Decorate Your Home With Memories Inexpensively

by Shari Smith

If you’re looking to redecorate your home, getting personal may make the process more affordable than hitting a local home goods store.

Are you tired of staring at blank walls? Or do you want your home to reflect a personal touch rather than a retail one?

Then decorate your home with memories! It doesn’t have to cost a fortune if you use these simple secrets.

Pictures Speak a Thousand Words

Take a few of your favorite family photos and turn them into art. Order frameless canvas prints of family photos from an online company like EasyCanvasPrints.com or find a canvas printer on Amazon.

Get one stand-out piece or make a statement with a wall grouping.

Remember the Moment

Your vacation pictures are art in the making. Staples, the office supply store, will blow up your pictures to any size for very reasonable prices. Or you can use an online site such as Shutterfly.com or Snapfish.com.

I saw a beautiful picture of a lake at a furniture store for $600. I didn’t have even $6 to spare, so I found a gorgeous picture of a memorable vacation in Whitefish, Montana and got it enlarged for less than $10. I painted an old frame black and the triple mats white with a black border. It is stunning.

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Relive the Trip of a Lifetime Every Day of the Year

Calendars are an easy and fun way to capture a dream vacation. Once again, you can create one on sites like Shutterfly.com and Snapfish.com.

On a recent trip to Hawaii, my dad and two brothers took over 2,000 pictures. I wanted to surprise them, so I made a calendar. The hardest part was choosing only 12 pictures! My favorite was my 75-year-old dad grinning like a boy when he was the first to catch a fish on a boatload of tourists.

Find Frames for Less

Frames can be expensive, especially the larger sizes. You can find huge bargains at garage sales, thrift stores and online.

I always check out the free section of Craigslist. Look past an ugly picture or the wrong color mats. You can easily paint them any color you want! Spray paint is very inexpensive, and one can goes a long way.

Display Your Collections

At our old house, there was empty space above our kitchen cabinets. I was addicted to collecting teapots of all shapes and sizes. Pretty soon, the cabinets were full, so I started filling up a gorgeous shelf with lots of space for miniature teapots

Any collection can add charm to your home. Just arrange them attractively on shelves to complement or even inspire your décor.

Go Beyond Pictures With Shadowboxes

My mom was nearing the end of her battle with cancer, and all she wanted to do was finish the shadowbox she had started. It is filled with mementos of her life that include a wedding picture from 1966 showing two impossibly happy young people, a miniature violin like her father played, a special key, an antique watch from her grandmother, a beloved fan used frequently at the non-air-conditioned church and many other things.

It hangs in our family room, next to the antique secretary she restored.

Glam Up Your Favorite Posters

Posters can make great art statements; they just need a little push.

Get inexpensive poster frames at discount stores, secondhand shops or yard sales. I once picked up two posters for a few bucks to make a great centerpiece for our Safari-themed living room.

Display Family Heirlooms as Art

Instead of keeping them boxed up, bring out your treasured family heirlooms and appreciate them!

A beloved quilt can be hung behind the bed for a unique headboard or used on the dining room table with a protective plastic cover. Clear shower curtains work perfectly for only $1-$2 at a dollar store. You can even trim it to fit your table.

Personalize Your Space

The popularity of writing on the walls has exploded.

Take a favorite family motto and put it on the soffit in the kitchen or as a centerpiece in the family room. Inspirational quotes like “Today is going to be a great day!” or “Family First” are great starting points. Look for cheap stencils at Walmart or a craft store in any style or font you want.

Decorating your house shouldn’t be about how expensive it looks. It should be an expression of your family and reflect how you want to live.

Hang pictures that bring a smile to your face or even brighten someone’s day. Above all, have fun decorating your home with memories.

Reviewed December 2023