Thrifty Mommy » decorating

35 Plentiful Ideas for Thanksgiving

Karen Weideman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:41:11 +0000

Thanksgiving is only a week away. I know, I can hardly believe it. To save you some time, I’ve been searching around for great resources for you. There’s a wide variety to choose from. Enjoy!

For the kids:

Decorating and Entertaining:

Recipes and Food Ideas:

Other:

Which ideas do you think you’ll try?

image (c) Linette Gerlach

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Fall Decorating on the Cheap, Part 3

Karen Weideman — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:06:06 +0000

The season is changing. The air is a bit cooler, the days are getting shorter, and I’m feeling the need to see the colors red, orange, and yellow. Here are some tips for keeping the costs down with your fall decorating.

7) Grow your own. It’s a little late in the year for this option, but next year you might want to consider planting some things that you could use for decorating. Perhaps you could have a garden with pumpkins and gourds.

8) Take something you have and give it a new purpose. That plain glass bowl you have would look great if it were filled with water and had autumn colored floating candles inside. Or fill it will bright red cranberries, water, and floating candles. Think outside the box and use what you have.

9) Shop thrift stores, antique malls, consignment stores, and flea markets. Someone else’s junk is always someone else’s treasure . . . and it’s cheaper too!

10) Keep it simple. Rather than decorating the whole room for fall, try a few simple things. A table centerpiece, wreath, or colored napkins can really liven up a room. Also, when purchasing items try to buy things that you can use during the whole season. For instance, it would be better to buy decorations with pumpkins rather than some with jack-o-lanterns and ghosts. Try accenting with fall colors and other items that can be used throughout the entire season.

What tips do you have for saving money on fall decorating?

You might also want to read Decorating on the Cheap, Part 1 and Part 2.

image sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Fall Decorating on the Cheap, Part 2

Karen Weideman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:18:50 +0000

It’s time for another season of the year. Why not bring some color to your home with some fall decorations? Here are some ideas for saving money while decorating for fall.

4) Look for sales. A few years ago, I needed to plan an inexpensive fall craft for our women’s church group. I found that some craft stores have their fall flowers and accessories 50% off at the start of the season. I bought bunches of fall flowers and we made fall wreaths.

5) Check Craigslist or Freecycle. People are constantly getting rid of things and you never know what kind of good deals or free stuff you can find.

6) Look to nature. Look around for twigs and beautiful leaves. Purchase some apples. Check with a local farmer and see if you can cut down some of their corn stalks.

What ways do you save money on your fall decorating?

You might also want to check out Fall Decorating on the Cheap, Part 1. Stay tuned this week for part 3 of this series.

image sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Fall Decorating on the Cheap, Part 1

Karen Weideman — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:58:16 +0000

Fall is my favorite season. I just love the smell, the crisp air, and the beautiful bright colors. If you’re looking to bring some of fall into your home or work place, you might try some of these tips for saving money on your decorating.

1) Do it yourself. I’m certainly not the most crafty or creative person, but many times if I can see an idea I can copy it or make it my own. There’s no need in paying $50-60 for a fall wreath when you can make your own for $15. Look online for do-it-yourself fall decorating ideas.

2) Check your closets. Perhaps those bright yellow sheets or tablecloth can be used for something. You could make pillows or a tablerunner with your old sheets.

3) Use the weekly craft store coupon. Check your local newspaper for craft store coupons. These are usually in the Sunday paper. You can also sign up online for their newsletter. Most craft stores will send coupons and sale information via email.

Stay tuned for more inexpensive fall decorating tips. What ways do you save money on your fall decorating?

image sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Decorating on the Cheap, Part 2

Karen Weideman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:11:34 +0000

Last week, I discussed some ways to save on decorating your home. We learned that money could be saved from shopping for used items by using Craigslist, yard sales, and thrift stores and also how an inexpensive item like paint can transform a room. Today we’re going to see that there are more ways to decorate on the cheap.

4. Repurpose what you have. Paint that old lamp or picture frame. Change your night stand into a bookshelf. Recover your old pillows with fabric. Use a sheet for window treatments.

5. Get an outside opinion. It helps to ask someone else’s opinion for ways to help your decorating space. Many times others will see things you didn’t see and have ideas you had never thought about. They may suggest moving a piece of furniture or changing a wall hanging. Those small inexpensive tips can make a big impact.

6. Borrow furniture. When I first got married, I didn’t have any living room furniture. I ended up borrowing some things from my parent’s house. All you have to do is get the word out to friends and family that you need some items for your home. Some people have things in their basement that are just sitting around collecting dust. Some will let you borrow things and others will just let you have the stuff.

7. Be patient. You can’t expect your home to look perfect right away. It takes moving things around, searching for deals, and tweaking things a bit. It will all come together eventually.

What tips do you have for decorating on the cheap?

image sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Decorating on the Cheap, Part 1

Karen Weideman — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:55:55 +0000

Many of us think of our home as our castle. We want it to look warm, inviting, and relaxing, yet we don’t have a lot of money to spend on decorating. Today, I’ll begin to share with you some tips for decorating and furnishing your home on the cheap.

1. Shop yard sales and thrift stores. I’ve been doing this for years. Just a few months ago I was at a yard sale and found a really nice living room couch and oversized chair. The person I bought it from had only used it for a year. She paid $1200 for it and I got it for only $120. Sometimes you can find some really unique items by shopping this way.

2. Check Craigslist. You just never know what you’ll find on Craiglist. We’re getting ready to move into our house and the home inspector found some issues with the bathtub. My husband found a brand new tub with jets on Craiglist for 1/5 the price. It was one a contractor didn’t use.

3. Think paint. Paint is one of the least expensive ways to add warmth and color to your home. It really is amazing how $30 in paint can transform a room. I am not very fond of white walls and in our last house, all the walls were white. Once we painted the living room a taupe color, the whole look of the room changed and I could hardly wait to paint the rest of the house.

Stay tuned for more ideas and tips on inexpensive decorating. In the meantime, we’d love to hear the ways that you save.

image sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Craft festivals are a winner

kellys — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:26:38 +0000

My town shuts down Main Street every September for a craft and fall festival. I love going but rarely ever make it. This year I packed up the kids, left the DH at home, and went with my girlfriend and babysitter extraordinare, MM. We were only out there an hour but found all kinds of Christmas gifts. I left all but the shelves… I have been looking for wooden shelves to put up on the walls for my kids rooms but haven’t had any luck. That or I won’t pay $20 for one only to have to paint it myself. I don’t liek the whole country motif so I wasn’t sure if I was going to have any luck. But we finally found a vendor that had not only the shelves I was looking for but they, all 3 sizes, hold quilts or similar items, as well. Normally, a quilt rack for the wall is over $30. I got 6 shelves, 2 x 36″, 2 x 30″, and 2 x 20″, for $55. I was very happy because I was trying also to figure out how to hang the quilts my fmaily has made for the kids on their walls as well. I killed 2 birds with one stone and didn’t feel too guilty about it. I thought I got a great deal.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Cherry Hill Cottage

Karen Weideman — Mon, 07 May 2007 15:36:56 +0000

I would like to introduce you to one of my new favorite blogs. My friend Revka designed the blog header for Cherry Hill Cottage and I’m glad she told me about this great site.

The pictures that Tina posts are amazing! They have me drooling and wishing my house was that cute. One day it will happen. We just moved here in fall 2005 and it’s hard to make decorating a priority with 2 little ones running around. Seeing Tina’s pictures really inspires me though.

I hope you’ll stop by and check out the warm cuteness at Cherry Hill Cottage.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

MotherLoad: The Mom Advice Blog

Karen Weideman — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 23:23:02 +0000

Thanks to our new reader Sarah E for the tip about MotherLoad. I stopped by Amy’s Mom Advice blog today and found some interesting things. Amy writes about thrifty ways she redecorated her son’s room. She gives us frugal tips for thrift store bedding and storybook wall hangings. Amy also saves money by using cloth diapers. Way to go Amy. I just couldn’t bring myself to this one. Stop by Amy’s blog for mom advice and other thrifty ideas.

This very bright photo is from MotherLoad. LOL

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Frugal Centerpiece

Karen Weideman — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 21:57:54 +0000

For a frugal centerpiece, wrap up some empty boxes and place them in the center of your table. If you’re really feeling thrifty, then just wrap some that you plan to use for Christmas. Make sure you use some nice paper and bows. Easy and inexpensive.

Thanks to LifeTips for the idea.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy