14 Affordable Home Essentials You Can Try At Five Below

If you haven't spent much time browsing Five Below, the colorful and trend-driven upgrade to discount variety stores, it's a good time to take a look. Some of their home goods are surprisingly versatile, as comfortable in a dorm room as they are in a family dwelling. As the name implies, most items cost five dollars or less, with an occasional specialty item retailing for more.

Unlike conventional dollar stores, which focus heavily on affordability and function, Five Below also makes fun and whimsy a core part of its product offering. So instead of plain black pen holders or simple white throws, you'll find ones imprinted with bold contemporary designs and playful lettering. That doesn't mean their items aren't practical, though. The store's products can be used to boost your home's functionality and organize your space. So, explore these home items you can grab right now at Five Below for less than the cost of a takeout lunch.

You don't have to splurge to get a cute stand to prop up your iPad or e-reader. This $7 Acrylic Tablet Stand comes in several unique designs, like floral prints, checks, or even a bear shape. Plus, it rotates 360 degrees for easy viewing, however you position it.

The versatile design of this stand could be used to hold up not only your tablet, but also recipe books, your phone, or even sheet music. The clear one could also serve as a mini "easel" to display smaller pieces of art, like the drawings your kids bring home from school. When it's not in use, this stand folds down for easy, compact storage. 

For $4, you can replace the battered coffee cup holding your writing utensils with something more intentional. You can add the viral tomato girl aesthetic to your living environment with this playful Designer Pen Holder. Its bold colors and organic forms nod to a mid-century look, while still feeling modern and charmingly quirky, for about the cost of an iced coffee. This is a great way to experiment with a trend without making a big financial commitment. And the price point is ideal if you like to change up the look of your space frequently.

This little pen holder would bring some brightness to your desk. Or you could use it in your arts and crafts area to store paintbrushes and colored pencils. If you add a liner, you could make it into an on-theme herb planter. Or, it could be used as a mini-vase for dried flowers on your kitchen windowsill. You can rotate through uses to keep it feeling fresh without purchasing anything new. (P.S. Book lovers can also pick up a pastel pink novel-shaped version of the holder, too.)

Sometimes, it's the little details that turn your nighttime skincare routine into something more therapeutic. Adding ambient light and soothing steam is a cost-effective way to make your bathroom feel like a spa. Case in point: the $15 Jellyfish Mister. This palm-sized gadget is shaped like a meditative jellyfish and creates plumes of mist. Color-changing LED lighting around its base adds to the luxe effect.

This glowy mister could be used as a nightlight or to add a little moisture to the air to nourish hair and skin. It could be styled on a tray on your nightstand, along with some lip balm and a face mist for a small, calm self-care moment at the end of the day. Plus, this mister would be a fitting addition to an under-the-sea themed kids' room as a comforting night light. (You could style it next to one of Five Below's affordable plushies for extra cuteness.)

For $5.55, less than the cost of one candle at most home stores, you get several to burn in this Premium Scented Candle 3-Pack. The 9-ounce candles come in pink, peach, and lavender tins. Each has a quirky saying, like "main character energy" or "over-thinker." They would be fun to mix into existing decor, adding a little pop of color without going overboard.

These would also be cute styled on a bookshelf to add a little levity. You could maximize the mood of your candles with decorative touches like a jewelry dish, a plant, and some colorful contemporary novels. Or, you could group them on your nightstand and burn each scent on rotation. These would even make a charming place setting accent for a Galentine's brunch, paired with colorful cloth napkins and flutes of champagne. The tins could be repurposed after use to hold hair ties, desk supplies, and other small items. 

This Tumbler Spinner Storage holds up to seven 40-ounce tumblers and retails for five dollars. It requires a bit of assembly, but the retailer insists that it's both easy and worth it. It could be used to organize your messy cabinet filled with drink containers, since its spinnability means you can grab exactly what you need, without braving a precarious stack of tumblers.

The spinning storage tool could be put to work at your next barbecue. Condiments, utensils, and napkins would all have a place that's reachable by everyone at the table. This little tool could even do double duty as the center of your coffee station, holding mugs, syrups, and straws in one easy, rotating spot. It could also be at home in a craft station, holding on to jars of paintbrushes and markers. Essentially, anything that can go in a cup and needs to be easily accessed by everyone would be a good candidate for this spinny little gadget.

The "snackle box" emerged from clever snackers who repurposed fishing tackle boxes for their treats. Five Below has created its own Mini Snackle Box with four compartments and a snap-on lid. It comes in pink, blue and white, and at just five dollars, you can afford to stock up on one box for sweets and another for savory treats. It could even bring order to your home office desk drawer. You know, the one that currently has mints, erasers, paperclips, and other items floating around at random.

This little container would be fun for movie night. Everyone can have their own portion of popcorn, pretzels, and chocolates. (How fun would it be to have one for each family member, decorated with their name?) Or, you could pre-portion cut up veggies and dip and place in the fridge for a healthy midday snack without the guesswork. The small compartments could also be used for tiny, easily lost things like earrings or board game pieces.

Five Below's Flower Serving Tray is another affordable way to serve and store snacks. This $7 tray comes in pink or white, with four sections of "petals" to settle munchies into. Each petal is removable to keep things convenient, and it looks like an abstract heart when it's detached. The tray has a lid to keep food fresh, with a pop-up handle that makes it easy to tote from the kitchen to the dining room or living room.

This container can add a little feminine flair to events like tailgates or a Super Bowl party. You could plop different types of dip in each petal to serve with a big bowl of chips. Or, use it to display miniature cupcakes the next time you host a birthday. You could even repurpose this tray as an at-home manicure kit, with plenty of room for polishes, nail tools, and more. 

The 17-ounce Rechargeable Portable Blender from Five Below retails for $10 and comes in three colors, with a coordinated silicon straw. It's a lidded, handled cup and a stainless-steel-bladed blender all in one. So, you can make your smoothie and get to sipping without dirtying an additional glass. It's also rechargeable with the included USB Type-C cord, so you don't need to plug it in for each use.

This rechargeable blender is compact enough to sit on your home desk during the day, or on your nightstand while you sip your smoothie in bed. It can be used for blending coffee drinks in the morning, or even hosting a DIY blended margarita party (if you're able to pick up a few of these blenders, one for each guest). It could also do double duty, whipping up sauces and dressings for the evening's salad. Or, you could try using it to make healthy baby food without dragging out the big blender.

These Tinted Glass Spray Bottles come in a range of pastel colors, from dusty peach and lavender to seafoam and aqua. These bottles would work well for misting plants, wetting hair before styling, or mixing and spraying your own cleaning solutions. At 16.9 ounces, they're large enough to hold a generous amount of liquid.

The color-coordinated bottles could also be used to store aromatherapy infusions like lavender, citrus, and rose sprays for a spa experience at home. Or, they could store homemade linen spray to make your laundry smell incredible.  You could even fill one with icy water and take it in the backyard to refresh on hot summer days. It's an inexpensive way to elevate the mundane parts of your cleaning or self-care routines.

Ditch overpriced designer throw blankets and opt for a smarter alternative that is still cozy and stylish. This Quilt Throw has an impressive price point of $5.55. It features a wavy pink border and a sweet play on words, with a bold cherry graphic in the center. (Or, you can opt for a pink or blue floral-patterned throw for the same price.) At 50-by-60 inches, it's large enough to keep one person warm. 

This throw would look sweet styled with your Valentine's Day decor. Or you could stock up and use these quilts as party favors for hosting a girls' brunch. (Packaged with mini cherry pies for the ultimate treat, of course.) The throw would look cute draped over a beloved pet's bed to add some warmth and charm to their space, or tucked into a quiet reading corner to savor by yourself. It's affordable enough that you could snuggle up and drink your coffee in peace without worrying about spills.

This cheerful container is marketed as an Easter Basket, but it could also be used to store fruit or snacks. It comes in a bright strawberry print or a vibrant watermelon design with small handles for easy carrying. At four dollars, these baskets could be a budget-friendly part of your pantry organization system. And because they're small and easy to move from room to room, snacks can be toted from the kitchen to the family room, then back again.

Or, you could place a faux plant in one of these baskets for seasonal decor this summer, then style it on your patio next to some real complementary flowers. The baskets would even be small enough to style in your guest room, storing travel lotions and mini bar soaps for your visitors. Or, place an empty one by the front door to collect keys and other little items picked up during the day, too.

Your welcome mat is an opportunity to set the tone for visitors to your home, so why not make it a little playful? This brown and green striped Coir Door Mat asks, "You again?" to give your guests a chuckle. This doormat adds flair to your home, and it's just seven dollars, making it a pretty low-cost way to keep your entryway clean. It's made of coir, a durable natural fiber that's super easy to hose off and will stand up to all kinds of weather. 

You could also layer this mat over a bigger outdoor rug in complementary colors for a cozy look on your porch. You might try grabbing one for your mudroom to park wet boots on top of. Or, you could position one where your pets tend to trample dirt. (It would also make a cute housewarming gift, paired with more outdoor essentials like citronella candles and a hardy potted plant.)

The secret to all the pretty iced lattes you see on social media is in the glassware. Or more specifically, the straws. Trendy straws with dimensional glass details can be pricey at home stores. However, Five Below has a pack of three Glass Straws for five dollars. Each has a tiny, pastel bear on it to up the cuteness factor. A straw brush is also included for easy cleaning, so they can stay grime-free.

These straws can accent a home coffee bar, displayed in a jar with complementary colored swizzle sticks. They would even be fun for cocktails at a boozy home brunch. Or you could pair them with color-coordinated coffee tumblers to use as place settings at the next girls' event you host. You could also simply use them to make your daily water drinking goals a bit more fun.