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Lynn Mumbing Mejia

Crafting coziness, one recipe, DIY project, and holiday celebration at a time.

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3 Affordable Shelf Styling Tips

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I unexpectedly got a new shelf! YAY!

As you can probably tell, I took a bit of a break from home décor content. I’ve been working so hard to save money and focus on intentional purchases. This means that I plan, research and budget everything before I make the purchase. I live kind of minimally-ish. I still have a lot of things, I’m not going to lie but I try my best to make sure everything in my home has a purpose for the most part.

I feel like when my home has too many things, I am more overwhelmed and cluttered so by having clean spaces, I feel more relieved and free.

My mother-in-law gave me this shelf to use in the meantime. Although it really wasn’t a shelf that I would see myself wanting I don’t think I’ll be buying a nice shelf anytime this year. This was a really nice surprise so it was perfect for me to show you my 3 Affordable Shelf Styling Tips!

Do you like a packed home or a minimal home? Let me know below!

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First, I want to acknowledge that my home doesn’t look picture perfect that often and it’s staged for photo-taking purposes but I do try and ensure that it is tidy throughout most of the week. I’ve said this time and time again and it’s 100% the truth. I am actually quite a messy person. I don’t put things where they belong and I don’t clean up after myself immediately after I do some projects. It’s taken me quite a while to develop adulting haha.

I’ve gotten a handful of messages asking how I can afford my home looking the way it is! My budget for home decor is quite small and I only allot a quality item or 2 a month. If I’m doing a bigger purchase, I’ll go months without purchasing. I also always repurpose things and move around décor so at times the whole house isn’t decorated because I’ll move vases or florals to a different spot for photos.

Another way that I can afford my home decor is literally creating it out of old items in storage which you’ll see in a minute below!

The last thing I do to keep myself under budget is to walk around the Dollar Store. A common misconception with Dollar Stores is that everything is tacky and WILL look tacky. I definitely think it’s almost like thrifting where you have to look through and choose some things that you can get away with and still decorate as classy.

My home is all whites and beige and although not totally boho, I’d say a mix of minimal, modern and boho style and you’ll see that throughout the entire shelf.

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HERE Are 3 Affordable Shelf Styling Tips:

Repurpose

I have always been a creative person and I have always had an eye for making things work. I like painting vases, frames and making my own home decor as you all know! For this shelf specifically, I really wanted to incorporate some type of book shape but I didn’t want to buy some cooks just for the covers or really do too much with it.

I always have craft paper rolls as I like minimally decorating my gifts so I looked in my Garage to see if I had any books or if my mother in law had any books and I found a small stack of Guinness World Of Records books that were just going to be donated later this year so I took them and wrapped them and placed them on my shelf!

Another great idea for affordable shelf styling which I would’ve done too if I wanted to have branded-looking items at home but didn’t for this shelf is this video from Miss.K on YouTube!

I highly recommend doing this as affordable shelf styling method as a book if this branded look is what you’d want! They look awesome!

Dimension & Texture

I’ve said this in my Vases and Jars post but adding dimension into your house really opens it up more. I like to mix a variety of shallow bowls, deeper vases, ceramic planters and tall clear glass jars!

It’s definitely a lot of visually appealing to the eye and fills your shelf up more with less.

Another big thing in my life is Dried Florals/Stems, I love how they basically last forever and you can move them around as much as you want as long as you take care of them!

I love a mixture of dried florals like bunny tails and pampas grass which looks super soft and also some sun palms which are a harder texture.

Dollar Store

Last but not least, as it’s not affordable shelf styling without the Dollar Store! I enjoyed making trips to the Dollar Store and looking at some new items they have. A big majority of my food styling items come from the Dollar Store and are a great way to save money in the meantime but still achieve gorgeous photos and decorate your home!

I tend to only purchase things that have very little design or are neutral coloured as they tend to look a little more expensive and not from the Dollar Store. They seem to last longer as well and you’re able to repurpose them around your home!

Affordable Shelf Styling Labelled Diagram

Hope these 3 Affordable Shelf Styling Tips inspires you to decorate your shelves!

I love that I have a new shelf in the meantime and I can’t wait to buy new furniture that I adore!

Everything that I want is of higher quality and much more expensive so I’ll have to wait. I’m super excited to be able to be at a place in my life where I have the freedom to turn my house more into a home.

It’s been so nice to be able to write about home decor again. I’ve missed it! I have more ideas in store in the coming months and if you loved this affordable shelf styling post, I’d love for you to stop by again!

What are your must-haves on your shelf? Do you have a shelf just for décor, a functional shelf or a bookshelf? I’d love to know all about your shelf situation in the comments below!

Xo,

Lynn

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Comments

  1. These are great tips and all affordable! I love thrifting and shopping at Dollar Tree for decor items.

  2. Some really great tips to find about here. We don’t have a dollar store were I live but I think getting pre-loved items is a really good idea.

  4. I love that shelf! It looks so fab the way you styled it too! I totally agree about the dollar store. There can be some amazing finds there and it’s great for DIY supplies too.

  5. Love your shelf! I have a bookcase in my bedroom and a shelving unit similar to yours in my office. I love decorating them but it takes me SO long because I’m never happy with what I do. I’m constantly changing things around haha!

  6. As always, I love your styling! I don’t have many open shelves in my house, I like everything to be tucked away. I do have a thing for coffee table books tho!

    Rosie

    • I can totally see that! Seeing items around makes me feel anxious and cluttered sometimes! Thank you for stopping by, Rosie xx

  7. Part of the same messy club and taking ages to put things back for sure! I really love these tips! For some reason I never though to add vases and jar to add dimensions to shelves, probably because they are overfilled with books, but as soon as we get our own place i am sure I will use all the tips on decor you share x

  9. I love this post, and it’s so important to do what you can on a budget- I’m sure this post will be super helpful for those looking to create a lovely living space for themselves x

  11. I adore your shelf so much! So aesthetic! This post is really helpful and I’m looking forward to my book shelves this year x

  13. I am definitely on your minimalist team and your place looks so beautiful! I love how you’ve outlined how using dollar stores can enhance your home on a small budget. Thanks for sharing!

  16. These shelves are lovely! Love how you styled them. I have to admit, I’m messy too and always forget to put things back!

    Corinne x

  17. Yes to neutral things from the dollar store! Also to neutral things from the Target dollar spot or whatever it may now be called because I can’t cross the border still haha.
    The shelf looks so pretty!

  18. Such a cute shelf! Love the decor as well! Dollarama is my second home, I buy most of my things there ? your home decor is so inspiring!

  21. These are great ideas & I love how your shelf turned out! That’s also great you were able to find classy decor from the dollar store!

  22. A shelf full of tips! ?
    Who knew creating and styling for an Instagram post or your blog was this time consuming and messy work! Like you, I’m usually so exhausted after, I leave it all there.

    Another thing. You have Dollar store we have Poundland! ?

  23. I really adore your shelf! I used to be like you too, I liked to accumulate things, but then I realized that too many things in the house bothered me, so I too got rid of the superfluous and now it’s like the house is freer, and it’s also easier to clean (again I’m just like you in cleaning matters hahahha). I really like your style and the ideas you gave 🙂

    xx Dasynka
    https://dasynka.com/

  24. Your shelf is so pretty, I love the variety of shapes and the objects you’ve placed on them! It looks so co-ordinated! x

  25. Such a pretty shelf! I absolutely love the idea of wrapping old books to repurpose them, I have a small stack of books that I could do this for to help make one of my shelves look at bit more together. Fantastic ideas Lynn! Thanks for sharing, and your shelf looks amazing 🙂 You have such a great eye for design.

    • Right! I totally believe in having an aesthetic without breaking the bank. Thanks so much for stopping by, Alex! You are the sweetest xx

  27. Amazing tips as usual Lynn! I love the books! What a great way disguise all my trashy novels! lol. I also love hitting the dollar stores for home decor. It’s amazing what a little paint and glitter can do. Thanks for sharing these great ideas!

  29. Dollar Stores and thrift shops both are wonderful ways to find decor, if you know what you want and have an eye for things that are inexpensive but not rubbish that will break two weeks later. Love your shelf; the different dimensions and colors catch the eye and your wrapped books have an air of elegance I love!
    Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    • Aw, thank you so much! I agree. You’ve really got to take your time so you could end up with something broken within a day! Thank you for commenting, Jaya! x

  31. Some fantastic tips! I’m moving soon so I’m constantly looking and styling tips!

  33. I LOVE repurposing furniture and anything I’m thinking of getting rid of! It’s a great way to be sustainable, but I’d never really considered the importance of dimension in a room. I think I need to invest in some quality vases now haha! Thank you for the inspiration!

  34. I love shelf styling, it really makes a space come together!

    Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk

  36. I love your shelf, it’s beautiful! I don’t have many shelves in my house but can’t wait to decorate and fill some when I move out x

  38. I love these shelf styling tips, I’ll certainly be putting them to good use! I love that everything is so affordable is well. Thanks for sharing Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

  39. Love these cute ideas. Your home decor posts always inspire me. I’m currently in the process of decluttering my home office. My latest project: Decluttering my bookshelves. I tend to use bookshelves for functionality, but man everything looks and feels so much better when it’s orderly!

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