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Fruit Bowls

Fill a large, glass bowl with citrus fruit for a bright centerpiece that’s especially good for the dining room table. Use whatever is on sale—lemons, limes, oranges, or a mixture.

Placemats

We love these unique placements for your kids: Buy an inexpensive or secondhand picture book, then pull out the pages and laminate them using laminating paper you can find at office supply stores. They’re waterproof, original, and cheaper than store-bought placemats.

Framed Napkins

For an easy, inexpensive decoration that looks great in any room, frame cloth napkins. Use family heirlooms, or find some beautiful designs suitable for framing at stores like World Market, Pier 1, or Target. Place them in some square frames and hang them in a row.

Homemade Message Board

Need a place to write notes for your family? Make a cabinet door scribble-friendly by painting it in either blackboard or magnetic paint. That way, you and your kids can use chalk to write on the “blackboard” or attach notes with magnets. Alternatively, hang cork tiles for a handy tack-on message board.

Plastic Cup String Lanterns

Here’s a creative decorating project for kids and adults like: You’ll need string lights, plastic cups, and various art supplies. First, decorate the plastic cups with colored markers, paints, glitter, googly eyes, or any other fun embellishments you can find at a craft store. Then, poke one light bulb into the bottom of each cup, so the light illuminates the cup from the inside. You’ll have a beautiful string of lanterns to hang in the playroom, a kid’s bedroom, the living room, hallway, or along a staircase.

Olde Time Idea

Make apothecary-style jars by gluing dollar-store glasses on top of candlestick holders. Use them in the bathroom to hold supplies like cotton balls, or decorate an end table with a few different styles. They’ll look just as good as the expensive kind without costing you a lot.

Clock

An easy way to add custom knick-knacks to your home is to buy clock mechanisms from your hardware store. These do-it-yourself clocks are just the hands and the motor, and allow you to add them to household items, turning them into clocks. Add them to tins, plates, photos with a cardboard backing, or just about anything else in your home. All it takes is a little creativity!

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Photo by Who Knew?