How To Give Your Kitchen A High-End Look On A Dollar Tree Budget

We may never know exactly why the kitchen becomes the unofficial gathering place in every home, but it certainly seems to be the trend. It must be the food that keeps us sitting at the table or standing around the island instead of retiring to the comfort of the living room sofas and chairs. Whatever the reason, the kitchen is a space where elegance and functionality must go hand-in-hand.

When you're on a budget, it can be difficult to style a kitchen that looks high-end while also being practical. Budget stores like Dollar Tree offer tons of essentials that will keep your kitchen organized and tidy, but aesthetics are often sacrificed for functionality. With a little imagination, however, these affordable finds can also add a touch of elegance to the heart of your home. If you want to glam up your kitchen without breaking the bank, here are 15 ideas to give your kitchen a high-end look on a Dollar Tree budget:

Dollar Tree's candy jars add stylish, affordable storage to your countertop, and their gold lids bring a high-end touch that looks far pricier than their $2 cost. For baking ingredients, use Dollar Tree's sticker labels to neatly mark each jar. If you love this look but can't find the gold lids at your local Dollar Tree, grab the regular candy jars with the clear lids and spray paint them your desired color.

Nothing says cozy sophistication like an open cookbook on display in the corner of a kitchen counter. It's the perfect homey-meets-elegant touch that elevates any kitchen, and a simple display easel from Dollar Tree will give you the look for just $1.25. The store carries medium and large metal easels in black, silver, or gold, and they can easily be spray-painted any color to match your space.

Dollar Tree is known for its vast selection of storage containers, but most won't achieve a high-end look in the kitchen. When browsing the storage shelves, look for the store's more refined woven or metal baskets. One of our favorites is the Birch And Vine Weaving Straw Basket, which would level up any countertop or open kitchen shelf. Along with their faux-woven baskets, Dollar Tree's metal wire baskets also make chic kitchen organizers, and you can always embellish them with some decorative jute or rope.

If you aren't familiar with Dollar Tree's dinnerware collection, you are missing out. They carry surprisingly stunning stoneware pieces that will make your kitchen table look straight out of a design magazine. Choose from artful designs such as black-and-white Mediterranean patterns or seasonal styles to refresh your kitchen decor affordably year-round. Dollar Tree's plates tend to go viral quickly, so if you spot a design that will look great in your kitchen, go ahead and snag it before it's gone.

Decorative trays are an easy way to elevate a countertop, and you can DIY your own with just two Dollar Tree items — a bamboo cutting board and wooden craft dice. Take four dice and stain or paint them along with the cutting board. Glue the dice to the bottom of the cutting board to serve as legs, and get ready to elevate your kitchen. This tray would be great by the sink to hold soap dispensers and a sponge, or by the stove for cooking oils, salt, and pepper.

If you want to add a touch of farmhouse-chic to your kitchen, look no further than the Essentials Wire Waste Basket from Dollar Tree. This simple hack will transform the trash bin into a stylish fruit bowl that rivals expensive pedestal bowls. Just turn the basket upside down and gently squeeze the frame toward the closed end (bottom) to form the pedestal. Once you're happy with the shape, flip it over to reveal a stylish pedestal fruit bowl.

Pick up a 10-inch plastic kitchen turntable and an 11-inch round wooden sign from Dollar Tree. Remove the rope from the sign and stain the wood to match your kitchen decor. Attach the sign to the turntable with hot glue or a small bead of silicone adhesive for a stronger hold. Use this DIY lazy susan to keep your cooking essentials handy by the stove or place it on the kitchen table or island for an elegant and practical decor piece.

If you have a cutting garden, use Dollar Tree salt and pepper shakers to brighten up your kitchen and add the classic elegance of fresh blooms. The small glass containers come in sets of two for just $1.50, and they make adorable miniature vases for tiny bouquets. Arrange fresh cuttings or faux seasonal bouquets and line four to six shakers down the island's center for a modern floral touch. You can also place the mini vases in every corner of your kitchen to add pops of color

Dollar Tree has lots of different styles of glasses and lids to choose from that can be used as upscale storage containers for baking ingredients and other kitchen staples. Whether you want your favorite tea bags within reach or prefer to display oats, dried pasta, and flour, Dollar Tree glass jars provide a stylish, budget-friendly upgrade. 

Keeping essential cooking liquids out on the counter just makes sense when you use them often, but the bottles they come in aren't always an attractive addition to your kitchen aesthetic. Transform them — along with your dish soap — into lovely accents in your space by using glass oil bottles from Dollar Tree. The metal spout keeps them functional while enhancing the luxe look of these affordable bottles. You could also use the store's flip-top glass bottles for a different style.

Pick up one small wooden craft box and a Mini Glass Shaker Jar for each spice you want to display. Stain or paint the craft boxes your desired color and glue them together. Finish the rack with a Dollar Tree wood plank along the bottom of each row of spices and add decorative labels to the front. Not only will a luxe spice rack look great in the kitchen, but it also frees up valuable cabinet space to keep your countertops clutter-free.

You don't have to spend a fortune for your coffee bar to look high-end — just head to Dollar Tree. Stock up on your favorite Dollar Tree coffee mugs, then choose glass containers for essentials like sugar, shaker jars, and DIY syrup bottles using Dollar Tree's oil or clasp-lid bottles. Organize your coffee bar with baskets, shelves, and other DIYs in this list, and save your money for your favorite brand of java.

Turn Dollar Tree's self-adhesive tiles into a luxe backsplash that is sure to turn heads. The Tool Bench Hardware Wall Tiles are a frugal find with a stylish design. For a more glamorous look than the standard brown-and-white combo, spray paint the tiles a bold color — metallic gold, anyone? — then peel and stick them to the wall. This frugal upgrade will transform your entire kitchen for $1.50 per square foot.

DIY your own pendant lights above the island to instantly elevate your kitchen. The right spray paint is the key to this Dollar Tree DIY. First, pick out large plastic cups to transform into pendant shades. Spray paint the cups your desired color — a metallic color on the inside of the cups will help the light reflect beautifully. Using a hot knife, cut out holes in the bottom of the cups to fit the light fixture. You can find DIY pendant light kits on Amazon for around $15.

Use Dollar Tree's craft wood selection to make a trendy produce stand for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought version. Stain or paint wooden trays or boxes to hold fresh produce, or make your own rustic crates using Dollar Tree wooden craft pieces. Attach your containers to wooden yardsticks from the hardware store and mount the stand to the wall. You can also swap Dollar Tree baskets for the wooden crates or line them with burlap for extra farmhouse flair.