12 Popular Dollar Tree Craft And DIY Items That Actually Cost Less At Walmart

If you need to source the highest-quality DIY and craft supplies without getting swindled, you might think a trip to Dollar Tree is in order. While dollar stores can be a great place to get things for less, some items may be a better deal at big-box retailers like Walmart. Dollar Tree has craft supplies starting at $1.25 each; at Walmart, you can find items under $1, including wood blanks, floral foam, and ribbon. Likewise, you might be better off buying some DIY essentials from Walmart because they're cheaper and higher quality — like glass stones, acrylic paint, and gift bags.

No matter what type of project you are working on, it might be worth heading to Walmart first to pick up your DIY and craft essentials — especially if you need a larger quantity. There are some great deals to be had when choosing Walmart over Dollar Tree for your DIY and craft essentials. Saving money on supplies and getting more materials can make projects less stressful. It's also important to check the actual size of items when shopping at a dollar store. You might be paying a bit less for a smaller amount. Finally, Walmart is likely to stock more variety when it comes to the color, style, and size of the item in question.

Glass stones are a versatile addition in crafters' arsenals. Use them as a vase filler, for mosaic work, and for other craft projects. While you can find bags of floral glass gems at both Dollar Tree and Walmart, the latter stocks a wider variety of colors and designs at more affordable prices. At Dollar Tree, a single bag of glass gems costs $1.75. At Walmart, you can get a similar product for as little as $0.98 per bag on clearance or $0.29 for a 10-pack of Hyrbek Glowing Stones if you only need a few.

Floral foam is great for creating centerpieces and displaying flowers — even temporarily. It can be cut to size and inserted into various containers to keep artificial or dried flowers secure. At Dollar Tree, you can find floral foam in different shapes and sizes for $1.75 each. Alternatively, buy single floral foam blocks at Walmart for just $1.47 or a two-pack for $2.14, which breaks down to $1.07 each. It's an undeniably better deal.

If you're looking for fabric ribbon, both Dollar Tree and Walmart have a wide selection. Fabric and lace ribbon costs between $1.50 and $1.75 per roll at Dollar Tree. At Walmart, you can get rolls for as low as $0.47 each. The thing to pay attention to with rolls of ribbon is how much length you're getting. For example, a roll of Dollar Tree lace ribbon is about a yard long, while some of their other rolls of ribbon are 3 to 4 yards long. At Walmart, the rolls run between 5 and 8 yards long.

If you need to paint whatever craft you're currently working on, Walmart is your best bet for deals on matte, gloss, or satin acrylic paints. While you can find limited options at Dollar Tree for $1.25 a bottle, there is a much wider selection of higher quality paint colors at Walmart for even lower prices. A two fluid ounce bottle of Apple Barrel Snow White Matte Acrylic Craft Paint costs just $0.58. The brands Walmart sells are better-known, too — like the aforementioned Apple Barrel and popular Folk Art.

Felt is useful for all kinds of crafting projects, including making small stuffed toys, festive garlands, and scent sachets. Being able to pick up multiple sheets at a time in the colors you want or need is important for finishing projects quickly. While Dollar Tree does sell small felt rolls for $1.25 each in five colors, you can get individual sheets in about 10 different colors for $0.32 each at Walmart. A 40-piece rainbow assortment of Elayard Non-Woven Craft Felt Sheets costs a very affordable $3.49.

A lot of stores carry glue and adhesives. While you can find a few different options for glue at Dollar Tree, it actually makes more sense to purchase this crafting essential at Walmart. Not only can you get a bottle of classic school glue for just $0.76 (though admittedly it's half the size Dollar Tree's), but they also have better deals on Mod Podge. Dollar Tree sells matte and gloss Mod Podge in 2 ounce bottles for $1.25. Walmart has 8 ounce bottles of matte Mod Podge for $3.99, which is about $0.99 per 2 ounces.

You can use fake flowers to create inexpensive wall art or vibrant holiday table centerpieces. They last longer and cost less than real flowers. At Dollar Tree, artificial flowers cost $1.75 a piece or a bundle (depending on the style) — and that's no matter if they're seasonal or everyday florals. While that's still not a bad price, there are deals to be had at Walmart, where you can choose from a wide variety of faux florals for less. There, you'll find petite stems for as low as $0.79 on clearance and larger items for around $1.87.

Decorative paper shred is surprisingly versatile for craft and DIY projects or shipping your creations out to loved ones or buyers. Dollar Tree sells 1.8-ounce bags of multicolored, red-orange-gold, green, and white crinkle paper shred for $1.25 each. If you go to Walmart, you can buy an approximately 3.5-ounce bag of plain paper shreds in 18 colors for $1.48. Want that crinkle? Walmart has you covered there, too. A 3-ounce bag of Hello Hobby Brown Kraft Paper Shred costs just $1.77.

If you're looking for plastic bags with twist ties (or ribbons) for holiday treats, craft projects, and gift giving, grabbing them from Walmart will save you some money. Dollar Tree carries bags with holiday designs on them for $1.50 per 20-pack. At Walmart, you can find similar bags for just $1 for 20. The big box retailer stocks clear bags and also has decorative options that are arguably more stylish.

In the crafting section of Dollar Tree, it's relatively easy to find wood blanks and cutouts to suit a wide range of projects and DIYs. Around the holidays, they often release seasonal shapes. Some of these wood cutouts are $1.25, while a blank ornament kit with pens costs $1.50. If you're looking to save on wood blanks, Walmart has a variety of shapes that are priced well under Dollar Tree's $1.25, like this Hello Hobby Wood Flower Shape for $0.86 or these Awesome Life Wood MDF Letters for $0.45 each.

Aluminum pans and trays aren't just for cooking in. You can reuse an aluminum pan to DIY a simple bird feeder for your yard, among many other creative projects. If you want to try this — or any other idea — for yourself, it makes more sense to head to Walmart than Dollar Tree. There, you can pick up, for example, a two-pack of high-quality Expert Grill Large Aluminum Pans for $3.27 versus $1.75 for a (albeit slighty larger) single pan at Dollar Tree. Plus, Walmart has a far wider range of aluminum pans to choose from.

Another item that gets used in a lot of DIY projects, especially for the garden or outdoor living spaces, is solar garden stake lights. Right now, Dollar Tree only has their Garden Collection Lawn and Garden Solar Mushroom Stakes in four colors for $3.00 each. They're cute, but not very versatile. If you're looking for creative ways to repurpose solar lights into beautiful home and garden décor, Walmart has a wider selection and will save you some money. For example, four Diamond-Shape Solar Powered LED Stake Lights cost just $5.99 at Walmart.