Input requested: Frugal home decorating
Do you know of any books on frugal home decorating? Tips on making your house welcoming, "homey", and attractive. Thanks in advance! JillI don't have any fabulous ideas for this and honestly have not read a lot of books on the subject, but I am reading and enjoying one which might be somewhat along those lines right now: A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others by Karen Ehman. Though not specifically on frugal decorating, it gives a lot of very simple ideas and encouragement for making your home welcoming and your heart hospitable - not just to guests but to your own family. I've really enjoyed it so far, though I still have about half of it left to read.
Do others have suggestions? Perhaps something which could be obtained at the library? Also, feel free to share any frugal decorating tips of your own, or ways you have inexpensively made your home more welcoming and inviting.
posted by Crystal Paine at 10:08 AM
21 Comments:
Another good one is by Emilie Barnes. It it titled either Housewarming or Homewarming. It really goes to the heart of the issue of how to learn the art of hospitality....on any budget.
I don't know of any books, but I do have a tip. I bought a bunch of inexpensive frames @ Target and then took fresh, seasonal greenery (autumn leaves, etc) and then pressed them into pretty arrangements. They look great in the frames & I can change them seasonally for no cost. I started this a few years ago and for some reason, they never get discolored.
Emilie Barnes has wonderful books for decorating on a budget! She has a very sweet way of writing and lovely ideas for decorating! May the Lord bless you.
"Decorating Dreams On A Budget"
by Emilie Barnes and Yoli Brogger.
It's a good book and cheap too.
I don't have a home of my own yet, but I do have a few books that I've enjoyed... two favorites are "Welcome Home" and "The Spirit of Loveliness" by Emilie Barnes
Those two books are a mix of organization and making your home welcoming and lovely.
Bring the outside, inside. For instance, use twigs and cranberry/holly plants for decorating this time of year.
Only buy knicknacks and things that have MEANING or function. Don't buy just to have. I only decorate with beautiful things I either love, have sentimental value to me, or is functional in some way.
One of my favorite bloggers, Mrs. Wilt, is always posting wonderful decorating and hospitality ideas... as well as topics on Biblical womanhood and femininity. If you are not familiar with her, take a look!
http://www.thesparrowsnest.typepad.com/
Also, for other great seasonal decorating tips and hospitality ideas, I love Mrs. Sharp's Traditions! It's one of my favorite books!!
My favorite is "Frugal Luxuries". It has great tips about saving money, decorating, and overall living well on a budget. I love, love, love this book!!!!
I had this author as a teacher in a Bible College, this is a great set and comes with a DVD. Its is both practical and budget concionus. Decorating Your Home Creatively and Inexpensively by Frieda Cowling [with DVD]
Can only be purchased on http://www.christianwomanhood.org
I don't know of any books (though the ones above sound very good!!), but one suggestion I have, when looking to buy decorations, is to look in your local paper's classified ads for estate sales, and go to them. Since usually the entire contents (or near that) of the home are being sold, many decorative items can be found (as well as practical items) for very low prices!
I have found that decorating is a lot more frugal and beautiful, if you don't just "buy" store-bought, brand new decorations. I enjoy shopping at second-hand/consignment stores for unique and less costly things, and somehow there seems to be more charm in them than buying at Walmart! I really enjoy decorating my home frugally, so have fun!
Creating a SenseSational Home by Terry Willits is a really good one. It's about making your home a welcoming place to be. I bought my copy at Half-Price Books for only $3.
I don't do a lot of decorating things, but I do enjoy Meredith's blog for frugal decorating ideas (or just fun reading)! :)
http://likemerchantships.blogspot.com
"Use What You Have Decorating" by Laurie Ward
You can't beat it. My Frugal Friday post for this week (Lord Willing) will be on truly frugal decorating resources. I have it started, I just need to finish it.
Emilie Barnes gets my vote....very encouraging.
Thank you, Tammy!
Although I am Emilie Barnes' biggest fan, I second the recommendation for Lauri Ward's Use What You Have Decorating books. You can find great tips for cheap accessories anywhere, but Ward shows you how to get the "bones" of a room right with your existing furniture.
I love having candles on the table or coffee table as part of a decoration but they can be so expensive!
One thing that I do is this:
- Buy a bulk bag of tea-candles (I got a bag of 100 from Ikea over a year ago);
- Find any interesting glass containers, glasses or jars to place candles in (this helps prevent wax on wooden tables, people burning themselves etc.) - my mother had some odd glasses left over after a housemoving incident (crockery + tiled floor = ack!), they have been given new lives as tea-candle holders.
- These also make interesting gifts too.
By the way, I love your idea about the pressed leaves megmarc.
"The Hidden Art of Home-making" by Edith Schaeffer is great! Decorating, after all, isn't the only thing that makes a home!
Try doing little things like putting out fresh flowers, and keeping things tidy (well, sort of!). Try to keep paper under control. Are the shoes lined up/in the shoebox? Are the coats hung? Are groceries (and their bags) put away? Are your counters and bathrooms clean? Is laundry in it's place? These aren't so much decorating tips but things to help your home feel ordered and tidy.
For actual decorating, it helps to know your own tastes and go along with them. Do you like classy décor? Frilly? Flowery? Traditional? How about colours? Light? Dark? Classy? "Modern"? Funky? To avoid unnecessary painting costs, keep your walls and floors neutral so all you have to do is change the things in the rooms, like the duvet, slipcover, curtains, pictures, or the cloths covering chests/shelves, etc. My taste is for "clean" decor, so my walls and are off-white, my blankets blue, and my desk and shelves wood. I guess I like the "minimalist" style you sometimes see in the IKEA catalogue! For additional things, I take my cues from creation and the seasons: leaves, candles, flowers, snowflakes, wreaths...
I love antique stores, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. I'm always on the lookout for things that catch my eye. (In my case that's oil paintings, copper cookware and utensils, transferware plates, tablecloth, etc.) I don't like everything "matchy matchy" so mixing different things I find works great and doesn't cost a lot. I agree with the comment about not buying things just to fill up space. Only buy things that speak to you in some way. I would rather have very little but have each thing be special than have lots and have it be so generic.
Someone gave me a whole bunch of baskets of all different sizes. They were left over from her garage sale. I had no idea what to do with them. However, I got creative which is very unusual of me. : ) I have used the baskets to hold everyting from make-up to mail. I put Cds in them which looks so much neater than having the Cds scattered on your counter around the Cd player. I have taken the ones I haven't found a use for and put them on some shelves that have stodd empty for three years and they look really nice.
To go along with Kathleen's comment about cleaning up clutter, put your mail and paper clutter in letter carriers mounted on the wall. I have atleast three of these letter carriers in my kitchen and entry way. The have hooks on them for my keys which I always seemed to lose before I started hanging them up on these hooks. I can't believe how much easier it had been to keep the paper clutter down. Instead of throwing mail or the newspaper on my desk or kitchen table, I put it directly into the carriers until my husband has time to sort through them.
This is one of my favorite topics! I don't know of any books but I would affirm what others have said - check out garage sales, craigslist, Goodwill and other thrift stores. In our area we have Goodwill outlet stores where you buy by the pound and I have found great deals on throw pillows, tableclothes and frames. Another hint: check out the endcaps at Target. I find clearance items 75-90% off, especially after holidays. Also, at home depot you can often get mismixed paint for $1 a pint or $5 for a gallon. You may have ask where each store keeps this mismixed paint. You can get some great colors - just by painting one accent wall you can do a lot for the welcome-ness of your home. I often use the paint to make Goodwill bargains look great.
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