Bedroom Ideas: ANYONE can do

We are of course renters and the walls are white, awesome..... what to do?

My Bedroom Before:

My Bedroom After: How to: Headboard

Mirror - You can see how I made this mirror from an older post in January 09 titled "Mirror Frenzy". It was a gaudy gold mirror I found at DI(thrift store) for 15 dollars.

Valance - I found the valance at Bed Bath and beyond for a screaming deal and the branch was scrap wood from my in-laws backyard. I was thrilled to find a branch so straight and perfect, but an imperfect branch would look just as good.

To hang the branch I used two coat hooks. The branch fit sturdy right on top of the hooks and it is easy to take it down to make adjustments.

How to: Side Tables

Lamps - Both thrift store finds, though I did mix and match the bases with the shades to come up with a combination I liked. Most thrift stores test their lamps and electronics but if your worried about getting a dud find an outlet and test it in the store.

Side tables - One of the side tables is actually a shelf. It is a black brown color and I found it on sale at Shopco for 15 dollars. I really like the shelf as a side table it offers book space and extra storage for random things. The other side table was found at a thrift store. My husband likes to have little "piles" of his things, so under the cubby of the side table I put a large flat basket so he can continue to have a place for his miscellaneous stuff.

Wall Art - 1. The metallic pointy bucket things (I have no name for them but they're cool) where found at Michael's Craft store. Most craft stores have weekly coupons where you can take 50% off one item. Sometimes they keep the coupon on a flyer by the cash register.

2. The three frames on the wall were from thrift stores and they have pressed flower petals inside. For more details look at the post "Do it Yourself: Wall Art" from January 09.

The Rest...

Pillows - The shams for the pillows were clearance from Bed Bath and Beyond and I filled them with mismatched random pillows bought at Ross for under 6 dollars.

Duvet cover - Ross really has great bedding for cheap prices. Our duvet cover was 19 dollars.

Sophie's tip: Do thrift stores scare you?? I know many friends who get overwhelmed or even weirded out at thrift store shopping. The amount of money you can save by occasionally shopping at thrift stores is ridiculous, so get over your fears. Take someone with you who has gone before and knows the ropes or better, always take a list of items to look for.

I love shopping thrift because whatever I am getting is unique, also, when I walk away with a good deal I feel a serious sense of accomplishment.