Second Hand Furniture and Paint

So, this is my first post. I'm excited about this because I want to share my ideas about decorating my home and hopefully get some new ideas from others! My husband and I are both teachers, so money for decorating and furniture is always tight. Thankfully, I grew up in a home where my mom was always changing things in her home and changing them frugally (the key word!). Some of the secrets I learned from her was Goodwill and paint. Let me explain. When you go to Goodwill, it can be a bit overwhelming. There is so much to look at, especially if it is a Goodwill that has received great donations. So, when I go to a Goodwill, I have a pattern. First, I look at shoes (I'm a shoe addict, but more on that another time), then I go to housewares. This is the fun part when you are decorating. I always find something new for my home. The trick is to look at it with an open mind. That chair that is covered in the wrong material can easily be recovered by you with the right material, a little glue, and a staple gun. Or the chair that is in the wrong color can easily be changed to the right color with a can of inexpensive paint or spray paint from Wal-Mart, or even Home Depot, who are now selling wall paint samples in small cans for $3.88. You just have to choose what color! Two of the pieces in my living room (see picture for love seat and rocker on either side of fire place) now are wicker that my mom had bought a long time ago and painted brown. Basically, you buy a $5 chair from Goodwill and a $4 can of paint and you have a new piece of furniture for less than $10! It just takes a little vision and know how.
If you want to start smaller and you're unsure of painting furniture yet, a great idea that I took from Good Housekeeping was to take those clear vases that you have probably collected over the years (or you can buy them anywhere from 50 cents to $5 at your local thrift store) and paint them! I did this recently with flat, white, enamel spray paint and have a new, fun decoration made with mainly vases that I had been given over the years. It cost me less than $10 ( I bought a few more vases with interesting shapes) and now I have a brand new set of vases that have created an interesting decor in my guest room. Hope this helps to open up some new doors for decorating in your home!!!! I love paint and changing a piece of furniture in this fun and inexpensive way!