I love decorating and pore over magazines and books for ideas. So many of these ideas are way over budget for me. What I do is take the pictures of the ideas I like best, and go to places like thrift stores and even the dollar store and I look for similar items and styles. You can buy really inexpensive items. If you coordinate them, and style them in a theme, your house will look very nice but at a fraction of the cost.
Some of my favorite decorations in my home are reusable wall stickers I got for a dollar. They look like I airbrushed paint on the wall with a stencil but it's just a cheap sticker! In my dining room, I have one that says: "Family: a gift that lasts forever." Underneath I have put a collection of family photos staggered on the wall. The frames are all from discount stores or the dollar store, but it looks coordinated and like it cost more then the eight dollars I spent!
Sorry the picture is so small but I had to cut people out of it, lol.
By Shannon from Lakewood, OH
This page contains the following solutions.
I always keep paint chip samples from the paint I have used in various rooms of the house in my purse. I write the room on the back.
Gather your paint chips into a simple photo booklet. I use the 4x6 purse size vinyl photo book found at many thrift stores for $1.00. Write the date and room/or project on the sample.
I bought this chalkboard during last year's 90% Christmas sale at Target for only 30 cents (originally $3). I changed up the original bow that I did not like (which was a simple thin red bow) into this burlap bow.
Sometimes, we find ourselves living on a limited budget with decor colors we have grown tired of. I discovered that using a selection of paint chips, color wheel know-how, and a decorator magazine or two can help you create a fresh look while saving a lot of money!
Helpful Decorating Tips. Here are two tips to help your decorating dollars last longer.
To decorate a room. Pick something that makes you "happy" when you think about it. ie; a pleasant time in your life, a vacation even a song.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
We are moving to a new home soon. It is somewhat formal and traditional home (big change). Do you have any inexpensive decorating tips? There is a huge garden tub with plenty of space around for some pretty things as well as a lot of cabinet space in kitchen, etc. I lean toward antique.
Brown Paper Bag Wall Treatment
Materials:
brown craft paper (or used brown grocery bags)
wallpaper paste
paint brush (inexpensive)
bucket
newspapers
Instructions:
1.) Tear the craft paper or grocery bags into pieces approximately the size of a large dinner plate. Tear away all straight edges. Crumple each piece tightly into a ball.
2.) Pour the wallpaper paste into the paint tray. Use the paint brush to apply paste onto the wall in about a 4X4 inch section.
3.) Uncrumple each piece of brown paper and press onto the wall. Do not smooth out all the wrinkles. This will give a lot of texture to the finished wall. Lay down the next piece slightly overlapping the first piece. Press down the edges with the damp sponge and remove the excess paste. You may have to periodically rinse and wring out the sponge. Continue rolling on paste and applying the paper until the entire wall is covered. Allow to dry 48 hours.
Makes it look like a leather or suede look. It's fantastic and if there is a spill or a piece is damaged later you can just add a piece : )
For cabinets:
Wherever there are cabinets you can do this project.
1. Clean the outside of the cabinet.
2. If you want, prime and paint the cabinet.
3. After paint has dryed use paste on decals.
You and get them at arts and craft stores. They are like stickers, but they look as if someone has painted them. Most of them only need to be placed on area and smoothed out. Others my require to have water. It makes a great decoration on walls, cabinets, dressers, stands, doors, and tables. Prices range from $9.95- $20.00.
I have got roosters on my kitchen cabinets, sunflowers on the kitchen walls and "home sweet home" signs.
Around your tub try filling pretty glass jars and bottles with bath salts and bubble bath then group them together. A grouping of candles is also pretty, tall ones, fat ones, etc. Real or silk plants in pretty pots would also look great along with the bottles and candles. Baskets with rolled washcloths and soaps would also be neat. Thrift stores and dollar stores have great containers. Dollar stores also carry many types of bath accessories and candles.
I just purchased a home and am trying to get some feedback on decorating my home and choosing colors. My living room has white walls with rustic color tile. Where would I start on picking my colors? Should I pick my living set then match the rug and then go from there?
I have a very large open floor plan and in my kitchen I have cherry oak cabinets and all the walls are white with creme/light beige crown molding. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.I would start with the larger pieces of furniture since that will be the largest expenditure. You can then haunt garage sales and flea markets for accent pieces. I have a real obsession with too many patterns. If your sofa has a pattern then take two solids from the pattern and find some chairs. Everything should fall into place after that.
I am moving into an older home and would like some ideas for decorating using my things. I would also like, maybe, a cheap way of working new ideas into the house? I need to put a touch of home into my new house.
By Julie T.
First I'd get some cheap dish towels at the local dollar store to hang on my stove. Then I'd get a couple plants and maybe a nice large bowl to put some fruit in on my kitchen table. Then a couple nice candles. Ask your friends if they have any of these items if you cant afford them. A nice set of flour-sugar-coffee containers for your kitchen counter would be nice, might be able to get those at goodwill. Cleaning always works for me, my own brand of cleaner has a lemony scent that smells like home to me. You'll get there.
Looks like a nice place. Also, since it's summer ask a relative or friend for a start or two of something they have in their yard, like peonies or daffodils that will bloom next year and make you feel more at home. Good luck.
P.S. Goodwill and Salvation Army type stores have lots of household things fairly cheap. You could spend the next month or so picking out things you would like for your new home-or you could go there and window shop and then ask around and see if anyone has those same items free! ;) I have lived in my house for so long that I always tell the girls at work never to buy anything without asking to see it i have it first! Often times, I have one of those in my basement gathering dust.
Decide on a color scheme for the inside. To tie rooms together, run a stripe throughout the house. It can zig and zag over the walls. Hang draperies or even a bedspread behind the bed to make a floor to ceiling statement and use the same on the windows. Paint is a cheap and fun way to decorate. Spray old bottles and cans to match your colors. To be honest, the outside of the house looks nice, but boring. It needs color, a color to make it yours. Check out This Old House magazine for ideas. I think they may have a website. Real decorating treasurers can be found at yard sales and such. Let your imagination run; use old things in a new way. I envy you. Have fun.
I think if you put your things where you want them and it suits you, that's all that matters.
House colors are monochromatic and boring, so find a couple trim colors you like and get to the garage door, the trims on the windows and doors, etc. Since it's white, I like black and gray or black and red.
Dollar Tree has a ton of silk and plastic flowers, and if you are like me and can't grow anything but mold. Hehe. Then you can make your yard and home come alive with colors and change them for the seasons. Flags, whirligigs and garden decorations make your home unique and don't cost much. Thrift shops are great for things like older buckets, boots for flowers, kids wagons, broken chairs not to sit in but to put planters on, and so much more.
One of the coolest things my mom did was to simply put a gate at the edge of her driveway. People would stop and see it and take photos because it was just a gate, no fence! It had flowers from it's sides and over the top, and was very festive. Your local library can help with ideas for the inside, but while the weather is nice, do what you can to make the home look like you!
And when you are done, please send us a photo!
Join freecycle... just Google it and join your area group. We offer items to others and request items we want. It is all free, too. you may not get what you want but it is worth a try. But just make a couple of requests at a time. We discourage posts wanting everything for a home. Good luck!
I will be buying a small house that has light grey carpet and light blue walls. It has white trim. It is very nice and peaceful, but I would like add a touch of warmth to it. Amy suggestions? The house is my friend's second house and it is her furniture. Thank you for any tips.
By Vickie from Mansfield, OH
I would be tempted to paint the trim something other than white, maybe a very light yellow. Add some other shades of blue in accessories like pillows, throws etc.
