“Frugal people have frugal ideas,” is one of favorite quotes of mine. Especially since it applies to me. I am a frugal person on tighter than tight budget. I am also quite creative, especially when it comes to saving money. Despite this, I still want to decorate my home in a welcoming and comfortable way. Because I want my home to look as nice as possible, I have discovered several ways to decorate my living room without overspending. Some of those ideas are for wall art that will help create the atmosphere I want my home to have. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for wall art, I am able to spend less than $15 for beautiful artwork for my walls.
Maps and Travel Brochures – I love to frame maps and travel brochures. I am able to call or email different travel bureaus and they send me free maps and brochures. I make black and white copies of them and then frame them. I have created different themes for my living rooms that I am able swap out when the mood strikes me. The copies I make are just a few cents and the frames were purchased at thrift stores for less than $10.
Shadow Boxes – I create shadow boxes from mementos I have saved through the years. I have several small knick knacks, photos and other collectables-to-me from my grandparents. The items I place in the shadow boxes were free and the shadow box was bought for $15 at a local discount store.
Pressed Flowers – I love to frame pressed flowers. The flowers are free from my yard and the frames cost less than $10. I use large borders for smaller flowers – to draw the eye to the specific flower. The borders I use range from construction paper from my craft drawer to scraps of wallpaper.
Old Photos – I purchased hundreds of pre-1900 photos at a local antique store for $5. I created a collage of those photos that I then framed in thrift store frames. I created themes with these old photos as well – rural settings, families, landscapes and the like. Although I do not know any of the people in the photos or where many of them were taken, they are great conversation starters with my guests.
Greeting Cards and Wallpaper – I frame greeting cards and wallpaper to create wall art for my living room. I love to use greeting cards with landscapes. I can create modern art with wallpaper with geometric designs. The greeting cards are often cards that were sent to me from family and friends. The wallpaper is samples from building and decorating stores. As always, they are framed in the thrift store frames I bought for less than $10.
Decorating can be expensive which goes against my frugal nature. With a little creativity, I am able to create beautiful wall art for less than $15. Instead of paying too much money ($50 or more per piece of wall art), I can spend a fraction of that amount. I love to stretch my budget and create a home I love and is comfortable for my guests.
More from this contributor:
Keeping Christmas Spending in Check
Regifting My Way to $100 in Yearly Savings
When Telling My Daughter Yes is Too Expensive