Moving the furniture around may offer a quick and inexpensive way of updating the look and feel of any room. But if you’re serious about updating the décor of your favorite space, buying a few inexpensive items can provide the change you want.
For example, you can achieve a simple new look by dressing up bare walls with some pictures or paintings. If you prefer a single theme to a room such as things nautical or eco-friendly, buying professional photographs with these themes can add up in costs.
Of course, if you’re handy with a camera, you could take your own pictures. Though not everyone has a good digital camera – or for that matter can use one well – the costs for printing could add up.
One idea is to use those colorful photographs found in magazines or even in those calendars often tossed in the trash once January arrives. The calendar pictures provide nice images for decorating.
You’ll also need some nice frames and mat board, which can be expensive. Instead of spending money when your photographs are free, visit a local thrift shop or flea market.
People sometimes donate pictures with nice frames and mat board to thrift shops because the pieces had a nursery theme or some other motif that a home or apartment dweller no longer wants.
For example, maybe you could find two 8×10 frames for 99 cents apiece that would look good with lighthouse photographs cut from an old calendar or some other motif you like.
Altogether you can dress up a room for $2. That’s not bad, considering if you had purchased new frames and mat board along with photographs from an arts and crafts shop or individual boutique, you would have spent much more.
You may even find that you like the pictures or paintings you find at the thrift shop or flea market. Even if you haven’t decided on photographs or a theme, shopping the thrift stores for picture frames is a good way to collect what you might need ahead of time.
And if your picture frames don’t match, go for the eclectic look. You can also decorate the frames. Maybe your picture is a simple nautical scene. You can glue tiny shells or small starfish on the frame.
Perhaps, you don’t like the color of the mat board in the frame you find for a great price; if that’s the case, don’t throw out the mat board unless it’s damaged. Instead, store usable mat board in a craft box for another time or another project.
To add a change to any room’s décor inexpensively with pictures, keep a few of these tips in mind:
- Look for nice pictures or photos in old or favorite magazines as well as those in outdated wall calendars.
- Visit thrift shops and flea markets to see what pictures, old paintings or frames they have for sale.
- Avoid paying too much for a frame, no matter how much you like it. Some shops may charge 50 cents to a $1 less than the price for a brand new one. That’s probably not the best deal you’ll find.
- If you don’t like the mat board included in the frame, don’t throw it out. Keep it for another project.
- Go for the eclectic look if the frames don’t match or dress up the frames.
