Decorating your living room on a budget doesn't have to be as hard as it sounds. It doesn't cost a whole heck of a lot to make a room look nice; you just need some good design sense and a bit of imagination.

Let's talk about that.

Now, in order to decorate the living room on a budget, you first have to set a spending limit. If you have less than $500, you're definitely bargain decorating and should follow these tips.

Look at What You Already Have

A lot of times, you will find that there are quite a few items in your home that could be used in a different way. For instance, that dusty lamp sitting in the dining room corner could be used in your new living room decoration. It may not look that hott to you now, but if you wipe it down and change the lampshade you would be surprised with what you come up with. Remember, decorating a living on a budget always requires you to recycle items that you already have. This is the number one way to get a new look without spending any money.

Get A Few Projects Going

This will probably put you in the mind of kindergarten, but there are some really great craft projects that you can do to upgrade the pieces that you already own. A glue gun, staple gun and a few pieces of fabric can definitely point you in the right direction. Any DIY project can save you money, including reupholstering chairs or adding some decorations to that lamp shade (you can clearly see that I like lamps!)

Another great DIY interior design project is picture frame decoration. If you have some of the plain ones that are made of the standard wood, you could easily dress them up with some gemstones or other craft materials. The point here is to be creative and to upgrade your recycled pieces before you buy new ones.

Find a Resale Shop

There are all kinds of hidden treasures at the resale shop. People give away really nice things simply because they're buying new stuff. Use that to your advantage to find some really cool pieces for less than half the price that you would pay in a retail shop. Even if you buy something that isn't necessarily the style you're looking for, remember that you can always paint it or add declarations to make it pop. By doing this, you'll find decorating a living room to be quite fun.

Clearance !Clearance !Clearance!

If you can't find anything in the basement or at the resell shop, then obviously you will have to go out and purchase a few pieces to decorate your living room. I can't stress enough how important it is to check the clearance rack section. There are tons of trinkets and items that you could use that have been sitting on their shelves for months. These items must go and you should be the first person there to pick them up.

If decorating a living room is really a priority to you, talk to the store manager and find out what items are being discontinued. Build a good rapport with this person, and you may even get a discount.

When cash is tight you have to find creative ways to save money and still get the look that you want. By recycling your own items, shopping in the resell store and hitting the clearance sections, you definitely should be able to decorate your living room with the least amount of cash.

If all else fails, you can always move in with someone that has great design style. That way, you get an absolutely beautiful look for free!