Decorating On A Shoe String Budget Part 3

Ta Da!!

This is the wall opposite from yesterday's post. Let's take a step back shall we?

I guess we can enter through the inside of the house today. What do you think? I just love it. Everything on top was already there but there was nothing on the wall before or any decorative accent of any kind. Let's see what the before looked like....

Ho hum, boring. During my trip to Wal Mart to buy chalkboard paint I saw some great black oval baskets. I even stopped and picked one up, they were so pretty. They were $5 a piece and I said to myself "These are so perfect for my laundry room! I can use these to tie in all of the black and I can use two of these black wicker baskets instead of the two white wire baskets that hold all of our socks waiting to be folded." It just seemed so perfect and would tie in all the colors so prettily. I have a lot of black on the opposite wall but very little on this wall. Just the sign and accent piece in black, gold and ivory. Not much black, these would help bring it all together and be much prettier than the wire ones. As I was contemplating the purchase I realized that I already own two of these baskets but not in black. Mine are in the natural wicker color. One is holding building blocks in Braxy's playroom and the other holding hair paraphanalia in my bathroom cabinet. So what does a girl on a budget do?

I didn't have the cash for spray paint but I still had my leftover gallon of black paint and a paint brush. This was the first coat of 3. Hey, this is a shoe string budget remember? Stop laughing. After the third coat they looked very respectable. Maybe later when I am rich again I will buy some black spray paint and give my pretties a touch up. Maybe. But for now my "new" black baskets are all FREE.

I was going to do a fourth coat but I decided I kinda liked the shabby chic look with some of the natural wicker peeking through. Okay, who am I kidding? I just wanted to get it done and the baby kept screaming every time I went outside to do another coat. I'll do the fourth coat this weekend when people are home to watch Mr. Braxton for me. Y'all are my friends, I can't lie to you.

This is the view coming in from the outside. I think these black baskets are much better than my wire ones. The cabinets were being discontinued from our kitchen cabinet maker and I bought them for $25 when we built the house.

The picture of flowers I already had. I arranged the flowers myself, I was going for a wildflower look. Nothing too perfect. The picture beside it was a clearance Hobby Lobby find. It cost $2, can you believe that? $2 and nobody had swiped it up yet. It was meant for me.

I didn't do a close up of this one yesterday. Not bad for a cost of .59 cents.

Total cost of this wall: $10 sign from Hobby Lobby. $19.99 x 50% off sale = $10. Square decor plaque $2. Clearance section at 80% off. Total cost: $12

Total cost of this wall: 2 framed artwork pieces $1.18. (I painted existing frames in the house) 2 pieces of scrapbooking paper from Hobby Lobby @ .59 cents each. Black barn star $10. $19.99 x 50% off sale = $10. Chalkboard paint $7.97 at Wal Mart. Total cost: $19.15



Total cost for laundry room re do: $31.15 plus sales tax.



Not bad, not bad. She squeals with delight! I just took an idea that I had and looked for ways to use what I already had and got creative about what I needed to purchase to achieve the look I wanted. A funny side note: As I was just starting this post my 16 year old Alexis walked over to the computer and the very first picture was up. She said, "Oh mom, thats a really pretty laundry room. Oh wait, that's our laundry room!". That made me feel really nice and we both laughed about it.



Room additions: I think I would like one of those vinyl letterings over the barn star that says "Welcome" pretty large. I think I would also like a W monogram someplace in black. I definitely want me some black and white toile fabric so I can make a pretty window treatment over the window on my outside door. The door is just begging for some toile love. But, it's not in the budget just yet and maybe some crazed looney person will have donated some black & white toile to the Goodwill so I can come along and buy it. Hey, I can dream. I hope you like it, I know I do and for $32 it sure is a big improvement. Please check out the post below to see how I did the other part of the room.