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So we renovated our whole house when we first bought it 4 years ago and everything looked so brand new and great then. We put so much time, effort, and money into the actual renovation part that I never really put much thought into the decorating part. We used hand me downs, yard sale finds, and cheap DIY’s to furnish what we could. And it was great!
But now I’m slowly finding ideas that I love and redecorating parts of rooms in our home at a time.
The bathroom is one of my favorite remodels in our home. I love all the details in the shower and the colors, but I literally only had two pictures to hang in there. It was a little bland.
I wanted the bathroom to feel more warm and cozy, and have more personality and style. I think I achieved that! And on a super tiny budget!
Before
Everything is so nice and brand new, but a little bland right?
I really love this remodel! Want to see a quick peek of what it looked like when we bought it? I’m warning you, it was so bad!
Yikes!! That gives me the heebie jeebies all over again!! I guess no decorations is always better than that!
I’m sorry you had to see that!
Back to pretty pictures…
Bathroom Decorating on a Dime
New Over the Toilet Shelves
I have had my eye on these for a few months! They are like Restoration Style brackets and shelves, but DIY and wayyyy cheaper style!
I used this awesome tutorial from Seventh House on the Left to figure out how to make the brackets. Then I headed out for a quick trip to Lowe’s for the galvanized pipe parts and spray paint to make 4 brackets (2 per shelf).
This was the most expensive part of the whole decorating project, totaling $67.00. They do have black steel parts that would work, but of course my store was out of the parts I needed and I was too impatient to go back. If you look at the Restoration Hardware brackets though, you are saving a tonnnn by DIY-ing them. 
All I had to do was screw them together and paint with textured spray paint, then a light coat of black spray paint. Then just screw them into the wall!
I made my two shelves from leftover 2″x10″ wood we had from another project. I’m telling you it pays to keep a scrap wood pile!
I stained these shelves with Early American stain and love the way they turned out!
We measured these to be spaced in 1.5″ from the wall and about 18″ in between each shelf. Of course the studs weren’t in the right place, so we used drywall jackets and it seems very sturdy.
Decorating the Shelves
Since I spent $67 on the brackets, I knew I had to be super frugal in decorating the shelves.
I wanted some greenery and maybe a succulent in there, so I headed to the shaded plant section of Lowe’s and was looking through the indoor plants and what do I see in the corner?! Yellow stickers! Of course I ran over and yes! clearance plants!! They were just a little dried out but only $.50 each!!! Yes, give me the $.50 plants!
I bought the best looking ones they had. I got 2 ivy plants, 1 succulent, and 1 baby fern all for $.50 each. These are normally almost $4! I was already looking at a little succulent arrangement, but put it down quickly when I saw the $20 price tag. But guess what? They had one in the clearance section for $5!
I felt like I hit the lottery! Everyone else probably stared at me and wondered why I was buying almost dried up plants. But they are doing great now!
I found some different jars I wasn’t using and stole some cotton from a wreath that needed updating, and just stuck the cotton down in the jars.
See the little succulents in the white bowl? That was my $5 score!
I added some toilet paper in a wire basket, tissues, and a candle that was recently gifted to me and woo-lah! Frugally decorated rustic/industrial style shelves and I love them!
Doesn’t that feel warm and cozy? And have style and personality? 😉 It’s exactly what I had in mind.
Good Morning Signs
These cost me nothing! I had scrap wood leftover from other projects and tons of scrapbook paper to use up.
All I did was use my Cricut to write out some of my favorite sayings on scrapbook paper, then hot glued that on a piece of square plywood, cut 1″x3″ wood to make a frame, stained, and woo-lah!
I love the way these turned out! It’s nice to see an uplifting and positive message as soon as I wake up and start the day on a good note. (or with a grateful heart 😉 )
I’m so thrilled with the way my signs and shelves turned out and it really makes our house feel more like home!
Final Cost: $67 (brackets + spray paint) + $6.50 (succulent + ivy plant + terra cotta pot) = $73.50
Obviously this would cost more if you didn’t have leftover supplies, but it could cost less if you used a different bracket system. Brackets are not too cheap though, even the plain jane ones, so I think I did good with my budget and I love the result!
What areas of your home need a little redecorating?
Make yourself a little budget and a wish list, shop for deals, and DIY when you can to get a great décor update and stay on budget!
You can give your home style and personality like I have with my bathroom decorating on a dime! A cozy and stylish home does not have to cost a lot!
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