurine), spray paint, and a sealer. You will have some beautiful custom bookends.
Placemats in the fridge
Have you ever thought about how else to use your placemats? Most of us use them for their primary purpose while eating. However, we have found another great use for them to help you with your fridge.
You might be surprised, but using the mats in your fridge keeps it looking organized and also clean. Place the mats on the shelves to prevent sticky spills. It is much easier to wipe down the placemats than to completely clean the fridge.
Upgrade your hangers
Most hangers are pretty weak unless you buy expensive ones. Most of them are made out of plastic and aren't durable or pretty. The good thing is customizing them is not hard, and with just a few things, you can completely change their look.
We are not talking about painting them with custom patterns, but with something so simple such as pipe cleaners. With a few of them, you can transform your ordinary hangers into one of those fancy felt ones you might see online for a fraction of the cost.
Reusing jars
Jars have become quite trendy. People realized that jars could be used for a lot of things. They look nice, can hold a lot of stuff, and are easy and cheap to get.
You can use them in any room of the house to elevate the decor. Jars can be used for nearly anything, like organizing pencils or holding office supplies. You can even use them as glasses for drinks or pots for plants!
Makeup organizer
Makeup is amazing, and almost every woman (and some men!) has a few products. The problem is that your makeup collection can get out of hand with the more you buy, and suddenly, your makeup bags and drawers are a mess.
A simple solution is to repurpose your shoe organizer. You don't need that much time to go through your makeup, store, and categorize it. You can separate them by product, color, or even brand, and you will be grateful the next time you do your makeup in a rush.
Multi-use shower caddy
Shower caddies are useful for organizing your shower products and everything else in your house. They are cheap and easy to find, and they don't take up a lot of wall space. With a bit of creativity, you can customize them to your aesthetic.
You can use them to hold your flower pots or as a mail organizer. You can use a caddy in your kitchen to store cookware and spices or in the hallway during winter to hold scarves, gloves, and hats. It can even be a minibar to hold wine bottles and glasses. The uses are unlimited!
Homemade massager
There's nothing worse than trying to relax at home and having muscle pains. It's been a long day, and you are trying to rest, but it's impossible. You don't have a massager at home and booking a massage session is too expensive, and you don't have time.
In this moment, having a few tennis balls and an old sock can be very handy. Stuff a few balls into the sock, tie the end of it, and voilà! Now you have a DIY massager to relieve pain without spending a fortune at a spa.
Reusable spice rack
Stationery items, especially the tiny ones, are always a mess. No matter what we do, they always disappear when we need them the most and show up in random places.
That's why we suggest utilizing a spice rack as a stationary organizer. You can easily keep your paper clips, staples, and erasers in a single accessible place.
Tape your doors
Doors are pretty boring to look at. There are some elaborate doors, but those are expensive, so the ones we have at home are usually plain and simple. There's nothing special about them, and that's okay, but what if we want to make them unique?
An easy and cheap solution is to play with tape. Washi tape has become popular in the last few years. You can use them to decorate anything you want, so have you thought about using them on your doors? You only need a few rolls to create a nice pattern, and soon you will have some fancy doors.
Hang up your spices
All the items you've read about have multiple uses if you are creative enough. For example, pencil holders are an excellent way to organize your cookware.
You can use them to hold your spices outside of your fridge too. Glue a magnet to the container, and it will stick to the refrigerator. Don't overload them, or they will become too heavy; you'll have to add more magnets or put more spice holders on the fridge.
Decorating cans
There are many ways to re-use cans, but the simple metal appearance isn't that fun to look at, depending on where you use them. Thankfully, we have a lot of ways to pretty them up.
You can paint them, but we know that painting can be messy, and you have to wait for it dry before using the cans. An easier way to decorate is using washi tapes or wrapping paper and double-sided tape. Just be sure to be sure the cans are clean before you start decorating them.
Alternative headboard
Sleep is one of the best moments we have for ourselves. It is when our body can rest, so we definitely don't want to move around and hit our head on the wall. Headboards are great in this situation, but not everybody has or can afford one.
A cheap but expensive-looking solution is to hang some cushions with a curtain rod right where you would place the headboard. This is a simple alternative and one that looks fantastic if done correctly.
Can dispenser
Canned goods are a must in any kitchen. They are cheap and convenient. But they can also take up a lot of space on shelves, and many times, we even forget we have them.
Magazine holders are an excellent alternative for making space and having cans accessible. You now have a canned food dispenser. You can even customize the outside with tape or wallpaper to match your kitchen.
Build a jewelry stand
If you have a lot of jewelry, you know how important it is to have jewelry stands to keep them clean and organized. Sadly, a lovely jewelry stand can be expensive, and not all of us can afford them.
That's why we have a great solution. You only need a few short candlesticks and some tea saucers of different sizes. Once you get them, with the help of hot glue, put them in the following order: saucer, candlestick, saucer, etc. Be creative and make them as tall as you want! Once you finish, you can spray paint it in any color you want, and it's ready to be used.
The baby kit organizer
With a baby at home, staying organized is nearly impossible. With all the attention centered on the newborn, there's no time to order or shop for things, especially the baby's essentials, because you never know when you'll run out.
That's when a simple plastic organizer can make all the difference. Storing everything your baby needs, such as wipes, diapers, clothes, etc., in a single place will make your life much easier. And if you want, you can decorate it with ribbons or other colorful accessories.
Decorating your cookware
Cookware, particularly things like wooden spoons, is always overlooked. They are commonly used cooking tools, but that doesn't mean you can't give them some love. You only need paint and contact paper for this hack, so pay attention.
The first thing you need to do is wrap the utensil's handle with contact paper. Once the paper is in place, paint it and let it dry. The paint will help keep the paper in place, and you will have a fancy-looking spoon.
Bed sheets or tablecloths
Tablecloths are essential when setting the table for a party or when you want a nice-looking table at home. The only problem is that one accidental tug can turn a beautiful evening into a huge mess in seconds.
A creative alternative is to use a twin bed sheet instead of the usual tablecloth. Find one of the right size and color to match your tableware, and the garter edges of the sheet will ensure that no tug can ruin your spread.
Organizational dish rack
We usually use the dish rack for plates, but they can have more than one use. A great way to use them is to organize your documents. This is an excellent solution if you are tired of having a massive pile of papers you can't throw away.
Forget those hours lost searching for a specific paper. With a dish rack and a few tagged folders, you can quickly organize bills, mail, magazines, and any other kind of papers you have around the house. This simple hack will save you a lot of time and energy looking for important files.
Organizing your drawers
Yes, we are once again talking about drawers. They tend to be a mess because we throw all kinds of things in them. It comes to a time when we have to organize them.
A great way to do it is to use some small baskets. They come in all sizes and are a great way to organize your items by uses, sizes, colors, etc. Whether school supplies, kitchen utensils, or toiletries, your drawers will never be messy again.
DIY marble cups
The marble design started trending a while ago, but many people still don't know how to do it. It's super easy to make and can turn a boring cup into an amazing one to surprise your guests the next time they visit you.
For this hack, you need nail polish, toothpaste, and a tub. First, fill the tub with warm water and pour a bit of nail polish into it. Then swirl it around with toothpaste until some interesting patterns show up. This part is important because you need to be fast and accurate to dip your cup before the nail polish settles. Do it carefully and once you take it out, let it dry before covering it with Mod Podge to seal it.
An all-in-one ironing station
Ironing is not for everyone, but we all have to do it at some point. Ironing clothes becomes a chore, but we have to do it since it's necessary. A way to make it easier is to prepare an ironing station.
You can use any box or basket you have and stick it to the wall near your ironing station with adhesive strips. You can keep all your ironing equipment in one spot for whenever you decide it is time to iron again.
Save space with hooks
If you live in a tiny house or have limited storage space, you know how valuable a hook can be. But many others aren't blessed with the use of hooks. A kitchen is a prominent place for them, but the uses and benefits go far beyond a single room.
You can buy a lot of them at your local dollar store. You can put them on the inside of cabinet doors or any other space available. This will make a lot of room in your cabinets and keep your stuff more organized.
Jewelry organizer
Jewelry, especially necklaces and earrings, always gets tangled. No matter how much we try, whenever we go back to our jewelry case, we find a hot mess of things tied together.
A great solution is using S hooks. Those S-shaped pieces of metal can be incredibly useful for organizing your jewels and preventing knots. You can even use them for scarves too, and the only thing you need is a bar to hang them.
Cloth clip organizer
Clothespins packs come with many clips, and many times you wonder if it's even worth buying if you are not going to use all of them. But what if you can use them for things other than hanging your wet clothes?
You can use them to organize. Stick them on a wooden board with adhesive and clip things such as gloves or masks. Or maybe reminder notes, or even keys! With a few simple clips, you will be able to hang almost anything if it's not too heavy.
Elegant curtain cords
Curtains can make or break any room of your house. They are essential, but to keep them open during the day, you need some rope. But the fancy and elaborate-looking ones are not cheap.
An elegant and cheap solution is to make custom tiebacks out of cotton rope and a clasp. Cut the rope, braid them and attach the clasp to the ends. Now you have some fancy-looking cords for your curtains.
Custom vases
How many hours have we spent in a home decor store looking for the perfect pieces, to only leave tired and empty-handed? That's when homemade ideas come in handy.
DIY projects are not only lovely for your house but for yourself. They can be relaxing and satisfactory upon completion. For this hack, you need enamel paint, some dollar store vases or even glass bottles, and patience. In a few hours, you will have a bunch of jars, flower vases, planters, and anything else you want to make.
Thumbtack art
Thumbtacks can be used for more than just pinning things. If you are creative enough, you can make unique pieces of art and change the look of your furniture without breaking the bank.
This hack is not as easy as others, but even if you are not a good artist, you can find inspiration and patterns on the internet. And while these can be long projects, they can also become an excellent hobby to renew the appearance of your furniture.
Cardboard box storage
If one's trash can be another's treasure, why can't it be our treasure? Recycling is very important, so finding ways to reuse old items is an excellent way to do it.
For example, a simple box. Every year, we get them every time we order a package. So what if we repurpose them as storage instead of throwing them away? We are always looking for new ways to store our things. With minimal effort and simple decorations, you can turn any cardboard boxes into trendy storage containers for your room, kitchen, or bathroom.
Decorative twine lights
A beautiful way to make any room shine at night is with lights. With some dollar-store twine and fairy lights, you can make awesome lamps to decorate your house and turn a simple space into a place to relax.
For this hack, we need some balloons, glue, twine, and fairy lights. Inflate the balloons, then dip the twine into the glue and wrap it around the balloon. Let it dry until it completely hardens, pop the balloon, put in the fairy lights, and voilá. You have a new lamp.
Sorting pans
Pans can be a pain to sort. They can be too big and take up a lot of space on the shelves, even if you stack them. Finding clever ways to store them is very important, especially if you have a small kitchen or limited space.
A great way to solve this problem is to use extendable beams. Find a place to put them on the side of your cupboards, and then you can store your pans vertically instead of stacking them in a pile, keeping things ordered and accessible.
Second shower rod
Those who live with roommates know the struggle of space and how important it is to differentiate each other's things, especially in the bathroom. Installing a second shower rod to hang stuff can make you a lot of extra space to make organization easier.
From hanging towels to baskets or individual caddies to store your personal items, a rod will free up space from your bathroom counters. All your bathroom accessories and products can stay in order.
Organizing your kitchen
The kitchen is the easiest place in the house to become a mess. We keep so many things in there, from utensils to food, that losing track of everything on the shelves is very easy. Eventually, you will take everything out to get that one thing you were looking for.
Finding ways to keep the storage room organized is important; we can use many gadgets to do it. From little baskets to different sized boxes, you can easily keep the order on the shelves. Using tags and labels can be super helpful to know where each thing is.
Organizing the middle console
As it happens in any drawer of your house, the console in your car can quickly be filled with junk. We can't control it, and over time, we find our car a mess full of papers and junk.
But you can easily fix this problem. All you need is to put a popsicle mold. Take out the sticks and utilize the newly organized space in your car to hold coins, sunglasses, your phone, and any other random items in your car.
Collapsable first aid kit
Having a first aid kit handy is essential. Some items are always helpful to have in your house, the car, or even in your bag. You should always have band-aids, disinfecting wipes, gauze, or bandages, but leaving them lying around is not an option.
A simple makeup bag or purse is a great way to store all the items needed in a first aid kit and be ready to grab in an emergency. You can save even more space by getting those bags that fold flat. It's always better to be prepared.
Multifunctional magazine rack
You created space on your shelves with the extendable beams hack, but you still can't find any available space? Pots and pans take up all the space, so how do you stay organized?
We have another solution for you: magazine racks. With a simple metal magazine rack- you can find at any dollar store- you can easily make great use of previously unused spaces by stacking saucepan lids as you would do with magazines. Not only will you keep everything tidy, but you can grab the right top whenever you need it.
A clean suitcase
Carrying shoes in your suitcase can be annoying. While all our clothes tend to be clean, we can't always say the same about our shoes. It is very easy to accumulate dirt on them, and they can ruin everything inside the suitcase.
A fantastic hack is to use a shower cap to avoid dirt. Put your shoes inside one, and they are ready to be squished in between all your clothes. Of course, it's always better to have clean shoes before packing, or you will make a mess nonetheless.
Hanging hooks in your car
Sometimes we have too many groceries and not enough space in the trunk of the car. Maybe there's no room in the back seats either because someone is sitting there or there are other things on them. You start wondering where you will put all the bags.
That's when a few carabiners and some clips become lifesavers. Hang them at the back of the front seats, and you have a place to hang extra bags, giving you even more space in your car. They are especially useful for items that may spill or break if you put them in the trunk.
Multipurpose coffee filters
Not many people have coffee filters at home because they're only used in coffee makers. Did you know you can repurpose them into something else? This simple piece of paper can do much more than filter your coffee.
From an improvised tea bag to a food organizer, coffee filters are more useful than you think. For example, you can use them in a flower pot to filter the excess water without making a dirty mess, or you can use them as blotting paper to clean up any liquids like oil when you are cooking. You can also use them to clean debris from your screens or dry your glasses. Coffee filters can be used in many creative ways.