The Big List of Dollar Store Hacks for the Classroom

Teachers know how to stick to a budget while giving students a great learning experience. Not only are we savvy shoppers, but we also love sharing our ideas with each other. That’s why we’ve put together this list of fantastic dollar store hacks. Affordable supplies make these ideas go a long way without breaking the bank!

(Just a heads up! WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

School Supplies Dollar Store Hacks

Teachers can save a bundle by buying school supplies at Dollar Tree. Here are some of our favorite supplies, plus smart ways to make them go even further.

Buy online

Did you know you can buy many of Dollar Tree‘s items online? You’ll usually need to be willing to order in bulk, but you can be sure they have what you need in stock. You can pick items up at the store or have them shipped to your door to save you a trip. Schools can even set up an account for tax-exempt orders.

Personalize pencils

Turn ordinary pencils into something special with our cool trick that uses clear tape to add personalized messages! Learn how it’s done here.

Print on sticky notes

This may be one of our favorite dollar store hacks! It’s surprisingly easy to personalize your sticky notes with your printer. Find out how and get lots of free templates here.

Add pom-poms to dry-erase markers

Stop erasing writing errors with your fingers! Use hot glue to attach pom-poms to your dry-erase markers to use as erasers instead.

Cut composition notebooks in half

Get two notebooks for the price of one! Teacher Stuff shares this tip: Office supply stores can cut composition notebooks in half for you. (If you’ve got a band saw at home, you can also do it yourself.)

Dress up composition notebooks with duct tape

Whether you cut them in half or leave them whole, you can decorate composition notebooks with duct tape. The dollar store usually has lots of fun colors and patterns to try. Get the DIY from The Happy Housewife.

Swap glue sticks for a glue sponge

Place a kitchen sponge (scrubby side down, if it has one) into a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, then pour liquid school glue over the sponge until it’s saturated. Kids press items lightly onto the sponge to pick up just enough glue. Put the lid back on when you’re done to keep it fresh and refill as needed.

Put glitter in salt and pepper shakers

If you love glitter but hate the mess, pour it into salt shakers for kids to use instead, like @tinymindsdaycare. You can seal them with a strip of tape across the top.

Stop rolling pencils with straws

In about five seconds, you can stop the nuisance of pencils that roll away forever! Simply cut straws in half and tape a piece to each student’s desk. Slide the pencil (or pen) through, and you’re done! See this hack in action here.

Never lose a glue stick cap again

We got this tip from @teachingwithmisspeney, who says, “I don’t know about you, but glue stick lids would magically disappear all the time!! We were chucking glue sticks out daily, until I added these little colored dots! From then on, as soon as someone found a glue stick without a lid, they would all be on the hunt for a matching colored lid!! Not only was this great for their accountability and independence, but also for their problem solving and color recognition.”

DIY some privacy folders

Privacy folders can be useful during tests, or when kids need a safe space to calm down in a crowded classroom. Make your own in a snap by cutting tri-fold presentation boards in half. You can even decorate them with duct tape as Undercover Classroom did.

Create marker sets

Corral lost marker lids by duct-taping them all together in one set. Kids snap the markers back in when they’re done using them. @planethappysmiles says it really works!

Classroom Organization Dollar Store Hacks

You’ll find so many ways to keep the clutter under control with dollar store hacks. Check out these awesome ideas.

Store anchor charts on clip hangers

Have lots of anchor charts? @casadahl recommends using clip hangers to keep them organized. If your dollar store doesn’t have them, combine clothespins and regular hangers instead. (Get more anchor chart organization ideas here.)

Flip a crate for scissor storage

Store scissors safely with the blades pointed down by turning a plastic crate upside down and using the holes, one per pair. Simple, but effective.

Turn a toothbrush case into a pencil holder

It turns out that toothbrush travel cases are just the right size to hold pens and pencils! Label them with kids’ names using permanent markers.

Sort sharp and dull pencils

Follow Elementary Organization’s example to save time (and distractions). Create a place for kids to drop off their dull pencils and pick up sharp ones throughout the day. Assign one student to regularly sharpen any dull ones as their classroom job.

Use book bins for student mailboxes

Line up magazine organizers or book bins for easy student mailboxes. We love the idea of adding photos to pre-readers’ boxes, like Kindergarten, Kindergarten does.

Corral cables with binder clips

There are so many dollar store hacks that use binder clips, and this one from Wired is one of the smartest. Attach binder clips to the edge of a table, then prop the cords through the handles. See more binder clip tricks here.

Set up turn-in bins

Give kids a chance for self-assessment with these smart turn-in bins from @talesfromaverybusyteacher. They can place their papers in the bins based on how confident they feel in their mastery of the topic.

Hang plastic totes as cubbies

Here’s a good way to make use of brick walls: Attach sticky hooks and hang totes from them to create storage space. Prepping for the Primary Gridiron gets the kudos for this idea.

Attach letter trays underneath chairs

Taking It to the Next Level used zip ties to attach paper trays to student chairs, providing extra storage in otherwise wasted space. Love it!

Store earbuds in a compartmented case

Take a cue from Inspire Love Learn and store earbuds in a divided organizer. (Find lots of other headphone and earbud storage ideas here.)

Keep things organized at school and at home

Set kids up for success by creating these fun and functional homework stations inspired by Simple Made Pretty that they can use to stay on track at home.

Clean Classroom Dollar Store Hacks

It’s more important than ever to keep our classrooms clean these days. Custodial staff does a lot of the hard work, but these dollar store hacks can help keep your classroom safe and sparkling all day long.

Clean up glitter with play dough

Uh-oh! Someone spilled glitter, and there’s no vacuum handy. What’s a teacher to do? Fortunately, a little play dough is the perfect way to clean it up!

Use hand sanitizer bottles as hall passes

Hopefully, your school is providing hand sanitizer in bulk for your classroom, but you can still pick up a couple of small bottles to use as hall passes. Grab the free printable labels from 3rd Grade Thoughts and refill the bottles from bigger bulk containers as needed.

Stitch up some board eraser mitts

One big microfiber cloth is enough to make multiple little eraser mitts, as @beingmissaustin demonstrates. If you’ve got a sewing machine, you can run them up in minutes.

Clean desks with shaving cream

Your students are gonna love this one! Squirt shaving cream on desks and let them draw, write, and play to their hearts’ content. Growing Roots says that in about half an hour, the cream will evaporate off, leaving desks free of crayon, pencil, and glue marks. (This probably won’t disinfect desks completely, though, so some sanitizing spray may still be necessary.)

Remove permanent marker with dry-erase markers

Did someone accidentally write on the whiteboard with a permanent marker? Good news! Imagination Soup confirms that all you need to do is write over it with a dry-erase marker, and the alcohol in the ink will help lift the permanent marker up when you erase. Alcohol-based disinfecting wipes work too.

Set out Tidy Tubs

We’re willing to bet there’s only one trash can in your classroom. This means your students are either making a lot of trips to throw stuff out, or there’s a lot of litter on the floor (and in their desks!). Add labels to bins to create mini Tidy Tubs for garbage like Sailing Into Second does, and assign a student to empty them at least once each day.

Renew whiteboards with basic supplies

There are multiple dollar store hacks for making your whiteboards shine like new again. WikiHow recommends toothpaste, along with other options like vinegar, hairspray, muscle cream, and nail polish remover.

Polish stainless steel with a dryer sheet

Stainless steel tends to accumulate fingerprints like crazy. If anything in your classroom is made of stainless, clean it easily with a dryer sheet, as Southern Home Express recommends.

Try another way to clean your whiteboards