I love home design and home decoration, but I hate spending a lot of money. That’s why I taught myself to decorate on a budget.

Perhaps you can relate. Or maybe you want to change your home but don’t have a big budget to do so. Don’t worry, you don’t have to knock down walls or higher a contractor. You just have to decide on your style, use what you have, and spend a little on the rest.

4 Ways I Decorate on a Budget

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here. )

1.) Decide on your style.

But how does that save me money? You might wonder. Well, if you don’t know you’re style you may find yourself tempted by the latest trend in home decor, waste money on it, and then either don’t use it or realize you don’t like it after all.

When you decide on your style and keep it fairly uniform in your house, you’ll spend less money on home decor because you’ll know what works and what doesn’t. Also, you’ll be able to more easily move items from room to room if you so wish.

If you don’t know your style yet, spend some time on Pinterest. Otherwise, check out these 8 design styles to help you get started. Don’t feel obligated to fit into one specific box.  I like to joke that my style is Coastal Cottage Farmhouse but these styles are similar and easily interchanged.

2.) Use what you have.

May I make a quick suggestion first? Now, I KNOW this is a huge step, but have you done a major home declutter yet? When we go to decorate it’s often a lot easier with more of a “blank slate” than trying to fight piles of stuff while we figure out where to hang a painting.

It can also clear your mind and help you figure out your real style. But don’t worry, if you need help here are my 4 very simple steps to declutter and organize your home. 

OK, done? (Or at least you promise you’ll do it? Haha!) Great. Now, let’s take a look at what you have left. During my annual decluttering sprees, I start to store home decor I love but don’t have any place to put all together.

Right now I have these sheer seafoam curtains, a floral “live simply” sign, floral prints, and turquoise farmhouse pillows in my box. I don’t know what to do with them right now but I LOVE them. Who knows, if/when we move they might be perfect for our new home. For now, I keep them.

Maybe you have a box like this, or want to start a box like this. I also have a “box” of items I want to hang up but haven’t gotten to yet.

Go through all these items, decide what to still keep – and what you can sell on Facebook Marketplace (this post can help you with that!)

Now decide what you love AND want to display and put it there! It’s time to hang it on the wall/place it on the bed/display it on the dining room table. Also, feel good that you didn’t have to spend any extra money to do so. 😉

3.) DIY your decor.

You would be shocked at how cheaply you can make many of the beautiful home decor items you see in the store.

Here are a couple of my favorite decor DIYs that are super easy and beautiful:

• DIY Coffee Filter Wreath
• DIY Book Clock

Otherwise, Pinterest is your friend! There a million budget-friendly decorating ideas on there I’m sure.

4.) Spend a little. (Or a bit more.)

Now that you’ve assessed what you already have that you can decorate with, you might notice some holes in your decor.

1.) Before I purchase anything new I ALWAYS check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist first. I’ve gotten most of my furniture from these places for great prices!

For instance, I got a $1500 pottery barn couch for $300. It’s lime green and my husband hates it but it’s just perfect in our sunroom. 🙂 Sometimes you even get lucky and even find the exact piece you want. People are always selling!

(Separate but related: Check out 8 tips to make more money selling your stuff on Facebook marketplace.)

2.) Find or wait for a sale.

If there is a particular item you want, wait until you find it on sale. Almost everything always comes on sale at one point. If you’re open to something similar, look for that item in the sale sections. Tell yourself, “I will NOT pay full price.” hehe

That is always it never comes on sale or is a good price to start with. Occasionally, OCCASIONALLY, it is OK to splurge a little.

For instance, I recently splurged on this My Texas House rug because it’s not only stunning but an indoor/outdoor rug and easy to clean. That’s just what I needed with a toddler and a cat! Also, Walmart’s 2-day free shipping lately has been faster than Amazon. Woohoo! Here are a few of my other favorite affordable decor finds from Walmart. 

Receive FREE 2-Day Shipping on select orders $35+ at Walmart.com

But speaking of Amazon, their home decor section is amazing too. I’m waiting until my cat completely finishes off my dining room chairs with his claws and then I’m buying these farmhouse-style (easy to clean!) dining room chairs.

What are your best tips to decorate on a budget?

Lastly, don’t forget to check out 5 Simple Ways to Love Your Home (Again).

Let’s Connect!   Facebook || Pinterest || Instagram