You really can have a super organized living room without spending a ton. Read on and learn some dollar store hacks and cheap ideas so you can organize a living room on a budget.
No matter what kind of home you live in – apartment, condo, trailer, or a large house – chances are you probably don’t want to spend a ton on organizing your living room.
Even though, you know it’s worth it. It’s so nice to know exactly where everything goes! It makes tidying up a breeze. And it sure makes you feel so much less overwhelmed and stressed out.
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Organize Your Living Room on a Budget
There are some really easy ways to create an organized and impressive living room without spending a bunch of money.
This post will show you 10 super easy ways to organize your entire living room on the cheap. You’ll barely spend any money at all.
Whether you have a small living room or a really large one, every single idea will help you revamp your space and give you more storage than you knew you had.
The perfect companion to this guide is our Take Back Control book. Download this book and go through each room of your home and create a calm and organized area that brings you peace and joy!
How to Organize Your Living Room Cheap
These tips are for you. You’ll discover some organizing hacks that will save you a ton of money at the store. Plus, your living room will look as stunning as if it came right out of a magazine.
Read on and learn how to find a place for everything you own and keep your living room picked up and ready for company.
1. Use Dollar Store Containers
The first place you want to look when you are trying to organize your living room on a budget is the dollar store. They have so many baskets, fabric bins, and organizer trays.
If you already have a bookshelf, invest in their inexpensive fabric bins. One tip: If you buy large baskets or bins, create smaller spaces inside of it. You can do this either with cardboard or smaller trays/boxes.
You want to avoid just throwing a bunch of things into a basket and creating a junk drawer situation.
If you don’t have a bookshelf, you can create one for less than $10. This video shows you how to make a vertical shelf out of plastic baskets. It’s so easy even beginners can do it.
2. Repurpose And Upcycle Items
Next, find ways to repurpose and reuse items around your house. Anything can be used for storage if you think creatively.
Cheap Tip: Buy scrapbook paper and washi tape when it goes on sale at the craft store. Then, you can decorate plain boxes to match.
When you have shelves and boxes that all match and complement each other, you can’t even tell what they were before.
This photo below is a perfect example. The blue and yellow colors are so striking when placed around the shelves.
3. Minimize
It’s no secret – when you keep less stuff in your living room it’s easier to keep clean and it looks spotless too.
Make sure every single item you keep in your living room has a purpose and a place in which it belongs.
If you are having trouble putting everything away, then consider the fact that you might own too much.
4. label everything
Another habit of professional organizers is to label all the baskets and bins. Labels keep everything looking uniform and tidy.
It’s easy to label things and stay within your budget. Here are some cheap ways to label things:
- Handwrite the labels – Use tags and handwrite the name of the contents in the basket or bin.
- Print them – Use your printer and tape them to the basket.
- Chalk labels – These are fun and you handwrite them so they can be reused.
- Use Stickers – You can usually find stickers at any craft store pretty inexpensively when they go on sale. Set up a system so you know what each sticker means.
The Homes I Have Made has a really thorough list that you can reference with even more label ideas.
5. Shop the sales
This next tip goes without saying, but shop those sales. Keep an eye on craft stores and discount stores like Home Goods.
There are so many things you can repurpose and use as storage that will look decorative at the same time.
That’s another secret. Make your living room decor work double-time as storage too.
This photo is a perfect example. On the coffee table, you can see a decorative box. It is so beautiful it works as decor. But inside it could be storing room fragrance, chargers, extra batteries, or even mail-writing supplies.
Decorative storage boxes are also very easy to make and customize to your own home decor. This easy tutorial on how to make a decorative storage box shows how you can have one finished in just minutes.
6. Have a swap with friends
Get together with your friends and family and everyone bring a home organizing tool and have a swap.
You can take this time to discuss your current organizing frustrations and get some help from them too.
This is a fantastic way to trade something that isn’t working in your living room for something that does – without spending a dime.
7. be choosy with furniture
Next, when you are buying furniture, always pick out the pieces that have the most storage capabilities.
The favorite of home designers and organizing experts is the storage ottoman. As you can see in the picture slideshow below, it can store so many toys, and you can’t even tell when it’s sitting in the middle of the floor.
Also, keep an eye out for coffee tables with multiple levels and end tables with drawers. These all give you the extra storage you’ll need.
By using furniture as storage, you will save money because you won’t be buying extra baskets or tubs.
8. Hang up shelves
You will be surprised at how much extra storage you gain by adding shelves.
This can be done super cheap too. All you need is some wood and brackets and maybe some stain.
Look for used bookshelves. People like to buy them and then don’t want to take them along when they move, so they practically give them away. Check out these tips from a professional organizer on how to use vertical space.
9. Hang things from the ceiling
Here at Clutter Keeper®, we are huge fans of hanging things up. Blame our Deluxe Hanging Gift Wrap Organizer, but we know how much room it saves!
All you need to hang things from the ceiling is some twine and baskets. This tutorial from Kenarry shows you how to do macrame that will hold plants. You can take this tutorial and modify it to hold other things too, such as boxes of pens, remotes, or extra batteries.
Make sure that if you put office supplies in the macrame hanger, to use a decorative box so it blends in as home decor.
10. Use decorative trays for remotes
Finally, decorative trays are a super popular addition to coffee tables in the living room. You can use it to keep your remotes in one place, store drink coasters, and add a touch of flair with a succulent.
In fact, you can create your own tray on the cheap. This tutorial shows you some simple steps.
Don’t Spend a lot on an Organized Living Room
All in all, an organized living room is possible and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on every organizational product you see. Look around your house and see what you already own and how it can be used in a more effective way. Chances are, you have everything you need already.
Struggling to get motivated? Sign up to get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!
More Living Room Organization Tips
While you are organizing your living room, here are some more tips, ideas, photos, and guides. You’ll have an orderly and tidy living room that is easy to maintain.
- Living Room Organization – Your Complete Guide
- 15 Small Living Room Ideas
- A Room by Room Organization Guide for Your Home
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