Frugal Decor to Enhance Your Wallspace

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While you may not be able to give your home, or even one room, an entire makeover, you can easily add interest by making some simple changes to a wall or two. Depending on your style of decor, there are a variety of ways to beautify every room in your house with these frugal ideas.

• Paint one wall a different color from the rest of the room. Opt for a coordinating color or one that’s completely different. If every wall is white, choose something bold like red or sunny yellow. Add pillows and inexpensive accessories to give the entire room a more vibrant look.

TIP: Check your city’s hazardous waste recycling center for free or low-cost paint.

• Add texture to a wall by hanging a quilt, coverlet, afghan, tapestry, etc. This is a great way to display a family heirloom or treasure that you don’t want to damage by using as a throw.

• Hang a collection. A friend of mine who collected vintage hats hung them on her bedroom wall to create one of the most feminine, romantic rooms imaginable. Other possibilities include musical instruments and sheet music, costumes and accessories, pages copied from your favorite books, posters, newspaper articles, toys, framed or unframed photos, or anything else you have several of.

• Create a kitchen border with baskets. Hang baskets in varying sizes, shapes and colors around the top of a kitchen wall. They add warmth and texture and you can easily take one down, line with a cloth napkin and use to hold bread or rolls when entertaining.

• Design a shelf bolder with simple boards, and wood or metal brackets. Hang them 6-8 inches from the ceiling and fill with an accumulation of various things. This is great for showcasing unrelated items that you have no other place to display.

• Hang a plant. Macrame and rope plant hangers are making a comeback. You can pick them up at thrift stores or make your own to display a beloved houseplant and quickly add life and oxygen to any room. For best results, choose an area with appropriate lighting and temperature for the plant.

• Make a faux wainscoting from wallpaper, paint or self-adhesive paper. Choose a textured or smooth design in a complementary color for your room to add elegance and appeal to one wall or all of them.

• Put it in words! Use letters cut from wood, wallpaper, cardstock or self-adhesive paper to say what’s on your mind. Write out your favorite quote, Bible verse or inspiration and attach it to the wall for a contemporary design that sure’s to attract attention.

• Use found elements such as branches, driftwood, pinecones, pebbles, seashells, etc. to create a natural border, pattern or design on one or more walls. This works especially well in a sun room or outdoor-themed room.

• Frame it. Find inexpensive frames at yard sales or the dollar store and fill them with all sorts of interesting items. Consider vintage gloves, lace and pearls, buttons, denim scraps, gadgets from the hardware store and anything else you can think of. Then hang them in an arrangement on one wall for a truly original collage.

• Add a layer of paint on top of your existing paint or wallpaper. Use a sponge, rag, crumpled paper bag or ball of plastic wrap to add color and dimension to a room. Using a textured “paintbrush” makes it easy to create a truly original design with little effort or cost.

• Stencil on a border. All you need is some paint, a template and your imagination to create a stenciled border. If you’re a beginning stenciler, choose a simple design and colors that blend well with existing decor for the best results.

• Show your stripes. Paint your room the color you want the stripes to be. Then adhere masking tape in a random or uniform pattern on the wall. Paint the wall a coordinating color and remove the tape. Voila… instant stripes!

These are just a few of the many frugal, fun and creative ways you can brighten your home – one wall at a time.

Tags: Being Frugal, Cheap Home Decorating, frugal decorating