Posts tagged: cheap
100 Cheap Recipes for the Starving Student
By DIY Maven
I don't have to tell you that students aren't the only ones who are broke these days. But being broke doesn't mean we have to eat Ramen every night. Here's a possible line up for just one day.
The Dollar Store Kitchen - Light Fixture
By lilybeeRemember the light fixture from my dollar store kitchen makeover?
Well I've finally slung together a tutorial for it and here it is...
First I just want to put a caveat out there. » READ MORE
The Dollar Store Rental Kitchen Makeover - Again
By lilybeeOnce upon a time, way back when, I became enraged with my ugly rental kitchen. Observe the horror:
I cursed it, I cried, I shook my fists at it. Then I did what everybody does (surely?), I looked for a solution on the internets.
What I found was Curbly. Inspired by the spirit of Curbly Daring-Do I figured out a solution, and posted pictures of it here..
Three (three!) years have passed. My temporary contact paper solution has withstood all kinds of shenanigans and is, I suspect, INVULNERABLE to anything but Robot Laser Eyes.
BUT, it is a New Year, a new decade even, and that always prods the part of my brain that likes things NEW and CLEAN and SHINY. So I turned a beady and critical eye to my kitchen. And decided it was time for a change.
So I did this.
How-To: Paper Silhouette Art.
By ChrisjobFrom TimeOut New York, these lively framed paper silhouette in series interact with each other and the wall. A perfect use for a collection of thrifted frames (paint 'em black), and a great way to honor your friends that hate to be photographed, just print 'em, trace 'em, cut and frame!
Materials
• Old photographs or a camera and printer to make new ones
• Black construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• An assortment of picture frames
Read m » READ MORE
Mobile Home? Yes.Thrift-Store Decor? Oh Yes.
By DestinybyDefinition
This is sort of a follow up to my "Painting Trailer Walls" blog. I was so scared to paint my walls because I thought they would peel like a dirty bandaid. And nobody had, to share, a personal account of painting them, so I listened to my husband and accepted that it couldn't be done. About five minutes after that, I changed my mind and went to Home Hardware.
For anyone who wants advice for painting those lousy vinyl covered trailer walls w » READ MORE
Ten Ways to Decorate with Thrifted Goods.
By ChrisjobThe thrift store. It's eco-friendly. It's cheap. And most importantly. the limitations force you to work creatively.
So, take CasaSugar's approach and go for it: use those second-hand gems as central items in your decor. You may be surprised.
Tips For Scoring Free Stuff
By DestinybyDefinitionIn all my spare time I have discovered places and people to help me get my thrift fix. I want to share with you a few places you can go in search for those table legs or that sheet of lumber you need to finish your homemade ottoman.
1) Go Binning! Sounds terrible and probably is best left for the bottle-collecter, you say. No! Take a detour throught the alley of a block of apartment buildings. You're almost guarunteed to find a cute chair or an » READ MORE
How To: Customize Roman Shades.
By Chrisjob
Every television design show lauds the ease of the basic Roman shade, which can be endlessly customized. Well, fine, but I still don't know how to make one...and those strings intimidate me.
Luckily, I have Jennifer's how-to from Apartment Therapy. "Jennifer took simple, plain and inexpensive Roman shades from Target and completely transformed them with a graphic patterned fabric from IKEA — providing customized window coverings on a budget. » READ MORE
Homemade Non-Toxic Mold Prevention Spray
By lilybee
Mold. It's BAD NEWS. As well as just being gross it can do some pretty rotten things to your lungs. Prevention is definitely the way to go, as once you've got mold it's the very devil to get rid of. Luckily, you don't need harsh chemicals to stop mold arriving and bringing 50 gazillion of it's friends. Jennifer Chait, green-mama-maven over at Inhabitots has a recipe for an all-natural mold prevention spray.
You mix two cups » READ MORE
10 Tips for Decorating on a Budget.
By Chrisjob
Make it beautiful, and make it cheap. Holly Becker has collected ten tips from her own experience of decorating a small one bedroom in Germany. Go and do likewise.
1. Take IKEA seriously.
2. Yard sales!
3. Bargain at flea markets and secondhand stores
4. Share a car.
5. Shop online at places like Craigslist, Ebay, and Amazon
6. Do it yourself.
7. Bundle your services like phone, internet, and cable.
8. Recycle and repurpose.
9. Switch » READ MORE
Journaled mat frame
By swelldesigner
Looking for a quick and easy (and cheap) gift idea that's also personal and sincere? Whip up one of these journaled mats in a flash. You simply print out journaled writing (I edited mine in Photoshop) onto label stock, cut, and adhere to a regular mat. No more boring mats and it's an instant conversation piece! For complete instructions (with step by steps), visit my blog.
Here's some other ideas to try along these lines:
– Use children » READ MORE
Have The Greenest Tree Around
By lilybeeCookies, berries and popcorn. Yummy. And the most ecologically sound way to decorate your tree. If your decorations are not eaten straight off the tree by naughty pooches (you know who you are... Dilly) then you can use them later to feed birds or pop them in the compost.
Popcorn, thread, needle and voila! A festive afternoon filled with delicious smells and a full tummy. » READ MORE
2 Cheap, Stealable Holiday Ideas From Domino
By lilybee
A bauble chandelier; cheap, pretty and super effective. Actually, my dining room light may have to stay like this year 'round.
Make Christmas Decorations More Chic
By lilybeeAccording to both Coco Chanel and my Grandma Generoux "EVERYTHING is chicer in black, Darlink". Take for example, this fellow, the nicest thing you can say about him is that he's 'festive'. Check out his makeover after the jump.
.....
» READ MOREDIY: Real Simple Centerpiece Ideas
By ModHomeEcTeacher
Forget about ordering a floral arrangement for Thanksgiving. Look around your house, in the pantry, at your bowls to find simple and pretty vessels to fill with fruit, water, river rocks, flowers or even a branch from a leaf-barren tree. This arrangement allows everyone to see across the table while either enjoying the family, or self-righteously analyzing each other. We do a little of both.
What you need:
- large shallow bowl
- river r » READ MORE
Ceramic Decals, Like A Facelift For Plates
By lilybeeReplacing your whole dinner service might be out of the question
what with the scary economy, but for $6 you could give it a visual
tweak, like this:
These Ceramic Decals from The curiosity shoppe are "steam, heat and water resistant," and apparently they're "guaranteed to last until you're ready to peel them off". If horsies (and other farm animals) aren't your bag they also come in these Leafy and Birdy patterns
How To: Make Perfect Cardboard Pillow Patterns
By ModHomeEcTeacher
If you're planning on whipping up some custom throw pillows it can be such a time saver to make cardboard pillow forms in varying shapes and sizes. I have an entire set of these under my work table so I don't have to re-measure each time. For the sake of the reader's eyes, I covered a large piece of cardboard with green paper so you don't have to look at brown cardboard.
In order to make the perfect knife edge pillow, there are a few tips. » READ MORE
Use What You Have: Tea Towel Cafe Curtains
By lilybeeCafe curtains, they always make me feel like I should be wearing a beret and sitting at a bistro table and doodling masterpieces on paper napkins... in Paris. Which is a feeling I like.
The super-simplest way to get the look in seconds, without sewing, is to use a cafe curtain tension rod, some clip-on curtain rings and a few tea-towels. If you happen to have favorite tea-towels (what? I just like them) then this is a good way to displa » READ MORE
Use What You Have: 5 Things to Do With Placemats
By lilybee
How to Make a 3 Ingredient Moisturizer–CHEAP!
By DIY Maven
Wabi Sabi Baby gets back to basics with this unbelievably easy and inexpensive way to make homemade moisturizer. They say a 12 oz batch will cost us less than a dollar to make! Also, because it’s au naturel, it’s great for babies and those with sensitive skin.
What you’ll need:
1 cup glass measuring cup
2 cup glass measuring cup
small saucepan
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup emulsifying wax, available at craft stores and online
What you » READ MORE