Cheap Asian Decor Tips

One of the more popular décor styles is Asian décor. Everywhere you look, stores are selling expensive fans, lanterns, vases, and other items based on items from China and Japan. While it may seem expensive to decorate a single room, never mind your entire home, with items like this, there are cheaper ways.

• Paper lanterns lend a very distinct Asian look to a room, but they often cost upwards of $30 for a nice one. They also look very nice outdoors, which is why you can often find them in the lawn and garden section of many stores. If you wait until the fall, you can often find single lanterns or strings of them on sale. They aren't exactly 100% authentic (i.e., most of them aren't made from rice paper), but they do look nice.

• Your color scheme can go a long way in making your décor work. Most Asian decors are based on bold primary colors such as red, gold, or brown. You can accent a few Asian items with things such as pillows, rugs, sheets, and other non-expensive items in colors that match. Creating a complimentary color scheme makes your room look great, plus you get double use out of things you'd need to buy anyway.

• Look for inexpensive prints, posters, or even postcards instead of purchasing expensive artwork. Many museums that feature Asian artists will sell prints of some of the most popular artwork in their gift shops. With a nice frame, these prints often look just as nice as art you buy at more expensive stores. Another fun idea is to buy and frame several different postcards.

• Depending on where you live, check out some of the local Asian businesses. Many large cities like Boston and Portland have China towns, and you can almost always find cheap fans, wall scrolls, and other items at the stores here. Even large Chinese supermarkets generally have some decorating items.

• Bamboo accents Asian décor nicely, plus a few plants always look nice. Many large chains, including Wal-Mart, now sell bamboo plants.

• If you enjoy doing arts and crafts, look for some Asian-themed projects. Cross stitch kits for Chinese characters are now available, as are other interesting projects like copper embossing kits. These are fairly inexpensive and give you something fun to do.

• Another fun craft idea is calligraphy. If you or one of your friends does calligraphy or paints, ask them if they will paint you some Chinese characters on something. You can use the internet to find characters and their meanings fairly easily.

• Another cheap addition to your décor are candles. They work with just about any décor, and chances are, you probably already have a few that would look great with your color combination.

These are just a few tips to help you find cheap Asian décor items for your home. While you will probably have to pay for a few nice items, you can accent them and complete your Asian décor with many inexpensive pieces that look great but cost very little.