Buying attractive accessories and soft furnishings to enhance your home decor can be a major expense, especially when you are first setting up home. With a little thought and imagination you can make things yourself, even if you are not very handy, which can add your individual personality to your home. Making your own items to adorn your home will also give you a sense of satisfaction which you would never achieve with just buying pieces from a store.

If you are not used to arts and crafts, start off with something simple. If you are lucky enough to live near to the sea or if you have picked up various shells and pebbles from beach vacations in the past, these can make an attractive display in a glass vase or bowl. Place it in the bathroom to add a seaside feel or spray the pebbles with gold paint and place the arrangement on a coffee table or mantel.

You could try making your own artwork to hang on the walls if they are looking a little bare. A simple piece of beautiful fabric, stretched and fixed over a wooden frame, makes a lovely wall hanging that requires no artistic ability whatsoever. Or make a collage with family photos and colorful pictures clipped from magazines then frame. You can pick up a variety of old frames for very little cash at your local thrift store.

Making soft furnishings such as curtains, roman blinds, cushions and pillows is not difficult even for a novice and can be achieved with a basic sewing machine. Many areas around the country hold workshops and classes where you can go to learn to make curtains and even upholstery yourself. Once you get started you will find a host of ideas for making home decor accessories with fabric.