10 Dollar Tree Bargains for Spring

Spring 2019 Fairy House items from Dollar Tree. I love these!

Now that my Valentines are in the mail, I took a trip to Dollar Tree to see what's new for Spring.
Not only did I spot some great finds, I learned that Dollar Tree has a BLOG! Who knew?  The blog is full of ideas for "hacks", crafts, decor, and party ideas using only inexpensive items from Dollar Tree.

The Dollar Tree "Tips & Ideas" Blog includes headings for "Tips & Hacks", "DIY & Crafts", "Celebrations", "For Teachers", and "Weddings". There are hundreds of great ideas on this site.

Here are 10  Bargains that I loved, some from the blog and some from the store.

1. Holiday Decor.  I love to decorate for holidays.  I confess: most of my holiday supplies come from either the Target "Dollar Spot" (see my previous post, Valentine Tablescape On a Budget) or Dollar Tree. I love the challenge of making something unique with inexpensive materials.  Here's one idea for an Easter themed wreath using only Dollar Tree items.  I'm calling it my "Dollar Tree Spring Bargain #1!"

Click here for the materials and directions:  DIY Peeps Wreath

Spring Bargain #2.  Polka-Dot Chickens

These are new in our local Dollar Tree Store. I just love them! Wouldn't they be cute in an Easter Basket or as part of an Easter tablescape?

They remind me of the red chickens on the top shelf at Brenda's Cozy Little House

Spring Bargain #3. Stylish Storage Baskets

These are simple, classic, well-designed, useful, and a perfect color . . . 'nuff' said!

#4.  Galvanizd Plant Pots

These are classics!  Use as Easter baskets, gift pails, to carry garden gloves and supplies while you're working in the yard, for BBQ items, or . . . for flowers and plants!

#5. And this time in French . . .

#6.  Cake Carriers

These are amazing. At Christmas, my DH makes rum cakes for hundreds of lots of our friends. These were perfect for "wrapping" and storing them. And, the click-clack fastener on the bottom means that the bottom and top actually stay together when carried by the handle on top. A major bargain for $1.00 each!

I remember the old Tupperware Cake carriers; I think I even had one once. But they were too expensive to give away. This does the same thing and costs less than a gift bag!

#7.  Jars.

I use jars to organize almost everything. From kitchen to craft room, they're the best!

And Dollar Tree has jars in both glass and plastic . . . 

     in about every shape and size!

Bargain #7.  Frames        

There is a huge selection of frames for $1.00 and, if you want more of a farmhouse look, click here:     How To Distress Picture Frames from Dollar Tree . The Dollar Tree blog has simple directions for distressing dollar frames.

#8. Party Supplies.

I get most of my party supplies at the dollar store. They have every item, in every color, and all for a dollar. They even have "silver" flatware and serving pieces that by candlelight could pass for the real thing . And on their blog, they have directions for lots of clever party decor I would never have though of  - like these Pinatas made from party hats! Cute and much less expensive that buying a pinata, even at WalMart prices.

Here's the link: DIY Party Hat Pinatas

Bargain #9.  Basket Bags.

These are the best! Our local library uses them for its annual "A Tisket, A Tasket" fundraiser. They're also big enough to hold a real kids (aka huge) Easter Basket. And there are two in each dollar package.

Here's how we used them at the library:

And finally, #10. Hallmark Cards

In a previous life, I owned a Hallmark Shop in Kennebunk, Maine, and I still love to send Hallmark Cards. But . . . my young grands don't appreciate them enough to spend $3.99, $4.99 and 5.99 apiece on them. At the holidays, that really adds up. Enter Dollar Tree. They now sell Hallmark Cards for $2/$1.00, Fellow grandparents: we can't go wrong at that price! Check them out.

I don't own stock in Dollar Tree and I don't even know anyone who does, but - I do know a bargain when I see one. If you're good at sniffing out a good buy (and passing over the less appealing stuff) and have some creativity, you can do pretty well at Dollar Tree.

I'd love to hear what you've found there!

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday #488 at A Stroll Through Life
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Homestyle Gathering #5 at My Wee Abode
To Grandma's House We Go Linkk Party #126 at Chas" Crazy Creations
Thursday's Favorite Things Party at Crafts a la Mode
Flaunt It Friday #435 at Chic On a Shoestring

Valentine Tablescape on a Budget

I love coming up with whimsical table settings for dinner parties. Tomorrow evening we'll be having our "Gourmet Group" for dinner to celebrate two birthdays and Valentine's Day. Today I'm having fun putting the table together. I always start with neutral basics: simple white dinnerware and sterling flatware.

I'm lucky in that my DH is cooking this dinner. He's Italian and will be making his "famous" veal parmesean. That leaves me time to work on the appetizers, the bar, and the table setting. Here's the mess on my craft table this morning as I began the process. (This is my fifth week back on Weight Watchers and I'm proud to say, I didn't touch even one piece of the candy!)

For every dinner party, I make something that will serve the purpose of a "placecard" and I always come up with little "party favors" for guests to take home with them. Even adults love that! This time I combined the two: the "placecard" is the favor.

The cute rickrack felt heart pouches were only $1.00 each at Target's "Dollar Spot" (I love that little corner!). I used fabric paint to add names to the hearts (the "placecard" part) and then filled each heart with Valentine candy to take home (the "party favor" part).

Oops! Forgot the napkins!

I found this perfect red tablecloth at Goodwill for $4.00. It's so long that, even with both leaves in my table, it had to be tucked under. And it washed with absolutely no need for ironing. I think this one is a keeper! The Valentine table runner was another Target bargain for $3.00, also at the "Dollar Spot".

I had candy left over so decided to use it in Valentine mason jars for friends who will not be at tomorrow evenings dinner party.

These were simple to make and just used up things I already had: jars, doilies, and ribbon.

I felt pretty good about coming up with a tablecloth, runner, "placecards" and favors for all of  $14.00. All I needed to add was the candy!

This post is linked to:

Flaunt It Friday #434 at Chic On a Shoestring

Best of the Weekend Link Part at Calypso In the Country

Farmhouse Friday Link Party #92 at The Painted Hinge

Sundays at Home at Little Farmstead

                                              Homestyle Gathering #5 at My Wee Abode

Home Tour: A Coastal Maine Farmhouse

Last week we were camping in mid-coast Maine when a dear friend invited us to Sunday brunch at her ocean front 1880's farm house. A beautiful active woman in her 80's (who still models!), our friend is known as a fantastic cook, so we couldn't wait to go.

What we didn't know was that she is also an interior decorator extraordinaire with a home that belongs in the pages of Country Living magazine.

When you step onto the side porch, the first thing you see is this old blackboard, covered with the words of a favorite poem about life by the sea. The old camp chairs are in the side entry, just outside the kitchen. I love that they are numbered!

 The little kitchen is filled with vintage cooking utensils, fresh flowers, herbs and antiques. 

Our friend is an artist at heart. She sees everyday objects as beautiful. On the way to the living room, we pass this old door hung on the wall . . . a piece of art.

She works on her watercolors in front of a big window looking out at the Atlantic Ocean . . . beautiful even on a foggy morning.

And decorates on a shoestring, using her creativity to transform flea market (and roadside!) finds.

The old iron beds in the guestroom are positioned so that they look out at the ocean.

  I could spend a week cuddled under one of those quilts listening to the sounds of the sea.

In the corner of the living room is a writing desk, an old table really . . . covered with books, notes, sketches, family photos, and yet another view of the ocean beyond.

Every corner of this home tells a story . . . 

And welcomes you to sit for awhile.

Breakfast was served on the old screened porch, with the ocean just outside.

The jam is home made and the Nasturtiums are from the kitchen garden.

No words are needed to describe this view!

I loved the little yellow playhouse hidden in the side yard.

It is surrounded by native wildflowers, which are listed on a board on the side of the playhouse!

 Here's a peek inside!

And this is the house from the driveway. There is a lighthouse just up the road.

The straw hat bird house on the door of the old garage bids us "Goodbye", although I really wished I never had to leave this place.

As the blackboard by the door says,

"I go down to the edge of the sea,

How everything shines in the morning light!"

Indeed it does.

This post is linked to:

Style Showcase #42 at Savvy Southern Style

Talk of the Town #136 at Knick of Time

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Flaunt IT Friday #412 at Chic On a Shoestring

DIY Salvaged Junk #439 at Funky Junk Interiors

Happiness Is Homemade #234 at Bluesky at Home

Sundays at Home at Little Farmstead

Amaze Me Monday #277 at Dwellings