1.Add white! White with your present color scheme will both cool and brighten, adding the freshness that only white can! If your room colors tend toward the warm side, such as yellows, browns, or reds…then choose creamier white such as ecru or ivory. If you have cooler colors in your room, such as greens and blues, go with the brighter, cleaner whites.

2.Try painting your focal wall, (that is, the one most seen) in a sunnier, brighter, or lighter shade of your current wall color. It will add lightness to the room without drastically changing the whole scheme. Don’t worry, you can always go back to that rich red in the fall, but how about a little petal pink, or sky blue? Remember, its only paint, its cheap!

3.Add a floral print fabric to your room. Using the primary colors already in your room, visit your fabric store and pick out a floral fabric you love with at least one of those primary colors in it. (The more, the better, but don’t feel you must have every color in the room also in the fabric!) Use that floral fabric to make table scarves, placemats, pillow covers, and simple seat cushion covers. Pair it with a solid fabric color already in the room, and you have a custom coordinated look, for just a few dollars and some simple straight sewing!

4.Pick up some pretty colored glassware from the dollar shop, and display it where the sun will light it up! You could even use clear glassware, and fill it with colored water to coordinate with the room. Use your glassware as vases, pencil holders, or candy dishes, but make sure it is seen! Glass sparkles and adds a bit of sunshine to a room.

5.Take down your curtains, and just leave your mini blinds underneath. Don’t leave it bare, though, we don’t want boring! Swag some dried or silk flowers over the top of the blinds, or use some muslin to twist around a curtain rod for an informal but airy valance. (No sew!)

6.Keep your windows sparkling clean. Dirty windows cut down on a surprising amount of light, and make a room look dull. As a bonus, clean windows mean more sparkling glass, and that makes room feel larger and brighter!

7.Pot up some pansies from the garden center and use them indoors as houseplants. They are cheap, easy, and add flowers to a room without the cost of replacing floral arrangements every week! You can even coordinate the flower color to the color scheme of the room. Don’t match the colors, just pick something complementary.

8.Clear most of the artwork and accessories out of your room, and just keep a few larger, simpler pieces. It declutters the room, and helps to put the focus on the freshness of a room. Consider picking up a white lattice from the garden center, and hang it on the wall as a focal point. Place a potted plant in front of it, or hang small framed garden catalog prints from it. Let it be a reminder of the outdoors all season long!

9.Use a stencil or a stamp to add floral and nature motifs to your room for very little money. Stencil vines around windows and doors, hand paint seasonal sayings over doorways with a paint pen, or stamp a floral bouquet on the front of cupboard doors. You can always paint over those small areas with touch up paint in the fall. (Or you might love them so much, they stay year round!)

10.Finally, don’t forget your entry area when you are creating that spring glow all around your home. Remember, your entries are a visitors first impression of your home! Add a pot of pansies on the porch, paint your entry a fresh spring color, and hang a handmade wreath or a basket of flowers on the front door.

All these ideas take very little time, little or no money, and do wonders for your spirit and the spirit of those who you love. Take a little time to brighten your lives!

1. If you want to add color to a room fast, paint is a great option. To save time and money however, try just painting the focal wall in a room. In most average rooms, you can paint just one wall in less than an hour!

2. Instead of sewing up new pillow covers and tablecloths, try using no sew techniques instead. Pillows can be wrapped in a piece of unfinished fabric on the diagonal like a present, and wrapped with decorative ribbon to secure it. Use duct tape to put a temporary hem in flat sheets or older tablecloths to make them fit your end tables and breakfast nooks. Once you have those tables covered, use cardboard boxes pushed under the tables to hide the kids toys and books and flip flops, but keep them handy. The floor length tablecloths will hide the storage area.

3. Take a box around the room and pick up all your knick knacks and collectibles. Now replace just three of your favorite items or collections. You will appreciate the less cluttered look, and the decrease in dusting chores as well!

4. If you love fresh flowers in your home, but hate the time and expense of changing the arrangements, find a sunny spot in your yard and toss out some sunflower seeds! Many varieties leave no pollen on your tables, are foolproof to grow, make your yard look great, and can last up to 10 days in a vase…all for the cost of a packet of seed!

5. Take down your layered window treatments and pick up your area rugs for a cool, clean look for summer. Be sure to leave mini blinds or sheers on your windows for privacy and light control.

6. Clean the glass in all areas for your home! The shiny surfaces in your home reflect light and sparkle, both contribute to a fresh summer look. Don’t forget your tv screens, kitchen appliances, and even picture frame glass. Try this one technique, and see if your rooms don’t look brighter and cheerier, for no more cost that an little effort a few pennies of glass cleaner or vinegar!

7. Finally, mix up your décor a bit for a fresh take on the rooms you’ve spent so much time in these winter months! Move around some furniture, borrow and lend pieces from other rooms. Use clear strings of holiday light over the top of cabinets for sparkle. Bring out your good china and hang it on the wall as art. Put your toaster or bread machine under the cabinets for a cleaner look. Feel free to take down some wall art and store it for next fall. Paint your aging dining set a bright white.

Whatever you do to bring the summer season into your homes, make sure that you pick a couple of ideas from this list, and give them a try. They are fast, easy and cheap, what could you lose?

1.Add white! White with your present color scheme will both cool and brighten, adding the freshness that only white can! If your room colors tend toward the warm side, such as yellows, browns, or reds…then choose creamier white such as ecru or ivory. If you have cooler colors in your room, such as greens and blues, go with the brighter, cleaner whites.

2.Try painting your focal wall, (that is, the one most seen) in a sunnier, brighter, or lighter shade of your current wall color. It will add lightness to the room without drastically changing the whole scheme. Don’t worry, you can always go back to that rich red in the fall, but how about a little petal pink, or sky blue? Remember, its only paint, its cheap!

3.Add a floral print fabric to your room. Using the primary colors already in your room, visit your fabric store and pick out a floral fabric you love with at least one of those primary colors in it. (The more, the better, but don’t feel you must have every color in the room also in the fabric!) Use that floral fabric to make table scarves, placemats, pillow covers, and simple seat cushion covers. Pair it with a solid fabric color already in the room, and you have a custom coordinated look, for just a few dollars and some simple straight sewing!

4.Pick up some pretty colored glassware from the dollar shop, and display it where the sun will light it up! You could even use clear glassware, and fill it with colored water to coordinate with the room. Use your glassware as vases, pencil holders, or candy dishes, but make sure it is seen! Glass sparkles and adds a bit of sunshine to a room.

5.Take down your curtains, and just leave your mini blinds underneath. Don’t leave it bare, though, we don’t want boring! Swag some dried or silk flowers over the top of the blinds, or use some muslin to twist around a curtain rod for an informal but airy valance. (No sew!)

6.Keep your windows sparkling clean. Dirty windows cut down on a surprising amount of light, and make a room look dull. As a bonus, clean windows mean more sparkling glass, and that makes room feel larger and brighter!

7.Pot up some pansies from the garden center and use them indoors as houseplants. They are cheap, easy, and add flowers to a room without the cost of replacing floral arrangements every week! You can even coordinate the flower color to the color scheme of the room. Don’t match the colors, just pick something complementary.

8.Clear most of the artwork and accessories out of your room, and just keep a few larger, simpler pieces. It declutters the room, and helps to put the focus on the freshness of a room. Consider picking up a white lattice from the garden center, and hang it on the wall as a focal point. Place a potted plant in front of it, or hang small framed garden catalog prints from it. Let it be a reminder of the outdoors all season long!

9.Use a stencil or a stamp to add floral and nature motifs to your room for very little money. Stencil vines around windows and doors, hand paint seasonal sayings over doorways with a paint pen, or stamp a floral bouquet on the front of cupboard doors. You can always paint over those small areas with touch up paint in the fall. (Or you might love them so much, they stay year round!)

10.Finally, don’t forget your entry area when you are creating that spring glow all around your home. Remember, your entries are a visitors first impression of your home! Add a pot of pansies on the porch, paint your entry a fresh spring color, and hang a handmade wreath or a basket of flowers on the front door.

All these ideas take very little time, little or no money, and do wonders for your spirit and the spirit of those who you love. Take a little time to brighten your lives!

1. If you want to add color to a room fast, paint is a great option. To save time and money however, try just painting the focal wall in a room. In most average rooms, you can paint just one wall in less than an hour!

2. Instead of sewing up new pillow covers and tablecloths, try using no sew techniques instead. Pillows can be wrapped in a piece of unfinished fabric on the diagonal like a present, and wrapped with decorative ribbon to secure it. Use duct tape to put a temporary hem in flat sheets or older tablecloths to make them fit your end tables and breakfast nooks. Once you have those tables covered, use cardboard boxes pushed under the tables to hide the kids toys and books and flip flops, but keep them handy. The floor length tablecloths will hide the storage area.

3. Take a box around the room and pick up all your knick knacks and collectibles. Now replace just three of your favorite items or collections. You will appreciate the less cluttered look, and the decrease in dusting chores as well!

4. If you love fresh flowers in your home, but hate the time and expense of changing the arrangements, find a sunny spot in your yard and toss out some sunflower seeds! Many varieties leave no pollen on your tables, are foolproof to grow, make your yard look great, and can last up to 10 days in a vase…all for the cost of a packet of seed!

5. Take down your layered window treatments and pick up your area rugs for a cool, clean look for summer. Be sure to leave mini blinds or sheers on your windows for privacy and light control.

6. Clean the glass in all areas for your home! The shiny surfaces in your home reflect light and sparkle, both contribute to a fresh summer look. Don’t forget your tv screens, kitchen appliances, and even picture frame glass. Try this one technique, and see if your rooms don’t look brighter and cheerier, for no more cost that an little effort a few pennies of glass cleaner or vinegar!

7. Finally, mix up your décor a bit for a fresh take on the rooms you’ve spent so much time in these winter months! Move around some furniture, borrow and lend pieces from other rooms. Use clear strings of holiday light over the top of cabinets for sparkle. Bring out your good china and hang it on the wall as art. Put your toaster or bread machine under the cabinets for a cleaner look. Feel free to take down some wall art and store it for next fall. Paint your aging dining set a bright white.

Whatever you do to bring the summer season into your homes, make sure that you pick a couple of ideas from this list, and give them a try. They are fast, easy and cheap, what could you lose?