7 Easy and Inexpensive Interior Decorating Tips

We all like to have nice things in our home, right? But we don't always have the money to spend on the things we'd really like to have.

So, why not use a little imagination and get creative? It's amazing how easy it can be to make attractive items for your home, or just make it look a little nicer, without spending a fortune. To give you some ideas, here are 7 easy and inexpensive interior decorating tips which I hope you'll find interesting.

1. You can make a great curtains from bedspreads pretty quickly as they're already hemmed. Just pleat the top, sew on your hooks and you're done! Don't forget - if you're using quite a heavy bedspread, make sure that your curtain pole is strong enough to take the weight.

2. If you're after extra seating for your home, why not jazz up a deckchair? Firstly, make sure that the frame is solid before you begin. Then remove the original fabric (but keep it as a template for the new material), paint the frame whatever color you like and when it's dry, recover with a fabric such as velvet, suede, strong cotton or brocade for a great-looking, modern chair. (When fixing the new material, be sure to use upholstery nails).

3. By far the quickest way to spruce up any room is with a fresh coat of paint. Think about the size of your room before you buy your paint and also, the amount of natural light it gets. If your room is small, light colors on the walls with a splash of a darker contrasting color here and there will be best whilst a large room can afford to have one, or even two walls accented in a darker color. If you have little natural light in your room, believe it or not, light colors aren't always the best to use but instead, mid-tones. (They're the colors that are right in the center of the color selector card). The reason for this is that rooms with little or no natural light need a certain depth of color to bring them to life. As quoted by Donald Kaufman, an expert in the field of color and paint, "A light color will never come to life in a dark room but a rich, deep color can make a dim, somber space feel warm and luminous - even though it receives no natural light."

4. Lighting is another great way to change the look and feel of a room. Sometimes, just the way the light is angled from a bulb can make a huge difference. For example, if you have a lampshade that projects the light downwards into a room, change it for a shade which projects the light upwards - or vice-versa.

5. If your living or dining room furniture is in need of a pick-me-up, or you just fancy a change, buy some removable covers to fit over it (or if you're good with a sewing machine, make them yourself! Look for videos online that you can follow for guidance). Dining room slip-covers are widely available, along with matching fabric to make a tablecloth, cushion covers, napkins or curtains if you'd like to. For your living room furniture, covers which go over the whole sofa or chair can be purchased pretty inexpensively - certainly more-so than buying a whole new suite!

6. If you have a solid coffee table with a glass top that you're like to liven up, why not try putting some dried flowers and foliage, a collage of favourite pictures or even a piece of material that contrasts with your decor, underneath it. It's personal, it looks good and you can change it as often as you like.

7. There's nothing like mirrors and pictures on your walls to bring a room to life. Mirrors will reflect the light and make a room look larger and pictures bring a personal touch to your home and brighten up the walls. Think about where you put them though. Don't hang a large mirror over a small piece of furniture or a small mirror over a large piece of furniture - it will look odd and out of balance. With pictures, hang them individually, evenly spaced out in rows or in a group on the wall. You could even paint an abstract design yourself and mount it between two glass frames before hanging it on your wall for a real conversation piece!

These are only 7 easy and inexpensive interior decorating tips for you to try, but once the creative juices start flowing, I'm pretty sure you'll come up with plenty more of your own.

I have varied interests including cooking, writing, working online, my dogs and creating new looks using budget methods.