Sentry Page Protection

Tip Store: Household: Interior Decorating

Thrifty Art

​I recently discovered a new artist I really like but her prints are outside of my budget at the moment so instead, I purchased four greeting cards of her artwork and will frame them in some plain white frames from Kmart that I already have, and I have beautiful art for my walls at a fraction of the price. The greeting cards were $5 each, the frames are $5 each. But you could use any frame you have on hand and utilize fabric offcuts or fat quarters, cute gift wrap, scrapbook paper, the possibilities are only limited by your creativity!
Contributed by Amelia Glazebrook

MY DESIGNER KITCHEN UPDATE

​Some time ago I painted our pantry door with purple paint and hand painted some flowers. I loved it at least. It tired over time, so I decided to update the pantry door with some adhesive wallpaper, the cheap version bought from Kmart for approximately $5.00 a roll. It covered the front and back of the pantry door with bright forest leaves. Worked a treat and freshened up the kitchen. Had left over wallpaper for opposite walls in the kitchen to bring theme together in opposite room.  Cost: $5

Also bought one kitchen curtain from Spotlight on sale with green leaves and branches with bluebirds to add to the kitchen meals area. Instead of buying two side drapes, I bought one for the window and bring in the sides of curtains to the middle. Saving: $200

Then I bought an outdoor hanging basket stand from Aldi, again on special but used it for indoor near the window with new curtain. Added strawberry plant, hanging tomato plant, parsley and herbs in each of the four baskets. Cost: $60

So a new kitchen look for $265. To make it cheaper I could have bought a curtain from the op-shop, making a total of $65 but I did fall in love with this curtain and waited until it was on special and saved by buying one only for window. 
Happy days!
Contributed by Carol Heagney

Save Paint Going Into Our Waterways

​I like to do my own painting. It worried me to was my brushes and paint trays down the sink. I found if I let the paint dry hard in the tray, I can peel it off and throw in the bin. The brushes I put into plastic bags, and have found I can do this for about three weeks. Good for the environment.
Contributed by Val Scrimshaw

​Stuff Your Cushions Cheaply

​I bought some lovely cushion covers for my girl's beds and needed to buy the inserts to fill them. At Spotlight the size I needed were $8 each. 8 cushions would cost me $64. The inserts were so poorly filled, it would require two to make each cushion plump at a cost of $128. I went to the pillow section and bought 2 bags of pillows with 2 in each bag for a cost of $40. Each pillow can be cut in half and the ends sewn closed to make 8 plump cushion inserts. It actually only cost me $30 as I had received a Spotlight discount promotion in the mail this week. So instead of $8 for each cushion, it cost only $3.75!
Contributed by Bronwyn Cartledge

​Creative Recycling Turns Garage Sale Find into a Beautiful Display Unit

I was needing a wooden bookcase to put things my children had given to me for Christmas but I like anything that's different so when I went to several retailers I was simply shocked at the prices. Today I went to a garage sale, nothing new I know, they are very popular, but what I found was a two shelf wooden shoe rack and a single one. I came home and cut some off the legs of both and joined them together. It looks fabulous, I simply love it and the best of all it cost me $3.50! Oh what a saving - I was looking at over $100 just for one!
​Contributed by Judy Hill

​A Welcoming Front Door Decoration

These decorations can be used at anytime e.g.: Christmas, Easter, birthdays. Collect some small glass jars, the small thin jam ones are good. I had some little glass jugs and maple syrup jars with a handle, the more rustic the better. Tie and knot lengths of string firmly a couple of times around the neck or handle. Make sure they are secure, then hang a various lengths from a sturdy hook near the front door. Adjust lengths by knotting string then fill the jars with water and a few pretty flowers and greenery. Don't over crowd. The colours depend on what is in the garden, daisy, herbs, lavender are lovely but berries are nice and bright in winter. I like to have odd numbers of jars, 5 is good. Cost: virtually nil. If you are a Cheapskater, you will usually have jars, string and a hook somewhere saved for 'just in case'!
​Contributed by Patricia Cooper

​Scrapbook Tools Make for an Easy Lampshade Fix

Approximate $ Saved: Cost less than $2.00, Savings $200+

​ My lampshades match my bedroom linen and I can't replace any of it as the pattern is discontinued. All of the items were sourced at the end of range Sheridan bins in 1996-1999 from stores all over Canberra and Sydney and everything is still going strong. A couple of weeks ago the wind blew the lamp onto the floor and separated the shade from the frame. I looked at replacement shades that may match the bedroom linen and it would be $200+ for two. This morning I used my scrapbook hot glue gun that cost less than $20 and one stick of glue and Xyron150 sticker maker to repair the shade. I cleaned off the scrappy bits of original tape and carefully used the hot glue to glue the shade back the frame. I did it in small manageable sections and kept pressure on the shade and frame to make sure it bonded. When it was cold I used a matching ribbon from my scrapbook stash to hide the glue etc. and it's all back together and looks stronger than it was before.
Contributed by Maree Finlay

​Budget Cushion Covers

Approximate $ Savings: $18

I bought a pillow case at Dimmeys, Harbourtown, and used it to re-cover two 40 x 40cm cushions. The approximate saving was $9 per cushion cover.
​Contributed by Annalisa, Arundel

​Monotone for a Crisp, Clean Look

Buy one colour (neutral types of colours are best) and paint the ceilings and walls all the one colour. This was suggested to me by a Painter Friend because I was on a really tight budget and it really works. Even though you have done it in the one colour the ceilings still look lighter than the calls - then varnish all your woodwork - it gives everything a crisp clean look. Originally I painted using a light mushroom colour but this time around I have painted using an off-white colour and I am stoked with the result. Try it - you will be pleasantly surprised. There is even a paint out there that you can use to paint bench tops, cupboards etc.
​Contributed by Marg, Wagga Wagga

​Great Paintings for Wall Display for Under $75

Approximate $ Savings: At least $200 per display

We have recently bought our first home after learning so much from all the cashed-up tips available on the website. We bought a slightly older property and used our savings to 'splurge' on renovating the kitchen and bathroom. I love having paintings or wall art on display but could not justify paying over $275 for an abstract riot of colours I had seen at Ikea. Wanting to spruce up the lounge and master bedroom, I went to the gift shop at the Art Gallery of WA and picked up large art prints for around $20 - $25 each. I did end up paying $49 for each frame but I had 2 lovely art displays for under $75 each and these are beautiful landscapes by well known Australian artists, not just a random mix of brush strokes that is passed off as 'modern art' these days. I could have saved more by buying frames from op shops or garage sales but my lounge looks so homely now
​Contributed by Amy, Wembley

​Use Mis-tints for Room by Room Redecorating

Often hardware and paint shops have tins of paint that have been tinted and for whatever reason not ever claimed so they are often reduced ,may be helpful to do a room by room update.
​Contributed by Anne, Thirlmere

​Cheap Window Coverings

If you need to cover your windows and the budget is tight, go to Sam's Warehouse. They have a good range to choose from and they are all very reasonably priced.
​Contributed by Isabel

​Nifty Tie Backs

I wanted to buy some tiebacks for my curtains to stop them blowing around in the wind but at $20 a pair and wanting them for 7 windows it was too much - there had to be a better idea. There was - I used hair ties (the ones with a bobble on the end) - just wrap that around the curtain and they no longer blow around. At about $3 a pair that's a huge saving. Potential cost - $140, Actual cost - about $21. Savings - over $100.
​Contributed by Debbie, New Bleith

​Fresh Flowers For the Asking

I love fresh flowers, but they are expensive to buy, and at around $15/bunch, it soon adds up. My father-in-law is a baker, and the fruit and veg shop beside his bakery sells fresh bunches of flowers, which he gets for free. The fruit shop throws out the bunches every second day or so, because they no longer are deemed "fresh". My FIL asked if they minded if he took them, and they said no. So my mother-in-law and I get fresh flowers almost every day for nothing. Some need a quick clean up (removing old leaves etc). They last for ages (I've even got a month out of one lot)and some I've given as gifts and best of all they are free.
​Contributed by Lisa, Burnside

​Save a Bundle on the Finishing Touches

Approximate $ Savings: $95.00

​ After spending 3 hours in a major shopping centre looking for cushions to dress up a lounge room couch I found that cushions range from $30-$50 each, average price being $39.99. Not wanting to pay approximately $120 for 3 cushions I was thinking of who might sell just the cushion covers and Spotlight came to mind. We found covers there for $9.95 but if I joined there club they were down to $7.95 - we already have the inserts in our worn out cushions. I am thrilled to say I have 3 new cushions that dress up my new lounge room, make it look a bit more modern at the cost of $23.85.
Contributed by Jenny, Mooroolbark

​Own Your Very Own Original Artworks

Approximate $ Savings: $30 to $50

I love to add my personal touch to my home!! Recently I decided to create my own 'modern' artworks. I bought some blank canvasses from a discount store, painted them with the left over paint from my 'feature wall' eg. velveteen green. Then I put a small amount of brown paint (from a sample pot I bought) into a plastic bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag. I then 'dribbled' the contrasting paint randomly over the green painted canvas. I have to say I think they look very impressive and barely cost me anything.......certainly less than if I had purchased a print from any of the homewares shops around (and my paintings are originals!!)
​Contributed by Loretto, Bushfield

​Hide the Paper Under the Seat for Tidy Covers

​In relation to Anne's tip on sofa covers I used them when my boys were small but found they constantly moved and looked untidy. One idea I came up with to combat this was to roll up newspapers and push them down around the edges of the seats. My covers stayed much tidier.
Contributed by Andrea, Stanmore

​Creative, Chic Cushion Covers

One way to achieve an individual look for your living room is to revamp old cardies and turn them into stylish cushion covers. Cardies with an Aran or cabled pattern look classy, or look for plain ones with unusual buttons and/or detailing on the front. All you have to do is cut off the sleeves and sew all four sides up. You already have the button up area for your opening. Simple, and very easy to do! For next to nothing, you get an individual, one-off cushion... much more satisfying than paying $35 upwards for mass-produced ones from Spotlight or Freedom. If you don't have any old cardies, check out your local Op Shop, Garage Sale or Swap Meet. Size doesn't matter either - you can make tiny throw cushions for a bed, or larger ones for the living room; your choice.
​Contributed by Chris, Bakers Hill

​Easy Decorating for under $20

We are renters and have problems with decorating kids bedrooms. I've found a way for under $20 Curtain material and Clag glue work really well. I found material that suits my child's taste at the time. I bought a couple of meters (I paid $6 per metre) I then cut out some of the pictures then glued them to the wall then made borders out of the rest. When they change and grow you pull them off, and wipe the wall where the pictures have been. I got my material from spotlight, but you can it anywhere though, and the glue from the supermarket.
​Contributed by Kylie, Nambour,

​Simple Tiling Solution

​If you want to rip up that ugly 70's lino and tile your floor but you can't afford to restump your house, there is a simple solution. Use extra adhesive under the tiles so that you can make the tiles as even as can. The real tip is to use silicon instead of tile grout!! Silicon comes in many colours and it is flexible after it dries, so no cracked broken grout and no cracked tiles!! It looks great and is durable.
Contributed by Kylie, Breakwater

​Easy Fabric Covered Artwork

I have a pretty cost effective idea for your walls. I did some covered fabric canvas's for our baby for Christmas. The canvasses cost $7 each - I bought three and covered them in fabric of three different types. The fabric was from Spotlight and cost me $15 with fabric left over to do some little cushions too. I also used a quilting spray adhesive for ease of laying on flat and partially gluing prior to stapling the fabric down with mitred corners. So for about $36 I was able to fill in a whole wall with these bright canvas's spaced apart. I was fortunate that my husband had an electric staple gun that made the whole process so much easier. When your daughter gets sick of the fabric - you can go and pick some more and just recover them - they are easy to recycle. I've changed one of my little girls canvasses already - they are so versatile. For windows I've done a roman blind in the same series of fabric - but a fabric that is different to those on the walls. If you can sew then making blinds or curtains can be so much more cost effective than having them made. For a 2.1m window by 1.1m high - I made up a roman blind with block out grade 3 that I basted on myself and all the trimmings that go with a roman blind for $80. Spotlight also has an OK range of roman blinds as long as you have windows that fit their sizing. Have fun redecorating and good luck!
​Contributed by Gemma, Mandurama

​Colour Co-ordinate Furniture, Walls and Linen

Painting the furniture white or a pastel/bright colour co-ordinated with the bed linen will make it look totally different. Also for the curtains you can use matching single bed sheets with a rod pocket sewn in for hanging on to the curtain rod. Paint the walls matching or contrasting colours and you could either use posters, cut-outs of material or stickers to decorate the walls.
​Contributed by Julie, Heathcote

​DIY Funky Frames

My tip is to buy or paint some old frames to hang on the wall. In newsagents you can find some pretty funky wrapping paper that you can cut to shape and frame. Another idea is to get your daughter's favourite photos out of her and her friends and place all together in the frames. Also if you are needing a new curtain rod for your daughters room, don't buy a curtain rod as they are expensive, buy a silver shower curtain rail and fittings, mine cost me a total of $11 and it looks great!
​Contributed by Edwina, Grays Point

​Make Your Own Posters for a New Look

The way my daughter decorated her walls was to cut up her fave pictures of people from Dolly and Total Girl magazines and put them up with blu tac. That way, she can arrange the posters herself and add and delete when she feels she's had enough. It's not permanent and it looks cool. It's also really cheap as it's a few magazines and some blu tac for $2.00. Its only one wall so its a feature in the room. The other walls are left for hand made artwork and a pin board with sports medals from school. She also has a small cross-stitch from when she was little and photos.
​Contributed by Mandy, Bellevue Hill

​Plain Curtains Are a Good Starting Point

I re-vamped a bedroom for my 12 year old daughter this Christmas. I was fortunate that she already had plain dark pink curtains and I added a frangipani flower theme. I bought a large picture, photo frame and other similar themed decorations from the $2 shop for less than $40. I added new doona and sheets that were on sale at Spotlight for less than $150. A clean out of her little girl things helped too. Having the plain curtains really helped so I would suggest that you start with curtains in a plain colour that she likes (try Vinnies, eBay etc) then add her chosen theme. Plain curtains too may help when she wants another change at 16!
​Contributed by Jan, Blaxland East

​Custom Colour Blinds

Buy cheap matchstick blinds for the windows. Hang them outside on the clothesline and spray paint to match decor.
​Contributed by Michelle, Mackay

​Use Mis-tints for the Walls

​Go to a paint store and they may have mis-tinted paint that you could use and it's cheap. For the windows op shops or sometimes Kmart have the pine (look alike) blinds, which are fairly reasonable.
Contributed by Cheva, Currumbim

​Budget Wall Decorations

I have a few suggestions for the walls. You can get a massive selection of frames really cheap at the Reject Shop (for $5 you can get a wooden one with a framing mat in it- deal!). I recently bought some plain frames and then went to Spotlight and picked up some beautiful scrapbooking paper in the colours I wanted and framed them. With the framing mat it looks really nice and 'grown up'. If that's a bit too artistic, also at Spotlight I splurged and bought a scrapbooking album that had this "grant archival" software on it that allows you to create scrapbook pages on your computer and print them out. I did the cutest one of my cats and whipped it out on photo paper and framed it really cheap. Also I was recently at Bunnings and they keep having their crafty stuff on sale- watch out for it because I recently got a beautiful border for $5 that was $30!
​Contributed by Jessica, Kealba

​Painting is Cheap Way to Re-decorate

Painting the walls will always be the cheapest option, either white (which will usually go with every colour combination) or match a very pale colour to the bedding. Windows will depend on how much light you wish to block out. Find a Spotlight store and have a look at the "Magic" curtain range. This is cut to the width of the window. You take it home sew up the hem to the required length and just hang it. It has a block out backing. (This also saves time.) If you just want lots of light, then Big W, Target etc usually have lacy curtains cheap.
​Contributed by Yolande, East Ipswich

​Cheap, Easy and Spectacular Window Covering

To cover windows that have boring verticals or Holland blinds, cheap beaded or string style blinds that you often see at the entrance to food businesses look fantastic. You can buy them from discount stores, Asian grocery shops and hardware stores and simply affix them by using Velcro tape to your architraves. If you want to colour co-ordinate you can spray paint the bamboo ones with a $2 can from the Reject Shop or get more creative using beads or crystals with a hote glue gun.
​Contributed by Ruth, Wodonga

​Decorate With Potato Stencils

The latest thing I have found that young adults seem to like is a stencilled wall. I know that to get the proper stencilling sheets is not cheap so why not create your own using a potato. You can have some fun with your child and also bonding time by looking for basic patterns they may like and cutting them out of a potato that has been cut in half. Use some poster paint and you won't have to buy a complete 4 litre tin of wall paint and there are so many colours to choose from.
​Contributed by Debbie, Dubbo

​Handprint Walls

My friend's daughter decorated her freshly painted walls in a contrasting colour using her handprints. It was unique, 'cool' and really jazzy and didn't cost an arm and a leg. Friends would think it was really snazzy too. What's more, she can paint over it later on when she grows out of it.
​Contributed by Jennifer, Gladstone

​Pretty Tissue Boxes

Approximate $ Savings: Up to $1 for pack

Buy the budget tissues then open the old pretty (expensive) empty box and refill with the tissues from the budget box. You will save lots over a year.
​Contributed by Jennifer, Reedy Creek

​Cheap Carpet

Most people know that all carpet layers have left over bits that can be obtained FREE but did you know that frequently carpet companies have to do insurance jobs resulting in almost brand new carpet being thrown away? A few phone calls is all it takes to locate such stuff (a friendly carpet layer is also a bonus)!
​Contributed by Julie, East Victoria Park

​Scout the Hardware Shops for Mis-tint Bargains

I am a relatively new and young homeowner, who is into 'D.I.Y' on a constant basis. I too bagged my courtyard walls, then scouted Bunnings 'mis-tint' section every week to find a colour I like! You can get it for a quarter of the price and there are nice colours, you just need to bed patient and search for one! F.Y.I I just finished making my mum an outdoor setting by using Bunnings off-cuts of bowed wood and buying chairs from eBay...Good Luck! Kim
​Contributed by Kim, Brunswick West

​Industrial Paint Shops Sell Bargains

When we had a whole house to paint, we checked out the Dulux and Taubman's prices and couldn't afford them. At a little industrial paint shop, we found Pascol brand, which is Australian, made. It was excellent quality and so much cheaper, we saved a substantial amount and the finish was beautiful. If you can find a friend who is a relative or is in the panel beating industry, they may be able to access paint supplies for you at wholesale prices. Good luck!
​Contributed by Sandy, Doonside

​Cheap Paint at Bunnings

The best place to get cheap paint is at Bunnings they sell all there mis-tinted paint really cheap you can always find a colour you want or close to it or if not you just try next week and you can often get large quantities too.
​Contributed by Janette, Wallan

​Two In One Doona Cover

Buy two flat sheets in two different colours and join them together to the size of the old doona. Close the bottom with buttons from an old shirt
​Contributed by Julie, Tullamarine

​Revamp for Less

My brother and his wife recently replaced and revamped the entire kitchen and other parts of their rental property for just $800. This is how they did it: A trip to the recyclers: Solid timber kitchen with bench top and sink. Bathroom vanity unit Metal roofing, a post for a new carport, fencing material and two windows. Total: $650. Garage Sale: Stove - $150 Carpet (needed cleaning) - Free Slate tiles (seven metres) - Free This enabled them to make some much needed improvements - and the flat looks terrific!
​Contributed by Kaye, Dianella

​Wallpaper Removal

Instead of hiring a wallpaper steamer and getting burnt legs and arms as well as a wet floor pull the paper off the wall in as big a sheet as you can. Get a spray bottle fill it with hot or warm water. Spray the paper that is left on the wall so as it is wet. Leave to soak for a few minutes. Use a scrapper to scrap the paper off the wall. Get the kids to help fold up or pick up the paper that you first pulled off the wall and get them to put in the recycle bin. A little more elbow grease but you save on the hire water and electricity.
​Contributed by Ian, East Ryde

​Entertaining Decorating

We have a gabled patio and for kiddie birthday parties, we have put up CDs to add a bit of glamour. We used fish wire and joined two CDs at a time (shiny surface facing out). Then leaving a gap of fish wire attached another set of CDs and did this 5 times. -- strung chains of 5 from the roof support beam of the patio. You can make them as long or as short as your roof allows. We made 4 strings of 5. It added a bit of glamour to the party (esp the night ones) and when we had a fish theme party I actually gave the CDs a tail and head (from coloured paper) and they became fish swimming. You can get heaps of free CDs from IT companies (friends working in offices) who have old software/demo CDs they throw out all the time. The kids helped too and we have used the CD strings on several occasions.
​Contributed by Navi, Bibra Lake

​Easy Bed-head Revival

​I'm sure lots of other people have done this but anyway...we recently repainted our bedroom and our awful old chipped wooden bed-head looked completely out of place. Because we can't afford to buy a new bed just yet, I went to Spotlight and bought some nice chocolate material in a soft faux suede. After pinning it around the bed-head, I used hubby's staple gun to fix the material securely in place and voila - a new bed head for about $40. If you were really motivated you could also put padding under the material. While it won't stand up to close inspection, it looks fine when the bed is made, the joins are against the wall, and it will last another year, giving us enough time to save for a new bed.
Contributed by Anita, Ringwood

​Paint Rollers

Some cheap paint rollers often collect fluff on them, which in turn get on the paintwork. To eliminate the fluff just rub the roller in one direction with some coarse sandpaper and then you will have a nice smooth application.
​Contributed by Jeanette, East Maitland

​Preserving Fresh Flowers

​Fruit and flowers may be preserved from decay and fading by immersing them in a solution of gum arabic and water two or three times, waiting a sufficient time between each immersion to allow the gum to dry. This process covers the surface of the fruit with a thin coat of gum, which is entirely impervious to the air, thus preventing the decay of the fruit or flower. Or spray them with hairspray.

​Designer Paintings for Peanuts

With all due respect to Mondrian and Pollack, painting abstract art isn't that difficult. Go to your local discount store and purchase 3 matching canvasses of a size to suit the space you want to fill (I got mine for 9.95 each at GoLo), buy some acrylic paint (acrylic is more forgiving than oil) and brushes, sketch out your design in pencil right on the canvas (an easy one is squares of different sizes, but you can do swirls, or other abstract shapes), making sure that the design flows naturally from one canvas to another and then fill in the blocks or spaces with the paint. Mine looks like we spent a fortune at the local gallery (or at least that is what my friends tell me!) and cost me under $35.00!
​Contributed by Maggie, Martinsville

​Cupboard Tops

I have revamped my 100yr old kitchen cupboard tops with a $15 roll of contact that looks like black marble. I originally was only going to do one top but it looked so good I did the rest as well. I live in a 100yr old Queenslander, so you can imagine the colour scheme of my kitchen.
​Contributed by Sian, Mackay