Decorating on a Budget with The Girl in the Red Shoes

Happy Monday my lovies!! 
Hope you all had a great weekend!
Im currently in the Big D spending some QT with my boy! We are leaving for the Bahamas in the morning, thank Heaven, so I have arranged for a week full of guest posts from my favorite bloggers to keep you all entertained!! I love them and I know you will too!!
So now I leave you with Julie!!
And for the record I did say no preggo talk because to be perfectly honest my sweet Grandmother cannot take another pretend pregnancy post on this blog! Raven about gave the sweet lady a heart attack last go round!! ;)

*********************************

Hi All in My Twenties readers! My name is Julie and I blog over at The Girl in the Red Shoes. I was so excited when Kristen asked me to guest post while she is on vacation! The only guidence she gave me was to NOT talk about her being pregnant....ha! She isn't by the way...but I sure am! About to pop in one and a half weeks with our first baby. Yikes!

Here's me! Besides getting ready for baby, I've been crazy busy working on decorating our house on a budget and thought I'd share some of the things I've learned with you. I think my house will always be a work in progress, but that's what keeps things interesting, updated, and fun, right? So, let's get started.

Tips for Decorating on a Budget

Tip #1 Shop your house

Before you go out and buy anything new, make sure you "shop" your own space first. Look around for items that you already have that could possibly work in a new spot. I'm always moving things from room to room and trying out different arrangements. And the best part? It's FREE! You'll be surprised with what you come up with if you just give it a try.

Tip #2 Re-purpose something you already own

Have an old dresser or side table sitting in your basement collecting dust? Love your bed frame but hate the color? Paint it, add some fun details and you have a brand new piece! This dresser is in our baby's nursery and was originally my husband's when he was young. He sanded it down, painted it red, and added some cute numbers and new hardware. A cheap and easy update.

This quote was actually a greeting card that I loved and framed in a cheap Ikea frame. Anything you love can become decor in your home.

 Tip #3 Keep your eye out for a good deal

Probably one of the most asked questions on my blog is where I got these numbered canisters that are in my kitchen. I picked them up at Ikea a year or so ago for just a few dollars knowing I would find some way to use them. I later added the vinyl numbers. You can find vinyl numbers and letters for cheap on sites like very jane. It's a great way to personalize something and make it yours.

  Tip #4 Utilize Etsy 

Etsy is my go-to resource for cute hand-made items. All three of these pillows on our bed are from Etsy and were about $8-$11 each. Oh, and that yellow pillow? Totally shopped the house and stole it from my guest room! It will probably go back there once I find a replacement for our bed.  

Tip #5 Always buy frames
If I see a good deal on a frame I buy it. Even if I don't know where it will go, chances are it can be used somewhere. Some of my favorite places to buy cheap frames are yard sales, Goodwill, Hobby Lobby, Joann's Fabric, Michaels, and Kohls. Don't buy anything without a coupon or it being on sale. Hobby Lobby, Joann's, and Michaels always have 40-50% off coupons if you google it. Also, don't worry if the frame is the wrong color....you can always paint it to match your other frames. I collected the above frames for several years and painted them all the same creamy white. See my tutorial for making a gallery wall HERE.

Tip #6 Don't be afraid to make it yourself

See something you love on Pinterest or Etsy? Chances are you can make it yourself! All you need is the courage to try it. I made this piece out of the lyrics to our first dance at our wedding, and it turned out perfect and only set me back a few dollars. See my tutorial HERE.
 I hope these tips help you decorate your space without spending a bunch of money! Thanks for reading!