21 Low-Budget Decor Ideas To Spruce Up Your Home

We all want our homes to look good, but sometimes there isn't a large budget for us to dump hundreds of dollars into fresh decor, new furniture, and remodels. Fortunately, whether you are on a tight budget or just a frugally minded individual, there are numerous options when it comes to low-budget ideas to spruce up your home. Whether you have $10 or $50 to play around with, you can get creative and inspired with any amount of money.

Accessible ways to improve the appearance of your home's decor include a simple vase of flowers on your kitchen table, or perhaps a jar of epsom salts next to your bathtub. Or you can spruce up your home by embracing a new set of tea towels in the kitchen or a fresh bath mat in your master bathroom. Bring a little more beauty to everyday items with a wicker basket next to your living room couch or by purchasing a fresh blanket to drape over your favorite armchair. Whatever your budget or personal sense of decor, there is an abundance of options available to homeowners hoping to spruce up their space.

Window treatments may have a reputation for being pricey additions to your home, but this is far from the truth these days. The reality is, with very little effort, an effective internet search can yield a number of options for drapes and window coverings. Stores like IKEA and Wayfair carry highly rated and affordable choices — some as cheap as $30 and under — that will quickly spruce up your home. Choose light-filtering curtains that'll keep natural sunlight coming in, making your space airy and bringing the outdoors in.

Whether you're a scented candle person or not has no bearing on the fact that flickering candlelight can do wonders for your space. You can choose from sophisticated candelabras on the dining room table, votive candles on your entryway credenza, or some pillar candles in your bathroom for a laid-back feel when you're resetting after a long day. Best of all, you can find incredibly low-priced candles if you're tight on money, with places like Dollar Tree carrying a wide selection. 

Creating a luxurious bathroom does not always need to involve expensive and intrusive remodels and renovations. One of the simplest and most functional ways to bring low-budget decor into your bathroom is by simply getting your hands on some attractive storage containers, then placing them on your counters or the edge of your bathtub. Mason jars or other sealing glass containers can be used to hold everything from cotton balls to epsom salts, making your bathroom look more chic.

While a plastic soap pump works just fine, another affordable way to dress up your sink area is with new, sustainable soap pumps — the choice of material is completely up to you, whether that's glass, stoneware, metal, or wood. Turns out they're not all expensive — some go for as low as $4 .Not only can you match the soap pump to the decor of your space, but you'll also be saving money and keeping plastic pumps out of landfills. Even if you buy store-brand hand and dish soap, a pretty pump will conceal the contents effectively.

A reed diffuser is one of the classiest ways to make your home smell better, thanks to its all-natural appearance and timeless sophistication. If you're looking to keep things on the incredibly affordable side of things, you can absolutely DIY your own reed diffuser with items you likely already have at home. Don't forget that the feel of your home comes down to not only the way things look but also how they smell — play around with scents for your reed diffuser and don't settle until you have found one that reflects you.

Fresh flowers are an undeniably wonderful way to bring some beauty into your home, and they can be surprisingly affordable, too. If you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, you can find bunches of flowers like Baby's Breath or mums for a few bucks, as well as petite bouquets for under $5. If a few dollars every couple of weeks on fresh flowers isn't in the budget, grow your own flowers, then harvest them to help decorate your home. Fortunately, some popular flowers, like sunflowers, are the easiest plants to grow for beginner gardeners.

If you're looking for a one-and-done type of investment for floral arrangements, one of the best bangs for your buck is with dried florals. While not as vibrant as their recently harvested counterparts, dried florals have a romantic beauty to them that still reflects their natural quality without costing you money to constantly refresh them. Some popular and gorgeous additions for your home could include strawflowers, lavender, and eucalyptus — you can also find pre-made dried bouquets if you want to keep things as easy as possible.

Family photos are visual reminders of beautiful memories, but sometimes photo frames can be a pain to deal with. Canvas prints, on the other hand, can be hung from the wall as they are (without a frame) for a classy, gallery-like vibe. There are many services online that offer canvas printing for your favorite pictures, or if you're feeling up to a challenge, there's a simple hack to make your own family photos look high-end decor by using an inkjet printer along with canvas paper.

Baskets are a quick add that can instantly spruce up your space. Whether you position one next to the couch to hold blankets or add one to the living room to corral your kids' excessive toy collection, they can look nice while bringing order to your space. Need help selecting what kind of basket to purchase? Here are the best IKEA baskets ranked by beauty and function — many of which are very affordably priced. Experiment with color, too; some people like the all-natural wicker look, while others prefer an all-white or metal basket.

Tablecloths might not be a common decorative item in the modern home, but it is somewhat amazing how quickly they can elevate the mood of a space. Much like curtains or an area rug, a tablecloth draws the eye and can help bring together the aesthetic you are hoping to achieve. And the best part, with your preferred affordable material, you can easily DIY a tablecloth with zero sewing skills. Consider a plain white tablecloth for a crisp and clean appearance, or a colorful patterned one for a festive feel.

Blankets are equal parts comfort and decor, so they stand to be a great investment for your home. And no matter your personal aesthetic, you're likely able to get good quality throws under $5. You can keep a few in your linen closet and switch them out throughout the year for a quick refresh of a space. If you are looking for a more put-together visual, fold the blanket and hang it nicely over the back of the couch, but a blanket can also just be thrown over the couch.

Tea towels are highly functional when it comes to everyday kitchen life. Because of their practical purpose, it is very normal for them to become worn, frayed, and stained with time. While you might not be ready to part with your old tea towels just yet (they do, after all, make wonderful rags for cleaning), purchasing a new set of matching tea towels is a simple method to spruce up your kitchen instantly. Looking to keep things ultra-low-budget? Don't miss out on the 99-cent IKEA kitchen towel that is always worth buying, according to shoppers.

There are few additions to your home decor that will do more for your overall well-being than a living plant. Yes, fresh and dried flowers bring an element of natural beauty to your space, but a living plant can do much more than that; having plants in your home can help to reduce stress, which can in turn make you more optimistic and effective in your day-to-day tasks. You can get saplings, seeds, or cuttings as a gift or buy some for under $10.

Add some more dimension to your home with a macramé plant hanger, which you could DIY or buy at an affordable price. Despite being very simple, this decor tip can help your plant stay healthy if it needs to be close to a window. A plant hanger can also make indoor plants possible for homes with kids and pets (that may otherwise find the combination of plants and curious beings difficult and potentially dangerous). You could also try this easy macramé DIY to make your plastic plant hangers look expensive.

A fresh bed covering is the ultimate low-budget hack for sprucing up your space, but if you're short on closet room then you might not be wild about the idea of purchasing new comforters only to have to store them. Instead, consider embracing duvets, which have covers that can be easily swapped out to change the feel of your bedroom at a low cost. If you're new to the world of duvets, here is everything you need to know about them before you buy.

Similar to a new throw for your couch or a fresh duvet cover, a new set of throw pillows is one budget-friendly item that makes your space so much cozier, since they can spruce up your bed, the guest room, or couch in a moment. Keep things simple with natural colors, like white or flax, or embrace a more lively look with some patterned pillows. 

Entryway rugs or mats are absolutely essential, stopping dirt and debris at the door and keeping the rest of your home clean. Since they are so functional, it can be easy to overlook their appearance, but this is yet another low-hanging swap that can make a big difference aesthetic-wise. A new rug or mat will look nicer than your old one since it will no doubt be in better condition, but it can also really switch up the feel of a space depending on the pattern and shape you choose.

Acacia wood brings natural beauty into any space, thanks to its deep coloration and sophisticated grain, and is typically more affordable than other hardwoods. You can spruce up your space by purchasing accessories — be that a tray, platter, cutting board, or turntable — crafted from it. These pieces are accents and statement pieces all at once, and will quickly become beloved items in your home. Beyond just looking good, however, there are many reasons why you should use acacia wooden kitchenware, like sustainability and durability.

New bath towels can go a long way when you're sprucing up the decor in your home, since they fall into both the "practical" and "decorative" categories. The same goes for new bath mats. If the ones that you have are stained, don't match well, or no longer reflect your personal style, it's a great time to consider upgrading them, since they typically don't cost so much.

A new lamp can spruce up your space nicely with little effort and a small budget. The great thing about a new lamp is just how simple it is to incorporate it into any room, as well as how affordable one can be (especially if you like to shop for deals at home goods stores or thrift shops). Remember to keep yours clean because lamps are notorious for collecting dust that can make them look grimy when turned on and limit how brightly they can illuminate an area.

If you are a pet owner, you know that keeping your fluffy friends cared for means food and water bowls in the house. While the purpose of these dishes is functional more than anything else, choosing ones that complement the look of your home helps a lot. Rather than selecting ugly or plain bowls, you can still find budget-friendly, cute ones in stores like Amazon, which will keep even the pet corner of your home presentable. If you have a bigger dog, it's best to get an elevated feeding station for easier dining.