Inexpensive Decor Ideas For Your Home

I’ve always took a pride in my home decor. Since I am still stuck at home with my parents I am restricted to my own little square bedroom but that hasn’t stopped me browsing the home interior aisles. Since a young age, I’ve always been the organised type and one who takes pride in appearance not just personally but also in my environment. I love having stacks of cushions, wall prints and pretty flowers to dress the place up a little and I thought I would share some of my favourite ways to decorate your home, also at a low cost!

PRINTS

If you are suffering from bare walls then the best way to dress up the place a little is to add prints. I absolutely adore adding framed prints around my room to make a things a little more pretty but they can also add a personal touch too. Pretty much all of my prints come from Etsy which is probably the best place to get cheap prints. They have so many styles and the best thing is that you can easily download them straight away to print. You can also pick up really inexpensive frames too from places like Wilko or Ikea, although Ikea are probably the best as their frames seem to be much better quality! I like to either hang my frames, stack them on top of books or place them on shelves. The options are endless!

As well, prints are a really great option if you want to create a sort of mood board or gallery on your wall! Little Postcards are also a great option and really balance out the sizing proportions! You can also pick them up really cheap from the likes of Paperchase.

BOOKS/MAGAZINES

I’ve always loved a good book or magazine but what is even better about them is that they make a great decor option. I dream of the time that I can own a whole bookcase stacked with pretty books but for the meantime I keep a couple of stacks of books on my shelves. I then put some ornaments on top to give a more dimensional look to an otherwise flat shelf. I personally love beauty/style books as they can be great to flick through for inspiration and pretty pictures but usually they also have a beautiful exterior making them home decor worthy.

Magazines are also really handy and of course spending so much a month on a magazine can be put to good use. I like to stack a lot of my magazines on my drawers and also on my bedside table for a stylish and chic look. Just like books, they look even more the part with a pretty candle or ornament on top!

PLANTS

No home is a home without a bit of natural (or fake!) greenery! Cactus is particularly my favourite kind of plant as they are easy to care for and look pretty cute! You can find cactus or a different range of plants in a garden centre, I picked up most of mine in Homebase and also Ikea have a great range too!

I also love a beautiful bunch of flowers! Peonies are without a doubt my favourite, there is just something about the blush pink against my white furniture! Obviously though flowers have a short shelf life and it can be costly to upkeep. All of the flowers in my room are actually fake, I have a lovely bunch of peonies from Ebay which were super cheap yet still look so pretty! Ikea are also really great for cheap flowers although some of the ones I have are a little too fake, lol!

CANDLES

I am sure many of you will know I am a huge fan of candles. They make a pretty decor piece but also feel so warming in a room. I actually did a whole post dedicated to candles and how to care for them, here if you want to check it out! Candles can be picked up from pretty much anywhere and there is so many to suit everyone’s budget. Being a candle lover, I do like to invest my money in some candles with my favourites being from Diptyque! Another great thing about candles is that once they are done the jar makes a lovely decor piece too! Obviously Diptyque have a beautiful jar design so really look the part when cleaned out and used as plant pots, vases or makeup brush/pen holders! Again I covered that all in my candle post!

How do you like to decor your home? 

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How To Care For Candles and My Favourites

It’s such a blogging cliché but I do love a good candle. Lighting up a beautiful scent to fill your room with is so relaxing and uplifting. I love having a candle burning at night to ease down or during the day if I am busy to help myself feel a little more calm and relaxed. Having been through my fair share of candles, I have learnt a few things along the way and I thought I would share my candle burning tips! Also, on the topic of candles it would be the perfect time to share some of my favourites too!

THE FIRST BURN 

The first burn of your candle is probably the most important. You want to ensure that you allow it enough burning time so it burns the whole layer on the top round the jar. The reason for this, if it is extinguished sooner when only a small amount of wax is burnt, it will tunnel and not burn evenly. This means you won’t have any wasted wax round the sides which is caused from this.

TRIMMING

It took me a while to learn this one but it is so essential that after each use (after the first burn) you trim your candle wick. You want to trim them so they are quite low, typically 1/8 inch. This prevents soot in the candle and also controls the flame. If you have a shaky flame, you may want to trim it first and then relight. For trimming, I highly recommend investing in a pair of wick trimmers. They don’t need to be expensive or fancy, I am sure you can get decent ones from eBay although I did splurge on this pair from The White Company and I suppose it also works as a nice little decor piece haha! You can use small ordinary scissors but when you get nearer the bottom of the jar you will soon realise the problem with them!

LIGHTING 

This may sound like an obvious point but be careful when lighting your candle and where you place it. Obviously do not have a burning candle near loose fabric like curtains or clothes. Similarly, do not leave a candle unattended and definitely not near young children. Also ensure your candle hasn’t been burning for over four hours as it can overheat so at that point extinguish the flame and leave to cool for a couple of hours.

RECYCLE 

One of my favourite things! Obviously whilst it can be pretty sad to see the end of candle particularly those pricey ones, the jars can be put to good use. After my candle has finished, I like to soak it in warm water and let it sit whilst it absorbs. This usually helps get rid of a lot of leftover wax from the sides of the candle. Then I like to take a cleaning sponge or cloth and wipe the inside to remove any more wax so it is clean. There are other methods that you can use for cleaning them out but I usually do that as it is quick and easy! Then once my jar is clean, I like to reuse it. There are plenty of usages for old candle jars including plant pot holders, makeup brush holders or to place cotton buds in etc.

MY FAVOURITES 

So now you know my tips, what are my favourite home scents? Starting with the classic diptyque, I have tried quite a few from the brand now. Diptyque are really good for fresh and floral kind of scents if that’s your thing. My first ever diptyque candle was the Mimosa scent which is so fresh and great for this time of the year. A new addition that I am truly obsessed with is their limited edition Rosaviola candle which they brought out for Valentines Day with Olympia Le-Tan. Whilst the packaging is absolutely beautiful, the scent is even better with a parma violets kind of sweet violet scent. Love it! Moving on from Diptyque, I also have a new love for The White Company who have such a great range of scents at pretty decent prices. I have currently got my hands on Pomegranate which is the perfect dupe for the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir scent! Lastly, you can never go wrong with a good old Yankee Candle, being a lover of all things sweet I love the Vanilla Cupcake scent which is beautifully sweet and probably too sickly for many!

What are your favourite candles?

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How to Overcome Winter Blues and De-stress

I am pretty sure Winter blues is a real thing, it may be a lot more serious than it sounds but I can’t be the only one feeling rather down and pessimistic suffering through the cold and distressing weather. I am quite happy about the thought of March coming in and putting Winter to an end for another year. Although for the time being sadly Winter is something we just have to put up with, unless you live in a very hot country then lucky you! Having overcome the great busyness and stress over the festive period, it is nice to use this time to wind down and simply relax before the sun begins to hit our way again. If you are feeling rather depressed or a little stressed out then hopefully these tips will come in handy!

HAVE A GOOD PAMPER 

One of the best ways to relax and de-stress your body and mind is have a good pamper session. One of the first things I like to do after a long day is to remove my makeup and cleanse my skin. As much as I love makeup, there is something so rewarding about taking it off. At the moment I am loving the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel to cleanse my skin which feels super soothing and leaves my skin feeling smooth. After cleansing I also like to apply a face mask. I vary between what I use but I do quite like the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask which feels super nourishing and hydrating on my skin. After taking care of my face, the next best thing is to run a bath. There couldn’t be anything more relaxing than a bath with a little Lush goodie!

GIVE YOUR NAILS SOME TLC 

When I have a little time to myself I always like to ensure my nails are well presented. Giving my nails a fresh coat of polish always makes me feel a lot more fresh and cleaner. I also like to take the time to prep my nails and ensure they are in the best possible condition. Then picking a new shade to wear is all very exciting (to me anyway!).

BURN YOUR FAVOURITE CANDLE 

I’ve had a pretty big obsession lately with candles and it couldn’t come at a better time. There is nothing more cosy and warm than lighting up a candle for the evening. I finished up quite a few candles over the last month and I’ve been loving a couple of Diptyque ones including the Baies one that is on the go at the moment!

INDULGE IN SOME READING 

Reading is also really beneficial to de-stress your mind and to relax. I have to admit I do wish I was a more avid reader than I currently am just now but nothing beats having a good read. Not just books though, a magazine or also reading blogs which is one of my favourite things to do in my chill time.

DE CLUTTER 

Lastly, I always feel like the Winter months is a great time to de-clutter your belongings which as a result can de-clutter your mind too. Whether it is cleaning through kitchen cupboards, your beauty storage or your wardrobe, having a cleaner environment is ever so pleasing on the mind and for me especially it boosts my morale. It can be timely but it is a very rewarding task once you see your progress!

How do you like to wind down in Winter?

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H&M Home Haul

There is no denying I love a bit of homeware stuff. The best bit being of course the fact I still live at home with my parents and only have my own little square of space to fix up. I have had such a surge of home ideas recently to change my bedroom decor around and I mostly blame Pinterest and blogs (ghostparties!). If there is one decor shop that I keep hearing about for affordable yet stylish home pieces its of course H&M. I sadly don’t have a H&M home store near me but I ventured online and ended up with a few items that I totally love.

Cest La Vie Cushion Cover – You can probably tell from the image above I like a bit of monochrome. This cushion cover is so adorable and I love anything french or paris inspired so this fits ever so nicely on my bed.

Striped Cushion Cover – Another monochromatic cushion cover except with a stripe design going on. This was the ultimate bargain at £1.99! I really love a good black and white striped design so I had to pick this up! The only thing is that this cover is slightly bigger than the other at 50×50 so I do need a bigger cushion but other than that the two cushions look so pretty together!

Marble plate – Probably my favourite of them all. I have been totally loving marble recently and I’ve been looking around for a few marble decor pieces for jewelery and vanity purposes. I found this cute little plate at £2.99 (I think) which is a complete bargain and I now store a few of jewelery bits on it. Sadly this is sold out just now 😦

I am totally in love with all my pieces from H&M and I already have my eye on another few bits from the website; namely one of the copper baskets and more marble-ness!

Have you purchased from H&M home before?