Interior designer shares game-changing hack to elevate seasonal decor on a budget: ‘I’ve been doing this for years’
One Instagram user shared a game-changer for seasonal decor: Instead of lugging out decorations for each season or holiday, just swap the photos in the frames around your house to match the time of year.
The scoop
Emma Shay’s Instagram page (@byemmashay) is dedicated to home decor, and her simple hack makes seasonal decorations possible for even tight budgets.
She suggests utilizing the picture frames around your house and changing out the photos in them to match the season or upcoming holidays.
You can make it even more convenient by storing the photos behind one another in the frames, so you don’t have to do any sorting or organizing when you change out the photos — simply take off the backing, choose the season-appropriate photo, and close it back up!
It’s also a very cost-effective hack — Shay mentions that you can get a 16×20-inch print at CVS for just $20, and there are plenty of wallet-friendly ways to find the photos, too. Shay finds a lot of her art for free in museum public domains, but you can also use your own photos, magazine clippings, or whatever speaks to you.
You can always go thrifting to find inexpensive art as well — you may even find a deal on high-value items.
“In a world where consumerism is rampant, I give you one of the least expensive, most space-saving ways to decorate seasonally,” Shay explains in her video.
How it’s helping
Decorating for each season can get expensive easily, but this hack is budget-friendly and allows you to personalize your decorations, so you can include photos of family, friends, and pets, too!
Plus, because of its cost-effective nature, it’s not a big deal if you decide to change things up every few years. “Even if my style changes, it’s not that expensive to make a high-impact change like this,” Shay explains.
If your style changes, the photos will be easy to dispose of, too. They’re easy to sell, give away, or recycle, because storing them in the frame will keep them in good condition — unlike bulky decorations that have to be moved in and out of storage every year.
Those bulkier decorations that are found at home stores can be irresistibly cute, but they take up extra room in the house and are difficult to recycle due to the blend of materials they’re often made of.
This isn’t to say that you can’t buy those fun decorations, but Shay’s hack will make your house look festive regardless of what else you decorate with — and her way is a lot cheaper.
What everyone’s saying
As it turns out, this is a popular hack among some of Shay’s followers — and they were happy to vouch for it in the comments.
“I’ve been doing this for years with family photos, mostly 5×7’s. It’s a super simple way to change things up, that’s for sure!” said one user, and another wrote, “Yes! My favorite budget friendly tip!”
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