Pink is a versatile and fun color to decorate with throughout your home. Many people avoid using pink because it reminds them of childish decor. This, however, is not always the case. There are many ways that you can incorporate pink into your decor while still creating a stylish and sophisticated feel. When using pink in your home decor try using it is an accent color, play around with different shades, and choose complementary colors to pair with the pink. The most important thing is to experiment and have fun!
Method 1 Using Pink as an Accent Color.
1. Buy a pink statement piece to create a focal point. Pink can be an intimidating color to use in home decor. Some people feel that pink is too bold to use on walls and it reminds them of childish or overly feminine decor. As a result, use pink as an accent colour to brighten a room and add a pop of color. To do this you can buy a pink statement piece, such as a sofa, appliance, table, headboard, or large piece of artwork, depending on the room you are decorating.
Use subdued colors on the walls in order to allow the pink statement piece to act as a focal point in the room.
Pair pink with neutral colors like gold, white, or gray.
2. Use pink throws and pillows for a pop of pink. If you want to use pink in a more subtle way, try adding pink throws and pillows to your living room. This allows you to incorporate pink into your decorating pallet without breaking the bank on a large statement piece. You can also change your throws and pillows seasonally to mix things up in a fun way.
For example, you could use pink pillows and throws during the spring and summer months to brighten up your home.
3. Paint one accent wall pink to make the color stand out. Another way to incorporate pink into your home decor is by painting one accent wall pink. This will allow the color pink to stand out and make a statement without feeling overdone. Try using a bright pink in a small space such as a front entryway or powder room.
You could also create a pink accent wall in a bedroom, using a softer more romantic shade of pink, such as a blush or rose.
4. Add texture to a room using pink wallpaper. Wallpaper can also be a great foundation for your color scheme. Patterned wallpaper will help to add texture to a room. You can try wallpapering the entire room, or just one wall depending on your preference. If you choose to use wallpaper on only one wall, you should paint the remaining walls in the room to match the background color of the wallpaper. This will create a seamless transition between the accent wall and the rest of the room.
For example, if you choose a pink wallpaper with tiny white flowers, pull out the pink background color and paint the remaining walls to match that shade of pink.
Method 2 Playing with Different Shades of Pink.
1. Try decorating with blush or rose to add subtlety. Pink also comes in a variety of different shades that are suitable for different styles of decor. Try decorating with subtle pinks such as blush, shell pink, and rose to give your home a summery feeling and a light pop of pink.
For instance, choose a neutral color, like white or gray, for the base. Decorate with pillows, picture frames, or vases, all in varying shades of pink.
2. Decorate with dark pinks for a bolder look. Dark bold pinks, such as fuchsia or hot pink, will draw a lot of attention. As a result, you should use them mainly as impact pieces that will catch the eye and hold attention. Use bold pinks in artwork, upholstery, or as part of a patterned rug. Although you can paint walls in bold pinks, some people may find this overwhelming. It is best to stick to smaller rooms or accent walls.
Pair hot pink with green or navy blue to make a bold and vibrant statement.
3. Layer different shades of pink to create a youthful elegance. This type of decorating is called monochromatic. Use pink as a base color and then layer your accent pieces with different shades of pink. This type of decorating works nicely in the bedroom.
For instance, if you are decorating a nursery or child's room you can use multiple shades of pink to create a unique look. Try layering light pink walls with bubble gum pink furniture, and hot pink floral accessories.
Method 3 Complementing Pink Decor.
1. Pair pink with dark colors. Soft light pinks pair nicely with darker tones. Dark tones, such as black, brown, dark grey, and dark wood allow the lightness of pink to stand out.
For example, pink upholstery looks great framed by dark wood. You can also position pink furniture on dark tiled floors for an elegant and sophisticated look.
2. Use metallic colors to complement pink. Pink also pairs well with metallic tones, such as silver and gold. For example, you could pair pink upholstered dining room chairs with an ornate gold light fixture. This will help brighten the room and the gold and pink tones will complement each other nicely. Similarly, you could use a cooler shade of pink for a living room area rug and pair it with grey furniture and silver light fixtures.
Experiment throughout your home matching different shades or pink with a variety of metallic textures.
3. Use pink as a neutral tone. You can also use pink as a neutral tone. For instance, paint your walls a beige color that has pink undertones. You can pull out these undertones by adding pink accent pieces to the room. For example, try pink drapes, pillows, pictures, or floral arrangements. This is a great way to incorporate pink in a subtle and sophisticated manner.
Alternatively you could paint your walls a light pink and then pair it with more neutral furniture and accessories. This will allow the pink walls to appear more neutral.
Pink works well with many styles. You can use pink to create a shabby-chic look, a glamorous and luxurious style, or a floral, summery vibe.
Tips.
Search online for unique decorating ideas.
Hire an interior decorator or ask for decorating advice while shopping for paint and other supplies.
Home decor is about personal taste and the most important thing is to make sure that you love the way your home looks.
Don't worry that using pink will make your home look too feminine or childish. When done tastefully, it can be appropriate for any setting or style and look sophisticated.
Looking for wall decor ideas to refresh your space? Those empty walls are filled with possibilities—and a few additions can make a house feel like a home. If you're ready to turn those stark, bare walls into stylish centerpieces, keep reading. No matter your style, we've got the tricks that can amp up your walls and bring out your personality and taste. Whether you’re an art collector, a nature enthusiast, or a book lover, your walls can be customized so that you can be surrounded by the things you adore. Discover 20 wall decor ideas that are sure to add style to your home.
Add Texture With a Weaving.
Those ’70s macramé wall hangings have come back in a big way. The weavings add texture and warm up stark walls. Shop for them on Etsy, or try your hand at making your own.
Add Removable Wall Art.
Minted has an incredible collection of grown-up, sophisticated removable wall art. The adhesive murals have a luxurious matte finish and come in a variety of styles. Removable wall art is perfect if you're renting and don't want to damage the walls.
Hang an Oversized Calendar.
A large calendar works especially well on an office or kitchen wall. Keep track of your events while also adding a standout element to enliven your room! Try bright and bold calendars with sans serif fonts to create a modern look and add a pop of color.
Add a Giant Whiteboard or Chalkboard.
A big board is a perfect functional addition to an office, playroom, or even kitchen. A chalkboard lends a rustic air to any room, while a whiteboard is the contemporary alternative—and you don't have to stick to just white (they're available in a variety of shades and prints). You can even take it to the next level and paint an entire wall with WriteWallPaint, which creates a writeable surface.
Create a Basket Wall
Bet you haven't considered this wall decor idea: Add baskets to your wall! Whether you want to go colorful or neutral, you can liven up any wall with an assortment of baskets in different sizes and textures.
Hang a Personalized Map.
Add a large word map to your room's decor. You can order a personalized map of a city, state, country, or the world in just about any color palette. You can make it ultra personal by adding pins to the places you've visited or plan to visit.
Mount Your Television.
Another way to go? Mount your television. Adding a flat screen to your wall can be a great way to free up space on top of your media cabinet, enhance your wall, and update the entire look of your living room or bedroom.
Add Shiplap Wall Paneling.
Shiplap paneling will infuse your space with a fresh coastal feeling—and it works in any room. Whether your dining room, bedroom, entryway, or even bathroom walls need a refresh, consider adding the wooden boards typically used as exterior siding.
Mount Your Bikes on the Wall.
Creating a stylish and sleek wall-mounting system for your bikes will give you more floor space and create an eye-catching focal point that will transform your blank wall. This is one of the most fun and functional wall decor ideas out there.
Use the Wall for Storage.
Short on closet space? Why not show off your finery and create a striking and practical display? Install hooks or a pegboard and hang hats in a cluster.
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However you’re looking to improve, update, or add to your home decor (whether it’s with a new carpet, new curtains, or new coffee table), there are several choices you can make to keep your home eco-friendly. An important first step is to research which product materials to avoid and which to favor. From there, you can lower your decor’s environmental footprint even further by debating where to shop and what to shop for. Additionally, thinking about your own energy usage and how certain decor can affect it can further reduce your impact on the environment.
Method 1 Being Selective with Your Decor’s Materials.
Avoid plastic. If you’re concerned about the environment, treat plastic as your #1 enemy. Whether you’re looking for a new lamp, flooring, or furniture, scratch any products made from this material off your list. Expect plastic to have wide-ranging consequences on the environment. For instance.
The chemicals in plastic are poisonous to wildlife. This is a particular threat to marine life, which are more likely to ingest plastic.
Plastic debris in oceans and waterways provides transport for both plants and animals. This can introduce invasive species to new environments with devastating results.
Plastic can endure for centuries or even millennia with prolonged negative effects on the environment.
Nearly 10% of all oil production is devoted to the manufacturing of plastics.
Be discerning with fabrics. Any time that you use fabric to touch up your home decor (such as with curtains, bedding, throw pillows, or rugs), check which materials are used. Expect some fabrics to be non-biodegradable. Additionally, be aware that some are highly consumptive of energy during production and/or otherwise harmful to the environment in less obvious ways (such as utilizing pesticides during production).
Fabrics with negative impacts on the environment include non-organic cotton, nylon, polyester, rayon, and non-organic wool.
Sustainable fabrics include bamboo, organic cotton, hemp, linen, and organic wool.
Also be aware that dyes, bleach, and formaldehyde are often used in the production of fabrics, which should also be avoided.
Favor sustainable non-toxic materials. Whenever you purchase new home decor, consider both the before and after for each product. Choose materials that cause minimal negative impact on the environment both in terms of production and future impact, like wood, metal, and glass. Whether you’re looking to paint a room, carpet a floor, or just buy a picture frame, research your options and become an informed consumer.
Recycled materials (such as plastic lumber) are also a popular choice, since they often use relatively little energy to make without bringing any new harmful materials into existence.
Method 2 Lowering Your Decor’s Environmental Footprint.
Shop for durability. Whether you’re picking out new furniture, redoing your floors, or painting your bedroom room a new color, think long-term. Recognize that constantly updating or replacing your decor will have negative consequences on the environment, even if you’re using eco-friendly materials. Avoid impulse shopping or immediately going with what seems like the cheapest option. Instead, make choices that will satisfy your tastes for years to come and invest in decor that will last a long time. For example:
Say you want a new armchair, but your current budget is limited. Although you may be tempted to go with the cheapest option available, wait it out and save more money for a future purchase, since a cheaply constructed chair will likely break down in a shorter amount of time. This will increase your footprint with physical waste plus more energy consumption through production and transportation.
Shop locally. Between globalization and online shopping, the marketplace for decor is as wide as the world. However, keep in mind that the farther a product has to travel, the larger your footprint is due to the energy consumed during transportation. Although there may be great deals out there from far-flung sources, prioritize local ones to minimize the amount of pollution and lost resources that transportation causes. Apply this mindset not only to local vendors, but their sources as well. For instance:
If you’re buying new wooden flooring from a store just down the street, the amount of distance your flooring has to travel from store to home is next to nil. However, if the store gets their timber from half a world away, shopping at a store one town over may be preferable if they get their timber from sources closer to home.
Favor used products. Remember that even with sustainable materials, the act of production creates pollution and uses up finite resources. Reduce your contribution to this unfortunate effect by using secondhand items to furnish and decorate your home. Visit thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets. Utilize the internet to find items for sale (or even freebies) through social media and online classifieds. Ask friends, family, and neighbors to let you know when they plan on getting rid of any items that you might want or need.
Don’t let pride get in the way. Keep your eyes peeled for items being tossed out with other people’s garbage. Find out your sanitation department’s schedules for bulk pick-up in your area and go cruising. If you live near a college town, take advantage of the fact that many rental leases expire at the same time of year, which means the streets may be lined with discarded furniture and items.
Repurpose old items. Eliminate the environmental impact of both production and transportation. Use items that you already have to fill new roles as part of your home decor. There is no limit to the DIY projects that can transform one object into another. You can do anything from.
Make a new ottoman out of a plastic milk crate.
Transform empty tea, cookie, or popcorn tins as flower pots, pencil jars, candleholders, or umbrella stands.
Use an old door as a tabletop for a new coffee table.
Utilize nature. Decorate your home with plants and indoor potted trees. Not only are these sustainable decor choices, but they can improve the overall health of your household. Use these to combat toxic pollutants like formaldehyde that items like cleaning products and furniture components can introduce to your home. In addition to live plants, consider other natural materials that can be incorporated into eye-catching decorations, like.
Pinecones, Stones, Antlers, Driftwood.
Choose paint colors that will last. In addition to seeking out toxic-free paints, lower your footprint even more by carefully considering which colors to use. Remember that even your toxic-free paint will still create pollution and use up resources through production and transportation. So, when deciding which color to paint a room, consider how much sunlight that rooms receive. Even if you have your heart set on a dark color, go with a lighter shade if it receives a lot. This way any fading will be less noticeable, which means each paint job will last longer.
Method 3 Using Decor to Reduce Your Own Energy Usage.
Utilize daylight. Let the sun light your home for you rather than rely on electric lighting during the daytime. If possible, install skylights for increased lighting. Switch your solid outside doors to ones with paned glass. Leave your blinds and curtains opening between sunrise and sunset. If privacy is a concern, use other home decor to maximize the natural light while partially blocking the sun with sheer or wooden blinds. For instance, you coul as.
Use light colors to paint your walls.
Add mirrors and other reflective or shiny surfaces to each room.
Keep your windows clear of any furniture that would block the light.
Make smart choices with electric lighting. For bulbs, use CFL (compact fluorescent light) or LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs rather than incandescent ones, since these two types last much longer and add up to less waste. With fixtures, install or keep as many as you need in order to see comfortably, but seek out ways to avoid excessive lighting. For example:
If your ceiling fan holds four or five light bulbs, but only two or three are needed to light the space, remove the unnecessary ones.
Give yourself some options by, say, providing a table- or standing lamp in a room with track lighting so you can alternate between the two depending on your needs.
Invest in some solar-powered lamps to keep near windows and other sources of natural light.
Make your windows energy-efficient. Replace your existing windows with ones that have been treated to reflect heat, so hot air stays outside in the summer and your heated air stays inside during the winter. If this isn’t possible, caulk your windows and add weather-stripping to reduce leakage. Add storm windows for additional insulation. Keep the temperature inside your home as consistent as possible to minimize active use of your heating and a/c units.
Give your windows extra help by choosing thermal-backed curtains and blinds. Although this may contradict the tip about keeping curtains open for sunlight, keep them closed for more insulation during extreme temperatures, since your heating and cooling units use more energy than a couple light bulbs.
When decorating your home office on a budget, try to be as creative and resourceful as possible. Make your own shelving to inexpensively create storage and workspace areas. Look around your home and repurpose furniture you already own. Customize those pieces to maximize their use-value and aesthetics. If you do need to buy new pieces, look for gently used items at consignment shops, estate or yard sales, and surplus stores. Maximize your efficiency and make your office a pleasing place to work with inexpensive accessories and organizational habits.
Method 1 Choosing Affordable Office Furniture.
1. Repurpose furniture from other areas in your home. Office furniture typically makes up the bulk of the decor budget. Do your best to reuse pieces from other areas in your home in order to increase savings. Look for customizable items that can offer both design solutions and a personal touch.
For example, you can use a sturdy coffee table to provide a seating area that doubles as storage space. Find inexpensive cushions or even a pet bed large enough to cover the tabletop in the clearance section of a home decor store. Place woven baskets or other storage bins you might have on hand under the coffee table to store files, books, or other necessities.
If you have an extra dresser on hand, put it in the office to store supplies and paperwork. Consider downsizing your wardrobe to free up a storage piece in your bedroom.
Or, repurpose a kitchen or dining table as a desk. This will give you plenty of space to arrange your equipment (computer, printer, etc.) and work materials.
2. Use shelving to solve storage, workspace, and cost limitations. Create your own shelving with affordable wood panels and brackets from the hardware store if you have basic woodworking skills. Alternatively, you can look for deals at department stores or online. Inexpensive shelving can not only offer storage solutions, it can also provide you with desk space, which can be among the costliest office furniture pieces.
Run shelving horizontally along an entire wall for multiple workstations. Use the area underneath for storage containers, a trash bin, and office equipment like a printer or shredder.
To create bookcases, stack shelves horizontally on top of one another 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Add file folders, baskets, and other storage containers along with your books.
3. Purchase gently used furniture to cut your budget. If you do need to purchase a desk, file storage, or other office furniture look around for good second-hand pieces. Search online for estate sales in your area, and look for local organizations that host estate sales. Check websites for options to sign up for email lists so you won’t have to drive around your city looking for sales.
Look around consignment shops, thrift stores, and furniture surplus stores in your area for deals on items that fit your taste and needs.
Make sure you have your space’s measurements on hand, and bring a tape measure with you to be sure you purchase items that fit your office.
Get creative with your use of second-hand items. For instance, use a buffet table to house your printer or turn a large basket into a decorative trash can.
4. Remember that an ergonomic chair is important. If there’s one office furniture item to spend a bit of money on, it’s the chair. Sitting for long periods of time is tough on your back, legs, and overall health, so look for an ergonomic office chair that fits your budget.
You may be able to great a great deal on an ergonomic chair from a company that’s going out of business, such as an office building or doctor’s office.
Look for a form-fitting chair that offers both sturdiness and flexibility. Go for height adjustable options that offer lumbar, neck, and head support.
A new ergonomic chair can cost thousands of dollars, but with some patience, you can find a secondhand option for a fraction of that price.
Using a kitchen chair or other uncomfortable option might be a decent solution while you look for a good budget-friendly piece, but it’ll compromise your productivity and health in the long run.
5. Mix up pieces instead of purchasing a matching set. Purchasing a matching office furniture suite might offer a quick decor fix, but will drastically increase your cost. Be patient as you furnish your office using a mix of repurposed and secondhand items. It might take a matter of months, but you’ll end up saving hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
In addition to drastically reducing your budget, avoiding a matching suite will also give your workspace a more personal feel.
Method 2 Accessorizing Your Home Office.
1. Avoid splurging on accessories. There’s really no need to spend much money on office accessories, if any at all. Look around your house for items like framed photographs, houseplants, and knickknacks to add some personality to your workspace without spending money.
This is another opportunity to repurpose items. For example, use a pretty rock as a paperweight and cut a few flowers from your garden to put in a vase on your desk.
Given a little time, you’ll probably accumulate more accessories than you need. You might receive a gift like a stress ball or Zen garden to place in your office on your next birthday or holiday. If you have kids, they might make you something in school you can put on your desk.
2. Create your own large-scale wall designs. Instead of spending hundreds on office art, you can paint your office’s walls a bright color, and create a focal wall using painter’s tape to make stripes or by putting up wall decals. Consider designating a large wall area as a blackboard brainstorming area, using inexpensive chalkboard paint to create it.
Affordable wall decor options also include your diploma or certificates. You can also print out and frame inspirational quotes or sayings.
Check out second-hand stores for inexpensive framed art or prints that match your taste.
Choose patterns and colors that both motivate and relax you. Avoid using too many dark colors, which can lead to decreased productivity.
3. Prioritize function when choosing lighting accessories. Ensure you have enough light to see well so you don’t strain your eyes. To improve both efficiency and aesthetics, you’ll need lighting options other than the room’s overhead light. However, you don’t have to break your bank by purchasing top of the line lighting accessories.
For your desk, consider reusing a small lamp from elsewhere in your home.
Look around consignment shops or home decor or department stores’ clearance sections for reduced-price floor and desk lamps.
Try to provide two to three lighting accessories so you can customize the room’s light levels. Including more lighting options is better for your eyes and improves the room’s feel. Warmer, shaded sources of light like desk and floor lamps are preferable to fluorescent overhead lighting.
Method 3 Maximizing Efficiency on a Budget.
1. Make sure that you only have to spend money on decor. The first way to stick to a low budget when designing an office space is to choose a room that doesn't require a significant amount of structural work. There are only so many design solutions you can achieve through decor alone. Think about how the room’s layout and level of finish will contribute to your efficiency.
For example, when you choose your office space, make sure the room has enough electrical outlets for your needs. Two outlets and affordable power strips should allow you to plug in your computer, printer, cell phone charger, at least two light sources in addition to the overhead light, and any other objects that require electricity.
An interior room without a window might make you less likely to want to work in that room, thus decreasing your productivity. Likewise, budget-friendly decor options can’t do much for an unfinished basement room. Make sure your space is clean and free of leaks or structural issues in order to encourage efficiency.
Even a nook in your bedroom or living room can offer more inexpensive, ergonomic, and efficient options than a larger spare room lacking outlets, insulation, multiple light sources, and other necessities.
2. Go for budget-friendly storage options instead of minimalism. From planning your budget to picking out furniture and accessories, your number one priority should be storage. A minimalist office look might be trendy, but splurging on stylish decor options that lack storage will max out your budget, decrease your efficiency, and limit your ability to keep the space organized.
Take the time to declutter and organize your things so you only store what you actually need.
Keep your budget in check by optimizing the storage space you already have available. If you're using a spare bedroom as an office, use the closet for storage to hide clutter. Install shelving for better organization if there aren’t any already present.
Ensuring everything in your office has a designated place and keeping your spaced organized are among the easiest and most affordable ways to maximize your efficiency.
3. Improve productivity with inexpensive candles and air fresheners. Making sure your office smells nice is among the most budget-friendly ways to increase efficiency. Believe it or not, recent studies suggest a more fragrant office not only improves comfort, but encourages productivity.
Experiments show that scents including lavender, rosemary, jasmine, and lemon encourage efficiency.
Remember inexpensive candles, oil diffusers, and other fragrant accessories can also be visually pleasing additions to your home office. You can choose scents that relax you or energize you, depending on your preferences and mood.
Looking for an inexpensive way to spruce up your living space? Consider picking out furniture and other decorations with a rustic chic aesthetic. Things like wood, metal, burlap and natural materials can lend a rugged, time-worn look to any home. You can deck out whole rooms with rustic chic decor to create a sense of quiet coziness, or mix and match with modern pieces for a progressive look that defies the decades.
Method 1 Redesigning Your Living Space.
Make the best use of your space. Before you get too eager to shop for new pieces, scan the room you’re planning on decorating. Take note of its size, layout, flooring, walkways, doors, windows, cabinets and other features. The rustic furnishings you pick out should be appropriate for the specific look of each room so that the new atmosphere feels like a natural extension.
Some pieces will look better in certain places than others. Whenever you’re picking out your decor, trust your instincts when deciding where in your home or room it should go.
If you could use a fresh set of eyes, seek out the professional opinion of an interior designer.
Stick with a neutral color scheme. Rustic chic decor is by definition muted and minimal. Forget about bright colors, elaborate patterns or gleaming burnished fixtures. Instead, focus on monochromatic pieces in complementary hues and materials. This basic setting will act as a blank canvas so that you can add personality later by using smaller decorations.
Appliances and fixtures in dark, plain shades will go with a wider range of items.
Vary your tones between rooms. The sun room will benefit from light shades like pine and cream, while the bedroom or study can be done in dark grays, browns and blacks with splashes of color.
Keep furnishings simple. Simplistic items are wonderful on their own, but too many of them can easily start to look busy. Resist the urge to incorporate more and more into a room. Get a few essential pieces, like a maple coffee table or a rich brown leather loveseat, and let them speak for themselves.
Limiting the number of pieces in a given room also helps maximize your space.
A room full of items in all the same style or shade can quickly become monotonous.
Replace tired pieces. If you’re having trouble planning an updated layout for the room or deciding on the perfect spot for new decorations, one good place to start would be getting furniture and accessories that you don’t want anymore. Dull, uninteresting items can be sold, donated or discarded to make room for fresh finds. Assuming you’re not ready to part with a particular piece just yet, you could also have it reupholstered and appreciate it from a new perspective.
Sometimes even small changes can make a big difference. You might not have to totally overhaul your living space in order to breathe new life into it.
Give your old furniture a new home in another room, or store it until you find another use for it.
Method 2 Working with Different Materials.
Show off natural wood finishes. Wood is the ultimate staple of rustic chic style. It’s sturdy, idyllic and, best of all, goes with everything. Oak, cedar, mahogany and walnut are all excellent choices for wood furnishings. To complete the rustic aesthetic, look for pieces with attractive staining, irregular angles and other unique touches like bits of preserved bark.
You can find almost every major piece of furniture for your household in one type of wood or another.
Choose paints and stains that don’t distract from the innate beauty of the wood.
Accent with aged metals. On the flipside of sleek, contemporary styles, old-fashioned metals, such as wrought iron, copper and even artificially-rusted tin can instantly give your surroundings an air of dignified antiquity. Because of their shabby chic characteristics, raw and distressed metals are best used sparingly to offset woods and other finishes.
Lamps, bookends and table legs are good places to weave in metal accents.
Use vintage metal containers in the kitchen in place of traditional ceramic jars.
Incorporate elements of nature. When it comes time to cover the walls or fill up blank space, take cues from the great outdoors. Accentuate end tables and alcoves with decorations made from stone, fur or even faux ivory or tortoise shell. Your living space will have just the right amount of wildness while still looking like it leapt off the pages of a storybook.
If you live near scenic surroundings, switch to a more “exposed” layout with uncovered windows and natural lighting to bring a glimpse of the outside in.
Make sure you’re buying from humane sources. Imitation fur and other materials look like the real thing, but are both ethical and sustainable.
Finish with gorgeous quaint accessories. Put the finishing touches on a room with the same types of items you would ordinarily use to ornament your home, but with a twist—here is where unique fabrics and designs will come into play. Smaller accessories are also the best place to work fanciful designs into the room’s furnishings.
Instead of ordinary throw blankets and pillowcases, go with more eye-catching variations like Navajo or wove saddle blankets and beadwork pillows.
A beeswax candle or wind-up clock will make for a tasteful nightstand display, while blown glass bowls and vases can be substituted for a lifeless dining room centerpiece.
Method 3 Finding Rustic Chic Decor.
Visit your local furniture store. There’s no need to venture all the way to the Alaskan frontier or remote outposts of the Rockies in order to find good looking accoutrements. The rustic look is in, so it shouldn’t be hard to track down a few things that suit your preferences at major home goods stores. You’ll have the most luck when shopping for bigger items like tables, chairs and bedding in these places.
Chain stores like Crate and Barrel, Hobby Lobby and Pottery Barn specialize in rustic home decor.
Furniture outlets tend to charge more, so if you don’t like the idea of paying as much, thrift stores and DIY distressing techniques may be the way to go.
Go thrift shopping. It’s not uncommon to stumble upon forgotten treasures at secondhand stores and vintage boutiques. These are often items that you can’t find anywhere else, and you’re guaranteed a good deal. If you’re remodeling on a budget or looking for one-of-a-kind pieces, a thrift store may be your best bet.
Many old pieces will be ready to display in your home as-is.
Be sure to check beck regularly, as store inventories change constantly.
Distress plain pieces. Rather than scouring various stores and shops for wares with the right rustic vibe, buy furniture and accessories new and modify them yourself at home. Distressing furniture is fast, fun and could hardly be easier. All you need are a few basic tools like paint thinner, sandpaper and specialty paints and brushes. When you’re finished, you’ll have a collection of items that are truly one-of-a-kind.
Painted wood furniture can be weathered to expose the beautiful grain underneath, and metal objects can be strategically rusted or painted over with a matte finish.
Change out the hardware on any dressers or cabinets you happen to come across to customize their appearance.
Repurpose old items. For those little extra touches, look no further than your own attic or garage. Most homes are loaded with scraps of materials that are infinitely useful if applied correctly. For instance, you could use a roll of butcher’s twine to wrap drawer pulls and cabinet handles, wire lanterns for indoor lighting or frame an assortment of old fishing hooks to make wall art that’s anything but commonplace. With a few innovative ideas, you’ll start seeing your junk drawer in a whole new light!
If you have a certain item that you want to use but it doesn’t quite go with the rest of your furnishings, try painting, sanding or distressing it to make it a better visual fit.
Get creative! As your own personal interior decorator, you’re only limited by the scope of your imagination.
Tips.
No matter where you live, you can bring a sense of humble elegance and timelessness to your home by outfitting it in a rustic style.
Come up with an estimated budget that you’re willing and able to spend before you embark on your redecorating project.
Add to and take away bits of your current decor over time to let the look of your home gradually evolve.
Break up the neutral theme of rustic decor with fresh flowers, potted plants, hanging ferns and other greenery.
Head down to a superstore like Walmart and Target to pick up small, inexpensive odds and ends that help tie everything together.
Browse craft websites like Etsy and Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration on how to decorate your home.
Warnings.
Beware of lead-based paints on vintage finds. Lead paint has a tendency to flake off when it ages and can be dangerous to inhale or ingest.
Giving your bedroom a makeover is the perfect way to express your creativity and help you feel happy and relaxed in your own space. Start by updating your walls with a new paint job or colorful prints, then revamp your bed with matching blankets and throw pillows. Bring your furniture into play with bright accessories and organization tools to make your room the perfect reflection of you!
Part 1 Decorating the Walls and Floor.
1. Choose a style and color scheme. For a room that looks cohesive and cool, it’s best to decide on a color scheme and a general style before you start decorating. Choose a color palette that you love, but make sure you won’t get sick of it easily. Also, keep in mind that while your bedroom should be fun and exciting, it should also be conducive to a good night’s sleep. You can find inspiration online, using sites like Pinterest, by reading design magazines, from visiting home goods or furniture stores, or even watching design shows.
Soft, pastel wall colors paired with a brighter floral bedspread and decorations make a room that’s feminine, but not overpowering.
Dark purples and blues coupled with white or cream walls give a gentle, relaxed vibe.
Opt for a sophisticated space with black, white, and gray coloring, plus pops of pink, purple, or blue.
For a bright, tropical look, blend bright pinks and deep oranges with your walls, bedspread, and furniture.
2. Repaint your room to totally change the style. To really transform your space, a new paint job is the way to go. Tell your parents what you envision and talk about some color options. Go with them to buy the paint and offer to help with the painting as well to show your dedication to your project.
Be careful when choosing colors! Although bright shades look great on a paint swatch, they can be overwhelming on your walls. Opt for a more subdued hue to bring a sense of calm to the space. For instance, choose navy blue instead of cobalt blue for a peaceful, warm, color.
If you do decide to go with a bright wall color, balance it out with lighter-colored furniture and blankets. You could use accents of bright color with colorful pillows, blankets, or rugs, or paint just the wall behind your bed a bright hue for an accent wall.
If you can’t repaint your room, don’t worry! You can still decorate it to match your style with wall decorations, blankets, and revamped furniture.
3. Hang a print, decal, or poster on the wall to perk up your room. Even freshly-painted walls can use some extra decorations. Look for adhesive wall decals, framed prints, or posters of your favorite movie or band to brighten up blank corners of your room.
Decals come in many different shapes and patterns. Look for ones with colors and styles that will play off of your wall color and bedspread. You can get decals at home stores or online, especially at craft-focused retailers like Etsy.
Don’t go overboard with your decals—any more than 2 in a small space can look overdone. Stick with 1 large decal, or 2 smaller ones placed separately.
To make a poster look more stylish, put it in a frame or hang it with wire instead of simply taping or tacking it to the wall.
4. Hang up photos or a bulletin board to personalize your wall space. Frame and hang a few of your favorite photos of your friends and family for a homey touch. For even more wall space to decorate, buy a bulletin board and tack up photos, drawings, and mementos.
You can also use a small, magnetic chalkboard or whiteboard to hang photos and scribble notes and thoughts. Or, paint a whole wall or part of a wall with magnetic chalkboard paint. You’ll be able to write messages and put up photos or posters without damaging the wall.
If you don’t like the tan, cork-like look of a regular bulletin board, customize it by spreading a length of colorful fabric over it and taping or stapling the ends to the back.
Decorate the edges of your photo frames with stickers and paint for a look that’s even more you.
5. Get a soft rug and throw pillows to make a lounge space in the corner. Most teen rooms are too small for a couch or comfy armchair. Luckily, you can make your own lounge area in an empty corner by stacking a few big throw pillows on top of a soft rug.
If you have a little extra space, add a small beanbag or a backrest pillow with arms.
To create a cozy reading nook, put a floor pouf and a few cozy pillows in a corner. Add a floor lamp to brighten the space.
6. Add a mirror to make your room look bigger. Hanging a full- or half-length mirror in your room makes it easy to choose a great outfit every morning. As a bonus, a mirror can also make your room look more spacious.
Add a small mirror in another area to check makeup and open up the room even more. Make sure to situate it so that your mirrors don’t reflect each other.
You can put a mirror on the back of your bedroom door, on your closet door, or even above your bed.
7. Hang up string lights to add a soft glow to your room. Ask your parents if they have any extra white string lights and use them to decorate a plain wall or add soft illumination to your room. You can make a design out of the lights or simply string them across a wall with tape and push-pins.
Weave the lights through your headboard to create a soft reading light, or string them around the top perimeter of your room.
8. Hang a lighted mirror garland to add sparkle to a plain wall. To make a lighted mirror garland, drape 6–7 feet (1.8–2.1 m) of mirror garland thickly over a curtain rod that’s 4–5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) long, so that the they hang down towards the floor. Install hooks in your wall and set the rod in them for a flashy, unique wall decoration.
Set your garland next to a window to make it glow. For all-day sparkle, drape 6–7 feet (1.8–2.1 m) of string lights among the garlands.
Ask your parents to help you install the hooks. They should be wide enough to be able to set the pole in comfortably, and will need to be screwed into the wall.
You can buy mirror garlands online or at craft stores.
9. Install hanging shelves to add storage options for a small room. If you’re running out of desk or closet space for pictures, knick-knacks, or books, ask your parents to help you install hanging shelves on your wall. This is a great way to decorate your walls while organizing clutter.
You can buy hanging shelves at a furniture store or make your own with the help of your parents for a fun home improvement project.
As an alternative to a nightstand, place the shelves on either side of your bed.
Part 2 Sprucing up the Bed.
1. Choose a comforter that won’t overwhelm your room. Your bed comforter or duvet is the center of your room, so picking the right color or pattern can make a huge difference! Check home stores, online retailers, and catalogues for one that matches your room’s style and color scheme.
For a luxurious feel, choose a fluffy comforter and layer a throw blanket or 2 on top of the comforter at the foot of your bed. Add a row of throw pillows for a cozy feel.
If your walls are bright or you’re planning on going all-in with colorful furniture, you could try a more subdued pastel or white comforter.
If your walls are white or light-colored, feel free to go for a comforter or duvet that’s brighter or patterned to add a burst of color to the center of your room.
If you can’t get a new comforter or are looking to save money, you can revamp your bed with a few pretty blankets, or even sew a comforter yourself.
2. Move your bed to change your room set-up. Turning your bed the other way or moving it to the opposite side of the room can really freshen up your space. Talk to your parents about scooting your bed against a different wall, or turning it so that it sticks into the middle of the room instead of sitting against a wall.
When deciding where to place your bed, try to put the head against a wall with no pipes running through it, near enough to your window for natural light.
If you’re worried about putting your bed too close to the window, put up some drapes to block out the sun on mornings when you want to snooze a little later.
To create a daybed feel, position one of the long sides of your bed against a wall and line that side with pillows. You can easily relax or study there, then simply move the pillows when you’re ready for bed.
3. Toss fun throw pillows on your bed for a burst of color. Look for pillows that are pretty and comfortable, that match your comforter and walls. Scatter 3-4 of them across your bed for a casual look, or stack them neatly for a style that’s more sophisticated.
Look for pillows in various shapes and sizes that match your room decor.
4. Place an end table at the foot of your bed for more storage space. A storage bench at the end of your bed is a stylish way to store clutter and add an extra, comfy seat to your room. Look for a bench to match your comforter at home stores and online.
For even more storage space, grab some colorful bins at a home store and stash them (and your clutter) under the bed.
5. Try a mounted headboard for a cleaner look that takes up less space. A headboard can push your bed a foot (0.3 m) or more away from the wall, which is a lot of space in a small room. Talk to your parents about getting rid of your headboard, or mounting one on the wall behind the bed to save space and look neater.
As an alternative to a headboard, hang up a wall tapestry or decorative scarf on the wall behind your bed.
6. Hang a blanket over your bed for a relaxed, boho canopy. If you feel too old for the full princess canopy, try lightly draping a thin, patterned blanket above your bed. String it from the ceiling and let it dangle 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) from your pillows for an airy feel.
Part 3 Dressing up Your Furniture.
1. Use a small table as a desk and dress it up with colorful containers. If you don’t already have a desk, look for a small table that will save space and look light and easy in your room. Fit it into your color scheme with colorful accessories like a desk lamp, a pencil cup, bookends, and a digital clock.
Try not to clutter your desk space up with too many knick-knacks, especially if this is a space you’ll use to do homework. All those small items will distract you from your studying.
2. Set out a small, pretty trash can to quickly dispose of clutter. Buy a small trash can online or from a home store, looking for one that matches your overall decor. Place it in the corner of your room for a quick, convenient way to throw away scraps of paper, tags from clothing, or any other bits of waste you have in your room.
If you don’t have much trash, you could use a container you already have around the house, like a basket, as a creative trash can substitute.
Remember to take out your trash at least once a week to keep clutter from piling up.
Don’t use your small trash can to throw away food or anything else that could decompose. This could make your room smell and even attract bugs.
3. Organize your makeup on a magnet board. Buy a magnet board and glue thin fabric over it to match your color scheme. Then, hot glue small, round, strong magnets onto the back of each of your eyeshadow, blush, and bronzer containers. Stick them onto the board to make a cute makeup organizer.
To organize your brushes and liners, glue a few magnets onto an old, small plastic cup. Store your mascara, brushes, and liners inside and stick them on the board.
4. Turn over a colorful trash can to make a simple night stand. If you want to revamp your bedside table, buy a cheap, colorful trash can online or at a large general store. Flip it upside down and set it by your bed for a small, cute table!
Look for a trash can with artful designs or a pretty pattern that will blend nicely with your bedspread and walls. Or, find a plain trash can, turn it upside down, and spray paint it the color you want. Try a glittery gold paint for a fun and bold option.
5. Decoupage dresser drawers with fabric for a splash of color. Cut a sheet of matching fabric to fit your dresser drawer, then wash it and dry it. Brush Mod Podge over the fabric and the dresser drawer and press the fabric onto the drawer one section at a time, smoothing it down with a straight edge as you go.
If you’re using a thin, cotton fabric, paint your dresser drawers white first. Mod Podge makes thin fabrics somewhat see-through, allowing dark colors to bleed through.
To get the process down, try practicing on a small piece of wood first.
6. Paint an old filing cabinet for modern storage space. Ask your parents if they have an old filing cabinet they don’t need anymore and transform it into a unique storage space! Lightly sand the cabinet with some sandpaper, then clean the cabinet and apply 3-4 coats of paint with a roller.
Paint the cabinet with chalk paint and label the contents of each drawer with chalk for extra organization. Or, pick a bright color like neon pink or yellow for a mod vibe.
To clean the cabinet, simply run a wet cloth over it to catch any dust and grime. Let it dry before you paint.
7. Spray paint the bases of your lamps in fun, matching colors. To update an old-fashioned looking lamp, pick up some cans of bright spray paint. Bring your lamp outside, set it on some newspaper, and spray paint it evenly on every side.
Let the lamp dry outside or in the garage for as long as instructed on the spray paint can.
Make sure to remove the lampshade before you spray paint.
8. Create a fashionable dressing area by dressing up a tailor’s mannequin. Pick up a female dress form mannequin at a craft store or order one online. Dress it in a pretty dress and place it in a corner of your room near a mirror or vanity to create a classy “dressing area.”
Go for a dress form rather than a full-body mannequin to save space and give your dressing area a sophisticated, classic look.
Use the dress form to express your creativity. Try switching out the dress form’s outfit based on the season, or put a dress on it to get you excited for an upcoming dance.
If you’re on a budget, it might seem impossible to redecorate your home. After all, home furnishings and decor can be very expensive if you buy everything all at once. Luckily, though, there are plenty of ways to save money as you freshen up your home’s appearance. Try buying items a little at a time, and buy second-hand or find great sales whenever you can. Also, look for creative ways to repurpose items you already have, or even upcycle things you find while you’re shopping!
Method 1 Adding Personality with Small Details.
1. Display your favorite items out in the open. Showing off something you already have is a great way to decorate without spending any money at all. If you have a piece that always makes you smile, like a special heirloom or a painting you love, put it somewhere you spend a lot of time, like your bedroom, kitchen, or living room. As you’re choosing other items for that room, try to think of what will go with the pieces you love the most.
For instance, if you hang up a painting in your living room, look for throw pillows or a rug that have some of the same colors as the painting.
Get rid of items you don’t love and just display the decor that you really like. Your favorite items will become statement pieces, and you’ll appreciate what you do have more.
2. Choose brightly-colored items to draw attention to an area. If there’s a feature in your home that you really like, such as a mantle with interesting molding or a bookshelf where you keep your books, draw attention to it with bright colors. Your eye will automatically be drawn to the brighter shades, making that area really stand out.
For instance, you might put a bright glass vase on a shelf to add a pop of color, or you could hang a colorful painting on the wall above your fireplace to show it off.
Look through the things you already have to find bright colors, or buy accent pieces on sale or at secondhand stores.
3. Arrange items in odd-numbered groups. For some reason, people find odd numbers of items more pleasing to look at than even-numbered groups. As you’re deciding where to place decor around your home, you can elevate the styling by sticking to odd-numbered arrangements.
For instance, you might try stacking 5 books together on a shelf, flanked by 2 heavy bookends, or you could use an odd number of picture frames if you create a gallery wall.
You could also make a tableau out of different objects, such as a vase, a painting leaned against the wall, and a small bowl filled with pretty rocks.
This is a simple trick that you can use to freshen up your decor without buying anything new!
4. Buy sheets and bedding on sale to update your bedroom. Look for seasonal home sales throughout the year, and when you find a good one, buy new sheets, pillowcases, and a comforter for your bedroom. This small change can make your bedroom feel more luxurious and can pull the room together, and if you find a good deal, it doesn’t have to cost very much money.
If you have a sewing machine, you can even make your own sheets!
Just buy throw pillows or a throw blanket in a fun new pattern or color if you can’t afford to buy a whole set of bedding at once.
5. Buy or make new throw pillows for your couch to personalize your living area. Throw pillows make your couch seem more inviting and comfy, and they can also help pull the design of your room together. Choose pillows in a color that’s used somewhere else in the room, or find them in a design that goes with the theme of the room.
For instance, if your room has a nature theme, you might choose pillows with a design featuring leaves, trees, or birds.
You can even recover your old throw pillows to give them a new look. Buying pillow covers is cheaper and can change the look of items simply and inexpensively.
6. Make your own curtains to add a pretty touch to any window. Curtains add a touch of elegance to a room, but buying drapes can be very expensive. If you can’t find a good sale on curtains you love, try making your own. Just sew a pocket into the top of a long strip of fabric, hem the other end, and run a curtain rod through the pocket.
You can also make your own shower curtain to freshen up your bathroom! Just make sure you use a waterproof shower curtain liner so the fabric doesn’t get water-stained.
Shower curtains and sheets can be fashioned into curtains as well. If you find a pattern or color you love, don't hesitate to use these for drapery.
7. Update your cabinet pulls, faucets, and other small hardware. The knobs on your cabinets and drawers, the handles on our sink and bathtub, and the knobs on your appliances can all get grimy and dull over time. Replace them to freshen up the look of your bathroom and kitchen without spending a lot of money.
Tip: If you like the hardware you already have, but it’s seen better days, try giving it a good clean with melamine foam or oxygen bleach.
8. Add a touch of nature with houseplants, flowers, and fruit. Houseplants are calming, beautiful, and good for the environment, making them a perfect addition for indoor decor. However, if you’re afraid you don’t have a green thumb, you can fill a vase or a bowl with fresh flowers or fruit, and change it whenever they start to turn brown.
You can even use artificial plants or flowers, but remember to dust them regularly!
9. Make your own art with inexpensive picture frames. Framed art doesn’t have to be expensive to look amazing. Buy several inexpensive frames that are the same color, shape, or size. Then, frame photos of your loved ones, pressed flowers, old calendar pages, or even pictures you print out from online!
Group several frames together to create your very own gallery wall.
If you have small keepsakes you’d like to display, place them in a shadow box and hang them on your wall.
Method 2 Finding Cheap or Free Items.
1. Rearrange the furniture you already have in your house. The easiest way to refresh your home is to rearrange your furniture and move your decor around. Think about how you’d like your space to look when you’re finished decorating. Then, go from room to room, looking at each piece of furniture or decorative object. Try to imagine how you could re-use each piece, and you might be surprised what you can come up with!
Sometimes just moving a big piece of furniture, like your couch or your bed, can give you a whole new perspective on a room!
With a little imagination, you might find that the nightstand in your spare room would make an awesome TV stand, or an old trunk could become the perfect coffee table!
Try to keep as many of your current possessions as you can. You’ll spend a lot more money redecorating if you try to replace everything at once.
Use things that you wouldn’t normally use for different purposes - like an old trunk as a coffee table or a scarf as a wall hanging.
2. Ask your family and friends if they have furniture or decor they don’t want. Reach out to your network and let them know you’re trying to change things up around your house. Keep in mind, however, that you shouldn’t take anything unless you really like or need it. Otherwise, you’ll just be adding clutter to your home.
If you know anyone who is moving, they might be happy to get rid of some items and you could take them off their hands. Even they aren't perfect, you can paint items or change them up to fit your style.
You can even post on social media asking if anyone has a specific item that you’re looking for.
3. Shop secondhand to find pieces you love at a deep discount. If you’re shopping on a budget, thrift stores, secondhand stores, yard sales, flea markets, and estate sales can be a great way to find items you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Sometimes you can even find new or like-new items at a huge discount.
Secondhand shops tend to have a lot of turnover in their inventory, so you may want to visit the same shops a few different times through the redecorating process, especially if you like the kind of items they carry. If you need to, travel to shops in nearby neighborhoods to find a wider selection.
Shopping after the holidays and during the spring is a good idea, because people tend to clean out their homes then.
Don’t be discouraged from buying something that has chipped paint, a dent or is slightly worn - this can all be easily fixed and adds character.
If you notice that an item has been at a certain shop for a while without selling, ask the manager if they’d be willing to sell it to you at a discount. This can be especially helpful if you’re buying large furniture, since the store will sometimes be eager to reclaim their floor space.
Tip: Pay attention to the prices of items, even in a secondhand shop. Some shops, especially those specializing in antiques, can still be quite pricey.
4. Look for sales if you’re buying new items. Don’t feel that everything you buy needs to be secondhand. Many retailers offer big sales throughout the year, especially around holidays. Look in your local newspaper, watch for TV commercials advertising sales, or check the stores’ websites so you’ll know when a sale is coming up.
You can also sign up for emails from some of the stores you like so you can be notified when a sale is coming up. There are even websites that are dedicated to finding deals, and you can sign up for email alerts from them as well.
Check your favorite stores online - there is usually a discount for online shopping and it will save you time as well.
Also, don’t forget to check the clearance section once you’re in the store. Often, shops will put a steep discount on merchandise that’s left over from a seasonal promotion or an older collection. These sales are typically not advertised.
5. Refinish or reupholster furniture to give it a new look. When you’re shopping, especially if you’re looking at secondhand items, pay more attention to the shape of the furniture than the color of it. You can sand away the existing stain on wood furniture and restain it or paint it to give it a whole new look. You can also reupholster fabric-covered furniture, like couches, recliners, and dining chairs!
Sometimes, you can save a lot of money by buying unfinished wood furniture. That means the wood is still in its natural state, and it hasn’t been sealed or stained. Try looking online to find a store near you that specializes in unfinished furniture.
Try changing out the drawer pulls on a dresser to give it a fresh, updated look. Even better, you can buy inexpensive drawer pulls from a home improvement store for just a few dollars!
You can even replace the foam in worn-out cushions to make the piece seem as good as new.
6. Don’t try to redecorate everything at once. If you’re on a budget, it’s not practical to try to buy everything all at the same time. Instead, try to embrace the idea that redecorating your home is a long-term project. Make a little time on the weekends to hunt for a great deal or a unique treasure that you’ll love.
It might help to focus on one room at a time, but don’t let that keep you from buying something for another room if you see a great deal. If you're redecorating your living room first but you see the perfect comforter on clearance, for instance, you might want to buy it if you can.
If shopping isn’t your favorite thing to do, find a friend who’ll be happy to go with you. That will help make the experience more fun for you.
Don’t feel like you have to finish one space at a time. Especially if you're on a budget, it can be hard to wait for the perfect piece to go on sale or to find it second hand. Pick up things when you find a good deal and it will all come together eventually.
Method 3 Making Cheap Updates.
1. Paint the walls with a new coat of paint to freshen up a room. If you own your home or have permission from your landlord, painting is an inexpensive way to brighten everything up and make it look newer. Take everything out of the room that you can and cover the floor with a drop cloth. Then, cover the wall in 1-2 coats of primer, let those dry, and go back over the walls with your chosen paint color.
Light colors will make a room look larger, so avoid very dark colors in a small room.
Cool colors like blue and green are relaxing, so they’re a great choice for bedrooms. Warm colors are very inviting, so they’re great for living areas and kitchens.
You can even get creative by painting one wall a different color or by adding stripes,chevrons, or chalkboard paint to your walls.
If you love the look of wallpaper but don’t have room in your budget, use a stencil to paint a pattern on your walls instead!
If you have dark trim or wooden doors, you can paint those too for a fresh, updated look.
2. Change the light fixtures in a room for a quick upgrade. Dated or ugly light fixtures can bring down the look of a room, even if you don’t consciously pay attention to them. If you can find a good deal on a new light fixture, changing it yourself is usually pretty easy. Just turn off the power to the room at your circuit breaker, remove the old light fixture, and rewire the new one. Take care to match up the negative and positive wires, then attach the new fixture to the ceiling with the provided brackets and screws.
Don’t feel that you necessarily have to buy new light fixtures. Sometimes, all it takes it a good cleaning or a coat of spray paint to bring new life to the light fixtures you already have.
Adding a new shade or cover is inexpensive and can quickly update the look of older fixtures.
If you don’t feel comfortable working with wiring yourself, it might be worth it to save up and have an electrician do the job.
Tip: If you have a lot of lamps, try updating your lamp shades!
3. Cover the back of a bookcase with contact paper to give it a new look. Bookcases provide a lot of practical storage, so even if you’re not in love with yours, it might be best to keep it. Luckily, you can give it new life by covering the back walls with colorful contact paper, wallpaper scraps, or even fabric. This will brighten up the bookcase and will provide a nice contrast to show off whatever you’re displaying on the shelves.
You can also paint your bookcase, if you’d like. Paint it a different color from the walls to make it stand out, or paint it the same color if you want it to look like it’s a part of the wall.
4. Add architectural trim to your walls. Architectural trim, also called molding or decorative trim, can make a room look expensive, but it doesn’t necessarily cost a lot. Try installing it around your ceiling or floors, on your cabinets, or around your windows to create an upscale look on a budget.
You can even find stick-on molding, making this project easy and cheap!
To mimic the look of moldings, add trim 6 inches above your floor trim and paint the gap to match the trim. This will give you the look of architectural trim for less than half of the usual price.
5. Add rugs to bring warmth to a room. Carpeting and rugs create a cozy, warm feeling, but replacing your carpet can be very expensive. Instead, look for sales on area rugs that match your theme or color palette for each room.
If buying a new rug is too expensive, visit a flooring store and ask if they have vinyl remnants. These are pieces of vinyl left over from previous projects that are too small to re-use, but are often large enough to use as an area rug. To personalize the look even more, paint a design on the remnant with acrylic paints and seal with concrete sealer.
6. Hang mirrors to make a room feel larger. Look for large mirrors at secondhand shops and home improvement stores, then install them wherever you need more space. Mirrors help create an optical illusion that a space is larger than it really is, so wall mirrors are a great touch in smaller rooms or narrow hallways. In addition, the mirrors will reflect any light that’s in the room, making it look brighter.
If you like the shape of a mirror but not the frame, try painting it!
If you have an unframed mirror in your bathroom and can’t afford a new one, you can frame your mirror in by attaching moldings around all four sides.
Tips.
Look for DIY design ideas for fun projects to decorate your home that you can do yourself!
Warnings.
Whenever you're painting, priming, or sanding something, make sure the room is well-ventilated, and take regular breaks to get fresh air.
If you’re on a budget, it might seem impossible to redecorate your home. After all, home furnishings and decor can be very expensive if you buy everything all at once. Luckily, though, there are plenty of ways to save money as you freshen up your home’s appearance. Try buying items a little at a time, and buy second-hand or find great sales whenever you can. Also, look for creative ways to repurpose items you already have, or even upcycle things you find while you’re shopping!
Method 1 Adding Personality with Small Details.
1. Display your favorite items out in the open. Showing off something you already have is a great way to decorate without spending any money at all. If you have a piece that always makes you smile, like a special heirloom or a painting you love, put it somewhere you spend a lot of time, like your bedroom, kitchen, or living room. As you’re choosing other items for that room, try to think of what will go with the pieces you love the most.
For instance, if you hang up a painting in your living room, look for throw pillows or a rug that have some of the same colors as the painting.
Get rid of items you don’t love and just display the decor that you really like. Your favorite items will become statement pieces, and you’ll appreciate what you do have more.
2. Choose brightly-colored items to draw attention to an area. If there’s a feature in your home that you really like, such as a mantle with interesting molding or a bookshelf where you keep your books, draw attention to it with bright colors. Your eye will automatically be drawn to the brighter shades, making that area really stand out.
For instance, you might put a bright glass vase on a shelf to add a pop of color, or you could hang a colorful painting on the wall above your fireplace to show it off.
Look through the things you already have to find bright colors, or buy accent pieces on sale or at secondhand stores.
3. Arrange items in odd-numbered groups. For some reason, people find odd numbers of items more pleasing to look at than even-numbered groups. As you’re deciding where to place decor around your home, you can elevate the styling by sticking to odd-numbered arrangements.
For instance, you might try stacking 5 books together on a shelf, flanked by 2 heavy bookends, or you could use an odd number of picture frames if you create a gallery wall.
You could also make a tableau out of different objects, such as a vase, a painting leaned against the wall, and a small bowl filled with pretty rocks.
This is a simple trick that you can use to freshen up your decor without buying anything new!
4. Buy sheets and bedding on sale to update your bedroom. Look for seasonal home sales throughout the year, and when you find a good one, buy new sheets, pillowcases, and a comforter for your bedroom. This small change can make your bedroom feel more luxurious and can pull the room together, and if you find a good deal, it doesn’t have to cost very much money.
If you have a sewing machine, you can even make your own sheets!
Just buy throw pillows or a throw blanket in a fun new pattern or color if you can’t afford to buy a whole set of bedding at once.
5. Buy or make new throw pillows for your couch to personalize your living area. Throw pillows make your couch seem more inviting and comfy, and they can also help pull the design of your room together. Choose pillows in a color that’s used somewhere else in the room, or find them in a design that goes with the theme of the room.
For instance, if your room has a nature theme, you might choose pillows with a design featuring leaves, trees, or birds.
You can even recover your old throw pillows to give them a new look. Buying pillow covers is cheaper and can change the look of items simply and inexpensively.
6. Make your own curtains to add a pretty touch to any window. Curtains add a touch of elegance to a room, but buying drapes can be very expensive. If you can’t find a good sale on curtains you love, try making your own. Just sew a pocket into the top of a long strip of fabric, hem the other end, and run a curtain rod through the pocket.
You can also make your own shower curtain to freshen up your bathroom! Just make sure you use a waterproof shower curtain liner so the fabric doesn’t get water-stained.
Shower curtains and sheets can be fashioned into curtains as well. If you find a pattern or color you love, don't hesitate to use these for drapery.
7. Update your cabinet pulls, faucets, and other small hardware. The knobs on your cabinets and drawers, the handles on our sink and bathtub, and the knobs on your appliances can all get grimy and dull over time. Replace them to freshen up the look of your bathroom and kitchen without spending a lot of money.
Tip: If you like the hardware you already have, but it’s seen better days, try giving it a good clean with melamine foam or oxygen bleach.
8. Add a touch of nature with houseplants, flowers, and fruit. Houseplants are calming, beautiful, and good for the environment, making them a perfect addition for indoor decor. However, if you’re afraid you don’t have a green thumb, you can fill a vase or a bowl with fresh flowers or fruit, and change it whenever they start to turn brown.
You can even use artificial plants or flowers, but remember to dust them regularly!
9. Make your own art with inexpensive picture frames. Framed art doesn’t have to be expensive to look amazing. Buy several inexpensive frames that are the same color, shape, or size. Then, frame photos of your loved ones, pressed flowers, old calendar pages, or even pictures you print out from online!
Group several frames together to create your very own gallery wall.
If you have small keepsakes you’d like to display, place them in a shadow box and hang them on your wall.
Method 2 Finding Cheap or Free Items.
1. Rearrange the furniture you already have in your house. The easiest way to refresh your home is to rearrange your furniture and move your decor around. Think about how you’d like your space to look when you’re finished decorating. Then, go from room to room, looking at each piece of furniture or decorative object. Try to imagine how you could re-use each piece, and you might be surprised what you can come up with!
Sometimes just moving a big piece of furniture, like your couch or your bed, can give you a whole new perspective on a room!
With a little imagination, you might find that the nightstand in your spare room would make an awesome TV stand, or an old trunk could become the perfect coffee table!
Try to keep as many of your current possessions as you can. You’ll spend a lot more money redecorating if you try to replace everything at once.
Use things that you wouldn’t normally use for different purposes - like an old trunk as a coffee table or a scarf as a wall hanging.
2. Ask your family and friends if they have furniture or decor they don’t want. Reach out to your network and let them know you’re trying to change things up around your house. Keep in mind, however, that you shouldn’t take anything unless you really like or need it. Otherwise, you’ll just be adding clutter to your home.
If you know anyone who is moving, they might be happy to get rid of some items and you could take them off their hands. Even they aren't perfect, you can paint items or change them up to fit your style.
You can even post on social media asking if anyone has a specific item that you’re looking for.
3. Shop secondhand to find pieces you love at a deep discount. If you’re shopping on a budget, thrift stores, secondhand stores, yard sales, flea markets, and estate sales can be a great way to find items you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Sometimes you can even find new or like-new items at a huge discount.
Secondhand shops tend to have a lot of turnover in their inventory, so you may want to visit the same shops a few different times through the redecorating process, especially if you like the kind of items they carry. If you need to, travel to shops in nearby neighborhoods to find a wider selection.
Shopping after the holidays and during the spring is a good idea, because people tend to clean out their homes then.
Don’t be discouraged from buying something that has chipped paint, a dent or is slightly worn - this can all be easily fixed and adds character.
If you notice that an item has been at a certain shop for a while without selling, ask the manager if they’d be willing to sell it to you at a discount. This can be especially helpful if you’re buying large furniture, since the store will sometimes be eager to reclaim their floor space.
Tip: Pay attention to the prices of items, even in a secondhand shop. Some shops, especially those specializing in antiques, can still be quite pricey.
4. Look for sales if you’re buying new items. Don’t feel that everything you buy needs to be secondhand. Many retailers offer big sales throughout the year, especially around holidays. Look in your local newspaper, watch for TV commercials advertising sales, or check the stores’ websites so you’ll know when a sale is coming up.
You can also sign up for emails from some of the stores you like so you can be notified when a sale is coming up. There are even websites that are dedicated to finding deals, and you can sign up for email alerts from them as well.
Check your favorite stores online - there is usually a discount for online shopping and it will save you time as well.
Also, don’t forget to check the clearance section once you’re in the store. Often, shops will put a steep discount on merchandise that’s left over from a seasonal promotion or an older collection. These sales are typically not advertised.
5. Refinish or reupholster furniture to give it a new look. When you’re shopping, especially if you’re looking at secondhand items, pay more attention to the shape of the furniture than the color of it. You can sand away the existing stain on wood furniture and restain it or paint it to give it a whole new look. You can also reupholster fabric-covered furniture, like couches, recliners, and dining chairs!
Sometimes, you can save a lot of money by buying unfinished wood furniture. That means the wood is still in its natural state, and it hasn’t been sealed or stained. Try looking online to find a store near you that specializes in unfinished furniture.
Try changing out the drawer pulls on a dresser to give it a fresh, updated look. Even better, you can buy inexpensive drawer pulls from a home improvement store for just a few dollars!
You can even replace the foam in worn-out cushions to make the piece seem as good as new.
6. Don’t try to redecorate everything at once. If you’re on a budget, it’s not practical to try to buy everything all at the same time. Instead, try to embrace the idea that redecorating your home is a long-term project. Make a little time on the weekends to hunt for a great deal or a unique treasure that you’ll love.
It might help to focus on one room at a time, but don’t let that keep you from buying something for another room if you see a great deal. If you're redecorating your living room first but you see the perfect comforter on clearance, for instance, you might want to buy it if you can.
If shopping isn’t your favorite thing to do, find a friend who’ll be happy to go with you. That will help make the experience more fun for you.
Don’t feel like you have to finish one space at a time. Especially if you're on a budget, it can be hard to wait for the perfect piece to go on sale or to find it second hand. Pick up things when you find a good deal and it will all come together eventually.
Method 3 Making Cheap Updates.
1. Paint the walls with a new coat of paint to freshen up a room. If you own your home or have permission from your landlord, painting is an inexpensive way to brighten everything up and make it look newer. Take everything out of the room that you can and cover the floor with a drop cloth. Then, cover the wall in 1-2 coats of primer, let those dry, and go back over the walls with your chosen paint color.
Light colors will make a room look larger, so avoid very dark colors in a small room.
Cool colors like blue and green are relaxing, so they’re a great choice for bedrooms. Warm colors are very inviting, so they’re great for living areas and kitchens.
You can even get creative by painting one wall a different color or by adding stripes, chevrons, or chalkboard paint to your walls.
If you love the look of wallpaper but don’t have room in your budget, use a stencil to paint a pattern on your walls instead!
If you have dark trim or wooden doors, you can paint those too for a fresh, updated look.
2. Change the light fixtures in a room for a quick upgrade. Dated or ugly light fixtures can bring down the look of a room, even if you don’t consciously pay attention to them. If you can find a good deal on a new light fixture, changing it yourself is usually pretty easy. Just turn off the power to the room at your circuit breaker, remove the old light fixture, and rewire the new one. Take care to match up the negative and positive wires, then attach the new fixture to the ceiling with the provided brackets and screws.
Don’t feel that you necessarily have to buy new light fixtures. Sometimes, all it takes it a good cleaning or a coat of spray paint to bring new life to the light fixtures you already have.
Adding a new shade or cover is inexpensive and can quickly update the look of older fixtures.
If you don’t feel comfortable working with wiring yourself, it might be worth it to save up and have an electrician do the job.
Tip: If you have a lot of lamps, try updating your lamp shades!
3. Cover the back of a bookcase with contact paper to give it a new look. Bookcases provide a lot of practical storage, so even if you’re not in love with yours, it might be best to keep it. Luckily, you can give it new life by covering the back walls with colorful contact paper, wallpaper scraps, or even fabric. This will brighten up the bookcase and will provide a nice contrast to show off whatever you’re displaying on the shelves.
You can also paint your bookcase, if you’d like. Paint it a different color from the walls to make it stand out, or paint it the same color if you want it to look like it’s a part of the wall.
4. Add architectural trim to your walls. Architectural trim, also called molding or decorative trim, can make a room look expensive, but it doesn’t necessarily cost a lot. Try installing it around your ceiling or floors, on your cabinets, or around your windows to create an upscale look on a budget.
You can even find stick-on molding, making this project easy and cheap!
To mimic the look of moldings, add trim 6 inches above your floor trim and paint the gap to match the trim. This will give you the look of architectural trim for less than half of the usual price.
5. Add rugs to bring warmth to a room. Carpeting and rugs create a cozy, warm feeling, but replacing your carpet can be very expensive. Instead, look for sales on area rugs that match your theme or color palette for each room.
If buying a new rug is too expensive, visit a flooring store and ask if they have vinyl remnants. These are pieces of vinyl left over from previous projects that are too small to re-use, but are often large enough to use as an area rug. To personalize the look even more, paint a design on the remnant with acrylic paints and seal with concrete sealer.
6. Hang mirrors to make a room feel larger. Look for large mirrors at secondhand shops and home improvement stores, then install them wherever you need more space. Mirrors help create an optical illusion that a space is larger than it really is, so wall mirrors are a great touch in smaller rooms or narrow hallways. In addition, the mirrors will reflect any light that’s in the room, making it look brighter.
If you like the shape of a mirror but not the frame, try painting it!
If you have an unframed mirror in your bathroom and can’t afford a new one, you can frame your mirror in by attaching moldings around all four sides.
Question : Can I use a blanket as a rug?
Answer : If it is a tightly woven blanket it might work, but make sure it can be walked on without sliding around a lot. Also make sure it can be cleaned well and won't be torn or unraveled if used as a rug. There are certain bath mats that can be used for house rugs, too. It's great if it can be machine washable.
Tips.
Look for DIY design ideas for fun projects to decorate your home that you can do yourself!
Warnings.
Whenever you're painting, priming, or sanding something, make sure the room is well-ventilated, and take regular breaks to get fresh air.
String lights are a relatively inexpensive purchase that can really add to the atmosphere of your room or home. They can soften the ambiance of a room, highlight certain features, or add a magical touch to an otherwise normal space. There are many ways you can arrange your lights, including doing things like wrapping household items or writing out a message with them. You can also make DIY decorations, like a festive vase lamp or flower lights. You can even incorporate string lights into existing decor by wrapping seasonal items with them or tying colored ribbons in between bulbs.
Steps.
1. Wrap furniture and items with lights. Everyday household items like mirrors, bookshelves, ornamental baskets, and so on, can be easily dressed up with lights. Simply drape or wrap the lights on the object, or attach the lights in place with things like adhesive hooks, pushpins, and tape.
Be careful when using tape to attach your lights to a finished surface, like wood, a painted wall, and so on. Some tapes may damage finished surfaces.
You can turn your nightstand into a combination nightstand/nightlight by wrapping lights around it.
String lights across a dresser to create mood lighting in your bedroom.
Drape lights around the edges of a mirror for a whimsical touch.
2. Create a photo display with strung up lights. String up lights between adhesive hooks, nails, or a similar kind of hanger. After the lights are in place, attach photos in between lights with clothespins to make a string light photo display.
If you aren't ready to invest in picture frames, this is an inexpensive and charming way of displaying your favorite pictures.
Instead of pictures, you can also hang up old postcards for a travel theme.
3. Make easily movable lighting with large bulb lights. Large bulb string lights are usually smaller than a traditional light bulb, but the bulbs are about the size of a child's fist. These easily add a classy, glitzy, slightly antiquated atmosphere to virtually any space. Drape large bulb lights for furniture or fixtures (like sills, ledges, and so on) to create inexpensive, enchanting lighting.
If you like variety, this technique might be perfect for you. You can easily move large bulb string lights around your home whenever you feel like a change.
You should be able to find this style of light at most big box stores like Walmart, Target, and so on.
Try using large bulb lights in your bedroom, office, or a walk-in closet.
4. Arrange string lights in interesting shapes. Arrange pushpins or adhesive hooks on a wall in the outline of a shape, like a tree, a cloud, snowman, or whatever you desire. After that, wind your string lights around the pushpins or hooks so the lights take the shape of your design.
When using pushpins, try to use as few as possible. Using too many may leave behind unsightly holes in your wall when you take them down.
Use different colored strings of lights to highlight certain features, or to give color and definition to your string light designs.
Arranging a string of lights in a shape would make a great nightlight for a child’s bedroom.
5. Write out messages with string lights. Lights that are more flexible than your average string lights, like tube lights, are preferred for message writing. More flexible lights will be easier to write messages with.
Use pushpins or adhesive hooks to outline your message on a wall. Wind your string lights around these hangers until the lights spell out your message.
If you're worried the pushpins might do too much damage to your wall, use a thin piece of board as a mount and use pushpins, nails, or a similar hanger to outline the message. Wind the lights around the hangers, then attach the board to a stud.
6. Decorate your bed with lights. If you have a canopy, wrap the canopy frame with lights and allow the ends to trail down into the canopy fabric, or you can wrap the canopy fabric around the lights so that the lights are glowing through the fabric. Even if you don't have a canopy, you can wrap the corner posts of your bed to give cozy, gentle glow to your bedroom.
To create a unified color scheme, you may want to match the color of lights that you string up with your comforter, blankets, and so on.
7. Manage electrical cords. Especially if you plan on using a few strings to decorate, string light cords can quickly get out of hand. Gather together multiple cords together with zip ties and binder clips. Use adhesive wall hooks to collect together and manage wall strung lights.
Even gathering together a few separate cord ends can give your light decorations a more tidy appearance.
Loose cords can easy become a dangerous tripping hazard. What's more, if you've used wall hangers for your lights, these may do damage to your wall if yanked out suddenly.
How to Making DIY String Light Decorations.
Warnings.
Always use hot glue with caution. It becomes very hot, and can burn you if used improperly or without proper supervision.
Avoid leaving the lights plugged in for too long because it is a fire hazard.
Check to make sure that the lights you are using are appropriate for where you want to use them. Some are meant for indoor use, while others are for use outdoors, and you can use some lights indoors and outdoors.
For most people, the bedroom is more than simply a place to sleep at night. Redecorating your bedroom can help create an environment that is relaxing, reflects your personality, and even provide a better night's rest. Adding recycled pieces or simple DIY flourishes can help transform your room to fit your needs. You can also incorporate elements of Feng Sui to convert your room into a sanctuary.
Part 1 Planning and Reorganizing.
1. Make a 2-dimensional floor plan of your room and furniture. Use a tape measure to measure the dimensions of your room (length and width). On a piece of graphing paper, draw a scale image of room where 3 grid squares = 4 inches or 1/3rd of a foot.
Include in your floor plan the location and size of doors, windows, closets, fireplaces, etc.
Make scale drawings of furniture on a separate piece of paper. Measure the length and width of any large pieces of furniture (e.g. bed, dresser, couch).
Cut these out and rearrange them in your drawing to see how much space you have to work with.
Carry this plan and furniture cut-outs with you if go shopping or "dumpster diving", so you know if you have enough space for something before bringing it home.
2. Make a list of design ideas. In a search engine such as Google or Bing, type in "easy bedroom decorating ideas" or "cheap bedroom diy".
Before starting a project you find online, write-out the instructions and compile a list of materials, including tools.
Gather together any tools or materials you need before beginning your project.
3. Clean your room. Create more space and reorganize by getting rid of anything that is unnecessary or outdated.
Clean out and organize your closet, under your bed, and other places in your room where stuff has accumulated.
Donate any furniture, clothing, or electronics that are in good condition. A good rule of thumb is to donate or throw out anything you haven't worn or used in the past year.
4. Rearrange or add furniture. Create more space in your bedroom by moving your bed against the wall or place a comfortable chair next to the window to make a comfy reading nook.
You want everything currently in your bedroom to fit comfortably before adding anything new, especially if you have a small bedroom.
Add a bed skirt so you can store things under your bed without them being seen.
Switch-out a bedside table with one that has drawers for storage or several shelves to hold books.
5. Maximize the storage potential of your bedroom. Create additional space by installing extra shelving in your closet or purchasing a combination of plastic and decorative storage bins.
Attach hooks or shoe bags to the back of doors.
Use the vertical space in your closet to install high shelves as a space to store out-of-season clothes and accessories.
Decide what you want to place in each storage bin and label it. Use these labels to avoid throwing anything in a bin that does not belong. This will help you stay organized.
Arrange storage bins on a shelf or the bottom shelf of a bookcase for easy access. If the bin is in a visible location, use a decorative canvas bin or wicker basket.
6. Rearrange your bedroom according to the principles of Feng Sui. Your bed should be raised off the floor and if possible, avoid placing it in an area that receives direct sunlight during the day.
Do not place mirrors opposite your bed.
Stimulate your other senses by adding lightly scented candles or spraying diluted essential oils. Lavender has been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure.
7. Create a more relaxing space. Replace any light bulbs that emit a bluish light with soft white LED bulbs. Blue light stimulates brain activity and may make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Look through your house for lamps that have LED soft white bulbs and swap them with bulbs from your bedroom. Most interior lamps use 40- or 60-watt bulbs, but check first before exchanging a light bulb from another lamp.
Incorporate warm, bright colors as accessories (lamps, vases, pillows, etc.), but do not make them the dominate color in your bedroom.
Part 2 Decorating with Re-purposed or Recycled Items.
1. Find free things. Find a freecycle network within your area or ask friends and relatives for old unwanted items.
Look for furniture made from real wood that can be refinished.[9]
Unless it is in good condition, avoid second-hand plywood, particle board, or laminate furniture. While these surfaces can be cleaned and repainted, refinishing techniques such as sanding or sawing can release airborne pollutants such as formaldehyde.
2. Go to garage sales. Check your local newspaper or Craigslist for garage sales in or near your neighborhood.
You are more likely to find things for free if you go later in the day, preferably after 12:00 p.m.
3. Ask for old swatch books at the wallpaper store. Use recycled wallpaper to decoupage old lamps, vases, or furniture for free.
You can also use wallpaper to line shelves or the bottoms of drawers.
4. Move furniture and art from other places in the house for a fun change. For example, move a bookshelf from the living room to your bedroom.
Look for design inspiration in your own house. Use a painting, decorative pillow, piece of clothing, or floor rug as the basis for a new design theme or color palette in your room.
Ask permission from housemates before moving anything.
Part 3 Making Your Own Bedroom Accessories.
1. Make your own throw pillows. Throw pillows make a great accent piece and can add color. However, store bought pillows are often expensive. While having sewing skills or access to a sewing machine are helpful, they are not necessary.
Make a 'no sew pillow' by using two pieces of felt that are the same.[14] Place the felt pieces together and use scissors to cut 2 inch wide by 5 inch long strips along the edges. Leave a square at each corner. Tie the strips together around an insert pillow or cotton batting.
Use two t-shirts that hold sentimental value, but don't fit anymore to make a pillow. Cut-out a square or rectangular piece (depending on what shape and size you want your pillow) from each shirt. Place the two pieces together and sew together three of the four sides. Stuff with cotton batting or even other t-shirts before sewing the final edge.
You can also stuff a pillow with fabric scraps or use an old pillow as an insert pillow.
2. Make your own curtains. Drape fabric over the top and down the side of a curtain rod and then slide a valance or swag over the rod.
If you live in an area with a lot of light-pollution from streetlights, signs, car headlights, etc., you might want to use darker fabric to block outside light. Too much light exposure at dusk or at night can disrupt your body's natural sleep-wake cycle, known as its circadian rhythm.
Make your own curtain rings. Attach your curtains to the rod by tying hooks with fabric, rope, or ribbon. You can also dress-up cheap curtain wrings by wrapping them in different colored fabric.
Use a bed sheet to make a curtain ruffle that can be sewed onto the top or bottom of your curtains.
Use inexpensive small hooks, pegs or doorknobs to "hang" or tie curtains off to the side.
3. Make your own flower arrangement. Search garage sales, flea markets, and second-hand shops for silk flowers, or cut and dry real flowers.
Make an arrangement of dried grasses and wildflowers found along the roadside.Cut the flower and at least 8 inches of stem when they are in peak-bloom. Remove any leaves along the stem. Tie the flowers together with a piece of twine and hang them upside down in a dark, cool, dry place until completely dry, about 2-3 weeks.
4. Make a jewelry tree for your dresser. Arrange several dry branches in a vase. Fill the vase with pebbles for stability. Decorate the tree by draping earrings, necklaces and bracelets over the branches.
5. Hang some of your drawings, paintings or old calendar pictures on the walls. They don't necessarily need a frame. Attach them to the wall with a couple of common pins or mount them with poster board or foam board.
6. Experiment with DIY design ideas. Make a decorative mat or bureau scarf.
Stylize a plain lampshade by wrapping it in metallic ribbon, wrap it in gauzy fabric, or cover it in old maps or pages from your favorite book.
Make a mobile of odds and ends to hang from the ceiling. Attach old keys or origami birds with string to a metal coat hanger. This adds a fun, whimsical atmosphere to the room.
Question : I share a room with my sister and my mom wouldn't allow some of these ideas, but a few might do! Anything else?
Answer : I love some of these, but you need to agree with your sister. If you two agree, and your mom says no, ask her why she doesn't want that idea. She must have a good reason. A cute idea that she won't say no to is to put some books on your shelf landscape-way with up to five on each other, and put a few trinkets, such as glass animals, on top.
Question : My room is awesome, but my brothers always enter it without permission and break stuff and open my drawers. I have tried reasoning with them, and my parents won't stop them either. What do I do?
Answer : Try to save up money to get locks, either to get installed on your bedroom door or on your drawers. Also, find a hiding place to put your most valuable stuff. Remember, the harder you look, the harder they'll look, so go simple.
Question : How can I make space in my room?
Answer : Make sure everything is picked up off the floors, and get rid of all the old things you do not want.
Question : What are some ideas for DIY projects for small rooms?
Answer : You can make the room calmer or brighter to make it appear bigger by using washi tape to cover light switches or plugs. You could also make decorations with washi tape or cardboard for your door.
Question : I don't have a lot of money. What can I do for free?
Answer : You can use some of your own drawings or paintings or even some from another room to accessorize. You could also ask family members who have a garden for some nice flowers or plants to decorate. Go to a garage sale and look at what they have for some possible ideas as well.
Question : Can I have an example of some DIY projects?
Answer : You could do something as simple as decorating a simple lamp with some fabric or even writing quotes or putting accessories on a dresser. There are endless possibilities.
Question : Where can I get free suggestions on how to decorate my room?
Answer : There are a lot of online sights that offer decorating techniques. You can take an old dresser or desk and make it a decorative piece by writing quotes or drawing on it for decor.
Question : How should I decorate a loft bed?
Answer : Buy some nice sheets or reuse some from a garage sale or even at your own house. Go to a garage sale to find some decorative pillows or throws to add. You could even use some fabric to make a curtain for around it.
Question : I share a room with my sister and we have different tastes, how do I decorate?
Answer : You can always decorate your half of the room! If that's not convenient, then add a few small touches that don't clash with your sister's style. You could also just talk it over with your sister and try to compromise, there's got to be a few things you can agree on!
Question : How do I get teenage room decor for free with DIY?
Answer : Use the tips here to create things that vibe with the teen's style.
Tips.
Spray paint any mismatched furniture to match your room's décor.
Turn a wall into a chalkboard by painting it with chalkboard paint, or designate one wall as an art wall and paint what ever you want.
Minimize damage to walls when hanging pictures or posters by using blue sticky tack or reusable adhesive hooks. You can also buy an inexpensive picture or mirror hanging kit from a hardware store.
Turn a twin bed into a daybed by pushing it against the wall and placing pillows along the back edge.
Keep your room feeling fresh by washing bed sheets and pillow cases at least once a week.
Make a wall collage using photos, posters and anything cute.
Turn on your favorite music and renew your spirit along with your room. Music can change a room's atmosphere completely without any need for redecoration.
Planning is the most important first step for any redecorating or DIY project.
Select a theme or color scheme and stick to it. This will help you stick to your budget by preventing you from buying anything that does not 'go'.
Remember if you are under-aged or living in someone else's house, ask permission before decorating.
Warnings.
Be careful moving furniture. Ask for help if you think you may need it. Strained backs or broken toes are never fun.
Always let someone else use a nail and hammer if you're inexperienced. Throbbing thumbs or cracked walls certainly don't add much to a room.
Refrain from using power tools unless you have received proper training or obtain guidance from someone who is experience. Always wear a face mask when stripping old paint or sanding furniture.
