So, I have decided to no longer blog about my
"Reading through the Bible" this year...
Its hard enough to make myself do it!
Needless to say I've decided to stick to blogging about what I know...
DECORATING!
For well under $1,000 I decorated my entire house! A lot of what you see in magazines, storefronts, and even t.v. can be recreated for a MUCH more affordable price. It was important to my husband that we save as much money as possible, but it was important to me that our house felt like a HOME! So over a 3 month span, I took a little extra time finding ways to
get the look I wanted for way less!
1. You've probably a seen a ton of modern potpourri-type dishes that can astonishingly cost anywhere from $20-$30!!!! I found the exact look that I liked (color scheme, style, size) and did a little searching to find the right materials. I found these square glass vases at a craft store with one of these coupons and found the assortment of potpourris at the DOLLAR STORE! (40% Off Coupon for Michael's!)
2. CANDLES!!!! Candles, are the BEST way to make a room smell and feel more like home! I got this beautiful Woodwick as a gift, but probably wouldn't spend that on a candle myself. Wal-Mart has a fairly large jar candle that costs only $3.00 in an assortment of scents! (Brand is "Mainstays" and sold in stores only)
3. Picture frames are another inexpensive way to decorate. You can buy frames at your local dollar store and personalize them with your own memories--another great way to make your house feel like a home!
4. I've seen arrangements like these cost up $60.00!!! I used the 40% off Michael's coupon (as shown above) and purchased the holder for only about $8.00. Then on the receipt, since Michael's prints another 40%-60% off your next purchase, I kept purchasing the floral fillers until I got the look I wanted. Athough you may have to wait a day or two to use the coupon, it's worth the savings! I made this for about $15.00 saving me close to $40.00!!
5. Although this isn't "decor" I always like to have some sort of baked goods readily available as I never know who might be coming over with my husband's spontaneity :) Plus, the aroma always make the kitchen a much more inviting place.
6. This desk was about to be given to the trash! It was left by it's previous owner to be thrown away, and we were sure to snatch it up! It makes a great work station for my husband's studio. Although you may not always find something in good condition about to be thrown away, but Craigslist has a "free stuff" section or very affordable prices that can most often be negotiated!
7. This bookshelf (Shown Here) only costs $20.00...while it is on the "cheaper" side quality wise, it works great to fill up a space! The Lily and rock filled vase were what I as table decorations for our wedding.
(Again, all the materials were found at a local craft store on sale!)
8. While you may not think of yourself as a "painter" almost anything can be considered "abstract art" or "modern" so you may as well give it a shot! :)
All I did was get some blank canvas' from Michael's (with the coupon!) find some picture online that I liked, and messed around with the acrylic paints. I was able to recreate several photos for about $25.00!!
(candelabras are also from craft store.)
(Close-up of picture!)
9. This lightweight futon cost less than $100.00 from Wal-Mart
(ordered online) Although it's not our ideal couch situation, it's affordable
and works for just the 2 of us!
10. We found this real leather black sofa-sleeper for $60.00 at Goodwill...enough said :)
I got the bigger coffee table, end table, and an entertainment center at Wal-Mart for less than $60.00! (Mainstays brand-in stores only) Again, not what we want long term, but it works great for where we're at now!
11. Target has those "end of the aisle" sales with home decor, kitchen accessories, and more for 50%-75% off! I got this set of 3 black votive holders for about $4.00.
12. This is the same brand of bookcase as the other one above, for about the same price at Wal-Mart, strewn with more picture frames and leftover wedding decorations!
13. Shadow Boxes are a beautiful way to make memory keepsakes!
This one is of our wedding invitation :)
14. Again, tabletop arrangements can easily be created with cheap craft store materials! Each of these I created consist of 2 fake Lillie's, some twig-like filler, and black rocks. To make one of these costs about $5-$6 and to buy one costs about $20-$25!
16. I found this great little lamp, that goes well with the one above, at the Dollar General for $5.00! I also keep these adorable glass "Love" coasters we used as favors for our wedding on our coffee and end tables.
17. Another cute little addition are these adorable detailed platters with those yummy sugary-melty mints! It's great for when guests come over and maybe have coffee breath (?) after we serve them some HEARTY HAITIAN coffee---that's the real stuff!!
I think a pack of 10 of the silver dishes cost $2-$3 at Michael's.
18. We found this glass and steel round kitchen table with 4 steel and black leather chairs on Craigslist for $120.00!!! Such a steal.
19. More candle's and vases!
20. And again, with a little variation in color for the kitchen :)
21. The little "Imagine" picture above the stove, and the "Eiffel Tower" shaped bottle were both end of the aisle sales at Target. Together they only cost $8.00.
22. This big beautiful mirror was actually a garage sale find...but, it was in an antiqued gold color, so I used some paint to make the edges
black giving it a much more baroque feel!
23. The little "love" carving was a sale at Target and the sculpture was made by a Haitian and was a gift from my mother-in-law who is a missionary there!
Hope this helps you find that you CAN find a cheaper way to get the look you want for less...get creative, and if you don't feel creative, get inspired and look up art pictures, videos, or whatever gets your creative juices flowing!
Happy Decorating!!
Have any tips, tricks, or ideas?
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