Thrift Store Treasures + Dollar Tree Hacks: A Fresh Take on Your Chicago Home

Life in Chicago moves fast. Between work, social plans, and the never-ending to-do list, keeping your apartment or home clean can feel like a full-time job. But you don’t need a total renovation to make your space feel fresh – sometimes, a little creativity and the right help go a long way. Whether you’re looking for apartment cleaning services or just want to refresh your vibe with thrifted decor, we’ve got you covered.

Every thrift store has these cheap and common finds that we’re going to turn into high-end luxury decor using Dollar Tree upgrades. This is a complete transformation you don’t want to miss. And the best part? You can try these DIYs without making a mess – or you can simply let the pros handle the deep stuff while you have fun crafting.

DIY Mushroom Garden Lights for a Whimsical Vibe

For this first DIY, you need a vase, a clear bowl, and glass gems. I got all of my products at Dollar Tree, but you could thrift them, too. My Dollar Tree vases weren’t tall enough, so I grabbed a little tealight and glued it inside of the bowl. Then I set this right inside a Dollar Tree vase.

Can you tell what we’re making? Hang tight – it might not look like much, but we’re going to take some glass gems and hot glue them in a scattered way on top of the bowl. I’m the type of person who can’t just make one little mushroom – I had to make two. So I grabbed another vase and glued a Dollar Tree mini bowl on top, plus one of the larger plastic bowls. I added some gems to this one, too.

These make the cutest yard ornaments. To make them extra special, especially at night, I took some Dollar Tree fairy lights and put them inside. Look at how whimsical these are! They’d be adorable in a garden for a party, and I love how easy they are to make.

Why This Works for Busy Chicagoans

What I love about all of these tricks is that you probably have so many of these items at home. You can find them at the thrift store – lots of them are 99 cents. That way, you don’t have to buy new; just consider using what you have and combining them in unique ways. And if you’re short on time, you can always rely on fast cleaning services to keep your space spotless while you craft.

Stamped Silverware Labels for Your Garden or Kitchen

Every idea in this video can be replicated. My thrift store sells silverware for 29 cents each. Dollar Tree also sells silverware. I want your jaw on the floor. I grabbed a mallet and some affordable metal stamping tools. To spell out words right on my spoons, I like to use a bit of black electrical tape. It always helps to start with the center letter and work your way outwards. You need about 20 to 30 taps per letter per spoon.

To make the words stand out, fill them in with Sharpie, let sit for 30 seconds, and use rubbing alcohol to wipe away. The color sets into the words, and now these are adorable little labels – perfect for your garden. What an incredible hostess gift idea! If you ever need deep cleaning help before hosting, we’re just a click away.

Bird Feeders and Planters from Thrifted Teacups

The thrift store has tons of teacups and saucers, or you can come to Dollar Tree. For a limited time, the black and white Mediterranean dishware is only $1. We’re going to make a super cute bird feeder. I cannot wait to share this hack with you – I’ve never seen it done anywhere. It’s a true original.

All you need is a little saucer and you put it inside one of the hanging baskets from the garden section of Dollar Tree. I used a little extra chain link to attach the mug at the top. What I really like is that I don’t need any super glue to attach the mug, plate, or chain – it all hangs effortlessly. I only used a touch of super glue on the inside of the mug to glue this beaded garland rope, also from Dollar Tree, plus some bird seed.

I thrifted this garden hook and set it right on. I absolutely adore how this looks next to our friends, and it’s been really fun to see our feathered friends land. I love using ordinary things, especially thrifted items. If you grab a teacup, submerge it in water, then take a Dollar Tree nail, and give it a couple of gentle taps to create a hole in the bottom. Taking things you wouldn’t normally use to make a bird feeder or planter is such a smart way to refresh your space without calling a cleaning service near me for a post-craft mess.

Floral Frame Wreath and Book Vases

Next time you’re thrifting, head to the frame section – there are always so many. I love Dollar Tree florals. They’ve got tons of new ones this year, from calla lilies to roses. We’re going to combine this right on our antique frame. I broke down the flowers with pruning shears, then hot glued them on in individual pieces to make the flowers look like they were cascading down the frame. Yes, all of these flowers were from Dollar Tree, and I even had some left over.

What I love about this easy idea is that it’s an unconventional way to have a wreath on your front door or on the side of your house. This would be really fun for spring and summer. If you need professional home cleaning before you decorate, we’re here to make it easy.

Turn Old Books into Stylish Decor

Books at my local thrift store are $1.39. At the Dollar Tree, they’re $1.50. There are so many amazing hacks you can do with pretty or vintage books. One of my favorite ideas is to make a knife block, but I’m going to show you how to make a super cool floral display.

For this idea, think table centerpiece, back patio, or even a wedding. Grab a beautiful hardcover book and open it to the middle. Use an X-Acto knife to trim down about 50 pages halfway down the page on both sides, ripping out the top section. Grab a little chunk of 8 to 12 pages, add some Dollar Tree glue, and curl under, setting it right inside the spine so it sticks. You want four or five little curls in the center, adding glue along the way. Once done, add little clips for extra security. Place it on a Dollar Tree stand and add leftover flowers inside to make an incredible book vase. This makes a great end-of-year teacher gift, too.

Affordable Mahjong Tables and Game Night Essentials

I told you in my last video that I’ve been getting into mahjong. Check this out – a beautiful glass top table with a bamboo-style bottom for only $39.99. There’s another game table for $40 where you can play backgammon on top, then flip it over for checkers or chess. From thrift store furniture, wicker and rattan are amazing. I had to come home with this table – it was $39.99, but since it had been on the floor for a few days, it was 50% off. I got it for $19.99.

All it needed was a bit of elbow grease. Something that was discarded and donated can look like a high-end catalog. If you’d rather spend your time playing games than scrubbing, schedule a cleaning with us and enjoy your free time.

Lighting and Tiles for the Perfect Setup

What I love about high-end mahjong tables is the cool lighting. This simple Dollar Tree lamp looks so good on the table. Thrifting tiles is easy right now because mahjong is trending – a lot of people get rid of really nice sets on Facebook Marketplace. Somebody rich bought it and decided not to learn – well, that’s to your benefit. I’ve thrifted the tables and tiles myself. If you’re looking for nice mats that don’t cost an arm and a leg, combining thrifty ideas with Dollar Tree finds is the way to go.

You can look at something and think, “Wow, I could actually try that, do it, and make it work for me.” And if the project gets messy, you can always book an appointment to get your space cleaned afterward.

Final Thoughts on Thrifting and Home Care in Chicago

I hope the next time you’re at the thrift store, you see a toothbrush holder or a silver-plated vessel and think about using it in an unconventional way. These items are typically expensive, but you can thrift them or get them from the dollar store for just a couple of bucks. I like to use toothbrush holders for my hydrangeas – they give lots of support depending on the vessel.

If you enjoyed these ideas and want more like them, give this a thumbs up. And if you need someone to handle the cleaning while you get creative, remember that Jikas Cleaning is the Chicago cleaning company that makes life easier. From cleaning services in Chicago to someone to clean my apartment, we’ve got your back.

Every thrift store has these cheap and common
finds that we’re going to turn into high-end luxury decor using Dollar Tree upgrades. This
is a complete transformation you don’t want to miss. For this first DIY, you need a vase. You
need a clear bowl and glass gems. I got all of my products at Dollar Tree, but you could thrift
them, too. My Dollar Tree vases weren’t tall enough, so I grabbed a little tealight and I glued
it inside of the bowl. And then I set this right inside a Dollar Tree vase. Can you tell what we’re
making? Hang tight on this one because it might not look like much, but we’re going to take some
glass gems and hot glue them in a scattered way on top of the bowl. I’m the type of person where
I can’t just make one little mushroom. I got to make two mushrooms. So, I grabbed another vase
and I glued a Dollar Tree mini bowl on top and one of the larger plastic bowls. I added some gems
to this one, too. And these make the cutest yard ornaments. But to make these extra special,
especially at night, I took some Dollar Tree fairy lights, put them inside, and look at how
whimsical these are. These would be adorable in a garden for a party. And I love how easy they are
to make. What I love about all of these tricks, too, is you probably have so many of these at
home. You can find them at the thrift store. Lots of them are 99 cents. So that way, you don’t have
to buy new, but just consider using what you have and combining them in unique and creative ways. We
can come to Dollar Tree and we can thrift it both. No disappointments. That’s my goal. Every idea
in this video can be replicated. My thrift store sells silverware for 29 cents each. Dollar Tree
also sells silverware. I want your jaw on the floor. Okay, we’re going to have fun, whimsy,
and really unexpected DIYs. I grabbed a mallet and some affordable metal stamping tools. I’ll
be sure to link them down below. To spell out words right on my spoons, I like to use a bit
of black electrical tape. And it always helps to start with the center letter and work your
way outwards. And you need about 20 to 30 taps per letter per spoon. To make our words stand
out, you fill it in with Sharpie, let sit for about 30 seconds, and use rubbing alcohol to
wipe away. The color will set in the words, and now these are adorable little labels, perfect
for your garden. What an incredible hostess gift idea. I loved these outside. You could also
thrift mini planters to give to people. Is this not so cool? Not to mention the fact that every
Dollar Tree and thrift store you can find these items. And speaking of found items, thrift store
baskets are great. My store has them for just 99 cents. And the Dollar Tree pruning shears, I just
want to tell you how absolutely amazing they are. I’ve sung their praises for years. They’re like $7
or $8 from the hardware store. I would never pay that. You can literally have a sweet little garden
moment for just a couple of dollars. I love Dollar Tree terracotta pots. You get two for $1.50. And
American Seed from Dollar Tree is a really great brand. These are super affordable. And this year
they have microgreens. They have tons of bulbs, too. This is a great spot to get them. Hey guys,
this is Owen. Next time you’re in Dollar Tree, check out the terracotta pots. And the seeds are
awesome. I’m growing marigolds right now. I decorated with a kiwi. And kiwis are native
to New Zealand. My mom got me this planter from Dollar Tree. And the cactus food is great.
Like and subscribe to my mom and see you later, guys. Thanks, Owen. We are just getting started.
I’ve got a frame trick and an incredible find from the thrift store, but more on that in a minute.
The thrift store has tons of teacups and saucers, or you can come to Dollar Tree. For a limited
time, the black and white Mediterranean dishware is only $1. We’re going to make a super cute bird
feeder. I cannot wait to share with you this hack. I have never seen this done anywhere. It is a
true Catherine original. All you need is a little saucer and you put it inside one of the hanging
baskets. You can find this in the garden section of Dollar Tree. I used a little bit of extra chain
link to attach the mug at the top. What I really like is I don’t need any super glue to attach the
mug or the plate or the chain. It all hangs very effortlessly. I only used a touch of super glue on
the inside of the mug to glue this beaded garland rope. I also picked this up from Dollar Tree as
well as some bird seed. I thrifted this garden hook and set it right on. And I absolutely adore
how this looks next to our friends. And it’s been really fun to see our feathered friends land. I
love using ordinary things, especially thrifted things. If you grab a teacup, submerge it in water
and then take a Dollar Tree nail. Give it a couple of gentle taps to create a hole in the bottom of
your mug. Taking things that you wouldn’t normally use to make a bird feeder or maybe like here, a
little planter. I added some ivy inside of this. This would look great on a back porch or inside.
I hope the next time you’re at the thrift store, maybe you see a toothbrush holder or maybe you
see a silver-plated vessel. You could use this for planting something, using items in unconventional
ways that are typically very expensive, but you can thrift or get from the dollar store for just a
couple of bucks. I like to use toothbrush holders for my hydrangeas. It helps give them lots of
support depending on the vessels that I put them in. But the next time you’re thrifting, I want
you to go to the frame section. There’s always so many. Am I right or am I right? I love the
Dollar Tree florals. They’ve got tons of new ones this year from calla lilies to roses. We’re going
to combine this right on our antique frame. I broke down the flowers. I just did this with some
pruning shears. And then I hot glued them on in individual pieces so I could make the flowers look
like they were cascading down the frame. And yes, all of these flowers were from Dollar Tree. And I
even had some left over. And y’all know this is Do It on a Dime. We are not wasting anything. Okay.
What I love about this easy idea is just like all the ideas in this video, it’s an unconventional
way to have a wreath on your front door or on the side of your house. I thought this would be really
fun for spring and summer. And if you wanted to, Dollar Tree has these little fairy garden doors.
Are these not so cute? You could glue this right into your wreath if you wanted to. And you’ve got
to know what we did with the leftover flowers. Books at my local thrift store are $1.39. At the
Dollar Tree, they’re $1.50. There are so many amazing hacks that you can do with pretty books
or vintage books. One of my favorite ideas is to make a knife block out of these. And I’m going to
show you how to make a super cool floral display. Check it out. For this idea, I’m thinking table
centerpiece, back patio. I’m thinking wedding. Grab a beautiful hardcover book and open
it up to the middle. Then on the middle pages, use an X-Acto knife to trim down about 50 or so
pages halfway down the page. And you want to do that on both sides of the books, ripping out the
top section. Now, grab a little chunk of 8 to 12 pages and add some Dollar Tree glue and then curl
under, setting it right inside the spine so it sticks in place. You want to have four or five
little curls in the center of the book, adding your glue along the way. Once you’re done, I also
like to add little clips for extra security. And then you can put this on a Dollar Tree stand. I
took the leftover flowers that I had and I added this inside to make an absolutely incredible book
vase. What do you think? This makes a great end of the year teacher gift, too. If you want to
add fresh flowers, Dollar Tree has so many fun finds that to me look really proper, vintage, very
high-end. Check out these gorgeous wall hooks. A little Palm Beach Regency. And speaking of Palm
Beach Regency, I told you in my last video that I’ve been getting really into mahjong. Check
this out. This is so beautiful. It is only $39.99. It’s a beautiful glass top table. I love
the bottom like the bamboo. And over here there’s another game table. They have this one. It is also
$40, but you can play backgammon it looks like on top of this, but also flip it over to be able to
play checkers or chess. This is so cool. From the thrift store furniture is so amazing from wicker
and rattan all day long. I had to come home with this table. I promptly bought it and it was priced
at $39.99, but since it had been on the floor for a few days, it was actually 50% off. So, I got it
for $19.99. It’s sort of my jam to be thrifting for other things and then run into the perfect
table that I have to stick into my car, but I absolutely loved this. It really fits well on our
back patio, and it’s the perfect mahjong table. All it needed was a bit of elbow grease. Something
that was discarded and donated can look like a high-end catalog. This is a thousands of dollar
set. I could replicate the look very affordably, literally for 20 bucks. In my last video, I told
you I started playing mahjong. I absolutely love it. And many of you asked for more tips and ideas.
What I love about a lot of high-end mahjong tables is they have really cool lighting. And this Dollar
Tree lamp, I’ve featured it in so many videos because it is that good. Check it out. This simple
Dollar Tree find looks so good on the mahjong table. And I really like quality tiles. Thrifting tiles
is actually really easy right now because mahjong is trending. A lot of people get rid of really
nice sets on Facebook Marketplace. Somebody rich bought it and then they decided not to learn.
Well, that is to your benefit. I actually have a couple of mahjong tables in my house. I thrifted the
tables themselves and the tiles. I’ll be sure to link affordable options down below, too. If you’re
looking for very nice mats that don’t cost an arm and a leg, I love combining thrifty ideas, Dollar
Tree ideas. That’s what this channel is all about, right? You can look at something and go, “Wow,
I could actually try that, do it and make it work for me.” If you enjoyed this video and
want more like it, leave it a big thumbs up, my beautiful friend. If nobody has told you
today, you are enough. I’ll catch you soon.