Dirt Cheap Decor

Confession:  I watch a lot of HGTV.  Probably more than is healthy.  One of the things that always makes me laugh/be jealous is when they show the "5 months after moving into our first home" shots, and everything looks professionally decorated and staged.  Let's be honest, buying your first house pretty much decimates your bank accounts.  (Especially when you have unexpected demolition and mold remediation projects pop up!)

Needless to say, my decorating budget has been pretty skimpy for the new house.  (Personally, as much as part of me wishes that I had a home that could be featured on Design*Sponge, I enjoy the journey of homeownership.)

I've been staring at this blank wall in my living room for more than nine months.

Kindof depressing, right?

Thanks to a recent visit from Emily, my partner-in-crafting-crime, in idea was spouted:

Instead of shelling out a couple hundred bucks for a large-scale art piece, or enough frames for a proper photo-collage, why not make a stretched fabric canvas to bring in a pop of color and pattern?  Brilliant.

The breakdown:

2 pieces of 1x2" moulding and a package of L-brackets = $5

1 yard of upholstery fabric (with 40% coupon, of course!) = $12

An hour and a half's worth of time (spread out over 2 weeks, because I'm lazy) = free

I had a couple of tin ceiling tiles that I had picked up at Hobby Lobby many moons ago (on sale of course!), and moved a few other things around....

Voila!

No more depressing college-y living room wall!

And yes, those books on the bottom of the bookshelf are Time Life Series home repair books.  Copyright 1983.  Courtesy of my dad.