How to Decorate Your Home For Almost Free

Everyone NEEDS furniture. Everyone LIKES a beautiful living space. Furnishing a home is expensive though, and making it look nice can be an even bigger blow to your budget. So what do you do if you're on a fixed income, or have small children, or just want to use your hard earned money for something other than home decorating? You get creative, that's what you do! With ingenuity, a little time, and some effort, you CAN have a beautiful home for almost free!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Fabric or sheets
• Scissors
• Thread
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Staple gun
• Sandpaper
• Paint and/or stain
• Screws or nails
• Wood glue
• Wood putty
• Cleaning products

1. First, find some furniture. Unbeleivable deals can be had at garage sales. Craigslist is an online classified site where you can find things often for very very cheap or free. Or, join your local freecycle and trade free stuff with people in your community.
2. Get the word out. Let friends and family know you're looking to decorate your home on a budget. Many times, people have stuff crammed in their attics, basements and garages and don't know what to do with them! They might just offer the find of the century!
3. Don't be discouraged by ugly paint or drawer pulls or hideous upholstery. If you like the shape of the piece, you can usually make it look stunning (or at least presentable) with a little elbow grease.
4. Refinish wood pieces by stripping off ugly or worn paint or varnish with a sander or paint stripper. This is messy, but necessary to get good results. Pound in any loose nails, tighten loose screws, and replace missing pieces. Fill holes with wood putty, allow to dry, then sand until smooth.
5. Apply paint or stain and allow to dry. You might need more than one coat- remember, several THIN coats are always better than one thick, gloppy coat. Seal, if desired, with polyurethane and replace old hardware.
6. Upholstered pieces can sometimes be revived with a good cleaning. Vacuum thoroughly to remove any dirt or pet hair, then treat with a foaming upholstery cleaner. These are available at many discount stores, but you can make your own by whirling a tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent in the blender with 2 cups of warm water. Apply just the foam to the soiled areas, scrub a little bit, then rinse with a clean cloth dipped in warm water. Allow to dry, then vacuum again. You might have to repeat the treatment, but it seems to work pretty well in most cases.
7. If upholstered furniture is torn, uncleanable, or just ridiculously ugly (harvest gold, anyone?) you have a few options. Tears or worn spots can be camouflaged. Throws over the back and/or arms can cover a multitude of sins, as can flipping over cushions so the better side is on top.
8. Slipcovers are the next easiest option. Purchase one (they can actually be a little spendy, I would check dicount or thrift stores first!) or make one using flat sheets. 2 king sized flat sheets are generally enough to cover a medium sized sofa. Sew them together along the long edges, drape over your ugly couch, and tuck, tuck, tuck that excess fabric around and into creases until it looks presentable. If you're an experienced sewer, it's quite easy to go for a more fitted look. Note where fabric is seamed on the couch or chair- this is where your seams will fall on the slipcover, too. Cut pieces in the approximate size and shape for each section of the furniture, allowing a generous seam allowance, and pin them together directly on the couch or chair. Allow enough ease that the slipcover will slide on smoothly, but not enough to be baggy and ugly. Sew, test fit, and repeat until you have a nice, custom fit slip cover. Trim seam allowances and finish edges by serging or zigzagging edges. Slipcovering cushions individually lends an even more tailored look to your project.
9. Reupholstering is sometimes necessary. It is the hardest method, but can also yield the most beautiful results. Select your fabric VERY carefully, or you will not be happy with the result. It should be medium weight, heavy enough to be durable, but light enough to handle easily. To estimate yardage, use this chart: http://www.interiormall.com/cat/fabric/upholstery_yardage_chart.htm
   Note that your yardage will increase if you use large or directional prints, napped fabrics, or narrower than average (54" is standard for upholstery fabrics). Disassemble the piece as carefully as possible, and note what goes where. Use a digital camera if you need to to remember what goes where and when. Remove old fabric and any nails, staples or tacks, add clean batting if necessary to fill in worn or smooshed spots, and recover using the new fabric and a heavy duty stapler. Be careful to match patterns! Reassemble the piece. The first parts you took off will be the last ones you put on.
10. Give mismatched picture frames a cohesive look by spray painting them all the same color. This trick also works on wooden chairs, planters, and lamps.
11. Cover your floor. Rag rugs aren't that difficult to make, are durable, and can be almost free! Cut long, 2" wide strips of old clothes, sheets, etc. Fold each strip in half, then fold the edges toward the center, concealing the cut edge in the middle of the fold. Use a clothespin to hold 3 strips together, and start braiding. Make sure the raw edges stay concealed in the center of the strip. Add length the the strips by placing a second strip at a right angle to the first one. The right sides should be facing each other. The overlapping fabric will form a square. Sew from one corner of the square to the other, trim the excess fabric, and continue braiding as if nothing happened. When you get a long enough braid, you can start coiling it in on itself. Use a long, curved needle and sturdy thread to lace the braid together. Don't sew it- pass the needle in between loops of the braid and pull them together. Work on a flat surface and check frequently to make sure there's no bubbling. You can also create a rectangular rug by going back and forth instead of in a spiral. Or, create a faux flotaki rug by cutting an appropriately sized piece of synthetic fur and attaching a few strips of no-skid rug backing to the wrong side.
12. Add some finishing touches. Artfully arranged books, candles, etc. aren't just an afterthought- they pull the room together! Pick up candles at the dollar store, or get old, interesting looking books at a garage sale.
13. Step back and admire your handywork. Beautimous!

Tips & Warnings

• The only thing limiting you is your imagination. Be on the lookout for things you like, and try to come up with cheap and creative ways to imitate them!
• Decorating, for me and many of my friends, is more than a hobby. It borders on obesession. Be careful the same doesn't happen to you!