Spray Paint + $1 Dollar Tree Plastic Leaf Dish = Frugal Fall Decor

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This simple fall Dollar Tree DIY uses plastic maple leaf dishes and spray paint for an adorable autumn tray.

spray painting dollar tree leaf dishes

Ready to get going on your fall home decor?!

I’m sharing how I made these $1 plastic maple leaf dishes from Dollar Tree into pretty fall decor pieces using just spray paint! It’s a super easy craft anyone can do, and the price is right for this inexpensive project.

The result is a beautiful, rustic farmhouse-style piece that looks much more expensive than $1. Plus, you can style and display it on a shelf or mantel as part of a fall vignette.

Hip Tip: If you have an unsteady hand, try using a Rust-Oleum Spray Grip. It makes it even easier to spray paint, and is less than $5!

2 spray painted plastic leaf dishes dollar tree

Hip tips for making these Dollar Tree leaf dishes:

  • Apply several light coats of spray paint. I know it’s super tempting to keep spraying, but if you can do a few light coats and let them dry in between, it’ll look great!
  • Sand the edges for a rustic farmhouse look! I used a light grit sanding block and paper to add character around the edges.

Dollar Tree plates next to a can of chalk paint

spray painting a plastic leaf blue

sanding the edges of painted dollar tree dish

spray paint and leaf dishes on counter


Dollar Tree Leaf Dish Makeover

Print

Directions

1

Spray paint the back and front of your Dollar Tree leaf dish. Do several light coats as needed. Let dry.

2

Once dry, gently sand the edges around the leaf to reveal a little of the underneath color. Note this is optional for a more rustic look.

3

Display on shelf or mantel and style with pumpkins and other fall decor.


diy leaf bowl on the mantel

I’m FALL-ing for this leaf craft for sure!

Aren’t these maple leaves so cute? They look like they came from a more expensive home decor boutique, rather than the dollar store!

painted fall leaves from dollar tree styled on mantel

I just love using spray paint for an instant makeover, especially on Dollar Tree items. It’s so easy to incorporate your maple leaves into your own decor by styling them with small pumpkins like I did above – so cute!


Check out more of our frugal crafts and DIYs!


About the writer:

Lina has a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University with 11 years of blogging and photography experience having work featured in Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV.


Join The Discussion

Comments 36

  1. Kellie

    So cute! Love this idea!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks Kellie!

  2. Diann

    I love this. And it’s sooo easy

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks Diann! Yes I love easy crafts like this โค๏ธ

  3. Mcouzens

    Absolutely love this! So easy, definitely my kind of craft.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Yay! Thanks for the sweet comment

  4. Colleen D.

    I donโ€™t know how you come up with these great ideas , but keep them coming. Decorating on the cheap is perfect for me!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks for the feedback Colleen!

  5. Rachel

    This is such a cute idea! Thank you for sharing.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks Rachel!

  6. Lacey

    Love this! And I already have the paint. Woot!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Yay- have so much fun creating yours Lacey!

  7. Heather

    Lina you sure do love that mint green…..your nails look great and match it perfectly!! You are so talented…..thanks for sharing such great and easy ideas with the rest of us!!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Ha! I do love mint green ๐Ÿ˜‚ and thanks so much Heather for reading and for your sweet comment!

  8. Candy M

    I love mint green too! I found several fall items last year. This would be perfect! Thank you.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Oh yay – have fun Candy! โค๏ธ

  9. lilyonthevalley

    Great idea! I would try with more autumn color!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Nice! Have fun creating yours โค๏ธ

  10. Alli

    You really are wonderwoman, Lina. Martha Stewart has nothing on you. I’m always totally amazed!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Aw lol – thatโ€™s so sweet Alli โค๏ธ thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment โค๏ธ

  11. Suzanne H

    Please keep these types of posts coming; I love them!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks Suzanne! I do also!

  12. Hipgrandma

    The best โ€œtoolโ€ I ever bought was a Rustoleum spray trigger that you attach to the paint can. Itโ€™s called Rustoleum Comfort Grip. It was about $6 but gives you so much more control and a gentle even spray. No more drips and uneven layers…at least for me. Would work well on this project. The spray never gets on the trigger handle so no cleaning either.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thanks for the suggestion!

  13. Debbie H.

    I did this last year with the Dollar Tree plastic leaf dish. It came out so nice! I did not sand the edges however. Looks perfect in my corner hutch with a white ceramic fox, for a fall-ish look without going overboard.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Thatโ€™s awesome Debbie! Thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ‘

  14. Krystle

    Has anyone seen these dishes around this year?

  15. jennifer

    Thanks for this idea. I have some metallic red and silver star dishes that I bought on clearance after the holidays a few years back. I live the shape and size but I find myself not using them because they are soooo shiny. Iโ€™m going to do this in white and maybe a pale blue?

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Oh that’s a fun idea!

  16. Nikki

    I did this and spray painted mine gold! I didnโ€™t think about making it white. Such a cute idea.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Oh thanks Nikki! I love gold also ๐Ÿ˜

  17. Mamamia

    OMG dollar tree is killing it with the decor this fall. Have your seen their ceramic pumpkins in cream? What about their glittery ones?! Gorgeous!

  18. Amymae1100

    Yes! You’re a genius! We need more Lina!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Awww oh thanks Amy! ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ™Œ

  19. Dee

    Can they be used for food items after painting??

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Hey Dee! Since you would be applying spray paint without a top coating, I would say that it would not be food safe. You might be able to find a food-safe sealer to apply, or cover with plastic wrap before placing food on it. Hoping this is helpful! ๐Ÿ’•

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