Transform Dollar Tree Finds Into Trendy Checkered Decor To Brighten Up Any Room

If you love keeping up with interior design trends, you've probably noticed that checkered decor items are becoming more and more popular. Whether in the form of a tray, art piece, or vase, these checkered pieces can add interest without overwhelming a space with a busy pattern. However, because this is a trend, there's always the possibility that it may go out of style. If that happened, it would be a poor financial decision to purchase these decorations just to put them in the donation pile a few months later. At the same time, this doesn't mean you can't partake in the fun. Instead of purchasing the items, try incorporating trendy checkered print into your home by DIYing decor pieces out of inexpensive materials from Dollar Tree. With just some synthetic leather and a base item like a vase or tray, you can make your own pieces that look way more expensive than they really are.

The first thing you'll need to do is decide what you want to cover in the checkerboard pattern. Keep in mind that you may be limited by what's available at your local Dollar Tree. You could choose a glass cylinder vase, large photo frame, wooden tray with handles, or birthday gift box. No matter what base you choose, you'll also need two pieces of synthetic leather in different colors — or you could use glittery vinyl paper for a glam look instead. Each of these items will only cost you $1.25, making this an affordable DIY.

Start by drawing even horizontal lines with a ruler or thin piece of wood on the back of one of your leather or glitter pieces with a pencil. Cut these strips out with fabric scissors. Then, on the other piece, draw one horizontal line across and then vertical lines up to that line. Cut along the vertical lines up to the one horizontal line so all the cuts are still intact on the piece. Next, to create the checkered look, weave the separate horizontal strips between the vertical lines, alternating with each strip. Once all the strips are in place, use super glue and hot glue to secure down all the edges, then cut any excess off the sides.

Attach the checkered piece over your decor item with super glue or hot glue and cut off any additional excess material if needed. To DIY a stylish vase, you'll wrap the piece around it. To create artwork, just place the checkered design in the photo frame. You could also position a photograph over the design to use the checkered print like a photo mat. For the tray, paint it to match your decor, then glue the checkered design to the bottom flat portion. To create a storage box, cover the exterior of the gift box with the checkered design and paint the interior for a clean look. Finally, decide where to use checkerboard patterns in your home decor – these pieces can be placed in any room to brighten up the space.