Here are my TOP TEN Budget Decorating Ideas For Almost Nothing:1) Add floral or greenery from your yard to vases or pitchers and spread them throughout your home. Great masses makes the most impact. If you need greenery for your home for a special occasion, then dig up a bush in your yard, pot it and then replant later. I have used boxwoods for many events! Large plants look great for an impact.
2) Refresh old window treatments. Make them look new by adding trim or buttons to the hem, down the sides or across the top.
3) If you cannot afford drapes or a window treatment, paint a border around the windows or stencil a pattern. Never underestimate the power or paint! All of your friends or neighbors have paint that is left over. Trade!
4) Shelving: Simply pile up a stack of fruit crates (usually free from stores or garden stands). Use books to weight them or screw them to the wall. You can also recycle an old shelf by painting with a new color. Glue a ribbon or paint border on the front for detailed look. Add a collection to the shelf for impact.
5) Furniture: If you are having an event but are lacking the furniture, bring the outdoors in and the indoors out! Mix your furniture and accessories and decorate the rooms that only the guests will see. Rob from your other rooms, the outdoor patio or even borrow from a friend. I only let my guests see the main entertaining rooms so I can pull from other rooms. This is done in magazines all the time for photo shoots! Or if you just need a boost, move your furniture around your room and put it in unexpected places or angle the setting. Makes everything feel new or fresh again!
6) Add a personal touch to each room to add a sparkle. Old quilts or bright colored blankets for example. Mix old or tired patterns with new ones to create a more interesting room. Sometimes more is not too much! Walk through your home and mix it up!!
7) Look around your outdoor yard or neighborhood for great pieces of wood, rocks, shells, etc. Make an arrangement on your mantel with items from the outdoors. Pick great pieces and you can have a masterpiece!
8) Trade, Trade, Trade! Check Craigslist for free items or trade with neighbors and friends. Set up a neighborhood exchange, another man's trash is another man's treasure! I trade pieces with my best friend all the time! I have a friend that once picked up a wool rug, rocking chair and old shutters just from the side of the road that were neighborhood throwaways! You can trade just about anything!
9) Paint, Paint, Paint! Fresh paint can be used for a multitude of ideas. Paint wood floors that need refinishing (use a great pattern for a unique look), repaint an old or worn out piece of furniture and then change the hardware and don't forget your walls! Make your own stencil pattern and repeat a great design on a feature wall. Visit your library for great books on painting designs on furniture and throughout your home. The best ideas are sometimes free!
10) Clean, Clean, Clean! I cannot stress this enough! No matter what you have or do not have, everything looks better clean! The clean and sparse look is even in style. Keep your home clutter free and clean for those unexpected guests that may stop by! Do a little everyday and it will not be overwhelming!
Let me know what your best free decorating idea is and post it here! We all love new and inventive ideas!
