Life Hacks

20 of the BEST decorating on a budget tips! Give your home a makeover for a low cost

March 18, 2021

Spring is just around the corner so at home all things decorating will be taking place, VERY SOON! And one thing I love about sprucing up the house is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a nice space. Everyone under the sun can have a beautiful home if they want it. Even if you’re pinching pennies there are so many nifty tips you can incorporate to create a fun and stylish space for a low cost

I am big on style and low on cost, and these helpful tips and tricks will help transform your home on a budget!

Step #1: The most important step to do before anything else is CLEAN! Dust, mop, vacuum… every nook and cranny before decorating. This step is a must and will drastically improve your living space.

Now for the tips! ☟

Tip #1: Shelves over cabinets. Shelves are more open compared to a closed in cabinet. Cabinets work better for the bottom part of the room and shelves for the upper part.

chopping boards near oven under hood — Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy on Pexels.com

Tip #2: DIY (Do it yourself). Nearly any kind of craft or remodeling is almost always cheeper if you do it yourself. Now there are cases where you NEED professional help. Such as replacing a bathtub, installing hardwood floors or ceramic tiles. But, there are many things you can do yourself. Here is a quote from Investopedia to give you an idea on how much DIYing can save you.

Painting your home’s interior – DIY = $200-$600 (total cost). Professional = $970-$2400
Installing vinyl or linoleum flooring – DIY = $200-$500 (total cost). Professional = add $300-$400 onto the DIY price!
Installing kitchen backsplash – DIY = $100-$500 (total cost, price depends on tiles used). Professional = add $300-$400 onto DIY price.
Adding a wood deck – DIY = $500-$1000. Professional = $1500-$1900.

These are examples found on investopedia outlining what you could save.

Tip #3: Use a couch cover. Instead of buying a whole new couch, use a slipcover to hide an outdated couch. This will give your space a new look without spending a ton of money.

Tip #4: Repaint. Repainting your home a different color or just repainting with a fresh coat is one of the most cost friendly ways to give your place a new look. Painting an accent wall is also another great tip to open up the room.

faceless house painter undercoating wall in bright room — Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Tip #5: Re-purpose old furniture. We all have that desk or dresser we don’t know what to do with. On HGTV they re-purposed an old dresser into a playful toy storage. Check it out here. On House beautiful they re-purposed an antique bookcase into a bar. Another fun re-purposing DIY is this one from HGTV where they turn a vintage dresser into a bathroom vanity.

Tip #6: Use ties to hold back your curtains. If your curtains aren’t held back by anything and just hang down, buy ties to hold them back. You can make your own with fabric or buy cheap ones just about anywhere. Holding the curtains back will open up your window space and room.

Tip #7: Add pictures. Add pictures of you, family, friends, plants, your animals, food…. any pictures work fine, anywhere in the house. See how inviting and decorative this space looks with the addition of a few pictures and a nice tall green plant (tip #8).

photo of woman looking at her works — Photo by Anthony Shkraba on Pexels.com

Tip #8: Add plants. Bring the room to life, literally, with plants. Tall green ones placed in the corner, small ones on shelves, desks, tables… give the room a vibrant and clean look. Plus plants are cute. Target sells affordable succulents!

interior of spacious room with couches — Photo by Skylar Kang on Pexels.com

Tip #9: Set up sales alerts. Shop sales at your favorite stores for high end home decor at fractions of the cost! Or stop by more affordable places such as Christmas Tree Shops, Urban Outfitters, Michaels, Target, Walmart and Marshalls. All these places are very low in price yet sell such cute items! Plus, when they are hosting a sale, it’s too good a deal to pass up!

Tip #10: Decorate with glassware – adds a pop of color to open shelving. Plus you can fill them with beads or clear stones for an even more decorative touch. You can buy cheap glassware for decorating at tag sales, Michaels, Christmas Tree Shops, vintage stores or antique stores.

interior of modern kitchen with counter — Photo by Max Vakhtbovych on Pexels.com

Tip #11: Use clear or glass containers to hold your foods. Instead of filling your cabinets or shelves with multi-colord food packages, oreos, flour, sugar, candy packs, coffee jars, pasta packs…. put your food items in clear or glass containers, labeled if you want, for a cleaner look. Glass always looks nice in the home.

Tip #12: Bottle display. Display colored bottles on your shelves and add flowers to them to brighten up any space. Display them on bookshelves, windowsills, tables….

Glass bottle, Bottle, Wine bottle, Yellow, Mason jar, Home accessories, Still life, Vase, Drinkware, Tableware, — ERIN CAVOTO: Picture found on Country Living

Tip #13: Hide the cords. Stash your phone, computer, lamp, tv, stove… cords away. Tuck them behind something or keep in a drawer (if possible). Hiding these items will go a long way to making your home more organized.

Tip #14: Go thrift shopping. Thrifting is such a great way to find cheap yet adorable items. You’ll never know what hidden gems appear as you peruse the store.

Tip #15: Rearrange the furntiure to make your space more open or for just something new and fun to look at.

Tip #16: Refresh your couch pillows. Bed bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, Target, Walmart, Marshalls… and so many other places sell VERY affordable ones that will look cute in your home! There is something for everyone. 🙂

photo of green leaf potted plants on window and stand — Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

Tip #17: Focus on the details. If your faucet is grimy, buy a new one. If your table is musty clean it off or repaint. If your couch is old buy a couch slip instead of purchasing a whole new sofa. If your hardwood floors are scratched either DIY or cover partly up with a rug. These little changes can go a long way in giving your home a fresh look.

Tip #18: Buy a wooden basket. Instead of laying your blankets or magazines on the couch put then in a wooden basket tucked in the corner.

interior with wooden branches in wicker basket and small guitar near bed — Photo by Tatiana Syrikova on Pexels.com

Tip #19: Add a table runner to your dining room table to give the appearance of a longer table and wider room. Plus, bare tables aren’t the best. This hack is very cheap! You can find affordable table runners at just about any store.

Tip #20: Fresh flowers. Keeping fresh flowers in a vase just about anywhere in your home is one of the best ways to bring instant vibrancy, color and life. Just make sure to keep on top of switching them out because dead ones are NOT good!