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Quick Tips.
Are you tired of unattractive light fixtures in your dining room? Try buying small individual shades for each bulb. They start at about $10 each and will totally change the look of your fixture.
Make an easy centerpiece using a hollowed out gourd or pumpkin. Place a container of water inside and fill with mums or fall leaves. You can replace the lid and drill holes in the top and stick small branches directly into pumpkin.
Collect pretty bottles with cork tops. Fill with colored water (use food coloring) and group together.
Save your favorite flowers to make into dried arrangements. I think hydrangeas and roses work very well. Before your flowers begin to look droopy, hang upside down in a cool dark area for several weeks. Place them in a pretty basket or pot and enjoy for years to come.
Use lace doilies draped over a book and place a teacup or small picture on top. Another idea is to place lace doilies on top of your color choice of velvet or fabric and frame yourself.
For an unconventional towel rack use a small old wooden ladder and drape hand towels over it. A larger ladder could be propped in a corner with a quilt display.
A great contemporary look for a wall is upholstered squares to cover a small area over a bed (similar to a headboard) or possibly even one whole wall for a unique look.
Make your own cornice boards out of insulation board. Cut to desired size and hot glue end pieces in place. Wrap quilt batting around board and pin in place. Wrap fabric around batting and board and pin in place. Sew small round hooks on each end and hang on small nails.
You don't have to have lots of extra money to have a beautifully decorated home. Splurge on one or two great pieces and then add your own extras. Go to garage sales, auctions and estate sales to find 'one of a kind' pieces that can spice up a room.
Tile in your whole kitchen can be quite costly. Find a grouping of tiles that you love and hang them individually under your kitchen cabinets for a great look with very little cost.
Scout your local lumber store for a lamp rewiring kit. Lamps can be wired from just about anything. Use unique baskets, bottles, decorative tins, etc.
Add pizzazz to a small room by adding cording. Pick a contrasting color of cording to match paint or wallpaper. Glue along corners and ceilings for an elegant feel.
Make simple window treatments without any sewing involved...
Drape fabric across window to form a swag to your desired length. Use stitch witchery for the hem. Hold up with simple cup hooks that can be screwed directly into the wall. Tie corners with a matching bow or in a contrasting color.
Make a valance out of placemats Valance by using rounded placemats and cutting them to desired length. Staple mats on wooden rods (stained or painted) and they are ready to hang.
Buy inexpensive floral or print napkins and drape over curtain rod for an instant window treatment.
Make a simple canopy over your bed by draping fabric above bed on wall and tying in three big puffy knots (using rubber band for extra fullness). Hook each knot onto a cup hook that has already been screwed into wall at the proper location.
Dining room table out of the budget right now? Make one from inexpensive plywood or particleboard. Have a lumber store cut a round table to your measurements. Use brackets and wooden legs (available at any hardware store) to secure to the top. Stain or paint the legs. Cover table with a skirt that just hits the floor. Add a piece of plexiglass to the top the same size as the tabletop (you can buy this and get it cut at any glass shop).
Sturdy old suitcases stacked two or thee high make great end tables. Glue together with a hot glue gun (or use double-sided tape), then top with a lace doily, antique shawl or table runner.
Layering fabrics can give a room an luxurious look. Instead of one simple tablecloth, drape two (the top one being shorter than the bottom). Drape a favorite throw across the edge of the bed or over an upholstered chair or sofa. You might even use fabric scrunched up on the dining room table with a pretty floral arrangement on top. It's the little details that really add personality to your home.
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