12 Holiday DIYs You Can Make Using Dollar Tree Bowls

When you're getting that crafting itch there's no better place to head than Dollar Tree. DIYers have found a haven there and learned how to turn almost all of its inventory into clever and expensive-looking decor crafts. You'll undoubtedly catch crafters slowly walking through the aisles, wondering what the next item will be that they can completely transform into something that makes people stop and say "Wait, you made that from stuff at Dollar Tree? That's incredible!"

For this round of jaw-dropping DIY, we're zeroing in on bowls. Whether it's a giant, decorative punch bowl or eye-catching teal serving bowl, we've found 14 amazing projects that can transform your holiday decor for a fraction of what it would cost to buy at a craft or home decorating store. These projects show that no matter what you think of, there's a way to create it with a little bit of determination and your favorite essential DIYer tools and supplies. 

Oversized DIY Christmas tree ornaments are a popular craft project using punch bowls, and it's easy to see why. All it takes is putting two Dollar Tree punch bowls together, like a plastic Easter egg, sealing with glue, and then customizing however you like. This DIYer used fake pine sprigs, spray paint, and Christmas-colored accents to create their giant bauble, but you can tweak this design to whatever fits your aesthetic. We recommend adding a towel ring to the top to look like a real ornament, but don't hang this heavy piece: a hot-glued ring is likely unable to support its weight.

This project is similar to the jumbo Christmas ornament idea, except it uses a lid-like topper covered in sparkly fabric instead of a hanging ring. These would be perfect for mantles or even as centerpieces for your Christmas table. This DIYer most likely used chalk paint to give the bowls that matte look, which made us think how cool it would be to use Falling in Art Black Chalkboard Paint instead and decorate them with festive holiday messages in colored chalk. 

This DIYer added a twist to the punch bowl's intended use by using one punch bowl as a base, a center milk bottle stem, and another punch bowl on top to, you know, actually hold punch. What we like about this is that you can fill the middle with anything — tinsel, LED lights, party streamers, the choices are endless. Just make sure you use a lot of hot glue to secure the parts together, which you can always hide with ribbon or paint. Add some sand so it resembles a quintessential hourglass for counting down the last minutes of the year.

This DIY is a perfect example of how the ornament project can be changed to fit nearly any holiday, including Thanksgiving. One thing we love about this punch bowl pumpkin is the subtle shading the crafter used in the center, really giving it that imperfect natural pumpkin look. They used a wood piece to create the pumpkin "stem," but we think a pillar candle that's green or brown could be a good substitute and probably easier to find. 

If you can only find the plain bowls at your Dollar Tree, it's okay, because they can be turned into elegant DIY pendant lights for your holiday party! Use silver or gold tulle, bells, and ribbon to recreate this look. You can either fill the bowls with LED Christmas lights or a battery-operated bulb, like Kimjo's Rechargeable Light Bulbs with Remote: these are especially handy, as the hook can be threaded through a hole in the base of a bowl for hanging. Since these are lightweight and only temporary, a clear plastic chain should be enough to hang these safely. 

DIY projects don't always need to be purely decorative; they can have form and function, like this DIY side table. You may want to fill the lower bowls with glass beads or pebbles so that your table doesn't get top-heavy, especially if you're planning to make this table pretty tall. The wood topper is actually a Dollar Tree blank plaque, which fits perfectly. The creator used wood stain on it, but you could also try staining the wood with coffee for an eco-friendly and affordable alternative. 

This project uses a mix of punch bowls and Dollar Tree serving bowls to create an incredible outdoor display. To replicate this project, you'll need to either add flickering, battery-operated LED lights to each layer, or use a thick drill bit to create center holes in each dish so that you can string one set of lights through the entire structure. Use double-sided tape to secure the battery pack on top, then use a decorative plastic cookie jar lid, ribbon, or imitation foliage to hide it. If planning to display your bowl tower outdoors, be sure to use weather-proof adhesive to secure the dishes together.

This is another interpretation of the oversized ornament style of project, but uses the fluted Dollar Tree serving bowls instead of the etched punch bowls. The creator of this DIY added a little bell inside for a realistic jingling tone. If you don't like the middle seam, you can hide it like this DIYer did with decorative ribbon. Use a painted sauce bowl and empty tape tube on top to replicate an ornament finial and finish with holiday elements.

If you prefer a more high-end, Gatsby-style vibe for your holiday parties, then head to Dollar Tree's party aisle, and go straight to the silver and gold section to pick up Dollar Tree's gold-rimmed trays and bowls. This DIYer glammed them up even more by adding decorative elements, like gold feet and gold foil to a large bowl. Just remember: Many paints, adhesives, and foils are not food safe, or dishwasher safe.

This project is a bit more advanced than our others, but holy moly, the finished product would make such a perfect gift! These use small, scalloped sauce bowls instead of the larger punch bowls and metallic embellishments to catch the light. The horses are just metallic-painted plastic farm animals, and the center stem is an embellished craft dowel. You can even add a motor to the base to make it rotate, like this YVV Turner Cup Rotating Display Stand, decorated to match the carousel.

Serving bowls aren't the only kind of bowls you'll find at the Dollar Tree — they've got fish bowls, too! While we don't recommend keeping your goldfish in a cheap, plastic bowl, you can still use those bowls to create a super cute snowman display. If you keep your paint layer thin, you can add battery-powered LED lights on each level to create a glowing light-up snowman.

If you love a Disney-themed Christmas, then this light-up Cinderella carriage using Dollar Tree punch bowls could be a perfect craft to try. You'll need a tiara from the kids' aisle and some narrow rhinestone adhesive strips to really make the carriage catch the light. Add a battery-powered LED light pack to the inside and a few spray-painted toy horses to the front for the full carriage effect. The wheels are just paper towel holders joined together and embellished — brilliant!