Quick Tips from Dollar Store Style
QUICK TIPS – Page 5
I bought a cafe curtain rod at the dollar store that came with two of the same pieces, meaning I couldn’t insert one rod inside the other like you’re supposed to be able to. It was useless, or so I thought. I needed a curtain rod for my kitchen window, which, at 51″ wide would normally be too wide for one of these small rods.
However, when I held the two mismatched pieces end to end, they were just the right length for the window. Inserting the appropriately-sized wood dowel to connect the two pieces makes a curtain rod the perfect width for this window.
The dowel is from a package I found in the dollar store that contained different widths. They’re 12-inches long so you could conceivably extend a curtain rod another ten inches, leaving one inch on either end for support. If you do that, be sure to add an extra hook to the middle of the window frame for support.
Sometimes you can find really pretty decorative plates and plaques at the dollar store and they
don’t always have to be hung on the wall. Bring a favourite piece out of hiding and use a picture easel to display it on a shelf or mantel.
Fill a small glass vase with the faux fruit and floral bits pulled from three or four autumn
picks to make an easy autumn accent for a table or mantle.
Use heavy-based square vases as a bookends and fill them with accents to suit the season. Here
we’ve used a base of small faux leaves topped with a fall pick, to welcome the new season. For extra weight, use colored marbles or stones in your bookends.
Even if, in this digital age, you have no need for a wall calendar, for $1.25 each you could plunder these 12 by 11-inch calendars for some great wall art to frame. Dollar Tree has a wide selection of calendars in stores now.
These vinyl coated wire racks are good for more than just organizing in the kitchen.
Use one in your home office to keep file folders handy. This versatile rack can be used to store large books and binders in a dorm room, too. Find them at Dollarama for three bucks.
What other uses can you think of for these kitchen racks? Let me know what you come up
with! marlene.alexander@sympatico.ca
These colored labels come in a package of twelve for $1.25. Each tag is 4-inches long by about 2
1/2-inches wide. They’re meant to be used as gift tags but would also be a great way to label storage baskets. I found them in the craft section at Dollarama.
Use decorative tape around the inside edges of a plain, wall-mounted mirror to create a
“frame.” We found this decorative tape on a 10-foot roll at Dollarama for $1.50. It comes in various patterns and colors.
Try using wall stickers on interior doors to add a bit of interest to a plain and otherwise
overlooked surface. Many types of wall stickers can be reused if preserved on the backing they came on.
Decorate a plain bedroom lampshade by draping a pretty dollar store necklace over
it. Choose a color and design that matches your tastes and decor.
Okay, so I’m a bit obsessive-compulsive when it comes to keeping all my kitchen sets in their respective sets so, when the plastic ring that came with these measuring spoons broke, I knew I wanted a replacement.
The round metal shower curtain rings I found at Dollarama open and close even easier than the original plastic closure did so, using one to keep my measuring spoons from wandering all over the drawer proved the perfect solution for calming my separation anxiety.
If you can’t find this kind of shower curtain ring at your dollar store, try the book rings in the stationery aisle. They’re made the same way and will work here, too.
Candles from the dollar store are an inexpensive way to help bring color into your home. For
spring and summer, I favor the brighter hues of the season.
If you’re entertaining this spring try scrapbook embellishments as table confetti, instead of the usual. These fabric flowers come in a package with three different sizes and each one has a rhinestone in its center for added sparkle in candlelight.
Re-purpose felt cut-out placemats to give glass cabinet doors a spring makeover. Position them on the inside of the door and secure with two-sided tape. If the glass is held in place with screw-in hangers, as mine are, just loosen the top two hangers, slip the edges of the placemats under them and re-tighten the screws.
Make a simple calendar with a dollar store clipboard and free printable calendar pages.
If you wish, print the pages horizontally so you have room to add a picture, either a favorite from an old calendar or a personal photograph.
You can hang your clipboard calendar on the wall or keep it handy on your desk.
One website that lets you print pages without a special download is: http://calendarprintables.net/2015-printablecalendars.htm which gives you the current and the following month to print.
Make an easy springtime or Easter centerpiece by filling a metal container with basket filler
and topping with three small candle rings.
Use a piece of rubberized shelf liner to keep food and water bowls from traveling across the floor when your dog or cat eats and drinks.
For a quick and easy Valentine’s Day gift, print a favorite romantic poem from theinternet then choose an appropriate frame from the dollar store to put it in. If the frame is plain, add a bit of bling, as here. You can hot glue the rhinestone hearts on for permanence or use small
squares of two-sided tape.
Ever wonder what to do with all of those instruction manuals and/or warranties for kitchen
appliances? I found a clear plastic pouch for use in a binder at the dollar store. I put the instruction manuals inside the pouch and put the pouch in the back of the binder I use for collected recipes.
You could also use a separate binder and plastic protector sheets to corral them all in one
place and keep the binder where you store your recipe books.
Even something as simple as a small wooden bowl filled with seashells helps to bring a summery feel to your indoor spaces. Use this idea in a bathroom or sit it on your coffee table. I can attest to the fact that young and old, alike are drawn to the touchable quality of the shells.
Rotate the accessories you already own seasonally instead of buying new ones. It will keep
your rooms looking fresh and save you money.