How to Become the Best Homemaker Decorator on a Low Income

Ladies,

If you are reading this, living in the United States, you have been born and reared during an era of abundance. Never before in history was there such abundance of wealth and material goods as this nation has held for even low-income people.

It was as a new wife on a low income with little to spend on groceries let alone decor, that I learned how to be a homemaker. In this day of visual abundance featuring images of pretty things that we infer are taken by wealthy people, the truth is, what we see is often times produced by the development of good taste and resourcefulness more than money. Just because wealth is abundant in our nation does not mean every individual has deep pockets, but cultivating good taste and being resourceful will help you to produce abundance for your household.

Just as I wrote about in How to be a Homemaker without Money or a Dream Home, I built the most vital homemaking skills in a time of very little income. It was in this time that I developed the true foundation of great homemaking. Cleaning, presentation, and knowing how to find a deal.

The skill of homemaking is just that: a skill.

Homemaking well largely means doing what you can out of your sheer will to make things nice for your home. Want something pretty but can’t afford it? Find it at a garage sale, paint it, make it, find a way. This is how women become strong and sturdy in their work of the home, they have to put effort into creating the home they want but cannot necessarily afford.

Be More Particular About Decor

When we had no money, I learned to be extra careful about what materials I was drawn to. I considered every aspect of design. With little money to buy actual expensive goods, I needed to know what made something look high quality so I could spot it or make it for less. I made our home beautiful by being more particular about decor so that I did not just buy “what we could afford”. There are beautiful high-quality pieces of furniture, curtains, rugs, lamps, etc. at garage sales, posted online and at thrift stores, even being given away by friends and family. Anyone can make their house look beautiful with little to no money, it truly is about developing good taste and seeking out the cheapest form of acquiring things.

Stop Shopping at Expensive Cheap Stores

Mass produced items can be pretty, but they can lure you to pay a lot of money for something that will make little impact. A low budget is not going to stretch at a store like Target. In fact, this is one of the worst habits you can have as a homemaking wife. That high from shopping at a place like Target is just a momentary satisfaction from actual good use of your money for your home. You will pay a lot of money to afford a few small things here and there at Target and these things won’t make the difference in the style of your home.

Focus on Buying Big Used Items

Forget little things like nick knacks in the beginning of making your home. Little decor items are a dime a dozen at thrift shops and garage sales. Never pay a big retail price for small decor. You can find those things later and for very little money. As a new homemaking wife, focus on buying beautiful big things. Buy these big things second hand. But make them BIG. Big wall art. Big mirrors. Big dressers. Big items make a room look styled, they give ample storage, they set the design tone, they look grand. Small pieces of “cute” furniture do not give the room a structure nor anything very substantial in style. Small pieces of furniture can frankly look cheap. Buy one or two large things for a room and less little things to make your money stretch best.

Make Your Textiles Count

Upholstery, curtains and anything fabric like throw blankets cannot be understated in importance. Avoid cheap looking throw pillows and go for rich upholstery texture that gives depth to the fabric. Chenille, velvet, textured cottons or linens, and unique prints. These are all more savory in look and feel over smooth polyester, thin, plain, or a cheap graphic that can rub off.

In lean times when I could not afford fluffy throw pillow inserts, I stuffed my throw pillow covers with everything from clothing to towels to make them look plump instead of the thin inserts that come in many of them. Thin throw pillows make a room look downgraded while fluffy thick pillows look cozy and regal. This same principle applies to curtains, make them long, full and billowy to add elegance and most importantly, choose a fabulous fabric. Wispy or thick, there is a beautiful fabric for any style of curtain. But good curtains will not be found in the curtain isle at Walmart where nothing is made long enough. Amazon has better curtains in extra-long lengths.

Style It

That’s right, no matter how many pretty things you acquire and at a good price, it has to all go together and it has to be arranged purposefully. This can mean having a natural ability to style but it is also a learned skill to pair things nicely and make arrangements on a tabletop or a counter. Even if you have a natural talent, all artists study art to get better. Acquaint yourself with design by spending time in magazines and books both historical and current. If you are only ever exposed to one thing, say, the current, (yet ever changing) trends, you may not learn of something you like better or something that has an elegance beyond the trends.

Here is more on how to make your house a home on a budget, check out how to furnish a house for under $5,000.

Happy Decorating!