Transform Dollar Tree Garden Fences Into Beautiful Wall Decor With An Easy DIY

Have you taken a Dollar Tree crafting challenge? Though there's no official competition under this name, there are scores of projects shared online with a uniting theme: they are made from Dollar Tree wares originally intended for a non-crafting purpose. One unsuspecting crafting medium is their garden fence, sold in sections for the iconic $1.25 a piece. With a few snips, some glue, and paint, morph one or more into ornate decor for your space. It can support a wreath, frame a welcome sign, spice up a blank wall, or, as we'll detail here, create a chic-looking lantern or candle holder.

To make this easy and affordable Dollar Tree DIY (courtesy of YouTube creator Crafting with Maria) hit the garden aisle for one or more sections of Black Garden Fence. While you're there, pick up one Crafter's Square Wooden Decor Box with Lid. Completing this project is incredibly simple — separate the arches of the fence, trim the excess, and glue each section around the lid of your wooden box. 

To give the fence a weathered look, pick up some gold paint to brush on some detailing. You can also scrap the black look and cover it with another color that fits better with your decor. Give any color more character by dry brushing on another tint for an aged patina.

Take the lid of your wooden box, and paint it in a color of your choice. The lid is going to serve as the base of the lantern (you won't be needing the box itself for this project). Crafting with Maria chose to paint the lid black, but you can feel free to make it any color you'd like. 

While the base of your lantern is drying, take your garden fence and separate each arched section, making sure to cut off any excess. You can use a saw or a pair of heavy duty snips for this part. You'll end up with four equally sized arches that will serve as the main structure of your lantern. These Dollar Tree garden fences have hollow cutouts on the back, so take your popsicle sticks and cut them to fit the length and width of the bottom strip of each arch. Then, glue them on. This will provide a sturdy surface for you to attach your base. 

When your base is dry, glue an arch to each side of the base. As your lantern begins to take shape, make sure to add glue to where each arch connects to one another. If you keep E6000 glue in your home, consider using it to reinforce the hot glue — this super-charged adhesive will create a more reliable bond. And voila! You now have a beautiful lantern that can be customized and decorated however you see fit.

The original DIY project kept the decorations on the lantern chic and simple with a bit of greenery and an LED candle. If you want to add a bit more drama, you can add a pretty spray of flowers to the top of the lantern. To do this, take a small piece of floral foam (like these FLOFARE Round Floral Foam Blocks), and attach it to your lantern/candle holder with floral wire. Get some flowers and foliage of your choice, and cut down the stems until they are a few inches long. Then, simply insert the stems to create a lush flowerscape. Depending on how many flowers you use, you might want to consider reinforcing the bottom of the lantern with some small stones to make the structure less top-heavy.

If you want a more simple nod to nature, insert a small vase into the center of the lantern, and fill it with fresh cut lavender (or another pretty plant of your choice), and surround it with fairy lights.