Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups

Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups
By Kathleen Wilson

Most of us spend a good deal of time in our kitchens these days, and it’s not just for cooking. More homes are being built with the kitchen as the hub of the home, and even if you’re on a tight budget, that shouldn’t stop you from making it a pleasant and personal place to be!

If your cabinets are in need of a total overhaul, consider painting them. Nothing changes the look of a kitchen faster! Visit the library for info on faux finishing, or go to www.paintedhouse.com or www.fauxlikeapro.com, and turn a simple paint job into a one of a kind kitchen.

If you don’t want the hard work that goes into total repainting, consider removing a cupboard door to make a display cabinet. Paint the entire interior of the cabinet a light or bright accent color, and put your prettiest on display. Or have someone good with power tools cut out the center panels of the doors, then shirr fabric over the inside to hide the contents of the cupboard…secure with a staple gun or Velcro tape.

Pick up inexpensive plate hangers from the hardware store and hang the saucers from your good china around the backsplash, or as a border. Don’t have any china? Visit garage sales and thrift stores this weekend to pick up a bunch of sweet little plates for a song. (No, they don’t have to match, or be fancy!)

Hang tea towels on the diagonal over your curtain rod for a fresh summer valance, and save some extra to stitch up into potholders and placemats.

Make a floor cloth to perk up your tired floors from a piece of remnant vinyl flooring you get at a home improvement center for just a few dollars. Turn the piece over to the backside, and give it a coat or two of good primer, then a coat of any basecoat color. Then use masking tape, stencils, stamps, sponges or freehand painting to impart a design that fits your room. Be sure to seal it with a couple of coats of water based polyurethane, and it will wipe clean for years! This is a great way to customize your kitchen for little money…lets face it, rugs are expensive, impossible to keep clean in a kitchen, and are usually the same old boring thing. This is also a great way to cover an aging or damaged floor, as you can make the floorcloth to whatever size you need.

Save empty bottles and fill with colored water to set on the windowsills, or line up the bottles and fill with one flower each from your garden.

Grow plants from seed on your windowsills! Even grass seed has become very vogue. (Don’t tell anyone, because I usually shy away from “vogue”, but I really like the grass thing!J)

Above all, invoke your family into the place where you spend the most time. I’ve heard some designers say you should keep your refrigerator clear to prevent clutter, NO MAGNETS! But honestly, what would my kitchen be without my kids drawings stuck all over the door? It wouldn’t be the place I want to spend most of my time. I even have a couple of framed photos of my kids, right on the kitchen counter! So make your kitchen YOUR home, and have fun doing it!

Copyright 2002 K. Wilson

About the Author

Kathleen Wilson is the editor of a free ezine and website called The Budget Decorator. When she’s not decorating or gardening she’s caring for her 5 kids, 3 stepkids, and wonderful husband. You can get more info and free projects at her website http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com

written by: Kathleen Wilson

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home :: Frugal Tips Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups By Kathleen Wilson Most of us spend a good deal of time in our kitchens these days, and it’s not just for cooking. More homes are being built with the kitchen as the hub of the home, and even if you’re on a tight budget, that shouldn’t stop you from making it a pleasant and personal place to be! If your cabinets are in need of a total overhaul, consider painting them. Nothing changes the look of a kitchen faster! Visit the library for info on faux finishing, or go to www.paintedhouse.com or www.fauxlikeapro.com, and turn a simple paint job into a one of a kind kitchen. If you don’t want the hard work that goes into total repainting, consider removing a cupboard door to make a display cabinet. Paint the entire interior of the cabinet a light or bright accent color, and put your prettiest on display. Or have someone good with power tools cut out the center panels of the doors, then shirr fabric over the inside to hide the contents of the cupboard…secure with a staple gun or Velcro tape. Pick up inexpensive plate hangers from the hardware store and hang the saucers from your good china around the backsplash, or as a border. Don’t have any china? Visit garage sales and thrift stores this weekend to pick up a bunch of sweet little plates for a song. (No, they don’t have to match, or be fancy!) Hang tea towels on the diagonal over your curtain rod for a fresh summer valance, and save some extra to stitch up into potholders and placemats. Make a floor cloth to perk up your tired floors from a piece of remnant vinyl flooring you get at a home improvement center for just a few dollars. Turn the piece over to the backside, and give it a coat or two of good primer, then a coat of any basecoat color. Then use masking tape, stencils, stamps, sponges or freehand painting to impart a design that fits your room. Be sure to seal it with a couple of coats of water based polyurethane, and it will wipe clean for years! This is a great way to customize your kitchen for little money…lets face it, rugs are expensive, impossible to keep clean in a kitchen, and are usually the same old boring thing. This is also a great way to cover an aging or damaged floor, as you can make the floorcloth to whatever size you need. Save empty bottles and fill with colored water to set on the windowsills, or line up the bottles and fill with one flower each from your garden. Grow plants from seed on your windowsills! Even grass seed has become very vogue. (Don’t tell anyone, because I usually shy away from “vogue”, but I really like the grass thing!J) Above all, invoke your family into the place where you spend the most time. I’ve heard some designers say you should keep your refrigerator clear to prevent clutter, NO MAGNETS! But honestly, what would my kitchen be without my kids drawings stuck all over the door? It wouldn’t be the place I want to spend most of my time. I even have a couple of framed photos of my kids, right on the kitchen counter! So make your kitchen YOUR home, and have fun doing it! Copyright 2002 K. Wilson About the Author Kathleen Wilson is the editor of a free ezine and website called The Budget Decorator. When she’s not decorating or gardening she’s caring for her 5 kids, 3 stepkids, and wonderful husband. You can get more info and free projects at her website http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com written by: Kathleen Wilson Related Frugal Articles: 10 Fun & Frugal Beauty Tips I'm ready to unload some the best secrets and tips that even your salon professionals use. Of course they would like for you to buy their products and will tell you they are the best in order to make the sale, but I'm pretty sure they're not being... Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips Summer is finally here and for a lot of us that means heading out to the lake or to the park for a picnic with friends or family. Unfortunately, if we're not careful when we plan, transport and serve that picnic, our outing might not end up... Decorating Frugally The trend these days is to discover extremely innovative ways to decorate interiors on a budget. The tips provided below are just a few of the many ways one can inexpensively achieve a truly original look for a room. Borders on a wall are an... Easy, Frugal Tuna Casserole Recipes Tuna casseroles are one of the most frugal dinners you can make. Most picky kids will eat them, and most picky husbands will too! Whenever you can't think of something for dinner, you can bet you will probably have the ingredients on hand to make... Frugal Cooking With Herbs Herbs are fun to grow and easy to use. Herbs can be a frugal cook's best friend because they can enhance even the simplest fare making it seem grand! Herbs are easy to grow--you can even grow them on your kitchen windowsill. The addition... Easy, Frugal Breakfasts! We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And that children that eat breakfast do better in school than those who don't. However, we also all know that it isn't always easy to find time to prepare that all-important meal or... Frugal and Nutritious Summer Snacks Lately, there has been a lot in the news concerning obesity in America. And not just in adults--our children are over-weight, also. It's not surprising, considering the advertising dollars that are spent each year aimed at persuading children... Frugal, Kid-Friendly Recipes It's always a challenge to come up with meals that are easy, quick to fix and frugal, yet appealing to families, especially children. Here are a couple of recipes that are ideal for summertime lunches or suppers. Children can even help in... Gardening--Fun and Frugal! Whether you are an avid vegetable gardener, a beginning herb gardener or just like to have a pretty yard, these frugal tips may help you save a little money! 1. Stale coffee and coffee grounds make great organic fertilizer. They provide many... Frugal Outdoor Cooking Firing up the grill is a great way to cook in the summer! Here are a few grilling tips and a couple of recipes, too. For great grilled burgers, form the patty gently. Smashing the meat forces out moisture. Sear both sides of the... Related Frugal Links: Easy Frugal Breakfasts Decorating Frugally Frugal Outdoor Cooking Easy Frugal Tuna Casserole Recipes 10 Fun Frugal Beauty Tips Perfect Picnics Frugal Food Safety Tips Frugal Cooking With Herbs Frugal and Nutritious Summer Snacks Gardening Fun and Frugal	[includes/feature-box-2.htm]
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