How often do we look round our homes and think, “I wish I could spruce things up a bit … if I only had the money”? Well, brightening up a home certainly doesn’t have to break the bank. Follow my tips on how to give your home a lift without having to spend a fortune;

1; Freshen up your rooms with scented candles. As well as providing fragrant aromas, candles also add a magical ambience to rooms.

2; Cut a 5cm square from a small sponge. Using a tester paint pot, sponge a row of squares round the centre of your room. Above this, sponge a second row, to make a check pattern. A third row can be added if desired, and different colours used for a more dramatic effect. MUCH cheaper than wallpaper border.

3; Cover plain cushions with fabric remnants of either brightly coloured fabric, fake fur, or elegant chenille or velvet.

4; Give shelves a pretty look using gingham fabric made into a runner, edged with lace.

5; Buy four greetings cards designed by the same artist. They could be romantic, abstract, modern etc. Frame them in cheap clip frames, and display together.

6; Have a two or three tester sized, jewel bright, paint colours mixed at your local DIY superstore. Zing up your accessories, such as picture frames, plant pots, or paintwork.

7; Rearrange your books on the bookshelves. Organise in size order, or put books with similar coloured spines together. It looks much neater than a jumble of sizes and colours.

8; Buy a bunch of flowers and display them in the most prominent part of the room. Not only will they look good, they will make the place smell nice too.

9; Cover chipped and stained table tops with sticky backed plastic. There are a host of colours and modern patterns and textures to choose from.

10; Pick up an old fashioned mirror from a car boot, or garage sale and decorate with glass paint. Paint a design straight on to the mirror if you are artistic, or use a stamp or stencil if you are not that confident.

11; Give your net curtains a new lease of life by dyeing them to match your colour scheme. Cold water dyes are easy to use, and have a good colour range.

12; Give your skirting boards, window sills and paintwork a fresh lick of paint. You will be amazed how clean your room will look with gleaming new paintwork.

~~~~~~~~Gail Miller is a UK artist and writer. View her vibrant, contemporary artwork at her website, Gails Art Galleryhttp://home.freeuk.net/gails-gallery~~~~~~~~

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