Inexpensive ways to make a house a home...

[Kalika]

Any suggestions? :)

[The Lady]

Thrift stores! Especially during the times of the week where they receive their shipments of stuff, so you get first pick. Some stores take in things directly and put them out the same day or in a weeks time, like here in San Jose CA, Savers receives stuff and puts it out ASAP.

There are dollar stores, flea markets, newspapers too.

Otherwise, making your stuff is great too! I know people who made their own tables and chairs. Pillows are another cheap commodity for people; if you have a sewing machine make some big and small pillows.

I hope this helps.

[~*Ginger*~]

Is there anything in particular that your looking for?
Or, just ideas?

Maybe see if there's a freecycle group (http://www.freecycle.org/) in your area.
They are usually helpful, as long as you play by the rules.

[Kalika]

Just looking for ideas mostly.

Oh... and things that are kid-friendly are helpful too. :)

[Dawa Lhamo]

Just looking for ideas mostly.

Oh... and things that are kid-friendly are helpful too. :)Kid-friendly? Why not hang their art everywhere?

[~*Ginger*~]

hmmm...

Crates can be used for bookshelves & nooks, I've used the wooden fruit crates before.

You can make a bookshelf out of bricks, and lumber. Though, with this, you may want to position furniture in the way a bit, to keep the children from trying to crawl up on it.

If your needing something to throw over old furniture, a sheet, would work, or my favorite, a quilt.

I sew some, so making curtains, table cloths, placemats, and such...

If you don't sew, they make this stuff called 'witchery stitchery', and you iron it on, rather than sewing.

I love doing craft work, so it's easy to find something and make it into some type of home decoration.
Glue guns are great!

If you want, look in the 2nd hand store, and find some old fabric flowers, they can be placed in warm soapy water, and washed, then placed on a towel to dry.
some you'd never know were 2nd hand.

Wicker can be washed and dried as well.

Check out those 2nd hand stores, and the freecycle in your area, yard sales are good to.

If you go to Lowe's they have a place in the paint department, where they sell brand new cans of paint, marked down fairly cheap. {though, you might not want to paint while being pregnate}

I found 9 large rolls of self-adhesive wall paper the other day for .50 cents a roll. Still in the shrink wrap.
At our local Salvation Army.

and well, i lived in Germany, for awhile, and they have this idea, they call 'junking', where they clean out the house, so they can buy new stuff, and just leave it on the side walk for the garbage pick up, but if you want it, you go get it.
In Germany, they make a weekend of it!
Large groups of people out gathering treasures that other's have cast out.

Maybe if you see that there's chairs or something you can use, still in good condition, just ask, they proably won't care.

BUT!!!

Make sure to check it out first, as you do not want to take any unwanted visitor's into your home. ie, roaches, and vermin.


Any particular room your looking to decorate?

[KaidaMidnight]

Kid friendly.. lets see.. I usually frame RW's art work to hang on the walls. We have a lot of pillows that I bought from thrift stores and such.. washed them.. then sewed a color fabric on to match my living room colors. When the boys want to watch a movie, or hubby and I want to play video games, we just grab the pillows and hit the floor. Stacked in a corner, they actually look really nice when not in use. I also find little knick knacks and things at yard sales, $1 stores and thrift stores, and then touch them up... glue gun and feathers or gem stones, to give it a personal touch to place around the house. We have used plastic milke crates (you can get them free at any food store.. just ask the manager if you can have the extras they stash in the back) and I put colorful fabric over them. They make great end tables,with storage in them. (if you want to put things on top, just get a really really thin piece of wood to put on the top under the cloth) We have hard wood floors, so a couple throw rugs make it more homey as well as keeping feet warm. :)

[Kalika]

Kid-friendly? Why not hang their art everywhere?

If I could get him to color on paper instead of trying to eat the crayons.... :lol:

[Kalika]

Thanks for the ideas!

I am looking to do the living room, kitchen and baby's room.

We have things for our room and our son's room... I just have to actually get them put up. :p

[KaidaMidnight]

If I could get him to color on paper instead of trying to eat the crayons.... :lol:

Well, if they'd stop making those crayons so darn yummy.... ;) lol

[Ceres]

What about framing their foot and handprints? Ink makes the prints really detailed.

[Dawa Lhamo]

If I could get him to color on paper instead of trying to eat the crayons.... :lol: Well, at least they're non-toxic..... hmmm.... fingerpaint??? :hahugh:

Another thing, *lighting* goes a LONG way to make a space feel more inviting. Yard/garage sales and second-hand/thrift stores often have old lamps and such, and you can repaint them and re-cover the shade with whatever fabric you choose (fat quarters would probably be sufficient for this)... Amber colors, from deep yellow to red-orange, really create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Good luck!

Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo

[Dawa Lhamo]

What about framing their foot and handprints? Ink makes the prints really detailed.OOOOoooooh! *squeals* what an awesome idea! I really like that!

[Lunacie]

What about framing their foot and handprints? Ink makes the prints really detailed.

I did that with fabric paint on a long piece of muslin that I had hemmed with a casing at the top for a wooden rod to go through, then tied pretty cord on each end of the wooden rod and it was ready to hang up. Oh, and I wrote with the fabric paint her name and age and "I love Mom and Dad", it was a present for them from us. ;)

[~*Ginger*~]

What about framing their foot and handprints? Ink makes the prints really detailed.
Great idea!

When my oldest was 18 months old, she got into my purse, while I was doing the dishes.

On the table (in the living room), where my purse was, was also some legal size paper.
She got a black ink pen and broke it some how.
She had been marking on the paper, and then used the broken pen to do some more marking.

She only got a little on herself, so I cleaned her up.

When i went back to the table, and got to cleaning it up, I looked at the paper she had been playing with, and there in the middle of all those smears, was a dancing clown, complete with big ole shoes, and ruffled collar, and hat!

It tickled me, and i framed it.
I thought it was so cool that my 18 month old baby had created something so neat as that while she was playing, and making a mess.

She'd never even seen a clown, but there it was.
Still have the picture...
:)

[Kalika]

What about framing their foot and handprints? Ink makes the prints really detailed.

I really like that idea too. :)

It'd be neat to have them in blue frames... and hang on the wall. And then do the same for this little kidlet...

[MysticWitch]

My fav list of things that make my house a home..


- Pillows
- Curtains
- Nice paint colour that I will love for years
- Pictures of my fav places and people
- My wicca things

:hailmol:

[medit8ive_spirit]

All of these ideas are great for furnishing a home.

When I first saw your question posted, this came to mind.

To make a house a home, love your children/spouse/significant other, hug them everyday. Have their pictures around. Make time for each other, each day, whether it's sitting around the dinner table or sitting outside on a beautiful afternoon. It's the love, the caring, the sharing, that truly makes a house a home.

[Faeawyn]

Paint Paint Paint. The first thing I stress to clients is lets get some color on those walls. Then greenery....plants. Plants give a home life.

[Kalika]

Paint Paint Paint. The first thing I stress to clients is lets get some color on those walls. Then greenery....plants. Plants give a home life.

Have any suggestions for hardy plants?

They are so quiet... I tend to forget about them. :p

[Rasenna]

Paintings: Go to Michael's Craft store and buy your own frames. Better yet, get those unpainted wooden frames they have there and you and the kids can decorate them yourselves. Another thing you can do is go out and buy posters of your favorite movies, scenes, or whatever, and frame THOSE.
Bureaus, dressers, etc.: Spray paint and new hardware work wonders! Spray paint is also great for if you go to the Goodwill and pick up some of those ugly plastic black CD and audiocasette holders. I personally used this one a lot when I moved back to the Twin Cities from California and literally had NO furniture! Contact paper works well, too. :)
Wall decorating: Go to Menards or Home Depot and get some of those sticky wall decorations. They easily peel back off so if, in a few years, you want to replace them with something new (say, when the kids get bigger), you can just peel 'em right off and replace them!:boing:
I'll let you know if I think of anything else...
~R

[Hope]

This is a link to the design on a dime (http://web.hgtv.com/hgtv/web/searchResults?Show=DOD%23Design+on+a+Dime&searchType=EpisodeTopic&searchString=Enter+Topic&WeekNumber=+&x=15&y=3) show page at hgtv

love
hope

[Driffinna]

Have any suggestions for hardy plants?

They are so quiet... I tend to forget about them. :p

Aloe, takes forever to kill those things. I managed too once, and that is because I over watered it. Good plants also if you are in a bind and don't have anything to put on those cuts and bruises. Know I have used it a few times when the neosporin ran out.

[Kalika]

Thanks everyone! :D