Decorating on a Budget
I recently wrote about using old or found items within the garden, giving these objects new life. As this is something that I practice quite often, I would just like to point out that many of these same ideas can be utilized within the home as well. With a little bit of creativity, you can turn nearly anything into something useful.
For instance, everyone has old clothes just lying around or piling up. I have five kids at home so this happens frequently. Most of the time I donate our clothing to those in need, but what about those items which tend to be ragged out? I use them for creative projects. Take, for example, an old, worn out pair of jeans. I like to cut the pockets out and reuse them for making what I refer to as ‘pocket babies.’ I simply create an animal from pantyhose (another used item) and attach it to the inner pocket. Then I sew some lace or ribbon on the edges for hanging. Pockets are also good to use for holding small items. Try sewing them onto an old quilt in rows and hang it up. Fill the pockets with sewing notions, crafting tools, or even pens and pencils. When it comes to old shirts, especially those with which the kids will not part, turn them into decorative pillows or use pieces from them to create a special memory quilt for your children. Shoes can instantly become containers for plants. Want to give some new life to those designer sheets while adding interest to your home? Use them for window treatments by turning them into curtains.
When I was going through my divorce, I had very little furniture. In fact, for the first seven months, the kids and I sat on pillows bought from a yard sale. At that time we didn’t even have anything to put our clothes in so I decided to make the best of a bad situation-I found interesting uses for cardboard boxes. Boxes come in numerous sizes. I used large ones for makeshift dressers, stacking three to four. I simply tucked the flaps inside and decorated the outside. Kids love to add their own personal touch so adding some paint, decoupage, stickers, or whatever makes this possible. Another option using this method is shelving. This is how I was able to showcase the things I did have. Nonetheless, over time boxes will eventually start to give; however, this is a great temporary fix for anyone on a budget. Toilet paper and paper towel tubes make interesting pen or pencil holders. Old cereal boxes can be given new life by applying self-stick fabric. These can be used for storing magazines or files. Dress up different sized boxes and stack them to create unique storage containers as well.
Drawers or crates make excellent shelving. Plates can be used for mosaic tiles. Pots, pans, or even old coffee and soup cans can be transformed into interesting containers for plants or other items, such as candles. I actually have an old soup can on my desk that I use for storing my writing supplies. Got an old window pane or other piece of glass? These can be used for framing photos. Maybe you have a picture frame with broken glass; a window pane can easily be sized to fit the frame without costing an arm and a leg. For larger pieces, cover an end table and add your favorite photos beneath it for everyone to enjoy. Lamp shades can be given additional interest by punching decorative designs within them. You could even make your own lamp from parts of an old one. Turn a large jar into the base and fill with your favorite objects such as shells, small plastic figurines, or even potpourri. Most everyone has an endless supply of plastic milk jugs or soda bottles. Why not use them? These can easily be turned into festive containers. Soda bottles can also become inexpensive banks by adding a small slit along one side and attaching a sturdy bottom to sit on.
An interesting alternative for keeping all your children’s school artwork is to have them laminated and use them to decorate a bookcase or even a wall. This way they can be seen and easily enjoyed by everyone. Turn doilies into unique Christmas ornaments for the tree. Many toy figurines can also be used for making ornaments. Newspaper is always a good alternative for wrapping paper, given some dressing up or save that tissue paper from past years that all your new clothing comes in. With a little food coloring, tissue paper can be given interesting designs for wrapping gifts.
New life can be given to nearly anything. With creativity, the sky is the limit and so is your imagination.
