Search Results for: frugal home see also home blog decorating and design

Frugal Scrapbook Fun

My 7-year-old has been on summer vacation for nearly two weeks and I only got around to sorting through her bulging backpack yesterday. She brought the bag home on the last day of school crammed with the contents of her desk and nine month’s worth of junk. Given my frugal nature, I refused to dump all of her school supplies in the trash. Rather, I painstakingly sorted through the pile of used items to see which ones I could salvage for the upcoming school year. Obviously, I couldn’t save it all, but there were many materials that could either be … Continue reading →

How to Choose Christmas Lights

Choosing Christmas lights used to be pretty simple. You simply went to the hardware store and purchased the number of strands that you needed to cover your tree, not exceeding the limit of how many could be plugged into one outlet. Today, things are a little more complicated. Hopefully these tips will help you choose the right lights for your holiday decorating. Let us start with incandescent versus LED lights, since you can usually choose among either of these options for most of your lighting needs (although some types of lights do tend to be one or the other). There … Continue reading →

New Rules for Painting a Room

For the last few decades, rules for painting a home have been, repair holes and cracks, clean dirty walls, use a primer-sealer to paint over dark walls, or walls with markings on them, then paint several coats. Now, the the rules are: repair holes and cracks, wipe down excessively dirty walls, and paint. What happened to the primer step? There is now a paint with primer in it! This week we painted over a mural I painted in my daughters room when we moved into the house. She was six at the time, and now she is 13. I had … Continue reading →

The Problem with Furniture Rearranging

I love watching HGTV for decorating ideas, but there is one type of show that makes me change the channel every time. Whenever I see a show about furniture re-arranging, where items are taken from one room to furnish another, I can’t help but get aggravated. The show that I caught this morning showed the decorator pulling together a formal living room. She took a rug from the den, a rug from the dining room, the dining room curtains, prints from the dining room, and accessories from all over the house to decorate this room at no cost. The problem … Continue reading →

Comfort Versus Style

In home decorating, there is a constant battle between comfort and style. Sometimes what feels good doesn’t look good, and what looks good can feel horrible. To find a balance of both comfort and style when the two fight so ferociously against each other is quite a feat. Comfort is easier to achieve if your home is a bit laid back and casual and much harder to achieve in a formal atmosphere though it can be done. Over the years, I have found that my personal style has relaxed a bit in an effort to make my home comfortable. Here … Continue reading →

Think Pink for Home Decor

Are you wondering what the latest hot thing in home decorating is? Well get ready to think pink. Pink is a color that is showing up everywhere. Home decor sometimes takes its cue from fashion, and I think this is the case here with pink. For example, there is a new Rolex watch that features an etched pink face. In home decor, you’ll find the pink in many different places, mostly as an accent color. This is just in time for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. The shade of pink that is currently hot ranges from a rosy, silvery pink to … Continue reading →

Frugal Christmas Tree Ornaments

Christmas tree ornaments can certainly be expensive. A single ordinary ornament can cost on average $5! Many fancier ornaments cost up to $25! At these prices, you may have to chose between decorating your tree and paying your mortgage for the month. There are ways, of course, that you can decorate your Christmas tree without spending a lot of money. Try some of the following ideas. I’ve included generally ornaments and even some that would be great for a theme. Just think, you could have a designer tree without the designer prices. For no-fuss tree decorating, just hit your local … Continue reading →

What You Can Find At Goodwill Series – Home Decor and Artwork

The frugal blog series of articles on the vast quantity of items found at Goodwill stores continues on. As we discover the department’s that most Goodwill stores have, keep an open mind about what you can find. If you are truly interested in living frugally or getting bargains or deals on items, you will be pleased with your shopping experience at Goodwill. So what else can you find at Goodwill stores? Home Décor I was actually surprised to find an entire section of home decorating items. From frames, to knick knacks, to vases and pots, to bowls and baskets, there … Continue reading →

Suspended Artwork

Suspended artwork is a classic look that is also a hot trend right now. It is rare when those two things come together, so take advantage of a new look that will be able to stay with your decor for years to come. Suspended artwork gives the look and feel of art that is hanging from the wall, or suspended by a visible hook or fixture. You may have seen this look in country decorating magazines. It is a favorite way of hanging art for Martha Stewart, who usually showcases her frames as being suspended by ribbons. To update the … Continue reading →

Frugal Fun: Easter Egg Hunts!

A great form of frugal fun for kids is the Easter Egg hunt. Sponsored by towns, civic groups and businesses, they are a great way to have some free fun, go out and meet your neighbors and even get some goodies to bring home. Starting this weekend, you should be able to find lots of fun Easter Egg hunts in your local region. They will vary by size and activities, so be sure to find out as much as you can about the festivities. I’m sure you’ll find at least one that will be fun for your family. Easter Egg … Continue reading →