Introduction
Brand new home decor is fun, but the costs sure add up fast! So, what about when the budget is tight and you need free home decor? Well, I’ve got you covered. Next time you’re getting ready to makeover a room with zero dollars, here are four categories of free home decor.
#1 Greenery
This is great free home decor for spring and summer, but even in wintertime, I like to use bare branches and sticks, as well. Greenery is always an easy option and even if you live in an apartment, you can usually find someplace to clip a few branches and find some nice elements of nature to bring into your home.
Check out this post on how I styled our dining room hutch utilizing greenery and other things I already had around the house.
#2 Cans and Jars
If you buy anything in a can or a glass jar, save those containers when they’re empty. You’ve got some free home decor on your hands! Wash them out, remove the labels and use a little Goo Gone if there’s any remaining sticky residue left behind.
For an upcoming organizing project, I took these cans, pulled the labels off and spray painted them with black chalkboard paint. I’m thrilled with how they turned out, and no one needs to know they formerly held tomato sauce or black beans. 🙂
#3 Old Fabric
Old fabric is easy to find elsewhere, but you might just be able to find it easily in your own home! I have scraps of fabric that I’ve saved from previous projects, or you can also find an old piece of clothing, bed sheet, shower curtain, etc. Cut it up and make a throw pillow cover (check out this one made from a sweater by DIY Scoop), or a table runner, or stretch it across a wood frame and call it artwork (check out this nifty video on how to make fabric wall art). The options are literally endless, and it doesn’t have to cost you a dime.
#4 Craigslist Free Section (or Marketplace, or OfferUp)
A great place to hunt for free home decor is in the Craigslist “Free” section, or on the app OfferUp, or on Facebook Marketplace. You never know when people are going to move and need to off-load a bunch of their stuff in a hurry, but if they do and your timing is right, you can get not just free home decor, but maybe even some larger pieces of furniture, as well!
Often, these things will need a little love and elbow grease to bring them back to life, but hey, if you aren’t spending any money on it, you may as well spend a little time on it, right? These are beautiful planter boxes my husband made from some free old lumber somebody posted on Craigslist. Not too shabby!
Bonus Tip: Rearrange Furniture
Throwing this one in for free (haha, get it?). This doesn’t necessarily qualify as a category of free home decor, but it’s a great way to freshen your space without spending a cent. Move your furniture around in the room to get a brand new look. Shift the bed. Push the couch to the opposite wall. Rearrange pillows, add that throw blanket you’ve been keeping in the closet, and put a greenery-filled vase on the end table.
Run a vacuum over the floor, then step back and admire your handiwork. Rearranging furniture is a wonderful exercise to help you see what you already have with new eyes, and to get creative on how to use things in different ways.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Four categories (plus one bonus exercise) to help you find and use free home decor. Decorating does not have to be extravagant and expensive. Block out the voices on Instagram and other places telling you that you need this or that for hundreds of dollars. Look at the ordinary elements around you and start considering how you can use them in your decorating.
Being made to use our creative skills is good for both our minds and our souls. Plus, things often have more meaning when we’ve worked with them and shaped them into something special, rather than just grabbing something off the shelf at a big box store. Take care, and may you enjoy this creative home decorating journey!
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I’m feeling inspired after reading this post. I think I will spray paint a clear glass vase I have that has rust stains on it. I’m hoping that will give it a new look, so that I can use it again.
That sounds so fun!