Dollar Store Home Hacks: 17 Genius Fixes That Solve Annoying Problems Before Holiday Guests Arrive
Dollar store home hacks are the secret weapon of every calm host. The holidays are coming, guests will soon be sleeping in the spare room, poking around the kitchen and looking for a towel, and suddenly every little problem in the house feels huge. The cords that fall behind the desk. The lids that tumble out of the cabinet. The junk drawer that will not close. The good news is that most of these fixes cost a dollar or two and take minutes, not weekends. A recent video of genius dollar store hacks collected more than a thousand likes on MSN in a single day, because everyone has the same annoying problems. Grab a basket, take this list to the store, and get your home guest ready without spending a fortune..
Dollar Store Home Hacks Start With a Couch Arm Tray
The first of our dollar store home hacks fixes a problem every host knows: there is never a safe place to set a drink by the sofa. A flat wooden tray laid across the arm of the couch becomes an instant side table for a mug, a small plant and a napkin. It looks cozy, protects the fabric and keeps coffee from ending up on the floor. This exact idea is one of the clips in a popular genius dollar store hacks video on MSN. Which seat in your living room needs one first..
You will need: a flat wooden or bamboo tray, a few felt pads, a small plant or coaster.
How to make it: 1. Measure the width of your sofa arm and pick a tray that is a little wider. 2. Stick felt pads under the corners so it does not slide. 3. Set it across the arm and add a coaster and a plant.
Clipboards as a Kitchen Art and Recipe Wall
Plain clipboards turn into the cutest gallery wall in a kitchen. Hang three or four in a row on small nails and clip on a favorite recipe card, a pretty print and the latest drawing from the grandkids. When guests come, swap in the holiday menu or a family recipe everyone loves. Nothing gets holes or tape marks, and changing the display takes ten seconds. Paint the clipboards white or leave the warm wood. It costs a few dollars and feels personal. Whose art will hang on yours?
You will need: 3 or 4 wooden clipboards, small nails or adhesive hooks, recipe cards, prints or kids’ drawings.
How to make it: 1. Mark evenly spaced spots in a straight row. 2. Hang each clipboard on a nail or hook. 3. Clip on art and recipes and change them with the seasons.
Dollar Store Home Hacks for the Guest Bath: A Shower Caddy Basket
One of the sweetest dollar store home hacks is a guest welcome basket made from a simple plastic shower caddy. Fill it with rolled towels, small travel bottles, a new toothbrush, a wrapped soap and a sprig of greenery, and set it on the guest bathroom counter. Your visitors will not have to ask for anything, and they will feel like they checked into a nice hotel. After the holidays, the caddy goes back to carrying cleaning supplies. Who is coming to stay with you this year?
You will need: a plastic shower caddy, 2 or 3 hand towels, travel size toiletries, a new toothbrush, a small soap, a sprig of greenery.
How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the caddy. 2. Roll the towels and stand them in the deepest section. 3. Fill the small sections with toiletries and tuck in the greenery.
A Tension Rod Under the Sink for Spray Bottles
The cabinet under the kitchen sink is usually a jumble of bottles that fall over every time you open the door. Fit a cheap tension rod across the top of the cabinet and hang spray bottles from it by their triggers. Suddenly the whole floor of the cabinet is free for bins of sponges and cloths. It takes two minutes, needs no tools and does not damage anything, so it is perfect for renters too. If a guest offers to help with the dishes, they will find everything. Ready to clear that cabinet tonight?
You will need: a tension rod that fits the cabinet width, spray bottles, 2 or 3 clear bins for sponges and cloths.
How to make it: 1. Empty the cabinet and wipe it out. 2. Twist the tension rod until it fits snugly near the top. 3. Hang bottles by their triggers and sort the rest into bins below.
Plastic Bins as Extra Fridge Drawers
Holiday cooking means a fridge stuffed with extra food, and things get lost in the back. Clear plastic bins work like extra drawers: one for fruit, one for vegetables, one for leftovers, one for drinks. Slide out the whole bin to find what you need, then slide it back. Bins also catch drips, so cleanup is easy. Pick clear ones so you can see inside at a glance, and measure your shelves before you shop. Our dollar store storage ideas have even more cheap bins that look smart. What always gets lost in your fridge?
You will need: 4 to 6 clear plastic bins sized for your shelves, a measuring tape, labels if you like.
How to make it: 1. Empty and clean one shelf at a time. 2. Group foods by type into bins. 3. Put the things you use most at the front and at eye level.
Dollar Store Home Hacks: A Magazine Holder for Cutting Boards
Cutting boards and baking sheets are awkward to stack, and they always slide out of the cabinet. Among the most clever dollar store home hacks is using a simple magazine holder to stand them upright on their edges. Put it on the counter or inside a deep cabinet, and grab exactly the board you need without moving the rest. A white or metal file box looks neat enough to leave out next to the stove. It works for lids, trays and pie plates too. How many boards are hiding in your kitchen?
You will need: a sturdy metal or plastic magazine holder, cutting boards, a baking sheet or two.
How to make it: 1. Pick a holder deep enough for your largest board. 2. Place it on the counter or in a cabinet. 3. Slide boards and sheets in on their edges, largest at the back.
Over the Door Shoe Holder for Gift Wrap Supplies
A clear over the door shoe organizer is the best gift wrapping station you will ever own. Hang it on the back of a closet door and fill each pocket with ribbon spools, tape, tags, scissors and bows. You can see everything at once, so you will never buy a fourth roll of tape by mistake. Stand rolls of paper in a basket on the floor below. When the season ends, it all stays packed and ready for birthdays. Wrapping night just got so much easier. Which door in your home could hold one?
You will need: a clear over the door shoe organizer, ribbons, tape, tags, scissors, bows, a basket for paper rolls.
How to make it: 1. Hang the organizer over a closet or pantry door. 2. Sort supplies by type, one kind per pocket. 3. Keep scissors in a top pocket, out of reach of little hands.
Binder Clips as Cord Keepers on the Desk
Charging cables have a talent for sliding off the desk and disappearing behind it. Clip a few black binder clips along the edge of the desk and thread one cable through each metal handle. The plug end stays on top, ready to use, and the cable can never fall down again. Guests will love having a charging spot in the spare room too. It is a tiny fix that saves a lot of crawling under furniture. You probably already have binder clips in a drawer. Will you try it today?
You will need: 4 to 6 medium binder clips, charging cables, small labels if you like.
How to make it: 1. Clip the binder clips along the back or side edge of the desk. 2. Thread each cable through one metal handle. 3. Pull the plug end up so it rests on the desk.
Dollar Store Home Hacks: A Picture Frame Menu Board
Here is one of the dollar store home hacks guests always comment on. Put pretty scrapbook paper behind the glass of a big picture frame, and the glass becomes a dry erase board. Write the holiday menu, a welcome note or the Wi-Fi details with a dry erase marker, then wipe it off and start again. A gold frame looks fancy on a buffet, and nobody will guess it came from the dollar aisle. Kids love drawing on it too. What would you write on yours first?
You will need: a picture frame with glass, scrapbook or patterned paper, a dry erase marker, a soft cloth.
How to make it: 1. Remove the back and cut paper to fit. 2. Put the paper behind the glass and close the frame. 3. Write on the glass with a dry erase marker and wipe with a cloth.
Adhesive Hooks Inside Cabinet Doors for Pot Lids
Pot lids are the noisiest, messiest thing in most kitchens. Stick a few clear adhesive hooks on the inside of a cabinet door and slide each lid onto a hook by its handle. They hang flat, out of sight, and the pots inside can finally stack neatly. Make sure the lids clear the shelves when the door closes before you stick the hooks. Clean the door with rubbing alcohol first so the hooks stay put. No more clattering lids when guests are in the kitchen. Will your lids fit on one door or two?
You will need: 6 to 8 clear adhesive hooks, rubbing alcohol and a cloth, your pot lids.
How to make it: 1. Wipe the inside of the door clean and let it dry. 2. Hold each lid in place to plan the spacing, then stick the hooks. 3. Wait an hour before hanging the lids.
Shelf Liner and Small Bins in the Junk Drawer
Every home has a junk drawer, and it is usually the first one guests open when they need scissors. Line it with pretty patterned shelf liner, then add a handful of small plastic bins to sort tape, pencils, rubber bands, paper clips and spare keys. The liner stops things from sliding and makes the drawer feel almost fancy. The whole fix costs a few dollars and takes fifteen minutes. Toss out the dried up pens while you are at it. Is your junk drawer brave enough for this?
You will need: patterned shelf liner, scissors, 6 to 8 small plastic bins in mixed sizes.
How to make it: 1. Empty the drawer and toss anything broken. 2. Cut the liner to fit the bottom. 3. Arrange bins like puzzle pieces and sort the items back in.
Dollar Store Home Hacks for the Entry: A Napkin Holder Mail Sorter
Mail piles up fast in December with all the cards and catalogs. This is one of the simplest dollar store home hacks: a wooden napkin holder on the entry table that holds letters upright. Bills in front, cards behind, and nothing spreads across the table. Add a small dish for keys and a little plant, and your entry looks calm when guests walk in. Paint the holder to match your home if you like. Where does the mail land in your house right now?
You will need: a wooden or metal napkin holder, paint if you like, a small dish for keys.
How to make it: 1. Paint or stain the holder and let it dry. 2. Set it on the entry table near the door. 3. Sort mail into it every day as soon as it comes in.
An Ice Cube Tray Jewelry Dish for the Guest Room
Guests always take off rings and earrings at night, and tiny pieces are easy to lose on a dresser. A clean silicone ice cube tray makes the perfect jewelry dish, with a little square for each piece. Set one on the guest room dresser with a small vase of flowers and a folded towel. It is soft, so nothing gets scratched, and it costs about a dollar. Use another one in your own bathroom for hair ties and bobby pins. Small touches like this make guests feel cared for. Who would appreciate this most?
You will need: a new silicone ice cube tray, a small vase of flowers, a folded towel or tray.
How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the ice cube tray. 2. Set it on a dresser or nightstand. 3. Add a flower or two nearby so it looks like a little welcome station.
A Pool Noodle Slice as a Soft Door Stop
Slamming doors and pinched fingers are a real worry when the house is full of visiting kids. Cut a short piece from a foam pool noodle, slice it down one side, and slip it over the edge of the door at the latch. The door cannot slam or click shut, so little ones cannot lock themselves in, and you can hear them while they nap. Pick a bright color so it is easy to spot and remove later. Have an adult do the cutting with a serrated knife. Do you have a leftover noodle from summer?
You will need: a foam pool noodle, a serrated knife, a ruler.
How to make it: 1. With adult help, cut a piece about 6 inches long. 2. Slice it lengthwise on one side only. 3. Push it over the door edge so it covers the latch.
Dollar Store Home Hacks: A Lazy Susan From Two Plates
Cooking for a crowd means digging through the spices again and again. Among the best dollar store home hacks is a homemade lazy susan: glue a ring of glass marbles between two plates, or between a plate and a small round tray, so the top plate spins. Load it with spice jars and give it a turn to find the one you need. It looks charming on an open shelf and costs a fraction of a store bought turntable. Use strong craft glue and let it cure overnight. Which spices would go on yours?
You will need: 2 matching plates, about 20 glass marbles, strong craft glue, spice jars.
How to make it: 1. Glue a small ring on the bottom plate so the marbles have a track, and let it dry. 2. Set the marbles in the ring. 3. Rest the top plate on the marbles and load it with jars.
Glass Vases as Utensil Caddies on the Buffet
When everyone serves themselves, a pile of forks on the table looks messy. Use plain glass vases or tall jars as utensil caddies instead: forks in one, knives in another, spoons in the third. Wrap each set in a red or green cloth napkin and tie it with twine for a festive touch. Guests can grab what they need without asking, and the table looks put together. After the party, the vases go back to holding flowers. Are you hosting a buffet this year?
You will need: 3 glass vases or tall jars, cloth napkins in holiday colors, jute twine, a small piece of greenery.
How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the vases. 2. Wrap utensils in napkins or stand them loose by type. 3. Tie twine around each vase and line them up next to the plates.
Glass Jars as a Dollar Store Home Hacks Vanity Set
Our last pick in this list of dollar store home hacks makes any guest bathroom feel like a spa. Fill matching glass jars with cotton balls, cotton swabs and small wrapped soaps, then line them up on a little wooden tray beside the sink. Add a folded hand towel and a sprig of greenery in a tiny vase. Your guests have everything they need, and the counter looks clean and calm instead of cluttered. Mix jar sizes for a designer look. Which jar will you fill first?
You will need: 3 glass jars with lids in different heights, a small wooden tray, cotton balls, cotton swabs, small soaps, a bud vase.
How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the jars. 2. Fill each one with a different item. 3. Line them up on the tray from tallest to shortest and add the towel and greenery.
