Furnishing Without Spending

Someone gave me this 100-plus old wicker couch. They said they were "sure glad to get that thing out of our house" because it took up so much room. I have owned it for about 15 years now and have changed the fabrics and cushions several times. The lamp on the right came from a yard sale, as did the table it rests upon. The pictures on the wall are greeting cards put into old frames or dollar-store frames.

Here is my favorite rug, made of strips of old sheets, old dresses and fabric that I didn't need, crocheted with a giant crochet hook, by my daughter. She sat down one day and did it in a few hours.

You can use baby things in your house even if you do not have children. I kept this old high chair that someone gave me, and used it in the dining room. It is a good place to park things I have kept for years.

It is too bad there is not a "before" picture of this shelf. It was a beaten up old thing someone had thrown in the trash. The pieces had come apart and it was unpainted and simply awful looking. When I brought it home, my family groaned! However a bit of wood glue and some cabinet paint fixed it up just fine. The floral design is painted with flower shaped sponges. I use cabinet paint or bathroom paint for my projects because it does not chip as easily.

In this shelf are cottage tea pots and old doilies left by a great-grandmother. I learned to decorate up high when my children were little. That way I could function with children in the house and not always worry about things setting out.

I am not saying that it is practical for everyone to live like this, but that it is important to know how to furnish without spending, when necessary. These things, if taken care of can be sold for 100% profit. Taking care of them increased their value. One thing many new homemakers have to learn is that it that one of their duties is to find ways not to spend money. It seems in better times, many of us have felt it our duty to spend. However, when the family budget is tight, the homemaker can not only make do with free things or cheaper things, she can actually make them better and make money from them if she has to.