1. Go shopping in your own house
Nate Burkus talks about this a lot on his show. Take the time to walk through your house, look in your closets, attic, garage etc. I bet you'll find treasures hiding out that you forgot you had. You can also do what we do, and go shopping in family member's homes. My mother-in-law recently went on a de-cluttering spree throughout her house and we shopped around and found some great stuff that they didn't want anymore (like this corner cabinet).
2. Find and display vintage items
I love vintage stuff. There's something so special about an item that other people have had. Often times you can find vintage items for super cheap at thrift stores and yard sales. You don't need to spend a boat load on things. For example, I inherited a couple sewing boxes over the years from grandparents and in them was loads of wonderful thread, many on wooden spools. The thread is pretty useless to me with regards to sewing, so I display them in my house in glass jars. I have one in a mason jar (on my awesome corner cabinet I acquired while shopping the in-laws house-see above) and another in a glass vase. Another quick and cheap idea is to line your stairs with old books. They are a dime a dozen at thrift stores and I love the look of them.
3. Put away things you don't use and take them out when you need them
I know I've had times when cleaning or organizing my home that I was so frustrated by the furniture that we had that I would just get rid of things (for no reason other than my temporary insanity). In the end, you just end up buying new stuff and getting sick of that too. Our new solution is to put said items in storage. Countless times we've had things in our house just because, and since we've started doing this method, we've gone shopping in our own garage and house so many times and avoided having to buy something new.
4. Whenever possible, make it yourself
I know, this is easy to say when you're a do-it-yourself-er but really, anyone can be if they just try. I'm still new to sewing, and I've already made curtains, pillow cases and blankets for my house. This can save loads of money and you get something that is unique and no one else will have. I'm in love with my curtains now and every time I look at them, I feel sense of pride that I made them (yes, they are crooked...but so is my house) I even made one set of my curtains out of some that a friend asked me to hem. Her's needed to be shortened quite a bit, so I took then ends and made my breakfast nook some. Total cost: $0 and about 45 minutes of my day. If you're not sure how to sew curtains, just google it. I simply looked up tutorials and was making them in a matter of minutes. You don't need much in terms of sewing skills, just a straight line and a ruler. *Just a little tip about curtains: If you want your room to appear bigger, put the curtains as close to the ceiling as possible. It makes the room look taller.
5. Re-purpose things
Use your imagination! Don't go rushing to the store when you need something (like a storage solution). Instead, think of other ways. One idea is to use a hanging fruit basket in your bathroom for storing items you use all the time. This way, you save counter space and it gives your room a unique feature. My husband still raves about this idea. Another fun one I read the other day was to use a cupcake stand as a place to throw your mail and items that usually collect on your table. The possibilities are endless and I'd love to hear you ideas! Please post a comment and share the creativity with us!
(and yes, I'm fully aware of how terrible this picture is. Ignore my bathroom's current state. It's next on the house to-do list)
love the fruit basket!
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