The Affordable Side Table You Can DIY From A Dollar Tree Glass Cup And Garden Bowl

Who knew that the Dollar Tree could give us a table that would make even Mr. Margaritaville himself, Jimmy Buffett, proud? But you can do exactly that with just a few items! In what can almost be described as a bit of interior decorating magic, you can turn two Dollar Tree margarita glasses, plus a few plastic garden bowls, into a stunning and surprisingly sturdy side table.

Two margarita glasses, two 9.5-inch plastic terrarium dishes, and some Loctite Power Grab Express Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive glue together to create a base for the project. A round 13-inch charger plate is perfect as the table top. Dollar Tree carries an assortment of plates, which means you can personalize the table to suit your tastes. For example, take a look at the Champagne Charger Plate with Ivy Pattern or a Red Plastic Charger Plate with Beaded Rims to make this project your own.

After that, place a round mirror — slightly smaller than the charger plate — on top of the stack. The mirrored addition covers the indentation in the charger plate. It also adds a reflective surface that adds visual interest in the piece; as the mirror reflects the other light sources in the room, this is a design trick to make your home feel more warm and cozy. All told, the project, minus the glue gun, will probably cost you $10 or $12. It's an affordable Dollar Tree DIY project that gives your decorating scheme some unexpected life.

Just as your home can't do without a good base to sit on, neither can this DIY Dollar Tree table. To make the base, you have to glue one of the rims of the margarita glasses to the bottom of one of the terrarium bowls. When you're working with materials like plastic, be sure to choose a glue that won't melt it. The Loctite glue is a smart choice here since it's made to be used with plastic. Just be sure to remove any glue-on tags or labels from the pieces before you start.

After you have glued the second margarita glass to the second terrarium bowl, and you have two identical pieces — each with one margarita glass and one terrarium bowl — then you'll use the trusty glue gun again to stick the bases of the two margarita glasses to one another. A thick layer of glue around the rim of the top terrarium bowl affixes the charger plate to the bowl as the table top. The round mirror rests on top of that. 

If you're concerned about your budget and don't want to buy a new mirror, keep your eyes peeled for a round mirror at Dollar Tree. Otherwise, if you can't find a large enough round mirror, you might consider using an 8-inch by 10-inch beveled rectangle mirror instead. This substitution adds an Art Deco vibe to the table and would be a cool way to swap out the round mirror as the table-topper.

This cute table is such an interesting craft to do and a nearly perfect DIY side table for a small living room. And you don't have to stop here! There are some ways to make it even more of an eye-catcher. For example, if you'd like to add some decorative elements to your table, consider filling the top terrarium with flat Decorative Glass Marbles. You'll find them in mesh bags at Dollar Tree. They look a little like marbles that have been cut in half and would add some sparkle to the mix. Another option is to peruse the Dollar Tree floral section for silk flowers that catch your fancy. Trim the heads off the stems and place the flowers inside the top terrarium to create a floral motif.

It's also possible to make the piece a bit taller by inserting another decorative element in between the bases of the two margarita glasses. To that end, you can try substituting a Luminessence Long-Stem Glass Tealight Candle Holder between the margarita glasses instead. It'll create some visual interest because of the tall, dainty shape of the candle holders. Also, unlike the other elements of this project, these pieces aren't a mirror image of anything, so they will stand out a bit. Just be careful not to overload the table with so much glass.