Spring is my favorite time of the year, I think because it represents renewal. Maybe that's why at this time of year so many of us are drawn to rebirthing our decor, so to speak! Here are some great ideas to freshen your spaces, on a budget!

1. Bring color into the home. You can do this by using wonderful paint colors on the walls, painting all the furniture in a room white or cream to tie it together and give it a breath of fresh air, or bringing in fabrics to make the room feel alive! Try sunny colors in the rooms you use most, such as the kitchen. A pale yellow brightens everyones mood without being overwhelming. Blues and greens used together look new and calming, and remind one of nature. Use fabrics with fruits, florals, or leaves. Coordinate florals with stripes for a fresh look. Change out accessories such as throw pillows for brighter, or at least less muted colors than you would use in fall and winter. A little paint and some new fabric goes along way to saving your budget!

2. Add life to a room. Bring in living plants, fresh fruit and vegetables, or even a fish tank to really create the feeling of spring. Let nature really sing in your rooms, just like the birds singing outside the windows! Buy inexpensive shade annuals in six packs from your local garden center, then pot them up inside for great flowering plants. Bring out a simple bowl and display your fruits, and even your vegetables. Who knows, maybe people will also actually eat them! Use flowers, foliage, and grasses in vases, cups, or pretty glasses. Even a single bloom tells a story. Fill a glass dish with pretty stones, or use twigs from your garden to create rustic drawer pulls.

3. Cut down on the clutter. It is hard for a space to feel fresh if it feels claustrophobic. And lets face it, most of us are guilty of letting the mail pile up, or ignoring a stack of books we keep meaning to read. Pare down your accessories for the warmer months for a calmer, fresher approach. Lift up your throw rugs, take down heavy curtains, clear the kids artwork to one side of the frig. Pack away some of your more delicate knick knacks to make way for kids in beach towels, and guests cool drinks. Use table skirts over end tables for a place to hide the kid clutter. A great tip? Clean your windows! A lot of light can be blocked by dirty windows, and the sparkle of clean windows enlarges and brightens the space. I recommend Windex Outdoor for doing your outside windows, even second storyit really works for me!

4. Try a new project. Spring is about the new, and creating something new can be wonderful therapy, as well providing great new decor for your home! Painting is a wonderful hobby and can be learned even by us non-artistic folks. Check out the Bob Ross or Donna Dewberry books from your local library, or take a class at your local community center. Dont forget, you can paint on a lot more than just a canvas! Learn to stain glass, with the new easy kits available at the craft store and create one of a kind window hangings to catch the summer sun. There are hundreds of crafting books available now, browse in your local book store for something that appeals to you. Do it yourself means just thatdo it!

5. Add personality to your spaces. A little whimsy, some personal photos, or display of your hobbies all shout, someone LIVES here! Find a rustic piece of wood and paint on your favorite saying or family name, then hang it in the kitchen. Keep small pictures of your grandkids on your kitchen counter. Do you take photos? Make a day out of taking shots of nature in your communityflowers in the local park, waves washing ashore at the lake, or even that deer who keeps eating your rose bushes. Frame them with dollar shop frames, then hang them gallery style in a grouping on the wall. Add your favorite inspirational quotes along the ceiling borders or over doorways. Dont worry about stencils, pick up a gold paint pen and freehand! Use a fishing rod to hang curtains, or frame seed packets to display your love of the garden. (Check your dollar shop or garden center for discount seeds from last year, they may not sprout, but the packets still work!)

Use the seasons to create feeling and warmth in your home. It doesnt have to cost a lot of money, and the resulting satisfaction from developing your own creativity is well worth every moment spent!

About the author:
Kathy Wilson is an author, national columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free ideas and to sign up for her free newsletter, please visit her at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com