Pottery Barn Style on a Dollar Tree Budget: Chic & Easy Home Decor Hacks

Feeling overwhelmed trying to keep your Chicago home or apartment looking fresh? Between work, family, and the hustle of city life, finding the time and energy for a proper clean can feel impossible. Sometimes, you just need a few clever hacks—or a little professional home cleaning help—to make your space sparkle without the stress.

Who says luxury home decor has to break the bank? With a little creativity, you can achieve that high-end, magazine-worthy look for a fraction of the cost. Inspired by savvy DIYers, we’ve gathered some of the best tips for elevating your space affordably—so you can spend less time stressing over decor and more time enjoying a clean, beautiful home. And if the thought of post-DIY cleanup is daunting, remember that a quick apartment cleaning service can handle the mess.

Outdoor Elegance for Your Entryway

First impressions matter! You can create a stunning, welcoming entryway that rivals any high-end catalog look.

Solar Lantern Urns

Grab a few solar-powered “flame glow” stake lights and some realistic-looking artificial greenery bushes from Dollar Tree’s Garden Collection. Place four greenery stems inside a thrifted urn, add a solar lantern on top, and you have a beautiful, luminous display perfect for any porch. It’s an instant upgrade that requires zero wiring.

Welcome Mat & Bunny Display

Pair a cute $5 welcome mat with adorable ceramic bunnies. For a fuller look, create “boxwood balls” for your urns using pool noodles and greenery. Simply cut a pool noodle to fit your urn, stack shorter foliage stems in the center, and drape longer stems around the edges. Top it off with a bunny for a touch of classic charm. Maintaining this cute exterior is easier when you have fast cleaning services for your indoor spaces.

Indoor Dupes: High-End Look, Low Cost

Bring that designer feel inside without the designer price tag.

The Picture Frame Gallery Wall

Dollar Tree’s new wood and copper-look frames with ginko leaf or butterfly designs are perfect for a vintage gallery wall. Thrift classic book pages or art prints to place inside. Hang a group of six together using renter-friendly nano dots for a stunning, cohesive look that mimics expensive wall art.

Pottery Barn-Inspired Mirrors

Those simple, small mirrors at Dollar Tree are a secret weapon. Buy several, give them a light, blotchy coat of black spray paint for an aged effect, and arrange them in a grid or an “H” pattern on your wall. In mass, they create the illusion of one large, expensive statement mirror.

Kitchen & Home Fragrance Finds

Don’t overlook the kitchen aisle! Beautiful wooden kitchen tools and high-quality ceramic countertop diffusers in scents like Naroli and Bergamot offer a serious luxury feel for just a few dollars. A clean, clutter-free counter is the best backdrop for these finds. If getting there feels like a chore, consider some deep cleaning help to reset your kitchen.

Simple & Social Craft Ideas

Decorating is more fun with friends! These easy crafts are perfect for a gathering.

Painted Mini Canvases & Coasters

Host a “Gallentine’s” or craft night with friends. Pick up mini canvases, paints, and brushes. For a foolproof project, paint simple green stems and a single flower color on small, Dollar Tree mirrors to use as hurricane vase bases. For functional art, use dishwasher-safe Mod Podge to adhere pressed flowers to coasters. Working in thin layers allows for plenty of time to chat and connect.

The $5 Foldable Tray

This versatile tray folds flat for easy storage but looks elevated when styled. Use it to corral your new wooden kitchen tools, a diffuser, and a small potted plant for a perfect vignette. Keeping surfaces clear for beautiful decor is simpler with a reliable cleaning service near me like Jikas.

Focus on What Makes You Feel Rich

The best part of these hacks isn’t the money saved—it’s the time and mental space gained. A beautiful home should be a backdrop for your life, not a source of stress. Creating a space you love is wonderful, but so is having the freedom to enjoy it without worrying about the upkeep. That’s where a trusted Chicago cleaning company can make all the difference.

Whether you’re sprucing up with DIY projects or just need to maintain the calm, sometimes the best move is to schedule a cleaning and reclaim your weekend. For busy Chicagoans, finding cleaning services in Chicago that you can trust means one less thing on your endless to-do list.

Welcome to Dollar Tree. You might miss this if you don’t know where to look. These are solar stake lights that are flame glow. These remind me of Charleston. Think those gorgeous lanterns by the road. When these are turned on, they are solar powered. It looks like there’s a flame inside. This is my favorite solar steak light that Dollar Tree has ever carried. And you made it to do it on a dime. Where I share with you Dollar Tree’s brand new luxury lines. You want this but on a frugal budget? Don’t worry, girl. I’ve got you. >> We’re going to grab one of these. These are $1.50 each. and worth every penny. And I found at Pottery Barn earns were at least $50. This is for a little 9 iner. Look how similar this $150 Tree version is. This one in particular is so nice. Like it actually has a textured feel. So you could easily confuse this with stone. All of these are new product lines. Hang tight. Planters and earn fill can run you hundreds of dollars. Even if you go to Hobby Lobby, you can’t beat Dollar Tree’s prices at $1.75 a piece. Not all of them are great, but I’m going to tell you right where to look. >> Here. This one is really good. See how this looks realistic? And I’m going to combine some of these and our urns outside. You don’t want to miss this hack. It’s really good. These are the assorted greenery bushes I want you to look for. They’re the most realistic and have the added benefit of being water resistant. Four of them look amazing inside this earn. You’d never know you got it from Dollar Tree. Then take your solar lantern, set it inside, move over Pottery Barn and front gate. Right. This is so easy, too. Broom handles. Whether you want to be Star Wars or elegant, what I like to do is take off the end of this because then I can stake it into the ground. And I’m going to take that lantern and put it right on top. We’re going to give Charleston but on a dollar tree $3 budget. I reinforced with electrical tape. It will look awesome for an event. Both of these DIYs are too easy to not do. When it comes to outdoors, we’re going Pottery Barn on a Dollar Tree budget. These bunnies, these are so Pottery Barn to me. They’re so cute. They come in two different postures. This one. This one. And I think these are adorable. And the welcome mats this year are so cute. They got a bunch of new ones that I really like. Now, if I went to Pottery Barn, this $5 mat would be $100. And these bunnies at expensive stores are minimum $12 each. This Hello Mat from Dollar Tree is five bucks. Like these bunnies. I’m going to show you how I put this together. I also want you to grab two pool noodles. Just hear me out. Okay. So, two other florals I want you to look out for are their hanging greenery bushes. These are new this year. There’s a eucalyptus in the darker colors. It is great. and these long hanging bushes that look like lavender. This might be the best DIY of the video. Also, I found a wreath on Amazon that is super affordable. It folds in half for easy storage. I’m going to link it down below because it is so good. It’s super weather resistant and a boxwood wreath. See how it pops out like that? And then as the seasons change, I can put in different Dollar Tree foliage. One $1.75 strand filled this entire wreath. Okay, and don’t go anywhere cuz you got to see the front porch. I added some bows to my buddies to look more like the expensive ones and skewers to their bottoms. You’ll see why in a second. Then I cut down a pool noodle the size of my front porch urns. I thrifted these from the Habitat Restore. Then I stacked my foliage inside. I used four shorter stems in the center just like this. And then I took the longer stems to put around the outside of the earn and then I draped them inward so it would give a boxwood ball effect. And this doesn’t have to look perfect. That’s the beauty of it. I like that it looks a little bit unruly because then I’m going to take the bunny and set it on top just like this. And these look like incredible, very expensive boxwood balls you would find at Pottery Barn or Frontgate. 12 stems and the bunny make each urn cost $26. I’m mathing right. 12 stems carry the wine $1.75. Yes. Okay. $26. I am mathing right. And I will link the wreath down below. It’s almost always on sale, so make sure you get it when it’s less than $30. Never pay more than that. But this welcome mat is also $5. And for the record, Catherine is not sponsored by Dollar Tree. I’m just sharing with you good deals. And I think it’s getting better because they got this new collection, a new line if you will, at Dollar Tree called Garden Collection. Another not to be missed product that are four for $40 on Amazon is right here. These solar stick lights are so cool. They kind of remind me of fairies. These are $5 each at Dollar Tree, which is significant savings. 50% off, in fact. I’m so excited to try these out. We’re just warming up. Can you believe that? I have so much to share. And we’re going to move inside in a second. But no matter what your style, I feel like Dollar Tree has so many fun new options this year. I’d love to know if you’ve seen them. This is hidden, but it is great. Wooden kitchen tools. These are very high quality. This is mimicking William Sonoma. It’s mimicking Pottery Barn. Look at how nice these are. Would look awesome on a kitchen counter. Stunning. Don’t miss these. These are still 125 each. This is the Gibson Home brand, which is also at Walmart. This is an incredible product and really a dupe of a very high-end product. and they got it in a new scent. It used to always be in the peppermint sage, but this one now is Naroli and Bergammont. Bergammont is one of my favorite scents, so I’m so excited to try this out. It’s duping the Homecourt brand, and yes, this comes in the scent naroli leaf. So, it was so crazy to see that at Dollar Tree. Two amazing new products. I have to know if these are in your store. We have this picture frame and this picture frame. It also comes in a really cool copper. I love the look of these. We have ginko leaves and butterflies, but these look so vintage. I think this would make a great gift idea, too. Traditional art is finally back in vogue, which I am loving. This is a thrifted book. I cut out some very classic pieces to put in these frames. What do you think? They just brought these back, and I’ve seen them now at three different stores. These mirrors, and the thing is, if you put six of them together, you’re going to make a Pottery Barn dupe really affordably. There you are. Are you ready to see it? There is. Let’s go. I gave these just a dusting of black spray paint. When it was wet, I blotted it to give it an aged effect. I hung these using nano dots. They’re my favorite. I’ll link them below. It’s the perfect renter friendly hack. When you hang these in mass, it’s going to look like an expensive Pottery Barn mirror that you made for just a few dollars. I really love the H effect and I’d love to hear what you think. Would this even be a good dupe video if I didn’t try to mimic the $200 Pottery Barn lantern? My friend, you stay tuned cuz I’m going to show you how I use these around my house. But first, this is a cool product. Candle stabilizing adhesive. This is a great time to get taper candles at Dollar Tree, especially for Valentine’s Day. They have a ton. This is going to keep the candles stable in your candle sticks. I’d never seen this product at my store before, and I put this in some thrifted candlesticks on the mantle. You may remember my last video. Be sure to watch it of the makeover I did using all thrifted finds. Look at this little cute box. What are we doing with this? There’s a little bow on it. What do you think? Tell me what I I need an idea. Leave your idea down below and I’ll do it. >> Skittles. >> Skittles. Candy that my family steals. Maybe you’re like a lot of people and you watch a lot of these videos, but you don’t actually try any of the ideas. My hope is that in watching this video, a couple of these ideas, you’re like, Catherine, I could actually do that. These mini birdhouses and rub on transfers. I will link my favorites below. They’re very affordable and this is a foolproof DIY. These mini birdhouses are still, even with the price increases, $1.25. I put some rub-on transfers, and you just rub on top of them with the wooden stick it comes with. And these are so cute. And Dollar Tree brought back these $5 trays. Now, what I personally love about these is they can fold down because there’s this little latch, which makes it way easier to store. But I love the shape of this. It really reminds me of things I have seen at Pottery Barn. And can you recognize all of those flowers? Yep. They’re the ones I’d recommend. Now it’s time for the lanterns. They come in gold and a black. The big ones are five and the smaller ones are still $3. Pottery Barn sells similar versions for $200. And it makes me feel when I get to decorate like this, like I’m rich. But there’s also so many better ways to feel rich. Rich in health, rich in love, rich in personal connections, which is actually exactly how I intended to use these lanterns at home. Now is your time to consider throwing a Gallentine’s party. I have made beautiful garden parties using all Dollar Tree finds. The mini canvases, the paint brushes, the paints, and all you need is some of the butcher paper. We put it out on the table. This looks so cute. I think Gallentine’s parties are so fun. What I love about Gallentine is that sometimes we forget. One of the richest things we have is community. Valentine’s is a take on Valentine’s, but with your friends. It’s not perfect homes or perfect tables, but it’s the people around them. You don’t even need a big reason to invite people over. You don’t even have to know people that well. A simple craft. The willingness to say come as you are is more than enough. And before I set anything up, I always do a quick mockup. Here I am painting on mirrors. These are from Dollar Tree. It’s nothing fancy. I put some Mod Podge down and then I put flowers over it. I wanted to share in this video the two simplest crafts that people will leave with and go, “Oh my gosh, this looks so good.” So, I really like to do flowers on this because it’s very foolproof. You just need green as your base, a single color to paint over with the flower, and then a center. And what I really like about these is you can use them for the base of hurricane vases. You can see I have a round one and a square one and they came out so cute. I love also making coasters. At many stores right now, they are shipping out coasters in packs of two. And what I like to do is take Mod Podge and put pressed flowers or leaves on top. This makes a great gift idea or a great craft idea with friends. Dollar Tree sells a dishwasher safe Mod Podge, which is what I recommend for coasters. Put a thin layer down and then add your pressed flowers. I will link my favorites below. I like greenery, but I also like colorful flowers, too. And then in thin layers, add Mod Podge over top. This is a perfect craft because it takes about 15 minutes to make each one because you want to work in thin layers, so it’s plenty of opportunity to talk. And you definitely can’t mess this one up. I’d love to know what from this video you plan to try. Did you enjoy this video? Leave it a big thumbs up, my beautiful friend. If nobody has told you today, guess what? You are enough. I’ll catch you soon.