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5 Budget Decorating Ideas

By Rachel

published 04/14/2022

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Last Updated on October 24, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

Today I’m sharing 5 budget decorating ideas!

One of my favorite things to share here on the blog is tips for decorating your home for less! Less clutter, less things, and less money yet still comfortable and beautiful. There are many ways to achieve this ‘less is more’ mentality in your home and I’m here to help. Here are 5 budget decorating ideas you can implement when wanting to decorate any area of your home. I hope they are an encouragement for you!

Decorating on a Budget Without Sacrificing Style

Truly, there are simple and creative ways to spruce up your home without spending thousands of dollars. In this post, we’ll explore five budget decorating ideas that will help you achieve a beautiful and inviting home on a shoestring budget. Get ready to unleash your inner interior designer without breaking the bank!

Table of Contents

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5 Budget Decorating Ideas for Any Room

1. Use Decor That You Already Have.

This is my very favorite way to decorate on a budget. There are probably so many things in your home that you can take from other rooms and use elsewhere in your home.

I didn’t purchase anything new to style the shelf above. Some of the pieces were being used in other displays and some were stored away in my vintage bin. I pulled pieces that I thought would work well together and feel cohesive on this empty shelf.

By using items that I already had on hand, I was able to create a vintage display for the hutch at no cost! I encourage you to look around your house and get creative to see what you can utilize without buying anything new.

2. Think About How You Can Use Something In A Different Way.

If you are thrifting or antiquing and you see a piece of decor that you love, think about how else it could be used in your home.

For me, when I’m at the thrift store and eye something that I like, I will stop and think of potential uses for that particular piece. If I can think up two or more potential uses for it, then I usually will purchase it.
As an example, the lovely vintage tray above was recently found at an estate sale shop. The price on it was $10, which is a bit more than I usually spend on vintage pieces, but I immediately saw so many potential uses for it.

1) It could be used to hold things such as remotes.

2) I could use it as a centerpiece on the dining table.

3) I could style a vignette on it.

4) It could be displayed on a picture rail.

5) I could hang it on the wall.

See my point?? By buying a piece and then being able to use it in so many ways throughout your home makes that money go much further and it is dollars well spent!

Another example is this beautiful antique salt box. I found this last year at an antique store for only $12. It is missing the lid but that’s okay because, the minute I spotted it, I knew it was going to be used to hold this fern in my kitchen.

Any type of pot or bowl are amazing vessels to pick up. You can always use them throughout your home as small storage or display pieces.

3. Shop For Decor At Thrift Stores.

If you have been around here for any length of time, you know my deep affection for thrifting. Years ago, way before I was into vintage and antiques, a friend took me into my very first thrift store. I kept going here and there after that and then, one day, I discovered vintage at the thrift store. I’ve been hooked ever since and have a very hard time paying full price for anything now.

The shelf below is styled with all thrifted pieces. Here’s the best part…I spent a total of $8 for all 3 items! If you have patience and take the time to search, you can curate your home with beautiful pieces for very little money. This process won’t happen overnight but the waiting and the searching for those perfect pieces is all worth it in the end.

4. Buy Decor That Can Be Used For Multiple Seasons.

Another tip for decorating on a budget is to buy items that you are going to use for multiple seasons. To me, it doesn’t make sense to buy something that I am only going to use one or two times throughout the year.

Milk glass, enamelware, and copper are all good examples of vintage decor that can be used any time of the year. They can be decorated accordingly for the different holidays and seasons because of the timeless and neutral palette that they already have.

I’ve taken this $8 vintage milk glass banana stand and created a unique flower vessel with it on credenza for fall.

This whole display can be kept out during fall, all the way through Thanksgiving!

Here is my milk glass collection, only this time it is styled for Christmas. My point is for you to be able to see that you can use the same decor all year and make it look new by adding seasonal touches to it.

This saves you money by not continuously purchasing the latest and greatest decor for your home. Use what is timeless because that decor is what will carry you through from season to season.

5. Make Your Own Decor.

Making your own decor is not only budget friendly but you are also gifting yourself decor that is unique only to you! You can purchase many craft supplies at the dollar store, at thrift stores, and from garage sales.

The floral basket below would probably cost around $45 at a retail store but this one I made at home for around $20. You can create decor for your home for half the price of what it would cost brand new!

If you have an idea of something you would like to make for your home but need inspiration, Pinterest is an amazing place to search.

You can make decor for each season and use it year after year. Or, alter it to make it match the season, getting more use out of it.

Creating your own decor for your home, for any season, is special because it comes straight from you, giving you decor that no one else has. It’s a very inexpensive way to make your home beautiful.

Closing Tidbits on Budget Home Decorating

There you have them! My hope is that these 5 budget decorating ideas are a help for you. Sometimes decorating your home can feel overwhelming and maybe a little intimidating. I’ve been there.

There are so many different things to consider from decor styles to budgets to where to shop…and the list goes on. I encourage you to follow some of these simple ideas, implement them slowly into your home, and see where they lead you.

Let me know in the comments how you decorate on a budget! Do you have other ideas? I would love to hear!

For more ideas on budget decorating, Andrea from Pine and Prospect Home has amazing ways of achieving a beautiful home for little money. Head over and say hello!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!