From the category archives:

Decorating

Christmas decorations

I’ll admit it…I’m lazy.  I want Christmas cheer without much effort or money.  But I also want things to look nice.

I still use the same fake tabletop tree that I bought when I first moved out of my parents’ house.  Even though it is fake, it doesn’t look plastic or papery…I HATE it when fake trees look like fake trees. I went all out on that tree too–$10.  I have a nice Christmas scarf that I use as a tree skirt, some decorations from when I was a kid, and then the occasional new ones I purchase.  But no matter how much I convince myself that this fake tree is just as good as  real one, there is one ONE reason I believe it….the Christmas Wreath® scented candles by Yankee Candle®.  This candle scent is JUST like a real Christmas tree and help invoke that holiday feeling.  I’m going to assume that everyone knows how to get these candles on sale and coupon codes, so I’ll skip that story and just say “yadda yadda yadda”.

Since I live in a city condo rather than a big house, I also buy condo sized decorations rather than the bigger MORE EXPENSIVE house size decorations…and what does smaller mean:)  LESS EXPENSIVE!  One of my favorites are these little mini grape clusters made out of bells.  The big ones were way too much to justify for something that I’d only use for a few weeks a year and then have to store away in the closet, but the little ones weren’t priced just right.

I’ve also re-purposed a few decorations.  One of my former apartments had a wrought-iron balcony, where I’d bought garland to twine around it.  When I moved to my current place, I gave them a quick wash through washing machine and suddenly I had garland for my sun-room windowsills.  It was a nice quick homey touch.

 

 

Now my absolute favorite tip is this: Move next door to someone who decorates communal areas!  I share a stairwell landing with my next door neighbor.  Each year, they buy fresh pine boughs to wrap around the railing with a few pretty red bows.  [I'll add a photo when they do it this year.They didn't do it this year!  Very disappointed.:( ]

 

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Bare naked walls– ick!

After eight years of white apartment walls, I refused to live with them once I bought a place.  I’ve decided that the reason we use realtors is that they negotiate for us; mine managed to convince the sellers of my condo to pay to paint the living area and two of the bedrooms!

That left one bedroom and two baths that were boring beige.  After two years, I finally turned my attention to decorating one of the bathrooms. It was typical developer-inspired beige walls and cheap chrome fixtures. (Here’s the  “before” video of the room.)

I bought a shower curtain rod right away and received the shower curtain as a gift. Those couldn’t wait. Then I needed to replace the light fixture because the lighting was bad. But it took awhile to redecorate the rest of the room.

I searched for bathroom accessories/fixtures that I like. I settled on Moen’s Lounge series in brushed nickel (chrome would have been cheaper but I really dislike chrome). This series has a few different towel rack styles, a towel ring, a toilet paper holder, and a shelf. For the towel rack, I chose the longer double rack as it would maximize space; I was afraid it would stick out too far, but it doesn’t.

Then I had to install the fixtures and patch the holes from the old fixtures.

The final step was painting the walls. I love the blue (Glidden Stormy Midnight), but it would have been too dark if applied on all the walls. I chose grey for the main walls (Glidden Pebble Grey). I’ve never painted walls before, so my tip is: USE A DROP CLOTH! Luckily, paint drips come off marble easily, but if it had been a different material, I could have had some serious cleanup issues. Paint tape might have made trimming easier, but I ended up using an artist’s paintbrush for touch ups, so I think I did a decent job.

(Here is the “after” video of the bathroom.)

Now, why is this a Thriftista blog?   Because I tried to decorate on the cheap.  Here is a table showing what things cost compared to what I spent:

Item Retail price Monica’s cost
Shower rod $40 $40
Shower curtain $30 $0 (gift‚ thanks X!)
Light fixture $10 $10
Glass shelf $43 $0 (gift‚ thanks N!)
Towel ring $20 $0 (gift‚ thanks N!)
Towel rack $43 $43
Toilet paper holder $28 $28
Paint $20 $0 (gift certificate using reward points)
Total $224 $121

If I’d managed to do this under $100, I would have been really proud, but I am content with $100 savings.

What I have learned from this is that I won’t be asking for books for my birthday! I’ll continue to use the library and instead ask for grown-up gifts that will be practical, yet enjoyable. I mean “seriously”  isn’t as if I can avoid the bathroom, so I’ll be enjoying this decorated room on a daily basis.

If you are interested in Do It Yourself (DIY) projects, checkout LisaG’s blog on home improvement workshops.

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A coat of paint: Decorator tables

It is amazing how a coat of paint can change an item.

When I moved into my first apartment (okay, my second ‚Äî to understand that statement, read my blog about renter’s insurance), I was decorating from scratch.¬† No couch, no TV stand, no end tables ‚Äî nothing.¬† I was working as a technical writer at the time, so money wasn’t just rolling in.¬† I decided to spend “real” money on the couch (that is, my insurance money), but everything else was going to have to be cheap until I could afford to replace them one at a time.

This led to my purchase of decorator end tables ‚Äî about $10 each at Target in 2001.¬† I can’t remember how much the table clothes were.¬† They allowed me to have end tables in my living room and also gave me a place to store my DVDs and a few other things.

Well, it is now 2010.¬† Overall, I got my money’s worth out of them but it is nine years later, and it is time for a change.¬† In the background of the above pictures, you can see my mint green walls (a surprisingly versatile wall color ‚Äî goes with almost every other color). The trim in my condo is white.¬† When Glidden was offering free pints of paint last summer, I acquired a nice marshmallow white that matches the trim on the doors and windows.¬† Since it was free paint and is a clean, complimentary color to the wall paint, I decided to go for it and pulled out the paint brushes. A third of a pint later and they have a new look ‚Äîclean and sleek.

Also, if I have any gatherings this summer that allow for deck time, they are light enough to carry outside for a little extra table space.

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I did it! I did it! I can’t believe I did it!: A new light fixture

To misquote “My Fair Lady” – I did it! I did it! I said that I would do it, and indeed I did.

What has me so excited and proud?  I changed my first light fixture.  I haven’t done anything with electrical before and I likely won’t do anything much fancier than this.  But once someone explained how to connect the electrical wires, it wasn’t too hard.

I’ve decided that setting aside uncertainty is the only way I am going to learn a lot of home improvement skills. I plan to force myself to do something at least once for the following reasons: 1) so I know I tried, 2) to test my limits, and 3) to eventually SAVE MONEY!

So here is my disclaimer: Only do electrical work if you are comfortable with it.  If you aren’t comfortable, then either find a friend who is or –gasp!– hire someone to do it for you. Now, back to the regularly scheduled blog…

Light fixture- before

Since I’ve been unhappy with the lighting in my bathroom, I determined I needed a better light fixture.  I mean, I spent the past year-and-a-half using the “last look” mirror by my front door to make sure I don’t look like a clown before I leave the house; something  had to be done.  So when I was at a hardware store looking for something else, I took a few minutes to browse through light fixtures suitable for the bathroom.  Not surprisingly, I found a basic vanity light that holds four bulbs and is in a brushed nickel patina; it cost about $10.

This is when I admit that I set the fixture aside for several months until I had talked myself into figuring out how to attach it.   Here were the basic steps:

  1. Find a trustworthy do-it-yourself website or a friend with experience– having something/one to consult is important! (LisaG also has a blog about free DIY workshops);
  2. Turn off the power at the circuit-breaker (this is a MUST!);
  3. Remove the old light fixture and the old mounting device (note the colors of the fixtures wires, the colors of the wires in the wall that they attached to, and if there is a green grounding wire or if it was grounded another way);
  4. Read the new fixture’s instructions;
  5. Measure and mark where the drill holes for the new fixture will be placed;
  6. Attach the new fixture per instructions (and make sure it is grounded!);
  7. Insert the new bulbs;
  8. Turn power back on at circuit breaker; and
  9. Turn on the light.

The hardest part was attaching the wires.  An extra set of hands would have made it easier, but I managed to juggle it.  My first try didn’t work and I had to ask my dad how the wires need to be attached.  It turns out that the end of the fixture wire has to not just twine around the wall wire, but wrap over the end of the wall wire (it is difficult to explain in words, which is why your first attempt should be with someone who knows what he or she is doing)– then attach the electrical cap.

Voila!   I can now see myself with no shadows to cast uncertainty over my make-up application.

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Etsy

If you like one-of-a-kind items, Etsyis a good Web site to visit.   Individuals have their own “shop” on the site and they sell handmade goods, vintage clothing, purses, jewelry, and too many other things to list.  This site is browsable in a few different ways: by category (clothing, bags, candles, etc.), through the search bar, and by seller.  In addition, you can post an idea of what you want with the price you are considering, and sellers can bid on making it for you (I haven’t used this feature yet).

 Now why would a Thriftista be interested in this store?  I’ve found some very nice one-of-a-kind purses on this site for under $50 (including shipping).  There is also a nice feature that allows you to narrow your search by dollar amount (why would I want to see things that are too expensive?).

Here are two warnings about this site—some of the handmade items are not as professional as others and some items are NOT cheap (I mean, inexpensive).  A few items are WAY out there too (my favorite is the orange furry purse), but good for a laugh.

(My favorite vendor is a friend of mine: Pretty Theory. Her pendants are a great stocking stuffer/party favor idea.)

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An alternative to framing photos

Framing photos is expensive. One of the great advantages of the digital age is that we don’t have to print our photos on standard photo paper any longer. My favorite alternative is the gallery-wrap print-to-canvas option.

Gallery-wrap is when the photo is extended around the sides of the canvas frame, thereby eliminating the need for a frame. That doesn’t mean you can’t frame the canvas, but there are two reasons I like the unframed canvas: 1) no frame means less cost, and 2) you never have to reframe when you redecorate or move the photo (there is nothing to clash with the new decor).

This option is offered on most photo Web sites, from Shutterfly to Kodak, Snapfish to Walgreens. However, my favorite is Art Hammer. They offer more sizes and a few times a year they offer 20% off and free shipping. I most often order the smallest size, which means I spend about $50 per canvas. While this isn’t the cheapest means of displaying your photos, it is definitely cheaper than framing photos or buying professional art.

Another site I am going to try soon is Personalization Mall. They have mini canvases for under $25 (I assume that shipping is extra). Having another size to choose from will add a little variety to the photos I display.

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My first refinishing project

I bought my first home last year, so I have been slowly decorating the place. My kitchen has an island counter with a small breakfast bar. Since I have a dining room table, I didn’t immediately go out to buy stools — I had other priorities and this wasn’t urgent.

But this summer I finally got around to dealing with the seatless breakfast bar. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on stools and I didn’t want to stools to take up a lot of space or detract from the rest of the decor — I wanted them to blend. By searching the web, I found a style I liked — saddle stool — but most were going to be at least $60 each and they didn’t come in the colors I liked. So I hit Craigslist and patiently searched for stools that I liked. It took over a month, but someone finally was selling the style I was looking for, but in the wrong color.

I decided to contact the seller anyway; although she was asking for $60 for the set, it was still a little too much for me since I knew I was going to strip and restain them. My next move is one that has to be done carefully and politely — I emailed the seller and said that if no one else was interested at the price she was asking, I’d be willing to buy the pair for $30. She was open to negotiation and we settled on $40 for the pair. For one year old bar stools that are worth $60 each, it was a reasonable deal.

 

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Since my sister had completed a refinishing project a year ago, I used the last of her stain remover and supplies to strip the walnut color off the saddle stools. A quick stop at the hardware store for a $5 can of maple stain and I was ready to go.

$120 stools for $45…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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