Decor on a Budget

The winter holidays have always been my favorite time of year. I was so looking forward to having my own home and creating an amazing home decorated with all of the latest trends. Once making the move, I realized how expensive it was to keep up with current trends. This holiday season, I decided to look at three different trends and come up with my own, thrifty spin on them.

My first project was a beautiful holiday wreath. Many stores are selling lavish wreaths with large Christmas bulbs and ribbon threaded through. They are incredibly beautiful, but also very expensive. To create a similar look, I visited my local dollar store and also the thrift store. I found an old wreath at the thrift store for $1.00. It wasn’t the most fashionable, but provided a great base for what I wanted to do. I purchased Christmas ribbon and beautiful round ornaments at the local dollar store. Once I got them home, I simply wrapped the purchased ribbon around the wreath and attached the bulbs with hot glue. Once all of the bulbs had been attached, I wound the ribbon through them and secured with hot glue. The wreath turned out beautifully and cost less than $10.00.

Although I have been decorating on a budget, we have been able to have a beautiful home that provides the true spirit of the season. There is no reason to spend a lot of money on expensive decorations, when you can create memories with your family making duplicates much cheaper.

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Lift Your Autumn Spirits: DIY

Do you feel uneasy in your home? If so, you make be able to make some simple changes to improve its look and feel. These changes may range from buying new appliances to painting a wall. Consider how these simple changes can improve the overall appearance of the home and lift your spirits.

Paint a Wall

This is an inexpensive do-it-yourself project that does not require much skill or effort. Every fall many people repaint their homes. This autumn also try painting an accent wall with a vibrant color such as lime green, red, sky blue or yellow. Vibrant colors are in this season. Grab a paintbrush and maybe even some friends and paint a wall. Your mood will be lifted by the vibrant colors. 

Add Plants

Nothing adds life to a room faster than houseplants. The plants help us breathe cleaner air, and the plants help to improve the mood of people in the room. The project is simple for those who want to add hanging plants to the home. Many do-it-yourselfers will paint ceramic or decoupage plastic containers to hold the plants. Depending on the number you complete and the complexity, a single project would take one day.

Reupholster Your Couch

If you want a new look, try reupholstering the couch. Bright and bold solid colors or prints are also popular this season. Try integrating this trend on the couch. It is a great way to update something old and make it new again. The material will be much cheaper than buying a new couch. Reupholstering is recommended only if the basic construction of the couch is still intact. Consider this simple DIY project to give the room a makeover.

DIY This Weekend

If you have nothing better to do, try a DIY project this weekend and then, host some friends for a small gathering. The new update may make the room better for entertaining guests and also make the room feel more festive. Have some fun and try a new project this weekend.

 

DIY Wall Art

Some of the latest design trends do not require a designer. Some homes feature some “project areas” that can get the entire family involved. When homeowners use DIY designs, their homes are uniquely designed for their preferences, much like a typical creative dweller. Let’s take a look at some of the DIY design elements that are present in some homes today.

 

Words on Canvas

With this latest design trend, homeowners can reveal their inner Picasso by painting a few words on canvases. The project is easy to complete and adds considerable flair to any room. Many minimalist designers love this idea because not only are the canvases visually appealing, but also inspiring. The quotes or one-word statements can be written in standard free-hand or stencil.

The design choice and colors will depend on the homeowners’ preferences. Creating wall hangings will allow homeowners to save money.To create the wall hangings, many homeowners use inspiration from magazines. Alternatively, allowing them to come up with statements without inspiration.

The wall hangings require a blank canvas, paint, paintbrush and creativity. The blank canvas can be obtained from an art supply store or a store such as Michael’s. The background can be painted first and should dry overnight. Some people may choose to decoupage newspaper on the canvas.  The lettering can be added on the next day. To add the lettering, many people will use stencils or free-hand sketches. Many people use lead or charcoal for the outline and paint within the lines onto the canvas. After the words are complete, the masterpiece should be allowed to dry. When the canvas is dry, it can be hung in any room of the home.

Many people enjoy using three or four consecutive wall hangings in a row to add artistic flair. “Words on Canvas” is a unique and cost-effective way to decorate homes, and it is a new trend in the New York and Brooklyn areas. Since the designer is you, you can save $6,500 on interior decorator fees. However, if an interior decorator is needed for the other aspects of your home décor, he or she can guide you in this phase of the project. Simply convey your idea to the interior decorator and he or she can recommend the best colors or approach for the project.

 

Consider Words on Canvas for Your Next Interior Design Project

Getting involved in your home decorating projects is not a bad idea. It can save money, and it can be therapeutic. Many people would enjoy this type of project from a hobby perspective. Consider Words on Canvas for your next project and watch the room transform.

 

Babies!? Decorating the Nursery!? Yes Please

I found this out a month or so ago, but I waited a little while to share the news.  My little sister is having a baby!  I am sooooooooo excited 😀  I was so inspired that I wrote a piece on decorating your home for the baby.  I hope you enjoy it.

As you prepare to welcome your new baby into the world, you obviously want to create a picture-perfect nursery in your home. A baby’s nursery should create a warm, comfortable environment for your baby to rest and relax in. It also is an environment where your baby will grow and thrive, and perhaps even reach certain milestones in. It is in this room where your little one will likely first sleep through the night. He or she may learn to sit, crawl, stand, and even utter those first few words in this room. You certainly want to spend time preparing this special place for the wonderful memories that will be made here.

Some parents struggle with the decision of what style a nursery should take. When a child is older, he or she will no doubt have plenty of say in what the style of the room looks like. For now, however, the style should reflect feelings of comfort and warmth, but you certainly want them to be aesthetically pleasing as well. Some parents may choose a special theme for the room while others may simply opt for a general color theme. Many babies will enjoy viewing animals, geometric shapes, and patterns within a few months after birth, and so designing with these elements in mind may be suitable for your space.

Some parents will opt for a more traditional nursery, and decorating with traditional toys, teddy bears, dolls, or other stuffed animals is a great way to achieve this look. Toys may initially be used as decoration on display shelves, and then may be taken down later when they are age-appropriate for your growing child. Murals, wall appliques, and more are wonderful additions to any nursery. When decorating, keep in mind that your child will spend much of his or her first year or two looking at the ceiling in this room. This may be before or after waking, or even laying on a play mat in the bedroom. Taking time to decorate the ceiling creatively can make the space more pleasing to your little one.

The furnishings you choose for this space will also contribute to the overall style of the space. There are many different styles of nursery furnishings as well as different hues of wood stains and painted wood furnishings you can purchase. Most nurseries will include a crib and a rocking chair. A small dresser is often helpful for storing little outfits, diapers, blankets, and bibs. Optional furnishings include a small bed or couch for the parents to sleep on during those late nights with the baby as well as a changing table.

Perhaps the most important factor to consider when decorating the nursery is the baby’s level of safety in the space. Most of the time your baby spends in this room initially will be spent in the crib. So ensure that bumper pads are not used, and that large stuffed animals, pillows, or other items that may suffocate the baby are not within reach. Also ensure curtains, wall coverings, and other items are not within reach of the crib.

Decorating your little one’s nursery can be a truly enjoyable experience. In years to come, your child will one day wonder what this special room looked like, so be sure to take photos of the preparations you went through to welcome him or her into the world as well as the final look of the nursery.

Live – Laugh – Love – Travel

AJ

Decorations for Every Holiday! Halloooooooween

I love decorating my apartment for every holiday.  I don’t have very many festive pieces quite yet, as I am just beginning to collect.  I started by actually going shopping at my mothers house.  She is always known for decorating the house head to toe for every occasion!

 

Fall is here, and the excitement of Halloween is just around the corner! Nearly everyone enjoys dressing up and celebrating with spooky tricks and sweet treats, but the fun does not have to end on the front porch! It is possible to decorate your whole home for this festive fall holiday — without making a frightful mess. Think outside of the box and create tasteful Halloween decor with these easy steps.

Smart and Simple: Do not just waltz down the Halloween decoration aisle in your local big-box department store and grab one of everything. Instead, collect a few items that particularly strike your fancy. Try to find items that are somehow similar, as these will serve as the base of your Halloween decoration theme.

Accentuate Your Space: Inside the home, your Halloween pieces will look best when presented as a part of a room’s decor. Rather than masking your home with bright orange and green decorations, consider a more subdued approach. A classic black and white theme sets an inviting backdrop for festive pops of orange, green and purple. Use various shapes and patterns to give a classic black and white theme holiday appeal, and integrate color with bright candles or glassware. Deep hunter green is a gorgeous backdrop for autumn reds, golds, browns and oranges. If using this classic harvest theme, avoid busying the space with purples and black.

Group Like Items: Now that you have your base set, get out those fun decorations you picked! Put witches with witches, pumpkins with pumpkins and ghosts with ghosts! Select a variety of different glass dishes or vases and arrange them on a mantle with a different Halloween candy in each. Create a harvest centerpiece with gourds and harvest corn. An excellent and classy idea comes from Martha Stewart. Glitter pumpkins are a unique accent for any Halloween decor, and they can last through Thanksgiving.

Avoid covering every square inch of your yard with spider webs and gravestones and give your house festive flair that is inviting to visitors of all ages. A natural leaf garland or wreath is a beautiful accent to your door in the colors of the season. Place a hay bale on your porch upon which to display pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns. Consider the use of dried corn stalks and golden autumn flowers to accent your entryway. Use lanterns and flameless candles to illuminate your doorway for visitors.

Live – Laugh – Love – Travel

AJ