Often we want change in our decorating. Were tired of looking at the same couch, same curtains, same rug but we can't afford to purchase new and being frugal, we wouldn't just go and do it anyways.

There are wonderful ways though to decorate with things you have around your home and with little money.

- I love 2 qt. jars. You can store just about anything in them but I didn't like having them out because they didn't look all that nice. I have tons of fat quarters and so decided to make tops for the jars.

I took a saucer, cut out circles and then put them around the tops of the jars, using an elastic to hold them in place. I had some pretty ribbon and tied the ribbon around the material. Cost under $1.00 for a couple of jars. The material was the main cost and it was left over from quilting.

- I wanted a quilt hanger but didn't want to spend the money on one. I designed one and dh made it from material he had gotten for free. The only cost was the dowelling which we had purchased for $3.00 a number of years ago for a huge box of dowelling that were left overs from a company who makes dowelling. The quilt hanger now is on my wall in my living room, with 2 quilts on it. A lovely touch of color on a white wall.

- I mentioned already in another thread about wanting new towels but with dh out of work, I just couldn't justify purchasing any. So I used lace I had purchased from a yard sale and the cost was under $1.00 for 5 towels. I plan on doing the same with my pillowcases.

- New curtains can be made for very little if you have a sewing machine and watch for material on sale. They are simple to make and with little cost, you can change them when you get tired of them. When you spend big $$, you don't want to change them every year.

- A pretty china cup and saucer, placed on a dresser, with a string of pearls draped over the cup (all picked up at yard sales), makes for a lovely decoration and very little cost.

How about some suggestions from all of you about decorating on a very limited budget! I'd love to hear your suggestions.

My new favorite cheap wall art- plates!! Pretty plates can be purchased for pennies at flea markets, antique shops, etc., and grouped together really make a statement!

I like to frame pretty greeting cards. You can group them any way you want. Instant art! Tired of a picture, pop a new one in.
~
Those treasures you have tucked away in closed cupboards and hope chests need to get out & be enjoyed. They are not just for special occasions. Every day can be a special occasion, you and your family are worth it!
~
Candles set a mood and make everything look & feel all cozy. They are just not decoration. Light them in the evening and enjoy the glow. Save $ on electricity too. We have candle lit dinners almost every night.
:)

Painting is always an inexpensive way to redecorate, but like Cj did, look at the things you alraedy have.... Try switching things from one room to another for a fresh look.... Watch the curbside mall, many nice pieces have been found there...... Rearrange the things you already have.....

I am always rearranging my things and you are right Lori, it gives the room a fresh look. With winter here I am using my oil lamps in the evening, saves on electricity and gives the room a beautiful feeling (until my kids come in and flick on the light!!!) I thought of something this morning as I was tidying upstairs....I saw this in a magazine years ago and I used it.......I put lacy doilies or hankies over the top of my pictures....you just drape them over the top and adjust it to how you like the look, gives a nice Victorian, romantic feel.

There are some great ideas here!

Plants....artificial for me. Though I love real ones, these add body to a room and round out the empty spots...and you can get them at garage sales and on sale at Hobby Lobby if you watch for them.

My kids used to joke about how they lived in a jungle, so I might be a little over the top with plants....but I love them so I use them, even if I get teased about it! :)

Entry wall
http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/cottagerose/fuzzyplantsbuffet.7724694.jpg

I need to redo the mantle after the Holidays, but I put plants in the vacant spots.
http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/cottagerose/backfillwithplants.3700605.jpg

Such great ideas gals! I have a few things I do in my home that might interest someone:
I hang cup hooks under my upper cabinets and hang all my pretty cups on them. Most of the cups were purchased at yard sales or thrift shops.

I hang pretty, old potholders around my kitchen walls. They are all so different and done in bright colors. Potholders can be picked up so cheaply.

I have old chests, of different types, all throughout my home. They can be used for end tables, coffee tables or to display plants or collections. They have the added plus of providing extra storage.

I made hand towel holders from the lids of old granite ware pans. I just glued lace around the pan lid and bought those hangers, you use to hang plates up, to hang them on the wall. I pull the small towels through the lid's handle.

I purchase old gravy boats or sugar bowls at yard sales and I store my Sweet N' Low or tea bags etc. in them. They look so pretty on the table when you are serving tea or coffee!

There are just so many things you can do to brighten a home up. It is so much fun too!!!:D

Ooooooh I love this forum! GREAT ideas everyone, great thread CJ and GREAT pics Mel! I am just dying to texturize the walls and paint my hallway. Have some old picture frames, all in ornate styles that I've been picking up at garage sales. Gonna paint the walls a mauve-y brown and then the picture frames are all gonna be spray painted a metallic silver to match. I'll hang our family photo gallery in the hallway like this. Gonna be Feb. before I can do it though, but I'm dying, dying to get started.

Lisa,

You can send those frames to me if like... :) I love your idea of painting them all the same color. I hope you will post pics when it's done.

Carolyn,

Golly, I thought I was nutz to like HomeSpun and Victorian! And I didn't think they could be blended, but you have done so fabulously. I am PM-ing you about focal points....need to pick your brain.

Kathi,

I love your potholder idea, my mom decorated around her kitchen window with potholders, I think it is a great way to do all the kitchen....You really should take a pic or two for us to see.

And what could be more romantic than these ladies decorating their homes with oil lamps, lace and candles....I love it all!
Am I the only one who loves pictures of decorated homes?

Nope, you're not Mel, I love em too!

I love to decorate with photographs... hang them, sit them up, on stands, on shelves, alone or as a collage, whatever and where ever. :)

I bought some plants at Wal-Mart... the $1.77 ones that come in a cheapo terra cotta colored plastic pot. I painted the pots white then sponged gold onto them and clear coated them. Now they look like pretty decorative pots. :)

i need help.. i have old calander pictures and would like to cover them in plastic and hang on the wall ..i cant thinkof were to get clear hard plastic cheaply,,local dollar store maybe..

Wow I love the mantle pic!
I also love homespun country and victorian. I do not do victorian now though.
My lving room is country and western, GMAs furniture and 2 huge indian chief pics fil gave us, and gpas pewter horses. I didn't think it would go, but the match is perfect!
I actually love the look it creates. A warm inviting room to relax in!

don't forget framing your children's artwork. :D
I have a love of old valentines. You can find them in antique stores and so inexpensive. Frame them up.
I have a covered glass container filled with skeleton keys.
Table fountains are a nice addition.
Add tassles to some knobs.
Can buy glass paint and really jazz up some very inexpensive oil lamps.
grouping of odd mismatched crystal candlesticks is a beautiful addition to your decor. (and can be found so dirt cheap) You can mix and match crystal, cut glass, pressed glass)
All you sewers could be making some beautiful table runners or bell pulls.
Changing switchplates. Can decorate your own.
I think hanging some wooden canes found at a flea market would be lovely.
collection of old purses or hats too. I esp love old hatpins.
Collection of pretty rocks or shells you've picked up.
You can make your own custom draw shades. Buy cheap vinyl roll shades and redo with your favorite fabric of choice.

The key is finding items you find interesting and creatively displaying them. You can never go wrong with decorating with items you personally like.

Sara,
I would love more information on redoing window shades. Do you unroll the whole shade and then recover? How do you attach the fabric?
Thanks

you completely remove the vinyl and attach your fabric onto the roll with double sided tape.
Your options for your fabric are endless. (adding fringe, creating tabs and pushing a dowel through to use as a handle to pull down with, tassles, charm pulls, buttons, beads etc)

Wow...:) So many ideas!

Having little time to decorate, I hang all my kids' drawings in different areas of the house.

I also hang pictures of our family.

My aunt did this: She used a place mat that had a beautiful photographic image of fruits on a table. She cut it to fit in an old frame she already had. The frame had an white inner lining of 2 inches. The image was in the middle. (I hope my explaination was comprensive) When I saw this, I thought it was store bought!

That's all the tips I have for now...My imagination is not *on* ;)

Lucie

wow!! what great ideas everyone!! thanks for sharing!:D

I was thinking about the baskets that everyone loves to use to decorate and wanted to add that you can add a nice pretty fabric liner or even just unbleached muslin to the baskets to dress them up a bit.

Display ledges can be made or bought at garage sales too. These really make a wall/hall look pretty.

Always keep a lookout for interesting ironwork scrolls to use as wallhangings or picture frame accents too.

i love these ideas. i had old flour sifters that i collected and hung them on a barn board. i have an old cheese slicer that i hung on the wall, i have baskets filled with junk. lol on my counters.

I wanted to bump this up because I thought these were wonderful ideas and wanted to let everyone see them again. As you know, I'm in the decorating mood and with it being spring some like to "redo" stuff. There are great tips in this thread!! :D

thanks for the tips....

WOW this thread is great!!!!!!! So many great ideas. We just bought our house and so we are soooooo broke and I have been trying to"dress up"my house a bit, make it homey.I have a plastic ice bucket from Las Vegas from when we got married:D that I have moved it from house to house for the past 6 years...............finally found a use for it..........I put the cooking utensils in next to the stove.My kitchen is hunter green and cows so the black bucket was a great match.My MIl passed away in Feb and SIL has been "dismantling"the house since,we got some nice things to add to my house.Last weekend hubby brought home a shelf with 4 or 5 shelves that fit PERFECT in the nook in the living room.I got to put up alot of my pictures.I LOVE it and she had it in the garage for storage.Now I just have to figure out how to make all the wood in the living room match,we have 5 different color woods in there now:surprise: its terrible.LOL