Repurposing the left over piece.

Remember this table from yesterday?
The one that turned into this? Well I didn't want to just throw out the top tier that I removed, so I got the creative juices flowing and....
Primed and painted, tore open an old pillow to take the batting out,
Covered that with an old T shirt
And then added some fabric I had laying around the house. This fabric was actuallly valances that I made years ago. I never had another window they fit, but I couldn't stand to part with them because I loved the fabric so much! I'm so glad I held onto them! Now I have a lovely footstool.

Total Time: 1 hour
Total Cost: $0

Taking a tiered table from drab to fab!

So this is the before. Totally blah. Functional, but drab. I picked this table up at a garage sale a few years ago, and it served very well as a bedside table. I got some free paint in the Glidden sample give away, borrowed brushes and primer from a friend, and dug in to remake this into something fab.


First step was to take the entire thing apart. Simple to do, just used the handy dandy power drill, carefully as to not strip the screws.
Next I primed all the pieces. And used putty to fill in the holes where the top tier set.
Brushed on the pretty Glidden paint in Crisp Linen White. Put the legs back on (again carefully as to not scratch the new paint job with the drill. And tada! A very nice, clean side table for the living room. Stay tuned to see what I did with the top tier!

Total Time: 2 hours (give or take depending on how fast your paint dries- its triple digits here, so I might as well have been painting in a kiln!)
Total Cost: $0

Basic Tips and Tricks for Decorating or Re-Decorating on the Cheap

• Look around.

You would be surprised how much you already have that can be given a new life to fit into your new decorating scheme. Curtains give you yards of fabric for other projects, a little bit of paint works wonders, etc. So take a look around your current home with fresh eyes.

• Connect with friends and family.

Do you have a friend who loves to redecorate often? A family member who buys things that they never use? Connect with these people, share your ideas with them. They may have something they are willing to give you or sell to you at an extreme discount.
Family and friends are also great to borrow items from, such as paint brushes, and other supplies. This is especially helpful if you are just working on a small project.

• Thrift stores and Garage sales are nice, but Craigslist and Freecycle are better!

Yes you heard me right. Unless you are just going out garage sale hunting, or thrift store shopping for the fun of it, on those occasions you are just looking for one or two specific items, save your gas, make a post on your local freecycle and hit up your local craigslist for a search.
Saves on gas and sanity (if you have children) And you will get just as great of a deal (sometimes better if its free!)

• Set a budget and stick to it!

This is hard to do sometimes, but it is well worth it. On a recent IKEA trip I had a strict budget of $20. It made me stop and think before I added anything to the cart. I was forced to ask myself, do I really want/need/love this? If the answer wasn't yes to all three I didn't buy it. I left the store under budget and only with things I really loved!

and finally

• Look for accessories in less likely places.
  

I ran across some gems at our local dollar store. Now granted, not the highest of quality of items, but for small accessories, wall decor etc, you can usually get it for just a couple of bucks. And sometimes you'll be shocked at a find, like the lamp I found for my boys room for $6 that is perfect!

So there you have it, a few tips and tricks to get you started. Keep those creative juices flowing!