The Seven Dollar Makeover

We've been living in our current home a little more than two years now and I feel that all that needs to be done will never get that way. I guess that kind of goes with owning a home, but I swear, as soon as I finish one project, another one pops up demanding my attention. And most of the time, the projects needing my time and money aren't really anything fun, but necessary. I would much rather spend my money on silky pillows and dramatic light fixtures but I usually end up buying things like toilet tanks and weather stripping. There's not a lot of extra funds to go around when it comes to what my husband likes to call the "pretty unecessaries."

There are hundreds of DIY decorating ideas out there on the web. People find trashy, scuzzed out trinkets on the side of the road and turn them into dazzling home decor. I stand in awe of these people, for they possess a skill that I have been unable to master. Seeing the potential. They see a rich wood coffee table. I see a scratched up, three legged piece of junk. They see the perfect dresser for their spare room. I see an old, chipped sideboard with water stains and three drawers minus hardware. I cringe to think of all the great stuff I've overlooked simply because I couldn't see past their easily fixable flaws.

I have recently "done" our master bedroom. I love the paint we picked, the curtains we hung, and the quilt we spread over our bed. The room is calming and peaceful, a place with no toys, no Cheerios crunched into the carpet...truly a sanctuary. The only thing the room lacks is those finishing touches that really pull a space together. Once upon a time I would have simply dropped the cash and bought whatever I thought would look nice, but things are different now. For one thing, I simply don't have the dough to buy hundreds of dollars in home decor items.  And another, buying all that stuff seems flat out wasteful. I was going to have to push past my inability to see an item's potential if I was going to fancy up my space on a dime.

The first stop, of course, was Craigslist. No luck. I went to Goodwill. Nothing struck my fancy there either.  I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I knew it would reach out and grab me when I saw it. I was lamenting to my neighbor about my decorating difficulties when she dashed in to her garage and emerged with a mirror and two sconces.  The mirror was certainly not my style but it was the perfect size and had a nice, wide, chunky frame that I liked. And the sconces were perfect, only needing candles and good dusting.

Next stop...the hardware store. I purchased black matte spray paint and a spray on primer for a smooth finish.

A little taping, some newspaper and and presto! 

My upcycled mirror and sconces made for a beautiful bedroom wall makeover. And it only cost me about seven dollars! I think I'm addicted. I wonder what other trash I can make into treasure??