Home Improvement On the Cheap

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kaylagrl

Guest
#1
#1
So Ive been married 5 months,so far so good.lol Anyhow we have a two story home.Its kind of big for two people but we have tornadoes in the area and needed a safe place during the storms.I dont currently work outside the home so I wanted to do things I could to improve the house but without very much expense.



First the kitchen looked so small and dark.So we decided to paint the cabinets.We added new hardware too and it lightened up the whole room and make it look bigger.
My second project was the heating vents.They were an ugly faded gold with white paint drops on them.Didn't seem to bother the last owners but it did me.It cost too much to replace them all.So I looked online and decided to spray paint them.I crossed my fingers and went to work.Im really pleased as to how it turned out.They look brand new.Before and after is pretty unbelievable.So I wanted to know if you all had any ideas for home improvement or decorating on the cheap.
 
GandalfTheWhite

GandalfTheWhite

Senior Member
#2
Jan 25, 2015
9,213
3,188
113
#2
I like your thread but we build with bricks in SA and not with wood :( so I am afraid that my advise will be useless :)
 
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Siberian_Khatru

Guest
#3
#3
Got any pictures, Kayla? :D
 
Willie-T

Willie-T

Banned
#4
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
0
#4
I built this huge (46"x39"x9") medicine cabinet for less than $80, mirrors included.

IMG_0274.JPG IMG_0275.JPG
 
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Siberian_Khatru

Guest
#5
#5
Willie-T said:
I built this huge (46"x39"x9") medicine cabinet for less than $80, mirrors included.
Click to expand...
Plot twist: It's as big as it is because he uses it to store shrunken heads, not medicine.
 
Willie-T

Willie-T

Banned
#6
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
0
#6
Siberian_Khatru said:
Plot twist: It's as big as it is because he uses it to store shrunken heads, not medicine.
Click to expand...
Besides the fact that both my wife and I are proponents of always having a "spare" of most things on hand, we also wanted to have handy storage of TP on those shelves. One shelf can easily hold five rolls.
 
JesusLives

JesusLives

Senior Member
#7
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
2,171
113
#7
When my daughter was very young I built her a youth bed out of 3/4 inch plywood and rounded the head board and foot board with a big garbage can lid drilled holes (neighbor did for me he had the drill) to put the side rails on then put boards across the bottom and put her crib mattress on it. Cut a heart out of the headboard and that little bed was strong enough to hold both of us so I could lay down with her till she fell asleep.... I think it cost me about $25.00 in materials and my sweat equity...Had it for years and then later traded it for a homemade daybed a friend made....

Glad I took woodworking instead of home ick.....lol
 
N

NewWine

Guest
#8
#8
WHen we first built this house we were in need of a lot of furniture to fill it, especially bedroom furniture and organizational type things. I took old crates and these wooden spools we found on the land, draped cloth fabric over them and used them as night stands by the girls' beds, took a piece of scrap wood, and screwed the lids to jars on it and hung it with the jars hanging down (any kind of clear jar with a screw-on, metal lid will work). The girls stored their hair bows, paper clips, earrings and whatever smaller items that fit inside them, they could always see what they were grabbing and they loved the "retro" look. I used old sheets and made curtains, for under cabinet storage of spray bottles and scrubby pads, sponges and such, I hung an expandable rod (like the kind that holds up shower curtains only smaller) across the cabinet, and then hang the bottles on the rod. Then biglots and dollar stores sell those hanging wire packet holders (used to hold Kool-Aid packets or gravy packets) hung one from the rod to hold all my scrubby pads. Plastic shoe boxes make great organizers inside the fridge or closets. Old tool boxes or tackle boxes make great organizers for toys, small crafting items, and so on. If you can sew at all, buy discounted sheets to make sofa or chair covers (for ugly garage sale finds). We found some old wooden furniture by the side of the road one day, and took them apart and reused to wood to build a bookcase.....the ideas are endless. Pinterest and Youtube have lots of great ideas too!
Just keep using your imagination and you will have a lovely decorated and organized home in no time.
 
N

NewWine

Guest
#10
#10
Ooooh and many used bookstores sell books on decorating on the cheap for cheap too.
 
N

NewWine

Guest
#11
#11
Willie-T said:
Besides the fact that both my wife and I are proponents of always having a "spare" of most things on hand, we also wanted to have handy storage of TP on those shelves. One shelf can easily hold five rolls.
Click to expand...
One can never have too many rolls of TP, right?
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#13
#13
NewWine said:
WHen we first built this house we were in need of a lot of furniture to fill it, especially bedroom furniture and organizational type things. I took old crates and these wooden spools we found on the land, draped cloth fabric over them and used them as night stands by the girls' beds, took a piece of scrap wood, and screwed the lids to jars on it and hung it with the jars hanging down (any kind of clear jar with a screw-on, metal lid will work). The girls stored their hair bows, paper clips, earrings and whatever smaller items that fit inside them, they could always see what they were grabbing and they loved the "retro" look. I used old sheets and made curtains, for under cabinet storage of spray bottles and scrubby pads, sponges and such, I hung an expandable rod (like the kind that holds up shower curtains only smaller) across the cabinet, and then hang the bottles on the rod. Then biglots and dollar stores sell those hanging wire packet holders (used to hold Kool-Aid packets or gravy packets) hung one from the rod to hold all my scrubby pads. Plastic shoe boxes make great organizers inside the fridge or closets. Old tool boxes or tackle boxes make great organizers for toys, small crafting items, and so on. If you can sew at all, buy discounted sheets to make sofa or chair covers (for ugly garage sale finds). We found some old wooden furniture by the side of the road one day, and took them apart and reused to wood to build a bookcase.....the ideas are endless. Pinterest and Youtube have lots of great ideas too!
Just keep using your imagination and you will have a lovely decorated and organized home in no time.
Click to expand...

I will have to keep looking at this post to get all those ideas!! Wow, you need your own blog! Dollar store has lots of ideas for storage and organizing,its a favorite.Also BigLots has sales often and we have bought a lot from them.I love thrifty ideas and am happiest when I can save dollars.I wanted two rugs to put on my deck for summer.Got two on sale at BigLots saved lots and lots of money on that one.Thanks for sharing!
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#18
#18
NewWine said:
I LOVE IT!!!!! My adult kids tease me because when they were little we ran out of TP often, so often that I buy it every time I go to the market now! I ALWAYS have TP now!
Click to expand...

Lol its the TP thread now.If you buy the thicker stuff it goes faster.So you have to choose softness or running to the store every time you turn around. I think I need to start shopping at Costco.Its just the two of us and Im like "how can we be using this much TP?" I guess we have healthy digestive tracts.hahahaa
 
3

3Scoreand10

Guest
#19
#19
NewWine said:
I LOVE IT!!!!! My adult kids tease me because when they were little we ran out of TP often, so often that I buy it every time I go to the market now! I ALWAYS have TP now!
Click to expand...
When the economy crashes and we have to barter, your greatest asset will be TP!
If you got it and they don't, they will give anything you ask!:cool:
 
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NewWine

Guest
#20
#20
3Scoreand10 said:
When the economy crashes and we have to barter, your greatest asset will be TP!
If you got it and they don't, they will give anything you ask!:cool:
Click to expand...
I hadn't really thought about my storage being used as barter one day, but that makes sense. I just NEVER want to run out again! Most of the items I store with possible use for barter are things like lighters, cooking fuels (those tiny cans used with schaffers? for keeping buffet foods warm) and my own creations (vanilla extract, caramel and chocolate sauce (I make the best I have tried), seasoned vinegars and oils, dried spices I grow and the likes). People offer to buy them now, so one day who knows? But TP is a good thought too.
I don't really think I will see the collapse, but with how things are going of late, who knows?
 
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