I have a friend who is relocating for her new job and doesn't want to bring anything with her - or even buy new furniture, as she doesn't know how long she will be there. If I were her, I would use it as a chance to do some cheap experimental decorating.
Make a little side table out of a large roll of newspapers tied, with a glass plate on top. Or a pile of old hardback books. Make bottle lamps with converters from the hardware store, wine bottles and thrift shop shades. Use old wood crates for side tables. Make brick and board bookcases. Put your mattress on the floor. Put transparent contact paper on the windows for privacy.
Look around for neat found objects. (I had a big piece of wood I dragged in from a camping trip in the big living room of my old NYC apt. Or collect neat river stones or shells). Make a footstool from a foam cooler covered with a remnant. Make wastepaper baskets from recycled ice cream cardboard containers wangled from your local ice cream place. Recycle any and all containers you can. Be creative!
By Pamphyila from L.A., CA
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Save or collect cosmetic mirrors (pick them up at sales or thrift stores) and hot glue them to an acrylic or glass frame. Some are upside down. You can mat the background with a coordinating fabric of your choice (under the glass).
I had an extremely large wall behind my couch with cathedral ceilings and couldn't afford to buy large pictures to "balance" the room. We purchased very inexpensive wood molding from Home Depot, mitered it and attached to walls with finishing nails.
I always find really nice place mats at local thrift stores. I like ones made from straw, seagrass, and other materials like that.
I have been redecorating my bedroom and found many items at yard sales, trash day, etc. I have a "new" hand made quilt for my bed that was given to me, and I needed something to accent it. Since I live on a fixed income, my brain went into gear.
For inexpensive artwork that looks like an oil painting, you can use a picture from an old calendar (or similar paper stock) by gluing it to poster board or cardboard and then lay a piece of cheese cloth over the picture. Next step is to brush on a thin coat of shellac over the cheese cloth.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I was looking for some super cheap decorating ideas for a small concrete fenced back yard, e.g., seating, lighting, plants, etc.
By melissa
Go with a theme, or color scheme. I'm using some left over paint and fabrics to liven things up. Stones are good for decorating too. I pick them up at the beach.
My favorite tip from a city dwelling friend with a patio: use branches to make barriers. Trim to desired height, fill a planter with cement or plaster of paris, put the branches in (support if necessary), then decorate with real plants like moonflowers or other vine plants and twinkle lights. Really classy and adds privacy where needed. Have fun!
I agree with the 1st post and pick a theme. Lightning can be done by the tiny solar lites, kmart has a 10 pack for $14 and you can place them anywhere>on ground in flower beds/in pots. Or string up lights in the trees /on your fence/intwined in a flower bush. Use the tiny white (or any color) christmas lights or any theme lights>mine are changed out but now its red peppers for a mexican theme.
I'm not sure where you live but in my area freecycle.org has many people wanting to give away outdoor tables, planters, chairs etc. check it out.
Go to Goodwill. I found some great pots and sconces. The sconses I hung on the house - one on each side of the back window and flower pots line the steps off the deck.
I use one thing on my deck that is perfect for what I want. I took strings of Christmas lights, the tiny ones that go on the tree or around windows, and use only white lights. I attached them up under the railing around my deck, including going down the steps.
Container garden! This year I discovered "recipes" for planters; from a "Spaghetti" planter with tomato plant and herbs; to colourful combinations and varying heights.
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you could always trek down to the library to find books on building the furniture you want, maybe see if you could score some reclaimed wood from demolition sites. Another cool place to look is at the Architectural Clearinghouses; where construction materials are recycled. You could maybe find a cool old clawfoot tub for a planter... stuff like that. Craigslist and Kijiji are good too! Have fun!
Empty food tins, instead of being recycled can by upcycled into luminaries. Clean and remove labels then use a hammer and nail or metal punch or ice pick (anything sharp enough to make a hole) to carefully punch holes in the sides of the cans without making dents. You can just make random holes or try to make star patterns or anything at all, really. Be sure to add a couple of holes near the top if you want to hang these from a tree or your fence, but be sure to use long pieces of cord or string. Add candles (from the dollar store).
Therefore, if you are a starter, some of the ideas,I can give you the right direction. It is essential to understand the favorite fall colors as the starting stage in decorating your porch or patio. You should also try to grow plants that are suitable for the fall season and make sure that you take the necessary steps to maintain them.
Manage Plants Around Your Patio
Different plants around your patio significantly help improve its appearance. Flowers for example come in different colors that help to decorate your place so that it looks attractive. Other plants also help to create a natural environment around your home that is refreshing. Vegetation around the patio together with artificial flowers makes the resting place attractive.
Choose The Right Fall Plants: Border Gardens
Vegetation around your patio makes the place look beautiful, and it retains its natural appearance. There are different types of plants that you can use to decorate your patio. You can also use artificial plants and flowers to decorate the exterior part of your home for fall events.
You can achieve a vibrant garden for autumn through proper planning and research about the appropriate plants for your place. It is also essential to know different types of plants about their growing habits, and you need to follow simple rules for border gardens.
It is essential to make sure that you place tall plants at the back in your garden. The main reason for this is that they will not obscure short plants. It follows the logic that smaller plants go in front while mid-sized plants also go in the middle. With this order, your guests can have a clear vision of the garden, and they can appreciate it in different ways.
Some of the plants in your vibrant bed can include ornamental okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), red leaf tree fern (Blechnum brasiliense crispum) and Coleus (the front-of-the-border reds). These are easy to maintain, and they come in different colors that make your patio appear bright.
Alternatively, you can also use containers with plants on your patio or porch. You can place the container plants on a high stage close to the walls in your courtyard. The jars with flowers can also give a beautiful appearance when they are hanging from the walls.
Creepers are also suitable for decorating your patio or porch since they follow a natural pattern that is attractive. You can find a place on the porch where you plant the creeper so that it does not distract the movement of people. It is vital to separate climbers from other flowers since they can disturb their growth and create an awkward appearance.
Sweet Potato Vines
Sweet potato vines do very well in other climates, but they are perfect for decorating your patio during fall. These plants work well as groundcovers, or in some instances, you can place them in hanging planters.
During Halloween, Ipomea batata Blackie is the most strikingly black and beautiful plant that mixes well with other dark plants. You can also combine this plant with pumpkins, and it helps to present an attractive view. Margarita is another excellent example of sweet potato vine which makes a beautiful contrast with other darker plants.
Other black or Goth plants that you can try this fall include Aeonium Arboreum Zwartkop, Black Elephants Ear, Black Bat Orchid and Black Mondo Grass. All these plants are dark and beautiful, and they combine well with other plants in your patio.
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I am looking for a frugal decorating website? Any ideas?
By jenny from MN
try-
diynetwork.com
bhg.com
livingapartments.com
Try www.frugal-home-decor.com. They have lots of step-by-step, easy and frugal ideas.
Kathy Wilson has a great site. thebudgetdecorator.com I get her weekly newsletters on decorating. She has some great ideas. Hope this helps, Faith
The BHG site has a lot of good inexpensive ideas for decorating.
Well, the best thing to do is to go to Google and type in "budget decorating" and see what comes up. I did that and thebudgetdecorator.com came up. It seems like a good website. I also found rentaldecorating.com, which is a great site.
This is my frugal idea for decorating your home. I choose a picture that I like and then decorate the room based on the objects/colors of the picture. The decor that I purchase has been found at garage sales or thrift stores. The end result makes my home look well decorated but I am able to do it on a budget. These are some of the pictures and decor I have used.
