Use it like THIS or use it like THAT


It’s definitely no secret around here that these rookies love saving money & living comfortably and proudly within our rookie budgets. Beyond the unique pieces we score at thrift shops, garage sales, estate sales, or even in the trash (#sorrywerenotsorry), we have racked up quite the collection of frequent flyer miles at some stores that align with our budget-friendly philosophy. At the very, tippy-top of this list….. HomeGoods (again, not so much of a secret).

We can’t help but LOVE that they too believe that creating a home you can be proud of does NOT have to break the bank, and we’re not afraid to gush all about it. So today, that’s exactly what we’re doing…. gushing all about the trendy treasures we recently scored at HomeGoods. But wait, wait, wait…. there’s more! We also challenged ourselves to get even MORE bang for our bucks by showing that these treasures can live in more than one place in your home, making their affordable price tags even more attractive. So what do you say, shall we play a game of, “Use it like THIS or Use it like THAT?”

MagsPlace-006

First Contestant: A Tray
Stats: Industrial, Functional, weighing in at $15.00 on Clearance

Bar_trayBar TrayIMG_0563tray details
dining room trayUse this adorable tray as a portable bar, a coffee table drop zone, or even as a functional statement in the middle of your kitchen table. This tray offers a ton of purpose & a lot of character that both him & her can compromise on. PLUS it can corral some serious clutter and then be easily picked up before dinner/drinks. Definitely a win, win combination!

Next up: Traditional Cake Stand & Tea Cup
Stats: Dainty, glamorous, and oh-so-affordable at $6.99 & $2.99

Coffee-Table Jewelry-on-cakestandTea-CupCaptain Obvious says these items can only be used in the kitchen, to serve up your favorite cakes, muffins, and pastries and to hold your warm cup of tea. But when we see these white ceramic items, we see their potential! Why not up the glam factor, and use these kitchen essentials to corral your gems and jewels? Add some height to your vanity or dresser, with the cake stand and showcase your favorite dangly earrings around the rim of the tea-cup. Heck, I don’t think I’ve ever baked a cake before, so this cake stand will surely get more use in the bedroom than the kitchen.

Printed Bowl
Stats: For $3.99 how could you even say no?! Hand painted, can be used for nearly anything, comes in a variety of fun colors/patterns to fit your favorite space.

IMG_0548Keys in a bowl

Nail polish bowl

IMG_0559We are all about organization in our homes and making sure EVERYTHING (and yes, we literally mean EVERYTHING) has a place to call home and politely return to when it’s time to “clean up”. We utilized this bowl to do just that in two very different arenas. First up, you can use this bowl by your front door as a convenient drop zone for your keys. It can dress up any mudroom and solve that ever-looming question, “where are my keys?!”. This bowl can also add some girly charm to your office/vanity. By adding some colorful nail polish to this bowl, your space will be fashionable and practical.

Simple Storage Box
Stats: Ivory, textured top, $9.99ย 

IMG_0484IMG_0487IMG_0492IMG_0499Of course this box can be used for CUTE storage (option #1) orrrrr with one simple drill hole, you can put this box on your nightstand and say good-bye to those unsightly cords…. forever! All I did to get this look was drill a small pilot hole through the back of the box and fish the cord right through. (For a more thorough drilling tutorial, check out this post)

Framed Art on the Cheap
Stats: This blue frame was on clearance for $5 and is dripping with budget-friendly art potentialย 

Postcard Framed Watercolor FramedFrames don’t always have to be used for traditional pictures…. I know crazy concept for some people (cough, cough… mooommmmmm). Of course pictures are amazing, but you can also mix and match your frames with equally sentimental pieces. The first picture shows how I framed a greeting card that totally captures my view on life, while the second one uses the FREE watercolor app to translate one of the photos I took into a FREE, printable watercolor photo (Come get the free download from this post.) With amazing frames, think outside of the box to get free art that makes a statement about YOU and where you’ve been. (I did that in both my gallery walls here & here).

Geometric Vase
Stats: Totally on-trend with its geometric design elements and totally within budget at $7.99

Geometric Vase

IMG_0581Captain Obvious strikes again by reminding us that this vase can be used for….wait for it…. FLOWERS! But Captain Creative begs to differ with his idea to use this geometric vase to corral your clutter in the kitchen! This fun vase offers the opportunity to stash your kitchen essentials in a trendy way without breaking the bank. And on that note, this is getting weird and we are officially signing off.

Just remember to think outside of the box & give your glamorous HomeGoods finds a life they never would have expected. A tea-cup as a jewelry holder, a storage box as a cell phone charging center, a geometric vase as a kitchen accessory — the possibilities are endless, but your budget doesn’t have to be! Happy Shopping.

25278-SM-Pinterest Party-Save the Date_V5_BloggerVersionOh, and before we forget! Be sure to join us tonight for a LIVE HomeGoods Pinterest Party.ย  All you have to do is follow the HomeGoods Party Board right here.ย  We’re hosting the party with 2 other fabulous bloggers, and we’re all working together to share budget-friendly DIY ideas, entertaining tips, and organization tricks! We can’t wait to chat about what makes you HomeGoods Happy!

Bridget and Casey Signature(Disclaimer: We have received free product from HomeGoods in connection to their Happy By Design program. All styling, ideas, and opinions are our own.)


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.