If you ever stop and look at your youth room and inwardly groan or if you are ready for a change in the New Year this is the blog for you!
Even if you have $0 to spend you can still give your room a fresh new feel. Something as simple as putting the chairs in a circle instead of rows can have a tremendous effect on the look and feel of the room.
Where do you begin when you are looking to revamp your space and you have zero, zilch, absolutely no money to spend?
You start with a plan.
It is always a wise idea to start with a plan when looking to reinvent a space. For some of you when you look at your room all you see is what is currently there and only 1% of your creative juices are flowing. How many of you have moved couches back and forth a hundred times before realizing you liked it right where it started?
Hopefully these tips will help get your creative juices flowing, save you time and your sore back.
Tips for $0 Budget Makeover
- Clean & de-clutter the room
Ben Franklin once said, “A place for everything, everything in its place.” You might be amazed at the amount of space you have to work with when the clutter is gone.
- Observe and make a list of what you have to work with
Now that you have put everything in its place you should have a good idea of what you have. Include items such as lights, furniture, boxes, string, clothespins (you never know where you will find inspiration). Don’t forget to include items you can use from Church storage. Maybe there are some great left over props from the Christmas service.
- Come up with a list of things that you like and dislike
This is a place for you to find your “youth group style”. The list can include items/themes that you already have and also what you wish to have in the future.
- Pick a theme
The power of a collective theme helps unify the room and bring all the random pieces together. Even if you have a 60’s couch and a traffic light you can make the room flow.
Pinterest is a great website to help you develop a theme as well as find creative ways to decorate on a shoestring or no string budget.
- Decide what you want to change
Now that you know what you have to work with and have a theme come up with a plan of action for what you want to change. Do you want to change the pictures on the wall, get rid of the random artificial flowers or string up more lights? One of the best $0 budget ways to freshen up a room is to simply change the layout. Whatever it is have fun mixing things up.
- Get Free Stuff
As you have made your theme and wish list maybe there are several items on there that you don’t have right now. Here are some ways to get the things you need.
- Facebook: One of the best ways to get free stuff is to post on Facebook the specifics of what you are looking for. The great thing is you won’t just be posting asking for random free stuff but for the specific things you actually want, like that black coffee table.
- Craigslist: If you type in free in the search bar you will be surprised at what you can find.
- Church Bulletin: put an advertisement in the bulletin or newsletter. Once again ask for specifics not generals so you have a better chance of getting what you need.
- Penny Saver: Check your local penny saver to see what is being advertised as free.
- Family & Church Staff: ask your family and church staff if they have anything in their storage that they would like to get rid of. Who knows what Aunt Sally has in that basement of hers?
- There are tons of other ideas as well: contacting local businesses, if other churches in the area are redecorating ask what they are getting rid of and for the fearless among us there is always dumpster diving.
- Facebook: One of the best ways to get free stuff is to post on Facebook the specifics of what you are looking for. The great thing is you won’t just be posting asking for random free stuff but for the specific things you actually want, like that black coffee table.
- Go for it
Now that you have your plan, theme, furniture and decorations have fun switching things up. You don’t have to change everything at once. Little changes over a period of time add up.
Well there you have it! Hopefully this gives you a starting point for reinventing your space you have to work with. You will be surprised at what you can do with $0.
Additionally here are some great resources to check out:
Pinterest: in the search bar you can type in Youth Room Church and see what comes up.
Better Homes & Garden: Arrange Your Room App – this app helps you see the possibilities of what it would look like to rearrange your room on a basic floorplan.
Modern Ministry Article:
Jackson Galloway News Blog: 10 Tips for Renovating or Designing a Youth Room
Jodi Seidler is a graduate of Elim Bible Institute. She has been serving with Campus Target for the past 7 years with her time split between living in Asia and living in America. She is involved in evangelism, discipleship and church planting. Jodi is currently helping lead Campus Target’s internship for long term workers and coordinate Short Term Trips to Asia.