Sure, we can all love those gorgeous flatlays posted by bloggers, but if you are just starting out and on a budget, props can get really expensive. It seems like ages since I posted a Thrifty Thursday post so I thought I would bring it back with a blogger themed one – Dollar Store Blogger Props!
Dollar stores can range from tacky to hidden gems so it is worth checking often to see if they have new items in stock. There are the staples many of us pick up from Dollarama and Dollar Tree
- White sheets of poster card (2 for $1 at Dollarama)
- Posterboard
- Those sheets of shelf liner that look like marble
- Candy, because who goes into Dollarama and leaves without some cheap candy?
But what about the rest? I have found some really cute stuff at Dollar Tree, often better quality for less than Dollarama but they tend to not have the same things week after week or at different stores. So sticking to the stuff I see often.
Dollar Store Blogger Props – Stones and Shells
Give you photos a little texture with stones, gems, beads or even shells. With the exception of the clear gems, each of these are Dollar Tree buys which means a big bag of them cost only $1.25. Dollarama has a selection of similar but many are $3-4 now so worth hunting and finding the ones that work best for your aesthetic.
These tend to come in cheap plastic or netting so buy some medium-large freezer bags or storage containers to pour them into. Otherwise you end up with a mixed bag of stones.
The plastic gems from Dollarama are always available but the colours vary by season. I picked up black, orange and clear ones at Halloween and pink and red ones at Valentine’s so stop buy often and get them all.
Dollar Store Blogger Props – Placemats and Shelf Liners
We can’t all have pretty real marble and I like to change things up. There are two options for background like these. Dollarama has a wide selection of self liners in nice designs. You do need to fix it to some poster board to use it and be careful of bubbling. Take your time to smooth it down a little at a time. Just using it on the roll often will not work as it bubbles even on the backing.
For smaller items, I love these placemats. They were $2 when I bought them ad come in various finishes. So I can change up my marble look according to my mood or how white I want the background. Some have a more shiny finish so think about your lighting when choosing.
Dollar Store Blogger Props – Accent Paper
The cute wrapping paper than many bloggers use can get super expensive if buying from Hallmark or Papyrus. Do they have very cute paper? yes but there are some great dollar store accent papers too. I am in love with these K&Company rolls. You get 2-3 designs in each roll with a common theme. The three pink and grey ones on the left came together, as did the two gold metallic ones in white and black. I left the label on the blue pack in the middle so you can see what you are looking for.
They do tend to roll up when using so weigh them down with your stones (or in my case, often a cat) or cut them into smaller pieces.
I found these Martha Stewart punch papers recently. They are long but not very wide so may not work in all circumstances but you get a large pack of two sided paper with various colours and textures for just $2. The pack I picked up included silver and gold glitter, silver and gold metallic, a cream satiny finish along with a mix of black, cream and beige finishes.
Dollar Store Blogger Props – Flowers
Don’t get me wrong, these are no match for the real thing but you can get some really cute flowers at the dollar store. Going to a florist can get very expensive, especially if you need various colours for different posts. I am pretty lucky to have a great florist nearby who will make me up a cheap mixed bouquet with “day olds” if I ask nicely and he has the stock. But over the winter, my fake flower collection expanded quite a bit. Many flowers are poisonous to cats too so I don’t need to worry about them chewing if I use fake.
Dollarama tends to have the better selection when it comes to fake flowers and like most things, the selection varies by season. They have some cute pastel stuff for Easter out at the moment and small spring flowers. Just look at them for fraying or large plastic pieces that will look really obvious in pictures.
Dollar Store Blogger Props – Other Things To Check
- Seasonal section
- Mugs and plates
- Light bulbs (they have some Philips floodlight style in daylight colour at the moment)
- Beauty aisle (mirrors, accessories)
What is your favourite dollar store blogger prop? How do you keep costs down?
Awesome blog post! Super helpful!