Money Saving Tricks

Have you ever run out of paint during a decorating project? You can help avoid this dilemma by painting all the main areas first and leaving hidden spaces for last. Then, if you run out of paint, it will not be as much of a problem.

Have you ever run out of paint during a decorating project? You can help avoid this dilemma by painting all the main areas first and leaving hidden spaces for last. Then, if you run out of paint, it will not be as much of a problem.

You do not really have to paint the inside of the closet, nor must you paint the interior of the dresser since it will be hidden by drawers. You can even get away with only painting the frame and drawer fronts and skipping the back of the piece, which is going to be against a wall. This is true of any large piece if one area is hidden from view.

You can also skimp on fabric if you must. If you don't have enough material to make a bed skirt that covers the box spring and then drapes down to the floor, only make the ruffle. Maybe you have enough fabric, but you would rather use it for other things. Make just the skirted part and add elastic around the edges or sew the skirt to an old fitted bed sheet.

Another option is making four separate pieces of skirting, two for the sides of the bed and two for the ends. Sew ribbon to each corner to tie the bed skirt in place. Not only will you save fabric and money, but you won't have to wrestle with the mattress each time you want to wash the bed skirt.

Yet another good trick is slipping pieces of thick cardboard between the mattress and the box spring and stapling the skirt to the cardboard. If you use this option, make the skirt just a bit longer than necessary, so you can staple it high enough that the staples won't show. If the bed is against a wall, you can get away with making a bed skirt that covers only the sides that will show.

If you have an asymmetrical room, which is not uncommon, you may have a window that just doesn't seem like it belongs. You feel like there should be a parallel window on the same wall, and if there were, you would likely place a piece of furniture between the two.

Instead of dealing with the mess of and the expense of putting in another window, add a faux window. Architectural elements are often mimicked to balance a space. A good way to do this is to add blinds to the existing window and then hang a set of matching blinds at the same height where you feel the other window should be. If it seems too flat, add a mirror beneath it to reflect light and make it seem more realistic. Then all that's left to do is add window treatments.