Stylishly decorating your home doesn’t have to be expensive. By giving new life to old items that you no longer use or forgotten treasures that you find at thrift stores, you can create a unique look that reflects your personality and taste. Use these ideas to get your creativity flowing, and then get started adding touches to make your space distinctively and beautifully your own.
Throw Pillows
(Retail equivalent $15 - $30)
Decorative napkins and place mats can easily be transformed into throw pillows similar to those that are typically found for $15 - $30 each. Stitch together two matched or color-coordinated pieces of the same size to make the cover, and stuff them with one or more old, worn pillow that’s seen better days.
Serving Tray
(Retail equivalent $15 - $60)
Thrift stores often have large selections of picture frames that are missing glass, have been scratched, or show other damage. Find one that is sturdy, and refresh it with a coat of paint. Fasten a thin wooden panel to the back and handles to two of the sides. You can either paint the panel to match or choose another color for contrast. The experts at Martha Stewart even have a step-by-step video to walk you through the process!
Easy & Inexpensive Art Framing
Art doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be a favorite photo that you snapped the last time you were in the woods, a drawing or painting created by you or someone you know, pressed flowers, a really cool greeting card, or a discarded treasure that you found at thrift store or yard sale. When you bargain hunt for art and frames, however, you usually won’t find a frame, mat, and art piece that all work together. Fortunately, that’s easy to fix! All you need is a frame that’s larger than the art you’ve chosen, a pair of sharp scissors, double-sided tape, a pencil, a ruler, and paper stock of your choice. Plain poster board works just fine and is very inexpensive, but the possibilities are practically endless. You can use thinner paper (like wrapping paper or wallpaper that you really like), but make sure that you fit it snugly to the frame so no one can tell! First, trace the shape of your picture frame’s cardboard backing onto the paper stock that you’ve chosen to use as your mat, and cut the mat to match. Then, center your art on the front of the mat, and attach it with double-sided tape. Place the “matted” picture in the frame, and secure the back so everything lies flat. That’s it! Of course, there are also lots of ways to spruce up the old frames you find before you fill them with art! Decorate them with paint, or even camouflage them as high-end pieces with reclaimed wood (see complete instructions from REMODELaholic)!
Are your creative juices flowing? To come up with your own innovative budget décor ideas, start by looking around for things you are ready to throw out, and try to envision them as something new. Upcycling is the most cost effective as well as the most environmentally friendly way to decorate with distinctive items that create a truly individual space that feels like home.
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