Decorating on a budget?

Question

I'm looking to decorate and add a little color to our small apartment, but have almost no money to spend on this. I like crafts, and know a little about sewing, knitting and cross-stitch (but don't know how to crochet yet). Any ideas about some do-it-yourself decorating? Our walls are off-white, and the only color we really have are the light and dark blues and greens of our tea towels and placemats, and flags hanging in the doorways to separate the rooms. Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Go to your local home improvement store or paint store. They have paint that is mis-matched and you can often find a paint you love there. I recommend going about once a week or until you find a good color for your walls. Try to get a "one coat" paint. You'll only need one gallon that way. You can even choose two or more colors, depending on your style. If you want a marbleized look, you can buy glaze in the decorative paint department. Then you paint your base color on the wall and, once it is dry, mix some of the glaze according to the bottle's directions, and use a sponge or rags to make the design. You can find example cards in the same area as the paint sample cards. If you don't want to paint every wall, you can paint one or two as "accent" walls, or walls that you want people to particularly notice. If you have any collections, putting them on display on tables or shelves can look nice.

I'd go somewhere like Goodwill or the Salvation Army and pick up some throw pillows. You can re-cover them to suit your decor. If you want to start out fresh, you can always just buy the polyester stuffing and make pillows from scratch. Get creative with it. You can make a pillow cover that is woven like a basket with a one-color or two-color theme. You can use buttons to button the covers onto the pillow. You can even make little cloth "ties" to tie the covers on.

The easiest and cheapest way to change a room is to concentrate on the wall color and the accessories. Make sure you choose two basic colors and add a "pop" of another color. We have used gray, blue and red/crimson well together. Greens, blues, and golds tend to go well. also. The easiest way to figure out what looks good to you is to look through magazines and see which decors you prefer. Then see what colors are used and try them out. You can also look through home decorating books from the library. It's what I did.

If you have any art/photographs, make sure they are framed in a similar style. It will look more "put together" if you have picture frames that are almost identical or paintings that are of the same genre.

I wish you luck. And I envy you! I love playing with color.

The sites below might have some ideas you can use. Happy decorating!

Answer 2

You can cut some corners with window treatments. It is straight line sewing, good for a beginner. You can find great bargains in the fabric department at Walmart.

As a crafter, you know the pitfall. You can't always count on saving money by making your own decorative items. Like any hobby, if you get knee deep in the shallow spots with art and craft supplies, you probably spent a LOT. To watch the budget, you need to plan projects carefully, limit consumed supplies to small quantities or those you will use again, and hold off on any project that requires a major appliance or other gear, staying with what is possible with the equipment you already have.

Another way to get crafty on a budget, maybe not the exact crafts you do, but you can try anything right? You can buy inexpensive ready to use items and then embellish or combine them for something unique and new. The good news is you can get something plain and functional cheap, without having to build it, and then have fun with the look. The most complicated equipment in these kinds of projects is a glue gun, scissors, sponges, paintbrushes, etc. so there is minimal investment. You can pretty up a lampshade, a storage container, a desk accessory, a rug, etc.

Above all, the biggest bang for the buck is paint. This is where you get the most versatility and the most dramatic change, for the least money. Single color choice alone is enough to give you millions of different options, but you can also create color schemes, use special techniques like sponging, plastic bagging, rag rolling, and choose different sheens (glossy vs matte). There is paint for almost any surface, allowing even more options.

Answer 3

I agree that for the price of a can of paint,you will make the most dramatic change in a room.
Since you can sew,look around for things you may already have on hand,that can be turned into something else.For instance,an old shirt or sweater could be turned into a toss pillow.Save bottles that are attractive and fill with colored water.
Go to your favorite store and find their clearance table.Things that are meant for one purpose may serve another.I got a bamboo table runner for just about nothing and wrapped a plastic plant pot with it,using twisty's from a bread bag.I made window valances from silk napkins,that were on a Christmas clearance table.They were solid gold in color so they don't look christmasy at all but for less then a dollar each,made for some cheap window treatments.I bought a lace table cloth on sale, and made panels for three windows out of it.Be creative and have fun!

Answer 4

Check out the thrift store in your area--there is always Goodwill, but I have found hospital and charity thrift stores to be much better. You can find end table, coffee tables, etc. -- paint them to match. A small dining table can make a great coffee table if you cut down the legs-- You can't believe how simply painting these items can tie them together. And most of the time, you are buying sturdier, better furniture for much less $$ than Ikea. Can you paint your walls in your apt? Maybe just paint 1 major wall in the living area a color that you absolutely love and work from there.
I have found that the things I have "rehabbed" end up being what my guests like the most!

Answer 5

Target has some great stuff for really cheap but even better is Ikea. If you dont have one near by go to Ikea.com. I just bought a house and just about everything is from Ikea! Happy decorating!!

Answer 6

Those fabric wreaths are cute for sprucing up bare walls. You pick out fabrics that coordinate with your room, then cut them into strips and tie them around wire (like a coathanger) stretched into a circle.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/doityourself/ht/Rag_Wreath.htm

If you're really feeling frugal, you can do this same thing with plastic grocery bags to recycle them, and then just spray paint them. Its actually a neat effect and doesn't look "cheap."

Answer 7

Maybe go to a 2nd hand store or garage sales and find some thing inexpensive...