Is your home feeling in need of a face lift? Do you feel the pressure of a budget? Here are some great ideas to update your home.

Even a small change can give a facelift

Sometimes the smallest changes revitalize a tired design.The same old slightly worn sofa suddenly looks so much better with the addition of some throw cushions. Pillow forms are available at the local dollar stores. Covered with fabric remnants (remember back and front can be different materials) with an added stencil or tassels on the corners offer a new perspective.

Can't sew??? Try tying the fabric over the form, tucking in the raw edges behind the knot! Check discount stores for clearance remnants.

Old clothing can be a great source of fabric. Recycling the back of a shirt or a sweater will cover one side of the cushion. Old drapes work well also.

Decorate with your photos and great frames

Add new photos in creative frames to a room. Make the frames or purchase them from a discount outlet. Children love to help with these projects! Include them in the process. A family photo wall adds fresh interest to a room, fills blank space, and promotes family awareness all at the same time. Don't forget to include great grandma or grandpa in the scheme. Dig in the trunk for those old pictures.

Scan them on the computer to the desired size and install them in frames.

A little paint can go a long way

Paint is one of the least expensive finishes. Paint the walls or even one wall or small accessory pieces such as occasional tables.

Decorative miscellaneous boxes painted one color will add interest to the coffee table or wall unit and will add a new focus as well as storage for those elusive TV remote control devices.

Discover the magic of designing with a glue gun and decoupage

A glue gun is a must for all of these projects. Attach a flower, a shell, or some ribbon with the glue gun and voila!- a new look.

Don't forget that decoupage also easily changes a look. Add postcards from those unforgettable vacations, postage stamps, wallpaper sections, or sports activities pictures to the top of a table and shellac to protect the surface and now you have a unique conversation piece.

The computer is again very helpful in this process. Scan the desired pictures and print on light weight paper. The thin paper will be easier to attach to the wood surface than the thicker sheets.

Remember to add a spray coat of clear acrylic over any computer prints to set the color before adding the decoupage glue to the back and front of the piece.

Bring furniture to life by painting designs on certain pieces - even if you are not an artist

Consider painting a design on a plain piece of furniture. It does not require an artist's skill to paint flowers.

Simply dip the eraser on the end of a pencil into paint and apply to a furniture piece. Do five applications of white paint in a circle and one yellow dot with the eraser
in the centre of the circle and you have a daisy. Use a fine marker to draw the stem and you have the whole flower. Alternatively trace pictures from coloring books and fill in with paint. Any of these applications require several topcoats of sprayed or brushed on clear
clear acrylic for durability.

Happy decorating!

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