Ten Ways to Decorate for Free Using What You Already Have

Do you look at your rooms some days and feel like everything needs to go to make it feel current again?

I know I feel that way sometimes but of course, that’s not logical, in the budget, or even necessary!

And I would never actually want to part with some of my lovelies that I’ve collected over the years.

Because I decorate with a lot of classic and vintage pieces, it’s easy for my home to look tired instead of timeless and stuffy instead of stylish.

But I’ve learned that sometimes a little creativity and moving things around can freshen a space just as much as a trip to the store to spend more money on more things.

If you feel like your home’s decor is stale, outdated, or you are just downright tired of it, here are ten very simple ways to redecorate that cost little or no money!

This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra charge to you. I only recommend products that I love or would purchase for myself. See my full disclosure here.

1. Edit and then edit again.

Ok, this first trick is more about undecorating than decorating. But out of all ten tips, I feel like this one makes the most difference. One of my favorite ways to update and refresh rooms that costs absolutely nothing and makes a HUGE difference is EDITING!

Take it out.

We become blind to the things in our room after a while and even feel like something’s out of place if it’s moved or removed. Most of us are also guilty of buying decorative accents and tchotchkes every time we see something pretty and adding it in with no overall plan. Before we know it there is way too much stuff on the coffee table, sofa table, end tables, mantel, kitchen counters, and shelves…pretty much on every surface and wall space! And too much decor seems to invite its friend, clutter, that is easily overlooked because you just don’t “see” those areas anymore.

So the first order of business is to look at each room with a critical, ruthless eye and pare down accessories and unnecessary furniture!

Before you begin, clean up all of the clutter and put everything away. Just this step alone will have you feeling so much better.

Next, take pictures of your room with your phone and study them. It definitely helps you see the things you usually don’t notice.

Then, remove all of the accessories from the tables, bookshelves, and mantel, and also any small furniture from the room like accent chairs and tables. Live with the room this way for a few days to get over the feeling of something being out of place and to help you reset your thinking of the room before you put anything back. Take more pictures of your room at its most basic and ponder over those.

Decide where accessories will make the most impact and begin shopping what you’ve taken out and then slowly add some back in.

Keep in mind interior designers never scatter decorative items around a room. They are always grouped together or are large and placed in relation to a piece of furniture or art. So make sure to arrange smaller accessories together in vignettes, use uneven numbers, place really small items on trays, and combine different textures and colors together in your groupings to add interest.

Don’t give in to the need to fill up every area with furniture, accessories, and collectibles! Every wall and empty surface should not be decorated. As someone who loves to decorate this is a constant struggle for me. But I know that leaving empty space lets the eye rest so it can appreciate what IS in the room, including the architectural features and the most special pieces. And a room with visual space always looks more updated! So mindfully leave some empty and negative space in your room as you are adding decor back in. Less is more.

You will most likely find your room looks better with less or that something you took out works better in another room (more about that later.) You may also decide something works well but the color looks outdated (more about that later too!)

And to reign in the clutter that you’ve just gotten rid of, large storage baskets make nice double duty accessories that also bring texture to the room!

Take it down.

To further freshen your rooms, take down any heavy, frilly, ornate drapes. I know you’ve probably paid a lot for them, but they can really date a room. If you want to use window treatments, opt for drapes or decorative shades with a simple neutral fabric and pattern, and cover as little of the window as possible. Hang curtains as high as you can while still having them graze the floor. A light-filled room is always fresh and in style. Cleaning and shining those windows amps the freshness up another notch!

Also, remove area rugs with dated patterns or color combinations that were trendy in another decade. Rugs with a modern pattern, solid geometric prints, animal hides, or natural materials such as jute, seagrass, or sisal have a much more updated look. If you have wall to wall carpet, try adding an updated area rug on top.

Replacing a rug is definitely not free but taking a dated or too small rug out can make a room feel more current. Keep your eye on FBMP, thrift stores, and estate sales for an affordable replacement in the future.

2. Try it in a new spot.

When I was a kid with no decorating dollars of my own, I would rearrange my bedroom in every way possible (am I the only one?) It’s actually fun and gratifying to get resourceful when you don’t have money to spend! So rearrange the room and play around with different configurations. It can always go back. If you don’t feel like the furniture could go anywhere but where it is, it might be possible now that you’ve removed a couple of pieces. Try pulling the furniture away from the walls in the family room. Remove furniture out of walkways. Split up your sectional and remove the center if it’s too large for your room. Be aware of focal points from your seating area . If you need help with placing the furniture, I have a whole post about where to put furniture here.

Also try furniture in different rooms. Chairs, side tables, benches, and other small pieces of furniture can be interchangeable throughout your home. The same applies to decorative accents. If you gravitate toward a certain decor style, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to move things from room to room to make a whole new look!

3. Repurpose and recycle.

The third way to decorate on the cheap is to reuse what you have in a new way. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of things we paid good money for so we keep them. And when we get more, we relegate the oldest stuff to the rooms guests don’t see…bedrooms, offices, game rooms, etc. We all have those cluttered rooms decorated with a mish-mash of things we really don’t want anymore. Some of it needs to go when you complete the first step of editing, but the outdated things you choose to keep can be brought back to life!

My French-ified candlesticks were old world bronze and gold before a craft paint makeover!

Paint is the number one tool for decorating on a budget so use paint to give your furniture and accessories a facelift. I cannot tell you how many old accessories that were trendy (think “old world early 2000’s) that I have loved again after a paint job. I figure trying a new look with paint can’t hurt if I don’t like something anymore anyway. And if I don’t like the first paint job, I can always paint over it. I’ve used all kinds of paint including craft paint, leftover house paint, spray paint, and Rub N Buff to transform furniture and accessories.

The original 90s worn drawer pulls on my desk got a refresh with copper spray paint.

Some good candidates for painting are:

• Cabinet or furniture hardware – metallic spray paint or Rub N Buff work wonders for updating
• Lamps
• Furniture – Break up matchy-matchy dining room sets by painting either the table or the chairs.
• Mirror frames
• Picture frames
• Baskets
• Pottery
• Light fixtures
• Any knick-knacks are fair game

You can also repurpose things you already own by thinking outside of the box and using them in a different way than they were intended!

• Hang something on the wall besides photos and art. I pulled these iron gate pieces out of the back junk corner of our yard! Other ideas are to hang a collection of baskets, hats, or plates in a grouping like they are one large statement piece of art.

• Use a wall mirror as a tray.
• Bring outdoor planters and garden accessories inside for decor with loads of rustic charm.

4. Use plates, glasses, and dishware to decorate.

Sometimes dishes and glasses are too pretty to be hidden in the cabinet. One of my personal favorite accessory staples are white dishes and ironstone. You can see all of the reasons they are considered the “little black dress” of the decorating world in my post here. White dishes make such a statement displayed together in bookshelves or a hutch. Plates can be propped up behind other decor in a shelf or hung on the wall. Don’t stop at just plates…soup tureens, serving bowls, teacups, and gravy boats are just several more possibilities.

5. Frame some free art.

Make your own free artwork from:

• Pictures or pages from old books
• Your kids’ artwork
• Favorite fun candid family pictures
• Wallpaper or fabric samples
• Free artwork can also be found online on public domain websites. Just give Google and Pinterest a search.
• Many bloggers offer free printable artwork as well.

Since art from any of these sources won’t be large, make sure to display them in a matted frame and make a gallery wall to display them in a collection. Paint all of the frames the same color for a unified look. Just like with accessories, designers never sprinkle small art around on the walls alone but use large pieces or groupings that act like a large wall piece. You can see all of my tips for hanging artwork in my post here.

6. Decorate with books.

Books are another decorator staple that we often have stored somewhere. Unless they are a coffee table book with a pretty, special interest cover, I like to make the books I decorate with as neutral as possible by removing the dust jacket, or covering them with paint, burlap, butcher paper, or using this unbound book bundle DIY. Another popular way to display books is to turn the spines backward so that the pages face out.

7. Decorate the bathroom with white.

Take a cue from one of my tricks from home staging. Create a fresh spa-like feel in the bathroom by rolling fluffy white towels and placing them in a basket. Clear off the counters and place scented white soap in a white bowl or saucer. Fill a clear vase or apothecary jar with cotton balls or epsom salt (rock salt gives the same look if you aren’t actually going to use it.) Finish the counter off with a small green plant (faux is fine.)

8. Use clippings from the yard in a vase.

This is a hack we also use in staging a home for sale that brings an instant updated feel to a room! Trim some greenery or branches from almost any bush or tree and place it in a vase of water. Easy Peasy!

9. Decorate with fruit and vegetables in the kitchen.

Another staging trick for freshening up the kitchen’s look is to clear almost everything off of the counters and add a simple white bowl of lemons or green apples and a green plant. Try placing them on or in front of a wood or marble cutting board or cookbook (whatever contrasts with your counter and backsplash.)

10. Look for free decor from other places.

Search Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups for items people are giving away. It does happen when people need to get rid of things fast. Just be careful what you take. If it’s outdated too that’s not going to help your room situation!

You may have friends that are tired of their decor too. Host a decor exchange party and swap some of the items you no longer want with each other. You could even do this virtually or in a text group so that you can share photos of what you’re offering up.

More ideas for under $50.

We’ve talked about no ten no-cost ways to decorate but there are lots of low cost ideas too! Here are a few that can cost less than $50 and will instantly update your space:

• Replace a lampshade with a more current drum shade.
• Paint or add temporary wallpaper to make an accent wall.
• Add new throw pillows in a current color or pattern with a coordinating throw blanket. (And these items help disguise the sofa that you don’t love anymore!)

*Another design tip that makes your sofa look updated is to make sure your throw pillows are large enough (usually at least 20″x20″) and that the insert is two inches larger than the cover.

With just a little bit of time and imagination, you can update your rooms and give them new life without spending a ton of money. Decorating isn’t about how much things cost. It’s about making a home that brings you joy and makes you feel good when you’re there!

As always, I appreciate your visit, comments, and shares here on the blog! I’d love it if you also follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook so you won’t miss any of my inspiration and ideas.

Don’t forget to sign up for updates to keep in touch…I have lots of fun and useful freebies you may be interested in in my subscriber-only library like my cheat sheets for where to place lighting, bathroom fixtures, artwork, and furniture!

Pin this to your decorating board for reference later: