Nurseries are deceptively expensive to decorate, however, a thrifty Mum from Northumberland managed to create a safari nursery for under £500.

Jungle-themed wallpapers and animal wall stickers are a popular theme when it comes to kid’s room ideas. However, if you are looking for a way to get the look on a budget, be inspired by this nursery makeover by Kayleigh Aspin from Northumberland.

Safari-themed nursery makeover

‘I kept seeing safari-themed bedrooms online and I fell in love with them,’ Kayleigh told money-saving community LatestDeals. ‘They always seemed a bit too grown-up for my 18-month-old son Parker though, but I thought I could definitely do this and make it more of a fun design for him.’

Before

Image credit: Kayleigh Aspin

Plain green-painted walls gave Kayleigh the basis for her new look, but she knew she was going to have to get creative to keep it within budget. Hunting on the internet for cheap deals, and making her own accessories helped keep costs down and made it all the more special.

‘I’m a single mum and did all of the room myself, working through Parker’s naps,’ she says. ‘It took me over five months!’

After

Image credit: Kayleigh Aspin

The new, colourful space is super sensory, with jungle-themed wallhangings, animals on swings and even a leafy canopy over the crib.

Image credit: Kayleigh Aspin

Image credit: Kayleigh Aspin

The leaf garland above the window adds a tropical touch to the room and Kayleigh admits to coming up with the idea during a midnight feed! ‘I bought the jungle leaves from Shein and attached them to some twine,’ she says, ‘then I hung it up with some hooks! In total it cost me around £20 to create.’

Image credit: Kayleigh Aspin

A large statement wall hanging hangs next to Parker’s cot where he can see it while lying down. ‘I bought the safari-themed tapestry from Shein and made a frame using some wood, which I stapled the tapestry onto,’ says Kayleigh. ‘It came out so beautifully and at a total cost of only £11!’

Image credit: Kayleigh Aspin

Looking for online bargains helped keep costs down, such as the bookcase from Amazon that Kayleigh bought with a voucher for five per cent off, bringing the price to £68.99.

The post Thrifty mum created a stunning safari nursery for less than £500 using a few clever tricks appeared first on Ideal Home.

Mrs Hinch has revealed which products she uses to keep her fridge organised – and we need them in our lives urgently. The cleanfluencer with 4 million followers on Instagram is constantly posting tips and tricks for a tidy home, and glimpses of her family life.

This includes the inside of her incredibly organised fridge. We’re always on the hunt for new kitchen storage ideas to keep the heart of the home looking neat, and Mrs Hinch’s fridge organisers look like a fab solution.

Image credit: David Giles

Mrs Hinch’s fridge organisers

Mrs Hinch, AKA Sophie Hinchliffe, uses some handy, clear fridge organisers from The Home Edit. The Home Edit & iDesign All Purpose Storage Basket, from John Lewis are quite pricey, but look like they’re worth the splurge.

‘For those asking, I do recommend @thehomeedit fridge drawers!’ says Mrs Hinch. ‘They have definitely given me so much more room!

‘I love being able to see what I have and prepping it ready,’ she adds. ‘Definitely recommend them guys (I bought mine in @johnlewis).’

Image credit: Alamy

We must admit, Mrs Hinch’s fridge demonstrates a level of organisation we can only aspire to. They’re also a rainbow of colour.

Spinach leaves, grapes and Sunday roast vegetables are all removed from their packaging and placed in their own container. Mrs Hinch has even gone a step further and labelled her plastic storage boxes using a label maker from Amazon.

The Home Edit & iDesign All Purpose Storage Basket | £16
As seen on Netflix’s Get Organized With The Home Edit

View Deal

The handle on these fridge organisers makes them super easy to use. If anything, they’ll definitely prevent you from discovering a half-frozen, week-old bag of spinach at the back of the fridge.

Reviews on the John Lewis website praise their strong and sturdy design and stackable, space-saving qualities. Our kitchen cabinets are crying out for some of these – and they’d make cleaning inside our cupboards less of a faff.

Image credit: John Lewis

We also think they’d work well as a bathroom storage idea or for neatly storing nail polish. Alternatively, the sleek storage boxes would be a great place to put odds and ends that just you can’t find a home for.

Phone chargers, random wires, batteries that actually work… Will you be picking some up?

The post Mrs Hinch reveals the secret to her tidy fridge appeared first on Ideal Home.

Looking for outdoor Christmas decorating ideas to welcome your guests? Set the scene by dressing your home with jolly outdoor Christmas decor ideas.

Extend your festive decor beyond your front door, inviting your community to share in the celebrations. The festivities of last year’s Christmas may have been different from seasons past, but with that came the chance to get creative and focus on smaller ways to celebrate. There was less frantic dashing about; more time chatting to neighbours from our doorsteps, decorating our windows to give passers-by a smile, and connecting with our community.

Outdoor Christmas decor ideas

Let’s continue the shared festive spirit by giving our outdoor space a festive welcome this Christmas by adorning homes with stylish bows, decorative wreaths and warm, twinkling lights.

First impressions count, so give these outdoor Christmas ideas a go to make a fabulous festive first impression.

1.Wrap the front door

Image credit: Future

Trim your front door with a huge ribbon, tied into a bow. This fabulous decorating idea is an easy way to make a wow statement for the exterior of your home. It’s been trending for the the last few Christmas, as homeowners look to make more of an impact with their out Christmas decor ideas.

Use a lightweight material in two lengths, long enough to drape from top to bottom one way and across horizontally. Secure the material on the edges of the door with a staple gun to keep it in place, but out of sigh – ensuring it still closes with no effort. Simply tie the two lengths in the middle, as if wrapping your front door like a gift to the outside.

2. Hang a hearty wreath on the door

Image credit: Future/ Rachel Whiting

Go for an oversized wreath to make a real style impact for your front door. Team the foliage with a garland above the front door. to add a further touch of greenery to the exterior. Adding fairy lights to the garland will ensure it is dressed to impress once the daylight fades.

3. Place a Christmas tree by the front door

Image credit: Future

Who says Christmas tress are only for indoors? A small potted Christmas tree is perfect to set the scene for season’s greetings by the front door. The beauty of a potted tree is that it can use used year after year, simply keep it well looked after in a corner of the garden throughout the rest of the year.

3. Frame the front door with foliage

Image credit: Future

Wrap a foliage arch around your front door and thread it with baubles and outdoor fairy lights. Balance the look with topiary bushes either side of the entranceway, decorated in the same way to give them a seasonal spruce up. Hang a natural foliage wreath on your front door to complete the look.

4. Curate a decorative bauble and light display

Image credit: Future

Use large glass lanterns to add an alternative festive touch to your doorstep. Instead of filling the vessels with candles try adding colour and glow with a selection of baubles and fairy lights. Mix festive colours, from holly red to regal gold to make the baubles stand out – or choose to coordinate your indoor Christmas colour scheme.

trail a string of LED fairy lights to ensure your display is as captivating by night. Battery-powered LED lights are safe and won’t blow out in the wind. Try Lights4fun for a good range of lights.

5. Set the scene with prop presents

Image credit: Future

If you have a porch, wrap some empty boxes as pretend presents and stack them outside your door, along with lanterns and a mini Christmas tree to set the scene for present giving.

6. Decorate the windows

Image credit: Future

Snowflake window stickers will give your glass panes a seasonal touch. Decorate the windows to projection the festive spirit for those who pass by. This Christmas window decorating idea uses simple paper angels tacked to the inside of the glass, providing a festive motif by day and a glowing angelic shadow by night time illuminations.

7. Fill the trees with lights

Image credit: Future / Alun Callender

There’s nothing more magical for outdoor Christmas decor ideas than twinkling lights. They instantly add ambience and warmth to the occasion. Dress any trees immediately outside your front door, or along a path, with generous strings of outdoor LED lights to elevate your festive decorating scheme.

8. Stage a cosy outdoor spot

Image credit: Future/ David Brittain

Style up a favourite bench as the perfect place to greet guests to your home. Add a snug stove or brazier and set out mulled drinks to keep the cold at bay. Don’t forget to pin up a decorative wreath to celebrate the season in style.

9. Create a pretty entrance with foliage

Image credit: Future/ Ben Anders

Armfuls of seasonal foliage in a substantial water-filled container can be added to and refreshed over the festive season. A nosegay composed of the same plants has been hung at the window and completed with a berry-strewn wreath.

For another nice touch, follow Scandinavian tradition and lay a branch of fir on the doorstep on which guests can wipe their feet before entering the house.

10. Wrap fairy lights around a bush

Image credit: Future/ Ben Anders

Add an element of fun to your garden scheme come Christmas. Battery-powered outdoor fairy lights are easily draped in an around hedging and trees, while illuminated creatures, such as this snowy owl, lend a whimsical feel to the overall effect. Christmas is the party season, so what better way to decorate your garden, patio or courtyard with a spattering of twinkling lights.

11. Style in symmetry

Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby

Use evergreen shrubs and a classic door wreath to give the entrance to your home a festive makeover. A pair of urns and two standard shrubs form a symmetrical frame around the front door, making this property feel extra special at Christmas. A porch is the perfect place for storing walking boots and firewood, adding an extra rustic edge.

12. Adorn the gate with a festive wreath

Image credit: Future/ Ben Anders

Ring the change this season at the entrance to your home. A frosted pine-cone wreath will make a statement on any fence, gate or door. For an extra touch of festive glamour; add your own detail, such as the shimmering silk rose and organza ribbon here. A few sprigs of foliage will add a touch of greenery to this frosty winter scheme.

13. Install a pretty display

Image credit: Michelle Garrett

Create an outdoor Christmas scene with minimal effort. Fill a rustic trug with seasonal offcuts from your garden (or get them from your local florist) and craft a candle holder for a garden table with a braid of delicate gypsophila.

14. Add a touch of New England style

Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby

Combine English style with East Coast flair on your Christmas porch. Here, white-washed cladding is used to evoke American charm, while vintage finds like the reclaimed sleigh and zinc planters create a nostalgic feel.

Red ‘Santa’ tree toppers and candy canes are tongue-in-cheek but the foliage-and-feather wreath mounted on the wooden door is a pure Christmas classic and a real show-stopper.

15. Spell it out

Image credit: Future/ Ben Anders

Deck your home outdoors as well as in this Christmas to put visitors in the festive spirit before they step through the front door. For a more contemporary treatment, use battery-powered lights to spell out a seasonal message of your choice.  Stick to warm yellow lights to keep the scheme cosy and classic.

16. Make an entrance

Image credit: Future/ Paul Raeside

Give your outdoor space a festive flavour this season. The adventures may have come to a close, but the magic continues outside with a silver wreath, Christmas tree, stag and lashings of fake snow.

A frosty palette of icy whites and forest greens has been paired with cosy Nordic accents and a sprinkling of Narnia for a bewitching festive look.

17. Light up a pathway

Image credit: Future PLC/ David Brittain

Create a stunning outdoor Christmas scene by combining twinkling candles with beautiful foliage. Make a frosty path more welcoming with border tealight holders – a row of twinkling candles will light the way and create a celebratory atmosphere for a Christmas party.

How can I decorate my house for Christmas outside?

There are many ways to decorate the outside of your house for Christmas for a magical greeting for guests and neighbours.
Easy ways to add a festive look to your exterior, firstly is hanging a wreath on your front door; ‘Why not match it to the same colour as your door, window frames or even your garage?’ suggest interior stylish Laurie Davidson. ‘Add twinkle to potted plants outside with outdoor battery fairy lights.’

‘Try dressing low hedges with sparkly net lights, ideal for plentiful coverage. Snowflake window stickers will give your glass panes a touch of festive cheer. Wrap a foliage arch around your front door or frame with a length of garland. Add decoration to any foliage by threading it with baubles and fairy lights.
Line your path or porch with outdoor lanterns filled with battery- operated candles, baubles and poinsettias or holly.’

Even if you’re going away for Christmas, dress up the front of your house for everyone to enjoy.

The post Outdoor Christmas decor ideas – stylish ways to add festive magic to exteriors appeared first on Ideal Home.

If you’ve been looking for ways to give your hallway a makeover then take a leaf out of this mum’s book, as she created a cool tribute to her six children.

Having thought about different stairway wall decor ideas, Janine Cars from Devon came up with this novel approach, which not only gave the space a new look but cost her under £80.

Racking her brain for a way of adding some excitement to her hallway, Janine decided to create the tribute to her children, aged 10 months, four, eight, 10, 13 and 15. ‘I recently started to decorate the hall and stairs and really wanted something different to take centre focus on the wall,’ she told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.

Hallway tribute makeover

Image credit: Janine Cars

Determined to find a way of bringing pizzazz to her hallway ideas without spending a fortune, Janine decided to print out self-adhesive wall vinyl and buy some clocks and frames from Asda to create the tribute. The feature wall has each of her children’s time and date of birth, as well as their names, birth weights and photographs.

‘I saw a few similar ideas on the internet, but nothing with the wow factor,’ Janine recalls. ‘I sent some screenshots to my friend Amanda, who has a small business called Wavey Soul. She specialises in macrame, however, she also does wall decals.’

Before

Image credit: Janine Cars

Having explained her vision, Janine commissioned Amanda to create some wall decals with each child’s name, birth weight and date of birth.

As the writing is self-adhesive, it’s easy to attach each word to the spot that you want it. ‘You simply place the words on the wall, rub the decal to secure and peel back the transfer paper it’s on,’ says Janine.

The wall clocks and picture frames were bought in her local Asda, and Janine used a spirit level and tools to put them up on the wall. ‘The frames were £1.50 for two, and I bought six so they cost £4.50 in total,’ she says. ‘The clocks were £6 each and it cost me £36 for the wall vinyl.’

After

Image credit: Janine Cars

Printing out the photos online also helped keep costs down, and each one came to just 50p! Janine is over the moon with how her hallway turned out – and luckily, so is her family.

The post Mum created an adorable hallway tribute to her children for under £80 appeared first on Ideal Home.