23 Easy And Affordable Dollar Tree DIYs That Will Add A Rustic Touch To Your Home

Rustic decor brings a level of coziness that can make a house feel like a home. Whether you've gone full country farmhouse with your interior or just want to add some homey pieces to warm up a minimalist room, there's a way to include charming rustic pieces. Many elements of this style appeal to DIYers in particular — and if you're on a budget, it's extra enticing to know you can get cheap project materials from Dollar Tree. If you're looking to craft some new rustic decor, we've rounded up some unfussy and affordable DIY projects using Dollar Tree materials.

We cover more details about rustic design in our ultimate guide to rustic decor, but in short, there are a few key elements to this style. Rustic decor leans toward natural and traditional, using lots of wood and other organic materials. It's casual and imperfect — it doesn't need to look perfectly put-together. In fact, part of the rustic charm is that it's a bit rough around the edges, so aged and distressed elements are popular. All of these traits make rustic decor great for DIY projects. The natural imperfections of handmade items gives DIY rustic projects extra charisma. With many products for $1.25, including plenty made of natural materials, Dollar Tree is one affordable spot to get materials for your next project. With these traits in mind, here are some rustic Dollar Tree DIY ideas.

With a bamboo cutting board, wood craft blocks, and scrapbooking or contact paper, you can build a rustic riser. To accomplish this DIY from @LizabethMoore, glue some square blocks from a wood bead garland ($1.25 from Dollar Tree) to each bottom corner of a bamboo cutting board (also $1.25 from Dollar Tree). If your local store doesn't have wood bead garlands, you can use wood crafting cubes instead ($1.25 from Dollar Tree). Decorate the riser with paper — the one shown uses scrapbooking paper, but we recommend some type of self-adhering contact paper from Dollar Tree, like a peel-and-stick wallpaper or shelf liner.

With a little creativity, there are plenty of rustic risers you can make with Dollar Tree materials. This one uses a walled tray, like the Crafter's Square Wooden Trays for $1.25 from Dollar Tree, so it's better for storage than a flat riser. The Crafter's Square Puffy Metallic Stickers ($1.25 from Dollar Tree) add vintage-inspired detail. Antique wax, like the Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint Wax ($7.27 from Walmart), creates a distressed look. You can use your choice of wood pieces for the legs. Don't be afraid to get creative, as @CraftingWithJC uses tiny plain wooden snowmen as the tray legs.

Mini risers are perfect for elevating small decorations on a shelf or table. This video from @craftinginmimisworld includes a few creative tips to make your own. It starts with wooden rounds, which you can often find some variation of at Dollar Tree. If your store doesn't stock craft rounds, you may need to repurpose something like circular Wood Ornaments ($1.25 from Dollar Tree). We love the DIY riser legs in this video. Make them by gluing wood beads (like the Crafter's Square Wood Beads, which cost $1.25 from Dollar Tree) onto a skewer and then cutting it to size.

To add even more layers to your decor, build this multi-tier tray. It uses a decorative plate, two pie pans, and two candle holders to create a layered display. To get a rustic look, paint the pieces with your base color, then brush on distressed-looking details with chalk paint. You can choose black, brown, or gray paint. Just make sure your brush is quite dry and then paint lightly and sparingly to get the antique look. This method is a great alternative to using antique wax, especially since some Dollar Trees stock chalk paint.

A real wagon wheel is expensive and heavy, but with this DIY, you can create something similar for only a few dollars. This project uses a hula hoop, bamboo skewers, and foam board to make a faux wagon wheel. If you don't have foam board, you can also use sturdy cardboard to make this project even more budget-friendly. Hot glue holds the pieces together and brown paint gives this easy DIY its rustic look. The finished project looks like a wagon wheel at a glance, and is much cheaper and lighter than the real thing.

If you're on a budget, Dollar Tree should be a go-to for plant pots, with many options for $1.25. For this DIY, you'll need two matching pots. This project is so easy — all you need to do is drill some drainage holes and then glue the pots together at their base. Choose a round pot with a rustic look, like the Garden Collection Whiskey Barrel Planters, which cost $1.25 each from Dollar Tree. If there isn't a rustic choice available, paint some plain pots. Choose a neutral base color and then draw on antique distressed details with a very light hand using chalk paint.

There's actually a lot of ways you can transform a toilet plunger to use around the house. Dollar Tree toilet plungers cost $1.25, and the rubber plunger bit separates easily from the wooden handle. With the plunger off, you have a cheap wooden dowel you can use for crafts. Follow @gleespen_designs tutorial to make a rustic decorative ladder. You can use thinner wooden dowels for the rungs, or cut a plunger handle — you'll just need to use a saw for the latter option. Some jute details give this ladder its rustic aesthetic.

At $1.25 from Dollar Tree, the Tumbling Tower Game offers great value as either a Jenga game or wooden blocks for DIY projects. There's a lot you can make by joining these blocks together, like a gorgeous lantern and rustic vase, but we particularly love this candle holder idea from @CraftingWithJC. It uses strategically placed blocks, joined together with wood glue, to create a candle holder. A finishing layer of dark antique wax gives this holder a distressed rustic texture. Place a heat-resistant glass in each section to hold a candle.

Dollar Tree stocks a few charming wooden craft frames. This video from @rustic.corner.gallery shows a DIY idea that elevates one of these options. Use a Crafter's Square Large Wooden Frame with a heart cutout ($1.25 from Dollar Tree) to get the same look, though you can use any frame with a cutout. A candle stand base, leafy details, jute ribbon, and distressed paint job takes the frame from plain to decorative. To use it as a picture frame, glue or tape a picture to the board behind the cutout section.

If you're looking for a multi-frame DIY, we love this creative idea from @allthethingswithrachael. This DIY uses a wood plank as the base, then has canvas frames (with the canvas removed) glued on top, which become the picture frames. A strand of jute glued to the parallel sides of each frame provides you a spot to hang pictures. Along with a distressed paint job, mini wooden pegs complete the rustic look. Best of all, it's so easy to switch out each photo since they're just held in place by a peg.

It's hard to believe that this rope tray is just a large plastic dish in disguise. To accomplish this DIY, grab a round plastic serving platter from Dollar Tree. Using hot glue, attach the rope in a circular pattern to the tray. To get a rustic look, choose a jute rope, like the Floral Garden Decorative Nautical Rope, which costs $1.25 from Dollar Tree. Thick cotton rope isn't a bad choice either, if you prefer the look. For example, the Floral Garden Cotton Nautical Rope, also $1.25 from Dollar Tree, would work for this project too.

This DIY light is cordless and stylish, making it great for a portable ambient light or as part of a centerpiece. It uses two small bowls, like the Clear Round Glass Floral Bowls ($1.25 from Dollar Tree) or Round Glass Candleholders (also $1.25 from Dollar Tree), filled with faux moss. Thick and stiff jute ribbon helps keep the top bowl in place when it's upside-down. Use a puck light or tea light to illuminate this DIY. We love how this project from @paigedidwhat upcycles the plastic packaging from the puck light to hold the light in place.

These DIY mini rope baskets aren't just adorable, they're also customizable. They're made using Dollar Tree rope, like the Floral Garden Decorative Nautical Rope ($1.25 from Dollar Tree). You need a cylindrical base to wrap the rope around to make the shape of your basket. In this video from @hometalk, they use a spray bottle, but you can use anything you want to get your desired size and shape. Wrap the rope around your base, continuously gluing it in place to the rope; try not to get glue on the inside as you'll need to lift the base out. 

A gorgeous and creative centerpiece doesn't need to be pricey; you can use Dollar Tree materials to make a stunning centerpiece. This is another project that uses the frame of a couple of canvases, removing the canvas part and turning them into a decorative piece. While @lexi.diy calls it a lantern and places an LED candle inside, there are other creative ways to use this simple structure. Follow the lead of this video and add a floral arrangement. Or omit the flowers and fill the interior space with multi-height LED candles. Another option is to use it for rotating seasonal decor.

This DIY from @windycitycrafts1 is so creative, and you end up with rustic solar-powered lights you can use indoors or out. For this DIY, take off the top part of the solar light (the piece with the solar panel and light). Then, glue it to the lip of a hanging jar. Since stock varies between stores, before buying, double check that the solar light will fit into the jar. These lights are suitable for outdoors, but you can place them anywhere that gets enough sunlight, whether that's lining a garden path or inside on a windowsill. 

This DIY starts with a Dollar Tree toy shovel like one from the Outdoor Fun Shovels and Rakes collection for $1.25 from Dollar Tree. You'll want to grab shovels or rakes with a longer handle. Essentially, opt for a toy that looks like the real thing. Material doesn't matter since you'll be covering the shovel completely. This video from @motherthyme shows how, starting with a spray-on primer and then using a simple cinnamon hack to add  a vintage look. Essentially, paint on some Mod Podge, and while it's still wet, put on a hefty layer of cinnamon.

This decor tray doesn't look like a cheap Dollar Tree DIY, in part due to its design and also due to its deeper color. This project requires two Crafter's Square House Shaped Writing Boards ($1.25 from Dollar Tree), a suitably-sized tray to fit in between them (it should line up with the width of the boards or be slightly smaller), and a wooden dowel. With the help of paint and dark brown antique wax, you can make these affordable materials look vintage. Once it's all put together, it makes the perfect display tray for plants and candles.

This project uses Dollar Tree wood planks — a large panel for the front and slimmer panels for the side. Dollar Tree sells the Crafter's Square MDF Wood Planks in a few sizes, all $1.25, and slimmer Crafter's Square Craft Wood Planks, also $1.25 from Dollar Tree. You may need to cut the pieces to size with a hand saw. Once cut, it's easy to put the pieces together using wood glue. To hang each box, @mwahl89 recommends stapling a taut piece of jute string across the back, which you can then use to hang on a nail or hook on the wall.

This rustic piece looks lovely and is useful too, providing a bit of tabletop storage for a counter or desk. It uses mini Dollar Tree crates, held together by two tall wood pieces on the side. You might need to do a little in-store measuring, depending on the available stock. The crates need to be small enough to attach securely to your chosen side pieces, and you can omit or add rows depending on how tall the sides are. Use the finished project on the kitchen counter to store teabags and coffee pods, on a desk to organize pens, or in a craft room to display hobby supplies.

This tic-tac-toe decoration looks charmingly rustic, and it's a great game to pass the time too. With this cute DIY from @CreativeontheCheap, the blocks look like they're made of wood, but they're actually large foam dice from Dollar Tree! Grab three two-packs ($1.25 each from Dollar Tree) and find a square tray that fits the lot. In this project, @CreativeontheCheap disassembles a piece of wall art. A few layers of paint completely conceals the fact that these cubes are foam or that the square holder used to be a piece of wall art.

Simple, affordable, and so versatile, we love this DIY idea for displaying messages or holding photos. It starts with a Dollar Tree frame — choose your ideal size. Remove the back of the frame and add a couple of strands of jute where you want to display your pictures or letters. Glue or staple them in place to the back of the frame. A plain backing gives you a clean background. Then, grab a set of mini clothespins and clip your artwork, letters, or photos to the jute strand.

This is another project that's very simple but looks so elegant. It takes two Dollar Tree vases or dishes and glues them together with E6000. To give it extra texture and style, @bethanyscasa adds a few layers of textured spray paint. To get the same look as the video, she recommends Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Satin Fossil Spray Paint as the primer and base color ($6.48 from The Home Depot). A layer of Rust-Oleum Stone Creations Spray paint ($27.26 on Amazon) gives this project its texture. Seal it all in with Rust-Oleum Satin Clear ($6.98 on Amazon).

This is one of the easiest DIYs on this list, elevating a Dollar Tree pillar candle to give it a rustic touch. Start with your Dollar Tree candle of choice. Find some rustic accoutrements, like jute string, satin ribbon, and wire-edge ribbon ($1.25 from Dollar Tree). Think cozy and organic when you're choosing the ribbons; opt for deep neutrals or rustic patterns, like plaid. Tie the ribbons and strings from thickest to thinnest around the candle, layering them on top of each other to get a rustic look.