Affordable Decorating... Decorating on a Budget

- The easiest way to refresh a room: A coat of paint.

- When painting or redecorating, try to pick 2 main colours & one accent colour for a classy room. I.e. Use black and white in your room, but add red accents for extra "punch".

- Use what you have - paint, unused picture frames, furniture, décor...

- Create your own look and paint by mixing some colours together.

- Paint circles, squares or stripes on your walls.

- Add moldings or a chair rail and paint two separate colours.

- Dry brush or splatter painted items with a different colour.

- Consider other faux painting techniques.

- Staple fabric onto boards or cardboard in the shape of squares or circles and fasten onto walls for a 3D effect.

- Paint an abstract photo on canvas

- Purchase cheap photo frames with no glass, paint them and turn them into a shadow box filled with scrap booking riffraff, your infants' cherished keepsakes, a child's artwork...

- Find picture frames that have lost their backs and glass and repaint. Place them on walls for décor or put frames inside of frames.

- Line bargain matching frames in rows, lines, squares, groups of six or nine and turn your own personal photos into works of art. Make them black and white or make a collage of photos from a favorite item, activity, or child.

- Hang mirrors or pictures using visible ribbons tied into bows

- Create your own sign. You can use poetic words, lyrics from a song, famous quotes... (i.e. "Live Love Laugh" "Gathering Room" or "Washing Room")...Get a pine board, sand, prime, sand & paint. Measure it and make a banner off your computer the same size with a font you like. Transfer it to your board using transfer/tracing paper, or free hand it - use a small paintbrush & paint & write words on it...

- Make your own shelf - you can buy wooden shelf brackets for a fair price, then buy a large pine board & either stain all pieces to match, or prime and paint them.

- Spray paint an old lamp base a new colour.

- Revamp your lamp shade using material, piping/lace, buttons, fabric circles... Fasten them on using glue gun.

- Repaint furniture the same to go with colour scheme.

- Change knobs or fasteners

- Move a bunch of treasures, knickknacks or junk out of sight and place in small decorative boxes

- Recover upholstery

- Change your bedspread: buy a new one, find a throw to match colour scheme, find a big sheet of material, hem it & use it as a throw...

- Fasten decorative hooks up to your ceilings where bedposts could go up to, then drape material down to give the illusion of grand bedposts and to create a canopy feel...

You could use gum if you want, but a few items you may find a little more successful are:

- Hot glue gun

- Hammer and nails

- Furniture tacs

- Heavy duty stapler and staples

- Masking tape

- Screwdriver and screws

- Picture hanging kit

- Paint, paintbrush, stir stick, rags

- Measuring tape

You can't truly learn something unless you try.
The more you do something, the better you become at it.
It's only a mistake if you do it twice.
I'll try anything twice.

What's the worse that can happen? Get out there and create something new. Look for bargains, create your one of a kind treasure, find a new hobby...and enjoy doing it!

Note: I've included my own personal photos and projects for you go see, except those from Amazon and Flickr.