Creative, Do It Yourself, Inexpensive Decorating?

Okay I need some ideas to bring life into the room, besides plants.


I'm open for suggestions please, I need ideas to create wall designs that I can do and not be very expensive please. Willing to use candles, cloth and flowers if necessary. PLEASE HELP


Thanks for all those that submit their ideas in advance.

Creative, Do It Yourself, Inexpensive Decorating?
window dressings - depending on your design preferences - Clean lines allow for use of more detail in other areas of the room - decorative shades with some material draped over rods- sheer scarf legnths are beautiful but bargain hunt for a good price as they can be expensive - but I have seen them on sale for very very cheap too - go online! - I can't afford pleated shades at this time - so I went to homedepot and got what they call "temporary blinds" they have an adhesive at the top - you peel and press to top of window fram - and have clips to use to hold bottom of shades at height you want - simple - cheap and elegant-





simple geometric glass vases or heavy drinking glasses - fill about 1/3 of way up with any of these: marbles, small stones or medium stones of variying colors (dark and light), sand and so on - fill with water and insert bamboo plant - look around for the plants - all you want are the bamboo plants themselves - if they are already put together in any sort of vase etc - they will cost more. You should be able to get them very cheap - if you live near any fairly large asian community you may find lots of stores that carry them AND some other cool stuff for decorating and at inexpensive prices.





SLIPCOVERS! go online - some great stuff that clings to the shape of the furniture or looser fits if you prefer and if you shop - good prices! this can alter the look of a space dramatically - and if you wnat - buy 2 and change the feel perdiodically.





Ever see people throwing out old windows? The smaller ones with several small panels of glass with wood frames? Those and old doors of various sizes (from full doors to cabinet doors) can be either sanded and repainted OR depending on the condition of the things - kept as is and that gives a weatherbeaten look which is nice too - the doors anc be hinged together if they are the same dimensions and use as room dividers or small table screens - you can put framed pictures on them or the smaller ones can be hung and you can put pictures on them etc.





HAVE FUN!! fo online to home decorating sites and get idea!
Reply:In the kitchen= older utensils and other kitchen gadgets i no longer use. in the last house i took a huge piece of drift wood and put hooks in it for a pot, pan, lid and utensil holder.


On the walls=i make my own artwork (marker, watercolor, chinese calligraphy), frame a cool piece of fabric.


In the bathroom= i collect shells and rocks, and candles.


In the bedroom= i wait for really cool fabric to go on the sale rack and cover over the curtains for a change. or put a curtain rod over bed and drape fabric -if long enough to make a fake canopy type dealy.


Window charms= clear sparkly or colored beads that can be strung on thin wire or string and left hanign down in several places ...best when you can find the crystal tears from a chandelier at local thrift shop.
Reply:Take a look at these two lists of books on Amazon, one is for walls/windows and the other is for budget decorating.


http://tinyurl.com/rmn9w


http://tinyurl.com/rz4s4


If you see a book that looks helpful, your public library can get it for you to read (free).
Reply:Small fake trees about four-five feet high with those small clear Christmas lights wound around it, or one of those cheap thin arbors with flower garlands wound around it with the same kind of lights. Or those tall candle holders, if you can find them done the same way with flowers and lights.
Reply:Did .you ever try TATUAGE? Its like a mural that comes off a paper, very easy to do and it looke great, they have a large variety of scenes. TATOUAGE.COM
Reply:think unpainted, uncolored, unframed and do the framing, coloring etc yourself... for the wall, go to a vintage place or a poster store, pick posters that are how you want your room to be defined: I used to have these vintage Vogue covers from late 1800's early 1900's which were cool, because they had a lot of color and it gives you a base of color to start with and theme if that's you style. Or Jungle animals, my favorite shot I have on my wall is a gorrilla, his face nestled in these green leaves, whatever, just get some posters/pictures and frame them with inexpensive frames. Get two wall sconces (they hang flat against your wall, but have a hole to put through a curtain rod, and they are flat on top) Group a bunch of your pictures together (they don't have to be huge posters, but if they are don't hang them all at the same level go up and down) Now put a wall sconce on the left hand side of your wallscape up enough to create the sense of a frame corner (frame of all the pictures) and put the other sconce in the same place at the right side. Get a dowel (round piece of pvc tube or wood) that's about 2 inches longer than the length of the space between the outsides of the sconces, and some fabric to drape around the dowel. Wrap the fabric around the dowel having it drape to create a curtained look, and drape it still around the part of the dowel that's outside of the scones... Are you with me so far? then get a flat piece of wood, thats just a bit longer than the sconces from end to end and wide enough to go from the wall to the outside of the sconce (3-4 inches maybe)OK so we have a grouping of posters or various size pictures that we got for cheap (even get old fashioned black and whites are fun, or family pictures would be cool) on our wall, our sconces on the top left and right, a dowel with fabric draped all around it (now it kind of looks like a theatre stage with the curtain open). With the board on top, you can put knick knacks, dried flowers, colorful vases of every size and shape, or if it's low enough candles and whatever else you desire. This is great (trust me and I'll walk you thru if you need) it's dramatic and best part is if you got the sconces, board, dowel unpainted you can make them your colors with some paint or spray paint. Then get a couple strawberry pots (terra cotta pots that are about 2' tall with a big opening in middle and lot's of little openings to the side) you can paint this too to spice it up go to a craft store and get cheap willows or cat tails put in the middle then get various silk/fake silk (cheap is good! because you'll want to change these out seasonally) flowers and put them in the slots on the sides, with a couple of drooping fake ivy pieces. You can do everything I said for less than $120.00 and the room will be stunning. Also use the sconce/dowel/fabric board idea to frame any window. I have one in my bedroom and I just have collector books on top of the shelf
Reply:Wall hangings are nice, easily replaced, and inexpensive. Flowers need to be replaced regularly, and candles create fire hazards and drip wax all over the place. Paint is cheap but permanent and time-consuming. Wall art or framed posters can be cheap, but don't go overboard and cover your walls with them. And if you've got a full-length mirror, you may be able to hang it sideways on your wall depending on how sturdy the backing is. Mirrors and reflective surfaces can lighten things up and create an impression of more space.





First step is to pick a style and stick with it. Unless you really know what you're doing, don't try to mix and match Danish Modern with traditional Feng Shui. Go to a used bookstore, flip through the design books until you find one that holds your attention, and pick your favourite elements from that.





Step two is to work with what you've got. Take a good look at the rooms you're decorating and make two lists: One of the features you like, one of the features you don't like.





Step three - Using cloth hangings as an example. Cover up or partially conceal the features you don't like behind the hanging. Select the hanging to match or complement the colours of the features you like.





Other than that, it really depends on the specifics of the room. Start with Step One (Pick a style you like), then modify that style to match the room (Step Two).
Reply:Use mirrors or mirror tiles. Add small shelves that hang on the wall. Colorful pictures of scenery. Then add your candles and leafy vines and flowers. Use your own artistic flare for putting these all together. Good Luck.
Reply:go to the HGTV website, and click on shows like "Design on a Dime", "FreeStyle", and "Decorating Cents." All should give you plenty of ideas, adn before/after photos of rooms done inexpensively.





HINT: A couple gallons of paint, even if not on sale, give a huge punch for the dollars spent. Start there.
Reply:sponge painting is always nice. sometimes if you paint 3 walls and do one with wall paper it turns out cool. depends what colors you pick. be sure not to do sponge painting and wallpaper. (past experience it sucked). instead of sponge painting, take a fake rose ( a really big one), dab it in paint, and press lightly onto one wall. use different versions of one color to make it look really pretty. then when its dry, go over it with a roller and some translucent paint.
Reply:you can inexpensively make slipcover/pillow cases for furniture. pressed flowers in clearance frames on plain white background are good too. unframed canvas is popular... you could take a terrific fabric and stretch it over a wood frame and modpodge over it to look like a canvas.
Reply:How about a quilt hung on the wall?



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