If you follow along on this blog you know that two weeks ago I shared the first 3 of 15 free or nearly free decorating ideas. I intended to write about the same topic last week, but Mother’s Day, and my daughter moving out took me in a different direction.
So, here we are again with more affordable decorating ideas.
4. Branches
Most of us have access to a tree or two from which we can harvest some branches. This is a wonderful, free way to add nature and texture to your interiors. Use them to fill vases, create a place to hang jewelry, fashion a natural headboard, make a piece of framed art, build a towel or coat rack, or make a lampshade.
Jewelry holder, Funky Junk Interiors
Twig lampshade, Shabby Creek Cottage
You can buy this at Amazon, or simply fill a jar or vase with branches from your yard.
Wall art. Remade Simple Blog
Headboard. Found at JenLovesKev.
5. Dishes
Rather than keeping all of your dished behind closed doors, put them on display and let them contribute to your decor. This works really well when dishes are the same color, even if they aren’t the same pattern. Feel free to mix and match.
Grouping items increases the visual impact, so rather than place individual pieces around a room, group them. For example, if you have several pitchers of different sizes, group them together and put them on display.
White dishes on display. French Country Cottage
I love the white with wood. Dear Lillie Blog.
Here’s one from Martha Stewart with brown transferware.
The dark cabinet interior really sets off the white dishes. I love the juxtaposition of the rustic cabinet and baskets with silver plate, crystal and fancier dishes. Desire to Inspire.
Dishes don’t have to be white to display well. Image found on Pinterest.
Even chippy shelves work well for display and decorating with dishes. Found on Pinterest.
6. Towels
Towels make a great decorating item simply because we all have them. Roll them up in a basket, place them on a shelf or a chair, or hang tea towels to create a valance.
From Martha Stewart.
Tea towel valance. If you don’t have a curtain rod, just use push pins to attach it above the window. From Debbie Doos.
From The Little Corner
7. Food
Rather than hide your fruits and vegetables away in the fridge, place them in a bowl on the counter or in the center of the dining room table. Using a variety provides color and interest whereas a single food creates more drama. Just use whatever is in season, or items that your family will eat. Lemons heaped in a white bowl are beautiful and fresh. Fall apples in a basket are warm and homey and they smell great too.
In American, we tend to refrigerate our eggs, but when I lived in Europe this was not the case. Eggs were found on a shelf, not in a refrigerator. Since then, my eggs are usually kept in a basket on my countertop. It frees up space in the fridge and adds a farmhouse touch to my kitchen.
Yes, I know there’s all kinds of concerns about salmonella and other nasty things. I can only say I have been doing this for many, many years and never experienced any illnesses.
From Lemonade Day.
From my kitchen
If you like the look, but worry about the safety, simply create your own display eggs. Make a small hole in both ends of an egg. Blowing in one end will push the contents out of the other end. The empty egg can be placed in a bowl or basket with others contributing to a farmhouse decor for just a few cents.
8. Dryer sheets
I don’t know what it is about closets, but have you ever notice how newly laundered sheets go into a closet smelling fresh and clean, but when you take them out they have that not quite musty, but certainly not pleasant smell?
You’ve probably had those times, like me, when you pull sheets out of the closet to make up the guest bed and they just don’t smell good. So the clean sheets quickly go into the washer and you hope you can get them clean and dry again before your guests arrive. I really hate that.
It happens with towels and clothes too. You can spend a small fortune buying scented drawer and shelf liners and while they are certain pretty, you never really see them. Many years ago I started using dryer sheets to keep my linens and clothes fresh. I just layer them among the fabrics. Fabric items come out smelling clean and fresh. When the dyers sheets start to lose their fragrance I simply change them out for new. It’s cheap and it works.
Come back next week for more free or nearly free decorating ideas. Happy decorating!
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I love the jewelry branch idea! You came up with some very imaginative idea. Thanks for sharing!!