21 Things You Should Be Buying at the Dollar Tree

Now if you are reading this and you are a good friend of mine, you probably know my mild obsession with the Dollar Tree. This is because of a number of reasons. Most of those reasons having to do with my lack of funds and immense love of cheap buys. When a lot of people tell me they have never been to the dollar tree, a small part of my soul dies because a place where every single item is a dollar is like god’s greatest gift to the world. Here is a list of 21 things you didn’t think you could get at the Dollar Tree, but absolutely should.

To begin lets clarify that everything at the official Dollar Tree is no more expensive than a dollar. None of that "Dollar General" crap. Also, all of these pictures are taken from the official Dollar Tree website. Now, prepare to save an absurd amount of money.

1. Pottery and Dishware 

I know many of you just shuttered a little and thought that Dollar Tree dish ware would be like buying it at a garage sale. No, it's brand new and there are tons of options. For those of us who are either in college, or at an apartment, or in a house as young adults, this can be extremely beneficial 

2. Cleaning Supplies

There are a ton of different cleaning supplies and they are all only $1.00. Now you don't have to decide whether to starve for a few lunches or have to wear your shoes in the kitchen of your apartment because the floor looks so grimy. 

3. Name Brand Hygiene Products

There is every kind of hygiene product at the dollar tree. I understand wanting to spend a little more on shampoo and hairspray, but its so unnecessary to spend more money on things like hair ties, deodorant, shaving cream, and toothpaste. The D-tree has you covered.

 4. Outdoor Lighting and Decorations:

There are a lot of outdoor decorations, like these solar powered lights.

Dollar Tree = Cheap Lowes = Mindblown ------>

5. Kitchen Tools

Everything you could possibly need for your kitchen, from measuring cups to pizza cutters, is at the Dollar Tree. A lot of it is the Betty Crocker name brand and theres a good variety. All a dollar.

6. Tons of Decorative Frames

If you are like me, you take an absurd amount of pictures. Of everything, your friends, your boyfriend, your cat, everything. Frames are such an easy way to decorate your room or home and there is a whole section in the Dollar Tree dedicated entirely to a massive amount of different frames.

  

7. Winter Wear

It is starting to get cold again and I am already on the hunt for basic gloves or hats. I lose gloves like I lose socks, and having a bunch of 1.00 pairs of soft little winter gloves is so useful.

8. Craft Supplies

If you are a crafty person yourself, or you have little children in your life, craft supplies are such a must. They can be so expensive too, but they don't have to be.

9.Storage Containers

There are storage containers of all sizes. Laundry baskets, make up holders, storage bings, etc. Such an inexpensive way to organize your things. 






10.  Nail Care Products

Literally every nail polish color imaginable can be found in the aisle with beauty products. They even sell the skinny tip nail polishes for making designs. Also everything you could need to take care of your nails like clippers and files. It's also a neat idea for a gift basket because you could fill it with so many different products.






11. Office Supplies/ School Supplies

Why in gods name people spend so much money at Staples and whatnot for school and office supplies is beyond me. It is all at the Dollar Tree, all a dollar. There you go, mom doesn't have to take out a second mortgage every time the kids go back to school.









12. Tupperware 

You can always use more of these, come on.








12. Every Paper Product Imaginable

 

Anytime you are having a party from a backyard cookout to a themed party, there is a large assortment of paper products and decorations for an occasion. The party store can be pricey, avoid it.








13. Holiday Decorations That Are Actually Pretty Cute

If you are a fan of having little decorations out for fun holidays like Halloween or Christmas, this is your one stop shop. Literally there is a ton of stuff ranging from completely weird to actually pretty cute. Whether its for a party, decorations around your house/apartment, or you just want to put some little accents on your college door, $$$$$$$$ TREE










14. Bathroom Products






The Dollar Tree has different kinds of hand towels, soaps, plungers, toilet cleaners, and even shower curtains. They have so much to keep up your bathroom.







15. Snacks and Drinks





If you are having people over or even if you just want some cheap little snacks for your home, why not get them for a dollar? They don't have a large selection of name brand food items but it is definitely somewhere you should stop for snacks and a large assortment of candy items.





16. Laundry Items:





Fabric softener, detergent, drier sheets, lint rollers, etc. It is all there and all for a dollar. If you are like me and not that particular about brand items for this sort of stuff, why the heck not get it all for 1.00








17. Kids Toys




There is an entire aisle dedicated to toys, puzzles, games, dress up, and more for inexpensive little games for children. Babysitters, moms, and teachers don't have to go broke to get little trinkets for kids. Awesome way to stock up a prize box. Trust me, they won't care that it was a dollar.





 18. Pet Supplies






Furry friends can be expensive, but they don't have to be for everything. The Dollar Tree cannot pay for the vet visits, but they can help you out with treats, toys, and food.







19. First Aid and Medicine Cabinet Supplies

There is anything from vitamins to antibacterial cream. I am not saying I would be the first to jump at 1.00 pregnancy test or medications, but hey, 100 bandaids for 1.00? I'll take it.






20. Scrapbooking Supplies



So if any of you people reading this are chronically sentimental and artsy like I sometimes feel, you have dabbled in scrapbooking. If not, you at least use scrapbooking materials for other crafts. This being said, you have probably ventured into an AC Moore or Hobby Lobby and left there feeling robbed of your most recent paycheck and a little dignity. Check out the Dollar Tree before you start shopping for other materials, they get scrapbooking supplies in frequently and you cannot beat a dollar.



21. Tools to Make Cheap Look Sheik 


Probably the coolest part of shopping at places like this, is that you have the opportunity to make something really cheap look really awesome. These pictures are from a website page off of the pain Dollar Tree website called "The Dollar Tree Bride" where there are tons of awesome craft ideas for how to use these materials to decorate and embellish your wedding. I have found that though I love DIY crafts and gifts, they often end up costing just as much as if I were to buy the darn thing instead of make it. Going somewhere like the Dollar Tree makes you not only crafty, but smart. Don't discount places because of the "quality" you think they are. You make your own quality. Be humble. Be creative. Be smart with your money.

 http://www.dollartree.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=weddings

VHS Tapes to Lasting Memories

Many people had the big VHS camcorders to capture memories with their families back in the 90's and early 2000's. Before DVD's and digital camera were a household item, many precious moments were captured on these fragile tapes, and fragile they are. The tapes are so easily broken and lost and unfortunately its very challenging to save a damaged VHS tape. Not only VHS tapes,  but the small tapes that were made only for certain smaller cameras can also be saved and viewed easily. I found two Christmas's ago that this was the perfect idea for a gift for my parents and I want to share it with all of you.

On amazon, a VHS to DVD converter sells for as inexpensive as $45.00. It can also convert the smaller tapes I mentioned earlier. The directions are very simple and you have to do is be patient and allow the tape to play and be recorded onto the DVD.

If you are making it as a gift you may want to also purchase a few DVD sticker covers that you can print out with labels. I personally scanned older pictures onto the computer that correlated with the video memories and used the photo and text to label each DVD. It really adds a nice touch. Once you have all of the DVD's labeled and recorded, test them out to make sure it worked correctly, and then put them in a nice decorative box for safe keeping. Parents and grandparents adore this gift.

Also, I downloaded these videos from the DVD to my computer and used them to make montages for my family and friends, then uploaded those to Youtube and burned them to DVD's for more gifts. Below are a few videos I created.

Enjoy!

DIY Crafts

I love crafts, and I love the ability that we have to essentially make something out of nothing. How liberating is it to know that you can transform the most simple thing into something beautiful and special? Here are some crafts I have done recently, enjoy!

Collaged Letters for Wall Decor

You'll Need:
Letters from AC Moore or Hobby Lobby
Old Magazines
Modge Podge
Older Paintbrush
Scissors
Newspaper for the mess
Scrapbooking paper (optional)

Simply cut out blocks of designs from the magazines that have nice designs or colors. Pieces of scrapbook paper will also work for this. I chose to do a combination of both. Then, cut out small images and words. For example, I cut out images of wine glasses and flowers and a guitar. I also cut out fun words like home, amore, and celebrate. First apply the modge podge with the paintbrush and then cover it with the blocks of patterns from the magazines and scrapbooking paper. Then apply the smaller pieces as well. Try covering the places where many different patterns meet with smaller images, this helps the collage flow better. Then cover the edges with modge podge, let it dry, and hang it on the wall!

Record Bowl

You'll Need:

An old record or records

OvenLinen bag

Dry beans

Heat proof bowl

Large pot

Baking sheet

A second bowl

Oven mitts

Preheat the oven to 250 F. Get the linen bag and fill it with about 1/2 pound of dry beans. Use the larger pot to hold the smaller heat proof bowl, then place them both on the baking sheet. Center the record on top of the bowl with the center of the record falling over the center of the bowl. Put in the open for 5-7 minutes or until you see it started to really form.  Take it out of the oven and put it in the second bowl to start to shape it a little, then let it cool for 15 minutes. You can also add some paint or a little collage like I did later on. It's perfect for putting extra trinkets and jewelry in!

Jewelry Organizer Craft

You'll need:
Decorative buttons
Glitter Glue
Small 3m hooks
Scrapbooking paper
Scrapbooking stickers
A box for decorating (or one already decorated like this one I pulled off the shelf at the dollar tree!)
Fake flowers



Basically, all you have to do is decorate the box in a way that looks fancy and cute and then stick the hooks on there for different jewelry to hang from it. My sister puts her bracelets and necklaces on this. It can be stood up on a dresser or mounted on the wall with foam tape. Its inexpensive and can be personalized with names, sayings, photos, or what ever you please!

 This is a jewelry an organizer I put together using under ten dollars for my little sister for Christmas. A fun gift idea or way to organize your own jewelry!

Reminder Jar Gift Idea

You'll Need:
Decorative gift wrapping paper
Old paint brush
Fake flowers
Decorative ribbon
Decorative buttons
Scrapbooking sticker letters
Modge Podge
Computer and printer
Scissors
Glass jar 

Gifts can be expensive and sometimes it is difficult to make something very personal that a loved one will really appreciate. I have found that something people will always appreciate, is being made to feel appreciated themselves. This is just a jar decorated with wrapping paper scraps glued on with modge podge and then little decorative ribbons, buttons, and flowers to add to it. After the jar is made and a message or name is put on the front, head to the computer. Start to type up reasons you love and appreciate this person. It could be for a significant other, or a parent, or really anyone you care about. Next, cut out these reminders and fold them in half, then place them all in the jar. Give the gift and let them know they can keep it out and reach into it at any time to be reminded why they are loved and appreciated.