$14 vs. $8

Simple Decorating Tips for Less

Have you ever seen something in a store that is breathtakingly beautiful? You pick it up with delight, imagining the exact spot and place you will use it in your home. With great hope in your heart, you turn it over, looking for that magical clearance sticker - and in less than a second, your dream of using the item is suddenly squelched because you clearly have expensive taste and simply can’t afford it. Well, if that is you, maybe we are twins.This, my friends, happens to me on a regular basis and way too often, but I have had to learn to use my imagination and creative side of my brain to create "the look for less."

 
Having a degree in interior design, I absolutely LOVE to design and make unique pieces for my home - and there are many different stores and magazines that inspire me to recreate artsy goodness. One of my favorite stores happens to be Anthropologie. The fashion, bedding, and décor is simply heaven for outside-the-box thinkers. Recently, I was in the store looking and getting some inspiration, and I came across some of these 3-D letters that had different patterns all over them. I loved these letters, but they were a little out of my price range, ($14 for a 7" letter). So, I just tucked that concept away for a later  time. 

The 'R' at the wedding

Well, I recently got married and used a lot of different 'Rs' for décor, because my new last name begins with ‘R.’ I had purchased a giant ‘R’ at my local craft store (using a 50% off 1 item coupon, resulting in only paying $5 for a 2' 3-D ‘R’) and painted it to match my wedding. There was just one little problem: after the wedding, the color of the ‘R’ and my living room clashed. So, I sat and thought about what I could do to help the ‘R’ belong in my living room. Suddenly, I was inspired with the idea at Anthropologie. I decided to use different patterns to cover the ‘R’ and make it fit in perfectly with the décor of my house. Scrapbook paper is a fabulous thing to use on a tight budget. I went again to my local craft store and bought 12 pieces of scrapbook paper (which were on sale) and I paid a total of $2. Then, I had to come up with how to adhere the paper to the giant ‘R’; and I immediately turned to a great standby - Mod Podge! (This is a great supply to have if you do any kind of crafty stuff.)

The 'R' post-Mod Podge

Once I had my supplies all collected, I was able to begin creating the ‘R’ I had envisioned. Please keep in mind that this concept doesn’t have to be strictly for covering letters. You can also do this with coasters, coffee tables, canvasses, gift boxes, letters spelling an entire name, etc. With a small budget, being resourceful is always a great idea - and the total cost of this project was only $8. I hope this helps you see where you can also get inspired by other ideas and concepts - and save too! 

 

COVERING LETTER DIRECTIONS:

1. Gather all materials: 3-D letter, scrapbook paper (different coordinating patterns), Mod Podge glue, and a sponge brush.
2. Begin ripping the scrapbook paper into different large strips.
3. Using the brush, place the glue onto the object and to the paper strip; then begin placing the paper flat onto the object and slightly overlap the different patterns and pieces. (NOTE: Don’t use too much glue or it will all bubble up. It also works best to smooth out the paper or bubbles will form.)
4. Once all the paper is completely covering the entire letter and glued onto the letter, use the brush to spread a little extra glue all over the top of the paper, which will seal the letter and give it a great smoothed texture.
5. After letting it dry for a few hours, get your 'R' and go find that perfect spot - and enjoy your look for less!    

The Finished Product