Decorate for Spring on a budget!

We are on the cusp of Spring and my house is sparkling clean!  Well...its getting there.  After a good thorough scrubbing, I always want to open the windows and freshen up my winter decor.  I'm fluffing and puttering hither and yon around my little Jewel Box® home, touching up paint here and switching out rugs and curtains there. I want to let the outdoors in this time of year and send winter away on a song.

Here are a few tips to help us get in the spirit of the new season:

Photos Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Create a casual living room that sings "spring," brimming with juicy citrus colors. Adding brightly colored vases, spunky patterned pillows, a painted jute rug, and flea market finds to your space for a fresh feel without spending a fortune. Bold throws, pillows and lampshades add pop to your springtime decor!  I love the addition of colored beads to the flower vase!  A simple but elegant touch.

Freshening up your boudoir is as simple as a coat of paint and some fabric.  Add punch to a headboard by wrapping it with a yard of mod floral fabric. Try inexpensive album frames filled with patterned paper to adorn bare walls. The bedside table is tres chic with the addition of a coat of metallic paint.  I love it!

Replace winter rugs with light jute or sisal for a clean, airy feel.  Floral pillows and jugs of flowers as accent pieces add a fresh look that will last throughout the summer months.

Get a fresh perspective on your bathroom by swapping out a typical bathroom mirror for a decoupaged beauty. Purchase a mirror with a flat frame and cover the frame with vibrant fabric using decoupage. A new shower curtain and a few new towels or bathmat can revamp a room without breaking your budget.  I love the floral lampshades on the wall!  A glue gun and some faux petals would make a great weekend project and give your creativity an outlet!

What says springtime more than our feathery friends?  Find a classic bird-watching field guide at a used book store. Carefully cut loose sheets from it and use finishing nails to hang them in a grid to get the look of vintage prints without the cost.

I love paint!  What better decorating tool than paint to turn an old piece of furniture or some bland walls into a work of art!  If you don't like the outcome, you're out nothing but a can of paint and some time.  Hinging together unfinished bifold doors creates a decorative room divider or large work of art. Paint it to your heart's desire.  One side could be for your winter decor and then turn it around for spring!

Replace heavy draperies with light panels or sheers to celebrate the new season.  Use cafe clips for a casual look.  Remember sheers come in all colors, not just white, so they will match any decorating scheme and let the sunlight fill your room!

 

Dress up Roman shades with decorative tape or fabric paint for a whimsical touch to any room.

Bring the outdoors in, literally, with these sun catchers.  Sandwich a leaf (hosta, fern, caladium, or palm) between two framed panels of glass, available at imports stores. Fresh leaves will turn brown, so you'll need to swap them out every few weeks, or use dried leaves and coat them with acrylic artist's spray to prevent discoloration.  What a wonderful way to showcase Mother Nature's handiwork!


Have fun sprucing up your little home to welcome Spring!

~Amber