I love the Dollar Tree, you just can't beat a store where everything inside costs one dollar or less.
I used to babysit a 4yr old and Dollar Tree was a fantastic source for stickers and other fun things to bring along to keep her busy. I never really realized just how often I picked up prizes there until the day I mentioned I was headed to the dollar store and she jumped up and down and said "yay can you get me a pony and a bike and a puppy?". To a 4yr old's thinking you could get anything at the dollar store... and that is almost true.
It is important to understand that yes, most of the items available so cheaply will be, well, cheap. That is to say they are cheaply made from often inferior materials (and most usually in China). These are not quality supplies that are going to stand up to heavy use, but for the price, they definitely have their place in every crafting arsenal.
Among the "must have" items available here are storage supplies. They have a constantly changing parade of bins, buckets, disposable tupperware and similar items that can keep your craft supplies organized and orderly. My last visit just a few days ago I found packages of small zipper-seal baggies (1.5x2in) very close to the size that Walmart is constantly sold out of, 180ct in a package and brought home several.
Kitchen supplies are also well represented at Dollar Tree. They have all the basics that you might need for measuring and mixing with an added bonus, they have a ton of aluminum and foil bake ware. Cheap cookie sheets make fantastic stable work spaces when you need to be able to move surfaces around without disturbing what is on them. Sponges, scrubbers, contact paper and shelf liner can all be found here as well.
Health and beauty products often come to play in craft projects. Rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs and tweezers have obvious uses but don't pass up the cosmetics. Nail enamel, shimmer powders, and eye shadow can often be substituted for more expensive paints and pigments and at the very least, at this price, it doesn't hurt to experiment. Aside from cosmetics there is also a wide selection of basic hair accessories, headbands and elastics as well as socks, purses and totes to be found in the general area.
As far as actual craft supply goes, Dollar Tree has a bit of mixed goodies depending on what is in stock, Most of the items available are for children's craft but you can still make some great finds. Safety pins, needles, and glitter are usually abundant. Foam sheets, poster board, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and assorted school supplies also make a strong appearance. They have a wide selection of florist foams, wires and artificial flowers as well as glass and stone accent gems, vases, candle holders, votives, even seashells. By far, however, it is the stickers that keep me coming back. Dollar Tree's inventory of stickers is constantly changing, usually themed towards children and can be hit and miss, but now and then you can find really fantastic sheets. When I lived in New York I regularly sent letters and postcards to my mom and grandmother back in Arizona, making a point of covering each one with as many stickers as I could and never using the same sheet twice. Having a Dollar Tree a few blocks away made that possible.
The hardware section here is limited but still has it's uses. Masking and painting tapes, paint brushes and trays, and other bits and pieces can be found. By far the most useful part of hardware is the battery display. While most batteries here are not heavy duty they are perfectly adequate for light use. I keep a set of different sizes in my garage sale bag for testing battery powered items before I buy them and they have saved me from the disappointment of broken purchases many times over.
While there are many other useful sections in Dollar Tree that deserve at least a quick peek, the last major crafting areas are the party and seasonal aisles. The party section here is a fantastic resource for curling ribbon, confetti, party plastics, tissue paper, cellophane wrap and bags and much more. They have a respectable greeting card selection and at two for a dollar it is easy to pick up some great pieces for collage and scrapbooking. The seasonal and holiday supplies are usually varied and can include some really great finds but often sell out quickly. As long as you check back often and buy things as you see them this can be a great section. Spring is a particular favorite of mine as they tend to add garden art, wind chimes and flowerpots that can easily be customized and turned into fantastic gifts. Holidays are also usually well represented and they toss in extra themes such as summer tiki decorations and mardi gras.
Over all, Dollar Tree is a fantastic resource for a wide variety of supplies at the lowest price. As long as you weigh the quality of the piece (or lack thereof in some cases) against what you will use it for, the possibility of saving a huge amount of money on basic supplies is definitely here. Another fantastic perk of this chain is dollartree.com which allows you to order items by the case to be delivered to your local store with no shipping charge. Again I do suggest that you try to find most items in store to check the quality before making a bulk purchase to ensure they will meet your needs. The website is also a good place to start if you have never been to a Dollar Tree before and would like an idea of what types of items you will find there. So don't be afraid to search the website and the aisles at your local store and take home some fuel for your imagination!
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