ecorating your home to be environmentally friendly shouldn’t be expensive. And it shouldn’t just be for the environmental activists either; we all have a responsibility to our communities, and to our families. There are many ways you can decorate “green” for a lot less “green”! Here are The Budget Decorator’s top 5 ways to green up your home, on a budget!

ost of us have that one room that just seems to be missing something in the decorating department, and we can’t quite seem to put our finger on it. Usually, it’s a simple matter of recognizing three basic things each room needs in order to feel “right”. Luckily, they can all be achieved without a lot of cash, and in a short amount of time!

First, make sure your room has a focal point. This is easier in rooms that have a natural focal point such as a fireplace, or a dramatic window view. Not so easy in other rooms. One easy way to create a focal point is to paint a focal wall. Tape off the center third of the wall first seen as you enter the room. Paint the center section a darker or richer version of the color on the rest of the walls. Now create a wall arrangement within that center third. The color of the wall will set it off and immediately give importance to the wall arrangement, whether it be a pretty landscape painting, or a collection of your favorite antique plates. Easy, and makes a huge difference in a short amount of time.

or years, black was the hot accent color. You saw black granite, black tile, and even in some kitchens black cabinets. These days, color is everywhere and homeowners are taking full advantage of it.

Painting your home a myriad of colors is a fine idea--if you're careful about which colors you choose and what you do with them. A wall of Mediterranean blue or lemon yellow or even celery can be exceptional, if paired with the right white, eggshell or pale gray.

• Host a Memorial Day party complete with flags, red, white, and blue paperware. Invite families for a multi-generational gathering.
• With wasps out and building nests, double check your screens for holes. Hire a pest inspector to remove any new nests as well.
• Weathervanes are chic once again. Now homeowners may choose from a menagerie of roosters, cows, pigs, quails, horses in classic, antique reproduction and modern designs. Even solid copper weathervanes are relatively affordable.

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ecorating our walls seems to be a huge dilemma to most home decorators, but it need not be. Here are some quick and easy ways to dress up your walls, on a budget!

The most common mistake most people make in decorating their walls is to sprinkle things around just to fill empty space. Instead, draw an imaginary rectangle on the main focal wall in the room you wish to dress up. Now fill that rectangle with a grouping of related art, such as portraits, plates, or clocks. This makes much a better impact on the room than the “sprinkle” effect.

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If you have light switches lined up side by side -- no matter how long you've lived at your house -- you probably still have trouble remembering which is the garage light and which is the light for the basement stairs. Well, thanks to Brookstone and their nifty switch plate labels, those days of guessing are history! The set includes twelve easy-to-see labels that have a brass finish and stick on with adhesive. For more information visit: brookstone.com.

s we embark upon this new year, while it is a time for that new diet as we recover from the binges of the holidays to shed the unwanted pounds they have brought, a time to embrace our new year's resolutions affirming our ideals and aspirations for a better future, it is also a time to let go of the old energies which may be lingering in our homes to make way for the new. The start of a new year presents an opportunity to turn our attention to the energetic remanants lingering from the past, for a fresh start of the new year.

e are often asked how to paint an existing laminate countertop, and if it is even possible. Yes, you can paint countertops, but you need to prepare the countertop surface carefully beforehand with special primer. Here's how.

ive trees require extra maintenance and some compromises, but are more than worth it. They can provide joy at the holiday season indoors and later, in your yard.

Don't plan to keep the live tree inside for an extended period--a few days, to a week maximum, is better for the tree. Bring the tree indoors gradually, and take it back out that way also. A drastic change from very cold outdoor temperatures to indoor warmth can stress a live tree. Start with a sheltered but unheated or cooler space. Place it in a garage or entryway first, or a basement, for a day, or at least overnight.

Water carefully; do not allow the tree to dry out, but do not over-water it either. Over-watering can cause root rot. Ed Mullins, a live tree grower, suggests placing the root ball in a large bucket or tub and keeping it moist, but not soggy.