Save Bathroom Countertop Space With These Brilliant Dollar Tree Storage DIYs
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Living on a budget can be tricky, especially if you live in a smaller home with little storage or counter space. Small properties tend to have cramped bathrooms with only enough room for a cabinet or two and necessary plumbing fixtures. If you're feeling trapped in a limited space without enough room to store and easily access your bathroom products and tools, don't give up all hope. The dollar store may be your saving grace.
The Dollar Tree carries housewares for kitchens, bedrooms, office spaces, and bathrooms, giving you plenty of opportunities to utilize and repurpose objects to befit your compact living situation. You don't need to invest in a renovation; you need a little creativity to add storage to the room you do have. Below are eleven DIY projects to expand your small bathroom's capabilities without breaking the bank.
Repurpose a broom hanger to hold heated hair tools
A broom hanger is a great tool for propping up mops, brooms, and dustpans, holding them up against the wall where they won't get in the way. For only $1.25 at Dollar Tree, you can pick up one of these holders and secure it to an empty wall space in your bathroom. Purchase as many as you need, and slide your heated hair tools in their grip. Curling irons, straightening irons, and crimpers have narrow handles that fit between the rubber clips. Many reviewers claim the adhesive is strong enough to hold brooms and mops, meaning it should have no trouble holding up hair tools. However, if the grip starts to peel from the wall, you can also purchase adhesive hanging strips from popular supercenters like Walmart or Target.
Glue stackable plastic inserts to the inside of cabinet doors
Dollar Tree carries $1.25 stackable plastic organizer drawers for keeping desks organized. When paired with another set of adhesive strips, these inserts add storage space to the back of bathroom vanity doors. The plastic drawers only weigh one ounce each, meaning they're hangable with weak adhesive strips. You don't have to worry about weight limits; press the plastic drawer against the adhesive placed on the inside of the door. Make your design look more professional by using a $1.25 level also from Dollar Tree to ensure it's going on straight. The finished result gives you extra space to put small bathroom tools, like makeup brushes, toothbrushes, chapstick, and miniature lotions and ointments for easy access.
Create layered corner countertop shelves with candlesticks
Making a small tiered shelf for the corner of your countertop is a great way to add surface space. Pick up four-inch glass candlesticks and multiple mini hexagon mirrors from Dollar Tree for $1.25 each. Pick up at least two candlesticks and two mirrors, but consider purchasing more depending on how high you want to make your tiered shelving. Paint the transparent glass candlesticks in a color to match the hexagon mirrors, possibly using these $3.49 DecoArt bottles from Michaels. Glue the ends of each candlestick one on top of the other using $3.78 Loctite glass glue from Home Depot or Amazon. Also, glue the mirrors on either side of the candlesticks to create hexagon-shaped shelves suspended by candlesticks. Keep in mind that these shelves will not be super sturdy, so you don't want to pile them too high or place too much weight on top of them.
Pin a suction cup shower caddy to your mirror
Shower caddies may be designed for shower and bathtub wall tiles, but it doesn't mean they are exclusive for this purpose. The Dollar Tree is currently out of stock, but Family Dollar has suction cup bath caddies available for $3.00 each. This DIY project takes no skills or extra steps; all you must do is stick the suction cup back to your mirror. Make sure you place it in a corner or along the side where it won't obstruct your view, and now you have a spot to store your most commonly used bathroom products, such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, or prescription bottles. Don't try sticking it to your wall, as suction cups stick best to flat surfaces like glass mirrors, ceramic tiles, and glossy-finished metals.
Use a sponge holder to hold soap bars
If you're someone who prefers bar soap but doesn't like the mess it leaves behind, you're in luck. Repurpose a sponge holder as a soap bar holder, so you don't have to worry about leaving grimy residue on your limited countertop and sink edge space. You'll find these sponge holders for $1.25 in the kitchen section at Dollar Tree, and you'll only need one to do this mini project. Remember, as discussed in the previous DIY idea, the suction cup backing is only usable on smooth surfaces. You'll have to stick it to your mirror unless you have tiled walls. A perk of using this sponge holder is that it's easily removed, so you can wash and reattach it as needed.
Attach office organizers to the wall to create floating shelves
Having standard bathroom walls may bar you from hanging suction cups, but there are other options for adding vertical storage space. Repurposing office desktop organizer trays is an offbeat idea, but it is a great way to add floating shelves to the wall space around your mirror, toilet, and cabinets. Dollar Tree carries $1.25 marble-patterned desk organizer trays that add elegance in addition to storage space. They're already colored with a marble design, so you don't have to decorate or paint to make them more aesthetically pleasing. Use adhesive strips that can hold five pounds or more, or drill screws into your wall to help hold the trays upright.
Use cosmetic organizers to hold bathroom essentials upright and organized
You don't have to wear makeup to make use of cosmetic organizers to store bathroom essentials. They're designed to hold makeup brushes, lipsticks, eyeliners, and other makeup products but are also the perfect shape for other bathroom items. They're currently out of stock at most popular Dollar Stores, but you can pick up a similar design for as low as $3.19 each at The Container Store. This is a hygienic way to store bathroom items because you can close the top and tuck it out of sight without worrying about dust or debris slipping inside. Just make sure to fully dry your toothbrush before storing it in this object, as you don't want to trap any moisture or bacteria in the plastic receptacles.
Add an adjustable shelf to the main bathroom cabinet
Most bathroom cabinets have one level, leaving much bare vertical space unused. Don't leave that valuable area untouched, and make a small investment in Dollar Tree's $1.25 cabinet shelves. These white wire shelves are 5.4 inches by 10.6 inches and stand about 7 inches tall. Measure your cabinet interior dimensions with a tape measurer before stopping by the dollar store. You want to know how many racks you'll need to fill that empty space and make room for all your items. The dollar store changes its selection frequently, so watch for other similar wire leveling products, such as the Amazon wire shelf used in @MalloryHudsonxo's TikTok tutorial.
If you aren't sure if your products will balance well on the wiring, wrap the surface to make it more level. Use an assortment of $1.25 shelf liners, which are also found at the Dollar Tree. Shelf liners keep spills from touching your cabinet interior, and they create a flat and more stable base for balancing unstable objects.
Keep folded washcloths and towels in baskets and tuck them in empty floor space
Closets are a luxury in smaller homes and apartments. If you're lucky enough to have more than one, you still might struggle to find room for all your bedsheets, blankets, pillows, towels, and other textile-based belongings. Instead of piling excess towels and washcloths on your limited counter space or in the back of a cabinet, put them in a convenient basket. Dollar Tree has $3 woven baskets, $5 plastic baskets, and $1.25 collapsible cubes that are large enough to hold a couple of towels or cloths for your benefit. Roll them up or fold them before piling them inside and slide the basket up against a wall where it won't get in the way.
Put toilet paper on a paper towel holder for storage
Metal paper towel holders are common finds in kitchens, but you can also use them for clever bathroom storage. Pick up a single iron stand from Dollar Tree for $1.25 and place it next to your toilet. Since toilet paper rolls have the same inner cardboard shape as paper towels, you should be able to fit at least three rolls on top. Dollar Tree also sells four-pack sets of two-ply and one-ply toilet paper, giving you the perfect amount of rolls to fill up the metal stand and your already present wall-mounted toilet roll holder.
Extend the counter with wire baskets
While all of the previous tips add counter space and storage to your bathroom, this tip is a method that literally physically extends your counter. Purchase at least one of Dollar Tree's wire trays and mini adhesive hooks for $1.25 each. You'll need to find a spot next to your cabinet and a wall. Stick the adhesive hooks on the side of the cabinet and the side of the wall, being careful not to obstruct any doors. This should create a corner setting where you can hang the wire basket on the hooks. The final result should give you a sturdy extra spot to put brushes, hair tools, and other everyday items. If you want to store smaller items on the wire, layer the basket with a spare cloth, shelf liner, or another lightweight item that prevents your tiny essentials from falling between the open spaces.