Decorating your house on a budget! Part 1

I love decorating.  A few details can really make a room go from tolerable to amazing! The best part about decorating is the little thrill of excitement as you plan how you are going to arrange everything to make the most impact when you walk into the room.

Of course, that thrill is significantly lessened when you realize that there is no way that you can afford to decorate your home.

Budget woes

Even though you might have saved and scrimped, there is a good chance that you simply won’t have enough funds to transform your entire house.  Prices for the furnishings that you want might be so expensive that they are totally out of your reach.

If you scale back to just a few rooms, that might be a more manageable goal but it is hard not to imagine how much nicer the rest of your house would have been if all the rooms were included.

How can you do that with limited funds?

Decorating on a budget

There are a lot of ways to change a room without breaking the bank.  For example if your room is lacking a natural attention grabber, such as a television, create one. Pair a mirror or artwork with a console table, bench, or shelves to create a point of interest on your far wall.

What about getting some accents like a new vase?

Don’t throw out old glassware just because the rest of the set has broken. Mismatched drinking glasses make beautiful vases. Group glasses together for a creative centerpiece.

Why not dress up plain chairs by adding a colorful scarf or fabric runner which can be made from your old sheets. You can also spruce up your windows by using scarves, belts, or ribbon to tie back the curtains.

Another option is to customize your window treatments with text. Print letters in your favorite font and transfer them to the window shade by tracing the letters with a fabric marker. This technique also works with simple clip art illustrations.

What about your bedroom?

You ca add interest to a old headboard by draping a panel of pretty fabric over it.Just cut to size and tuck the ends under the mattress to help it stay in place.

These are just some of the improvements you can make that won’t be too hard on the pockets. What’s your  take?

Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: budget, decorate