Home decorating isn’t my forte. I think it’s because I’m more logical than artistic. Still, I’m always looking for ways to make my home more beautiful and homey. And of course, anything I do has to involve little money.
So I went to flickr to look for inspiration. Here’s what I found.
Fruit in a decorative bowl. Simple, cheap, appetizing. This would look wonderful on a table or counter.
Fresh cut flowers in a simple jar. You don’t even have to buy a fancy vase, though vases aren’t hard to come by at Goodwill. A small jar of flowers would look great on a bookshelf.
Frame your kids’ art and make a nice arrangement on the wall. You don’t need expensive frames. I love this idea, as it shows the kids that they’re appreciated.
I love throw pillows! They make a living room look so inviting and cozy. A long time ago, a friend of mine gave me a very frugal throw pillow tip. Buy cheap throw pillows at garage sales, even if you don’t like them. You can cheaply re-cover them with fabric you find on clearance to make them look any way you like.
If you keep your eyes open, you can find lots of cheap ways to decorate your home. And by using things you already have around the house or things you pick up at a bargain, your home decor will be unique and inviting.
Photos by JamesKidsArts.
I got a nice 1/2 metre of fabric for four dollars and attached it to a 14 dollar white board with a staple gun and hey presto I have an awesome piece of art that no one else has. The plus is it has the letters of the alphabet across it and my son adores it and it helps with his letter recognition :) Another is a card that my son was given for his birthday with a vintage robot on it. We put it in a cheap a4 ikea frame and I love it! It cost about 5 dollars to put together.
Bringing the outdoors in is pretty much my one and only plan, and for me Fall is the best time to do it. I usually like to decorate the table with funny lookin’ squash from the farmers market (usually a couple dollars) and pressed leaves in all colors. Shop at goodwill for some old picture frame with a matt, and put just a few leaves or pressed flowers in it. Or a goodwill vase like the one you have pictured with interesting sticks I found around the neighborhood. My first kid is due next month, but I bet that these hunts would be fun for kids too.
Right now I have some pumpkins laid out atop the TV with a houseplant, it looks kinda like a pumpkin patch, but it’s really not as good as the other ideas, wife likes it though.
Lynnae,
Great ideas – I’m a fan of the fruit in the bowl – it looks cozy and homey and reminds us to eat healthier. Sometimes I “shop” in my own home. I’ll mix up some pictures or knick-knacks between rooms to freshen up the look a bit and I love bringing the outdoors in.
Thanks,
Liane
To make the pillows even more frugal, I covered the 25 cent pillows with a flowered print material that was once a lady’s fancy dress – the dress was part of a bag sale – stuff the bag for $1. So I have about a nickel’s worth of fabric in the pillow top….
Voila – 3 beautiful flower print throw pillows for about 90 cents total :) Luv it!