Dollar Tree vs Michaels vs Amazon: Cheapest DIY Supplies?

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The Short Answer

There’s no single cheapest store — the winner depends on what you’re buying. Dollar Tree wins on basic consumables (glue sticks, tape, gift bags) at $1.25 each. Michaels wins on quality craft supplies when you use their 40-50% off coupons, which effectively makes them the cheapest for paint, canvas, and frames. Amazon wins on bulk quantities and specialty items you can’t find locally. The smartest strategy: buy basics at Dollar Tree, quality supplies at Michaels with coupons, and bulk/specialty items on Amazon.

How We Compared

We priced 10 of the most commonly purchased DIY decor supplies across all three retailers, comparing the same or equivalent products. Dollar Tree prices are fixed at $1.25 per item (their 2026 price point). Michaels prices reflect regular shelf price — but read the coupon section below, because almost nobody pays full price there. Amazon prices are for the most popular comparable listing, typically sold in multi-packs where the per-unit price is what matters.

Prices fluctuate, especially on Amazon. Treat these as representative snapshots, not live quotes.

Price Comparison: 10 Common DIY Supplies

Item	Dollar Tree	Michaels (regular)	Michaels (with 40% coupon)	Amazon (per unit)
Hot glue sticks, full-size (pack)	$1.25 (12-pack)	$5.99 (30-pack)	$3.59	~$0.16/stick (100-pack, $15.99)
Acrylic paint set (12 colors, 2oz)	$1.25 (limited colors)	$12.99 (Craft Smart)	$7.79	$9.99
Paintbrush set (10-piece)	$1.25	$9.99	$5.99	$6.99
Canvas 8×10 (single)	$1.25	$4.99	$2.99	~$2.50 (pack of 12, $29.99)
Picture frame 8×10	$1.25	$7.99	$4.79	$8.99
E6000 craft glue (2oz)	Not available	$6.49	$3.89	$5.49
Washi tape (single roll)	$1.25	$3.99	$2.39	~$1.00/roll (set of 12, $11.99)
Faux eucalyptus stems (bunch)	$1.25	$9.99	$5.99	$12.99 (larger bunch)
LED fairy lights (33ft copper wire)	$1.25	$7.99	$4.79	$6.99 (2-pack)
Wooden craft crate/box	$1.25 (small)	$8.99	$5.39	$11.99

Deep Dive: Dollar Tree

Strengths

The obvious one: everything is $1.25. For consumables and basics, the math is unbeatable. Glue sticks, painter’s tape, gift bags, tissue paper, basic ribbon, foam board, poster board, seasonal decor blanks — if Dollar Tree carries it, you won’t find it cheaper anywhere.

It’s also the best source for project blanks: plain wooden signs, unfinished birdhouses, ceramic figurines, glass vases, and metal buckets that you customize with paint and embellishments. The base quality is perfectly adequate when you’re going to paint over it anyway.

Weaknesses

Quality is inconsistent. Their acrylic paint has poor pigment density — you’ll need three coats where Craft Smart needs one. Brushes shed bristles. Faux florals look plasticky up close. And selection is limited: no E6000, no quality wood stain, no specialty tools.

Stock is also unpredictable. Dollar Tree doesn’t restock craft items reliably, so if you need 10 matching frames for a gallery wall, you might find 4 this week and none next month.

Best buys at Dollar Tree

• Hot glue sticks (perfectly fine for most projects)
• Foam board and poster board
• Glass vases, candle holders, and jars
• Seasonal decor blanks (pumpkins, ornaments, wreath forms)
• Gift wrap, tissue paper, and bags
• Basic ribbon and twine
• Cleaning supplies for prep work

Skip at Dollar Tree

• Acrylic paint (poor coverage, you’ll use 3x as much)
• Paintbrushes (shed bristles into your work)
• Anything where finish quality matters visibly
• Adhesives beyond basic glue sticks (their super glue and wood glue are unreliable)

Deep Dive: Michaels

Strengths

Selection and quality. Michaels carries the full range: professional-grade acrylics (Liquitex, Golden), quality brushes, real art canvas, unfinished wood in dozens of shapes, floral stems that look convincing, and every adhesive known to crafters. Their store brands (Craft Smart, ArtMinds) hit a solid middle ground — noticeably better than Dollar Tree, well below artist-grade prices.

The real secret is coupons. Michaels runs 40% off one regular-priced item almost constantly, plus 50% off deals on specific categories. With a coupon, their prices beat Amazon on individual items. Sign up for their rewards program (free) for additional discounts.

Weaknesses

Regular prices are high — sometimes 2-3x Amazon for the same item. If you walk in without a coupon, you’re overpaying. The stores are also designed to trigger impulse buys; that $40 basket of “just a few things” adds up fast.

Best buys at Michaels (with coupon)

• Acrylic paint sets (Craft Smart is genuinely good for the coupon price)
• Canvas multi-packs (wait for the buy-one-get-one sales)
• Picture frames (40% off makes them cheaper than Amazon)
• Quality faux florals and greenery
• Yarn, fabric, and specialty craft materials
• Cricut supplies and machines (often price-matched or bundled)

Pro strategy

Never pay full price. Check the Michaels app before every trip — there’s almost always a 40% off coupon. Buy one full-price item per visit with the coupon, and stock up during category sales (canvas, frames, and floral go 50-70% off several times a year).

Deep Dive: Amazon

Strengths

Bulk pricing and infinite selection. Amazon dominates on multi-packs: 100 glue sticks for $16, 50 paintbrushes for $12, 12 canvases for $30. The per-unit cost crushes both competitors when you’re buying quantity. It’s also the only option of the three for specialty items — specific wood stains, unusual hardware, bulk burlap, large quantities of any consumable.

Reviews are the hidden advantage. Thousands of ratings on craft supplies tell you exactly which cheap brush set sheds and which doesn’t — information you can’t get standing in a store aisle.

Weaknesses

Single-item prices are often higher than Michaels with a coupon. Quality is a lottery on unbranded items — that 5-star brush set might be great or garbage depending on which factory made this month’s batch. And you can’t touch anything before buying, which matters for judging fabric, floral realism, and wood quality.

Shipping times also kill spontaneity. When you need one specific thing for a weekend project, waiting two days isn’t always an option.

Best buys on Amazon

• Bulk consumables (glue sticks, sandpaper, painter’s tape multi-packs)
• Tool accessories and replacement parts
• Specialty items (specific stains, hardware, bulk fabric)
• LED lights and battery-operated decor (huge selection, good prices)
• Storage and organization for craft supplies

Quality vs. Price: When Cheap Costs More

The cheapest option isn’t always the most economical. Dollar Tree acrylic paint at $1.25 seems like a steal until you need three coats instead of one — suddenly you’ve used $3.75 worth of paint and twice the time for worse results than a $7.79 Craft Smart set (with coupon) would deliver in one coat.

The rule of thumb: buy cheap where quality doesn’t show, buy quality where it does. Glue sticks, tape, and project blanks? Go cheap. Paint, brushes, and anything that’s the visible finished surface? Spend the extra $3-5 for the meaningful quality jump.

Adhesives deserve special mention. Cheap super glue and wood glue from dollar stores have high failure rates — joints that pop apart weeks later. E6000, Gorilla Glue, and Loctite cost more but actually hold. This is the worst category to cheap out on, because adhesive failure ruins the entire project.

The Smart Shopping Strategy

Here’s the buying pattern that experienced DIYers settle into:

1. Monthly Dollar Tree run: Stock up on consumables — glue sticks, tape, tissue, bags, seasonal blanks. Buy in quantity when you see things you know you’ll use.
2. Michaels with coupons: Paint, canvas, frames, quality florals, and anything where finish matters. Never go without checking the app for coupons first.
3. Amazon for bulk and specialty: When you need 50 of something, or something specific neither store carries. Read reviews carefully on unbranded items.
4. Hardware stores for tools: Don’t buy tools at any of these three — Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Harbor Freight beat them all on tool prices and quality.

Following this strategy, most crafters report spending 30-40% less than buying everything at one store.

Seasonal Timing: When Each Store Is Cheapest

When you buy matters almost as much as where. Time it right and the already-cheap options get cheaper.

Michaels: the deepest discounts land on seasonal clearance — expect 60-80% off holiday decor the week after the holiday, plus end-of-season craft clearance in January and July. Florals and wreaths are cheapest in the off-season (buy fall stems in spring).

Dollar Tree: seasonal stock sells through fast and rarely restocks, so the best selection arrives right when seasonal items drop (typically 6-8 weeks before the holiday). Shop early for choice, shop late for whatever is left.

Amazon: bulk craft supplies hit their lowest prices during Prime Day (July) and Black Friday week. Set price alerts on the bulk items you buy repeatedly — glue sticks, canvas packs, LED lights — and stock up during those windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dollar Tree paint really that bad?

For base coats on items you’ll heavily distress or cover? It’s fine. For anything where color accuracy, coverage, or finish quality matters — furniture, wall art, visible surfaces — yes, it’s noticeably worse. The pigment load is low, so colors look washed out and require multiple coats.

Are Michaels coupons really always available?

Essentially yes. The 40% off one regular-priced item coupon runs nearly continuously through their app, and they rotate 50% off category sales weekly. The only time you’ll pay full price is if you forget to check.

What about Walmart and Target?

Both are solid middle options — better quality than Dollar Tree, often cheaper than Michaels’ regular prices, but rarely beating Michaels’ coupon prices. Walmart’s Mainstays craft line is surprisingly decent. They’re worth checking but don’t change the overall strategy.

Should beginners buy in bulk?

Only for true consumables you’ll definitely use: glue sticks, sandpaper, painter’s tape. Don’t bulk-buy paint colors, fabric, or embellishments until you know your style — tastes evolve fast in the first year, and you’ll end up with 40 yards of burlap you never touch.

By Ella Knight

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