DIY-Er Transforms 3 Dollar Tree Items Into Simple Candy Storage

Dollar Tree has plenty of awesome copycat products for shoppers on a budget. You'll find everything from a stainless steel tumbler that's a convincing Yeti dupe to packets of cookies that taste as good as Girls Scouts Thin Mints. However, if you love a spot of creative DIY, the arts and crafts aisle is where you'll find the most bang for your buck. If you're also partial to Dollar Tree's own brand of chocolates made by Landmark Confections, there's one crafting project that might be right up your alley; making a simple candy storage stand with just three Dollar Tree products.

To get started, all you need are two identical lengths of wood of equal height, three mini trays, and some glass jars with lids. Simply lay your length of wood on a level counter and hot glue the narrow side of one of the trays at one end. Do the same at the top with another tray before gluing the final tray in the center between the two. Once set, place the second length of wood across them to join them all together on the other side. Turn upright and you should have a stand with a trio of shelves that are each wide enough to house two candy jars. As the jars sit at a tilted angle and have a wide mouth, you'll easily be able to grab a handful as you cook. That said, the stand would also make a cute and quirky addition to a birthday party or bridal shower table.

One of the easiest ways to elevate your candy storage stand is to paint it to match the color of your kitchen or dining area. Opt for the same color so it blends into the cabinetry for a low-key look or select a contrasting hue to allow it to pop and match the vibrancy of the candies in the jars. If you want to double up on the storage, create an additional stand and glue them together so you have enough space for twelve jars (adding heavy duty staples can help to stabilize the trays in place and double down on the adhesive power of the glue). In this case, you don't have to use all the jars for storing candy — you could turn them into a home for coffee capsules, pre-packaged snacks, or even dry goods, like flour and sugar. 

Alternatively, select smaller jars from Dollar Tree that snugly fit on the shelves to turn it into a spice rack. If you take this route, you may like to create sticky labels for the jar lids to make it clear where everything belongs. Once the candies run out, replenish them or move your stand to your home office to store rubber bands, paper clips, stationery, and more.