Frugal Living at The Dollar Stretcher


Brighten Up Your Bedroom
For Free!

by Kathleen Wilson

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Decorating Bedrooms on a Budget

Bedroom Redos on a Budget

The bedroom is the place we spend most of our time, yet also tends to be the most neglected when it comes to decorating. Nowadays, money may be a significant factor! Here are some great tips for brightening up your space with no money at all!


  1. Rearrange! A new fresh arrangement always makes a room feel new. Don't be afraid to try new angles for your furniture. Place your bed on a diagonal, or even right in the middle of the room!

  2. Search your drawers for scarves, tablecloths, or even pillowcases that compliment your color scheme. You can use things you already own to soften a dresser top or the edge of your nightstand, or perhaps lay a pretty shawl over the foot of the bed. If you already have throw pillows on your bed (if you don't, it's time to steal them from another room!), you can also wrap these fabrics around the pillows for a new look, and just safety pin it in back.

  3. Add a plant to your room. Look around your house to see if one of your existing plants would be happier in your bedroom, then move it there! If you can't find a plant ready for relocation, make one! Many plants can be grown from cuttings. Cuttings can come from either your existing houseplants, one a friend may let you cut, or even some outdoor plants. Ivy and many shade groundcovers are very good houseplants. You can even relive your childhood a bit and grow a cut potato, pineapple, or carrot tops in a pinch! For containers, look into your kitchen cupboards. Old teapots and cups, glass bowls, even baking dishes can make unique containers.

  4. Add memorabilia to your room. I keep a photo of each one of my children when they were small next to my bedside, and it always makes me smile. How about hanging your wedding veil from the headboard, or framing your wedding invitation or old love letters?

  5. Add scent. If you don't have any potpourri or incense in the house, cut up some orange peels and allow them to dry, then mix with whatever sweet spices you have in your cupboard. (It only takes a pinch, try cinnamon, ginger, or allspice.) Place your potpourri in an open bowl in your room to freshen and inspire! Later in the summer, make sure to include flowers in your room, if you don't have roses or other scented flowers in your yard, roadside daisies can smell great too!

Just a few small changes, no money involved, and a better, more positive place for you to start and end each day!


Copyright 2003 K. Wilson

Kathleen Wilson is the author of Quick Decorating Ideas Under $20: The Budget Decorator's Bible and editor of The Budget Decorator. Visit this free ezine at TheBudgetDecorator.com for more great ideas, and for information on ordering her book.



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