5 Tips to Transform Your Home on a Budget

1 | Declutter the Clutter!

This is an obvious one and not really a home decor idea but in order to decorate you first need space to do so. Go around your room and see what you have not touched in the last 3 years and put it in a box and donate it or toss it. I am a total hoarder so I understand wanting to keep EVERYTHING more than anyone. I always tell myself I’ll wear it one day or I can use it for something somewhere somehow in the distant future. No. Don’t give in to your hypotheticals because you only accumulate more things as time goes by. duh. If you don’t read any further than tip #1 than this is the one piece of advice I would want you to take away from this post. Remove the stuff you don’t need because clearing your living space will naturally clear your mind. Make room for yourself to think and breathe while also making space to decorate.

2 | Framed!

A poster on the wall with a frame automatically increases the sophistication of your wall by a landslide. A simple black frame for a really affordable price can easily make a plain poster or picture on the wall have more purpose. As I am going from a college student to a working girl, one of my goals is to really have fun with making my apartment mature yet still me. It can be as easy as getting some prints online and letting FedEx do their magic and buying black or white cardboard frames at Michaels and putting the two together. So simple but the effect is immense!

3 | Fake it till You Make it!

Until you feel ready for the responsibility of taking care of a living being, please stick to the fake stuff. Real plants are known to add a lot to a home as simple as fresher air and are known to boost your mood. As someone who managed to kill a bamboo that only has to be watered once a week, I am choosing to stick to fake plants for now. Buy some fake flowers at the dollar store or for something a little fancier, Hobby Lobby and Michaels have some very beautiful bouquets. Next, remember that ANYTHING can be a vase. Old wine bottles, mason jars, adorable mugs, or even old perfume bottles can all be used to add a very unique floral aesthetic to your room.

4 | Twine Not?

This one is a little more involved and can seem a little craftier but don’t you worry because try it once and you will want to use this technique everywhere. I am sure you have old tin cans or cardboard boxes lying around the house.

If you don’t, then the next time you are about to throw one out and add to the large amount of waste on this planet(a rant for another time), save it and remember this blog! Buy a roll of twine from Amazon or your nearest dollar store and I promise you that this should not be more than 10 dollars. Take this twine and wrap it around a can or, with a thicker twine, around a cardboard box from bottom to top. Glue the ends down but make sure the whole item is wrapped. It literally ends up looking like a container or utensil/toothbrush holder you would find at a furniture store for a way higher price. No one needs to know what it is actually made of but the twine wrapped around looks very rustic and, in a deceiving way, expensive.

5 | Glassy and Classy.

After I go through a candle, I end up left with the glassware that it came in and guess what? You can repurpose those and add some class with that glass. I am a spontaneous candle buyer and don’t usually buy them in sets so when I end up with this random piece of glassware, I want to make use of it. As I have mentioned before, I love repurposing whether it’s for a vase or for a storage container. Candleholders after the candles burn out can become the perfect place to put spices in the kitchen, plants on the center table, or office supplies on your desk. Glass has a way of adding a very elegant look to the room and is such a subtle detail. Having your paperclips in a ziplock bag or a desk organizer is totally acceptable but how much cuter would it look if you put them in little glass jars? So much cuter! Not only does your room smell nice now because you read this blog and eagerly melted all your candles, but you now have artsy multipurpose glassware.