Turn Dollar Tree Items Into A Stunning Holiday Glass Carousel Centerpiece With A DIY

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Carousels are the stuff of childhood magic. The prancing ponies. The perky music. The lights and the mirrors. But while you may not be able to swing getting one of these circular joy rides to a fairgrounds near you this holiday season, there's no reason why you can't have a tabletop carousel, especially if there's a Dollar Tree nearby. The raw materials for your Christmastime merry-go-round are there for the taking.

Two Caterer's Corner Decorative Cake Trays from the Dollar Tree give the carousel animals a base to stand on. The miniature merry-go-round requires a way to keep the roof up, something you'll get from two Luminescence Glass Taper Candleholders. And while most carousels feature wooden horses, you'll make this holiday-themed by adding four Christmas House Glitzy Reindeer Ornaments to the display instead. 

A few blocks of green foam give the reindeer and Christmas-themed florals a place to rest. Most carousel animals ride on posts, an element you'll recreate with the help of some plastic piping. Working with all of these elements requires a sharp knife, a glue gun, and some scissors. Finally, a carousel isn't a carousel if it doesn't turn. This feature you'll get from a lighted rotating stand, and while it can't be found at the Dollar Tree, there are many on the market that rival Dollar Tree prices that'll make this Dollar Tree centerpiece something special.

Nothing in this DIY exists without a foundation for the reindeer to stand on, so your first steps focus on constructing the merry-go-round. Glue the tops of the two taper candleholders together. Next, glue the base of one of the candleholders to the center of one of the cake trays, and then, cut the strings off of the heads of the reindeer ornaments. Slice two of the foam blocks in half with the knife. Glue them onto the bottom plate, placing them in the positions of 12, 3, 6, and 9 on an old-fashioned clock face.

Cut the pipes from a Dollar Tree Balloon Tower Stand into four evenly-sized posts. Push one of them into each of the foam blocks, and then add glue to the tops of the posts and to the top candleholder. After that dries, turn the second tray over so that it sits upside down on the posts and the candlestick. This makes the merry-go-round's roof. Cut an assortment of Dollar Tree Christmas florals and press them into the pieces of green foam to hide the blocks. 

Add a big dollop of glue to one side of each of the reindeer and stick one on each of the posts. If you want the carousel to play music while it rotates, glue a Micteney Music Box Mechanism near the center of the carousel. Finally, place the whole carousel on top of a PHMOOJ Rotating Light-Up Display Stand, making sure the middle of the carousel sits evenly on the base. When it's turned on, light from the stand will illuminate the center of the merry-go-round, too.

Merry-go-rounds tend to be over-the-top with glitzy elements, and while this DIY holiday centerpiece already boasts a few, there are more touches to add if you'd like the complete experience. First up, mirrors. Most carousels have them, often mounted on the back walls of the merry-go-round. To create more fun decorative elements on this budget-friendly Dollar Tree centerpiece, you'll make those out of Ephlyn Paper Palm Fan Cake Topper Balls. As is, the cake balls are gold balls on sticks. You'll spray paint some of them with some Rust-Oleum Silver Specialty Mirror Spray. This introduces a mirrored element, as well as a classic silver-and-gold theme, to the display. Spray-painted round sleigh bells would be another way to achieve this look and add another holiday-themed sound element to the Dollar Tree centerpiece as well.

If you want to dive deeper into the silver-and-gold elements, trade out the Dollar Tree reindeer for some Amazon Haul Acrylic Reindeer Ornaments. They're white with gold antlers, so they'd fit the theme. They're also as cheap as many things you'll find at Dollar Tree. Finally, the roof of the carousel looks a little flat as-is. Many carousels have pointed tops that add whimsical touches to the joy ride. If you glue a crown-shaped cake topper on the top of the merry-go-round, you'll complete the look of the piece.