30 Ways to Cut the Cost of Living: Decorating, Part 1

#17 Use what you have to redecorate key areas of your home for FREE!

We have a fun treat today. My mom, a wonderful interior decorator, has provided a fun list of ideas for things you can do to redecorate for free. Enjoy!

Group a bunch of tea lights down the middle of your dining room table on pedestals for a formal centerpiece (no scented candles during a meal).
Change out silk flower arrangements by adding or removing flowers, especially with the seasons.
Stack bedroom pillows flat on top of each other largest to smallest, centered, instead of propped up.
Add a throw to the end of the bed, over the arm of a chair, couch, or on an ottoman.
Speaking of ottomans, use one or two as a coffee table with a tray on top for stability.
No ottoman? How about a large covered basket, a trunk, or a stack of old suitcases from the attic as an end table? (Screw the suitcases together.)
Rearrange furniture to pull it off the wall and make a conversation area, shaped in a U with the couch as an anchor and chairs on either side, facing each other.
Change out throw rugs from one room to another or turn them the opposite way or on an angle.
Recover accent pillows with left over fabric scraps…color block if necessary. Choose an accent color with pizazz to wake up your rooms.
Gather small tabletop picture frames from all over the house and put them on one table with family photos in them.
Rearrange bookshelves with all the books in size order and pulled to the front edge of the shelf.
Take all the magnets and notes off of your fridge…your kitchen will look amazingly different. I promise, this one works!
Clear your kitchen counters of anything you don’t use every day. You’ll love the “new” look.
Cut an old bedroom pillow in half and cover it to make two throw pillows.
If you have a willow tree, cut a vase full of 18″ budding branches and throw them in a vase.
Take your good china out of the cabinet and stack it on the mantle or as a centerpiece with a tea pot
Use plate hangers to hang plates on the wall in groupings by color.
Get out Grandma’s embroidered napkins or tea towels, starch them, and hang them over your guest towels in the bathroom.
Fresh fruit in a glass bowl is always nice in the kitchen. Try lemons and limes.