The Perfect Dollar Tree Hack For Affordable Storage In Small Places

Okay, so you've decided to implement some more storage into your living space. There's just one problem: none of the proposed solutions you find online seem to be whetting your appetite. Perhaps fitted options are too expensive, while store-bought options wouldn't fit at all. Well, rather than throwing down your hard-earned cash on an unsuitable purchase, you could utilize some Dollar Tree crates to help meet your needs. These products offer plenty of creative freedom and will allow you to craft storage space for plenty of small nooks and crannies around your home where you can't fit traditional shelving or furniture, whether in your kitchen or bedroom. 

Seeing as this hack also uses cheap items, it's perfect if you're on a tight budget and don't want to splurge your savings on any high-end furnishings (which can be pretty costly). For example, some people can spend thousands on built-in solutions, which is simply too much for many of us, especially if you're specifically on the hunt for something affordable. Thankfully, for this Dollar Tree solution, all you'll need are some crates of your choice, which come in various shapes and sizes from the store — such as some wood slat crates for $1.25, or collapsible baskets for $1.25, or you could also grab some wider storage baskets which are available for the same price point. The last few items for this hack include zip ties, foam board pieces, and contact clear adhesive shelf liners from Dollar Tree for $1.25.

Once you have everything on hand, take the amount of crates you need and secure them in place using your zip ties, or some strong adhesive if you'd prefer, whether side-by-side or on top of each other. If you're looking for a solution for a smaller space — such as using a nook in your kitchen to create more kitchen storage, or a gap between furniture — then you shouldn't need too many: even one could be sufficient enough to get the job done. The important thing is to take measurements beforehand, to ensure you buy a product that fits into your desired area. After securing it in place, you can simply insert some foam board and shelf liner into each box, making it easier to place items such as house plants or books down.

In terms of customization, you have plenty of options, whether you want to paint it or cover it in some material and hang fairy lights around the outside. For even more storage, you could add your own mini-shelves or baskets inside, such as the $1.25 pencil holders from Dollar Tree, and use them to store items, such as pens, notes, jewelry, or keys. And while the obvious way to use crates for storage is to stack them, their hole-filled design also allows for hanging. Either way, they're perfect for building a DIY storage solution inside your nooks, crannies, pantries, under the desk, and more, allowing you to maximize storage space in any small area. Just double-check that your crate can hold the weight of whatever you put inside.