How to Get a Farmhouse Look on a Budget

Rose Morrison

Nov 4, 2020

how to get the farmhouse look

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The rustic farmhouse look is what everyone is swooning over, thanks to Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper. This style of decor invites you in, making you feel warm and welcomed. Plus, it is relatively versatile, and you can easily implement farmhouse looks into your own home.

Upon researching rustic farmhouse decor, you may run into expensive items, leaving you pushing off your dreams of the rustic interior. However, you can get the rustic farmhouse look without shelling out a bunch of money. 

One of the best things to do to save money on any decor is to do-it-yourself. This article will walk you through these seven sections to achieve the style without breaking the bank:

  1. Gather Some Reclaimed Wood
  2. Make Black and White Your Colors
  3. Craft Your Own Signs
  4. Repurpose Mason Jars
  5. Snatch Up Old Windows and Doors
  6. Use Metal as Accents
  7. Give a Wooden Ladder a New Purpose

Here’s how to get a farmhouse look on a budget — it will look just as good, if not better, than spending tons of money.

1. Gather Some Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is good for three reasons. One, it helps the environment because you’re reusing wood products. Two, it is the perfect wood for your farmhouse look. Three, it’s budget-friendly, and maybe even free!

The wood brings in so much character. There’s a story to tell with each piece of wood — perhaps you add in a ceiling beam from an actual barn, or maybe you use some planks from an old boat to serve as shelves or a mantle above your fireplace. 

You’ll embrace the aged look of farmhouses by adding reclaimed wood to any room of your house. Since most walls of the farmhouse look are white, the wood will add a charming contrast and make the space feel down-to-earth.

2. Make Black and White Your Colors

a farmhouse styled room with a girl reading on a white couch

Warm white and black are the staple colors for your farmhouse look. They are the foundation of any farmhouse and can be easily achieved on a low budget. 

Grab yourself some white and black paint and transform your living room or kitchen. You certainly don’t have to change your entire house to complete the farmhouse look, so start small and remake one place at a time so you can stretch your budget over some time.

Opt for a paint with a matte finish to give it a more rugged tone rather than sleek and shiny. Any white or black paint will do, so pick the one that’s right for your budget. Use the black in moderation, and perhaps give a shelf a fresh coat or paint your picture frames black. Anything from your home can be painted in the farmhouse style.

3. Craft Your Own Signs

You can easily walk into your local Hobby Lobby or Target and find so many signs that catch your attention. However, those can cost a lot of money if you’re not careful.

One way to add farmhouse decor is to craft your own signs with personal family sayings. Visit a dollar store or a thrift shop, find any sign, paint over it and make it your own. You can also use old wood or metal and twine to make your own base.

The handwriting doesn’t have to be perfect for your farmhouse signs. Get your kids or spouse involved to have decor that harbors meaning for any room of your house:

  • Kitchen: Paint simple words in bold fonts for your kitchen, like “eat,” “food” or “baking.” 
  • Family room: Purchase some wooden letters from a craft store to create signs that say “family,” “blessed” or your family’s last name. Paint the letters black and the base white to further incorporate the farmhouse look. 
  • Bathroom: Don’t forget to decorate your bathroom! Signs with words like “relax” or “wash your hands” not only give great reminders but make the bathroom feel cozy and welcoming.
  • Bedrooms: Craft signs for each family member’s room with their name to hang on the door. Frame it with scrap wood. 

The best things about making your own signs are that you save money and have the opportunity to personalize them.

4. Repurpose Mason Jars

repurposed mason jar with a plant growing in it

Mason jars aren’t just for canning anymore — they’re the perfect smoothie vessel, vase, pencil holder and food storage container. These jars have been a literal farmhouse staple for years as they keep farm-fresh food preserved, and now their versatility has caught the attention of the farmhouse look. 

Give some mason jars a fresh coat of white or pastel-color paint, let it dry and rub it with sandpaper to give it an aged, distressed look. Place some wildflowers or any fake flowers you have lying around into the jars and put them on the table for a farmhouse centerpiece.

Another great way to save money using mason jars is to use them as storage containers. Pour your dry pasta into quart jars to keep it fresh, or gather jam jars to store dried herbs and spices. They’ll look great stacked on a kitchen shelf, countertop or in your pantry. 

5. Snatch Up Old Windows and Doors

Anytime you see old window frames or weathered doors people are getting rid of, take them. Again, there’s nothing a fresh coat of white paint can’t fix or turn an item into farmhouse decor.

Window frames are the perfect decoration piece for the farmhouse style. Take an old window frame, paint it and attach family photos to it with clothespins or twine. 

Weathered, decorated doors placed outside allow for a welcoming landscape. Lean an old door against your house and place potted plants in front of it. You can also prop it up against a tree in your backyard and add string lights for a cozy, rustic outdoor space.

6. Use Metal as Accents

metal accent pieces, such as a black basket, teacup, and planter

Farmhouse styles include more than wood and mason jars. The metal decor adds an industrial, modern accent to your country home.

Place metal jugs or watering cans filled with flowers or gardening tools around your home to elevate the farmhouse look. Metal bins or washbasins can easily house potted plants as well.

If you can’t find metallic pieces, use metallic spray paint on big plastic containers to get the metal finish and fill it with whatever you like. 

7. Give a Wooden Ladder a New Purpose

A classic farmhouse piece is the propped wooden ladder display. Prop up a wooden ladder in the corner of a room and add personalized details.

Display pictures from the ladder of your family or nature scenes. Also, you can use the rungs to hang throw blankets. 

If you don’t have a wooden ladder or can’t find one, gather branches to make your own. Find two sturdy, equal-length sticks to serve as the side rails, and then fasten other branches to make rungs. You can secure them using nails, screws or twine. 

Create the Farmhouse Look on a Budget

No matter what style you want your house to be, you can find a way to do it on a budget. Achieve the farmhouse look by opting for DIY creations and decor.

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