Be Creative this Winter!
If you are artistic and love projects for your home, then think about creating a stained glass window for your home. Not only can you be creative, but you can add value and originality to your living space. If you don't know how to do stained glass, there are videos with instructions on youtube.com. Just type "stained glass" into the search box. And of course, you can find instructions on About.com.
Stained glass would be the perfect project for the long winter ahead (it is coming up fast, folks!). By Spring, the sun will be shining through your own work of art. And if you decide to make it, let us know. Our forum is the best place to talk about what you are doing and share tips with others.
Photo: Kriss SzkurlatowskiHandmade Homes - Dirt Cheap
More Outdoor Home Decor on a Budget
Want to make a simple wooden pot into something special?
Just turn it over, add a glass bowl and a few sparkling clear rocks and voila! A work of art!
Photos by Sandra Herd
ER Visits Rising as Homeowners Do it to Themselves
They are Giving Away Free Paint
Seeds of Color
Have you planted your favorite color this summer? Is there any room in the world that can't be brightened up by a splash of color in an earthen pot? Flowers! Flowers in all colors and sizes can make your so-so room (and your so-so mood) into something bright and cheery. I'm potting some pansies today. And my living room is going to rock with yellow and purple tomorrow! (And it only cost me $1 for the pot - the pansies were free from the neighbors)Time to Show Off Your Inner Decorator
Did you take your home from tacky to terrific on a budget? Is your home filled with inexpensive design projects that everyone wants to copy? Do you have great decorating ideas but hesitate to share them? Well, now's the time to shine.
I am asking for your favorite budget decorating ideas and you can easily add them to this site through this link. You can show off your ideas and give a little inspiration to other readers - and me! I can't wait to see what you came up with!
Quick Painting Method for Freehand Stripes
A reader recently wrote me to ask for a quick method for painting stripes on her wall. She did not relish the idea of taping off all the stripes. So she wanted to do them freehand, but envisioned the wavy and uneven stripes she would produce. She wanted a more casual look, but not messy.
There is a way she can produce fairly even stripes easily. Simply wrap two pieces of 1 inch tape (masking or painters') around a standard foam paint roller. Be sure to wrap them tightly and measure to ensure the tape is evenly spaced. The stripes should be about 2.5 inches wide. Place one piece of tape on the open end of the roller and the other 2.5 from the first piece of tape. This will leave another 2.5 inch area on the closed end of the roller.
Fixing Minor Scratches in Furniture and Flooring
The quickest and cheapest way to repair scratches in furniture and flooring? Raid your kid's crayon box. Pick the closest color in the box to the color of the scratched piece. Rub the crayon over the scratch and then buff with a soft clean cloth. That's it! Easy and cheap!Wordless Wednesday: Budget Decorating - Outdoors
Photo: Sandra Herd.
This picture proves that you can even decorate your garden and yard on a budget - with things found around the home, on nature walks, or in thrift shops.