9 Creative Ways To Repurpose Dollar Tree's Garden Pinwheels For Your Home

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With a little bit of creativity, the colorful pinwheels that you can find for $1.25 at Dollar Tree can do a lot more than you think. You don't need any advanced DIY skills or complicated tools to turn them into fun and eye-catching tablescapes, cute wall art, and even baby entertainment. Pinwheels are playful garden decor pieces that spin with the wind. They are reminiscent of a flower, and are typically used to brighten up garden beds and lawns. You can even deter squirrels from your garden with a pinwheel. They're fun for kids and adults alike, so why not bring the seasonal joy out of the garden and into your home? Use them on baked goods, fences, or as door wreaths. All you need are some scissors or pliers to cut off or shorten the plastic stick when needed. For some DIYs, a bit of hot glue or zip ties will also come in handy. 

As for the pinwheels, Dollar Tree sells several types, ranging from the traditional curved ones to flat foil and nylon models. You can choose from different colors and patterns to truly find something that fits your home and works with each of these DIYs. This is a fun and affordable way to give something you know and love into new, unexpected pieces. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

If you're looking to add a bit of fun to gift wrapping, try decorating packages with some pinwheels. Instead of using a regular bow or ribbon flower, try sticking a pinwheel on your wrapped gift instead. The inspiration comes from DIYers who learned to create pinwheel-shaped bows with wrapping paper. Why not take it a step further by using a functional pinwheel instead? Cut the plastic stick off with scissors so that only the actual wheel part is left, and use a dot of hot glue to secure it in place. In a pinch, it can also be a last minute gift wrap material that you already have at home. 

Pinwheels are also a great way to decorate your food. The pinwheels sold at Dollar Tree tend to be a bit larger in size, therefore, they're a good match for a larger cake or dessert display. If needed, cut off a bit of the stick to make it shorter, and simply pop it into your cake to add a bit of fun. If you're decorating smaller treats, like cupcakes or brownies, look for mini versions like these multicolor pinwheel picks from Unique Store. 

What's so great about Dollar Tree is that it comes out with new items on a rolling basis. Therefore, you can create multiple DIY decor pieces by using these pinwheels. For example, use a pizza tray, a placemat, and sections of a yellow and black pinwheel to create a beautiful bee-inspired decor piece. To do this, cut off the leaves of the pinwheel using scissors or pliers and use some hot glue to secure them in place around the tray. You can even use some paint to change the way they look, and some ribbons to create texture. 

Cut apart pinwheels and use the sections to create a welcome wreath for your front door. In this case, you'll need to break off the leaves and used them as wings to create little ladybugs with black painted cardboard. Then, attach the small handcrafted ladybugs to a metal wire with some fabric and ribbon to create a wreath. Using cardboard and paint or a marker, add a sign at the center to welcome your guests into your home. It can be a gorgeous wreath alternative that will bring DIY charm to your front door. 

Pinwheels are great when used outdoors, where wind makes them spin to add a touch of whimsy to your home. Consider using them to decorate your house's exterior by cutting the sticks altogether using pliers or scissors, and using wire to secure them in place. You can use the wire to attach the pinwheels to tree trunks, branches, porch railing, or gutters. There is no reason pinwheels should stay close to the ground!

Pinwheels are fun for adults, so imagine how much of a blast they can be for kids. Babies need a lot of visual stimulation, and colorful pinwheels can do just that. If you're playing in the yard, stick a pinwheel into the ground and watch how it mesmerizes your child. Indoors, you can use pinwheels, too, by sticking them into indoor pots, or using wire to attach them onto table legs, for example. When using wire, just make sure that babies can't grab it and unintentionally scratch themselves.  

Why not decorate a boring fence with some affordable Dollar Tree pinwheels? To do this, cut off the stick with scissors or pliers, depending on how hard it is. Use a drill to insert a screw halfway into the wood fence (not all the way so that there is something to grab onto). Then, attach the centerpiece of the pinwheel to the screw using a zip tie. This way, the pinwheels can still rotate with the wind, and you can take them off when needed by cutting the ziptie. 

Another simple way to DIY some art using Dollar Tree pinwheels is to create a simple flower wall art piece. Dollar Tree has some great pinwheels with flat leaves that are shaped like pedals, as opposed to the traditional dimensional designs. Cut them off using pliers and glue them into a circle to look like the petals of a flower. Then, create a spiral with thick jute twine at the center to look like the core of a flower. Attach this DIY flower directly onto a wall using a nail or command strips, or attach it onto a colored canvas. 

What says summertime party like a pinwheel? Use these great Dollar Tree pinwheels to bring a bit of fun to your garden party tablescapes. To do this, you can pop the pinwheels into cups, decorative bottles, or vases. Another option is to use a pot filled with soil or floral foam and poke the pinwheels into it. If the pinwheels' sticks are too long, don't hesitate to cut them shorter so that they look proportionate to the table, resembling natural flowers or plants.