I love to decorate every season. I get tired of the same look. I normally wait for the post-season clearance sales. If you don’t mind last year’s decor, you can get a 70%-off bargain.
Thrift stores are my favorite places to shop for decorations. But what if you’re penniless? Can you still decorate?
Yes. Here are a few ideas.
Shop around your house.
Do you have stuff laying around in the basement or attic? Look around and find something you can use for decor.
Decorate one room at a time so it’s less overwhelming. Start with the living room. What needs improved? Does it need pillows? Does it need wall decor? A fresh coat of paint? A change of curtains?
Rearrange furniture and decor.
This will make a huge difference. Shuffle your furniture around and see if you can come up with another arrangement you like.
Visit Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration.
Empty the whole room and start with a blank slate. Do you have decor in your bedrooms that you like? Try using it in another room. I do this all the time. Just shuffling your wall decor around will make things feel fresh.
Bring some of the outdoors in.
Grab flowers or greenery from your yard.
You don’t have to spend lots of money for fresh flowers. I garden in spring and summer, planting for every season so I can enjoy fresh flowers all year long.
In winter, I use pine cones and evergreens as Christmas decor.
Do it yourself with stuff you already have.
Do you know how to sew? You can make your own pillow case using fabrics you already have.
There are so many DIY home projects you can do with little to no money. Here are some examples of the projects I did repurposing what I already had.
I made this wreath from old garland. I wanted it to look like my flocked tree. Because I did not want to spend money on self-adhesive snow flock, I used popcorn ceiling compound. And I could have used white paint if I didn’t have that.
I made this pillow case from an old shirt.
I painted these candle holders. They were brown but I wanted them lighter so I used white and gold paint I had on hand.
Painting can make a huge difference to decor or furniture.
Find a curbside rehab project.
My sister’s dining room table is a curbside rehab and it’s gorgeous. Trust me. No one who saw it would have any idea.
I found this midcentury-modern credenza on a curb. It was in a good shape. All it needed was a fresh coat of paint. And now we use it to store the kid’s crafts.
Having a beautiful home doesn’t have to be expensive. A little creativity goes a long way.
Jennabel
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What great advice! Thank you for such a thoughtful and well-written article. I love the idea of emptying out a room completely to start over again. I’ve done that a few times. My husband and I just bought a new rug for our living room, and it has made a huge difference in how the room looks.
Hi Erica. Thank you so much for your nice comment. That’s awesome! We replaced our area rug last year as well and the living room looks completely different. We love it.
Jennabel, I love your ideas! I think we tend to feel pressure to buy more when we want to redecorate, but that’s not needed at all. Thank you for sharing these tips!
I totally agree with you, Becca. Thank you for your comment.
I am always looking for ways to change the look of a room without spending – thanks for the ideas! I get stuck leaving things the same and struggle with finding different ways of decorating.
You’re quite welcome, Julie. I use Pinterest to search for cheap DIY’s and decorating ideas. Have a great day.
This is great! Just in the nick of time too! I’m in the process of relocating and decorating was the last thing on my mind because of money but these cheap tips have been extremely helpful!
I’m so glad to hear this, Tasha. I’m cheap and I don’t like to spend too much money on home decor. Good luck and have fun decorating!
As a self-proclaimed penny-pincher, I love these ideas! I’m not the most creative person when it comes to interior design. And maybe this sounds silly but I never thought switch decor from one room to another. Brilliant! Definitely will be using that in the future.
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you very much. I switch my decor around the house all the time because I get tired of the same look. Ha ha. Thank you very much for stopping by.
These are great ideas. When I am penniless, I like to just tidy up and clean off the shelves and dust. That brings my original decor back to life <3
Thank you, Jasmine. I love a clutter-free and clean house too. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I love this! Great tips! I also love decorating, but I don’t like buying new things all the time because a few years back I did a huge decluttering project and simplified my life. I like rearranging furniture and I loved your tip to shop around your own house.
Thank you. I’ve been decluttering my house too. Hubby is a minimalist so he want to get rid of everything. LOL. I’m glad you like these tips. Have a great day!
Shopping in your own home is great advice! I had never thought of this before so thank you for sharing this!
You’re quite welcome, Jenna!
Hi, Jennabel, I read your article with great interest. I like your ideas. Adding some inspiration and newness to our home without spending money is a great thing. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
Thank you so much, Sandya. I am glad to hear that you found some inspiration in this post. That is the reason why I created this blog. Your comment means a lot to me 🙂