Boho On A Budget

Last week I wrote A LOT (I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to be that epic) about how I keep my finances in order: from how I tackle budgets and spending freezes to savings plans and more. If you missed it (and are interested), pour yourself a big mug of something good, get comfy and check it out HERE.

I really hadn’t planned to do a series on anything finance, but when I did a little rearranging to my blog schedule this week it worked out that my topic for today was going to be about how to achieve a boho look on a budget. Next weekend it just so happens that I have another financey-related post headed your way. So unintentionally a would-be series was born. I’ll try not to go on at length in today’s post, promise! 

So, how do you do boho on a budget? Well, as it turns out, the bohemian decor trend is probably the easiest style to achieve on a budget. In my opinion anyway. Why is that, you may ask? In boho decor there are no rules. It can be a mix of anything really. Boho style has a laid back look, and a lot of elements can be achieved with one or two simple DIY projects. Boho thrives on a combination of hand crafted pieces, painted furniture, mixed and matched items, vintage, hand me downs, thrifted finds, etc. Of course, as with anything, it’s easy to throw money at it to get the look, but I believe you can achieve the same look without a huge investment.

The Power of Paint

Warning: here comes a semi-related tangent/rant– I like HGTV. I like the actual design shows mostly, but I also like shows like House Hunters where people are looking for homes (even though I know it’s fake). But one of the things that bothers me more than anything is when the potential home buyers go into a home and they complain about wall color. Seriously? Changing the wall color is quite literally one of the easiest and cheapest things to do. Unless you have cathedral ceilings, then maybe it’s more of a hassle. Okay, rant over.

Much in the same way that it’s fairly simple to update a wall color you don’t like, you can update most furniture with a coat or two of paint. Now, I’m no expert in the actual best practices for achieving perfect results when painting furniture, but I’ve seen a lot of bloggers and folks on Instagram tackle painting furniture so I’m sure some fab tutorials exist out there. They’re just a Google or Pinterest search away!

Painted furniture is great because it doesn’t have to be precious, it can be changed on a whim, it can make a space more playful and casual and fun.

DIY Wall Art

After painting, creating wall art is the simplest way to get the biggest bang for your boho buck. It might actually be easier than painting, in terms of physical effort. There are a bunch of different ways to create inexpensive, one of a kind, pieces of art that can take a plain (freshly painted wall) wall into boho chic territory.

This suggestion might scare some people, particularly if you don’t consider yourself very artistic. Maybe you’re afraid of messing up. I’m always afraid of messing up and I do think of myself as artistic. But there’s no need to be afraid. Part of the fun is the process of learning and creating!

A few ideas:

String Art: for the cost of a skein of yarn or cotton string and a wooden dowel, you can create a unique wall hanging. It doesn’t have to be a fancy macrame pattern (but it can be if you are feeling brave). I created a simple yarn wall hanging by looping lengths of yarn around two gnarled manzanita-type branches and ta da!

Painted Canvas: you don’t have to be a fine artist to create a beautiful painting. It can be as simple as creating color blocks or abstract strokes. I think it’s fun to mix a simple art style with more detailed accessories to create a combination of boho balanced with some less fussy pieces.

Blanket Scarves: if you’re anything like me you have a scarf addiction. I don’t think there are enough cold days in winter for me to wear each of my scarves more than one time haha. But I digress! If you have a blanket scarf in your collection and are willing to take it out rotation, you can use it as a tapestry! You can drape it over a wooden dowel or if you don’t mind tiny holes in the corners you can use clear pushpins to hang it up. You can also just use a collection of scarves on hooks to create an installation, or hats, or jewelry!

Thrifting

I’m using thrifting as the overarching umbrella, but you can hit up yard sales, antique shops, or your mom’s attic for some real gems. What’s great about the boho design trend is that it’s very organic. It doesn’t have to be rigid and symmetrical and square. It’s fun to add random accessories or collections to a bookshelf, bringing personality to your space. Maybe you already have a collection of something that is special to you. Display it in a relaxed way, mixed with other collections you may have. What’s even better is you already own these items, so they provide a completely free way to bring the boho! But if you don’t have anything to use, thrift stores and garage sales are perfect for finding unique pieces, especially vintage pottery and glassware that make beautiful, colorful collections to add pizazz to your space.


There are so many easy ways to bring the personality and warmth of the boho design trend into your home, we’ve only scratched the surface of possibilities.

Do you have any budget tips for boho home decor?

Many thanks and much love,
laf

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