I’m not the DIY queen, but it’s something I have turned to more in the last couple of years.  Even if the secondhand vase or picture frame you find at a garage sale isn’t what you had in mind, add a bit of spray paint and you can transform it to something that looks new and fresh in no time. Spray paint is much better than it used to be, and it can be your best friend when it comes to refinishing furniture on the cheap. Maybe you have an antique table that isn’t quite your style. You can sand and repaint or stain furniture for a total overhaul. A while back, Katie wrote a piece about updating an antique dining room table. While it may take some time to execute the project from start to finish, it will save you a lot of money in the long run.

2. Don’t forget resale pages and shops.

Check your local Craigslist, Goodwill or Facebook resale pages for deals on furniture people want to purge.

3. Use photographs as decoration alongside of fancy artwork.  

We framed photographs from trips to Niagara Falls, Rhode Island and the Grand Canyon.

If you followed tips to get great photographs of your family or made a point to catch amazing shots on a recent vacation, you probably want to show the images off, right? Frame them or have them made into canvases. Wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club has affordable canvas prices – and they are 25 percent off during the month of November.

4. Change out the hardware.

If your kitchen or bathroom cabinets or dresser are looking dated (or you just want a change), look into updating the hardware. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to overhaul a piece of furniture for a minimum cost.

5. Check the scratch and dent section.

We purchased our children’s furniture from a locally owned store that specialized in kid’s furniture. We found coupons online and visited their scratch and dent room (that also carries pieces that are no longer made), and we purchased high quality pieces for the same price as furniture sold in major chains like Babies R ‘Us and Target. If you are looking to decorate a baby’s nursery, check out stores that carry furniture specific to little ones. You never know what deals you may score.

Mix and match.

This shelf was purchased during a trip to IKEA. Items on the shelf are from IKEA, Big Lots, Target, and the vase is from Crate and Barrel.

Our home décor is from a variety of places. We have a few high-end pieces (think Crate and Barrel, Pier One or Pottery Barn) mixed with less expensive pieces from places like Target, TJ Maxx Home Goods (a personal favorite) or second-hand stores.  Some things like candles look pretty much the same no matter where they are purchased.

6. Buy holiday décor off-season. 

It’s a no-brainer, but often people forget to go out the day after the holiday to buy stuff for next year. If you don’t mind the crowds, it’s worth it to get a new wreath, hand towels or a table centerpiece for the next year’s holiday season at a fraction of the cost. Another cute idea is to frame photographs from previous holiday seasons. Around Halloween, you can frame pictures of your kids in Halloween costumes and at Christmas you can display framed photographs of the kids on Santa’s lap.

If you don’t want to drop a lot of cash to decorate your home, that’s understandable. There are still ways to make it chic, modern or whatever your taste may be while you decorate on a budget. Be open to shopping at different stores and try not to shy away from DIY projects. You can create a home that’s decorated exactly how you hoped it could be if you check out the sales racks, secondhand stores and splurge on occasion.

How do you decorate on a budget?

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