mom, family, budget decorating

CafeMom madetobeamom and her family

CafeMom madetobeamom joins us in Home & Garden Buzz today, sharing her helpful and creative tips for decorating your home on a budget.

Check it out.

Decorating Your Home on a Budget

by madetobeamom

Outdated, dingy, and scratched home decor? Maybe, even your walls and floors are feeling the well-worn love of several toys or tots leaving their mark. Face it...it takes a lot of time, energy, and money to keep a home with children pristine. I always tell anyone who is coming into my home, "Don't mind the mess. We are under 'destruction.'"

I'm a mother of three sweet children all under the age of six. As you can imagine, our home has the "lived and loved in" look. We have many knick-knacks that have been more than a little "loved," and our budget doesn't warrant buying new home decor. However, as we try to update our home, I've found there are a number of ways to get creative and freshen up your living space, so it looks like you spent a ton of money.

Here are a few tips:

  1. Think outside the box! Look at that decor item or piece of furniture. Can it be used as something else?
  2. Go on a scavenger hunt in your attic or garage. Turn old items into new with a can of spray paint.
  3. Get paint for cheap or free. Ask your paint store for cans of paint that have been returned. Lots of stores will give these paints away as sometimes they can't resell them (you might be surprised that you'll like a color that someone else returned, and it will look great in your half bathroom).
  4. Shop your neighborhood. Garage sales are a great place to find home decor for really cheap.
  5. Get craft store leftovers. Craft stores always bag up left over silk flowers and plants that have fallen off arrangements. Sometimes they throw them out, so ask you if you can have them. These are great to super glue to crafts or use in wreaths, etc.
  6. Shop the homes of friends and family. Go shopping in a close neighbor, friend, or relative's home and swap out items to redecorate. You might be surprised that your neighbor has been in love with the old painting over your couch. In the meantime, maybe you've been eyeing her wine rack in the corner of her kitchen with one dusty wine bottle in it. You are imagining that piece in your guest bathroom with beautifully rolled towels.

Remember, ladies. There are more than a few ideas out there to decorate on a budget with little to no money. Go on...think outside the box. Fall in love with your home again with just a little bit of time and a very small budget!  Enjoy the adventure.

Thanks for the great budget home decorating tips, madetobeamom.

About madetobeamom:

madetobeamom is a wife, mom, and brain tumor survivor. She feels, in these uncertain economic times, that home is the place we all make our haven — one where your family can come and feel comfortable and surrounded by beautiful things that create memories for a lifetime.

Currently, she works as a Southern Living at HOME consultant. She loves sharing with other women the joy of beautifying their homes. Southern Living at HOME's mission is to create a feeling of welcome, comfort, and beauty in homes all across America, while fostering the spirit of generosity in the lives of women and their families.

For information on becoming a rep or learning how to host a party and get free and discounted quality heirloom home decor pieces, visit southernlivingathome.com or madetobeamom's profile page.