50 Budget Decorating Tips You Should Know!

Hey ya'll. So, this renovation that I've been snailing my agency through is finally on the dwelling stretch. I've been icon in addition to installing reduce in addition to doors for nearly half-dozen weeks now, in addition to I think I powerfulness really live finished past times this fourth dimension adjacent week. I'll live sharing all of the details nearly what I've been up to rattling soon, but inwards the meantime, I wanted to choose a infinitesimal to recap some of the best budget decorating ideas that I've come upward up with inwards the past times 2 years before nosotros started the renovation.

Let me preface this entire post past times speaking some truth: 

I'm non the best decorator. 
I expect dorsum on some of my creations in addition to think 'No, Virginia. Just no.'. 
But, similar anything, I've improved with time. And one of the most mutual questions I acquire from readers is nearly decorating, in addition to specifically how to exercise it on a budget. 

So, I've narrowed the listing downwardly to my top 50, in addition to I've fifty-fifty thrown inwards a few projects in addition to ideas that receive got never made it onto the weblog before, but for fun. Consider this i large lastly hoorah in addition to a friendly trivial moving ridge to my 1970's solid that existed before the renovation. 

I mean, it volition ever live a 1970's house...it has a giant stone wall built through the centre of it. But, you lot know what I mean....we're making progress.

Let's acquire started! Here are some of my favorite ideas from the past times 2 years.

1. I acquire asked all the fourth dimension nearly how I locomote on clutter to such a minimum. And i of the ways is past times using trays to organize modest spaces. For example, but this calendar week I flora a trivial silvery tray at the thrift store for $1, in addition to I created a trivial java station where I tin locomote on sugar, spoons, etc. It's non rocket science, but it works in addition to it's cute.

2. Use vintage finds inwards unconventional ways. I flora this vintage champagne bucket for nether $10 in addition to occupation it every bit a planter. I've also seen these used for belongings wooden utensils on the kitchen counter.

3. Have an off-center calorie-free fixture that's driving you lot crazy? Well, I receive got several inwards this house, in addition to rather than paying an electrician to motion the entire thing over, I but swagged it over with a chain in addition to ceiling mounted hook.  You tin notice specially made hooks inwards the lighting department of your hardware store.
Update: For those of you lot who receive got been waiting on me to finally complete the dining room (after exclusively a long 8 months), here it is. I'm thus lamentable I'm such a snail.

4. Make your ain fine art with a blank white canvass in addition to gilded thumbtacks. 

Tons of you lot position your ain spin on this projection past times using silvery thumbtacks or making an initial...I honey when you lot choose something I've done in addition to acquire inwards fifty-fifty better. 
High five, lady friends.

5. Spruce upward an old fireplace with a fake stacked log insert.

6. Or create your ain mantle for less than $20 with some fight forest in addition to white paint.

7. Buy some thrift store fine art in addition to re-purpose it past times spray icon the frame, icon the mat white, in addition to adding some sequins. 
Go expect at the before pic, in addition to I hope you'll never expect at thrift store fine art the same agency ever again.

8. Search Craigslist in addition to thrift stores for a inexpensive tabular array in addition to occupation it every bit an component subdivision desk. I flora this tabular array for $50, painted it black, in addition to added a polyurethane top coat. It's served every bit my blogging headquarters since twenty-four hours one.

I but re-assembled the component subdivision this calendar week in addition to it looks a lot different. Different layout, novel paint, novel rug, novel calorie-free fixture, dissimilar wall art. Basically, the exclusively thing that stayed the same is the desk. I'll present ya soon. 

9. Build your ain headboard. Because those things tin live pricey. I made mine with a slice of plywood, upholstery foam, a drib cloth (used every bit the upholstery material), in addition to some silvery nailhead trim. In total, I think it cost me less than $50.

10. Find some inexpensive slice of furniture in addition to pigment it a bold color. Painted slice of furniture isn't for everyone, but if you're on a tight budget, you lot tin privy really exercise a lot with some inexpensive slice of furniture in addition to a trivial paint. Whether you're dealing with handmedowns, a thrift store find, or something you lot literally scooped upward off the side of the road, pigment tin operate miracles.
I know we've talked nearly this dresser some 5,000 times, but he's such an icon that he literally but goes past times his showtime name.

*Vern asked me to state that. You know how he gets.

11. Reupholster an old pianoforte bench in addition to plow it into an upholstered bench for the human foot of your bed.

I but used some striped fabric, pillow stuffing, in addition to nailhead trim, in addition to and thus I painted the legs silver.

12. Rather than but mashing all of my jewelry inwards a sack somewhere (because, naturally...), I receive got a bunch of pretty trivial bowls that I've collected through the years (that I ordinarily pick upward for $1 or thus spell thrifting), in addition to I store my jewelry inwards them. Vern's top drawer is devoted but to jewelry...all held inwards trivial bowls.
I used to live the sort who would but exit her jewelry out inwards the open, but in addition to thus I accepted Cheese in addition to Tootie into my life, in addition to that speedily went downwardly the drain.
CATS.

13. This is kinda similar to #12, but we're but gonna coil with it. I also occupation modest vases to store my makeup on top of my vanity table. 

Here's a closeup to preserve you lot from the squint.

 There's a flora taking upward temporary residence on my vanity today. I'm trying to forestall flora murder past times giving him some sun. Well, in addition to water. I to a greater extent than oftentimes than non but forgot to H2O him.

Keep Herb inwards your thoughts.

14. And that brings us to the vanity. I know you lot guys honey Vern, but the silvery leafed vanity is my personal favorite. I sit down hither every twenty-four hours (because it takes quite a spell to brush out my rat's nest) in addition to although it's the the projection that nearly killed me, it's i of the few things I've created that I'm but totally in addition to utterly inwards honey with. Plus, it was originally a $15 dark dark-brown thrift store desk. So, that helps.

15. So, I receive got a pillow obsession, in addition to at that spot were a duo of years early when I spent agency also much coin on pillows. 
I'll acknowledge it. I tin experience some of you lot nodding inwards shame with me. 
There's but something nearly a pillow, man. 
When you lot can't afford to acquire a novel couch or redo your entire house, a $20 pillow gives you lot hope. I'm non proverb it's healthy, I'm but beingness honest.
#pillowtalk 

But those things add together up, in addition to before you lot know it, you lot receive got a cupboard total of pillows that you lot aren't fifty-fifty using, in addition to you lot want you lot would receive got but saved your coin in addition to bought the novel couch instead. 
Or invested inwards your cat's college fund.

So, these days, I preserve my coin in addition to I make my own pillows.  And the best component subdivision is that you lot don't receive got to live able to sew...you tin but occupation cloth glue.

16. We've already said agency also much nearly pillows, thus we'll locomote on this i short: You tin also create your ain pillows past times using basic white fabric, in addition to and thus stenciling on your ain designing with a Sharpie.

17.  Reupholstering thrift store chairs is a smashing agency to preserve money, in addition to I've in all probability salvaged to a greater extent than than 10 of them since the start of this blog. This dark-green in addition to white chair was i of my favorite redos, to a greater extent than oftentimes than non because of how terrible it looked when I got it. All it needed was nearly a yard of cloth in addition to a trivial pigment for the legs. 

18. Paint a thrift store dresser in addition to occupation it every bit a TV console.
You guys know how long I searched for this one, in addition to the disaster that ensued when I tried to strip in addition to stain it. But, nonetheless, I'm thus happy with the agency it finally turned out. 

Plus, let's live honest, the living room used to expect similar the below situation, thus I appreciate the trivial things similar an appropriately sized TV stand.

Although I exercise really immature lady beingness able to receive got Mathias (currently inwards the Navy) assist me with icon stuff. *Tear

19. Mix metallics. I used to live thus bad at this, but I've tardily worked my agency upward to beingness decent. And our solid looks a lot ameliorate straightaway that I've slightly improved my metallic element mixing skills.
Lately, I occupation a lot of chrome in addition to satin nickel, in addition to occasionally add together trivial bits of stone oil rubbed bronze (like the hardware on the dresser) in addition to gilded (like the mirrored tray I spray painted).

20. Shop at thrift stores. 
I nonetheless thrift a lot, in addition to it's ordinarily i of the showtime places I banking concern fit when I'm looking for something specific. It takes a lot of effort, in addition to you lot receive got to really prepare yourself how to meet past times what's there. But, i time you lot acquire the hang of it, you lot tin really notice amazing stuff, in addition to for thus much cheaper than you lot would pay elsewhere. In the past times 4 years, in all probability 50-70% of the stuff inwards our solid has come upward from a thrift store. 
My full general dominion is to purchase novel when it matters: sofas, rugs, in addition to bedding. And in addition to thus the rest, endeavor to thrift. If you've never read i of my thrift store posts, these 2 (here in addition to here) volition assist you lot acquire started.

21. Our solid had thus much outdated cabinetry when nosotros showtime moved in. Since nosotros definitely couldn't afford to supplant it, I decided to create the best of what I already had, in addition to I painted it. I painted our kitchen cabinets in addition to the vanities inwards both upstairs bathrooms, in addition to it made a bigger behaviour on on our solid than almost anything I've done. 
Since the original tutorial, thus many of you lot receive got asked me nearly how I painted the insides of the cabinets. And all I did was but occupation the same primer in addition to paint, in addition to coated it until you lot couldn't meet the grossness that was there. It's held upward pretty good through the years, in addition to to a greater extent than oftentimes than non it but looks thus much ameliorate in addition to makes me experience ameliorate nearly life.
Progress over perfection.

22. Update the hardware on your kitchen in addition to bath cabinetry (and fifty-fifty on your slice of furniture if it needs it!). I've done this uncomplicated create to every room inwards our house, in addition to it makes such a large difference. I acquire almost all of my hardware online here in addition to here. The prices are ridiculously inexpensive in addition to the hardware is amazing.

23. Customize your kitchen cabinets past times using chalkboard pigment on the insides of the cabinet doors.
My chalkboard stage has definitely passed, but I turn down to halt loving my trivial cabinets.

 24. Add architectural item past times adding paneling on one-half of a wall. With molding you lot tin give the illusion of added depth in addition to dimension to the walls. The molding inwards our dining room was already at that spot when nosotros moved inwards (although it could live recreated with inexpensive MDF in addition to but a few uncomplicated cuts), but it was a horrible orangish wood. So, I caulked inwards betwixt the seams, primed the wood, in addition to painted it a semi-gloss white. And in addition to thus lastly calendar week (while I was inwards reduce mode), I added some quarter-round reduce to the bottom of the paneling close the ground.
My eventual programme is to create a huge gallery wall to a higher house the paneling, but I desire to figure out what the dining room is going to expect similar before I endeavor it. I think I finally flora the table, thus ya'll, it's nearly to live ON.

25. Layer it up. When it comes to bedding, I similar to layer all sorts of stuff. And since I to a greater extent than oftentimes than non but exercise neutrals inwards our master copy bedroom, I similar to add together a bunch of dissimilar textures in addition to patterns, similar striped white bedding, sweater pillows, linen pillows, in addition to a fake fur throw blanket. 

28. Another budget see from our master copy bedroom: Frame a placemat above the bed similar I did. One of my crazier ideas, but it worked.

29. To preserve coin on terminate tables inwards our invitee bedroom, I thrifted some tables in addition to and thus spray painted them high gloss black. (I also spray painted a duo brass lamps high gloss white in addition to added novel shades, in addition to also made the pillows.)

And 30.  I flora a $15 old wooden headboard in addition to $30 bed frame separately on Craigslist. I assembled the bed in addition to painted the headboard off-white. We but late replaced it lastly calendar month when I redid the invitee bedroom, but it lasted for nearly 4 years in addition to slept quite a few friends in addition to family.

31. Give worn out old books a fresh novel expect with a coat of pigment (and you lot tin fifty-fifty add together a metallic element doily similar I did to mine this past times Christmas).

32. If you're a pigment hoarder similar me, you lot in all probability receive got at to the lowest degree i junk drawer filled with pigment chips. So, create some art.
Those were also some thrifted frames that I spray painted silvery in addition to painted the mats white.

33. For the first version of our invitee bedroom, I flora antique botanical prints on eBay in addition to framed them on both sides of the bed. You can ordinarily notice sets of half-dozen prints for nether $10, in addition to they create for smashing art. 

My photography was really special dorsum inwards the twenty-four hours when I showtime started blogging, thus experience costless to appreciate this wondrous beauty. But, here's a closeup, nonetheless, inwards the hopes that it powerfulness at to the lowest degree give you lot a skilful inexpensive fine art idea.

36. Paint the within of your front end door. It's a pretty uncomplicated idea, but it makes all the difference. I painted ours with Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze.

37. Another inexpensive fine art see that I occupation all the fourth dimension is to choose pages from books in addition to frame them. Thrift stores tend to receive got tons of books, in addition to you lot tin ordinarily notice at to the lowest degree i with something frame-worthy.

And you lot tin create but nearly anything expect skilful if you lot position it inwards a frame with a mat.

38. You tin also create some piece of cake gilded foliage fine art past times using the gilded foliage pigment similar I used below.

Or past times using actual gilded foliage similar I used on this abstract art.

39. This adjacent i requires a trivial imagination on your part. I made these 2 panels nearly 2 years ago, but they never made it onto the blog. So, although the pictures are slightly terrible, I think there's a skilful see nugget inwards hither somewhere. 

Basically, I cutting a large slice of forest (that used to live our laundry room shelf, in addition to which I really eventually turned into this floral art) into 2 pieces in addition to and thus spray painted them silver. Then, I used a giant stencil in addition to rolled a trivial white pigment over it.

And it made for some pretty decent wall art, that in all probability could receive got been amazing had I styled it upward correct (rather than photographing it on my old orangish hallway floor).

 I can't recollect where I used these...maybe inwards the component subdivision for awhile, but I came across these pictures when searching for all my past times projection stuff, in addition to but see they powerfulness live worth sharing. 

Did you lot guys know that for every i projection that makes it onto the blog, nearly 5 don't? Basically, I create a lot of crap that doesn't plow out rattling well, in addition to and thus I cover it inwards a closet.

So, don't experience bad if i of your projects turns out awful.

That's normal in addition to it's component subdivision of the process. 

At to the lowest degree for me.

40. Did you lot know that you lot tin purchase slice of furniture legs at Home Depot? Probably Lowe's, too. Anyways, I figured this out before lastly fall when I was trying to preserve Paul, the erstwhile TV stand. I threw away his showtime pair of legs (because they were inwards bad shape), in addition to and thus I bought him a novel laid at Home Depot. Unfortunately, I kinda chose ugly ones, in addition to and thus never painted them, in addition to it but kinda made an ugly dresser uglier. 

BUT, the indicate is...

You tin purchase legs!!! And although my showtime endeavor at re-legging a dresser in all probability doesn't inspire you, I experience similar see itself but might. I mean, but expect at all the trivial leg options. 

You could fifty-fifty pigment them gilded or create your ain ottoman.  

41. Make your ain magnets using old jewelry. This one's simple, in addition to who doesn't honey simple? 

42. Add a trivial flair to your ceiling past times adding a medallion. I flora this i for exclusively $15 at Lowe's.

43. Add a wreath to your front end door. I made my ain with a few uncomplicated supplies from the dollar store.

44. Make your old hangers novel i time again past times using gilded spray paint, or add together some designing with decoupage in addition to wrapping paper.

 45. Save coin past times buying frames at thrift stores in addition to spray icon them whatever color you lot want.

You tin fifty-fifty pigment the mats, too. 

Although, through my ain experience, I've learned it's best to pigment the mats with apartment white acrylic paint, every bit spray pigment tin sometimes stick to the drinking glass when you lot reassemble your frame.

46. Make a gallery wall. It's genuinely an obsession of mine, in addition to although nosotros but patched a meg holes in addition to repainted the walls, I fearfulness that this solid is in imminent danger of me unleashing some other circular of gallery walls upon it. 

It can't live helped.

If you lot demand some tips in addition to ideas on how to create your own, these 2 posts (here in addition to here) volition acquire you lot started. Tell your walls I'm sorry.

47. Change the color in addition to expect of almost whatsoever decorative object with spray paint. It's my favorite trick.

A few of my favorites are Rustoleum Bright Coat Gold in addition to Chrome (pictured above). I used gilded spray pigment on the trivial wooden deer on the curtain that I flora for $1.

 I also honey Krylon Champagne Nouveau, in addition to receive got used it on several mirror frames, similar the one below.

You tin also occupation high gloss white spray pigment on drinking glass items to create them expect similar ceramic. I've done this thus many times, in addition to it works really well. Just don't launder it inwards the dishwasher, or the pigment volition come upward off.

48. Speaking of spray paint, a smashing agency to preserve coin is to purchase lamps at thrift stores in addition to spray pigment them. I used silvery spray pigment on the light below, in addition to and thus customized the shade past times adding a ribbon trim.

49. The ugly tile that was on this trivial bar countertop drove me crazy for almost a twelvemonth before I finally got the guts to pigment it with some specialty tile paint. Although nosotros knocked downwardly this entire wall a few months dorsum during the renovation, it's nonetheless i of my favorite projects because icon the tile made me thus much happier with our solid inwards the meantime.
Plus, you lot acquire to clothing upward similar Walter White when you lot exercise it. Bonus.

I've gotten to a greater extent than questions nearly this projection than almost whatsoever other, ordinarily nearly how good it held up. And the answer is...

The tile pigment stayed intact until the day nosotros knocked downwardly the wall. I mean, Jesse literally took a hammer to it, in addition to the tile pigment never chipped. 

50. I'll preserve i of my favorites for last, because it helped to position this trivial ol' weblog on the map 2 years ago....painting stripes on the wall.



I recollect icon these stripes belatedly i weekend nighttime in addition to feeling similar I was crazy to live spending thus much fourth dimension on a house. Two years later, the stripes craze has kinda died down, but this bath helped me create a weblog that's genuinely changed my life. And for that, it deserves to live my fave.
We're planning to redo this bath sometime later on this year. For now, I'm planning a novel vanity in addition to novel flooring, thus possibly the stripes volition stay, or possibly I'll acquire a wild pilus in addition to attempt something new. I'll permit you lot know when I figure it out. 
But, first, I gotta complete upward the residuum of the house. :)

 Before I go, I but desire to give thank you lot you guys for sticking with me spell I force through the lastly component subdivision of this renovation. It's been the hardest part, in addition to I'm kinda feeling similar a squashed slug, but the exciting stuff is on the horizon. I tin experience it.
'Til then!

That's all for today! 'Til adjacent time!

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