Since adding a baby to our family last year, we’ve been spending significantly more time at home. My home has always been my happy place that I enjoy being in, but I’ve been really wanting to decorate a bit more and add a touch of more coziness to our house.
We purchased the house we’re currently in over three year ago and still haven’t done much with decorating. I think that part of it is I have a difficult time spending money on any decor unless I’m completely in love with it, which I suppose is a good thing overall! It just leaves our house feeling a bit empty and lacking of character or a cozy factor.
I’ve been on a mission to make our home cozy lately and trying to find as many inexpensive ways as possible to do so, without just bringing in a bunch of cheap junk that would only add clutter. I’ve put together a list of simple and inexpensive ways to make your home cozy that I wanted to share with you all! I know I can’t be the only one who is always trying to make my home seem more welcoming and cozy overall!
Here are inexpensive ways to make your home cozy:
Throw pillows and blankets
If you’re crafty (I’m certainly not), you could probably just buy a throw pillow insert and then some pretty fabric on sale to make your own pillow covers. But if you’re like me, then finding pretty throw pillows and blankets on sale does the trick! Pillows and blankets draped over couches in your main living space can really facilitate relaxation and encourage your family and guests to get comfortable and to make themselves at home.
Plants
I don’t have any semblance of a green thumb, but I do enjoy house plants when I go to someone else’s home! Because I can’t seem to keep anything other than my child alive in this house, I do enjoy picking up the occasional small bouquet of flowers to brighten up my kitchen counter and add some life to the space. It’s such an instant pick-me-up too! I usually get them for just a few bucks at Trader Joe’s. There’s something about fresh flowers or greenery that make a room feel so welcoming!
Family pictures
When I enter someone’s home and see pictures of their family and loved ones up on the walls, I definitely feel more at ease and instantly comfortable. I think that there is a fine line between cozy and cluttered though, especially when it comes to hanging decor on walls. I think the best approach is to focus on a few big pictures to display rather than dozens of smaller ones that can appear cluttery.
Decor that is meaningful
I have a small antique-looking bell placed on one of the shelves in our family room that was in my Grandma and Grandpa’s home for years. When they both passed away, I was fortunate enough to be able to bring it into my own home. I love not only the appearance of the bell, but how I feel when I catch a glimpse of it. It brings back warm memories of my grandparents and what loving people they were. We have a few other pieces of furniture and other decor items that tell a similar story, and I love being able to have items in my home that are not only useful and loved, but hold some deep meaning behind them as well.
Hang string lights
I’ve seen these globe string lights in a few homes now, and think they add such charm and warmth to any space (indoor or outdoor) for an instant cozy feel.
Floor or table lamps
Overhead lighting or dark rooms tend to make for a very uninviting vibe. Both floor and table lamps can add a very cozy vibe to bedrooms and family rooms and really change the dynamics of the room. Overhead lighting reminds me of supermarkets or offices and just doesn’t make me feel very relaxed. Lighting lower from the ceiling really brings a space together I think!
Fire
If you are one of the lucky ones that has a fireplace in your home, light that baby up and use it! We unfortunately do not have a fireplace and don’t see it fitting within our budget for probably a few more years depending on if we stay in our current home, but I adore the flame from a good candle almost as much. I know I’ve mentioned it a few times before, but there’s nothing like the warm glow of a flame to add an instant coziness factor to any home! We have a few wall sconces too that are some of my favorite things in my home, and are a great way to be able to enjoy a nice flame while keeping young children and pets safe.
What are some other inexpensive ways to make your home cozy that you’ve found?
I love hand-me-downs! My sister is a pretty good decorator but loves change every few years if not every few months. I have found that her hand-me-downs work perfectly for my need to change. We have similar taste and our colors are somewhat the same. I also have a friend that we have done the same thing with holiday decorations. It is just nice to have a different look now and then and it is awesome not to have to pay full price!
That’s fantastic Lisa, that probably feels like winning the jackpot to be able to get hand-me-downs from your sister and friend that are your taste too 🙂
I love your ideas! I really miss my wall sconces. They had such a wonderful “period” feel to them. Right now, I am totally UN-decorated. I think I’m still getting ready for full time RV living. You and I sound a lot alike in our decorating preferences (when I DID decorate, anyway). So, of course, I’d say your style is perfect. 🙂
Haha thanks Kay!
Totally with you on the pillows and blankets!! I always get the best big couch blankets from Costco for like $8! They are so soft!! I actually have one on my bed, too!
Blankets really do make such a difference! I find that even draping them across our leather couches a bit make them feel a lot cozier!
Pillows and blankets are probably the cheapest way. I think there is some pretty cheap art that you can get that will help make a home feel more like a “home.” Fireplaces take the cake for sure, but like you said some people don’t have them. We don’t but we may invest in one of those electric ones down the road.
Wall art is a great way to decorate inexpensively as well! Yep I am really hankering for a fireplace, but think it will have to wait for a few year. We’ll see!
Invest?
Great tips! We lived in our previous home for about three years, and it took me about two to do much decorating. I was finally really liking the way things looked — right before we had to sell and move out. I also only tend to buy items I really love (and that are affordable!), which took me forever. I think wall art makes a big difference. Lamps and lighting can as well. And fireplaces are wonderful; our past home had a gas fireplace, and it was super cozy. I have fond memories of sitting by the fireplace snuggled up with a blanket during cold evenings.
Thanks Jennifer! Ah, I feel like it’s going to be like that with me too when I finally get everything the way I want it, that we’ll then be moving.
I love these ideas! I’m all about making where we live more ‘homey’ without spending a ton. Furniture and home decorations are expensive! We have a handful of family pictures that we like to hang up and I use the projects my son created at daycare/school to hang up as abstract art, haha. In all honestly, he’s pretty good and some of his paintings match the color scheme in my living room, plus it’s free 🙂
Since settling in to our new place, we realized we needed lamps to lighten up the living room more and I lucked out at a garage sale this past weekend and found two identical end table lamps in great condition for only $5 each. Such a steal!
We don’t have a fire place either. And I totally agree, a fireplace adds beautiful coziness to a room. We do have a little portable fireplace though. It uses stones and gel fuel within a glass inclosure to create a really pretty fire. We use it inside in the winter and outside in the summer/fall. It’s really cute and cozy!
That sounds like a really cool portable fireplace Jess, the perfect substitute for the “real deal”.
Great tips! I love the blankets and pillows, too! I went out and bought a bunch a few months ago and it’s been such a great addition 🙂 I love candles for making my home cozier too, although I have kids (7&3) and just started using them again and it’s still with extreme care. I like to use scents like lavender, vanilla, Apple, or anything that’s calming or brings up happy memories. Room sprays work if safety is an issue. Thank you all for bringing up the fireplace. We have one but have never used it! (I’m scared!) It’s an old house but I’m inspired to get a sweep out to clean it out so we can use it. It’s a gift 🙂
Great tips! I’d add candles too, especially for those (like me) that don’t have a fireplace…
Absolutely Barbara! Candles are actually included in my “fire” idea 🙂 I don’t have a fireplace either so I rely on candles alone for that cozy warmth feeling that only a flame can bring!
I adore throw pillows, blankets, and rugs. They make any space cozy and don’t cost much, which means I can change my style when the mood strikes without breaking the bank. Great post!
They really do make such a difference Rica! And thank you!
I definitely agree with the blankets and throw pillows. I would also recommend candles! They make a room smell good and therefore make you feel good. At least that’s how I feel when a room smells like “clean linen” instead of cat pee.
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