Even if you’re pinching pennies, there are still things you can do to create a beautiful and cozy home! Here are some ways you can decorate your home on a budget.
I believe we all want a cozy home that’s stylish and inviting. But I also know how much some of those “stylish” pieces can cost.
Believe it or not, you can have those magazine picture-worthy rooms in your home even if you’re on a tight budget. There’s still plenty you can do to create an inviting and cozy home even if you’re trying to save money.
The first step (no matter where you live) to having a cozy and inviting home is to clean your home and get everything organized. These two things will drastically improve the quality of your space. Once you have a nice clean and organized home, you can move on to the fun part – decorating.
Keep reading to see my best tips on how to decorate your home on a budget.
I love making my own signs and artwork to hang around my home. If you have a printer, you can print out fun sayings and frame them to hang in certain rooms. Also, you can create simple pieces of art from things you can find at Dollar Tree.
Here are some of my favorite Dollar Tree DIYs I’ve created for my walls over the years:
Painting your own walls is one of the most cost-effective decorating updates you can do to your home. Painting one wall a different color can really make a room stand out.
Here are some great tips to keep in mind when painting an accent wall in your home:
If you need some ideas for accent wall colors, Pinterest has lots of inspiration.
Instead of rushing out to buy a new dresser, coffee table, or nightstand, try repairing the furniture you have and then give it a new coat of paint. It will save you a lot of money and give you a sense of pride.
See also: How to Get Free Furniture to Fill Your Home When You’re on a Budget
The desk in the picture below is one that my husband painted years ago. We found it at a thrift store for only $10!
Sofas can be super expensive, not to mention the wait time if you have to order one. Instead of forking over a bunch of money on a new sofa, just purchase a slipcover to make it look brand new again! Slipcovers are inexpensive ways to give old sofas new life.
You can find slipcovers at Target for as low as $60. That’s definitely better than $1000 on a brand new sofa!
Another inexpensive way to decorate your home on a budget is to make your own home decor. I love making things for my home when I can to save money. Here are a few ideas of things you can make:
Kitchen cabinets can get pretty worn out over time. A great way to makeover a kitchen on a budget is to paint the cabinets. While it may be a little time-consuming, painting kitchen cabinets is fairly easy. Google “how to paint kitchen cabinets” and you can find thousands of tips, tutorials, and videos.
Just like with the kitchen, bathroom cabinets can be painted to give a new look to an outdated bathroom. If you have more than one bathroom that needs updating, you can paint all the cabinets the same color to cut down on paint costs. For an easy tutorial on how to paint bathroom cabinets, check out this post. It’s one of my favorite bathroom makeovers!
Even if your kitchen and bathroom cabinets don’t need a new coat of paint, you can always update their look with brand new hardware. Purchasing and installing new hardware is a quick and affordable way to make your kitchen and/or bathroom feel brand new. Check sites like Target and Amazon, and be sure to check your local hardware stores for deals. I’ve also been successful at finding knobs at thrift sales, but you have to make sure you have enough hardware for all the cabinets if you want them to match.
Changing your lampshades might seem like such a small detail but it can really make a huge difference. Look for a bold color that matches your decor to brighten up the room, or go for something more neutral that will match anything!
To get the high-end look without the high-end price tag, check out Target and Walmart’s lampshade selections.
If you want to save even more money, try making your own lampshade instead of purchasing one. Or update an old lampshade by painting it.
Something as simple as reorganizing your bookshelf can make an entire room feel different. If your bookshelf has become a place to hold just about anything and everything, it may be time to purge. Remove anything from your bookshelf that doesn’t belong to get rid of the clutter. Then remove everything you want to keep on your shelves so it makes them easier to clean. After a thorough cleaning, start putting items back on the shelves in an organized way. Maybe try stacking some books against standing ones to use as makeshift bookends. Or organize books by color. Just do whatever feels right to you.
Need some books for your bookshelf? Visit thrift stores and yard sales and thrift sites such as ThriftBooks.com. Also, if you’re an Amazon Prime Member, you can enjoy one free book every month with Prime Reading. (Not a member? Sign up here to get Prime free for 30 days!)
See also: How to Get Books Free or Cheap
Laying a rug in a room can make a room look and feel completely different. While adding a rug may seem like a big investment, if you search hard enough you can find cheaper options hiding at retail stores like Target, Walmart, and sometimes Amazon.
Tip: Layering an area rug over carpet makes a room feel cozy!
I’m sure some of your collected items have ended up in storage over the years. Go through those boxes and dust off your old items. Your home should reflect who you are so proudly display items you’ve had hidden for years. For example, the red truck on my bookshelf is a truck that I played with as a little girl. My grandparents saved it, then my mom saved it, and eventually, it returned to me.
In the picture below you can see how I decorated an old dresser that we got cheap at an auction. The doughbowl came from a craft sale my mom and I visited years ago and I made the rag balls that sit inside the bowl. The small candle holder came from a thrift store for 75 cents and the books I found in an antique store years ago for only 50 cents each. The white jar was a glass milk jug from Dollar Tree that I painted, which you can see here.
If you have a flower garden, cut and bring some flowers inside to decorate your home with. Fresh flowers will bring your home to life with their fragrant scents and vibrant colors. If you don’t have a flower garden, search the markdown section in the floral department at your local grocery store for a cheap bunch of flowers. If you have allergies, visit your local dollar store for fake flowers instead of fresh ones.
If you’re like me you probably have a box full of family photos. Instead of hiding those photos away in a box, put them in frames and hang them or display them on tables or shelves around your home. Consider creating a fun gallery wall full of your favorite personal memories. You can get picture frames for only $1 apiece at Dollar Tree.
Rearanging the furniture in a room won’t cost you a dime! This budget-friendly decorating idea only requires a little bit of time and creativity. (And strong muscles, of course.) Pick a room and rearrange the furniture in a new layout. Don’t forget to make sure the room is still functional and cozy.
Don’t rush out and buy new throw pillows for different seasons or when you want a new look. Save money by making your own throw pillow covers or by purchasing throw pillow covers.
Believe it or not, the shower curtain is probably the most decorative item in most bathrooms. Swapping out your shower curtain and hanging a new one will update your bathroom quickly and cheaply.
How do you decorate your home on a budget? I’d love to know your best tips when it comes to decorating rooms in your home.
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Great ideas Michelle!! Motivates me to want to go tidy up my house now!!
Great ideas for refreshing! I did that this past weekend. I also shopped my home…! Happy Weekend to you!
This is what is considered close to my heart. I just did this with minimal, minimal costs. Thrift shops, throws, re-arranging are all so good. I have very little money but sometimes it's just placement and often getting rid of things you don't need. Great post
I love your tutorials on no-sew throw pillows and reverse canvas signs. Easy, cheap, and look so cute!
These are such good ideas! I'd never really thought about painting an accent wall before, but it would make such a huge difference to the look of a room, without breaking the budget. I also love the idea of bringing in fresh flowers. I have a lot of houseplants in my home, but bringing flowers in from the garden would be a completely free way of bringing nature indoors.
Those are some really wonderful ideas. Love that bathroom cabinet! And, the idea for rearranging the book shelf is really cool. I wouldn't have thought to do that. Super smart!
I really like the desk your husband painted, Michelle. Some great common sense ideas here. Thank you for sharing. :)
Thanks for the ideas! We recently bought our first home and I’m so ready to decorate. I appreciate your budget friendly ideas 💡
these are all great ideas, I love the accent wall that really changes a room. You're inspiring me to make changes :) xo
These are all such great tips and tricks for decorating a home on a budget, Michelle! I'm constantly surprised by how much of a difference cleaning and decluttering makes too. I've tried some of these and love them already and can't wait to try some of the other things on this list as well. I swear if the pandemic taught us anything it's to love the home you live and in and to be financially repsonsible because you just never know what is going to happen. Hugs, CoCo