Calling cheapo decorating experts

[Shugardrawers]

We move next week into our very first real home. Give me your very best ultra cheapo decorating tips. Websites with free ideas will be major winners here! Some things to remember:

A) My health issues and Dh's lack of time/talent rule out painting, tiling, wallpapering etc.
B) I can sew a straight line but that's about it so bare bones sewing or no sew only.
C) I can do minor things to furniture like repainting or new pulls but no experience in anything else ( I suck at stenciling).
D) Cheap means I can do it, materials and all for under $50 so it's gotta make a major impact.

I'm looking for things like fresh new ideas for window treatments (I saw one on a website that was a cafe curtain on bottom and swag of fake ivy and ribbons on top. Really pretty and really easy/cheap). Ways to accessorize without "clutter" would be good too. I like a stylish country look (not foo foo ruffles and teddy bears) and I'd like to use what I already have in different ways or things easily found in a thrift store or yard sale. I'd love to have an antique trunk for a coffee table but lets face it, they don't turn up in thrift stores in good shape for $10 very often. I'll have butt ugly parquet floors but really hate oriental type rugs and can't seem to find a room size rag style rug I like.

So impress me folks, whatcha got?

 

[In a hurry]

I buy all of my lamps from Goodwill. I never find anything else there, but I have beautiful lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, etc. that I have paid about $5 a piece for.

For someone like me with little decorating talent, this is a huge blessing!

 

[mickeyboat]

The previous owners of our house left a dining room table and chairs. I was so proud of myself for recovering those chairs - and they really looked nice. I am getting rid of them now, I wish you lived closer. Anyway, if you can find some at a yard sale, you can really spruce them up by recovering them.

I like a really clean look, but didn't want to spend a fortune on window treatments. I bought roman shades ($20 each) for my windows, which serve as a blind, and as a valance. I have seen people take plain roman shades, and hot glue a colored ribbon to the seams to dress it up.

Denae

 

[tw1nsmom]

One cheap and easy window treatment uses sheets and curtain rings. Sheets are so much cheaper than fabric. I used cream color twin sheets to make my living room drapes. I added beading, trim, and lining, but if you want a light airy feel, you can just attach the clips the the top of the drapes and go.

I've also seen pictures in magazines where they used a variety of old doorknobs instead of curtain rods. Basicly you would take the curtain idea from above and sew a loop of fabric every 7-10inches. You would evenly space out/screw in the doorknobs on the trim on top of the window wherever you wanted the curtain to drape. You would then use pull-backs to open the curtains.

I have tons more ideas, but I have to go pick up DD. I'll pop in later and see how the threads going.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Oooh I like the doorknob as curtain rod idea! What do you do? Attach them to a strip of wood every 8 inches or so and then attach the wood strip over the window?

I picked up a horrible 80's prom dress in a really pretty floral chintz fabric for $7 at the thrift store. I'd die before I wore it but it will make really cute throw pillows!

 

[In a hurry]

You really are one of these people who is good at this stuff, aren't you? I'd neer have thought of such a thing. I have no gift for decorating. My walls are covered with pictures, and decent art (local artists, etc.) because I could not look at an arrangement, or the makings of such and make something lovely. I really wish I had that kind of talent!

 

[NMAmy]

Shugardrawers--I just wanted to say congratulations on moving into your very first real home! How very exciting for you.

I don't have any great ideas--I have a tendency to just repaint furniture and use it in different rooms of the house. Hit the garage sales and thrift stores and see what cool stuff you find. I never find anything I'm actually looking for but find all sorts of cool stuff along the way that I never knew I needed.

 

[golfgal]

My best window treatment suggestion is to use tablecloths and those rings with the clips on them, no sew, washable and you can easily change them with the seasons if you like. They are great for odd sized windows too. Kind of like the sheet idea but better patterns usually.

Part of owning a home is learning how to do all these fun home jobs. As you live in your home you will learn to do more of these types of things or should I say your DH will learn to more of these home things.

For area rugs, you just have to keep looking. There are so many options with rugs these days. My inlaws found some carpet they liked and had a piece cut to area rug size and had the edges bound and instant area rug for a heck of a lot less money then a wool oriental rug.

 

[Gytchy]

If you have cable... on HGTV

Decorating Cents: 101 Spring Ideas Under $100
Host Joan Steffend and a team of talented designers present 101 spring ideas for decorating your home--all under $100 each!

AIR TIMES:
• April 14, 2006 8:00 PM ET/PT
• April 15, 2006 12:00 AM ET/PT
• April 15, 2006 5:00 PM ET/PT
• May 08, 2006 1:00 PM ET/PT
• May 27, 2006 1:00 PM ET/PT

 

[sajetto]

If you have cable...

Decorating Cents: 101 Spring Ideas Under $100
Host Joan Steffend and a team of talented designers present 101 spring ideas for decorating your home--all under $100 each!

Defintely watch this show! I learned how to decorate my first apartment in college off that show. Most of the stuff I used was yard sale lamps, pillows, etc. There are also a lot of cool ideas on how to convert your useless ugly crap into pretty, sometimes functional stuff

 

[DisneyGirl2005]

Do you have an IKEA close to you? They have some great stuff and it is very inexpensive. They have a huge rug section. Also keep an eye on Target. They have some great decorating lines that always change out so if you are persistent you can get some great stuff at up to 75% off.

As far as websites I would check out the sites for the magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, Coastal Living, Martha Stewart, etc.

Good Luck!

 

[damo]

Painting a wall here and there or an alcove or jutt-out can have a huge impact for a very small cost and very small time investment. Go to Home Depot and look at their paints that they have mixed incorrectly. Then choose an area or get painter's tape and tape off a large square and paint inside it.

Find cheap frames at a garage sale. Frame interesting pieces of fabric that you have found as ends or as pieces of discarded clothing.

Find used window frames that still have the glass and panes in them. Insert a photograph in each one of the panes for a really cool picture.

You can make your own area rugs buy purchasing heavy canvas drop cloths, hemming the edges, painting and varnishing both sides.

 

[Shugardrawers]

You can make your own area rugs buy purchasing heavy canvas drop cloths, hemming the edges, painting and varnishing both sides.

I like this one.

 

[disneyaggie]

Congrats on your new home! Great thread topic. Keep those ideas coming folks!

 

[Michie]

Carpet stores usually have area rugs cheaper than a department store and are nicer.

I know you said you wanted to make your window treatments. I saw some nice drapes at Walmart. I wll see if I can find them online. Maybe you could put them on layaway.

 

[tw1nsmom]

You've gotten lot's of great ideas! I really like the idea of using tablecloths instead of sheets for window treatments, I hadn't thought of that.

Other ideas - go to a thrift shop and buy old suitcases, stack them on top of one another to make a side table or coffee table that also serves as storage for papers and craft supplies. If the suitcases you find aren't really attractive, spray paint them (I think all white or all black would look best).

Buy all kinds of frames from thrift stores. Look for interesting shapes. Spray paint the frames the same color (I again prefer black or white)...they will provide a cohesive theme. You can either hang the empty frames (no glass) in interesting groupings with the frames "framing" the wall color, or you can take old calenders, rip them apart and frame the pictures. A cheap and fairly inexpensive way to mat pictures is to place the picture on top of the paper instead of using a real mat. You can even carefully tear the edges to get a jagged textural look. Oh, and a grouping of frames mirrors would look nice.

If you're into modern art, you could make your own art. Buy canvases that wrap around the edges. Paint each of them a different or coordinating solid color. Group them on the wall in either a pattern, or randomly.

Another idea for a cheap unique area rug - get bound mat sized rug samples and put them together into a pattern that you like. Duct tape them together on the back. Same principle...buy rag rugs and sew them together.

If you don't have the energy to paint or paper a whole room you could use rubber stamps to make it look like wall paper. It works best on colored walls with white paint, but you could use a subtle color on large stamps on a white wall. They have extremely large foam/rubber stamps (at least 3 or 4 inches...if doing on white, the larger the better) Make sure you paint the paint onto the stamp with a brush and begin stamping in a corner that won't be seen. Random patterns are easier. I've taken a taupe wall and randomly stamped a 4" white leaf on the wall. Most people thought it was wallpaper. For a more uniform pattern, you can cut a sponge into a perfect square and stamp a checkerboard pattern. I did this in my kitchen (before I painted it red). It's more time consuming because you have to make sure you line up your squares or the whole wall will be crooked.

Oh, and congratulations on your new home!

 

[Michie]

You've gotten lot's of great ideas! I really like the idea of using tablecloths instead of sheets for window treatments, I hadn't thought of that.

Other ideas - go to a thrift shop and buy old suitcases, stack them on top of one another to make a side table or coffee table that also serves as storage for papers and craft supplies. If the suitcases you find aren't really attractive, spray paint them (I think all white or all black would look best).

Buy all kinds of frames from thrift stores. Look for interesting shapes. Spray paint the frames the same color (I again prefer black or white)...they will provide a cohesive theme. You can either hang the empty frames (no glass) in interesting groupings with the frames "framing" the wall color, or you can take old calenders, rip them apart and frame the pictures. A cheap and fairly inexpensive way to mat pictures is to place the picture on top of the paper instead of using a real mat. You can even carefully tear the edges to get a jagged textural look. Oh, and a grouping of frames mirrors would look nice.

If you're into modern art, you could make your own art. Buy canvases that wrap around the edges. Paint each of them a different or coordinating solid color. Group them on the wall in either a pattern, or randomly.

Another idea for a cheap unique area rug - get bound mat sized rug samples and put them together into a pattern that you like. Duct tape them together on the back. Same principle...buy rag rugs and sew them together.

If you don't have the energy to paint or paper a whole room you could use rubber stamps to make it look like wall paper. It works best on colored walls with white paint, but you could use a subtle color on large stamps on a white wall. They have extremely large foam/rubber stamps (at least 3 or 4 inches...if doing on white, the larger the better) Make sure you paint the paint onto the stamp with a brush and begin stamping in a corner that won't be seen. Random patterns are easier. I've taken a taupe wall and randomly stamped a 4" white leaf on the wall. Most people thought it was wallpaper. For a more uniform pattern, you can cut a sponge into a perfect square and stamp a checkerboard pattern. I did this in my kitchen (before I painted it red). It's more time consuming because you have to make sure you line up your squares or the whole wall will be crooked.

Oh, and congratulations on your new home!

Do you know how to attatch the suitcases to each other? I saw a side table made this way $1500

 

[MeanLaureen]

You get together with your friend in Poodle, Lauri, who is the queen of decorating for next to nothing and making it look like a million bucks and you start cruising thrift stores and yard sales.

 

[tw1nsmom]

Do you know how to attatch the suitcases to each other? I saw a side table made this way $1500

Well, if you didn't need to open the suitcases, you could use bolts/screws and washers to fasten them together. Place one suitcase on top of the other. Open the top suitcase and drill some holes (4?) through the bottom of that one and the top of the bottom. Unlatch the bottom suitcase and prop open. Allign the holes with the holes in the upper suitase and use screws/nuts/washers to put them together. Repeat procedure with top suitcase.

If you wanted to be able to use the suitcases for storage, you could use two strips of heavy duty/industrial strength velcro to keep the suitcases together.

If you don't have children, you might not need to fasten them at all. Just fill them with heavy items and the weight should hold them together.

 

[Shugardrawers]

You get together with your friend in Poodle, Lauri, who is the queen of decorating for next to nothing and making it look like a million bucks and you start cruising thrift stores and yard sales.

I knew I liked you for a reason! As soon as we get moved in we need to meet up in Richmond (thrift stores here suck) and shop ourselves silly. Lunch will be on me! And then we'll have you over to bbq in our faboo new home!