• Decorating your home is possible on a small budget.interior with stool image by Leonid Nyshko from Fotolia.com
  
  Decorating your home can be costly, and you often don't want to have to choose quantity over quality. But the bigger the house, the more decor you'll need to acquire, which can certainly add up in price quickly. Fortunately, there are many ways to decorate your home without borrowing money from the bank or maxing out your credit card.
  
  

Thrift Shopping

• You may not find large furniture pieces, such as dressers or couches, at a thrift store, but you may get lucky and find other buried treasures. Thrift stores are often a home to unique pieces, each with its own story to tell. Even things as simple as old, colored glass bottles can make beautiful art when placed in front of a window sill. If you like antique decor, look for pieces such as old, metal watering cans to use as flower vases or old lanterns to replace wall lights. If you're into contemporary or modern decor, scope out paintings, decorative pillows or funky mirrors.
  
  

Do It Yourself

• You can create a plethora of decor by visiting a craft store and making your own decorations. Some do-it-yourself projects include homemade picture frames, flower vases, curtains, wall shelves, candles and lamp shades. Small, inexpensive changes, such as touching up or changing the color of your walls, can add a new feeling to the room. Also, try restoring your old decor into new decor instead of tossing it out. If an old chair has a torn seat cushion, throw a new seat on or patch up the rip and adorn the seat with a nice, inexpensive cover. Sand down old wooden furniture to remove scratches or other flaws, then apply a different colored stain to the wood.
  
  

Swap With Friends

• If you've ever eyed a friend's vanity set or couldn't help but drool over your cousin's antique lamps, ask to trade a piece of your decor for a piece of theirs. This way, you can enjoy the look of new decor without having to buy it. You can even trade back for your old piece when you're ready for a change, or trade that piece with another friend. Just be sure to take good care of the piece, in case you ever want to trade back. Only alter the piece if your friend allows you to.