I pick an area and edit, edit, rearrange and clean. Zero bucks.
(if you don't count the Advil when you are done.)

@suzanne_m: You're a girl after my own heart; paint is my best friend! Right now I'm painting the cheap little white wooden knobs that are attached to a set of bi-fold closet doors. Originally I had removed them just to figure out why they were always loose...now they're gold. :D

Paint, paint, paint!

Original artwork - painted freehand, with an eye dropper or bristled brush for a Pollock-type vibe, or with painter's tape for a more clean-lined piece - or any combination.

Dated/unused furniture - I have some of those modular 1/2" thick pressboard units that were big in the 80s. I stacked two rectangular ones that are 30x15 with a shelf in each for shoe storage. I have a two-door cabinet that's 30x30 that I use in my office for various supplies, my toolbox, etc. Those have all gotten new paint jobs several times; the shoe shelves currently have a lattice pattern on the top and sides, and the cabinet is a pale pink with the doors striped in the pale color and a slightly darker dusty pink shade (I love painter's tape!).

Bigger jobs - freshening up trim, changing a ceiling or room color - all of it makes the place seem brand new with very little money, just some time and elbow grease.

Next up, after my in-laws finally move out after nearly 4 years, is to tackle the kitchen cabinets. The combination of dark cabinets and black granite counters and one window makes for a very dark space! I'm going to follow some recommendations found on Houzz and buy a cabinet kit to finally have the white cabinets I want. I'll also be adding a gorgeous mosaic backsplash to our currently blank walls - another game changer as far as the look of a room, but it can get more expensive than the other suggestions here. (Ours isn't bad, but it's still more than a can of paint!)

You can also use colored glass tumblers for a great effect. Think bold colors like purple and red, or blue and yellow.

Changing out art rates right up there with swapping pillows and trinkets. This can change the mood of the room.

I switched out 3 antique accent tables yesterday. And of course a different decor on them. I always think: Yeah that looks good there.
The HGTV show I liked the best was when they moved stuff and 'shopped' in their own home.

At the office, we used some leftover "Rivets" wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries to cover a file cabinet. It turned an eyesore into one of my favorite parts of the office :)

Making great inexpensive wall art for a big impact is such a quick way to make a space your own and add a lot of interest as well. Taking a great high-res picture from a vacation or other recent adventure and printing a large-format poster size version of it is a great way to personalize your space on a budget. Play around with the "crop" tool on your image for a modern edge to an old image.

I like the soda bottles as vases, using old ones is a great idea...I also like too find older brightly colored bottles to group for vases in a centerpiece.

Can they correct the above category to say "stencil stairs" instead of chairs?

Paint, spray paint and fabric, my staples for a fresh look on nearly everything! I like to copy expensive looks with; re-purposing, the above, and a lot of imagination! Fun!

If you have a solid color sofa, switch out pillows on the sofa. during the different seasons. Warmer colors for fall/winter and bright splashes of color for spring/summer. Buy the 18 x 18 size if you are doing three... add two smaller ones if you are doing five. Add the same pop of color in a candle or other accessory. Voila!

paint and fabrics. (The tray was gold, then I went on a silver binge.)

A good furniture shuffling and an accessory colour swap make a world of difference when you're decorating on a dime

Making an ottoman out of a shipping pallet!

Accidentally hit wrong picture above....wanted to add another pic since it would not let me edit photos.

Spray paint does wonders when you change your colour scheme! it recycles current items and makes them look new! Love it, love it , love it!

Rearranging pictures on the wall. Taking pictures and moving them to a different room changes everything. I'm going to go do that right now.

Im always taking home wallpaper samples, some of my most fav I put into mirrored photo frames and display, then when I fancy a change it does not cost a penny.

I have less money now that I'm retired, and one of the things I recently did that was affordable and provided a great lift to the look of some rooms was to PAINT. I'm not fond of painting walls but I'm always glad I did it afterwards. I also changed the hardware in both bathrooms to modernize it. I call it retired updates :D

I'm with black_raven - paint. And paint again.

I voted for "stenciled chairs" which actually look more like stairs :) That was my cheap redecorate this winter to add some cheer to my basement stairway which started out all dark stained

My dream project is to create a chandelier from found objects...

Every other month I remove everything from my bookcases, mostly decorative items, and rearrange, moving from room to room. Because I try to use similar paint palates, usually I am able to do this with no problem. Plus, there's always a stash hidden here and there, and more waiting for a rare trip to Home Goods, or a consignment store.

Make your own wall art is my pick for a budget. Large pieces can be $$ or hard to find just the right thing to match sooo yes make your own!

I like paint too. Last week I painted the cupboard doors in my all white laundry space a beautiful rosy orange to get a bit of pop. I also like to rearrange and switch out accessories. Usually this involves taking out more than I put back to battle the creeping tide of clutter.

I love to change bedding, sofa pillows, table scapes each season. Add one or two things to my four plastic containers each year... always shop off season!

Recycling using thrift shops.

I have high ceilings... my dream is to try my hand at mobiles. I love he stark yet playful look. They always look fresh since they are forever changing as they twist and turn.

Going through the attic, closets, re-discovering put away and once loved items from past homes, from grandma's home. Forgotten belongings become become "new" again, and amazingly "just right" when arranged in current spaces. So delightful to see and ...free!

Among my late mother in law's things was a 50s tablecloth in chartreuse and gray geometrics.--so current!! I divided it into three pieces and stapled them onto three 18" square canvas boards and hung them to go up the stairs. The wall is painted a coordinating shade of blue. Practically free!!

@67domer: that's my dream!! Would you come to my house--not greedy--once every six months???

@tiamay: my "stuff" gets stuck where I first put it. One reason is that I like how I did it, and the other reason is that I can't imagine where else it could go. You should write an article with pics on how you've done this. Thanks!

I love paint. I always have a few leftover cans that I can use. Even if I can only do 1 door or wall. It makes everything look new.

I found some fabulous yellow and gray home decorator fabric "on sale" at our local fabric store. There was only 1-1/2 yards on the bolt but I bought it anyway. I just had to have that pattern and those colors! We had just repainted the kitchen and the colors in the fabric looked beautiful with the wall color. I had enough to re-do my tufted bulletin board, I loved it and wanted more. A couple of days later, I took my leftover scrap of the fabric back to the store to see if I could order more. As luck would have it, it had been discounted. However I did find out the name of the designer and the name of that particular pattern. I went home, got online and found that in that series, there were four complementary patterns in the shades of yellow and gray. I went to a couple of fabric warehouse sites and to ebay and was able to buy enough of the different patterns I wanted. My daughter in an interior designer (though she won't give me a word of advice about our home!) and took the fabrics, stretched then onto canvases and trimmed the out in wide charcoal ribbon, nail heads and a couple of other trims. The newly painted walls in our kitchen were alive with beautiful art! I bought the fabric for pennies on the dollar and my daughter let me use her decorator discount to buy the canvases and trims. All of it...under $100.00!

Fresh flowers from the grocery store or yard are a nice touch and fairly cheap.

The least expensive and least time consuming way to add life to a room is to add flowers. Using found objects around the house as vases adds charm and originality.

These are my best ever budget decorator effort - I got the very tatty pair of kitchen stools for £1 each. Another £2.50 each worth of vinyl table cloth and staples turned these into my £3.50 kitchen stools. We sold the house and the couple who bought asked if the stools were staying:)

I change out curtains and paint.

Faux finish, move accessories around, change lighting, create art, Use salvaged objects .....

Change dinning chairs seat covering.

I would rather paint free hand or using a stencil on the wall over wall paper. You can easily get tired of wall paper and it is a pain to remove it. Faux finish and Italian plaster gives a warm glowing look which I prefer.

I recently spray-painted some large pots for indoor trees, vases, decorations, storage cabinets, and mirrors with gloss white and some silver.

I snipped a branch from my magnolia tree out side. Popped it into a glass vase on the my table and voila!

Very sculptural, Jennyshouse25, makes the space!

Rearranging furniture and swapping out art and accessories from room to room-just 'repurposing' what I already have on hand helps to satisfy my designer "itch"!

Of course paint is the #1 largest impact. I like to change out art and accessories and fabrics. Window treatments can change a room too.

I've recovered my dining chairs multi times but this last time I covered the seats and backs with different coordinating fabrics, and it's my favorite!

@Toni Lamb, love your chairs. Great idea. I have changed mine as well. If you have good chairs, it is better to do that than go buy new ones, IMO.

CONGRATULATIONS to @njhomeowner27 for winning her very own pair of Houzz slippers! If you missed out on this one, don't worry, you still have time to get your comments into our Front Yard poll!
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/poll-what-makes-a-front-yard-dsvw-vd~857719