Budget-Friendly Thanksgiving Decor DIYs From The Dollar Tree [16+]

If you're hosting your friends and family this Thanksgiving, chances are food and decor are the two most demanding tasks on your to-do list. While you can't do much beyond prepare the basics and set a menu for the first item, you can actually deck your house in advance so it dazzles your guests right off the bat. Even better, you can find most decorations at home improvement stores or order them from big-box retailers. Although this option will simplify your life, going this route can prove expensive and throw your holiday budget into disarray. In case you don't want that, especially with Christmas so close, free up your schedule a little and get a few craft supplies from your local Dollar Tree.

For instance, you can easily add charm to your Friendsgiving tablescape with DIY pumpkin place card holders within your set budget. Similarly, you can use foam pumpkins or wood planks as the base to craft beautiful centerpieces for your table. You can even express your gratitude for the harvest season using simple items like tin pails and decorative corn cobs. The best part, though? You don't have to be a pro DIY-er to take on these crafts or set aside a lot of time. Want to learn more about the decor ideas for this Thanksgiving? Here are 19 budget-friendly DIYs you can undertake using Dollar Tree items.

Here's a classic, adorable table setting that your kids can take part in making. Get a pack of Crafter's Square Wooden Clothespins and color them in a neutral or earthy tone (brown is a classic choice). This will serve as the base. Now, grab a few coffee filters from your kitchen and color them using washable markers, like Crayola's Broad Line Ultra-Clean markers, in any pattern you like. Spray the filter with water for a tie-dye effect, and set it aside to air dry. Finally, fold it accordion-style (or a simple triangle), write down a name, and clip it to the painted clothespin. To go the extra mile, make a cute beak and gobbler using craft foam. Additionally, attach Crafter's Square Plastic Googly Eyes to finish your tiny turkeys. Clip them to a more elaborate centerpiece, or let them stand on their own!

Simply mastering the art of folding your napkins beautifully isn't enough. You require dedicated rings to ensure your display truly comes together. DIY simple autumnal napkin rings using Crafter's Square Wood Beads, leaf-style Wooden Shapes, and Colorful Baker's Twine. Cut about 8 inches of twine, and secure an assortment of beads and wooden shapes onto the string. To be sure the string will fit your napkins perfectly, tie them directly around the napkins you will be using on turkey day.

These Dollar Tree foam pumpkins are absolutely perfect for fall crafts. Use them to craft budget-friendly centerpieces for your dinner table. Carefully cut out the top with a box cutter or knife. If you aren't sure about getting a perfect cut, draw a circle on the pumpkins to guide your blade. Insert one or two foam blocks in the pumpkin prior to inserting faux flowers and greenery. In case you want to make your artificial flowers look real, use high-quality blooms and stick to season-specific florals only. 

While a gorgeous pendant lamp will brighten your dining room, use candles to set the mood for an intimate gathering. Snag a few glass cylinder vases from Dollar Tree and fill them halfway with a pack of Jolly Time Yellow Popcorn Kernels. This will give your candles a little height and bring in some visual interest. You also want to invest in a couple of Luminessence LED Pillar Candles since real ones can be a fire hazard. Decorate the vase with raffia or ribbon or decoupage it with fall-themed napkins.

If you aren't willing to dish out your dollars on fancy candle holders, DIY some vintage ones at a low cost. Buy a few harvest-inspired grateful stemless wine glasses from Dollar Tree. You'll also need the same number of Luminessence Glass Taper Candle Holders to serve as the base. Spray paint the latter in a shade that complements or matches the former. You can even sprinkle in a little glitter while the paint's wet. Hot glue them over the wine glasses, and embellish the base with a simple jute, colorful twine, or glittery ribbon. Place the decorative holders along your table or double them up on a beautiful tray, like Dollar Tree's gold rectangular plastic charger, for a gorgeous setting.

Don't have the budget to commission bespoke artwork to wow your guests? Dollar Tree's gold matte photo frames can come to your rescue. Remove the mat, backing, and glass before cutting Readi-Board's White Foam Board to size, and clipping it into the frame. As for the "artwork" you'd like to display on your blank canvas, fall leaves littering your yard or artificial flowers you might have on hand are good contenders. You just need to paint them gold to match the chic example pictured here, using a product like Rust-oleum's Gold Metallic Spray Paint. Feel free to choose another shade if you aren't a big fan of matchy-matchy decor.

Pilgrims are central to the Thanksgiving tradition. But, don't let home decor store price tags stop you from including them in your decorations. Grab one harvest-themed round tin pail and a solid colored plate that fits neatly into its opening from Dollar Tree. Paint them both in a shade of your choosing, and hot glue them together. Then, tie around a jute rope and make a belt buckle using Crafter's Square Felt Rolls to give the hat a bit of pilgrim personality. 

Need an affordable eye-catching piece for your entryway table? Craft a harvest-themed decoration with a slender glass vase — anything you have on hand works. Hot glue Seasonal Collection's corn decor from Dollar Tree onto the vase, and you'll be all set. The center vase can be used for flowers, an LED candle, or rustic bundles of twigs gathered from your own yard.

Is the quintessential turkey dinner a Thanksgiving staple in your household? Make turkeys a key part of your decor, too. Turn a Dollar Tree foam gourd into an adorable turkey. You'll need a small wood round (leftovers from previous projects work great), hot glue, and a few strands of Floral Garden's Eucalyptus Bushes. Position the gourd on the round to set the stage. The stem will be the turkey's "beak" so you may want to use some acrylic paint to make it a different color. Finally, cut off individual stems of the bushes and poke them into your turkey's back so they fan out like its colorful feathers.

This Dollar Tree DIY is for you if you're hoping to decorate your home with family pictures for less. Take a rustic fall treat recipe sign, and cover the original design with contact paper or peel-and-stick wallpaper. Next, get any picture frame you like, remove the backing, and insert your family photo. Adhere it to the blank sign board with Velcro pads or hot glue, and hang it from the attached rope. 

Flower boxes are another great way to display florals in your home. Luckily, you can DIY a pretty durable box using three (for the front, back, and bottom) MDF Wood Plank Boards from Crafter's Square. Additionally, you'll require two Dollar Tree harvest theme tabletop decorations for the sides. Put together the box using nails or a strong adhesive, such as Gorilla's 8-ounce Wood Glue. Stain or paint the box in a hue that matches the rest of your decoration, put in floral foams, and start adding the flowers and fillers you have chosen.

Home-crafted wreaths are one of the best ways to dress up your home for Thanksgiving and incorporate fall decor on a budget. Just get a sturdy base like Floral Garden's Metal Wreath Form, Floral Garden's Colored Floral Wire, and a selection of faux or real natural accents — from leaves to wheat strands and berries. Crafter's Square Seasonal Collection Pumpkin Clips and foam gourds can help cover bald spots in your finished product.

While you can easily set a beautiful Thanksgiving table on a Dollar Tree budget, you may still want to decorate around the table. If you'd like to impress your guests with a unique decor piece, hang a leafy mobile over your dining table. You just need to hot glue Seasonal Collection's Polyester Maple Leaves to fishing line, like Stren's Original Monofilament Fishing Line. Cut the line into varied lengths for the lifelike look of falling leaves. Hang the strands from a chandelier, taking care not to let it touch hot bulbs, or grab a broken tree branch from your yard to mount the mobile on a wall.

Feel like you should share your Halloween candy haul with your siblings or friends? Or, may you just want them to have something to chew on while the turkey gets cooked. Either way, opt for a decorative bowl rather than just dumping the candies on a plain dish. An economical idea is to fashion a leafy bowl using Dollar Tree Polyester Maple Leaves, an old bowl you have at home, some plastic wrap, and a generous amount of Mod Podge. Flip the bowl upside down, cover it with the wrap, and adhere leaves to it after applying the glue on both sides. Let it air dry, then seal it with a gloss coat like Krylon's Triple Thick Clear Glaze (spraying outdoors for safety) for a glass-like finish.

If you're struggling to find the right lights to make your guests feel welcome, Thanksgiving lanterns will help cultivate a warm atmosphere. However, if you don't want them to burn holes in your pockets, upcycle an old glass jar you have at home or snag some canning jars from Dollar Tree. Get out your bottle of Mod Podge and a few harvest plaid lunch napkins or harvest leaves print napkins from your local Dollar Tree. Peel the napkins apart until you're left with one paper-thin layer featuring the decorative design, then Mod Podge it into the jar for an ethereal, transparent look. Put a tea light inside, and decorate the mouth of the jar with some twine or wooden beads. You can also put on a hanging lid with chains in case you want to hang the lantern hanging near your front door.

For this DIY, you'll need a gold plastic charger plate with beaded rims and a pack of Crafter's Square Seasonal Collection Window Clings from Dollar Tree. Take out the sticker you like the most, and adhere it to your plate with Mod Podge. That's it. Your plate display will be ready as soon as it dries. Make it extra fancy by displaying the plate on a gold easel. You can even make several with different plates of varying sizes to display across a long table.

When guests are due soon and you don't have any specific Thanksgiving decor for your table, make a last-minute trip to the nearest Dollar Tree. Scan the aisles from small decorative pumpkins — velvet, knitted, plush, and ceramic are all fair game — and grab a few that catch your eye. Get some gift tags too, and a permanent marker. Jot down the things you're most grateful for this year, and tie them to the stems of individual pumpkins. Arrange them in a gorgeous bowl, and put it on your dining table, entryway, or another spot your guests are sure to see.

Welcome your guests with some ghostly light-up pumpkins. You'll need at least two Floral Garden Pumpkin-Shaped Wreath Forms to form a complete pumpkin. Zip tie (use black ones or spray paint the entire structure) them together at a 90 degree angle to each other. Then, wrap some outdoor fairy lights, like innotree's 6 Pack LED Battery Operated Lights, around the forms for a twinkling display. Set your pumpkins by your front porch for a welcoming display, or use them indoors as table centerpieces.

Pies are synonymous with Thanksgiving. But if you aren't a pro baker and you're craving a bit of rustic fall decor, craft imitation pies for photo ops or to prank your friends and family. Grab a tin cake pan from Dollar Tree. Fill it with floral foam, cut and painted with acrylic paint to mimic cherries or apples. Then, roll out Cra-Z-Art's Modeling Dough and cut it up into thick strips. Layer them one on top of the other to finalize your perfect lattice pie. Need more evidence to make it look real? Sprinkle a little cinnamon and stage a mouth-watering pie.