Sunday, September 25, 2011

Frugal Decor

It's that time of year again, when my creative monster wants to come out and play. Where to start first? Well, a couple months ago we got a new dinette set.  I have been chomping at the bit to decorate it! Isn't it lucky? (teehee) The other day, I was in Sams Club and seen this beautiful centerpiece. (It was much more impressive to see in person)


But it was so expensive for what it was. Almost thirty five dollars!  That got me to thinking.  I can make my own table decor! As I began my search for the perfect items for my table, I seen so many possibilities. But, one particular blog really caught my eye.http://www.decorchick.com/dollar-store-hurricanes/  How to make your own hurricane glasses.   And here is what I came up with. 


Isn't it gorgeous?  Believe it or not, I bought the glassware at the Dollar Tree, WalMart and Goodwill. Yes, Goodwill!  I'm not kidding.  So, let me show you how I put this all together for dollars.

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You will need some vases.  I found the two tall ones on the right at Dollar Tree for $1 each.  I was rather impressed with the quality too. It's not the cheapo thin glass that you would expect to find at a dollar store.  In fact it is the same thickness as the vases I bought at WalMart for $2.49 each.  The WalMart Vases are the shorter  ones on the left.  And lastly, I found the round one at Goodwill for $1.06.  I love going to Goodwill.  You never know what kind of treasure you will find there!
You will also need some candle stick holders.  I found the ones on the left at Dollar Tree for only a buck! I found the others at Goodwill for $1.06. I really felt like I hit the jackpot at Goodwill.  I was able to find a slew of candle stick holders to use for my mantle and cocktail table.  
THEN, get yourself some Gorilla Glue... it will cost around $5.  You could use Super Glue if you have it. But, I think Gorilla Glue is stronger. Anyways, you dampen one surface and then put the glue on the other surface.  Then, you stick them together.  The glue takes longer than a few seconds to really start sticking, so if you don't have it quite centered you can move it.

After you stick them together, place something heavy on top to seal it up.  Next, (here's the hard part) you wait one to two hours.  The glue expands and dries white.  Here is a closer look. 

And there you have it! I made all of these for a little over $13.00...  and it was so much more fun that buying a centerpiece already made at the store. PLUS mine is unique!

Some other tips to make it less expensive:    I gathered acorns from the Publix parking lot to use as filler for my vases. I knew they were perfect the moment I spotted them.  Dollar Tree also has packages of faux leaves for a buck. I only needed one package for my table.  You might already have some candles that would work beautifully for your display.  If not, WalMart has some unscented and scented, affordable ones from $1.88-$4.99 each.  I was able to find the place mats at a store called Tuesday Morning in a pack of 6 for only $7.99.  If you have done some looking in the stores, you won't find them for less than $3 each. I was given the McCoy dish (holding the fruit) by my mom.  It's always nice to have something special that means a lot to you in your decor.  Maybe you have a special dish that you have had a long time, or that someone has given you.  It gives an extra touch of love to your table. 
Since I live in Florida and the leaves don't really change colors much here, I love bringing the outdoors inside.  I'm not sure what that little, round doo-dad is that I found outside my home, but I knew it would look fabulous on my table. It must be some kind of seed or something. 


So, I hope you found some inspiration here to decorate your home.   You don't have to spend a bundle!  Why pay more when you can have it cheaper? Just sayin'.  Happy decorating to you!!  As for me, I'm going to get to work on my cocktail table and mantle next. What are your plans to decorate this fall?


UPDATE:  If you decide to scout for acorns... be sure to use ones that aren't cracked.  If you don't, you may end up with some unsightly squiggly things in your decor. Take my word for it.  HA. Definitely not pretty... unless maybe you are an entomologist. :-)

 I shared this project at the Idea Room Linky Party:

 The Idea Room




2 comments:

  1. Wow,frugal AND gorgeous, Mel!! I love it!
    April

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  2. Thanks, April! It's so much easier having nice things now that the kids have grown. But, I can't say that they haven't been knocked over a few times already. Surprisingly, none of them have been broken! AHHH bite my tongue! LOL

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