Inexpensive DIY Alternative Home Decoration

Changing the color of a room:
How boring are standard white walls? Extremely boring! That said, you don't need to paint to change the color of the room -- just use Christmas lights.  There is no easier way to change the color, look, and feel of a room than by using these lights.  They're simple to hang: you can just tack them up around the border of your room's ceiling. Whatever color or colors you choose will drastically change the look of any room. If you hang more than one color, you can choose which set to plug in.  Today, red. Tomorrow, blue.  It's easy and affordable, doesn't damage the walls, and gives you the chance to change your rooms' looks on whims.

Since a lot of punk, alternative, and emo kids like to have more ambient lighting, this is the perfect choice. Even plain white Christmas lights can be useful for someone who doesn't want too much light, but wants the room to look nice.

Flooring:

Buying an area rug can be really expensive, no matter how ugly your floors or tiles are.  A quick solution? Many stores sell large,  affordable bath mats that you can use as smaller area rugs. Believe it or not, there are a ton of stylish, large bathmats out there to choose from, including ones made of fake fur. Because they're designed to be slip-proof, they're often a safe choice, and they are easier to clean if they get wet than an area rug because they're meant to withstand more than a normal rug.

Further, a DIY/punk type could easily buy and cut  remnant carpet (available for an affordable price at most carpet stores) a to either carpet smaller rooms or to make custom area rugs.  The real trick is to be creative!

Futons:
Futon covers are super expensive, but the average queen or king sized bed sheets will fit any futon for significantly less money. At  many alternative stores, you can find all kinds of neat things, like Nightmare Before Christmas sheets, and the kids' sections of most stores have cute and cartoony sheets.  Halloween is a great time to stock up on things like spider webs and pumpkins; Valentine's day is the time of the year to get things with hearts. Be creative! Throw blankets – usually cheap and made of fleece, are an affordable option for decorating your futon. And don't forget the pillows -- they add a lot of style and comfort.  You can usually find them for affordable prices at major discount stores.

The kitchen:

 I can't stress how excellent craft stores are for fixing up a kitchen. You can find all kinds of items meant to be customized and personalized at almost any craft store . Storage tins, jars, and containers can be used to hold anything from spoons and spatulas to food to napkins. These stores, as well as chain stores, also usually have affordable towels – and holiday seasons are a great time to stock up on ones you like.  

Furniture
Many stores sell simple, unpainted and unfinished wooden furniture. You can also find strange, but functional, furniture at many thrift stores and second-hand stores. What to do? Buy it and paint it. Just buy some paint and sealant  to protect the paint. This will allow you to make the furniture that suits your needs and personality. Want a purple dresser? There's nothing stopping you!  You can paint furniture any way you want: most people use a brush, but there are all kinds of different techniques, like stencils or sponges, that can be used to  achieve different effects or colors.  

Basic supplies:

You'll need some general supplies on hand before taking on home design projects.

If dealing with paint, sealant, or glue, be sure to have a bucket and some cleanser on hand.

Further, a drop cloth is essential for painting, sawing wood, or anything that could make a mess. You can use a grocery store shower curtain liner or a cheap plastic tablecloth for this.

Other things you will want:

Scissors
Pencils, pens, and markers.
Glue and/or a hot glue gun.
Stencils
Glitter (if you're into that sort of thing)
Tracing Paper
Craft Foam


When doing these kinds of projects, it is a great idea to tap into your creativity and follow your heart. And most important of all, have fun! What will be better than looking at your new dresser or your comfortable futon, and enjoying the fact that you did it all yourself!

Nicole Lero is a writer for Shoutmouth.com, which is an emo music community.  She writes about emo, punk, fashion, crafts, and horror movies.