Active Surveys
|
Tips that Won’t Break the Bank
Share your home improvement tips that won’t break the bank but can create the look you would like. |
I wrote about this before in 14 Home DIYs Every Homemaker Needs to Know http://www.homemakerbarbi.com/home-diys-every-homemaker-needs-to-know/This article is focused on home decorating, but still show you how to improve the look of your home on a budget:5 Ways to Change the Look of Your Living Room http://www.homemakerbarbi.com/5-ways-to-change-the-look-of-your-living-room/Hope those get the discussion off to a good start!Danelle Ice / Homemaker Barbi
My best tip would be to do as much as possible yourself. That's my husband and I do.
I look on different decorating blogs...one favorite is the nesting place. She has a great one using what you have. Plus you get to see how other people decorate their homes ....everyone likes to see that.
try changing out your curtains just color can change the look to a room!
My husband & I have learned to do many home improvements. One thing we would like to share is if your tiling a room. Look for a Tile surplus store. When tiles are discontinued at stores like Home Depot, the surplus stores buy them and you can buy them there for a much lower price. Just make sure you buy extra, because they can sell out!We also found replacement tiles for old damaged tiles, which saved us a complete redo.
Our church has a rent a kid program that goes towards youth camp. For just a little extra we can send a kid to camp and have extra hands to get things done quicker.
I visit the local thrift stores for unusual finds, like in my dining room i use copper jello molds as decorations on the wall, and the most i've paid for one is $2.00. They bring in texture and color and can still be used.
I love that at Lowe's you can get a sample of their paints in a little can for just $3.97. That way you can try a color out before you spend the money for gallons. Also you can use the samples you don't want to put on your walls to paint small things like shelves, boxes, etc.
We changed our curtains to long 92 inchers and moved the hardware close to the ceiling. It made the room look a little more grand.
- Lorraine said:
try changing out your curtains just color can change the look to a room!
Curtains, paint and picture frames! Even bargain oopps paint can be the right colour for you sometimes. Using painted dollar store frames with your own matting and photos can make a phot wall seem like a gallery. Curtains-when found for cheap at places like Ross, can really change the feel of a room. Try moving your curtains up or down, wider or more narrow to find the right look!
Paint one wall a different color other than white. Move around furniture. Buy a few inexpensive items to add pizazz. Thrift stores. Swap kitch with friends. Have a kitch swap party! Free.
I swap out differant photos/wall decorations for the changing of the seasons as well as the throw pillows. You would be surprised what a change you can have. For summer I will add the family photos at differant beaches with some artifical sea grass in a bamboo planter, toss in a few seashells and you're transported to your favorite beach!
I needed topant new plants it the floer beds this year the others did not survive so I got clippings of plants from my friends and in-laws that I could soke in water so thay would root and planted them. It cost me the price of a bucket and some starter soil and they look great now. Best of all thay are native to California and don't need a lot of water.
I shop E-Bay for low priced tapestries, curtains, etc.!! I love it!
if you want to put up chair rail in your home and are strapped like most of us.Go to your home improvement store and ask for the wood that seperates the sheet of plywood.Some stores will give it to you and some will charge a small fee. put these together on your wall stain or paint. They can look rustic or elegant.
Leslie
For covering large windows, I look for pretty shower curtains on sale. They come in all kinds of wonderful fabrics and are a fraction of the cost of window curtains. And if you can sew..even better for customizing.
Check out your local recycling center. Ours has a re-use are where things can be left which others can take. I found several used gallons of off-white paint. Once combined and mixed well there was enough paint for me to paint my entire hallway. In another room I used leftover colored paint to create a mural on one wall. All done free with the exception of the cost of a few brushes.
You can buy a flat sheet for a reasonable price and turn it into a valance. Many stores carry matching sheet sets, to match your bedding. Take the flat sheet and make the valance. You should have enough left over to make a matching pillow for the bed.
I take my knick knacks down every so often and wash them in the kitchen sink and put them back in different places. I also use Dow Scrubbing Bubbles to clean alot of surfaces in my home. I mop with it, clean the top of the stove with it, the inside and outside of the fridge, the bathroom, countertops in the kitchen (for stains I use Ajax or Comet). When I take my fans apart to clean them I use Scrubbing Bubbles on the petals. Actually, I buy the Family Dollar brand. I spray it on all kinds of things to clean them. I even use it on wood floors. Just spray it on, leave it for a few and it comes out just great for the most part. I also have alot of stuffed animals hangaing from my ceiling. I take those down and wash them in laundry detergent, rinse them out, dip them in a bucket of water and liquied fabric softener and wring them out and hang them outside to dry. They smell pretty nice when they all come back in and get hung back up. I hang them from sewing thread and push pins. There is no point in using Febreze. That doesn't clean them. I just find odd ways of doing things other people don't do. Alot of people use toy hammocks for stuffed animals. I hang mine from the ceiling. I have a ton of them too. In my bedroom I have glow-in-the-dark moons, stars, sheep, smiley faces, comets etc and that looks awesome at night.
Try moving things that get lost in one room, such as a mirror that gets overloooked in the bedroom into the foyer or a dark corner to add light. Sometimes a little re arranging is all you need.
Think the outside of your home needs help? I visit the Lowes store nearest me. I found that they have a 50% and 75% off flowers and shrubs racks. These are great buys. I like to make the outside of my home look neater by adding extra color and this is the way to go.
I am a renter so I do not have "free will" of what I can do to remodel with my apartment. The kitchen cabinets I have are three types of "wood" I use that term loosly. I only have a gully kitchen, ( an extremly small kitchen), but I still wanted my cabinets to match. some were painted over plastic and the paint was coming off. Some were regular wood and some were pressed board. I wenty to Home Depot and found a perfect paint color that looks like wood, but it is not. They did talk me into purchasing too much paint, but all in all it looks great!! Now all my cabinets match...I have had comments saying they thought they were new cabinets, and it only cost me about $20.00.
For outside - add some fresh mulch, some pretty flowers around your front door area. Inside, changing curtains & paint always make a room look fresh or some new throw pilows
Paint and lighting go along way for a new look on a budget. Start with a new inspiring coat of paint for a new look and take it from there. for a great deal on paint check out those oops paints at Home Depot. At $5 or less a gallon their oops became my sheek latte colored living roon walls. (A color I might not have choosen at full price) Our friends and family can't stop complimenting on how warm and inviting the room now feels and looks! Think of these oops paint color finds as an incentive to try something you normally wouldn't without breaking the bank. Also, don't be afraid to sponge, stencil, glaze or contrast your way to a new look. Its fun and produces a lovely custom designed end result. And if it doesn't... a safe boring beige at $20 a gallon is always an option. Lighting ultimately creates the mood in our home. Dimmers, three way lamps and interesting fixtures that add personality dramaticlly create the finishing touch in any room. My favorite places to shop for l;ighting include yard sales, Good Will, thrift shops, and ooh my gosh... Ikea rules for the latest ideas in home lighting! This place has a hord of fun and interesting lighting options to choose from and they are sooo cheap that... I blush with embarrassment with each purchase becuase I know I'm getting a steal of a deal with every purchase! At such low prices don't hesitate to mix it up for the right lighting combo. Pendants, sconces, track lights, chandeliers and distnctive lamps all apply when creating the feel of a room.
When we remodeled our early 60's bathroom, we left all the tile and the tub, but updated everything else around it for a fresh "back to the future" look. It ended up being very inexpensive---maybe $300 for sink, toilet, faucet, lights, paint, window treatments/shower curtain, and vanity
Join Now
Not a member? Join today for free and receive:
- Surprising product information
- Great coupons/samples
- Cool things to share with friends
Latest Try & Tells
Please login to learn about all the exciting products and services showcased in Vocalpoint.
Not a member? Sign up for free today!
We're Listening
Did you know that every program Vocalpoint creates starts with your input and ideas?
Tell the World!
Learn how to let others know.
Complete Your Profile
Get more things that are tailored to you by completing your profile!
Be sure to:
- Keep your address up to date
- Add a picture/icon to your profile
Social Media 101
Checkout Vocalpoint's Social Media 101 to learn how to use these sites to find and share cool things.
Vocalpoint is brought to you by Tremor, a division of 