How to Decorate Home Without Breaking the Bank
1. Learn How To Sew
If you’re savvy at following YouTube videos and reading a manual, you can teach yourself how to sew. It’s really not a difficult skill to learn, and it just takes a little bit of practice. By learning how to sew, you can make pillows, sheets, curtains, and a variety of other household items in just a few hours. Why spend $30 on a decorative pillow when you can spend $5 on a yard of fabric and make two? Plus, you’ll get to customize your accessories exactly how you want them to look.
2. Be Active On Craigslist
Many people know about Craigslist.com and how beneficial it can be when you are looking for second hand furniture. However, I also hear a lot of complaints about how some cities have better pieces of furniture than others. The way to really score big on Craigslist is to be vigilant. You have to know exactly what you are looking for and check multiple times a day for that item. It also helps if you are the first person to respond about an item, and you offer to go see it as soon as possible. Avoid overpaying for an item if it has damages or is not exactly as it was pictured in the ad. Bring cash and try to get the price for slightly less when you go to pick up the item.
3. Refinish Old Pieces
Many of us have older pieces of furniture from our parents or grandparents that don’t go with our décor. I often see pieces like this on the curb, only to be replaced by newer, more contemporary models. Spending the money on new furniture can be avoided if you refinish or paint old pieces of furniture. It will take about a weekend to refinish an old piece due to drying times, but once you do, you’ll have a “new” piece that actually fits in well with your overall design.
4. Visit Thrift Stores
It’s amazing what people will throw out. I’ve found huge bookshelves, great pieces of art, and designer clothes at all thrift stores. Additionally, many thrift stores have 50% off days where they liquidate items before new ones come in. Some things I wouldn’t purchase from thrift stores include cloth sofas and sheets. However, inexpensive wood headboards, side tables, and art are definitely worth a trip to the thrift store from time to time.
5. Buy Floor Samples
When you go to buy furniture at a big box store, you often order pieces that you see on the show room floor. One way to keep costs down is to ask them when they will have a floor model sale. This is where the store sells the furniture that they used to showcase different collections. They might have a little more wear and tear on them from people trying them out. Otherwise, most of them should be in near perfect condition.
6. Re-use and Re-cycle
Many people purchase accessories for their home like vases, picture frames, and other items. However, there are many household items that you use every single day that can be recycled into home décor. A glass bottle can become a vase. A tin can become a place to keep your pens and pencils. The possibilities are truly endless.
7. Embrace Minimalist Design
One easy way to save money on decorating is to simply buy less. Having a minimalist design means having a zen-like space. When you have less papers less clutter, and less mess, you feel much more at peace in your home. You’ll also feel much more at peace with your finances because you aren’t splurging on accessories that clutter your space. Hopefully, these tips will help you to decorate your new home with incredible style, great design, and without breaking the bank. Featured photo credit: modern interior design via Shutterstock
