| Furniture is our most costly home decorating expense, | | | | molding or appliqués you can pick up at the |
| but there are many ways to make your furniture the | | | | home improvement store. A simple line of crown |
| star of the show, without breaking your budget! Here | | | | molding along the top of your kitchen cabinets can |
| are my top 5 furniture fixes on a dime! | | | | take them from blah to custom. Change out the |
| Paint. Ok, that's an obvious one, but did you know you | | | | hardware...just pick up cheap wood knobs and paint |
| can paint anything these days? Yes, even that hideous | | | | them for a one of a kind look. You can also make |
| laminate bookcase from 1974. All you need is a primer | | | | your own drawer pulls out of just about anything...old |
| made specially for non porous surfaces. I recommend | | | | silverware, twigs, even toy cars! Just use your handy |
| Kilz Original or BIN primer. A coat or two of good | | | | drill and attach a screw. Paint the inside of |
| primer, and any surface can be ready for paint, from | | | | bookshelves an accent color, or add a skirt to a leggy |
| tile to plastic to fiberglass. Now paint with interior | | | | table. |
| enamel, and you have an ugly duckling transformation | | | | Add tile. You can sometimes get broken tiles for free |
| in an afternoon! | | | | from a flooring shop and you can break them further |
| Slipcovers. Now making your own slipcovers is | | | | and attach them to a dresser or chest in a mosaic |
| possible, there are several patterns available at your | | | | pattern. Add a little grout and you have a one of a kind |
| fabric store to help you in measuring and sewing them. | | | | piece, for next to nothing! You can also just add one |
| However, it is no small task. Another option to fixing up | | | | tile on the diagonal to the front of each drawer or |
| worn upholstered furniture is using the art of disguise. | | | | cabinet front. You can even drill through the tile with a |
| Drape a pretty quilt over the back, or cover just the | | | | ceramic bit and add the drawer pull right over. |
| bottom cushions in envelope style covers, in a | | | | *Finally, consider adding personality and family to your |
| coordinating color or print. Add throw blankets draped | | | | pieces. Cover your scratched coffee table with a |
| casually over each end of the sofa or chair. Add | | | | sheet of beveled glass, and slip under all your family |
| comfy throw pillows along the length, and by the time | | | | snapshots. Make photo copies and decoupage them |
| you're done, people will only notice the accessories, not | | | | onto your worn out work desktop with some white |
| the piece itself. Dining chairs with removable seats can | | | | glue or decoupage medium. Frame your kids |
| be recovered with fabric and a staple gun, or a small | | | | masterpieces and attach to your kitchen cabinet doors |
| cushion with a skirt can be made to hide the seat and | | | | to add pizzazz. |
| legs. You can make simple slipcovers that look similar | | | | Remember, it's not about the size of your budget, it's |
| to a regular pillowcase to slip over the back of a | | | | what you do with it! Furnishing your house doesn't |
| dinged up ding chair as well. | | | | have to mean taking out a home loan...use your |
| Add character. Sometimes our furniture is in good | | | | creativity for one of a kind décor your family will |
| shape, but is simply a bit boring. Add some wood | | | | love! |