Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Videos
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Read More Next
    • Best Midwest Family Vacations

      Best Midwest Family Vacations

      Read More Next
    • 25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

      25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

      Plant these low-maintenance perennials and shrubs—including hostas, peonies, yarrow, daylilies, catmint and switchgrass—for a carefree Midwest garden. Read More Next
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    Our favorite Midwest resort destinations range from cozy lakeside lodges to indoor water park behemoths. Dive in to check out our top picks for a fabulous Midwest getaway.
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Around the Region
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Midwest Living March/April 2021 Recipes

    Midwest Living March/April 2021 Recipes

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    30 Ideas to Dress Up Your Deck

    30 Ideas to Dress Up Your Deck

    Furnish your deck or patio with accessories and designs that add comfort and style to outdoor living. Here are 30 suggestions to get you started.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining
    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    Add pretty spring flair to your home with our ideas for centerpieces, table settings, door decorations, Easter egg displays and more.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine's Day
    • Christmas
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    See All Spring Getaways Sweepstakes
    • Best Vacation Sweepstakes
    • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Homes
  3. Decorating Ideas
  4. Budget-Friendly Decorating Ideas

Budget-Friendly Decorating Ideas

By By Andrea Cooley
June 01, 2012
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Seasonal bouquet
Refresh every room in the house with our cheap and chic decorating ideas.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Easy bedroom makeover

Easy bedroom makeover

Tired of your bedroom furniture, but don't want to buy new? It doesn't take much to transform a room using items you already have or can easily make. A bright green patio chair is at home in this warm, orange space, and an upholstered headboard looks fancier than it is. Cut plywood into the shape you want, line with foam for padding, and cover with fabric.Budget Decorating Tip: Shop the other rooms of your house (don't forget the attic and basement) for furniture and accessories. Pick your favorite things and see how they look together.

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Mantel designs

Mantel designs

A collection of antique mirrors creates a beautiful focal point over a fireplace mantel. The mirrors vary in size and quality, making the mix both romantic and unusual.Budget Decorating Tip: Show off your collections. Silver tableware along the mantel complements the hanging mirrors. Unmatched sets of silver at garage sales and flea markets are usually inexpensive.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Easy wall art

Easy wall art

Don't wait for a special occasion to enjoy a set of pretty dishes -- hang them on the wall! This three-by-three grid of colorful dishes surrounded by white frames packs a big punch. With green walls as a backdrop, the frames don't need mattes or glass.Budget Decorating Tip: Look around your house for everyday items that can become art. Consider old calendar pages, fabric swatches or paint chips.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Door makeover

Destination doorway

French doors are beautiful, but sometimes you need a little privacy or want a change of scenery. Colorful maps attached to one side of the door offer a fresh perspective.Budget Decorating Tip: You don't need a French door to do this project. Pop out the insert in a basic cabinet door and cover it with pretty fabric or decorative paper for a quick facelift.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Creative headboard

Creative headboard

Think outside the box when you're decorating. A pair of old shutters stand in as a headboard in this guestroom.Budget Decorating Tip: Sometimes a fresh coat of paint on an old chair, lamp base or frame is all it takes to transform a piece.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Inspired by nature

Inspired by nature

Fresh flowers are a quick pick-me-up for any room. Be creative about what you use as your vase. Pink and white roses are beautiful in a white soup tureen.Budget Decorating Tip: Plant your garden with indoor decorating in mind. Choose flowers such as roses, zinnias and daisies that make easy bouquets so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor inside and out.

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Memorable centerpiece

Memorable centerpiece

A bowl full of wine corks labeled with dates of special events and anniversaries acts as both a table display and a conversation starter. Mix oranges and limes or other colorful fruit in the bowl for additional color.Budget Decorating Tip: Postcards, seashells, and books all make great decorations.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Repurposed designs

Repurposed designs

Muffin tins can do a lot more than serve fresh muffins. Turn an old tin into a jewelry holder.Budget Decorating Tip: The kitchen is a great place to look for inexpensive decorating ideas. Cookie sheets become message boards, pitchers double as flower vases, and glass jars hold crafts supplies.

8 of 12

9 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Free artwork

Free artwork

Rather than spending money on a pricey landscape, collect ferns and display them in simple white frames. Place the frames close together so they read as one element.Budget Decorating Tip: Before hanging a group of frames, trace their shapes on a piece of craft paper and tape it to the wall to test the arrangement.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Mantel makeover

Mantel makeover

Take advantage of your mantel's prominent position with a stylish but inexpensive arrangement. Turn a swatch of wallpaper or fabric into artwork. A frame with an ornate edge doesn't even need to be filled. Spray-paint it with a metallic finish to highlight its design.Budget Decorating Tip: Old frames are usually dirt cheap at garage sales and flea markets. Collect a variety of shapes and designs, and create a collage of empty frames on a wall.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Small-space decorating

Small-space decorating

Prop an oversize mirror on the floor of a small room to create the illusion of a bigger space.Budget Decorating Tip: You don't need to hire a professional decorator to get a high-class look. Find inspiration in catalogs and furniture showrooms for free.

11 of 12

12 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Seasonal bouquet

Seasonal bouquet

A simple white pitcher creates a charming vase for a bunch of flowers. Red, white and blue pinwheels add a playful spin.Budget Decorating Tip: Dress up a $5 grocery store bouquet with a pretty vase and quick add-ins such as ferns, twigs or ribbons.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By By Andrea Cooley

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 12 Easy bedroom makeover
2 of 12 Mantel designs
3 of 12 Easy wall art
4 of 12 Door makeover
5 of 12 Creative headboard
6 of 12 Inspired by nature
7 of 12 Memorable centerpiece
8 of 12 Repurposed designs
9 of 12 Free artwork
10 of 12 Mantel makeover
11 of 12 Small-space decorating
12 of 12 Seasonal bouquet

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Midwest Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Contact Us
  • Help
  • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Renew this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program
  • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
  • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
  • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
  • Video
  • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Meredith Midwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

View image

Budget-Friendly Decorating Ideas
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.