Frugal Decorating: Guest Post from Being Frugal

The following is a guest post by Lynnae of Being Frugal.net, a blog about frugal living and paying off debt. If you like this post, consider subscribing to Being Frugal.net via RSS or email.

When you’re trying to be frugal and put a lot of your extra money toward debt, it’s easy to let things like decorating the house slide. But if you let decorating the house fall to the bottom of the priority pile too long, it’s easy to get discouraged and resent putting so much money toward paying off debt.

Here are some ways to spruce up your home without breaking the budget.

Use photos liberally. In today’s digital camera world, it’s easy to use photos to decorate your house. Take your children on a walk and snap pictures of flowers, clouds, and interesting buildings. Snap pictures of your children too. Upload them to your computer and pick out the best ones. Order some large prints, pick up some cheap frames, and hang them on your wall. Photos have the added benefit of providing conversation starters for guests, too.

A little paint can make a big impact. If your room needs a little pizazz, try painting just one wall in a bold color. One can of paint isn’t that expensive, and it can totally change the look of a room. It also makes a room feel fresh and new. To keep costs way down, you can call your local paint stores and ask if they have any custom color returns. When a customer returns a can of paint, because it wasn’t the right color, often stores will sell them for pennies on the dollar, because they’d have to throw the can away, otherwise. If you can find a color that you like, and you only need one can of paint, this can be a great way to save money.

You can also change the look of a room by painting a piece of furniture. Maybe you have a dull brown wood chair. If you paint it red or another bright color, it will make a nice accent piece for your living room or front porch.

Fabric is fun. I’m not a seamstress by any means, but even I can sew curtains. And if I can do it, anyone can. Sewing new curtains can make a nice change in the kitchen or other informal room. I like to look for fabric on the clearance aisle at Walmart. Sometimes I can buy nice fabric for $1.00 a yard. Another great place to get fabric is to buy king sized sheets on clearance. I once made 5 pairs of curtains and valances with 3 sets of sheets. It was dirt cheap, and they ended up looking great.

You can use extra fabric to make matching throw pillows for your bed or sofa.

Photos, paint, and fabric are the three things I turn to most often when I want to update my home decorating, but don’t want to spend lots of money.

What do you do when your home is in need of a decorating lift? Do you have any frugal tips I haven’t mentioned?