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Vintage Bird Prints – Free Downloads

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June 8, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media Leave a Comment

Vintage bird prints and bright life to any home décor style. Enjoy these free downloads and prints including free Audubon Birds of America prints.

Vintage Bird Prints – Free Downloads

You guys, I don’t know what happened but I have become a bird lady. Okay, I do know what happened, I moved into a wooded area with a creek and suddenly I found myself buying bird seed and handing up bird feeders, and then more bird feeders, and then more bird feeders.

As the birds have come, I have begun hanging up bird prints. I know, this makes me officially crazy. However, I find something so beautiful about vintage bird prints. Plus the bird home décor style goes incredibly well with my love for Grandmillenial Design.

Free Audubon Prints

If you are a lover of beautiful bird prints, you likely know the name John James Audubon. Audubon was was an American painter and expert on birds. His combined his love of both art and birds turned into a plan to make a complete wildlife illustration of all the bird species of North America.

The best news for bird lovers is everyone has access to free John James Audubon’s Birds of America prints. Each one of Audubon’s paintings is now available as a free high-resolution download. Search the vibrant digital library by bird name or begin flipping through the pages to find one that fits your home décor color palette.

If you want to print Audubon prints, consider sending to a local print shop or Staples. I personally send all my free Audubon prints to Staples. Learn how to print at Staples Copy Center.

How to frame Audubon prints of birds

To frame Audubon’s prints of Birds of America, first get a copy of the print. You can digitally download Audubon’s high-resolution images of birds, or you can pick up some resources.

These books are excellent resources for creating Audubon galleries without having to print the images yourself. They come on high quality gloss paper, as any coffee table book would.

I highly suggest you get copies of the prints and frame them yourself. The best places to find frames for Audubon Prints are…

Where to buy frames for prints

If you search Google, there are many framed Audubon prints for sale. However, these same images you can download for free cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

More Vintage Bird Prints

Vintage bird prints framed are timeless and classic. They can be incorporated into any home décor style – traditional, modern, grandmillenial, farmhouse, shabby chic and more. Save money on the print and invest in the frame by downloading free vintage bird prints for your home.

Set of four vintage bird prints with eggs (top left) | Ella Claire Inspired

Set of six vintage bird illustrations (top right) | The Birch Cottage

Set of six vintage bird prints in the kitchen (bottom left) | Town n Country Living

Vintage bird prints gallery wall (bottom right) | The Painted Hive

Vintage feather print art (top right) | Remodelaholic

1920’s bird and egg prints (top and bottom right)| Knick of Time

Beautiful vintage birds with nest (bottom left) | The Vintage Month

The Graphics Fairy has a huge collection of free illustrated bird prints. This bird prints library is over 52 pages long and inclues 100s of illustrations of birds. Go through Karen’s bird print graphics page by page or use the search bar to be more specific about the type and style of birds you like.

Some of the best bird illustrations for me include…

Free Printable Bird Images

… and since we are talking about birds from the, self-proclaimed, bird lady here are some of the best bird feeders and the wild best bird seeds that I have found. Pin to Pinterest.

Speaking of DIY Wall decor, these Gallery Wall Ideas are perfect for your pictures and photos. Pin to Pinterest.

Mix some of your vintage bird prints into a Plate Gallery Wall Decor too! Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Take your kids on a BACK TO SCHOOL SCAVENGER HUNT for their school supplies.

Also access our Free Frugal Coupon Living Printables to help you find joy through embracing the chaos of motherhood more easily!

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Shelfies Are the New Gallery Walls – Shelves Decor Ideas

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May 11, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 1 Comment

What are Shelfies? How Can I Decorate My Shelves? Bookshelves are the new gallery walls. Get inspired with these Shelfies Shelves Décor Ideas.

Shelfies Shelves Decor Ideas

You heard it here first, mmm-kay? Shelfies. Shelfies are the new gallery walls and learning to display your “stuff” can express more about yourself than you realize.

What are Shelfies?

Shelfie is an amazing picture of a shelf. It’s top notch shelf decor ideas to show off off someone’s books, movies, art, collectibles, special belongings, etc. A shelfie displays completed bookcase decor with aesthetically pleasing design and home decor ideas.

How Can I Decorate My Shelves?

It’s easy to decorate shelves. Mix up the size, orientation, and shapes for visual interest. Begin with collectables and home décor that tell a story of oneself. This can be family heirlooms, travel souvenirs, favorite books, photographs and more. When you have collected pieces that tell your story, place them all together on a table for easy assembling. You want to begin with a cleaned off shelf.

There is a formula for decorating shelves. When searching for things to put on its important to mix larger and smaller items, as well as textures. Try to keep complementary colors together (i.e. Navy blues and lights blues, blacks and whites.) Your shelves need to produce layers. Backgrounds and foregrounds. Remember simple is more. When you create a cluttered shelf, the story is lost and no longer told.

A few shelf décor ideas include the tips…

Start with larger items and then add touches of smaller items (high and low)
Use a triangle formula for bringing yourself together
Mix textiles and consider contrast and texture
Create layers (photo in back, vase in front, small décor piece beside)
Mix in greenery to give life
Arrange in odd numbers – pair things in sets of 3, 5, 7…
Place collections together like candle sticks or glass bottles
Pull elements forward on the shelf (not pushed back)
Add lighting without hiring an electrician to highlight favorite pieces

Once you have decorated bookcases, look for areas where the are gaps or missing pieces. To fill these spots, it is time to visit a flea market, thrift store, or your mother’s china cabinet (please ask her first). You can even visit home good stores like Michaels, T.J.Maxx, Home Goods and more. I have even used the internet or Facebook Marketplace to look for treasures from favorite countries I have visited (i.e. India, Singapore, Mexico and more.)

Whatever your personal style, perhaps you’ll feel inspired when challenged by your next bookshelf organizing endeavor!

Bookshelves Decor Ideas

Before we get started with these amazing Shelves Decor Ideas, take a look at these related posts…

Zebra stripes, bright pinks, and neon greens… The bookshelf styling in this home office offers a touch of Kate Spade-esque style! | Source

Guess what!?! It’s okay to break the rules shelving books spine in. Turn your books around to keep with a neutral color pallet using beige, white and off-white colors. No judging a book by it’s cover with these backwards books on shelf décor. | Simple Home Simple Life

Consider painting the back of bookshelves the same color as the walls, allowing the white frame of the book shelf to pop. Break the rules for decorating shelves and keep all your books horizontal, grouped by color with small accessories dispersed throughout. | Amanda Reynal on Martha Stewart

When it comes to the art of styling bookshelves, add accessories in various heights. By adding small decorative elements in front of, next to or even on the books you create a diverse whole. | New England Home Mag

Try to find a cohesive color scheme or let your True Colors shine through, like a rainbow (yes, I meant the pun.) Get inspired by this ombre bookshelf décor idea. | The Guardian

Speaking of color coding books for display, try this fun idea. Organize each shelf individually. For instance, keep warm colors on the right, cool on the left, and neutral in the middle. The end product will make the color coding vertical. | Up to Date Interiors

Have grandmillenial taste? Style with your favorite coffee table books and hide your magazine vices with artwork and sketches. | Coastal Home

Have a built-in can be quite expensive unless working with something like a DIY Billy Bookcase Design. If DIY isn’t your think, try a floating bookshelf like Clear Acrylic Bookshelves. (This is what we used in my sons room and they look amazing!) | Source

Organize books by the color of their spines to create color-blocked bookshelf décor. Vary heights and create interest by stacking books horizontally as well as lining them up vertically. If you have volumes that don’t fit with the others, turn their spines to face the wall so only the pages are visible. | BHG

I am swooning over this gorgeous Grandmillenial French country style bedroom with double built-in bookshelves surrounding a gorgeous vintage mirror. Makes me want to lay in bed on a rainy day. | Source Unknown

This home library design includes a beautiful art overlay bookshelf. All the books are vertical but there are beautiful horizontal elements mixing in china and beautiful paintings. | Windham House Design

Looking to style a boy’s bedroom with out all the frou frou? This Boys Bookcase is everything masculine yet organized. | The Makerista

Deep bookshelves give you the luxury to play with layers. Lean artwork along the back of the shelves, and anchor them with books or heavier objects. To decorate the bookcase, place a few small pieces of art near the front of the shelves to give them depth. Bulky vases or decorative plates can hide their heft behind small frames without losing their uniqueness. | BHG

Create vignettes. To keep your bookshelf from feeling too stark you will want to create a few vignettes within the stacks of books. Let the books be the focus, but adding a small lamp, a little accessory in front of books, or even some flowers can help break up all of the vertical and horizontal lines that the books create. | Style by Emily Henderson

… and in summary, Overflowing with books but still don’t have any idea how to arrange them in a book case? Stack ’em. Here are 7 ways to stack books so they look good. | The Art of Doing Stuff

Billy Bookshelves Ikea

It doesn’t have to cost much to create a custom built in shelf for your space. Take a look at these IKEA Billy Bookcase Hacks and Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Reading Corners

If you like a styled bookcase, you likely like to read. Look at these Creative Reading Corners for the Home. Pin to Pinterest.

Cloffice Home Office Ideas

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April 25, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Working from home? Need a space that provides inspiration? We have the perfect list of Cloffice Home Office Ideas, a space blending a closet and home office.

Cloffice Home Office Ideas

So what came first, the closet or the office? Have you heard of a Cloffice? A cloffice is the new home organization solution for work at home families. We have a list of home office ideas to create your perfect home office closets.

What is a Cloffice?

What is a cloffice? Cloffice meaning is just like it sounds, it is a space blending a closet and home office. A cloffice can be a 2 foot closet turned into a home office or a grand walk-in office, turned into a combination home office closet. This closet office is the ultimate work from home set-up for those short on space. A closet office combo is also perfect for simplifying home design and layout.

Cloffice Ideas for Home

The best closet offices with designs that will provide all the inspiration you need to create your small, or grand cloffice designs.

Lets start with this boho cloffice featuring beautiful black and white peel and stick wallpaper. This Cloffice Nesting with Grace is pretty popular. Tip: When repurposing a closet, you might be left without a power source. If this is the case, take a look at this wall sconces without electricity lighting trick hack using a battery operated tap puck light. | Nesting with Grace

In some cases, the office comes before the closet. If you have a large office you need to repurpose with clothing and accessory storage, take a look at this closet-office combo with preppy, coastal flair. Ceramic ginger jars, a rattan pendant light, and Gray Malin artwork make the space look sophisticated and stylish, while a large white and gold desk allows for plenty of space to sit down and focus in this closet office combo. | Lemon Stripes

How about a doorless closet office? If creating a gorgeous home office is your goal, then consider ditching the closet doors and letting the world see how pretty your desk space really is. Waning: this is for neat people only. | Lacquered Life

Does mommy have an office? What about a home school desk cloffice for kids. We love this little his and her office space made with things around the home. This would make me want to finish my home work! | Amy Pigliacampo Design

This is a beautiful closet desk idea with a beautiful wallpapered backdrop. This closet system with desk uses budget decor and a repurposed free desk. It makes a beautiful desk for closet office. It is just the right size. | Megan McArn

With some Pinterest inspiration, this Built in Office Nook was born. Nail everything into the wall with a built in home office using a small nook in the basement. | House of Rose Blog

It might not always be butterflies and rainbows or Louis Vuitton and Chanel, however you can create a Luxury home office in the middle of your oversized walk-in closet. In this walk-in cloffice, just add a table and chair. If you find yourself on frequent zoom calls, just place behind you what defines you and makes you smile – color, favorite pieces or an accessory wall. | The Down Town Aly

The houses of 30A know how to decorate every little nook and cranny. This navy blue cloffice can be folded away to keep work at “work” and home it’s happy place! | The Clever Goose Relator

Look at this Office-Small Space Hack. Even the smallest places can be used as a place to lay your laptop. Even better, the smaller the space, the smaller the budget (right?!) This small space looks like it was once a linen closet. Get inspired by this small closet office for your redesign. | Taylorlmade

Remember that coat closet that is a hidden mess. Empty it and donate what you don’t use. Turn your foyer front closet into a cloffice! I love how this coat cloffice has enough space to tuck away a chair. | Nessas

Is your home office as messy as your mind? Mine is! I love how this mama organizing her to do list and calendar on the wall. Best of all, this Closet Office with clipboard organization can be folded away and the mess is gone. | The Write Start

This beautiful Walk-in closet office brings lost of light. It looks like it began as an office with functional closet shelving installed to create this half closet, half office walk-in cloffice. | Styled Snap Shots

Who has not wanted a hidden room? In this harry potter-esque home office, space under the staircase isn’t waisted. Instead it’s turned into a hidden cloffice under the stairs. | Houzz

Imagine half an office you can hide the the closing of a door. Hide the messy party of your office with this cloffice design. A hidden pink gem in a black and white designed office. | Houzz

Want to learn how to build a cloffice with office closet shelving? Follow this How to Build a Closet Office tutorial from the creators or DIY it all! | The Instructables

Take your office space to the next level. Get inspiration from the Home Office Spaces for Her – Décor Ideas and Office Pinterest Images. Pin to Pinterest.

It’s hard to be productive in a messy space. Look at these Closet Organization Solutions, Hacks & Tips when renovating a closet office space. Pin to Pinterest.

Dish Gallery Wall Ideas & Plate Wall Decor

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April 4, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Dish it out! Get inspired by these dish gallery wall ideas. Aesthetic wall décor that displays antiques, every day dishes, china, metal, clay and more. Plate Wall Décor for every room of the house!

Dish It Out! Plate Wall Decor

Can you do it? Are you ready to take some of those beautiful dishes out of hiding in the cupboard? Dish it out and get inspired as gallery wall plates are the new aesthetic wall décor. Kitchen shelves and decorative plates for wall display might create your new favorite corner of the house. This wall art using decorative plates. Take your picture gallery wall to the next level!

What can I use to hang plates on the wall?

First, let’s talk about how to hang plates on the wall. For a farmhouse home decor, you might start with Kitchen floating shelves décor. Display colored glassware, white plates, mason jars and more.

If looking for a Grandmillenial display, go for an easy plate solution using – E6000 adhesive and D Ring Hangers to display your blue & white chinoiserie dishes. Just glue your D ring on the back and hang on the wall after it dries. (Example from Rockin Redesigns.)

You also can pick up a adhesive plate hangers or, if glue is not your thing, spring wall plate hangers come in all sorts of various sizes.

How can I decorate a large wall cheaply?

So guess what? Here is the good news. Plate Wall Decor is actually, in most cases, cheaper than a gallery wall with photos. Of course, you can buy expensive plates, but plates are in abundance. You can use the hand me down plates you have or head out to Goodwill or a thrift store.

Another resource, I personally love, is Facebook Marketplace to pick up many things for our home including dishes like antique blue and white porcelain plates. The most common collection are Willow Ware by Royal China which are perfect for hanging. Or for every day eating, find almost an exact replica on Amazon or Walmart – it’s actually how I am collecting mine as every day dishes so they are lead-free.

Collect and invest in eye-catching dinnerware, from fun colored glassware to copper cookware and even handmade clay plates. Hang and display decorative plates. Let’s get started with Dish Gallery Wall Ideas & Plate Wall Decor.

How do you fix decorative plates on the wall?

A great place to start is with Fred Gonoski Garden & Home who shares different ideas for grouping plates including different rotations for diamond and square patterns.

Mix new with vintage, plain with patterned and big with little in this blue & white chinoiserie ceramic plate wall decor pattern. On Sutton Place gives us just the thing Grandmillenials dream of.

Kris does an amazing job of teaching you how to create a decorative plate wall in the dining room. Step by step and helpful plate gallery wall tips. | Driven by Decor

If you love dark and moody interiors, take a look at this gorgeous dark wall clay plates display. | Source

Just have at it. None of your plates need to have a pattern other than white. These the display of these decorative wall plates for Living Room do the talking like The Nester.

Using the same idea of white plates, create plate wall decor diy with ribbons. Just add your home’s accent color like these green ribbons. | Source Unknown

On a darker wall, pattern plates are beautiful especially if they can tell about part of a time or place. Hand painted plates wall décor can tell of adventures in India, travel to Mexico, or a great grandmother’s treasure. | Source Unknown

A crescent moon is also a unique shape for a dish gallery wall. Mmmcrafts already had these clay plates making this wall décor diy job really easy.

Transform a boring white wall by creating unique wall decor like this Shabby Chic Plate Art Wall. | Source

This beautiful Diamond Plate Gallery wall mixes blues and greens, big and small. | Source

I personally have collected my grandmother’s green depression glass. If you have Colored glassware, it’s easy to make a gallery wall with glass plates too. Green glass or jadeite dishes can be mounted. I love how these green dishes are framing out the mirror on this wall in a room designed by Tobi Fairley.

Copper cookware can also cerate decorative wall plates for the kitchen. The House that Lars Built shows how it frees up drawer and cabinet space and covers your kitchen décor simultaneously.

As I continue to collect antiques, I love displaying them to tell a story. This Blue White Dish Gallery Wall is perfect for the dining space inside a kitchen. | Becki Griffin

Small walls in foyers gain big impact from a grouped collection of items, such as vintage china. This display, with balanced space between the many items, feels airy and light, in keeping with the style of the table beneath it and the light-color room beyond. |
Midwest Living

You guys know thisGrasscloth Wallpaper gallery wall speaks to me! Get styling with plates and a touch of greenery. Perfect for a dining room or eating space. It would also look amazing with wooden beam kitchen floating shelves decor. | Veranda House

Artistic? Boho style? Try this Colorful Gallery Wall mixing together baskets, tropical plants, painted furniture and metal plate wall decor.| Aunt Peaches

Got Milk Glass? An antique vanity or buffet can hold treasures including milk glass pieces in front of a milk glass dish gallery wall. | Country Living

Take plate gallery walls to odd spaces like rounded walls and the angels of two rooms. This kitchen decor wall blends a French door and breakfast eating area. View Along the Way

Stairs design can be a challenge especially when you have an awkward triangle on a curved wall. Display your favorite china with this dish gallery wall idea. | Source

Wall plates decor ideas incorporating plates, embroidery hoops and ceiling medallions come from Rosyscription (Madigan Made). Shannon does an amazing job of using painters tape to outline her work for direction as she works.

If you love decorative plates for display, get inspired by Grandmillenial Style & Home Decor. Pin to Pinterest.

Speaking of DIY Wall décor, these Gallery Wall Ideas are perfect for your pictures and photos. Pin to Pinterest.

Love birds? Also look at these Vintage Bird Prints + Audubon Bird Prints Free Downloads. Pin to Pinterest.

The Best Bird Feeders & Wild Bird Seeds

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March 30, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Amazon, DIY, Hacks, Home Improvement, Online Shopping Leave a Comment

I am a self proclaimed bird lady. Our home is a bird sanctuary. Funny story, there was a month after my mother in law visited. She enjoyed the birds, so much, during her visit, that she went only and ordered us a variety of food. Us meaning me and all my flocked feathered friends. She did not tell me but suddenly all these bags of bird seed were showing up at my door. I had no idea the reason for this but joked the birds must be sending them. Truth was, it was form the original bird lady herself.

We live in the sticks (only a few miles outside of the district of Columbia). Just like my mother in law, our family has loved watching the birds off our deck. Being in Virginia, there are a variety of birds we see. I think our home must be on the bird migration line, because they always seem to find our home as a layover…. and sometimes they stay awhile. I think it is because of our variety of feeders and bird food.

Since I have tried all the seeds and all the bird feeders, take a look at what I have found to be the Best Bird Feeders and the Best Wild Bird Seeds.

The Best Bird Feeders

Bird feeders can vary on the type of bird you are looking to attract. Because of this reason, it’s important to have a variety of seeds as well as bird feeders. Being in the woods, our seeds attract squirrels, mice and (most annoying) raccoons, that is why I swear by the Brome Bird Care Squirrel Buster Bird Feeders.

Squirrel Buster Plus Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder – I swear by this bird feeder. It is well worth the price.

Squirrel Buster Suet Squirrel-Proof Suet Bird Feeder – Suet is very hearty for the birds. The wood-peckers especially appreciate this feeder.

Double-Suet Bird Feeder – I also love this cheap suet feeder. If you are getting it with squirrels around, invest in the best hot pepper suet.

Large Humming Bird Feeder – Red is best because it attracts the hummingbirds. I picked the larger 22 oz because I was frequently filling my feeder, especially in summer.

Oriole Bird Feeder – Oriole birds are absolutely gorgeous. Attract them with a brightly colored feeder, oranges and Bird Jelly.

Squirrel Buster Warranty

I especially love Brome Bird Care Squire Buster Bird Feeders because of their warranty policy. This company is run by a family and has an amazing policy of replacing any parts. Pay no shipping for your replacement parts, just call and have it sent out to you. That alone, makes an incredibly longevity of the bird feeder.

When you get your purchase, register your squirrel buster. This puts you in their system. Don’t worry, you won’t be spammed. You can reach Brome Bird Care customer service at 1-800-856- 5685 for any part issues.

The Best Wild Bird Seeds

If you are wondering how do you get birds in your backyard, the answer is a variety of feeders and a variety of seeds. You can buy a Wild Bird Seed Variety, but also buy individual bags to mix your own bird seed recipe. The best wild bird seeds include a mixture of This wild bird seed mix includes black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, nyjer seeds, peanuts, and millet seeds.

I used the variety bird seed bag mix as well as these best loved bird seeds to fill our Squirrel Buster Plus.

Wild Bird Seed Online

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds – the most common bird seed, attracts 40 species of birds including finches, cardinals, wood peckers and more.
Safflower Seeds – attracts a large number of birds including chickadees, blue jays, downy woodpecker, and more. (Squirrels do not like this seed.)
Nyjer Seeds – attracts finches, sparrows, and doves.
Shelled Peanuts – attracts chickadees, crows, doves, cardinals, blue jays, and more.
Millet Seeds – attracts juncos, doves, towhees, sparrows, quail and more.

It is best to store your bird seeds in a dry place that is secure from outside elements including heat and moisture like rain and snow. We store our bird seed in a Rust-Proof Steel Locking Lid Trash Can. I used to keep this on the deck, but the raccoons either found a way to get into it or if I was able to keep it locked, I felt it was just teasing them. Now I keep it inside our home by the back door (out of racoon view!)

For our humming bird feeder, we make our own food.

How to make hummingbird food

To make your own hummingbird food, mix water and white sugar. The recipe is mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts water. Use very hot water to get the sugar to dissolve quickly.

Do not add red dye.

Bird berry jelly

To feed a bird jelly, we use an Oriole Bird Feeder. Put the Oriole bird feeder in the open so they can see it when flying high about the tree line. We purchase Songbird Essentials Bird Berry Jelly. You can store the jelly in your fridge.

We love this Amish-made Oriole Bird Feeder house. It is strong.

If feeding Oriole birds, it is important to keep your orange and jelly fresh. They will attract bees and other flying insects.

How to stop squirrels from eating bird seed

Squirrels robbing the bird seeds is a common problem. Just read Those Darn Squirrels! for affirmation. If the squirrel jungle gym, author Adam Rubin, created for squirrels is not a solution for you, you try some of these squirrel buster solutions.

Cole’s Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce

Wild Delight Sizzle N’ Heat Bird Food

C&S Hot Pepper Delight No Melt Suet Dough Cake

Brome Bird Care Squirrel Buster Bird Feeders

In all honesty, I have tried all of these squirrel-proof bird seed solutions, and the two I found to work are 1.) Squirrel Buster Products 2.) Hot Pepper Suet. The seed sauce and the expensive sizzle and heat bird seed were not successful or too costly for our squirrel friends.

One genius squirrel hack I have not tried is adding a metal slinky to the bird feeder pole, but readers on our Facebook Page have found it resourceful. Plus they can get the fallen seed on the ground. (Source)

Wondering how to hang a slinky on bird feeder? Use a zip tie to the top of the bird feeder pole and tighten it to the first ring of the slinky. Let the rest fall down.

Also enjoy these free vintage bird prints downloads including where to get Audubon prints free. Pin to Pinterest.

Gold Spray Paint Improvement – Upcycled Serving Tray

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March 23, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Online Shopping, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Do you have five dollars? Do you have five minutes? Make a list of all the products in your home you don’t use because they are the wrong color! Take a look at my upcycled serving tray and gold spray paint improvement.

Since we moved, there are a lot of things that have come out of hiding. For about six years, after our move from Florida to Virginia, many of my glassware and china sat in boxes. Since we have found, what hopefully is, our forever home, I have begun the process of unpacking some of our breakable home décor. One of the pieces that came out of hiding was this glass and iron serving tray.

While this serving tray is beautiful, it was a gift and I never bought it with the intention have having the “perfect place.” Since often keys or drinks are place on this foyer console table, I decided to place it below our faux floral arrangement. It would protect the table but also give added detail to our cherry blossoms and chinoiserie vase.

It did it’s job. We were able to quickly lay items down but the black iron against the blue console table wasn’t working.

I began to research gold spray paint colors.

Best Gold Spray Paint

I used this chart to find the best gold spray paint color for our home.

Anika does a really good job of showing you close pictures of spray painted terracotta pots so you can compare the different hues of gold spray paint. From her gold spray paint review, I settled with the best gold spray paint color for the tray – Rust-Oleum Spray Paint in Metallic Gold for a rich, super glossy metallic finish.

Upcycled Serving Tray

On a Saturday morning, like I always do, I got up with the mission to finish this home décor project. My husband asked me, while I was walking down the stairs, if we could hold off on home projects until we ate breakfast. I bit my lip because I was really excited about this easy serving tray DIY project. I knew it would take me five minutes and the spray paint had been sitting on my kitchen counter for a few weeks.

This upcycled serving tray project was really easy. In my case there was a glass layer that had to be removed. I took out the glass and clear rubber bumpers (between the glass and metal.)

I recycled a cardboard box to become the barrier between the deck and my gold spray painting work. I sprayed one side of the tray and let it sit for about 3 hours in the sun.

I flipped the tray and did the back and also let it sit for a number of hours. Only one gold spray paint coat was necessary, but looking at the piece I wish I had done a second.

This is the finished Upcycled Serving Tray that I almost sent to Goodwill a number of times. Doesn’t it look so much better and best of all it was a low-cost home improvement projects, only $5!

Want to know more about my faux cherry blossoms? I ordered a few to decide the Best Cherry Blossoms Branches out there!

Spray Painting Tip: If you have a larger spray painting job, I recommend picking up this Spray Paint Comfort Grip. My job took under 5 minutes so I did not find it necessary to use on this project. I do have one for other projects I have done in the past.

Don’t forget our Older Home Hacks and Low-Cost DIY Renovations. I am slowly making my way down the list! Pin to Pinterest.

Also enjoy these Home Staging Hacks – for moving or sticking around! Pin to Pinterest.

Easiest Way to Update Discolored Recessed Lighting – Low Cost!

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March 16, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Hacks, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

The easiest and cheapest way to update discolored recessed lighting. Take your dust traps and spider apartments from looking dusty, yellowed and dingy, to appearing brand new for under $10. Learn how to clean recessed lights and how to update recessed lighting with one home improvement supply!

Update Discolored Recessed Lighting

Want to know something funny? I stare at our dining room recessed lights so much, that I invested in this easy, low-cost hack twice. It was on my to do list so long, I bought my solution and then bought it again months later! Either way, I took my recessed lights from looking discolored and dated for under $7! I can’t wait to show you how.

Raise your hand if you agree recessed lights catch the most cobwebs and dust. I swear every time I turn on the light, it is like adding a spot light to the ugly mess of dust and spider houses. At least it limits the mount of decorating I must do for Halloween, right?

Why do recessed lights turn yellow?

There are a number or reasons recessed lights turn yellow. First, older light bulbs can put off a lot of heat. Between the heat and gasses, over time small chemical reactions take place discoloring your lighting cans. This can also occur from age and exposure to dust and other elements in the air.

How do you clean recessed lights?

Good news! Depending on the height of your ceiling, weekly or monthly cleaning of recessed lights is not a challenge. Make sure your lights are off and cool to the touch. Placing a damp cloth or touching a hot light bulb can lead to the light bulb exploding.

For lighting cleaning of recessed lights, use a Swiffer Duster Super Extender Handle. It will expend up to 6 feet and the small yellow fibers will grab onto dust and cob webs. If you have cathedral ceilings, consider getting a telescoping pole for lights that will come with a light bulb changing kit as well as a tool for dusting.

For deep cleaning of recess lights, remove the light bulb and simply wipe the bulbs. Next, use a damp cloth on the inside of the canisters and dry thoroughly before putting your light bulb back in the can. You can keep up with a rotating home cleaning task using a cleaning checklist.

Unfortunately, no matter how much you clean, you never will be able to remove yellowed recessed lighting. The dingy shade of yellow is from oxidation and chemical reactions. To improve the discolored metal, you need to buy new or paint recessed lights.

How do you update recessed lighting?

There are a number of ways to update recessed lighting. If you have the budget, you can replace recessed lights to Newer LED Can Lights. This project will take a little bit of learning or you can hire an electrician.

Sometimes instead of replacing recessed lighting with flush mount lighting, you can save a lot of money by doing something cheaper – buying LED Lightbulbs. You can buy LED light bulbs in bulk at

If you are updating the yellowed trim on recessed lighting, I highly recommend moving over to LED lights. This will bring down the heat emitted by light bulbs why they are turned on saving you both on your electric bill and also prevented your recessed lights form discoloring again.

Moving? Lighting is so important for selling a home. If you are home staging, you do not want to invest in expensive LED lights. Another option is to take your existing can lights and update discolored recessed Lighting for under $10 by painting them. This makes your home look fresh and your electrical work look brand new.

Home Staging Checklist Printable PDF

Can recessed lights be painted?

Recessed light white trim yellowed? The cheapest and easiest way to updated yellowed recessed lighting is to paint it. Spray paint is a low-cost home improvement project that only takes five minutes. If you are home staging, it can increase the value of your home removing signs of age or dated yellow can lights.

We have older recessed lighting. There is always the issue of heat so I picked up Rust-Oleum High Heat Enamel Spray in White for $6.98. The high heat spray paint protected surfaces subject to heat up to 1000°F. I knew my recessed lights were not getting that hot, so I felt sure this was the right product for us.

Because of the height, I had my husband remove the lights bulbs and then the recess cans from the ceiling.

First I cleaned the canned lights with an all surface spray and a dusting cloth. I let them sit a bit to dry. After they dried, I numbered my light cans in order so I knew where t place them after I was done. While, I think the canned lights could fit in in of the holes in the celling, I find it best to keep them in their original spots.

I took an upcycled box and spread it out on my deck. Once try, I placed the metal cans on the cardboard and I lightly coated each recessed lighting can with the high heat paint. The white spray paint dried to the touch in 20 minutes.

Because our recess lights can tilt at different angles I sharply tilted the light and gave them a second coat. After everything was dry to the touch, I sharply tilted the lights in the opposite direction and gave the lights a final touch of white paint.

After three coats, we let them sit for up to 4 hours for good measure. The white paint for recessed lights had a pretty quick dry time, but I wanted to be sure they were dry before i started touching them to put them back in the ceiling.

I kept track of my numbered lights and placed them all back in the spot they came from.

Don’t they look amazing?! Well worth my $7 investment and they look like brand new lights!

Low-Cost Home Staging

Don’t forget these Older Home Hacks and Low-Cost DIY Renovations. I am slowly making my way down the list checking off so many projects on the weekend! Pin to Pinterest.

Also enjoy these Home Staging Hacks – for moving or sticking around! Incase the value of your home with just a few dollars, just like we did with these recess lighting home staging project! Pin to Pinterest.

Vibey Lights | Cool Lighting Effects for the Ultimate Neon Room

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March 14, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Neon hue is the new you! Get inspired by Vibey Lights and Cool Lighting Effect for the Ultimate Neon Room. From the living room, to the bedroom, the stairwell and more, enjoy these Neon Lights for every room!

Neon Room Lights

Hey there! Millennial here. Millennial mom raising Gen Z -ers with the influence of Pinterest and TikTok.

If your teenager has discovered millions of personalized short videos on TikTok, chances are they are itching for cool lighting effects for their room. Todays kids are all about color-drenched lighting for majorly moody looks. We have everything to inspire millennial moms (who hold the budget) by low cost LED light room ideas to create Vibey Lights. These Neon Rooms get the spotlight and there are so many cool lighting effects for your room.

Reinvent your bedroom with influence especially from Gen Z. Neon rooms will get the spotlight!

LED Light Cloud DIY

Audrey Jane Art on Pinterest has a beautiful cloud window display. These LED Light Clouds are actually very easy to make, you can follow this glow in the dark light cloud tutorial.

Neon Living Room

Oh my goodness, I love a moody living room. This neon living room has a fabulous contrast neon hot lips nixed with the dark teal walls. Be sure to look at the before. See more about Neon Lights on Etsy. | Audenza

Custom Neon Sign

Neon Signs custom to your taste say everything with no words. Add your name, your mantra, a special date or an inspirational message neon light. This custom neon sign can hold up to 256 characters for under $50. Best of all, this personalized neon light has over 200 reviews and is a neon signs for room Etsy best seller. What neon light with a motivational message do you wish to get?

Neon-Lit Mirror

Illuminate your space with an ethereal glow when you lean this arched Neon Lit Mirror from Urban Outfitters. against the wall and bask in its light. Full-length mirror with LED lights topped with rounded top edge makes your getting ready routine so glam. Backlighting emitted from the upper curve tosses a glow on the back wall.

Hollywood Mirror

Turn a free standing floor mirror into a Hollywood Mirror with this LED Vanity Light Strip. The mirror will lights up your entire room and casts natural and even lighting to your face for perfect makeup. | Source Unknown

Indie Room

Tapestries, collages, and pink, blue and purple will create the vibe of an Indie Room. Frame something important with Muliticolor Changing Flexible LED Rope Lights like a neon feel-good sign, photo collage, or a picture frame. Adding a light strip under the bed also makes it feel like the bed is floating. | Source

Night Sky Projector for Room

Easily turn your living space into a galaxy display with this Night Sky Projector for room. Unwind in a soothing sensory environment. Add neon lights for room ceiling using a light strip help up with Command Clear Hooks. | Source Unknown

Neon Bedroom Wall Lights

Add a low cost Mandala Tapestry to the wall and light strips to create this LED light room. It’s low cost and incredibly affordable to create a space full of character and finish under $50. Alternatively, grab a smart light bulb to change the glow of the color in your bedroom. | Source

Color Changing LED Strip Lights

This item truly feeds into the TikTok aesthetic and VSCO-esque mood everyone is living for at the moment. Line the wall LED color changing light strip to change the mood. Stick and border these light strips around your walls, your headboard, and even your closet space, making your room radiate different colors in the dark. Just add an aesthetic photo collage kit. | Society 19

Himalayan Salt Lamp

An easy light that takes no work is a Himalayan Salt Lamp. No only do you get a really cool neon room aesthetic, Pink Himalayan salt is known for its therapeutic health and air purifying properties. Rock lamps are said to emit a stream of negative ions which can purify the air against allergens and pollutants to relieve stress. | Source

Neon Signs for Room

Say it all with a multi-color cinema box led light. A marquee lightbox offers a creative way to express yourself. Simply slide in letters to make your own LED light signs and messages. | Urban Outfitters (No longer available, but find neon signs for room on Amazon. )

Neon Tube LED

This LED light is designed to look like a neon tube and I have seen nothing like it. It’s colorful glow enables you to create a dramatic atmosphere in any space by hanging it or leaving it standing upright against a wall. | Hay (Similar is this Color Changing Corner Lamp on Amazon.)

Light Strip on Stairs

Transform the entrance to a basement by adding a colored light strip on the stairs. You can add the light strip to a timer so that it goes on when the sun sets and off when the sun rises. Perhaps these steps lead to a cool Blue LED lights bedroom. | Ambiance Lighting for You

Neon Lights for Wall

Cloud Light Neon Signs and adorable Lightning Shape neon lights for wall can add cute touches to teenage bedroom decor. Find more LED light signs on Amazon. | Source Unknown

Gen-Z Bedroom Design

Hey Millennials! Looking for Gen-Z Bedroom Design? Check out these Teenage Bedroom Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Neon Light Bedrooms

And of course if you are Looking for Neon Light Bedrooms, you will want to look at our Upcycled Christmas Lights for plenty of low cost ideas. Pin to Pinterest.