Finding great home decor pieces at dollar stores can be challenging but deeply rewarding. Taking a little extra time to upcylce them into gorgeous, unique pieces tailored to your home is priceless. 

​

The lantern featured here was upcycled from a Dollar Tree cheap plastic red Christmas lantern that definitely looked as cheap as it was. It originally came in a bright red plastic with tackly plastic holly and berries attached.

​

I started by removing the extra pieces and then painting it with acrylic paints to give it a hammered metal look. I used metallic gold and then dappled with a flat brown. The look is much more realistic and aesthetically pleasing than the tacky red plastic. Plus, instead of being limited to a seasonal Christmas decor item, it can now sit out all year round. 

​

Seeing the picture now I realize I could have done a better job of painting the visible inside part, but it gives you an idea of what the piece looked like originally. And, I can always go back and fix that since all it will take is a bit of paint. I had been eyeing these at home decor stores online and the prices were insane. Mine cost less than five bucks total. That's a budget home decor WIN!