Quick and Cheap Family Room Dècor
by Kathy Wilson
The family room is often the hub of our home, and these days it is just as likely to include the kitchen as well. Keeping the dècor fresh through our busy days can sometimes seem like an expensive chore. Here are some great family room decorating ideas that are quick, easy, inexpensive…and will brighten up the most used space in your home!
- Add color and personality with paint. You don't have to paint an entire room to benefit. Stencil a vine around all the windows, or hand paint a favorite family quote over the stove. It takes very little paint, and just an hour of your time to add stenciled touches throughout a room.
- Frame your kids most beloved drawings, then add Velcro to the back and hang one on each of your top kitchen cabinet doors. Your own art gallery, and you can change it out with new drawings. Make sure you attach them to the doors securely, or remove the glass from the picture frames for safety.
- Pick up a smooth pine board from the home improvement center, and paint it with watered down white house paint. Let dry, and then sand the edges to give it an aged look. Paint your family's last name or monogram initials across in large block letters. Let dry, then lightly sand the letters to give the same aged look. Hang it over your fireplace, or in another focal area. Rustic family heirloom, in an afternoon!
- Add floor length tablecloths over your coffee and end tables. These can be simple flat sheets, quilts, or tablecloths from the thrift store. Now slide sturdy cardboard boxes under the tables to hide toys, books and art supplies for the kids. (Plastic crates work well too. Don't forget to check the dollar shop.) The tablecloths will hide it well, and they will be right at hand for the next time you have a bored child and a pot roast to get in the oven.
- Sew up quick throw pillows to brighten the room, and make kid lounging more comfortable. Nothing beats a comfy spot on the floor during family movie night, as long as you have that comfy pillow!
Finally, remember to bring your family's spirit to the room. Keep photos of that family vacation or that special birthday party right where you can see them each day. Make the room comfortable for all the family members, so they don't feel like they are in a museum. And get them involved. Ask them for color ideas, and let them help paint. It's a great way to bond over shared joy in their home, and helps to teach them the value of creating beauty.
Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator and other popular websites. For hundreds of free budget decorating ideas, visit her at www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. Also visit her other websites at www.Women-on-the-Net.com and www.StressLessJournal.com.
Take the Next Step
- Earn extra points on your home improvement purchases. You can compare 'home improvement' cards here.
If you enjoyed this article you might also want to check out:
- Great Remodeling Ideas
- 5 Quick and Cheap Decorating Ideas for Family Living
- Finding a Decorating Theme
- Big Decorating Ideas for Small Rooms
Do you need more information on this topic? Click here to ask a Dollar Stretcher Stretchpert!
Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips@stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers!
If you liked this article, sign up for our free eNewsletter Surviving Tough Times. Just enter your email address in the box below and click Subscribe.
Follow The Dollar Stretcher on Twitter.
Dollar Stretcher Community
Forums
Blogs
Also In This Week's Issue
Money games for kids
10 hot toys for under $20
How repossession affects credit score
Marriage doesn't wipe out credit history
