7 clever and budget-friendly ways to decorate your home

Are your dreams bigger than your budget? Maybe not!

As a homeowner and avid DIY-er, I’m constantly on the search for new ways to spruce up and personalize my home, whether that’s swapping out home decor, adding a pop of color or decorating for each season. But as you can imagine, the price of fulfilling my DIY desires can add up quickly. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can decorate and add personality to your home on the cheap.

Here are seven of my favorite tactics that’ll not only save you money but make a big impact when it comes to adding fresh decor or character to your home.

1. Use Paint Creatively

Paint is my go-to when it comes to a quick and inexpensive way to drastically change the look of a room. Add in another color, design or pattern and you can even create the perfect statement wall. Here’s a great example from a blogger who shows the step-by-step process of how to achieve this perfectly painted chevron accent wall.

I’m also loving this geometric pattern against a dark paint color. Instagram user Caitalexandria wrote that she used a Gold Sharpie Paint Pen to achieve this look.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_NNFyEFM3u/

2. Shop For Bargain Home Decor

Whether I’m looking for something specific or just need a few new fun home accents, my go-to stores are TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. Both stores usually have a nice selection of home decor with a little of everything, from picture frames and mirrors to plants and candles. It’s also worth checking to see if the store has a clearance section. In the past, I’ve found large candles for as low as $2 and glass vases for $3.

Another idea is to shop for your decor off-season, then stash it away for the following year. Fall is a great time to find deeply discounted summer decor and the end of January is a great time to find marked-down Christmas decor that can be used the following year.

And let me not forget to mention Michael’s Arts & Crafts if you’re looking for a steal on picture frames. I’ve seen all sorts of frames in various colors and sizes marked down to as much as 70 percent off! Just check the store’s weekly ads for details.

3. Create Your Own Wall Art

If you can draw lines on a canvas, then you can probably create something as simple yet impactful as this blogger has:

And if you’re looking for a more colorful option, here’s another easy idea from a blogger using canvas and masking tape:

4. Swap Out Art Each Season

Changing out your framed art and photos each season is a great way to switch things up without spending a lot of time or money. The internet is full of free printables for every season, occasion and room in your home. Oftentimes, you’ll be able to download the files directly to your computer, which allows you to resize the images to fit your existing frames before printing.

The blog Yellowblissroad has a great selection of free printables, such as these cute, Christmas-themed ones:

5. Shop On Amazon

Amazon has it all, and home-related items are no exception. Just this month I purchased these Solar String Lights to string along our back deck. These lights are awesome for so many reasons, including their affordable price of just $9.99. They’re long enough to span my entire deck and I like that they’re not as intrusive as your run-of-the-mill Christmas lights. But what I love most about these twinkling beauties is that they’re both solar-powered and equipped with a timer, so they turn off automatically after several hours.

My other home-related Amazon purchase worth mentioning is this garage door hardware kit I plan on using to jazz up my plain, white, boring garage door. This is something I literally just ordered, meaning I haven’t received the kit yet, but after reading the reviews, I feel confident it will all work out.

6. Invest In Spray Paint

It’s inexpensive, easy to use and can make a big impact. I absolutely love using spray paint because you can drastically change the look of something in a matter of minutes. Take, for example, this plant stand and basket I picked up at a local thrift store. With just one can of metallic silver spray paint, I was able to transform both items.

Another project where I’ve used spray paint was when I was transformed old picture frames into a jewelry display:

Pretty neat, right? If you’re ready to dash out and pick up a few cans, it might be a good idea to first take a few minutes and read this post from the blog LiveLoveDIY. It’s important to know what type of spray paint to use depending on your project, plus other helpful tips and tricks.