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♫ You don't have to be rich ♫ to have the life of your dreams.
Of course it's fine if you prefer to leave 'em plain, but if you're looking for a fun update (or a good but affordable gift for the wannabe chef in your life), contact paper is the easy answer, and you can pick the pattern you like best. Learn how to do it neatly here.
This is a project for when you have a little bit of time, but with the help of a fine-tip pen, you can make lemons, limes, oranges, watermelons, apples, and whatever other fruits you can come up with. You can use 'em to decorate gifts, simple handmade cards, your bullet journal, a composition notebook cover — whatever your heart desires. Get the full tutorial here.
This is also theoretically a project you could make for free, if you buy tomato sauce or other jarred foods and wash and save the empty containers. Get the full tutorial here.
Then, set it in a simple easel so it stands up. Get the full tutorial here.
Perfect for hanging above your vanity, in your entry way, or by your back door for a little over $19 and an afternoon's work. Get the full tutorial here.
It takes a little bit of planning, but the tutorial, which you can find here, walks you through it.
They're great for storing beach toys of course, but you can also use them to help tote your water bottles, chairs and umbrellas, and anything else you might want to quickly hose off before putting in the trunk of your car. Read more about it and get more beach tips here.
Dollar store pool noodles can do literally anything. Read the full tutorial here
Of course this 100% works for normal picture books, too. Here's the tutorial.
You will have to be okay with your kids making a mess, though — to make cleanup easy, you could constrain them to a plastic table cloth on the floor. Learn what's in this kit and why here.
Sure they're not super durable, but who ever needed them to be? See more pics from this birthday party here.
You can make little baskets or shopping bags with it. Read the full tutorial here.
Of course, with a huge spill you'll probably still have to clean the shelf, but this is a great way to easily clean small messes without pulling out an entire shelf. Read more about how to perfectly measure them to size here.
You could also use this trick for eating on road trips. From Sabreen on Facebook.
Buying that many flowers will still cost you $15+ dollars at a Dollar Tree or Dollar General, but it's cheaper than the flower wreaths you can buy! Get the full tutorial here.
This shopping list will help you think through what you need.
While this would be a huge project to try and tackle in your kitchen (and for various other reasons probably wouldn't work in a space so large), it's a great option if you want to add a pop of color to a small shelf. Get the full tutorial to pull it off here.
You could also use this tip to store seasonal linens, like your holiday tablecloths and quilts, if you have them. Get more dollar store camping tips here.
If you're worried about putting your cake on something you painted, just put down a cardboard cake round first (you can find them at the dollar store and craft store). Read the full tutorial here.
You'll probably also need sand or some other weight to keep them upright, which you may or may not be able to find at the dollar store. Get more dollar store wedding ideas here.
Learn exactly how to do it here.
No more hunting for the cloves and ground mustard. Learn how she did this for $3 here.
You could even make this work with just a few simple hand stitches if you don't have skills with a sewing machine. Read the tutorial here. (You can also use a towel and rice, like in this tutorial.)
Um, amazing. No expensive bubble solution required here — you make your own from diluted liquid dish soap. Get the full tutorial here.
The curtains (you could also use top sheets) will probably be over $1, but they'll still be super cheap at the dollar store. And you can skip the lights to cut down on the cost. Get the full tutorial here.
The exact pillows you end up with will depend on what rag rugs your dollar store has in stock, of course. This tutorial will tell you how to pull it off with any rag rugs you find.
This is definitely a weekend project, but worth it for a reading corner or kids' room. Get the full tutorial here.
This tutorial uses fabric the writer already had, but you could pick up some fabric (or curtains) at the dollar store to use, too.
Great for the holidays, but without other holiday decor around, it would also just look like a cool lace decoration. Get the tutorial here.
Read more about the cost breakdown here.
This is another project that takes a little bit of time, but the gorgeous end result is worth it. Here's the tutorial.
This project is more foolproof than it seems, because you draw out your designs with a Sharpie and clear up any mishaps with rubbing alcohol. Get the full tutorial here.
Classic. And it really works. Learn how to do it here.
So freaking smart. Read more here.
While you're at it, grab some to organize the small things in your toolbox, the stuff in your junk drawer, thread and washi tape, single extra buttons, eyeshadows, and whatever other tiny things you have laying around. Get more dollar store organizing ideas here.
(And P.S., you can use ice cube trays to save money in the kitchen, too — get ideas for things you should freeze in the handy trays here.)
Anything the kids leave downstairs goes in their crap buckets, and they carry it upstairs at the end of every day to put stuff away. If they wait too long, the stuff is confiscated, and they have to do something to get it back! Read more about the system here.