Frugal Decorating Tips

[72Tiger]

Some cities have a Habitat for Humanity store that sells paint and other things you may be able to use at really low prices. And you can support a worthy cause while you're at it.

[boba1212]

I love the idea of the photo wall. My variation would be hanging several mirrors in patterns/geometric shapes.

I used to collect fall leaves, dry them, coat with acrylic and then hang them on the walls. A few twigs, too. Just a few at the corners of windows made an interesting touch.

[kophelia]

There are lots of great ways to decorate cheaply. One of my favorite ways to spice up a room on the cheap is to do an accent wall in an "off" color paint. Paint and hardware stores frequently have custom mixed colors for people that then don't need all the paint they ordered. You can great great deals on these paints because they are custom, they're usually fun colors, but you typically can't buy more than one can (often only a small one). Use these to paint one small wall in a room or a whole small room like a bathroom. Try stripes or just painting the trim, or if you have a entryway where there is a small wall with a window or door taking up most of it, this is a great place to do a bright and bold color you wouldn't dare do somewhere else.

Have fun!

[Xin Lu]

My mom got some beautiful fabrics from China and framed it. She also went to a local antique shop and bought these boards that were from an old theatre and put them on the wall. They look really cool.

[gt0163c]

In the past, I've done a variety of things to help cheaply spruce up very boring apartments. I bought some colorful sheets at a thrift store and used them to wrap a couple of closet doors. That helped provide some nice color.

At some point, I got a very light weight plastic/resin frame that looks like it's very ornate gold leaf. I attached that to the mirror in my bathroom with adhesive tape and it looked very cool. The mirror was much larger than the frame, but even so, the frame really added to the bathroom.

A friend of mine found some art auction brochures that were being thrown away. She rescued them and framed some of her favorite pictures to hang on the wall. The pictures look like high quality prints of the original paintings They're not the really well known paintings, but she actually prefers that.

Personally, I like decor that you can play with (yes, I really am just a tall kid with a large allowance and no curfew). I have a shelf in my entrance area that holds my Mr. Potato Head collection and, my young friends who live nearby know that the box of spare parts is just around the corner. A couple of my favorite Lego sets sit in various places around my house. The big Harry Potter Durmstrang ship has an almost permanent place on top of my entertainment center. While not exactly cheap (although I did get it on sale), it works for me. And, really, it's cheaper than some other things.

[purplefdu]

Originally Posted by gt0163c

Personally, I like decor that you can play with (yes, I really am just a tall kid with a large allowance and no curfew). I have a shelf in my entrance area that holds my Mr. Potato Head collection and, my young friends who live nearby know that the box of spare parts is just around the corner. A couple of my favorite Lego sets sit in various places around my house. The big Harry Potter Durmstrang ship has an almost permanent place on top of my entertainment center. While not exactly cheap (although I did get it on sale), it works for me. And, really, it's cheaper than some other things.

You mean you shouldn't be able to do this? We have a professional replica light saber (think star wars) on our rolltop desk. Its got a beautiful presentation holder which is just the length of the desk. People freak when we take it down and use it, lol. But its the best powered flashlight in the house and freaks out the power company in a blackout.
We also have star wars action figures, Shrek toys (dronkeys actually), and other cartoon characters on the desk. I've been eying some My Little Ponies (the new teeny ones) for Valentines day. Its fun to still buy toys and we don't have kids yet.

We also have a couple framed pieces like the Star Wars stamp sheet, a calendar with the dogs, a light saber calendar, and a couple of the dogs that need framing. Our house is white with tan carpet (rental) and our couch was a gift so the dark green matches but isn't our taste. With purple throws it works though.

[megRDJ]

In the first 7 years I was married we moved 13 times (hubby and I were both in the military) and we always had a very limited budget. I learned that you should do the following:

1) only buy what you absolutely cannot live without as the next time you move it likely won't fit;
2) be sure that whatever you do buy is durable and comfortable;
3) 1 or 2 focal items per room that you absolutely love will be what folks notice.... everything else can be pretty basic/bland.
4) don't be in a hurry to "finish".... if you do rush you won't be as happy with the results;

[Night Runner]

Visit your local antique store. While some items may be grossly overpriced, there are often sales (seasonal, going out of business, etc.) taking place, and you can find the strangest things for really low prices.