Thrifty Decor Chick | Thrifty DIY, Decor and Organizing

Non-Traditional Decorating Ideas for a Cozy Fall Home

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:33:00 +0000

Create a warm and cozy autumn home without the typical themed decor.

Ahhh yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year! Fall has everything I love -- cool temps, the beautiful leaves, everything apple flavored, and my favorite part...NO BUGS.

It's simply the best.

I LOVE fall decor -- from the cute, themed items with pumpkins and fall signs, to the more understated decor with warm, rich colors and beautiful textures.

Over the years I've started leaning more towards the latter, at least for inside. For outside I'm still 100 percent on the traditional fall decor train.

I'm sharing some of my favorite less traditional decor that has tons of texture and incorporates the fall color palette, but doesn't scream FALL. These easy little vignettes will warm up your home and make it feel perfectly cozy for the autumn months.

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I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

Baskets or rattan decor

First up, a couple vignettes using wicker or rattan trays.

A few years ago I shared a few ways to decorate for fall with trays, and this year I used a HUGE round woven tray on our dining table:

I grabbed it early this year with a Christmas gift card and didn't realize how huge it was until it arrived. The quality is fantastic (it better be for the price!) and the warm tone is perfect for this time of year.

I used this lighter tray on our island a few years ago -- it comes in a set with three different sizes. They're softer than most and won't scratch up your furniture:

Three stone vase set

I use sticky felt pads on the bottom of thicker trays like the first one picture above.

Decorating tip: Everything looks better in threes (or odd numbers).

Those beads are from one of my favorite shops on Amazon. They have a TON of gorgeous beads in all different colors and materials. These amber/brown bead strands are another favorite of mine for fall. And the dark metal hurricanes come in a set as well and are so versatile. I love the subtle leaf design.

I use the two remaining hurricanes in my office, along with the smallest tray in the set:

All of these trays work year-round in our decor!

Brass or gold decor

Brass ANYTHING works so well in autumn. The warm metal fits right in with fall decor.

The new watercolor mural in our foyer makes a big impact, so I kept the decor simple for fall. My brass pheasant figurines work perfectly this time of year:

I don't why pheasants seem like fall to me, but they do. :)

I found these cute brass squirrels from Target years ago:

I mean, come on...how cute are they!

Gold or brass accents are warmer tones that look great with deeper fall colors. I always pull out my brass candlesticks in the fall, you'll see some of those in just a bit.

Natural grasses or dried flowers

This year I used the FREE decor we have in our yard to decorate the mantel and range hood...cut hydrangeas that dry out beautifully on their own:

Now I can't imagine using anything else. :)

These berry stems are fake but they look so realistic! This year I used these more reddish stems along with the purple ones pictures on the dining table earlier in the post:

Decorating tip: If you don't have enough, use plastic grocery bags first, then fill with your decor or stems.

Fabrics with texture and warm colors

Pillow covers are always an easy way to decorate for the seasons -- switching them out is one of the easiest ways to warm up your home for fall:

I love using table linens for fall and Christmas pillows because I save a TON compared to buying them ready-made. See my tutorial for getting "Pottery Barn" pillows for a fraction of the price here:

And of course, a soft throw blanket in warm tones will cozy up a space without spending a ton as well!

Interesting decorative filler

The basics always look great this time of year -- tiny pumpkins, acorns, pinecones...they all look great as decorative filler.

But if you're looking for something different this fall, check out unexpected fillers with more color, like faux figs, pears or artichokes:

These decorative wood rings are another favorite find from years back -- they bring in warm wood tones and aren't your typical fall decor:

The wood rings would look great in a bowl surrounding a candle, or filling tall glass hurricanes.

By the way, those rings are oddly satisfying...they made a wonderful noise when they bump up against each other. :)

Bowls and trays are great because they make almost anything look cohesive. Just plop some stuff in and it looks pulled together with minimal effort.

By the way, don't forget that your everyday items can serve as "filler" -- I changed out our bright white crock for a darker painted vase for our kitchen utensils:

Not everything has to have a fall "theme," warmer colors and textures are lovely additions this time of year!

There you go -- fall decor ideas that aren't typical but will fill your home with lovely color and texture this season.

I still love my pumpkins and traditional fall touches, especially on the front porch. These decor touches are a little less traditional, plus you can use most of these accessories through the year and they'll still fit in no problem. :)

Do you use any non-traditional options in your seasonal decor?

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FREE Fall Artwork for Autumn Decorating {25 Options!}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Twenty-five FREE fall artwork options for your home!

My favorite season has arrived! There are some seasonal decorating ideas I share again and again...and free prints/artwork are one of them.

The ways to incorporate into your home decor are endless! Each year new printable art is created by incredibly talented bloggers. And they are FREE, other than the paper used to print them. :) You can use your printer or send them off to be printed for a few bucks.

This free fall artwork is an easy way add some seasonal home decor without a lot of effort. Framed prints are such a lovely little addition to vignettes in your home!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

I'm sharing 25 of my favorites today! Please visit each respective blog to find the full high res download. (Click on the link below each photo for a downloadable PDF file.)

This post was updated in October of 2026.

A few tips for printing these images at home:

I like to use a thicker cardstock with a linen texture -- it gives the printables more character. I keep a stash of this pretty paper on hand for all seasons.
I use our inexpensive at home printer for all of my printables and the quality is great! There's no need to send them out if you have a color printer.
If you don't have a printer, it's easy to download and have them printed within an hour for an affordable price. I've used drug stores (CVS and Walgreens) and office supply locations like Office Depot and Staples to print professionally.
Of course if you want an image printed larger than 8x11, you'll definitely need to send it out for printing. (Most locations can print large sizes quickly as well.)

1. Thankful wreath

I'm always drawn to art with wreaths. They get me every time!:

The 36th Avenue/Thankful

2. Watercolor pumpkins

I've already printed this one out -- I love the subtle colors:

Jones Design Company/Happy Fall

3. U-Pick Apples

This apple print is so cute! I have to figure out where I want to put it in the kitchen:

Paint Me Pink/U-Pick Apples

4. Pumpkin Spice

Of COURSE we can't leave out the pumpkin spice latte lovers:

Yellow Bliss Road/Pumpkin Spice

5. Feather wreath

The colors in this one are my favorite part! So pretty:

Lolly Jane/Be Thankful

6. Neutral feathers

These feathers are perfect for neutral decor lovers. There are two versions available:

Hymns and Verses/Feather art

7. Hello fall pumpkins

So simple and sweet! I'm always drawn to watercolor art:

Glued to My Crafts/Hello Fall

8. Harvest wreath

This is one of four beautiful options with this watercolor leaves autumn wreath:

Place of My Taste/Harvest

9. Autumn text

Kellie never disappoints with her pretty printables every season:

Nest of Posies/Autumn printable

10. Chalkboard wreath

The chalkboard art printables are always a favorite too. Those colors are so beautiful against the dark backdrop:

I Should Be Mopping the Floor/Welcome Autumn

11. Mason jar grateful

The Ball jar makes this one!:

On Sutton Place/Be Grateful

12. Glorious fall

Another great one from my friend Kellie:

Nest of Posies/Glorious Fall

13. Life starts again

This simple quote would be beautiful in a natural wood frame:

Craftsberry Bush/Feather

14. Autumn wreath trio

I loved all of these wreaths -- you can print them individually if you only want one:

Tatertots and Jello/Trio print

15. Blue door with wreath

So this isn't a typical fall printable but it was so lovely I had to include it. Rachel offers her fall artwork as a free download:

Shades of Blue Interiors/Blue Door

16. Autumn banner

This autumn banner is adorable, there are so many pretty details. The hardest part for you will be cutting them out:

Poppies at Play/Autumn banner

Of course that’s just the first two letters -- there are more at the link. :)

17. Thankful gift tags

I thought these tags were really sweet! They would be a great addition to a little something for a neighbor or a friend this Thanksgiving:

She Wears Many Hats/Thankful tags

18. Autumn is a second spring

I shared this "autumn is a second spring" printable years ago:

I added some bling but I think it would be pretty all on it’s own too. :)

19. Staying home quote

I loved this one because it’s neutral and could really be used any time of year:

Finding Silver Pennies/Chalkboard

But it sure does feel fall, right?

20. Give thanks wreath

Another gorgeous wreath print from Lucy. This is one of my favorites!:

Craftsberry Bush/Give Thanks

21. Vintage leaf art

These large leaf prints have a vintage look that would fit into any decor:

Postcards from the Ridge/Vintage leaves

22. Apple cider

There are five options in this pretty watercolor design:

Twelve on Main/Apple cider

23. Thankful napkin wrap

How cute are these to wrap up your napkins and cutlery?:

The Craft Patch Blog/Utensil wrap

24. Thanksgiving conversation starters

I adore printable leaves and will be printing some out for our Thanksgiving dinner:

Turquoise Home/Conversation starters

25. Summer to fall quote

This beautiful print is perfect for late summer/early fall:

DIY Beautify/Summer to fall

There you go! Twenty-five of my favorite FREE printables for your fall decor! Aren't these folks so lovely for sharing their talents? I hope you found one you love and will use in your home.

Make sure to visit each site to get the high resolution versions.

Remember these are all for personal use only! If you save to Pinterest, please pin from their respective sites.

Planning for the holidays? Check out 20 of my favorite free Christmas printables here:

Pin these ideas to save for later!

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My Home, Beauty and Fashion Favorites {Prime Day Deals!}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:00:12 +0000

Beauty, clothing, home and more...my recent Amazon favorites!

It's that time again! Amazon Prime Days are currently live and as always, I gathered a few of my home, beauty and DIY favorites to share with you!

One thing I do different than most is only sharing products we use and love in our own home. I can personally attest for each and every one of the items I'm sharing today.

If you're an early shopper, most of these finds would make great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

I put two asterisks (**) by items that are a Prime Day Deal for easy reference. If you're interested, you can find out more about Amazon Prime here.

Fall Berry Stems

I love incorporating fall decor that's a bit unexpected and different than the traditional orange colors and pumpkins. I kept seeing these pretty berry stems and decided to try them out:

I was so happy with the quality -- once you fluff them up a bit they look so full and realistic. These come in at least ten color variations, so if you prefer more traditional fall colors they have you covered!

Usually with these types of berry florals they fall apart easily, but so far they've held up well:

After purchasing those, I found these berry stems that are half the price! The actual stems are half the length as the ones pictured, and the floral part isn't nearly as full:

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Our Full and Beautiful Fall Mantel {Free From the Yard!}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 21:53:56 +0000

Using Mother Nature for my fall fireplace mantel decor!

Last year I shared some ways I've used hydrangeas in my fall decor: If you are lucky enough to have access to these beautiful flowers, they are excellent (and FREE) additions to your home this time of year.

So many hydrangea varieties turn the most gorgeous pink and green tones in the fall, so they create a beautiful, organic look.

In years past I've created what I called a "woodland fall" look on our mantel, which I have LOVED:

This year I was craving something a little different for the fall mantel, but didn't want to spend any money on new decorations.

Thankfully, I have hundreds (if not thousands?) of hydrangea blooms at my disposal. Our fluffy limelight hydrangeas change to a beautiful light green with pink touches:

And the delicate panicle hydrangeas start white and in the fall turn to dark pink with a bit of light green in the blooms:

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Beyond the Mum: Fall Container and Window Box Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:44:00 +0000

Helpful tips for creating gorgeous fall window box and container displays!

These beautiful fall foliage suggestions for your containers and window boxes will carry you through Thanksgiving.

I usually wait till the end of September to change out our window boxes and planters, as we can still get some HOT days here in the Midwest well into October.

There are so many beautiful options beyond the typical mums, and I share some great ideas here! If you don't have a green thumb, I share a couple of beautiful faux options as well!

Since our temps are looking great for at least the next two weeks, I decided to start working on the fall window boxes.

When it comes to exterior planters and containers, keep in mind filler, spiller and thriller.

For fall, filler would be your more compact plants like mums and ornamental kale. Thriller plants are usually taller options like grasses -- I don't usually use in the window boxes but they are great in containers! Spillers are typically vine plants like asparagus fern, ivy or sweet potato vines.

Green and purple kale

I have a few standards for the planters this time of year, but I found some new favorites as well! You can't go wrong with different varieties of kale:

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A Tour of The Biggest Organization Transformations in Our Home!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:43:01 +0000

My biggest and best closet and organization transformations over the past nine years!

I shared our nine year before and after home tour recently, and I wanted to make a separate post dedicated to only the organization transformations over the years.

There have been a ton, so I gathered the biggest and best for you here!

Decluttering and organizing are some of my favorite pastimes, and I really enjoy making our problem areas work better for our family. Here are some of my favorite organizing makeovers over the past nine years in our home!

1. Everyday items closet organization

This linen closet is in a little alcove off of our kitchen. It's probably meant for bedding, but we use it for kitchen and utility items.

This is how it looked after we moved in nine years ago -- when I would literally chuck random things as we unpacked each room:

As I'm typing, I'm realizing this is the only closet makeover I'll share here that still has the wire shelving. I do have a plan to sort of replace those in the future, I'll be sure to share that when I do.

I found some inexpensive plastic bins that fit the existing shelving perfectly -- I bought both shallow and deep bins for the various items we wanted to keep in here.

What a difference sorting like things together makes!:

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Welcoming Fall: Simple and Delicious Pumpkin Bread Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Easy and delicious pumpkin bread recipe with simple ingredients.

Because I'm fully in the fall spirit (even though it's in the 90's this week here), I was on the search for a good pumpkin bread recipe. I found this super easy pumpkin recipe online and of course had to share it with you.

You know if I'm sharing a recipe it's SUPER delicious and really easy. :)

If you like pumpkin even a little bit you will love this recipe.

As always, I made some slight adjustments to this to fit our tastes better. I think it would be SO good with raisins or chocolate too, so I added those (and some others) as an option as well.

The ingredients are mostly basic staples and are easy to find!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

I use this adorable pumpkin cakelet baking pan to make mine -- it's perfect for this pumpkin bread in muffin form!:

These cute pumpkin muffins or loaves make this recipe perfect for gift giving throughout the fall season.

It bakes them perfectly!

There are larger options as well. This pumpkin loaf pan measures 10x5x3 or this pumpkin and wheat shaped one would be lovely for a pumpkin bread loaf.

Here's the recipe for this delicious autumn treat...

Easy and delicious pumpkin bread/muffins (grouped by how you mix):

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup olive oil (canola or vegetable are fine)

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

Optional:

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Steps for pumpkin bread preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. You will need two medium to large bowls for this recipe. Sift the first four ingredients together in one bowl.

3. In separate bowl combine the pumpkin, olive oil, eggs, water, spices and walnuts or other optional additions:

4. Mix the two bowls together. Don't mix too much. Mine ends up not quite as thick as oatmeal (pictured above).

5. Pour into sprayed 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Or make muffins -- the mix makes 12 and they are perfect out of the oven in 25 minutes.

You'll know when they are done when a toothpick into the bread comes out clean.

I use an ice cream scoop to fill my pumpkin muffin tin so the batter doesn't get everywhere:

Don't fill them all the way to the top -- I aim for 3/4 full. It helps to give the pan a few taps on the counter to get air bubbles out, I forgot to do that this time!

I'm telling you what...these come out SO good. They are moist and fluffy and just scrumptious:

A simple powdered sugar glaze drizzle or just powdered sugar sprinkled on top would be the perfect finishing touch! But neither is necessary, they are delicious as is.

They take no time at all, especially if you're making the muffin version. I've already whipped up two batches in the past week.

It's not an overwhelming pumpkin taste...just enough! And your house will smell like fall all day when you bake them. :)

Pin this for later if you'd like to save this bread recipe:

You can also see my easy crock pot applesauce here:

And my popular banana bread recipe (SO good!):

More of my favorite recipes can be found here!

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A HUGE Nine Year Before and After Home Tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:39:57 +0000

Nine year before and after home tour {SO many DIYs!}

It has been NINE years of fun do-it-yourself projects and decor in our home! If you're a long time follower who has seen the transformation of our home, can you believe it's been that long?

It's been a while since I've done an extensive before and after tour, room by room. So today I gathered a ton of pics and I'll share links to many of the projects. If I don't link to something you're interested in, please let me know in the comments.

I've had an absolute blast making this house more of a home. There's still a lot I'd like to accomplish, so throughout this post I'll share what I have planned for the future.

Let's start with our laundry/mud room that I made some updates to earlier this year...

Mud Room and Laundry Combo

By the way, the title for each room will link to ALL of the projects for the spaces. You can easily scroll through the years of projects to find exactly what you're interested in.

I wasn't too sure if we'd like having our laundry in our mud room -- we had that combo years ago in our first home and ended up moving the laundry to the basement.

But because of the size, this set up has been absolutely wonderful. We have plenty of room (and now way more storage) so it stays clutter free.

Here's the folding table area before and after:

And the full view over towards the mud room cubbies after installing a wall of shiplap years ago and then now:

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I took down the shiplap and painted these walls in a nice neutral called Pachyderm a few months ago.

Kitchen

Our kitchen has undergone a TON of DIY projects over the years, most of them smaller touches that add up to a bigger impact.

Here's a side view of our kitchen shortly after moving in:

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Comparing Low to High Cabinetry Options From Big Box Stores

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 01:38:00 +0000

Breaking down the differences between unassembled and pre-assembled kitchen cabinets.

I'm breaking down the differences in quality and pricing among the four types of cabinets available from most big box hardware stores.

I've used three of the four options for my DIY projects over the years and have come up with a favorite!

After much research on what type of cabinet to use for our basement kitchenette project, I decided to go with unassembled kitchen cabinets for the first time ever, and I'm so glad I did! I'll be sharing the benefits of these easy-to-assemble cabinets, also known as RTA (or ready-to-assemble).

Our basement kitchenette was the first time I've started a kitchen space from scratch (see my big DIY kitchen renovation from our old house!), so I did a lot of research before starting.

One thing that shocked me was the price of quality assembled cabinets. It seemed they were increasing in price by the day! 😬 I didn't consider custom cabinets because I can DIY so many of the fancy details myself.

This post has been updated in September, 2026.

I've always used in stock unfinished cabinets for my DIY built ins, partly because I'm usually impatient and want to go get them when I want them, but mostly because the price is fantastic and they can easily be updated a number of ways.

But I wanted a little higher quality for this space, so after looking at options for our new kitchen, I decided on unassembled RTA cabinets:

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

We choose the Hampton Bay Avondale shaker cabinets from Home Depot. I found you get a lot of the bells and whistles of higher end cabinets, but they cost way less because you're doing most of the work. :)

I set up my cabinet assembly line on our long dining table in the basement (with a big drop cloth and scrap cardboard from the cabinets on top).

The only hard part of this process was getting them down the stairs. The boxes were HEAVY (these are made with plywood instead of the cheaper furniture board the less expensive versions are made of).

For the larger cabinets, we opened them up and took the parts down in trips.

Once down there though, the process was pleasantly easy and quick. I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't mind furniture assembly, so it was almost fun for me...like a puzzle.

After a couple I had the process down by heart. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality -- the drawers have dovetail joints:

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Our Favorite Solar Outdoor Lighting {Both Fun and Functional!}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:26:58 +0000

My favorite outdoor solar lights for a beautiful (and safe) backyard!

These solar lights work just as well as our wired landscape lighting, and come in some really fun options that add some whimsy to your yard!

I know summer is winding down, but if you're anything like me, fall is your favorite time to enjoy the outdoors. Autumn is the BEST time to enjoy our backyard.

I've always been a fan of landscape lighting, and shared how easy it is to install more permanent, wired lighting in your yard. There's no electrical knowledge necessary, and it really doesn't take long at all to do it yourself.

You will save a TON OF MONEY doing this project yourself, it's such an easy DIY!

Years ago I ran wired lighting around our back patio, but as we've added landscaping since, I've started using more solar light here and there. In my experience, the wired LED options are brighter, but there are some really fun solar alternatives to incorporate as well.

I LOVE the lighting details I've added to our backyard, so I decided to share some of my favorites with you.

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

We'll start with the most basic lighting, these accent solar lights. I've placed them along a couple of our tree lines in the backyard:

When I first purchased these years ago, I worried the solar panel would bother me. We don't even notice it during the day though!

I like that these are so easy to adjust -- the head moves around easily to point lower on the ground for pathway lighting, or up along taller trees.

Solar lights like these are great because as your bushes and trees grow, you can easily move them around.

I suggest using a rubber mallet if you have harder clay soil like us in Indiana!

They aren't CRAZY bright, but are more than sufficient for soft accent lighting:

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How to Add Extra DIY Storage to the Ends of a Closet

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:47:00 +0000

Utilizing the dead space at the ends of a closet for TONS of added storage.

This is one of my favorite ways to make a closet even more functional!

I first did this DIY years ago in our guest room closet -- it was a wide closet with sliding doors. We didn't really need it for hanging clothes, so we utilized it for extra bedding and other random stuff.

What we really needed was some shelving, so I decided to take advantage of the ends of the closet and add built in shelves:

These were super simple versions using scrap pieces of wood I had in the garage. These shelves made this closet so much more functional for how we used this closet!

Years ago I did the same DIY, just a little more finished out, in our mud/laundry room closet:

My dream was always to have a big closet in our mud room! When we built our home years ago and I saw how large our laundry/mud combo was going to be, I knew we'd have plenty of room for a cleaning closet.

My favorite part is the OUTLET I had put inside. Game changer.

Initially after moving in, we just chucked things in there as we got settled:

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I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

Pretty! 😁

I knew I could make better use of the space in this closet! That dead space at the ends of closets like this has always bugged me. Unless you are filling it with clothes, it's usually an awkward spot that can be utilized MUCH better.

This DIY process is identical to the DIY floating shelves I've built here and there over the years. Be sure to check that out for a step-by-step tutorial.

Before I started in here I removed the door trim on the inside of the closet so I could bring the front of the shelves right up to the edge:

I kept that piece so I could add it back later.

You'll need to secure your supports (a 1x2 is perfect) into studs or anchors on the back and side walls, then nail or glue a piece of wood onto the top of those supports.

I was going to leave these pretty basic, but then I realized they'd look so much better with some trim on the front. So I added that. I planned to leave them unpainted...but then I realized how good they would look in white.

And this is how a super simple project turns into a multi-day process. 😂

This is how that side looked when I was done:

Look at all that glorious storage space! I love it! By the way, I cut down the door trim (that I had taken down) and put it back up in between each shelf.

Remember how I organized so many garden tools and garage stuff by hanging it all on the wall? I did that here too -- I hung everything I could with these awesome broom Command hooks. They even hold our steam mop!

I recently decided to make this a dedicated cleaning closet with all of our products, rags and cleaning supplies. So I added similar shelves on the other side of the closet as well:

We don't have a closet light in here, so I stuck these awesome motion sensor lights above the doors inside.

I was able to do both new shelves with all scrap wood, so that was awesome!

Not sure why I didn't do this earlier! On this side I only added two shelves because I wanted to be able to store our Shark vacuum underneath for easy charging:

You can see I also cut a hole into the bottom shelf so I could keep our handheld vacuum charger on the shelf as well. I ran the cord from the plug up to the shelf:

I use these sticky card holders to label the bins.

Now all of our cleaning needs are in one spot in the house, it's SO nice and organized. We still keep one litter box for the cats in here, (the rest are in our basement) but I decided to leave that out of the pics. You're welcome. :)

It is SO lovely to have this awesome storage space in our mud room -- I think adding it is one of the best decisions I made in our home.

All of these shelves are about nine inches deep by 24 inches wide. It doesn't sound like a lot, but look how much surface storage they added -- especially for smaller items like these.

If you aren't using the ends of your closets I highly recommend this little project.

See more of our home and shop items in each room here.

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Easy DIY Homemade Jewelry Cleaner Recipe {From the Pantry}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Best homemade DIY jewelry cleaner recipe.

This helpful homemade jewelry cleaner is super simple and cheap (free if you have the basics on hand). You can get your gemstones looking brand new without any harsh chemicals!

When I take my diamond rings into my jeweler to be cleaned they look at me like I have three heads and ask WHAT IN THE WORLD I have been doing.

I guess the spray paint, saw dust, paint, glue and all the other DIY messes stick around. ;)

This homemade version eats away at all that stuff and makes them absolutely shine. I love this simple jewelry cleaner because I always have what I need readily available in our pantry.

All of the “ingredients” are from the kitchen:

DIY JEWELRY CLEANER RECIPE

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp dish detergent

one cup hot water

1 piece of aluminum foil

cereal bowl

Warm the water in the microwave for one to two minutes (I do two to get it nice and hot). I always use near boiling water for this cleaner.

While it’s heating use a piece of foil to line the bottom of a deep bowl:

When the water is ready, pour it in the bowl on top of the foil, then add the tablespoons of baking soda, salt and dish soap.

Stir up the mixture and watch it fizz:

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The Prettiest New Fall Kitchen and Dining Line From BHG!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:08:59 +0000

The most beautiful early fall kitchen and dining decor from Walmart!

It's been a while since I've browsed around Walmart! I was SO impressed with the fall Better Homes and Gardens line they's started unpacking over the past week or so.

I'm not ready to pull out the fall decor just yet, but this collection was so pretty, I just had to share.

Most of the items that caught my eye were in the serving ware and kitchen items, but they had two aisles of beautiful finds. I'm just sharing a few with you here, including a couple of things I picked up.

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This pretty four leaf tray would be perfect for small snacks or candy on a coffee table:

The little handle in the middle makes it easy to carry around. I would use this all year, but it's especially cute for fall!

Many of the items in this collection are a combination of purple, green and cream colors. So pretty! I LOVED this purple set of dishes:

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Our Bedroom UNmakeover, Makeover. {Removing Wallpaper}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:54:19 +0000

Removing wallpaper, fixing drywall damage and more main bedroom projects.

For a second, I thought maybe this bedroom project was going to be E.A.S.Y. But I was very wrong...it started with a much hope. 😂

I've tackled a BUNCH of rooms in our house this year, and the one I wanted to address this summer is our bedroom. When we first moved into our home, I was very into a dark gray color called Westchester Gray.

At the time I also installed a peel and stick wallpaper that looked like grasscloth:

I still LOVE the dark gray in our moody basement living area, but over time it felt heavy and drab in our bedroom.

A few years ago I decided to lighten things up by installing vertical tongue and groove planks on the bottom of the walls:

It brightened things up nicely and added some beautiful character as well.

When I worked on that project, I considered taking down the light gray wallpaper, but my experience with removing it in the past wasn't ideal. I figured I'd have to do a lot of drywall repairs, so I left it up and worked around it:

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How to Easily Revive Wilted Hydrangeas {Enjoy Weeks Longer!}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 01:00:00 +0000

This easy trick will give your wilting hydrangea blooms new life!

I’m back today with a super quick tip that brings a droopy hydrangea back with minimal effort.

If you love hydrangeas as much as I do (and who doesn’t, for real) then you’ll love this tip. This trick works for both cut and store bought hydrangea blooms.

I used to hate when I’d buy flowers (or cut them from the yard) and they’d droop within a day or two.

Did you know that hydrangeas are one of the only flowers to draw in moisture from their blooms? Cool huh?

Hydrangeas take in water from everywhere -- their stems, petals and leaves.

This little hack allows you to keep cut hydrangeas plump and beautiful for a couple weeks or more!

Here’s what I’m talking about -- see the sad bloom on the bottom left?:

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Before learning this trick that wilted flower would have been tossed in the trash. Sometimes it drooped within a day of bringing them home or cutting them.

(See some tips to avoid this from the start later in the post!)

This post was updated in July of 2026.

Why are my hydrangea blooms wilting?

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Budget Friendly Curtains and Drapes That Look Custom

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:37:06 +0000

These affordable, extra long curtain panels look GREAT and are well under $100!

If you've ever shopped for window treatments, you know they can get expensive quick.

I have found that most stores don't carry curtains for taller ceilings, usually only the shortest versions around 84 inches or less are readily available.

I recommend hanging your drapery brackets and rod at least a few inches above the window frame, so if you have eight foot ceilings you'll want at least 95 inch drapes.

If your ceiling height is nine feet tall, drapes at 108 inches are ideal so they will brush the ground.

Ideally, your curtains should "kiss" the floor. If you like a puddled look, you'll want them to be a few inches longer.

But there are so many affordable, quality options nowadays, even in LONG lengths! When we moved into our home nine years ago, there weren't nearly as many lovely choices for such a great price.

I've found a bunch of beautiful drapery options that won't break the bank. I can personally vouch for quite a few, as we have them hanging in our home.

My husband really wanted a bit more privacy for our sliding door in the dining room, and curtains were the best option. I found pretty linen-looking drapes in the perfect neutral fabric for this room:

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Not only do these natural linen curtains have a custom touch with sewn pinch pleats, but they come in a bunch of soft, pretty colors and a TON of customizable widths and lengths.

Plus they come with a blackout liner...perfect for a bedroom!

Pleat hooks come with the panels, so you'll only need to grab some curtain rings for installation. They hang beautifully after a quick steaming:

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Mandy's Cheesy Spinach and Sausage Pasta Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:00:00 +0000

This pasta dish with sausage and spinach is SO easy to make and has tons of flavor!

This one is a crowd pleaser and so easy to throw together!

Have you ever forgotten about a favorite dish and then rediscovered it? Maybe something from your childhood or a recipe that not only tastes good, but brings back good memories?

This absolutely DELICIOUS pasta recipe is one of those for me.

I found some recipes as I was sorting through our paper keepsakes. (See how I purged and organized all of the photos and memories here!)

One of them was a favorite of mine that I had completely forgotten about.

My friend Mandy is such a great cook and has shared some amazing recipes with me over the years. (This yummy strawberry dessert is another one I got from her.)

I remember sitting at her kitchen island on many occasions, eating this spinach sausage pasta and not being able to get enough of it...it's so flavorful and very easy to make!

It always surprised me, because I'm not a fan of spinach...but in this dish it is divine.

Here are the ingredients:

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Your Top Five Decorating Dilemmas SOLVED!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 01:45:46 +0000

Common design and decor dilemmas and how to fix them!

Over my 18 years of blogging and content creation, I've received so many design dilemma questions from readers. I noticed that many of questions repeat again and again over the years.

I started taking note of the top requests for help, and gathered the top five design and decor dilemmas many of you have asked about!

1. Downplaying an ugly TV

This is a BIG dilemma I hear about often! I don't necessarily mind a television in a space, but I completely understand not wanting it to be the design focus in a room.

I shared a whole post about this topic, with tips on decorating around a TV so it doesn't dominate a space.

You can choose to embrace this electronic black hole by dressing it up a bit with a DIY TV picture frame:

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This DIY works on almost any flat screen TV and I think it really does make a difference -- the little decorative accent makes it feel more cohesive and intentional in a space.

On one of our televisions I had to accommodate for the remote sensor, so keep that in mind.

Of course a "frame" around a TV looks best if there's a pretty picture inside of it. The new Frame TVs are great -- we have one in our family room, and it really is lovely to be able to have artwork on the screen all day:

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Make Store Bought Drapes Look High End With Easy DIY Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Easy tricks to make store bought curtains look more high end.

There are so many great ways to update store bought drapes to make them look a bit more custom! And most of these tips don't involve sewing.

I've sewn my own custom curtains many times over the years, but you can save SO much time (and money) just doing a few DIY hacks to ready made drapes.

1. Adding length to drapes

HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Amazon are great places to find pretty drapes, but finding them at a longer length of 103-108 inches (for nine foot ceilings) is a little more difficult.

Thankfully there's an easy trick to add a few inches to most store bought drapes! You'll want to make sure the drapes have large hems at the bottom and/or top:

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These drapes were 96 inches long, but had about 4 inch hems at both ends -- perfect! You'll want to inspect your drapes first to make sure they have a large hem like this. Most curtain sets will have at least a two inch hem on both ends.

It's so easy make these longer! Just grab a seam ripper and start tearing out the seams -- this takes some time, so turn on a good movie and just sit mindlessly doing it:

To get the length I wanted I took the top and bottom hems out.

By the way, these drapes were the kind that you put the drapery rod through at the top -- they didn't have any tabs so it was super easy.

To create your new hems with NO sewing, grab my some iron on hemming tape and the ironing board and figured out how far up I wanted to hem them:

I've used this stuff forever -- it's also called fusing web or stitch witchery and you'll just need an iron to use this product. It comes in a variety of "weights" -- if your fabric is thin cotton, the light or regular weight will be sufficient. Heavier fabrics will do better with the super weight option.

If a sewing machine intimidates you, you can even make your own drapes from scratch with this! Just place it on your fabric where you want your hem and then iron (be sure to use your steam setting to make sure it sticks well).

Before I learned how to sew I used this stuff all the time to make drapes -- it holds up for years and years! (You can even wash the items on a delicate cycle.)

I've also used this iron on webbing to add black out lining to inexpensive curtains.

2. Give your curtains a pleated look

Custom drapes made with pleats at the top make them look much more expensive and high end. Instead of doing that, I've done this little hack to give our window treatments the pleated look just by hanging them differently.

You'll need inexpensive drapery/curtain rings with clips for this look. Instead of clipping the fabric from the top, grab the drapes from behind and clip there:

It makes them look like someone sewed them for you. ;) I've done this for as long as I can remember on all of our windows and it always looks good.

The thicker the fabric the better for this trick!:

This is how this little adjustment looks on lightweight curtains:

3. DIY your own pleated drapes

Giving your cheaper curtains a true pleat isn't as difficult as you'd think! If you have the most basic sewing experience, you can do this DIY.

I shared a full tutorial on do-it-yourself pinch pleated drapes here, but this gives you an idea of the pleated look compared to grommets:

I've tweaked those cream and beige plaid drapes many times over the years! Here they are with the pinch pleats added:

Tour my office makeover here!

The hardware used to do this DIY allows you to give your curtains different kinds of pleated looks -- from the simplest to the more elaborate triple pleat:

Keep in mind, if you add pleats to your drapes, you will lose some width. So if you close your curtains, you'll want to double check that they will still cover the windows after pleating the fabric.

Another quick tip: Once you've added your pinch pleats, you can "train" your drapes to keep that look by tying them up for a day or so. They will hold their shape so much better:

4. Hang them high (but not too high)

Many designers recommend going all the way to the ceiling with your curtain rods, but I don't always agree with that design rule.

If you have a TON of space above your windows, I find hanging the rod hang a few feet higher than the windows only accentuates how small a window is.

In this case, I recommend hanging your drapes around six to ten inches above the trim.

If your ceilings are a manageable height, handing your hardware directly on the ceiling may be a good option.

A few years ago I discovered the Vidga curtain rails from IKEA and I LOVE them. I installed ours into the ceiling and it is a much cleaner look:

I do recommend hanging your curtains as wide as you can on a window. To do this, you'll want to hang your drapery rods so that they extend out from the side of the actual window by at least six inches, if not more.

Of course the space doesn't always allow for a super wide install (like in our bedroom, above), but even few inches will allow more natural light into your space!

Have you tried any of these drapery tricks? Here are a few more drapery and window treatment projects I've shared that you might find helpful!...

How to hang bamboo roman shades:

And if your bamboo shades are sagging or falling apart, this trick will save you a ton of money!:

How to make no-sew fabric roman shades (from way back but such a great project!):

Add some color or detail to drapes by adding a leading edge:

I did the same treatment to drapes in our current bedroom as well:

See more of our home and shop items in each room here.

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How to Make Furniture Look More Expensive With Black Paint!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

How to make furniture look more expensive with a few coats of black paint!

Black is one of my favorite colors to use in a room because it's a classic -- black furniture is a chameleon that works in nearly every space, no matter the wall color. I find black accents to be more neutral because they ground a space and give your eyes a place to rest.

I've transformed many items over the years with a few coats of dark paint, but this recent nightstand project is one of my favorites because it calmed the room so much.

I'll show you more and a quick how-to on how to paint furniture a darker color in a bit, but first -- some of my favorites I've painted black over the years.

The brass hardware on this second hand dresser really popped when I painted it with Graphite by Benjamin Moore:

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Graphite is a very dark gray, almost black color that I used to paint all of our doors in our last house. I love that paint color!

If you want to update the whole look of a piece by adding new knobs, check out this tutorial for filling old hardware holes.

I found this sewing machine cabinet on the side of the road and a few coats of black paint brought in back to life:

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Twelve Easy Fourth of July Craft, Decor and Recipe Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Twelve cute and simple 4th of July crafts, decor and entertaining ideas.

I've gathered a few quick and easy patriotic projects and recipes -- these Fourth of July DIY touches will look great inside and out. Most of these are great projects to work on with the kids as well!

If you're hosting over the July 4th holiday, these projects can be knocked out pretty quick. And the easy food ideas are great for entertaining.

First up, this super easy flag decor I've seen floating around on social media. I have plenty of brass taper candle holders so I knew I wanted to try this out:

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This post has been updated with additional projects in July, 2026.

You'll need a few small flags (I prefer these with the gold finial on top) and either white air dry clay or picture putty. I had the former on hand so used that and stuffed some inside the tapers:

Then just push the flags into the tapers. They stayed put even before it dried, but will dry up and secure the flags even more after a few hours.

I ended up cutting down the wood stick just a bit on all of mine so they weren't crazy tall. The clay should pop right out after the holiday.

These red white and blue dipped pretzels from The 36th Avenue are super festive and I'll be making them for sure:

I've made these at Christmas and they are GOOD.

This year I threw together an easy door display for the summer months:

I had the blue and white baby's breath, but needed a red color. I ended up spray painting some of my existing baby's breath with a rust color I have on hand.

Just a few very light coats was all the faux blooms needed! I shared a bunch of similar hanging baskets for this decor idea here.

You know I love a good printable! This inexpensive watercolor flag printable can be downloaded and printed at home in minutes.

It's is an easy way to add some red white and blue without spending much money:

You seriously can't go wrong with these -- I use the same frames for my seasonal printables around the house and just change them up.

Make your own festive garland with paper and this easy tutorial from Nest of Posies:

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Three Ingredient {SUPER Easy!} Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 19:57:00 +0000

Making your own strawberry jelly isn't nearly as hard as you'd think!

Yay, it's strawberry season! Years ago a friend shared her strawberry freezer jam recipe with me (and how unbelievably easy it was), and I've been making this every summer since!

This jam takes only three ingredients and about 30 minutes to make. You'll have numerous jars to freeze for later.

When the kids were young, we'd go strawberry picking nearly every year. The berries are at their peak in June here in the Midwest:

Of course this easy recipe doesn't require picking your own...store bought is great! I do recommend buying organic if the budget allows, as pesticides can easily penetrate the thin skin on strawberries.

How to make easy strawberry jam:

Making this jam is SO incredibly easy! There are only three ingredients -- strawberries, sugar and Sure Jell fruit pectin. OK, technically four with water, but it's still not much at all.

You'll want at least a few pounds of clean berries:

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I always soak strawberries with a bit of white vinegar before eating or cooking with them. I promise you won't taste the vinegar -- usually about a quarter of vinegar to water ratio works great.

By the way, if you soak your berries in this mixture (usually five to ten minutes), they will stay fresh in a mason jar for up to two weeks! I use these jars for all berries -- blueberries last FOREVER in these.

After rinsing and cutting off the stems, I used a potato masher to smash up the berries to two cups (smashed):

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My Best of List: Home, DIY and Beauty {Amazon Prime Days!}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:43:20 +0000

Home, garden, DIY and beauty: My absolute favorites Amazon list.

It's that time again! The annual Amazon Prime Days are here!

Instead of sharing products we don't use, I almost exclusively share only items that we can vouch for and enjoy in our home. I won't recommend it unless it has passed the test for us!

I've gathered some of the BEST home and garden, DIY and even a few beauty items we use all the time. Most of these are Prime Day deals at big discounts, and the others are affordable as is.

Check out last year's favorite household finds under $10 list here!

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Home and Garden

This AeroGarden is especially helpful in the winter, but if you don't have much outdoor space for gardening it would be perfect! You can enjoy fresh home grown herbs and small veggies at home all year long:

AeroGarden indoor gardening

Our Cuisinart air fryer/toaster is the most useful small appliance in our home! It replaces so many appliances -- toaster, air fryer and even a microwave (because of its warming option). We use this nearly every sing day:

Cuisinart air fryer/toaster/oven

I recently shared these awesome outdoor faux flowers and heard from so many of you who have used similar options! You truly cannot tell unless you're right up on them, plus NO green thumb necessary:

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Summer Themed Giveaway! {Home and Self Care Goodies}

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 03:35:28 +0000

A "thank you" summer giveaway! {Fresh, fun home finds and self care items.}

It's time to thank you all again! This time with a summer season themed giveaway, just in time for the summer solstice.

Over the past few weeks, I've been gathering the prettiest home and self care items to give away to two of you! This giveaway is full of completely unnecessary, frivolous fun items that you may not buy for yourself. So I bought them for you. :)

The value of all of these items is more than $100. I'll share the four easy ways to enter at the end of the post.

First, let's take a look at the goodies!

This giveaway is now closed, congrats to winners Carrie and Aubrey!

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Kitchen gadgets

These are SO fun, I love all of the color! In this section I gathered chip clips, (cute!) strawberry shaped popsicle molds, pretty reusable storage baggies, a lemon themed scrubber set and gardenia scented hand soap:

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Classic Decor for a Timeless Nancy Meyers Summer Look

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Decor Chick) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:01:03 +0000

Summer decor staples to get that relaxed, timeless Nancy Meyers charm.

I'm a sucker for the Nancy Meyers look any day of the year, but especially in the warmer summer months! Her designs are timeless and fresh, and are the epitome of this more relaxed season.

When you really break it down, Meyers' style is based in the classics -- soft color palates, natural textures and vintage accents that when mixed, create her effortless, lived-in look.

Blue is my absolute favorite color for decor or paint in a room, and summertime is the BEST time to incorporate it. Especially in combination with materials like rattan, metal accents and beautiful patterned fabrics.

I've gathered a bunch of Nancy Meyers inspired decor that will work year round, but is especially pretty in the warm summer months! I did my best to find classic pieces that didn't lean too coastal themed.

All of the links to these items (and more) can be found at my idea list!

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