Save on Furniture with The Three “F”s

Want to save money on new furniture? Try using the three “f”s to furnish your rooms for little cost or even for free! The first “f” in saving on furniture is “freecycle.” In case you aren’t familiar with it, freecycle is a community group in which members give away all sorts of tangible goods from toasters to computers. Furniture is often offered on freecycle. Furniture is usually large and heavy, so people are especially happy when someone comes to take it out of their home. Furniture is just one of those things that seems to always be available. Here in … Continue reading →

Make An “Antique” Sampler

Want a quaint antique sampler to hang on your wall, but don’t want to spend big dollars for it? With a little ingenuity, you can make one yourself! Just a little while ago, as I was putting my daughter down for her nap, I started browsing through an antiques magazine. Molly likes me to be there are she falls asleep, and it is a nice way for me to catch up on a very small amount of reading in the five minutes it takes for her to drift off. I didn’t get much past the ads for this gorgeous magazine … Continue reading →

Decorating Your Outdoor Space with Found Objects

Want to create a great outdoor space for free? Why not use found objects to create a backyard or garden that is truly unique. One of our Families.com members, misskitty is an expert at using found objects to their full advantage. I have see her creativity in action first hand. In this blog, I’ve asked her to share her experience and advice. Get ready for some creative and practical ideas for using found objects to create a backyard oasis for ourselves and our families. Question: How can you improve your backyard with found objects? “Found objects can improve the backyard … Continue reading →

Inexpensive Decorating Projects for Your Home

Here are a few ideas for improving your space by doing simple and elegant decorative projects for your home that hardly cost a thing: Shadow boxes Fit four short pieces of wood together into a rectangle or square, about one to two inches deep, or deep enough to set something upon it. Paint the wood or stain it. Make a few of these shadow boxes and group them together. Place similar items inside them. You can use these boxes as an inexpensive way to showcase collections, candles, or small, potted flowers. Fabric wall art Buy a lightweight board and have … Continue reading →

Frugal Homemaking: Simple Ideas for Improving the Mood of Your Home

To many people, when they think of redecorating they think of buying new furniture or accessories for their home. Most of us do not think about the atmosphere or mood of our space and how welcoming and comfortable it makes others feel. Think about some of the rooms you have entered and how they have made you feel. Where there certain smells, colors, or sounds that triggered different emotions? Perhaps there are some ways to enhance the atmosphere of our homes that cost very little money. Try focusing on the smells, colors, and sounds in a room. Fresh smells: Home … Continue reading →

Frugal Homemaking: A Thoughtful Space

Sometimes our homes evolve into a decoration theme (or lack thereof) without much thought and planning. We sometimes accumulate things little by little and add them to our space without much rhyme or reason. Putting a little more thought into our room style and decor can actually save us money. If we are aware of what we really want, we will be focused to only buy things that suit our room and the look we are going for. In addition, there are many things we can do to change the overall feel of the room that cost little or no … Continue reading →

Decluttering: The Cheapest Way to Redecorate

Is your house in a decorating slump? Do you really want to redecorate but you just don’t think you have the money to do it? This is the same way that I have felt in my home! Then I learned to make do with what I have. And I learned that controlling clutter is the best way to make any space look better–and it’s free! Many of us have so much clutter that it is hard to know where to start. Here are two helpful tips for scaling down and reclaiming some of the sanity and space in your home: … Continue reading →

Secret Sources of Free and Low Cost Paint

While painting is a relatively inexpensive way to improve your home, the price of paint and supplies can really add up. However, there are a couple of frugal tricks to getting free and low cost paint. Ask Friends and Neighbors Chances are, there are plenty of garages all over your neighborhood where paint is hiding. Primer, interior paint and exterior paint, it is all there. Most people are only too happy to pass it on to someone who will use it. People tend to overbuy paint because they are afraid they will run out. They don’t realize that with computer … Continue reading →

Wall Art For The Frugal Minded (2)

Continuing our creative discussion of wall art for the frugal minded, I have several more great ideas. Creating wall art is easy and saves a lot of money off store purchased items. Frame the item yourself and you’ve saved even more. Here are a few more great ideas to get you working on personalizing your home even further. Collage Art Cut photos and patterns out of papers, calendars and greeting cards collaging them together in a slightly shabby chic way. Cut the entire print to the size of the frame you want, and you have a piece of wall art … Continue reading →

Wall Art For The Frugal Minded (1)

Browse the aisles at any store selling framed art and you’re liable to have a heart attack on the spot. Some pieces can be terribly costly, while other’s only a fraction, but still expensive. Sure, you can purchase the pictures or paintings without framing and save quite a bit of money doing it yourself, but there is an even easier and more frugal way to get some beautiful wall art and not break the bank doing it. Found Pictures Calendars, greeting cards, magazine photographs and other types of pictures can be framed and added to your walls for creative interest … Continue reading →