Well I talked all about the desk. And how it was FREE. But did I ever, even once mention that saucy little chair? Nope. AND…that chair was a craiglist find…for $20. Still pretty cheap, but the fact of the matter is that it nearly doubled the amount I told you yesterday! Yikes. So much for Twenty Dollar Tuesdays!

Frankly though, I really can’t believe I forgot to tell you about this chair, because it really is my favorite thing in that guest room. Like I said, I bought it on craiglist from a little old lady who lived in a trailer. It looked something like this when I bought it:

Dark wood, fancy floral-y seat pad. Not exactly my style. But a quick spray paint job and a new piece of fabric covering the floral pattern and Ta Da!:

I just think it’s so gosh darn cute now! I really do smile almost every time I look at it! And I think it goes with that little desk so nicely. So blog readers, please forgive me for lying to you. And Chair, please forgive me for omitting you. To show my penitence, I’ve written you this limerick:

There once was an ugly brown chair.
That sat in an old lady’s lair.
One lucky day, I took you away.
Now beautiful. (After a spray.)

So sometimes you can’t put $1000 into fixing up a room, sometimes you can’t even afford to put $100 to fix up a room. Sometimes all you have is $20.  But what’s a girl to do to spruce up a bedroom for $20?!?

Well, say you have a cast off piece of furniture from another room…

Use a $5 can of spray pain to transform it into a brand new piece!

Search craigslist for inexpensive pieces of furniture. I scored this end table for $10.00.

And then I used the same paint I used on the desk to give it a fresh look as well. Then I added a lamp I found at Goodwill (for $2.50!) and painted teal. I added a few books in colors that coordinate with the room and a little clock I found at a garage sale for $3.00.

I’d love to invest more money in this room. But it’s our second guest room that we hope to one day make a nursery, so I don’t really think it’s a great plan to invest cash here right now. But these little touches make it more than just a bleh room with a bed in it! Here’s the price breakdown:

Desk: Free (It was a cast off from my Man Cave redecoration.)

Spray Paint: $10.00 (I used two cans)

End Table: $10.00

Lamp: $2.50

Books: Free (I already had these on my bookcase.)

Clock: $3.00

Total: $25.50

Okay, this was a little more than $20, but not much! And I got a whole lotta bang for my buck!!!  What do you think?

Today’s twenty dollar tuesday tip is pretty simple.  First I have a personal question for you: is your box spring currently exposed? If I walked into your bedroom right now would I see that lightly padded box supporting your mattress?  If it is covered, is the thing covering it frumpy or outdated?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, my friend, you’re in need of some help. You need to cover that box spring right up.  The problem is that dust ruffles can get a big pricey. Luckily, I have a cheap solution! Go to your local Target or Wal-Mart. Cruise those endcaps until you find a sheet (the same size as your bed) in a color that will match or coordinate with your current bedding. You can usually find these for under $10.  Go home. Remove your mattress. Place either a fitted sheet or a flat sheet directly on the box spring.  If it’s a flat sheet, pretend it’s a mattress and do those military corners. Replace the mattress. And voilà! Instant box spring cover.

And there you have it, folks, another Twenty Dollar Tuesday!!!!