• Paying a professional to redecorate your house can cost thousands of dollars. Keep your spending down by reorganizing and utilizing what you already have on hand to work with items you buy. Decorating your home on a budget may seem like a challenge at first but with a little knowledge and a how-to spirit, your home will resemble something from a magazine.
  
  

Make a Plan

• Having a clear picture of how you want your house to look after you're finished fixing it up will help you avoid costly mistakes, like hanging wallpaper that doesn't go with your window treatments or splurging on one piece of new furniture only to discover it's too big for the room. Consult decorating books like "Pottery Barn Home," edited by Clay Ide and jot down the things that draw your eye. Take a look at websites like thebudgetdecorator.com for more suggestions.
  
  

Rearrange

• One of the cheapest ways to give your living room a face lift is to rearrange the furniture. Stand in the middle of the room and make note of the room's shape and any focal points you want to highlight. In a long, narrow room, arrange the furniture to form two separate conversation areas. In a smaller, more rectangular space, try moving the furniture away from the walls and angling it. Take advantage of the room's natural focal points like a fireplace or windows with a view, and arrange your furniture to face them.
  
  

Embellish

• A new cover will give a tired-looking throw pillow a new lease on life. Try repurposing things like tea towels and old quilts, accented with ribbon, buttons, embroidery or stencils to give your pillows more interest. If your lampshades are in good condition, there's no need to replace them. Decorate them instead. Readymade appliqués, available in any craft store, work well, or hot glue fringe to the bottom of the shade.
  
  

Paint

• A new coat of paint will perk up any room in the house. Take a color from your upholstery, carpet or even a wall hanging or painting and form your color scheme from that. If neutrals are more your thing, check out the wide range of whites and beiges available. Home Depot and Lowe's have hundreds of color combinations to choose from.
  
  

Update

• Changing out the hardware on your cabinets and buying a new faucet for the sink will spruce up your kitchen. Keep an eye out at flea markets and garage sales for a funky mirror for your bathroom. Pull down those out-of-date pinch-pleat draperies and replace them with Roman blinds. Slip covering a stained or worn couch will freshen it up by giving it a whole new look.
  
  

Accent

• Room accents like art work, collections, flowers and photographs give your house personality. For a fresh look, put away your collections except one or two pieces you wish to highlight. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a budget-friendly, eye-catching centerpiece. Put all your photographs in black frames and arrange them in a hallway for a gallery look.