Deck the Halls (or Walls) on a Dime: Do-it-Yourself Home Decor for the Artfully Frugal

You can always live in style without forking over a huge chunk of your budget to furnish it! In all reality, just a wee bit of creativity and a small investment in some elbow grease would get you farther in making your house not so boring and more like you without spending a lot! That old coffee table that has cobwebs in one corner—it could easily be the next showstopper in your decor. A blank and boring wall is nothing for the budding artist that you are. All right, let’s head into some DIY home decor and unleash the design guru you are—unleash it all without burning a hole in your pocket!

Go All Out with Upcycling: Spruce Up Some Old Furniture

Upcycling isn’t fashionable; it’s a real scoring of budget-friendly chances for home decor that can be created from lovable items. Here’s how you make those much-loved pieces really special:

Great Furniture Flip: Found in bits and burps in thrift shops or online preloved goldmines. It’s easy to take that drab old dresser and turn it into a hot, contemporary, cool statement piece. One sure needs that in his apartment, or take that old nightstand and create a hip side table just by adding some new hardware, a touch of paint, or fabric. Be bold with your paint and your pattern!

• Re-upholster with Flair: Is your granny’s old armchair literally a little frayed around the edges? Fear not, you might have the scope to re-do that chair in some really bold new fabric or perhaps whimsical vintage finds patched in a collage that kids might find fun. It might just be a pleasingly pocket-friendly way—a way for you to update that favorite old piece and brighten up your space with a spot of character.
• Think Outside the Box—Literally: Don’t just think furniture, think beyond it. It could be as simple as stacking old pieces of suitcases on top of each other and reusing them as a side table, or that old vintage ladder as a cool towel rack, or a retired crib as an even quirkier peg for your plants. Come up with artful creations and think out of the box for how everyday items can be used for functionality or enhancement.

Wall Art on a Budget: Featuring Your Creativity

Empty walls resemble a blank canvas on which an artist needs to express priorities on inexpensive pieces of advice that will turn dull walls into life’s masterpieces;

The Canvas Caper: Forget expensively pre-prepared canvas and get yourself down to the painter’s drop cloths or maybe just old bed sheets to attempt any of the materials, paints, or stencils you have at home to create a one-of-a-kind wall art!.

• Frame It Yourself: Forget those bank-breaking commercial store frames and just DIY. Head to the vintage store for some old-fashioned frames, pick up some reclaimed wood, and get down with something crafty. A coat of paint or stain, and that old frame becomes something unique and that matches your artwork.
• The Gallery Wall Extravaganza: Collect a number of your own treasures to turn into a gallery wall. This can include everything from family photos and vintage postcards to travel mementos and even fabric or wallpaper scraps—all, of course, being framed to use as a major statement piece of visual interest in your most personal space.
• Give Macrame a Try: Macrame is back big-time, and it’s a lot easier to do than it looks! A bit of inexpensive yarn and a knowledge of a half-dozen or so basic knots, and you’ll be set to start creating beautiful wall hangings to add just the right touch of texture and boho flair to any space in your place. There are free tutorials by the dozen on how to get yours started. DIY Decorative Accents: The Finishing Touches

The difference between a home and a house is in the little details that really make a place feel personable. Here are a few inexpensive things you can do to add a little interior flash:

The Budget Throw Pillow Makeover: Plain throw pillows are the canvas just waiting for a great idea to be thrown onto them. Get some fabric scraps, old clothes, maybe even bandanas, and stitch away. You could do mismatched covers, patchwork designs, or you could even go further and add some tassels or pompoms just to really up the personality completely.

• The Mason Jar Makeover: I consider mason jars one of the most resourceful craft supplies. I mean, paint them in your style, or deck them up with twine or ribbons, and voilà, you’ll have a vase to put your favorite blossom or succulent arrangement. Go one better: add a few tablespoons of sand and a tealight, and you have candle holders.
• The Book Nook Project: There is something oddly attractive about old hardcovers. You can, of course, always stack them up to create great risers for plants or candles. Or would you like to hollow them out and shape them into, say, peculiar mini-shelves where you were encouraged to store tiny trinkets or succulents?.
• Light Up Your Life (Literally): String lights are an extremely inexpensive manner in which to set an ambient scene. Drape them around your windows, across a bookshelf or attached to a DIY headboard, fairy lights provide a touch of magic and warm white string lights provide an invitation to an ambiance that’s full and warm.
• Bonus Tip: Use the Free Beauty of Nature

Nature’s beauty and gift to all of us; it is at our disposition for your DIY decoration. Here are some to get the party started:

Foraged Finds: Take a walk in the park or outdoors and collect pinecones, branches, or smooth stones. All of the items can be combined in a bowl for display, used to create some nature-inspired hanging mobile, or could even be used to create some fun DIY terrariums.

• Pressed Flower Power: With flowers being so easy and fun to press, their beauty can be saved and used in framed art, throw pillows, or even on homemade greeting cards just to add that touch of whim.
• Get Creative with Branches: If you don’t feel that a tree branch is versatile, then in the world of do-it-yourself home décor, one could easily make a rustic coat stand, original paper towel holders, and even a mobile for over the baby’s crib. Just be for certain that any branch you choose to use be totally dry and be free from extreme splits.

DIY home decor should be motivated not by the product but by the process. Don’t fear the silver or imperfection; embrace it and have fun! If this is something you’re tackling at home, just keep in mind that this is a no-design police zone, so go a little nuts and let everything created really reflect you.

Bring all your crafty friends together in a swap of unwanted paraphernalia, like old photo frames, scraps of fabric, or decorative bits n’ bobs. You’d be surprised at what some people give away and what would be someone else’s ‘trash’ would be your next big DIY project.

• Go Online for Some Inspiration: Many creative DIY ideas are out there on the internet. Sites like Pinterest and YouTube are filled with tutorials, projects, and how-tos that can get your creative juices flowing.
• Think Outside the Craft Store: Do not limit yourself to what is conventionally considered craft-store material. It offers you an opportunity to think of ways to recycle such everyday items into what you seek to make. With a bit of creativity, anything can be turned into that one-piece decorator for your home.

Decorate your home for cheap with a do-it-yourself project that combines an artist’s creativity, resourcefulness, and personal taste. So pick up that glue gun, let your inner artist free, and be prepared to turn your space into a sanctuary that screams your unique sense of self—because really, the best homes are the ones with a story. DIY away and make one truly unique to you.