College Dorm Decor Ideas

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June 28, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

Inspiring College Dorm Decor Ideas including storage, organization, decorations, and hacks. Dorm room essentials, where to buy dorm room decor and cheap and affordable college living spaces you will want to copy.

College Dorm Decor Ideas

If this post has desire anything, I have a huge craving to use my wallet size of today and go back to college to decorate my dorm! You jaw will hit the floor with these college dorm room ideas. Find the best places to buy dorm room decor and get inspired by all the budget-friendly options! Happy Decorating.

Best Places to Buy Dorm Room Decor

You cannot decorate a dorm room without knowing the best places to buy dorm room decor. While it has been almost 20 years since I have been in college, my my pre-teens are not yet at this stage, I found (through this posts ) there are so many awesome places to buy college dorm decor. Many of these purchases can be used for apartment living, small homes, or even carried over into a starter home. Some of the ideas (like rugs) you might want to toss at the end of the school year. other items, you will find yourself carrying to your fist home. (Three kids later, my college roommate still has the bookshelf we used in our first college room! I actually still sleep with the same blanket!)

Shop Dorm Room Decor

Best College Dorm Ideas

Follow Neelam, an interior designer who turned a cold college dorm into a warm home away from home. Details about dorm room storage, laying textures, and adding little touches to define your personality through your college room decor – five stars and two thumbs up! | Patterns and Prosecco

Inspire your welcome with a temporary polka dot door. Using white vinyl, a cutting machine or a circle cutter this dorm room decor craft can be done in under 30 minutes. Make sure you are using Removable Vinyl! | Sarah Hearts

Use command strips and decorative clipboards. Easily change out art or calendars using clipboards. Download our free Dorm Sweet Dorm printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

By downloading you are accepting the FCL printable terms that free download is for non-commercial use. Please contact Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

This dorm storage ideas acts as both a Collapsible storage ottoman and a bench with seat back. Comes in white, gray and black. Get this dorm storage ottoman here.

Display all your feelings on a rotating mood board. You can use anything from magazines, articles, sticky notes, and other materials to put together your board and of course turn to inspiration of Pinterest. | Just Josie

Layer textiles. Cover your standard title floor with the largest rug you can to fit your room. Even if you don’t like this larger rug, you can add smaller rugs on top to define your space and style. | Dormify

Instead of using the overhead florescent lighting, adding your own lighting will warm up the room and make such a mood difference. Head to Home Goods (Marshalls, TJMaxx, etc) and find affordable table lamps. Jump on Amazon for hanging string lights. We used these Command light hooks to hang my daughters. I highly recommend adding Powered Bed Risers. | Source

Smile. Place your favorite memories when you these this Dry Erase Polaroid Frame Decal Set. This allows you to easily rotate photos plus it it’s safe for walls and won’t leave a sticky residue.

Talk about a dorm room makeover. These college roommates took a scary 50 year old residence into a place to relax and rest with custom drapes, two loft beds, white dressers, monogrammed chairs, and more. | Today.com

White brick wall paper will change the entire feel of an ugly cinder block wall! Bring a charming vibe within a matter of minutes. The best part about it is, if you mess up, it’s repositionable and removeable! Get your white brick removeable wall paper here.

Create perfect under bed storage as well has hide an ugly wall with a tapestry. You can get this pull out storage here, tapestry clips here and black/white tapestry here. | Driven by Decor (Take a second and look at this entire blog – so much inspiration for mom’s home too!)

This dorm decor is doing so many things right. A perfect mix of textures, prints, pom-pom garland duvet cover, and a dorm room gallery wall add serious personality to this space. And of course for the ultimate small dorm room hack, a table beside the bed triples as a besdie nightstand, a vanity, and a desk. | René Quickle’s Freshman Dorm on Pinterest

Tip: Everyone needs a fur chair cover to hide basic dorm room chairs.

Easy to maintain pants will create some responsibility as well as provide some fresh air. Succulents, cacti, and aloe plants are super easy to take care of. Not to mention, those leafy greens can help purify the air quality in your dorm. If you’re too intimidated by becoming a plant mother, then just buy fake ones. | Room 264

Create your own mini kitchen with this Mini Fridge Organizer. This freestanding organizer fits over a compact mini fridge to provide organized storage in the available space above your fridge. Will also fit a microwave. Get your mini refrigerator storage cabinet here.

There higher you go with the bed, the more storage you are given below. Make sure to invest in a step stool. You can also use it as an end table, as storage, or even as a place to sit. Shop Blush Pink Storage Ottoman

Also consider getting these powered bed risers for bed height and extra long dorm bed skirt for covering unsightly storage.

Use a dorm room utility rolling cart for practical things like pantry items and kitchen supplies. Easy to pull out, easy to push back. | Jessica Slaughter

These gold polka dot wall decals create a mural on a wall with little time and effort. | Preptista

Head to thrift stores, search Facebook market place, look high and low for recycled furniture. Distress your own dorm room coffee station for late night studying. | Source Unknown.

Change messages and inspirational quotes in your room with a letter board. Hang with command strips for easily going on and coming off!

Do yourself a favor and make sure you do this – take a dorm room before and after photo. It will be so exciting to see your artistic side and personality show when decorating a dorm room. Can’t wait to see what you do! | Cosmopolitan.

Dorm Room Cleaning Checklist

We provided a free dorm room cleaning checklist printable. Included in our dorm cleaning checklist is a list of daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. Give each roommate their own copy or share the chores.

Daily

Make Your Bed
Pick Up Clutter
Wash Dishes

Weekly

Clean Out Refrigerator
Vacuum and Take Out Trash
Laundry

Monthly

Declutter Rooms
Wipe Windows and Mirrors
Dust

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Save these Small Apartment and Dorm Room Hacks and Tips. Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Dorm Room Recipes – Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. No Bake Recipes. Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Get inspired these with Back to School Ideas.

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DIY Bathroom Vanity Makeover with Behr Grey Paint

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June 13, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: DIY, Facebook, Frugal Living, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Looking for a weekend home renovation project? Transform your entire space with this bathroom remodel on a budget was under $50. Thrifty DIY Bathroom Vanity Makeover Tutorial plus the Best Grey Paint Colors form Behr.

DIY Bathroom Vanity Makeover

Frugal times call for frugal measures. We have been crossing off our Older Home Improvement Renovations off one by one. When we purchased this one, we had a bathroom that wasn’t very updated and I knew could be improved with a quick weekend project.

Our chalk paint vanity was slowly looking like a 100 year old farmhouse bathroom vanity. I don’t mean in the best way. I mean 100 year old in the sense that this bathroom needs some tender loving care. It was time to paint or replace the bathroom vanity. To save money, we dedicated a weekend to painting an old bathroom vanity.

Refinishing your bathroom vanity cabinets is a thrifty way to bring your entire bathroom to life. It can be done for under $50 with only a few essential supplies.

Bathroom Vanity Makeover Supplies

These are the supplies we had on hand before beginning our Bathroom Vanity Makeover.

Materials:

Vanity/Cabinet
Paint/Primer (we used Behr Marquee Flint Grey Paint)
180-220 Grit sandpaper
Paint brush (Home Depot Best Seller Wooster 2 in. Paint Brush)
Vacuum
Tack cloth
Screw driver/screw gun

When refinishing your bathroom vanity cabinets, also consider:

New cabinet hardware or hardware paint like Rust-Oleum All Surface Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint and Primer in One.

The paint was about $35 and we actually had the rest of the bathroom makeover supplies. However, if you are in need of a some materials your will hit closer to the $50 threshold.

Refinishing Your Bathroom Vanity Cabinets

Follow these steps to update a bathroom vanity with paint.

First, clean your vanity/cabinet by scrubbing it with a sponge, dish soap and water and let dry.

Remove your cabinet doors, drawers and hardware with a screw driver or screw gun if you can. Label your doors and drawers do you know where they go.

Sand your vanity/cabinet with the grain of the wood.

Vacuum dust and paint from sanding.

Use a tack cloth to wipe the vanity/cabinet.

What is a tack cloth? A tack cloth is a specialized type of loosely woven cheesecloth that is treated with a tacky material for wiping away dust and fine particles.

Tape around your edges. Tape near the counter top, walls, white trim baseboard and flooring.

Paint a primer on your cabinet (my cabinet was painted white prior so I skipped this step) and let dry overnight.

Paint the doors and drawers on your cabinet and let dry. Then paint the rest of the cabinet. (My drawers were not removable, if yours are you can paint both at the same time) and let dry for at least 4 hours.

Paint a second coat on the doors, drawers and cabinet and let dry overnight.

Reattached the doors, drawers and add new hardware. If you don’t want to buy new hardware, you can always re-paint the ones you had. A great hardware paint is Rust-Oleum All Surface Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint and Primer in One (comes in many colors.)

Behr Grey Paint Colors

Take a look at the best Behr grey paint for bathrooms. For our bathroom makeover, we used Behr Flint Gray Paint, but there are many beautiful shades of gray for vanities, walls, etc.

Part of Behr 2020 Color Trends in the grey paint called Battleship Gray. The Behr 2020 Color Trends palette was inspired by natural elements such as sky, earth, water and plant life.

Best Gray Paint Colors

Looking for a warm gray, dark gray, a light gray? There are so many different shades of grey.

We found more popular gray paint colors from Behr. Paint your dinning room, living room, kitchen or renovate your bathroom in one weekend too!

Grey or Gray

I felt a need to quick address this! You will see me use the two variations of gray and grey on this post. Gray is American spelling while Grey is British spelling. Depending on how Behr identified the color, was the version I picked up. Google will identify and interchange for you both colors when doing your own internet search.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final bathroom vanity makeover or a space where you painted gray paint. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Do not forget our Older Home Improvement Hacks & DIY Renovations. We love this photo (below) from Joanna Gaines who had an older green bathroom that could not be painted or changed. A few touches and the bathroom is chic and enjoyable. Pin to Pinterest.

Also enjoy these Bathroom Storage Solutions for Small Spaces. When redesigning your bathroom, take into account some of these bathroom hacks and transform your entire space! Pin to Pinterest.

Bake and Take Recipes | Meal Trains and Meal Exchanges

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June 7, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Crafts, Facebook, Hacks, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Recipe, Social Media Leave a Comment

Tired of preparing dinner each night? Bake and take recipes might be your busy mom solution! Details on how to get a weeks worth of throw in the oven meals for your family. What is a meal train, dinner ideas for neighbors, and hosting a girls night out party with a meal exchange ideas.

Bake and Take Recipes

Bake and take can mean one of many things. It can be an opportunity where people get together for a meal exchange. A bake can take can be an easy recipe for a new baby meal train. It can be a meal recipe you for bringing dinner to neighbors who have medical issue or are experiencing tough times.

Whatever the reason, we have the best bake and take recipes for parties, meal trains, neighbors and friends.

Bake and Take Party

Fist let’s address a Bake and Take Party. This is most appropriate when you are not in quarantine. Similar to a cookie exchange, only a meal exchange. Invite 5 to 7 people (too many people can be quite challenging.)

For a meal exchange party, each person brings the same dish x number of times. For example, for five people, each person brings the same meal in five different disposable foil pans. Exchange meals among friends and at the end of the night, go home with five different dinners for your family. This meal exchange can be done by prepping or baking the dish ahead.

Another option for a take and bake party is you bring your ingredients. Together, friends can sip wine and prep five dishes. Each person goes home with a meal prepared that they can make later that week for their family.

Bonus if your final bake and take meals can be frozen for easy prep on a busy night. For for a take and bake recipe exchange party, you will need Freezer Bags and/or Aluminum Disposable Pans.

What is a Meal Train

I meal train is an effective way to organize meal giving to a person or family for births, surgeries, illnesses and during tough times. A friend group or family community comes together to coordinating dropping off a home-made meal for a family who could use help.

If cooking is not an option, alternatively, you could coordinating restaurant delivery (like pizza or a local restaurant) or send a restaurant gift card for the person/family to use at their own time and need.

Mealtrain.com is a great resource for creating a group meal sign up, organizing meal giving, and scheduling meals to a calendar.

Bringing Dinner to Neighbors

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of those in close proximity like immediate family and neighbors. Bake and take recipes are great for neighbors. You can rotate the responsibility of meals, each person assigned a different night of the week. You can also, bless an elderly, sickly or a neighbor in trouble with the gift of a home cooked meal.

Consider hosting a bake and take party for the neighborhood or create a meal train for a neighbor who could a little extra help.

Social Distance Meals

Let’s take bake and take a step further. During quarantine and times of distancing, social distance meals are an option. Again, choose 5 to 7 people and each person is assigned a day.

The social distancing parties can work one of two ways. Let’s use our party of five people again.

Option 1

Each person is assigned a day. On your assigned day, that person prepares (and bakes) five of the same dinners. They drive to five separate houses leaving the dinner on the step or front porch. This gives each party goer five nights of meals, only preparing dinner one night.

Option 2

Similar to a meal train, each person signs up for one day to bless a friend/neighbor in need with a meal. That person is assigned the job of putting a meal on the porch for the calendar date they have scheduled.

Bake and Take Recipe Ideas

For bake and take recipes, it is very important to know allergy and diet restrictions. We looked for easy recipes, casserole dishes, or throw in the oven meals that were free from many common allergies. Before hosting a bake and take party or meal train, get each persons dietary restrictions and any foods for which they may have an allergy.

This easy Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole is a dump recipe you can quickly prepare and bring to a neighbor or friend. | Neighbor Food Blog

Everything bakes together in one dish with this Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe. | Happy Go Lucky Blog

Want a good-for-you dinner option for your neighbors? This Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole is quick and easy, a comfort dish that is like a big gentle hug. | Pinch of Yum

This savory Slow Cooker Beef on Rice with has a flavorful gravy. Serve it over a warm bed of rice. If you are exchanging with a large group of people at once, bring Uncle Ben’s 90 second rice. So easy and quick. | Le Creme de la Crumb

This nutritious minestrone soup is protein packed with red kidney beans and great northern beans. Exchange with frozen dinner rolls. | Little Spice Jar

With just 5 ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep, this Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is an easy dinner that cooks in one dish! Cook ahead and reheat. Consider serving with a mixed salad bag. | The Seasoned Mom

Another easy prep. Try a dump and bake easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole. | Lil Luna

This kid-friendly comfort food casserole is great for exchanges. Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional Irish dish made with a saucy ground beef, peas, and carrots and topped with a mashed potato crust. Easy and tasty. | Savory Nothings

A family favorite casserole for us. This creamy tuna noodle casserole is loved by all ages – kids and adults. Goes perfect with a steam fresh veggie. | Mom Dot

Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a quick and healthy crock pot recipe that’s perfect for busy nights. Add all the ingredients in the crock pot then push on! Serve with frozen dinner rolls. | Iowa Girl Eats

This super simple chicken pot pie recipe is made with buttermilk biscuits! | I Heart Recipes

Looking for more ideas? Take a look at our printable meal plans including meatless dinners, chicken dinners, pasta dinners, Mexican dinners, Italian dinners and even salad dinner ideas.

Freezer meals are so friendly when it comes to meal exchanges. Take a look at these make-ahead Freezer Crockpot and Dump Recipes. Pin to Pinterest.

Enjoy these Busy Mom Hacks and Tips including an mom tip for making multiple meals in one night! Pin to Pinterest.

Inexpensive Backyard Landscaping Ideas on a Budget

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May 17, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Hacks, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Create a beautiful outdoor living space with these inexpensive backyard landscaping ideas on a budget. Weekend project ideas for your patio and yard including lighting idea, inexpensive projects, garden hacks and outdoor design tricks.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

When we moved, it was at the end of winter the beginning of spring. Every day our yard was showing a new sign of life. It was beautiful and I marveled at the surprises this backyard would unveil.

You see, our new home backs against the woods with a beautiful little creek that runs into the Potomac. Nature had done it’s own work and I was willing to let nature take care of itself. My husband saw this differently. He saw that heavy rains would bring high creek levels. He saw lower areas that would hold mud. He saw that the grass would grow uncontrollably, perhaps above the boys shoulder. I dismissed his warnings and told him the yard would take care of itself.

Woops. Two months into living here and the grass (in areas) is as tall as the boys shoulders. I have begged my husband to look into landscape help, ASAP. While he is looking for help, I am searching Pinterest for low-cost backyard landscape ideas to perfect our natural space.

So here we go… figured I would share with my frugal friends too!

Backyard Landscaping Ideas on a Budget

Create an instant backyard water feature with your downspouts. Lay down plastic trash bags on the ground as a liner. Pour over river rock and add plants and mulch. When the rain water travels down the spout and over the rocks, it provides a beautiful rock water feature. | Woo Home

This genius backyard hack mounts flower baskets on wooden posts. Doesn’t that beautifully line the walkway? | Cottage at the Crossroads

Set the ambiance with lights. This is a very easy tutorial on how to string lights from natural elements like tree limbs using galvanized buckets and concrete. (As seen in our Backyard Movie Ideas) | Ida klipper och klistrar (in English)

In our cheap patio ideas, we shared this cheap patio lighting idea. Even a small backyard can bet transformed by hanging string lights in potted lamp posts. Great a glow with pots of beautiful flowers. | I Should be Mopping the Floor

Take an ugly fence from drab to fab with this DIY Horizontal Slat Fence. Transforms your outdoor space on the cheap. | Fresh Mommy Blog

Create a beautiful backyard ambiance using Christmas Lights (even when it isn’t winter!) Shop Wayfair for Lights.

Transform your seating area and dinning area with this step-by-step DIY Patio String Lights Tutorial. | Place of My Taste

Tired of weeds? Did you know this newspaper hack will prevent any grass and weed seeds from germinating; the ultimate weed solution. Important to note that unlike WeedBlock Barrier fabric, it will decompose after about 18 months. | Rosemary on the TV

Transform your garden fence with this marble hack and cheap backyard landscape idea. Drill holes, insert colored marbles, and watch the light create a beautiful rainbow sun catcher. I get you will spend more and more evenings outside enjoying the colors of the sunset! | Garden Drama

Planters can be expensive. Did you know you can upcylce a Styrofoam cooler into a DIY Planter! | Salvage Sister and Mister

Have a place to hold beverages. This can be something that goes outside and inside or stays outside on the patio. This DIY Beverage Tub comes with two SVG files.

Don’t open your wallet, I bet you have everything to make these DIY Glowing Outdoor Orbs for about $1 to $3 (if anything!) | The Art of Doing Stuff

These DIY Fire Pit was only $60! Consider it a weekend project. You could later add a homemade fire pit bench. | Keeping It Simple Crafts

This couple took a $20 yard sale armoire and upcylced it to cover unsightly wires from a meter reader and electrical box. They turned the other half into a vegetable garden bed. | Shabby Glam

As seen in our garden hacks and tips, try this pot-in-pot method, so you can switch plants almost instantly. | Florida Friendly Plants

Patiently wait and watch this bean pole teepee plant grow. Such a fun and inexpensive backyard idea that also acts as the perfect DIY fort and hangout for the kids. | Artful Parent

Have an area of the lawn that is brown and isn’t growing? Hiring a landscape designer can be costly. Instead, replace dead grass with a DIY Rock Garden. Save money by replacing turf with rocks! | Home Talk

Transform your flower beds with this garden hack. Put your terracotta pots within the grown and assign each pot a different herb. | Town Mouse

Add charm and character to your area with rock wall edging against a colorful flower bed. | Pine and Prospect

Take an eyesore like a HVAC unit or garbage cans. Hide these ugly items with easy to install decorative fencing. | All Things Mama

Solve the problem of mud and dirt on your shoes with this frugal-friendly up-cycled wood pallet walkway. Such a beautiful garden idea and a stray from the traditional stone path. | The Homespun Hydrangea

Look at these DIY Midsummer Nights Backyard Lighting Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Save these Garden Tips and Hacks when creating your own perfect space. Pin to Pinterest.

18 Creative IKEA BILLY Bookcase Hack Ideas

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May 10, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Hacks, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Eighteen Creative IKEA BILLY Bookcase Hacks and Ideas. Get inspired with these low cost IKEA home decor ideas for those with million dollar taste.

IKEA BILLY Bookcase Hacks

IKEA Billy Series

The IKEA Billy Series has been around over 50 years. Developed in 1979 by the Swedish designer Gillis Lundgren, IKEA has sold over 60 million units of the bookcases worldwide. Obviously it’s a popular series. Well the world has gotten more creative and the platform of Pinterest has been created. This media sharing has inspired many Billy Bookcase creative designs with an IKEA low-cost price tag.

IKEA BILLY Bookcase Ideas

We have found same amazing Billy bookcase IKEA ideas. Enjoy this list of the top 18 IKEA BILLY Bookcase ideas. Show us what you design after being inspired by these IKEA hackers.

If you want a floor to ceiling custom built in, get started with this BILLY Bookcases cheat sheet and stacking formula. Turn IKEA BILLY Bookcases with glass doors into the most perfect built in you’ve ever seen with this full tutorial. | Vintage Revivals

Turn your shelving unit into a craftsman dream by adding trim. Adding molding to IKEA BILLY bookcase makes it look like an expensive built in unit. | Blesser House

Get crafty for the kids! Turn a white bookshelf into a life size DIY dollhouse. Touches of paint, wallpaper, craft paper and dollhouse furniture and you have a complete home. | The DIY Village

This BILLY bookcase lighting hack adds illumination to any space! Best of all, Jamie doesn’t even have to flip a switch this this remote control lighting trick! | Southern Revivals

This BILLY bookcase hack closet idea is perfect for someone who lacks the IKEA closet PAX wardrobe space. Lauren has quite the experience with IKEA storage units too. Her entire room has intricate plans! | Blesser House

Make your book shelf pop with this DIY hack with billy bookcase drawers. Turn your BILLY book shelves into a colorful dresser. | Infarrantly Creative

This built-in day bed and reading nook transformed this playroom. The hidden gem is created form two different sizes of IKEA bookcases. | House Homemade (Also seen in our Reading Corner Ideas for Kids)

I gave my husband these plans and begging him to make this IKEA billy bookcase entertainment center for only $300! It would resolve our “no entertainment center” problem by 1,000s! | Amanda Katherine

Look at this home improvement hack! Cover an ugly AC Wall Unit with an IKEA bookcase hack. | Design Evolving

This BILLY Bookcase bedroom idea is perfect for a little girls room. Combining a dresser and IKEA book shelf and then paint for the most adorable pop! | Designer Trapped

Need more storage in the kitchen? Custom build a pantry with this IKEA bookcase idea. Compare the price! You can buy IKEA pantry cabinets for around $400 or buy a 15” BILLY bookcase (with a door) for just around $100! | Run to Radiance

Look at this great idea! Take an IKEA bookcase and install over a door or entryway! | The Accent Piece

Revamp your playroom with this painted IKEA bookcase storage unit. Perfect for organizing – so easy on the eyes. | Blesser House

Paint the background of your custom bookcase like this IKEA playroom idea. Love that pop of green! | Centsational Style

Think outside the box and transform your kitchen island by adding a billy bookcase island with IKEA butcher block. | Golden Boys and Me

Revamp your entryway or even your garage with this custom mudroom built ins From IKEA white bookcases for $300! | The Kim Six Fix

Find a similar IKEA mudroom hack using white bookcases with full design inspiration and links. | House homemade

This might be my most favorite BILLY Bookcase hack. It is so easy and really makes your shelf look like a million bucks. Hide the holes in your BILLY Bookcase with DryDex Spackling. Goes on pink and dries white. How satisfying! | Centsational Style

IKEA BILLY Bookcase Planner

Inspired? Become your own interior designer with the help of the IKEA Billy Bookcase Planner Tools. Create your perfect storage and home improvement solutions. Plan online at IKEA and you’ve completed your design you can add it to your cart and order it online – easy.

Visit IKEA Planning Solutions

Speaking of these IKEA BILLY Bookcase ideas, take a look at these Reading Corner Ideas for Kids. Pin to Pinterest.

Claim more home project ideas with these Older Home Improvement Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Homemade Cleaners | DIY Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

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April 12, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Frugal Living, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 1 Comment

DIY Homemade Cleaning Products for Spring Cleaning. Tackle neglected areas of the home and save money with these frugal-friendly General Household Cleaners. Eco-friendly cleaning products you can make with pantry ingredients plus hacks, tips, and tricks to create a sparkling home that you love.

Homemade Cleaners

Do you love the look, feel, and smell of a clean house? Are you looking for recipes for homemade cleaners to try in your home? You’re in luck! Whether you’re looking for greener cleaning products or simply want to save some money, you’ll find a homemade cleaner recipe to get the job done here. These cleaners are made with natural ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry.

So, the next time you run out of your go-to commercial cleaner, try making the switch to one of these homemade cleaners instead. They’re easier on the environment and your wallet. In fact, many of the recipes cost only pennies to make. That’s definitely a savings over spending several dollars per cleaner at the store.

Give natural, homemade cleaners a try by looking through this list to see which ones you’d like to make. We’ve combed the internet for some of the best homemade cleaner recipes, so you don’t have to!

Homemade Cleaners You Need to Try

Disclaimer: These DIY cleaners are not proven to erase or kill germs. These general household cleaners are not backed as EPA certified disinfectants. Please use them for general cleaning. Always refer to the CDC for cleaning and disinfecting your home.

Homemade Cleaners Ingredients:

When making homemade cleaners, there will be a repetition of ingredients you need to make your own cleaners.

Kitchen Cleaners

Our Homemade Dishwasher Tablets are made with a hint of lemongrass for a fresh, clean scent. This easy dish soap recipe is a must-make if you’re interested in making your own kitchen supplies. This dishwasher detergent is easy to store and frugal-friendly for those on a budget. | Frugal Coupon Living

Perfect for the kitchen or bathroom, this Rosemary and Lemon Surface Scrub gets the job done safely, but effectively. You can find the ingredients—baking soda, castile soap, and essential oils—at most supermarkets. | All Things Mamma

Make your stove sparkle again with this all-natural Kitchen and Stove Degreaser. This isn’t one of those cleaners that just spread the grease around. It cuts through it. | Happy Mothering

Here’s another Homemade Soft Scrub to try that’s made with baking soda, Castile soap, and witch hazel, along with several essential oils. It’s a bit thicker, so it’s great for those tough jobs. | Glue Sticks & Gumdrops

Do you love your stainless steel appliances but hate dealing with fingerprints? This All-Natural Stainless Steel Cleaner will keep your appliances shiny and free of fingerprints. It’s made with only a couple of ingredients and olive oil, so you can make some and use it today to shine your appliances! | Family Focus Blog

Fruit flies drive you crazy in the spring and summer? Use this natural Fruit Fly Repellent to keep them at bay. It’s the easiest way to keep those pesky bugs out of your kitchen. | Easy Peasy Creative

Bathroom Cleaners

Keep your toilet fresher between cleanings by adding one of these DIY Toilet Bowl Bombs. They emit a lovely fragrance as they dissolve to cover up any bad toilet smells. | Happy Mothering

If your bathroom lacks good ventilation, you probably have frequent problems with mold and mildew. Try this homemade Mold and Mildew Cleaner to clean away that yucky grime whenever it’s needed. This is another simple vinegar and baking soda based cleaner that really gets the job done. | Happy Mothering

Laundry Cleaners

Get your clothes clean and smelling fresh with this Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent made from super washing soda, baking soda, and castile soap. You can also optionally add a freshness booster if you like your clothes to have a lot of scent after they’re washed. | Natural Beach Living

If you prefer a Liquid Laundry Detergent, you’ll find two different recipes here. The one using Sal’s Suds is a little less complicated than the one using Castile soap, but both work well. | Bren Did

You probably have all the ingredients you need to make this DIY Fabric Softener. Made with a conditioner of your choice, vinegar, 1/2 cup baking soda, and water, it’s easy to whip up a batch, and it smells amazing. | Crayons and Cravings

Want to freshen fabrics without hazardous chemicals? Make a Non-Toxic Homemade Febreze without fabric softener to make it safer to use. Witch hazel, essential oils, and baking powder are simple, safe ingredients to use. | The Artisan Life

Window Cleaners

Get clear, streak-free windows, glass, and mirrors with this Alcohol-Free Window and Glass Cleaner. Isn’t cleaning the windows without harsh fumes a far more pleasant task? It gets grease and grime off the glass without chemicals. You can’t get any simpler or purer than white vinegar, water, and lemon essential oil for scent. | All Things Mamma

However, if you don’t like the smell of vinegar, here’s a different No Streak Glass Cleaner that uses rubbing alcohol instead. Grab a paper towel and wipe. | Get Green Be Well

Floor Cleaners

Use a Natural Floor Cleaner to get your laminate floors sparkling. Made with equal parts water and vinegar plus rubbing alcohol, and peppermint essential oil. It leaves floors clean with a refreshing minty smell. | Simply Today Life

Make a simple Homemade Wood Floor Cleaner with just vinegar and water. It’s super cheap and super simple. | Homemade Ginger

Use natural ingredients and essential oils with this DIY All Purpose Cleaner from Frugal Coupon Living.

Make an All-Purpose Cleaner to use in the bathrooms, on floors, or for outdoor furniture. Choose your own scent by adding your favorite essential oils. | A Cultivated Nest

Freshen up your carpets in a pinch with this easy Homemade Carpet Powder made with baking soda and essential oils. Stinky rugs and carpets will be a thing of the past! With three fresh-smelling recipes, you’ll never get bored with the scents. | The Artisan Life

Is your grimy grout getting to you? Use this simple stain removing DIY grout cleaner made with baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice to make it sparkle again. It’ll look amazing again with this cleaner and a little elbow grease. | Ann’s Entitled Life

Multi-Room Household Cleaners

When it comes to quick clean-up, cleaning wipes can’t be beat. But it’s super easy to make your own Homemade Cleaning Wipes with paper towels, water, vinegar, dish soap, lemon juice, and essential oil. The wipes will leave your surfaces smelling so fresh and clean. They’re great in the kitchen and in other rooms of the house, too. | Crayons and Cravings

However, if you’d like a more earth-friendly solution, try this recipe for Reusable Household Wipes using washcloths or scrap microfiber cloths and water, vinegar, soap, and essential oils. | Easy Organized Home

Make your own DIY cleaning spray with witch hazel, 1/4 vinegar, distilled water, and essential oils. Use it in the kitchen, bathrooms, or anywhere you’d like to add some sparkle and pleasant scent. Not EPA certified. | Kimspired DIY

This Lemon Cleaning Spray is made with vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and lemon essential oil for extra cleaning power. Not EPA Certified| Easy Peasy Creative

Don’t you love a great-smelling room? You can get it naturally without commercial air fresheners. With rubbing alcohol, distilled water, and your favorite essential oils, you’ll have some ready in no time. | Glue Sticks & Gumdrops

Make your own lavender linen spray on Frugal Coupon Living. What a great way to lay your head down at night.

Other Homemade Cleaners

When you’re not at home, washing your hands isn’t always possible. Make this simple DIY Hand Sanitizer anytime you need some hand-cleaning power on the go. This is a little thicker, like a lotion, which makes it easier for kids to apply. This is not EPA certified nor can claim to kill germs. | Natural Beach Living

Make some DIY Jewelry Cleaner with vinegar, baking soda, dish washing liquid, and boiling water. It’ll bring your old, lackluster pieces back to life again. | Bitz & Giggles

With all these smell-good cleaners for your house, it’s only fair that you get your pets smelling great, too. Try this Homemade Doggie Deodorant that conditions and deodorizes your dog’s fur between baths and groomings. (See our Dog Hacks and Tips.) | Rachel Teodoro

Get your screens clean and free of fingerprints and smudges with a Homemade Screen Cleaner. Vinegar, water, and a microfiber cloth are all you need to make screens sparkle. | Confessions of an Overworked Mom

Pin this list of homemade cleaners to refer back to any time you need to make a new batch!

Spring Cleaning? Follow these Spring Cleaning Hacks, Tips and Tricks . Pin to Pinterest.

Save these Pantry and Stockpile Organization Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Pantry and Stockpile Organization Ideas

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April 5, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Frugal Living, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

Gathering a stockpile? Accruing a large stash of goods and products can leave you in a mess. We have some of the best Kitchen Pantry Organization Ideas and Stockpile Storage Ideas to get your home organized.

Pantry & Stockpile Organization

Consider this post just as much for me, as for you. We moved as soon as social distancing became a thing. I am talking about last day of school Friday. Monday, no school and closing on a new house. We consider it a blessing, as many places of work closed the week we moved but all of a sudden I found myself in a new home with no stockpile and starting from nothing.

Stockpile Meaning

If you know couponing, you likely are familiar with a stockpile. If you are new to shopping ahead – say in two week to month long periods, you might be becoming familiar with the stockpile meaning.

Stockpile. stock·pile /ˈstäkˌpīl/ noun. A large accumulated stock of goods or materials, especially one held in reserve for use at a time of shortage or other emergency.

I worked hard to diminish our stockpile before the move. Especially our stockpile of canned foods and fresh ingredients. Once I made a trip to the grocery store (on Tuesday) the shelves were pretty wiped clean. So I began the process of stockpiling, on a limited supply, with a brand new kitchen and pantry. Since I was at ground zero, I went to Pinterest to start right. This was my opportunity to organize a new home and began new habits of putting tings away properly and in their place.

Take my lessons on How to Stockpile from someone who has done her research starting at the beginning. These stockpile organizational tips I learned from step 1 doesn’t mean you can’t start or implement on year 20. Now is a great time for us to all hunker down and organize our home, pantry and stockpile.

Enjoy!

First up, we have a freebie for your pantry too. Download and save this “We’re out of…” free printable Pantry Organizer. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

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Kitchen Pantry Organization Ideas and Stockpile Storage Ideas

If you have plenty of pantry storage (and even if you don’t) use the Dollar Tree to fill your space with Dollar Tree Storage Containers including glass jars and plastic bins. We share a lot of these ideas in our KonMari Dollar Tree Organizing Post. | Do It On a Dime

Use all your space and keep the bread intact! Use under-shelf racks in your pantry to hold easily crushable items that keep your counters free from clutter. (In our home, we actually put this in our cupboard with the plates.) | BHG

When stockpiling, use all the possible space you can. In this pantry hack, attach plastic sink caddies to pantry walls using Velcro Command strips. | Make Bake Celebrate

Speaking of using your pantry wall, try this. Pin your plastic bags to the wall inside your pantry. Not only will our bags be easily accessible but it will free up some space on your shelves. | Source

Use all your space with out loosing things . Pull out drawers will allow you to pack your stockpile in small spaces. See drawer options here. | Source

With stockpiling, it is important to keep ingredients fresh. Especially because you might find yourself opening a new oversize box but not using it entirely right away. Airtight Food Storage Containers are great for pantry organization as well as freeing up space. If you find yourself needing directions for your ingredients, use a label maker to add directions to the container. | Make Bake Celebrate

Utilize the corners of your pantries with a lazy Susan (or 2 or 3 or 100). Follow these step-by-step tips for a lazy Susan pantry idea. | Decor Chick

Instead of pilling cans on top of each other, spread them out with a rolling Can Storage Organizer Rack. This rack and stack on top of each other, as well, for higher shelves and more canned good storage. | Buy It Here

Get creative. Wall mounted magazine racks are perfect for vegetables likes onions, potatoes, and more! | Just What Am I Thinking

Adjustable shelves? Follow these Pantry Shelf Guidelines to see how tall to make an ideal pantry shelf for canned goods, spaghetti sauce, cereal and more. | Food Storage Moms

Ideal Pantry Shelf Guidelines

The following are approximate guidelines for the most ideal pantry shelf height.

Allow 5.25 to 7 inches for a shelf of canned goods.
Allow 8 to 10 inches for a shelf of baskets.
Allow 12 to 16 inches for cereal boxes.
Allow 12 to 16 inches for stackable Airtight Food Storage Containers.
Allow 14 to 16 inches for a 3-tier Can Storage Organizer Rack.
Allow 18 to 20 inches for larger items or items rarely used.

If you lack a basement or an over-sized utility or laundry room, the garage is going to be your best bet for stockpile organization from body wash, laundry detergent, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and more. You can find sturdy Home Depot Garage Shelves. Follow this stockpile organization tutorial on YouTube. | Be My Guest with Denise

Use a hall linen closet to store toiletries. You can use a clear shoe organizer for smaller health and beauty items. This makes them easy to see and reach. | Coupon Wizards

Your food stays fresh and easily accessible in a Pantry Food Storage Container with Handle. The handle makes removing it from the cabinet easy, and its lid ensures freshness. It holds over 6 quarts which is pretty large for storage! | Buy It Here

Want a way to store open chips without them falling over and opening? We love this pantry hack for hanging chips. | Source

Get organized. We have Organizational Printables to get other areas of your home in order. Pin to Pinterest.

Save a lot, organize a lot – We love the Dollar Tree Organizational Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Inspirational Homework Stations & Easy Kids Study Spaces

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March 26, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 1 Comment

Ready to organize the home and create a DIY kids study space? These 15 Inspirational Homework Stations are Quick and Easy Homework Spaces to provide the kids with easy access to school supplies, quiet areas to work and bright colors to get the creative juices flowing.

Best Homework Stations

It’s been awhile since we shared our Homework Center Ideas. We realize the need more and more for the return of these work from home school rooms and zones. We have put together some of the Best Homework Stations to inspire you to get working!

Kids Study Spaces

It can be easy and affordable to make Kids Study Spaces and Homework Centers. Take a look at these inspirational ideas to get started with home schooling or finishing school work.

It’s possible to build a desk/homework station for under $100. Using Stackable 3-Shelf Organizers, Sarah made a desk using a $19 Ikea Counter Top. She ideally was going for butcher block and could have easy made it with Butcher Block Self-adhesive Vinyl. | Pretty Providence

Small spaces? Turn a closet into a homework center. We love the unique touches on this study center. | I Heart Organizing

Create this simple DIY Rotating Desk Organizer lazy susan for an easy school at home Homework Station in under 10 minutes! It keeps all supplies at your fingertips! Portable and perfect for moving from room to room and space to space. | Busy Creating Memories

Organizing doesn’t have to be costly. We love this frugal friendly Dollar Store Hack. Get ready for a clutter-free school zone with this simple Dollar Store portable homework station and our free printable label! | Simple Made Pretty

Create a homework station for your kids by using a metal rolling utility cart to store books and other school supplies. This allows you to move school work from room to room and space to space. | Suburble

If you are using common space like a dinning room table and need privacy, consider making homework station privacy boards using a white tri-fold project board. So easy and each child can customize and design their own space. | Mom Advice

Have a wall of clipboards you can easily rotate art work, calendars or to do lists. So easy to lift the clip and remove. | Clean and Scentsible

This was done in a classroom but can easily be done to organize a homework space at home. Check out Michael’s Belmont frames – they are affordable. | Dandelions and Dragonflies

A homework station can be as simple as a binder. Grab this one with printable sheets for organizing. | I Heart Naptime

Use a nook and chalk paint to create an inspirational space for homework. | By Dawn Nicole

Use a hanging shoe organizer to sort school supplies making an easy, tucked away homework center. | A Bowl Full of Lemons

We shared this hidden closet idea in our Homework Center Ideas but wanted to share it again. Turn a crawl space like under the stairs storage into a quiet reading nook, art center or school work area. | Rebecca Propes

It doesn’t have to be expensive. Grab a $22 Home Depot pegboard and mount over a tabletop or desk. At a touch of hanging baskets, hooks, and cups to keep homework supplies within reach. Amazon has Pegboard Organizational Sets.| Claire Collected

Turn a corner of the playroom or kitchen into an area the kids can work or create. Just grab a pre-existing table and chairs. This homework station is complete with build-in chalkboard and art display board. Love the v-groove paneling. | The Project Girl

Want to involve the kids? Grab the sewing machine and make these adorable Seat Sacks for the Kids’ study corner. | Scissors and Spatulas

Take a look at our original Homework Center Ideas (also with Family Command Centers!) Pin to Pinterest.

Create a cozy nook with these Creative Reading Corner Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.