Collaboration with Poppy J.
For many, their home is forever changed with the arrival of children, and priorities swiftly swivel away from purchasing the latest must-have designs, towards trying to keep the home moderately presentable on a budget. It can be extremely difficult to come to terms with the fact that your once pristine palace now resembles a giant crumb-filled toy box, but there are ways you can regain control of your home without having to empty the entire contents of your wallet.
DIY Magic
Once you have accepted you can no longer splurge on every piece of furniture you fancy, you can delve into the magical world of “make-you-own” creativity. The internet is swarming with fantastic decorating tips and tutorials, explaining how you can create amazing accessories for your home, from snazzy vases to beautifully elegant curtains. You could even make your own chandeliers simply by using plastic spoons, yes plastic spoons! If you want to attempt something a bit bigger, why not give building your own coffee table a go, using wine crates and a lick of varnish
Search the Sales
There are some household items that could prove a little ambition to make, even for the most experienced DIYers, and the sensible thing to do is buy furniture that is going to last for several years. Be savvy and scour online sales for bargain purchases such as cut-price sofas and beds. If your bed and mattress haven’t been changed in a long time it is worth taking a peek at online retailers such as Bedstar, who regularly have sales.
Out With the Old…
Budgeting isn’t just about spending less, and if you can bear to part with existing household items, you could actually be sitting on a goldmine, which can be used to spruce up your home in a child-friendly way. Your threadbare sofa could actually fetch you a few quid on a local buy-and-sell site, and if you have items such as exercise equipment or still boxed kitchen appliances, admitting you are never going to use them could result in you putting some much-needed pounds in your bank.
Swap Skills
One of the best things about the internet is that we now have the ability to be in contact with all different kinds of people from all over the world in mere seconds. We are also able to contact local people who have talents that could help you revamp your home. I’m not talking about professional decorators and painters who will charge you for jobs done in your home, but people who are willing to trade their particular skills in return for another. There are many sites that advertise this scheme and so if you are a whizz in the kitchen, fluent in a foreign language, or are a talented musician, you could offer to teach another person these skills in return for them sprucing up your home. Take a look at The Guardian’s top ten list of swapping sites and benefit from the skills of others.