Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry

Looking for Something?
  • Home
  • About Me
  • $100 Room Challenge
  • Contact Me/Collaborate
  • Essential Oils
    • Where to Buy Essential Oils
    • How to Use Essential Oils
    • Essential Oil Must-Haves
    • Essential Oils: Safety
    • Understanding Common Essential Oil Terms
  • 8 Week Cleaning Challenge
  • Shop My Amazon
  • Fine Print
    • Advertising Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy & Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Disclaimer

Decorating on a Budget: Where to Find Free (and Nearly Free) Decor

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. You can view my full advertising disclosure here.

Money Saving Tips

10 Aug
  • 3.4K
  • 153
  •  

I have been making over rooms with $100 for quite some time, and over the years I have learned the art of decorating on a budget. A very tight budget. I thought I’d share a few of the places I look for free and “nearly free” items for my home… including free paint!

I never knew you could get FREE PAINT! These tips for decorating on a budget are amazing!

Free. I love that word.

As you may know, I am always redoing rooms on a $100 budget. This isn’t an easy task, however. One hundred dollars is not a lot of money when it comes to redoing spaces in your home. Yet, I have completed twelve spaces; all done for $100 or less 🙂

When given only $100 to work with, you have to think outside the box. There is no way you can head out to your local retail stores to buy everything you need. You have to get creative. Today I’m sharing all the places you can look for free (and nearly free) items for your home.

Decorating on a Budget: Where to Find Free Items for Your Home

Local Facebook “Swap and Shop” Groups

Facebook communities are awesome! I am currently a part of three different “Swap and Shop”/”Online Garage Sale” groups on Facebook. When you are in need of an item, simply search for the keyword in the group’s search box. See that mirror above the entry table? I scored it for $20 (brand new) from one of these groups…

Budget Friendly Entry Makeover

… and if you have stuff to sell, you can do that too. But, here’s the deal, a lot of people are “selling” their items for FREE. Just scrolling through my local listings, here are some of the items, available for free:

  • A Piano
  • Several Couches
  • Light Fixtures
  • Bathroom Mirror
  • Office Chair
  • New Bathroom Counter Top with 2 Sinks
  • Several Recliners
  • End Tables
  • Barstools (Set of 4)
  • Doors
  • Coffee Table
  • … Even a Toilet

The list goes on and on. Even if you can’t find what you need for free, most items are a steal.

Local Environmental/Recycle Center

Master Bedroom Reveal

Every drop of paint I used in our master bedroom was free… I also used it in our recent living room makeover. We live in an area where new houses are being built, and when there’s leftover paint, the builders bring it to the recycle center. I have gone time and again, always on the lookout for good colors. Along with paint, there is wood stain, deck stain, household cleaning items, etc. Check to see if you have anything similar in your area. Again, every item is free.

Freecycle

I had actually forgotten about Freecycle until I started writing this post. I used it long ago when I lived in Arizona, and needed a highchair. The concept of the site is this: if you have items that are still in decent shape, and you don’t need them anymore, instead of putting them into the landfill, “recycle” them by giving them away to others that are looking for that same item. All items found in this group are free, and you can also post items you are in need of. My local groups currently have:

  • Filing Cabinets
  • Chair and Ottoman
  • Several Desks
  • Multiple Headboards
  • Kitchen Table
  • Brand New Wood Wardrobe
  • More Light Fixtures

… and, again, the list goes on.

Shop Your Own Home

Sometimes moving a picture from one room to another, gives it a whole new life. When working on a space, wander through your house and see if there just might be an item that would work better in a different place.

Think about recycling items as well. Cover some boxes in paper or fabric, and you’ve got some pretty cute storage.

Pantry Food Storage: Organizing the Pantry for $100 or Less!

… or take a piece of cardboard, apply some chalkboard paint, and make a sign… Yep, that laundry sign is just a piece of cardboard from our garage.

DIY Wood Overlay for Wire Shelving

Decorating on a Budget: Where to Find “Nearly Free” Items for Your Home

Local Vintage Shops

I have fallen in love with the vintage shops in my area, and because the items are used (and old), they can be offered at a reasonable price. The window below was $15. Sure it needed a little love, but it now hangs in my kids’ bathroom as a towel rack.

An old wood window becomes a towel rack for the kids' bathroom!

Have you ever seen the show “Rehab Addict”? Nicole Curtis is a local here in Minnesota, and she often heads out to a huge warehouse, full of treasures. When we were looking for a locker for my son’s room, we headed there ourselves. They had a whole lotta lockers, but they were a little price-y. Enter our local antique shops… I bought one for $45, and turned it into a dresser for my son’s football themed bedroom.

DIY Locker Dresser

Local Garage Sales/Estate Sales

Many people have garage sales because they truly want to rid themselves of unwanted items. If you go on the last day of the sale, they are typically willing to drop the price, or give it away for free so they don’t have to haul it to their local Goodwill.

Goodwill

Speaking of Goodwill… Goodwill is another place to find deeply discounted decor items for your home. Sometimes what you find is a little outdated, but a coat of paint can work wonders. I bought this nightstand for $5 at Goodwill.

Football Bedroom Reveal

A fresh coat of paint and new hardware: good as new. (Full tutorial here.)

$5 Goodwill Nightstand makeover

Discount & Clearance Sections

Hello Target Hotspot! Discount and clearance sections often have great home decor items for cheap ($5 and under). These are just a few items I’ve recently found at Target (my home away from home 🙂 )

All these items for $5 and under in the Target Hotspot!

This isn’t just for home goods, however, check your hardware stores for paint and wood at deeply discounted prices. For paint, check their “oops” section. When a color doesn’t turn out quite right, you can get it for a huge discount. Same goes for wood. Typically people are buying pieces of wood and having them cut down to size. The leftover scrapes are discounted about 70%. That’s how we made these shelves in our master bathroom… each piece of wood cost only 95¢…

This master bathroom is incredible! So many great ideas... and for only $100!!!

Dollar Store

Bins. That’s all I can say. I go to the dollar store for bins; add spray paint, and I’ve got some amazing storage… for $1! (Click on the link below each image for more details.)

$100 Mudroom/Pantry Reveal

Pantry Organization

Creating Storage Solutions with Dollar Store Bins

Coat Closet Organization

 Budget Friendly Ideas for Organizing Under the Bathroom Sink

Organizing the Bathroom

Check out even more ideas in this round-up!

ReStore

Habitat for Humanity has ReStores throughout the country where people donate furniture, building materials, and other items for your home. Because all items are donated, they are sold for a fraction of the cost. The proceeds then go to build homes for low-income families. I, myself, have not yet shopped at a ReStore, but I know others that have had amazing success.

Hopefully you have found some new ideas for places to shop when decorating on a budget!

 

Love it? Pin it!

I never knew you could get FREE PAINT! These tips for decorating on a budget are amazing!

You Might Also Enjoy:

  • Free (& Nearly Free) Wall DecorFree (& Nearly Free) Wall Decor
  • $100 Master Bedroom Makeover$100 Master Bedroom Makeover
  • Save Money Decorating for the SeasonsSave Money Decorating for the Seasons
  • Stunning $100 Room Challenge MakeoversStunning $100 Room Challenge Makeovers
  • Getting Organized with TrashGetting Organized with Trash
  • How to Make Your Young Living Products Last LongerHow to Make Your Young Living Products Last Longer

  • 3.4K
  • 153
  •  

8 Comments

« 20+ Easy Vinyl Projects
Amazing Ways to Clean with Essential Oils »

Comments

  1. Debbie says

    May 16, 2019 at 11:37 PM

    Love to find free stuff like to redo bath room. As taller water saver toilet. Flooring, paint, wall covering around my mobile home shower base.

    Reply
  2. Jeannette says

    April 9, 2019 at 8:17 PM

    Glad you are back and I hope you and your family remain healthy and happy. I’ve been to Restore. Great place for all sorts of building materials. Love your site! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Gail McMenomy says

    January 14, 2019 at 10:07 PM

    I just absolutely love Lemons, Lavender & Laundry! It has opened a whole new world of inspiration for me. I’ve always been creative, but somehow I’d get caught up in the pricey, trendy, craft of the moment craze. When being on a fixed income, that isn’t always cost effective.
    I can’t thank you enough for all of your beautiful ideas. I will definately keep you posted on what your suggestions, ideas + my color schemes & elbow grease combined to make my ‘ho-hum home’ become a place I can look forward to living the autumn of my days in!
    I am presently pursuing my 2nd career which was actually my 1st passion since I was 13-writing (I have so much to learn). After 35 years of nursing I was forced to retire d/t health reasons. At only 51 it about broke my heart and truly sent me into a depression, but now the skies are blue with promise again! I made up a mantra that I see every day on the ceiling above my bed:
    “I WAS FORCED TO RETIRE BUT NO ONE CAN FORCE ME TO QUIT.”
    -Gail McMenomy
    Blessings to all!! ❤

    Reply
  4. Simran Ahuja says

    June 1, 2018 at 2:01 AM

    Nice tips. My favorite one is that vintage window. Well, no one would have imagined such unique idea of towel holder for a window. And the best part is you can buy them at such low price. Thank you so much. Liked it.

    Reply
  5. Carol says

    December 31, 2017 at 6:35 PM

    Great ideas Erin !! —- love your whole blog!!!
    Wishing you much long term success!

    Reply
  6. Morgan says

    August 11, 2017 at 8:27 AM

    Great roundup of ideas! I have hit yo see about recycling centers for paint!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 11, 2017 at 8:30 AM

      “hit yo see”…..?!? One day I will reread BEFORE clicking “post comment”

      Should say “I HAVE TO SEE about recycling centers for paint!”

      Reply
      • Erin Meyer says

        August 14, 2017 at 9:03 AM

        I knew what you meant 🙂 I do the same thing all the time. Once my dog stepped on my keyboard as I was pushing “post”. Nothing I could do about it. It was my comment followed by something like dafhjsf/,.ea 🙂

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi there! I'm Erin. Welcome to Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry, a place to find cleaning tips, organizational ideas, DIY projects, and budget-friendly room transformations. [Read More...]

Come Say Hi!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Let’s Stay In Touch

Subscribe!

Search This Site

Categories

Affiliate Statement & Your Privacy

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our updated privacy policy here.

This site uses cookies. Some are essential to make our site work; others help us improve your user experience. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More