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Tips Blinds - If you have expensive blinds, with strings, and the strings break, don't go out and buy new blinds. You can try to fix them yourself, but if you can't, there are shops that specialize in fixing them. Ask at your local hardware store. They should be able to steer you in the right direction. Beads - Here is a fun idea for leftover beads, either from used clothing you are discarding, or thrift store finds. Use them to decorate the strings on your mini-blinds. Attach them to the end of your drawstrings on your mini-blinds. Be sure and knot the end of the string securely so the beads won't fall off. Mini-blinds are suppose to be out-of-style now, but I think most of us still have at least one in our home. Have fun with them. Personally, I still find them quite useful. Candles - Here is one way to frugally make your home smell good, and to use every bit of your scented candles. When you have just little bits of candle wax left, cut them into little pieces. Place them in a bowl, and put them in a window sill where the sun will shine on them and spread a wonderful scent throughout your home. Make good use of every bit of wax from your candles. Rather than trying to scrape out leftover bits, put the candle (when cool) in the freezer. Once frozen, it will be easy to remove the wax and recycle it. Diffusers - Diffusers make your house smell wonderful, they last a long time, and they don't even require an electric outlet. Diffusers are nothing but scent in a bottle, drawn up by a wooden wick.  You can inexpensively make your own diffusers by using your own scent in a bottle, and using wooden skewers to lift it up into the air. Houseplants - You will save a lot of money on living plants if you buy them when they are small. You want your plants to look healthy and be well-formed. Be sure and rotate them, so they get sun on every side. If you don't rotate them, they will lean in the direction of the sun. Ladders - Here is another budget decorating tips for you- and something to keep an eye out for when you shop at garage sales. Old ladders, made of wood, can be fixed up and used for decorative purposes. Here are some things you can do with them if you just prop them against the wall: - You can use them to display magazines/ - You can display quilts. - You can hang towels from them in the bathroom. - You can use them to dry clothing in the utility area. Lamps - Here is a fun way to both add lighting to your home, and some character to reflect your family's interests. Buy a lamp with a glass base. Fill it with something of meaning to your family. You can fill it with small items picked up from vacations, like\ shells or rocks, or with items you like to collect. In a child's room you might put little cars, marbles, or trains. In a hobby room, you could add spools of thread. In an office, colored paper clips, nickels and dimes, or perhaps writing utensils. Metal Finishes - In the 80's, gold tone metal was popular. Then came pewter, brushed nickel and silver. Whatever it is, you can easily give the metal on your furniture and cabinets an update with a can of metallic spray paint. It is a small thing, but it can make a big difference in the appearance of your room. Pictures - Many people think that when you have a picture you want to frame, you must use a frame and mat the exact size of the picture.  If your picture is an irregular size, both the frame and mat can be hard to find, and custom framing is very expensive.  There are other ways to frame a picture that are very economical. Pictures can be placed on top of a piece of mat board instead of under it.  Find a frame with a mat you like, and then then glue the picture on top of it.  If you like, you can cover the mat board with special paper or fabric.  Pillows - Here's a project for the sewing challenged. A fast and easy way to make a decorator pillow is to use napkins. Find two napkins that go with your decor, and put them right sides together. Sew around all four edges, but leave about 4-6 inches free on one edge so that you can turn the square right side out and insert the pillow when you are done. You can either insert a pillow form, or stuff your pillow with fiber. Silk Flowers - Silk flowers are wonderful accessories. They last for years and you can't kill them. Keep your flowers clean by spraying with Lysol, putting in a paper bag with a little salt and shaking them, or buying one of the new retail cleaning spray cans designed to clean them. When you get tired of an arrangement, you can pull everything apart and rearrange it, switch containers, or switch rooms. You can get even more use out of your silk flowers by using them on tables as part of the centerpiece for special occasions. Choose your flowers carefully. If you really like them, you will use them over and over. Tablecloths - Tablecloths are very easy to sew. If the piece of fabric is large enough, it is just a matter of cutting the fabric to the size you need, and then hemming the sides or adding trim. Fabric can be expensive. However you can find some beautiful fabric at an economical price by shopping ebay and thrift stores. Check out the drapes. You can easily recycle these into tablecloths. You can find them in fabrics like damask and cotton. Many make a great shabby chic look.. If you have fabric left over, you can make additional placemats, napkins, or even pillows. The more fabric on the table, the more luxurious it looks.

 

 

 

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