We all want to feel comfortable in our homes and feel like that home is a representation of who we are as individuals. However, decorating one’s home can come at great expense as our tastes and preferences and what is trending change. Luckily, there are several ways by which we can decorate without blowing our life savings.

Some of these methods are well known: holiday sales, designer knockoffs, that omnipresent Bed, Bath, & Beyond 20% off coupon (RIP), etc. but let’s go over some ideas you might not have thought of!

use what you have

With a little creativity, you can create some truly incredible artwork with what you already have. Scraps of wallpaper, wrapping paper, fabric, or even craft paper have the ability to turn into unique art. For example, in a recent vacation rental project I was working on, the art that we ordered was on backorder for months so I decided to make art. I used scraps of fabric from a previous block printing project I completed as well as scraps of caning from a different project. I placed them in a pair of frames I no longer used and voila! New art for free!

Have a piece of art you like but hate the frame? Reframe it or paint the frame. Found a piece of art at the thrift store that isn’t your style but love the frame? Paint over the art or embellish it.

YouTube and Instagram

If you can think of it, it’s online. YouTube provides literally millions (maybe billions?) of tutorials on how to make, upcycle, etc. just about anything. If you find a great piece of furniture but don’t love the fabric, head over to YouTube to see how to reupholster it. Have a hand-me-down that you don’t 100% love but has sentimental value? Someone on YouTube or Instagram has upcycled something similar. Now that Instagram operates more as a traditional search engine, you can search Instagram to find ways in which similar items have been incorporated into others’ designs.

Public Library Tool Rental

This is one of those things that is very location specific but sounds like a dream come true to me. Some main branch libraries have various tools and pieces of equipment that can be rented (CNC machines, Cricuts, 3D printers, basic tools, etc.) and you can use these to create your own art and accessories. There is often a small fee for these services but it is cheaper than purchasing items premade and gives you the sense of satisfaction that comes with completing a project of your own.

*Most library websites have this listed under “Library of Things”.

Sewing machine starter kit available at my local library.

fabric

Fabric is an easy way to update your space without spending a ton of money. You can create art, sew pillows, re-cover a chair, even use it as wallpaper! You can often find fabric that you love and turn it into custom drapes. I won’t go into too much detail here but you can find my previous blog post outlining how to do this here.

Click the picture to be taken to the blog post!

Paint

Yes, we all know you can paint your walls but there are so many more exciting ways to use paint. You can create your own pattern on the walls to look like wallpaper, paint outdated furniture, paint your own art, even paint fabric! Yes, you can paint fabric. Again, look on YouTube for tutorials to find the best way to accomplish this. Not every fabric is an ideal candidate nor is every type of paint. However, the power of paint seems to be endless and with new products being introduced all the time, there is surely something out there for everyone and every project!

And here is my MOST IMPORTANT TIP!!! Do what you love and don’t buy something just because someone else insinuates that you should!!!! We have all been wooed by pictures in a magazine or advertisements or displays in a store. That’s what they are there for and it’s easy to fall into that trap. However, know yourself and know what really makes you happy. There is no bigger waste of money than buying something you won’t love in a few months only to realize you don’t have the money to replace it. Trendy is spendy - buy something that you love and will stand the test of time - or be ok with spending frequently!

DIY is an incredible way of saving money when decorating your home. And what’s even better is that you can take pride in knowing that you created something that makes your home uniquely yours!

So what are some of your favorite DIY projects? Let us know in the comments!