Pottery Barn is well-known for its luxury furniture and home decor, and of course, for its exorbitant prices. Most of the time when people find themselves lost and browsing Pottery Barn, they’ll fall in love with an item at first site and immediately back away in disgust after looking at the price tag. One blogger from “Do it on a Dime” decided that she had had enough of this, and took matters into her own hands.
She loved the decor from Pottery Barn but couldn’t afford to buy the items, so she decided to find a way to make the decor on her own, as frugally as possible. Using items from the dollar store, in less than 15 minutes per craft, and she succeeded. She shared her ideas and has inspired hundreds of people to similarly decorate their homes on a budget. The first item in the video is a knock-off of Pottery Barn’s Eagan mirror, which retails for approximately $300 in the store and can be made for $12 at home.
To make the mirror, you’ll need nine mirrors from the picture frame section at the dollar store. Take off the backing from each mirror and lie them face-down on the carpet. Duct tape the back of the each mirror until they are tightly held together. Next, use strong adhesive glue, spread all over the backs of the mirrors and place a piece of foam board (pre-cut to the same size as the mirror) onto the glue – press firmly. Leave the project to dry overnight, and in the morning it will be ready to display in your home!
The next item is chalkboard plates that are no longer even available for purchase from Pottery Barn. They are simple and inexpensive to make at home: Purchase metal platters from the dollar store and spray paint each of them white. When the paint has fully dried, paint the inside of each platter with chalkboard paint, leaving the outer edges white. A chalk pen can be used to make small lines that resemble stitches along the edge of the chalkboard paint, giving it a finished look. You can stick magnets to them as well, so notes and pictures can be hung from the chalkboards.
A simple table or wedding centerpiece can be made by purchasing decorative votive candle holders from the dollar store. They can be glued together in groups of three and mounted to a painted board to make them easier to display. When lit, they emit a soft glow and add ambiance to any room. Use a bowl to give it a modern look with jute twine, also available from the dollar store. Take a bowl that is colored on the inside and flip it over. Using a hot glue gun, begin to glue and wind the twine around the bowl, bottom to top. Finish at the upper edge and glue the end firmly to the bowl. The result is a beautiful bowl that would look perfect in any nautical-themed room. They also make great organizers or displays.
With just simple items from the dollar store and 15 minutes of your time, you can save hundreds of dollars by making your decor right at home. The next time you want to re-decorate, try one of these simple ideas and save yourself money. Check out the video to watch how she does it, and get yourself to crafting!