This post is sponsored by Commercial Silk. All opinions are entirely my own.

Moving into our home, one of the most appealing things was the fresh white paint that adorned the entire house.

Glossy white paint.

This new space of ours was definitely light, bright, and airy.

However, before long we realized just how plain the rooms were. The bright white walls along with the off-white carpets and our neutral furniture made for some really boring spaces.

Scrolling through my Instagram feed, it was easy to see that neutral-colored rooms are definitely gorgeous and in style. Neutral colors make rooms feel larger, fresher, and more welcoming.

The neutral color scheme in our new home was a good start for us, but we needed to incorporate some color to add character and expression to our new home.

If you are finding yourself in the same position, check learn how to add color to neutral rooms on a budget.

Add Vibrant Throw Blankets

One of the easiest ways to add color to neutral rooms is by incorporating throw blankets. A cozy blanket tossed over a patterned chair or the arm of the couch adds color, comfort, texture, and style to your home.

Blankets can work in any room – but are especially perfect for adding color to living rooms or bedrooms. We tend to decorate our kids’ rooms in neutrals and then use pops of color here and there. Throw blankets are a really easy way to bring color into a room in a subtle, thrifty way.

Decorate with Expressive Throw Pillows

Throw pillows are another perfect way to add color and character to neutral spaces. For example, if you want to incorporate navy blue into your living room, you might not want blue walls, a blue couch, or a blue carpet. Yet, adding blue throw pillows is a subtle way to bring in a vibrant color.

For my living room and family room, I went digging in my collection of pillow covers to find something that would add some color and texture to our boring rooms. I love having pillow covers on hand. You aren’t stuck with a ton of pillows when you change your style or mind – and you can much more easily store covers than whole pillows.

You can also easily sew pillows and save money. Just grab a fabric you like and a pillow insert or stuffing, and get cracking at that sewing machine.

One of my favorite ways to save money on pillow-making is through buying throw pillows that are severely discounted- no matter the color or style! I’m talking crazy colors and patterns. Instead of buying a pillow insert or stuffing, I use the discounted throw pillow as the insert and just sew a pillow cover. You can get really great prices at Bed, Bath, and Beyond on these.

Another place to get a great price on pillows and pillow covers is Amazon. They have pillows similar to Pottery Barn and Pier 1, but at much better prices. I ordered the below bird pillow years ago, and it’s still so gorgeous.

Accent pillows are the perfect way to bring in vibrant colors

Beautify with Plants and Greenery

Plants can instantly change the appearance of a room. Just by adding a little greenery, your neutral room becomes more lively and homey. Plants are definitely an easy way to add color – no painting or sewing necessary.

If you don’t have a green thumb, a high-quality artificial plant adds the same effect. We have a beautiful, artificial ficus tree (below) from Commercial Silk in our family room.

This ficus tree looks real but doesn’t come with the task of keeping a real plant alive. We incorporated it into our living room, and it’s the perfect pop of color against our red brick fireplace.

Adding plants and greenery to neutral spaces instantly make a room feel more welcoming

It’s nice knowing the leaves won’t brown, and it instantly made the room feel more welcoming and enlivened while adding some much needed color to our previously-boring space. It’s like a breath of fresh air!

Paint Old Furniture

If you have an old piece of furniture that has seen better days, why not give it a coat of fresh paint to add color into a neutral room. Whether it’s an old chair or an outdated dresser, there are lots of wonderful paints that can be used to give an old piece new life.

Chalk paint or milk paint are great options. Depending on the piece, you might even be able to get away with spray paint.

We recently redid an old dresser (we shortened it too), and it perfectly adds color to our way-too-neutral bedroom.

This old wooden dresser was refinished with milk paint, bringing color and modernity into our neutral bedroom

Add Patterned or Stenciled Walls

Accent walls are another thrifty way to add color to a neutral space, and there are so many options that you can choose from. You can do a patterned wall, such as stripes. Or, you can do a solid color wall (if you do this, definitely pick a color in the same tone as your main color). You can even do a stenciled wall – or put decals or wallpaper up.

We painted a gray and white striped accent wall in our nursery – which we loved! We painted a heart stenciled wall in our second nursery. We applied wall stickers on canvases in our toddler’s room. And, we have a stenciled wall coming soon to our mudroom.

Each of these things added just the perfect amount of color and flair to our neutral rooms. And, we didn’t have to change the glossy white in the rest of the room because the patterns and stencils complimented what was already there. Thus, we saved money on paint by just doing an accent wall.

A stenciled or wallpapered accent wall is a simple solution to a room of white

Adorn with Wall Hangings and Pictures

Don’t underestimate the creativity and color that you can add to your home by decorating your wall space. A bright picture or an interesting gallery wall brings character and color to a room. Also, you can easily spray paint frames for a little more color too.

I also love to find a vibrant picture and use the colors in it as an inspiration piece to decorate the whole room.

My favorite spots to shop for budget-friendly pictures are Home Goods and Christmas Tree Shops. You can also find some great pieces at the craft stores, as they are carrying more and more home decor items.

Enrich with Fresh Slipcovers

If your couch or upholstered chairs are looking a little too neutral, and you want to add freshness or vibrancy, think about throwing a slipcover over them.

Slipcovers add color and aren’t as expensive as replacing couches or chairs and the comfort they provide. You can also easily wash them.

Slipcovers might be just the touch of color that your space needs.

Use Eye-Catching Duvets

Along the same lines as slipcovers, duvets provide a similar solution. They can easily cover an old bedspread to add color and freshness to a room.

Easily washable, you can switch out duvets based on the season or your mood – and they are much less expensive then buying new quilts or bedspreads.

Hang Vibrant Curtains

An easy way to add color to a room is through hanging vibrant curtains. There are so many options with curtains – from popular patterned designs like Moroccan and damask to simple stripes. Curtains are one of the best ways to infuse your neutral living room or bedroom with color.

If you have a neutral bathroom, add a vibrant shower curtain. We added a green plant shower curtain to our brown and tan bathroom, and instantly it softened the appearance of the room.

When thinking about how to add some vibrancy to your rooms, think about letting the sun sweep in with an eye-catching curtain.

Eye-catching curtains add tons of character and color to living rooms and bedrooms

Incorporate Accent Rugs

There’s no reason color has to stop when the wall ends. Add a little more style and flare with a smartly-colored accent rug.

Committing to a bright carpet can be daunting; however an accent rug is just the flare that a neutral room needs. They’re easy to add, move, or clean, and can go anywhere in your home – from the kitchen to the entryway to little reading nooks.

If your home is looking a little too neutral, delight your eyes with a gorgeous accent rug.

So, if you’re looking to add color to your spaces, these top ten tips are definitely ones to incorporate.

You’ll have your home looking much more expressive, homey, and vibrant without spending much. Even just a few of these home decor tips will work wonders.

If you ask my husband, he knows it makes me crazy when he says he didn’t have time to do something.

You didn’t put the trash out? (as it’s overflowing and the dog is licking the sides of the can…)

Sorry, didn’t have time.

Can you change the batteries in the smoke detector? (after it’s been beeping for a few days…)

Yeah, I’ll have time later.

Even though I know how busy we are, the time excuse makes me crazy.

Why?

Because the way we keep our schedules, if you want more time, you have to make it. 

And you can, if you manage your time well.

I first learned to manage time when I was waitressing in college. For the first few weeks, I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Then, I eased into a routine.

While one table was waiting for their food, I would head off to take another’s order, stopping by the beverage station to grab a refill for a third table, and extra sugar packets for a fourth.

I definitely put those skills to use when I started teaching classes of 35+ kids in the inner city.

After all this, I thought I was awesome at managing time… until I had my own kids.

Nursing a newborn while potty training a toddler had me feeling the same way I did when I was a new waitress in the weeds.

However, I have learned if you manage your time well, there are so many ways to find extra time in a hectic schedule.

And, extra time means more time for all those DIY projects you keep pinning. 🙂

How to Find Time for DIY Projects

With the follow eight tips, you’ll be making  extra time in your crazy schedule – in no time 🙂 You’ll be amazed at just how much more time you will have.

1. Get up an hour earlier

I know what you’re thinking.

You already set snooze as many times as you possibly can, so how can you get up earlier?!

I felt the same way… until I did it.

Getting up an hour earlier gives you time to work on your projects.

The chance to work on your project first thing is a great motivator to get you out of bed.

Or, start your day (throw dinner in the crockpot, get the day’s chores done), to free up that hour later for your diy projects.

It’s so peaceful in the mornings. The house is so quiet that you’ll never sleep in again.

2. Cut some things out

You know when you are throwing a party and the day of the party, you still have a long list of things to do?

Then some guests show up early. And, the rest of the list goes out the window.

And you know what?

No one noticed anyway.

Think about your day, your week, your schedule. What things can you cut out – that wouldn’t be noticed?

Maybe you start vacuuming once a week instead of every other day.

Maybe you really don’t need to do laundry every day?

If you can cut a couple things out of your busy days, you’ll dust off some much needed diy time.

3. Let kids work with you

Have little ones and a project you’re dying to work on?

You can actually manage both at the same time. Simply set up a little station for your kids to work too.

If you’re painting a piece of wood, give them something to paint too.

If you’re sewing a craft, give them some fabric to play with or color.

My toddler LOVES our craft time. He usually picks up all of my scraps and makes things with them. He put together a bunch of foam scraps into the shape of a train the other day.

While my husband wondered what I was teaching him, I got a solid hour of craft time in while spending time with my toddler. 🙂

Working alongside your child inspires creativity and gives you quality time together.

4. Delegate what you can

I LOVE to delegate.

Why?

Because the job still gets done – but not by you. 😉

Maybe your husband can take over dinner or packing lunches a few times a week.

Kids can start making their beds or doing their laundry.

Maybe your mom or a mommy’s helper can come watch your little ones while you get some DIY time.

Think about your schedule. And find a few ways that you can delegate some of your tasks.

Delegation is definitely a win-win that you can benefit from.

5. Organize your project ahead of time

There’s nothing like FINALLY having time for your diy project, and then you can’t find the painters tape, or the ribbon you wanted to use, or the tools you need.

Or, maybe your workspace is covered in junk.

Or, maybe you can’t find the website with the instructions (or the pin you thought you pinned).

Take a few minutes during the day and get your project, your workspace, and your instructions organized.

Read through the instructions to familiarize yourself with the steps (it’s like pre-reading – can you tell I was a literacy teacher?!)

When you finally have the time, you can jump right in.

6. Multi-task, multi-task, multi-task

Talking on the phone?

Get the dishes washed. Delete your emails. Steam the floor.

Have a slow eater in your family?

Clean up the kitchen while they’re finishing up. Make the kids lunches for the next day. Write down your shopping list.

As much as you want to relax, using this time wisely lets you cross TWO things off your list, instead of one. How’s that for productivity?!

6. Put the devices down

Even though I manage my time well, my cell phone is my downfall.

I check Facebook, then I see what’s trending on twitter.

I look at the news, my instagram feed, and of course, reply to all my text messages.

Yet, once I started realizing all of the time I was wasting, my mind was blown.

All those minutes add up into hours a day. Those hours across a whole week – the number was insane.

Even though I love to relax by checking my phone, I would much rather be spending this time on my DIY projects.

7. Use wait time to the max

During my college orientation, one of the deans gave amazing advice that I still follow today.

He said that in the next four years, you will find yourself waiting a lot.

Waiting for that awkward amount of time in between classes – where you have more than a few minutes but not enough time to go back to the dorm.

Waiting for professor’s office hours to start, waiting for your study group to show up, waiting for class to start.

He said that all that time adds up – so use it wisely.

His advice undoubtedly applies to more than just college.

Waiting is a big part of life, especially with kids.

So use those few minutes you are waiting in the school parking lot to answer emails or make a hair appointment.

It will make your to do list shorter later – giving you more time for your projects.

How do I start?

Pick just one or two of the above tasks to work on.

You’ll soon start to see that you’ve freed up some time for your DIY projects.

With your hectic schedule and the constant running, you will finally have time for yourself and the projects that you’ve been dying to start.