Abbey Westlin is a self-proclaimed iced coffee enthusiast, practitioner of beauty, and fashion connoisseur. By day, she makes a living by creating Fashion and Lifestyle content for Betches Media. By night, she enjoys cooking intricate meals, sipping a glass (or four) of rosé, and keeping up with the news. Follow her on Instagram @abbey_westlin.
Have you ever come across a gorgeous piece of furniture in an image on social media, dug around the original poster’s page to find the exact product link, only to find out it costs several times more than you’d ever dream of paying? This happens to me a lot. So much so that I began wondering if I was simply cursed with extremely expensive taste when it comes to home furnishings. However, instead of resigning myself to overpaying for everything I buy for my home, I learned a trick that has helped me find dupes for those expensive pieces I love for way cheaper prices. This hack has saved me literally hundreds of dollars on home decor and furniture, and now, I’m ready to break my silence. Keep reading to learn how I use reverse Google image search to find high-end home decor on a budget.
How Reverse Google Image Search Works
While a typical Google search involves typing a word or phrase into the search bar to pull up results, a reverse image search means you’re searching the image itself. So, if you find a photo of a room you love, you can search within the image to find products similar to those pictured. This works thanks to a handy little tool called Google Lens. According to Google, the Lens feature uses image recognition technology to identify items within the photo and search for similar products. When shopping for furniture and decor, you can easily search for the exact shape, color, material, or style you’re looking for without having to manually type it into your search bar. This is especially useful if you have a look you love but you’re not sure how to describe it in words.
To use Google Lens, you’ll need to be using Google Chrome as your browser. When you find an image you want to search—whether that’s a product image from a website or a beautifully styled photo on Pinterest—simply right-click on the photo (on mobile, press and hold to right-click), then hit “Search Image with Google.” This will pull up the Google Lens search function. From there, you can adjust which area of the image you want to search, then scroll through the results to find items with a similar look. You might just come across a dupe for a fraction of the price!
And if you find an image you want to search while scrolling Instagram, good news: This hack also works with screenshots. Just pull up the main Google homepage and click the little icon that looks like a camera on the far right of the search bar. Then select the screenshot from your photo library (or drag and drop it in from your desktop) to search it with Google Lens.
I’m not kidding when I tell you I’ve saved an obscene amount of money using this hack. For example, when shopping for bedroom furniture, I fell in love with this mid-century-style dresser from West Elm, but the $1,400 price tag was a little steep for me. With my handy reverse Google image search hack, I found this nearly identical version on Wayfair for less than $500. The darker wood finish that I bought is now unfortunately out of stock, but I couldn’t be happier with how my purchase compares to the West Elm version. Everything from the size to the finish to the hardware design is nearly identical, and I’m so glad I saved that $1,000 to spend elsewhere.
My coffee table is another example. I wanted something similar to this walnut piece from Rejuvenation—minus the $800 price tag. In just a few clicks, I came across this option from Amazon, which cost less than a quarter of the price for the same size, silhouette, and finish.
Rejuvenation
Even if I’m not necessarily looking for a dupe, reverse Google image search is a great way to identify items within photos. So when I’m scrolling Instagram and need to know where that designer found that table lamp, I can find out even if product sources aren’t listed.
Reverse Google image search is truly my secret weapon when it comes to finding affordable home decor with the exact look I’m going for. So, to the developers at Google, allow me to express my sincere gratitude. My wallet will be forever thankful.
A DIY-SAVVY homeowner has stunned her social media fans with a light feature she made using budget-friendly supplies.
She confessed that she was “obsessed” with the finished results as she showed it hanging on a wall in her home.
Kendra Nicole (@my_home_by_kendra) has garnered almost 210,000 followers on TikTok, where she shares her love of crafting.
She went viral on the app after showing the process of making a statement light feature.
She used two 4-foot pieces of wood from Home Depot, two wooden craft boxes and picture frames from Dollar Tree, and two LED battery strip lights from Walmart.
The creative painted the wood and craft boxes black before screwing them together.
She then replaced the image inside the picture frames with a sheet of marble effect paper.
Kendra attached the picture frames to the front of each craft box and ran the strip light along the back of the wooden board.
She placed the light features vertically on either side of a larger picture frame on her wall using a command hook.
She secured the cord and battery pack out of sight to make the light feature look expensive.
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My budget-friendly Walmart decor hack costs under $10 and will upgrade your table – people say it’s ‘a win win’
“The cord is hot glued going up the backside of the bottom half,” she said.
“It goes toward the center box, where I have the USB battery pack.”
Over 130,000 viewers liked the video and many people took to the comment section saying they wanted to make it for themselves.
“Waittt you just saved me $120,” one person wrote.
“Jaw is on the floor!! Great idea girly!” another said.
“This is insanely brilliant. I wanna do this,” a third chimed in.
“Ma’am thank you so much for this cuz why these lights so expensive,” another added.
Budget interior design tips
Interior designer Judy Hoang shared her furniture tips with The U.S. Sun.
Thrift furniture and paint it to match your decor.
Test if an item is fit for its purpose before thrifting.
Shop at Target or HomeGoods for rugs, lamps, desks, and pillows.
Invest in classic timeless pieces.
Set up smart home lighting to save money.
Kendra isn’t the only creative home decor DIYer on the app.
Another DIY enthusiast went viral on TikTok when she shared a project that cost less than $40.
Abby (@a_lil_bee) said she was inspired by Pinterest to transform her non-functioning water fountain into a fairy garden.
She bought several figurines and miniature houses from Dollar Tree as well as a soil alternative.
She and her boyfriend cleaned the decaying fountain before using the expanding soil alternative to fill the wells.
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They then spent 15 minutes decoratively placing fairies, homes, and making paths.
Abby said she was “very happy” with the result and planned to add more figurines in the future.
Maximalism home décor is the “in” home design trend for 2024 and includes bold colors and unique pieces. By using maximalism for staging, sellers can highlight a home’s features and personality.
CHICAGO – Allie LeFevere describes her maximalist Chicago home as colorful and eclectic. When she and her husband moved into their home four years ago, she didn’t have a specific design in mind.
“I just wanted the house to feel vibrant,” says LeFevere, founder of branding agency Obedient. She wanted “a representation of our lives and the places we’ve explored and the memories we’ve made.”
The philosophy behind maximalism decor is “more is more,” according to Jean Whitehead, a senior lecturer on interior design at Falmouth University in county Cornwall, England. Bold colors, textures and unique pieces define this style, elements of which Vogue magazine says are “in” as design trends for 2024.
Going maximalist in your home can seem daunting and expensive — but it doesn’t have to be, say those who favor a bold aesthetic. Here’s how to achieve a maximalist look on a budget.
Shop at thrift and vintage stores
“One of the more economical ways to explore maximalism is through vintage and antique things that are available at thrift stores and estate sales,” says Daniel Mathis, who runs the Instagram account Not A Minimalist with over 70,000 followers.
Mathis’s home in Oklahoma City showcases his maximalist style, including many pieces purchased second-hand. To get a good bargain, Mathis suggests waiting until the last day of an estate sale when prices are typically reduced.
Alex Ammar, a certified financial planner and owner of Paradox Financial based outside Orlando, Florida, recommends setting a budget and decorating in stages.
“You might have different budgets for different tiers of interior decorating,” Ammar says. Second-hand and discount stores are great for decor and accent pieces, while you may spend more on distinct furniture, like a sofa.
Make it yourself
Maximalism can mean applying your own creativity to a space. Be bold with reinventing old furniture or items you have around the house. When Mathis fell in love with the Southwest design of a rug, he used the fabric to upholster an armchair in his sitting room.
For a simpler project, you can individually frame travel photos or children’s artwork and hang them together to create a gallery wall above a couch or along a hallway.
Finding ways to reimagine pieces already in your home adds a layer of individuality to the decor while saving you money. Look through your home for items that could use a boost, and browse art and home supply stores for ideas and tools you may need to revive them.
Consider meaningful pieces
Including noteworthy pieces in your decor is a way to create a one-of-a-kind space —- and it doesn’t have to be pricey. Keep an eye out for items that stand out to you, and be flexible, which can mean building up a collection over time or making minor alterations to a piece.
Mathis started collecting rare Ozark Roadside Tourist pottery about seven years ago. He currently has 150 pieces of the multi-colored, marbleized pottery.
“That’s maximalism for me,” says Mathis. “It’s about lots of color, lots of patterns … but I tried to do it in a very intentional and curated way.”
He purchased his first vase for $50; now, similar Ozark Roadside Tourist vases can sell for nearly $1,000.
LeFevere says her favorite piece in her home is an antique pie cabinet with mesh screens that she painted pastel green to match her kitchen.
“I’m not cooking any pie in my life,” LeFevere says, but the piece is “just really cool.”
Find your own style
LeFevere and Mathis both highlight the importance of knowing what you like while staying open to designs that surprise you. LeFevere visits sites like Pinterest to find styles or decor she likes and saves the images to a Google doc.
Similarly, Mathis built his personal style by clipping photos from decor magazines. He says the fun in maximalist design is the process of discovery.
By knowing what you like, you’ll be able to assemble pieces to fill your space, whether you find them in a thrift store, create them yourself or invest in a special piece.
Ammar says it’s also important to know yourself when it comes to money and how you manage expenses that arise from redecorating, especially if you’re financing purchases.
“If you’re the kind of person who can handle carrying debt, then it can be a really beneficial way to accelerate your timeline,” he says.
Maximalism is about having a home that reflects you and your life rather than any prescribed blueprint. Fill your space with color and mementos to create an aesthetic that brings you joy every time you walk in.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The home décor furnishing industry is anticipated to grow due to the growing influence of social media and the increase in the penetration of the e-commerce sector. North American regional market share is attributed to highly developed and varied design styles and offerings of home decoration products.
Newark, Jan. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, the global home decor furnishing market is expected to grow from USD 630.03 Billion in 2022 to USD 923.67 Billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 3.90% during the forecast period 2023-2032.
The Home Decor Furnishing market is growing as the demand for the product is growing, and consumers are looking for luxurious products to decorate their homes, especially with furniture, hardwood flooring, and wooden floors. Also, there is a huge opportunity for sustainable, economical, and environmentally friendly products.
Download Report Sample (230+ Pages PDF with Insights) at: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/sample-request/13879
Competitive Strategy
To enhance their market position in the global Home Decor Furnishing market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, recent developments, joint ventures, collaborations, and partnerships.
• In January 2023: Mannington Mills, Inc. launched its new dwelling collections, including broadloom carpets that provide comfort to all living areas. This launching of collections expands the organisation’s market share in the flooring segment, which eventually expands its market share in the Home Decor Furnishing market.
Market Growth & Trends
Expensive and premium items provide spiritual and aesthetic satisfaction and also add value and decoration to the home and the people who are living in. Home décor product sales have increased, and consumers have gradually started preferring online channels for buying products, especially after the pandemic. It has opened the window for the small home décor furnishing brands. The market is becoming more in demand due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. The home’s decoration easily shows the buyer’s lifestyle preference, and these people thus want to buy good aesthetic products. These home decor products can be used for several purposes, such as enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a home, decorating the apartment, and furnishing. Due to globalization, the consumer can easily access a large array of products used in home decor. One of the factors which are expanding the market is the growing disposable income of the people due to the urbanization process, which also increased the number of households. There is also the demand for personalized and unique home interiors with changes in consumer lifestyles and preferences. The millennial and Gen-Z populations are tech-savvy, and most use social media. Recent trends suggest that social media culture will continue to be crucial in shaping home décor product trends. Social media has given platforms to interior designers to showcase their work all across the world. Leading social media platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Houzz have led these designers to share their designs globally and inspire people to design their living spaces and homes.
Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/buying-inquiry/13879
Key Findings
• In 2022, furniture segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 45.55% and market revenue of USD 286.98 Billion.
The product segment is divided into furniture, textile, flooring and others. In 2022, furniture segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 45.55% and market revenue of USD 286.98 Billion. This market share is high because there is a high preference for wooden furniture with aesthetic looks and premium quality.
• In 2022, the indoor segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 86.42% and market revenue of USD 544.47 Billion.
The application segment is divided into indoor and outdoor. In 2022, the indoor segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 86.42% and market revenue of USD 544.47 Billion. Furniture that can be folded and of multiple uses is broadly preferred in the home’s indoor space.
• In 2022, the offline segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 70.56% and market revenue of USD 444.55 Billion.
The distribution channel segment is divided into offline and online. In 2022, the offline segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 70.56% and market revenue of USD 444.55 Billion. Customers are found to prefer shopping offline for furniture and home décor items.
Regional Segment Analysis of the Home Decor Furnishing Market:
• North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) • Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe) • Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC) • South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America) • The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)
The North America region occurred as the largest market for the global Home Decor Furnishing industry, with a market share of 33.21% and a market value of around USD 209.23 Billion in 2022. This market share is attributed to highly developed and varied design styles and offerings of home decoration products in the region. Most of the consumers in this region prefer functional and beautiful design elements for their décor items, and there is a growing demand for green and sustainable design. Asia Pacific region has shown the fastest growth for the Home Decor Furnishing market as there is rapid urbanization happening in emerging economies like India and China.
Browse the full report with Table of Contents and List of Figures: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/report/home-decor-furnishing-market-13879
Key players operating in the global Home Decor Furnishing market are:
• Ashley Furniture Industries, LLC. • Inter IKEA Holding B.V. • Forbo Management SA • Armstrong World Industries, Inc • Mannington Mills, Inc. • Kimball International Inc. • Duresta Upholstery Ltd. • Mohawk Industries, Inc. • MillerKnoll, Inc. • Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2019 to 2032. The Brainy Insights has segmented the global Home Decor Furnishing market based on below mentioned segments:
Global Home Decor Furnishing Market by Product:
• Furniture • Textile • Flooring • Others
Global Home Decor Furnishing Market by Application:
• Indoor • Outdoor
Global Home Decor Furnishing Market by Distribution Channel:
• Offline • Online
Inquire for Customized Data: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/request-customization/13879
About the report:
The global Home Decor Furnishing market is analysed based on value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analysed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porter’s five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution and marketing channels analysis.
About The Brainy Insights:
The Brainy Insights is a market research company that provides actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. They have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the client’s objectives of high-quality output within a short period. They provide both customized (client-specific) and syndicate reports. Their repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Their customized solutions meet the client’s requirements whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market.
Contact Us
Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-315-215-1633 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.thebrainyinsights.com
Nope, not a radio. This ol’ thing is a tissue cover box that makes music from an otherwise boring home essential. The cute retro cover comes in three fun colors and looks so charming in kitchens or bedside tables. Who knew tissues could be so cool?
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Bold and Bright
Simple Designs Mini Ceramic Globe Table Lamp
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Bold and Bright
Simple Designs Mini Ceramic Globe Table Lamp
Now 53% Off
In case you didn’t see the under-$10 price tag of this mini lamp, we’d like to call that out off the bat. In addition to its affordability, this extremely giftable light comes in eight colors. There’s also an option to buy an 18-pack for just over $150 if your giftee has a lot of rooms in dire need of some light.
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For Bath Time All the Time
dodococa Bathtub Soap Dish
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For Bath Time All the Time
dodococa Bathtub Soap Dish
Now 10% Off
Has anything ever been more on the nose than these bathtub-shaped soap dishes? The quirky little holders look so nostalgic and actually have great use to them since they’ll prevent any gunky build-up from forming on your sink or tub edge. We also recommend storing jewelry, Q-tips, or smaller toiletries in these dishes.
More: Gift This Lego Tiny Plants Set to the Person Who’s Over Roses
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For the Hostess
Brew To A Tea Porcelain Floral Plates
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For the Hostess
Brew To A Tea Porcelain Floral Plates
Nothing is more ’70s than a set of porcelain plates. These floral ones exude a groovy dinner in Mom’s (or Grandma’s) kitchen. The set of eight petite plates is perfect for dessert time, whether you’re serving up a group or enjoying some goodies with the family.
Gerard explained that, “after 2023 trends like quiet luxury dethroned 2022’s colorful maximalism, it’s natural that 2024 shoppers want to ease their way back into the funky prints that once brought them joy. Perhaps the retro waves and groovy flowers of the ‘70s are the perfect opportunity to do so.”
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Acrylic Accessories
upsimples Acrylic Shelves for Wall Storage
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Acrylic Accessories
upsimples Acrylic Shelves for Wall Storage
Now 17% Off
Somehow, if you find the right shelving, it can transform a space from meh to HELLO! These bold acrylic shelves are the perfect example of an enticing piece of decor that your giftee will obsess over.
The set of four comes with pre-drilled holes so they won’t have to get too down and dirty with assembly, and they can each hold 8 pounds of books, photos, or knickknacks. (If you’re gifting this, include a framed picture of you and the recipient. That way, they’ll have no choice but to hang it up in their home.)
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A Washable Favorite
Ruggable Iris Apfel Birds of A Feather Green and Peach Rug
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A Washable Favorite
Ruggable Iris Apfel Birds of A Feather Green and Peach Rug
Our editors love Ruggable for its many eccentric washable rugs. This bird style is screaming grandparent’s living room (in the best way). It’s a quirky centerpiece that dresses up a drab kitchen in no time.
Senior Editor Summer Cartwright has an area rug from the brand and recommends getting a tufted finish for added comfort. “It’s so soft, but the thickness doesn’t hinder any of its machine-washable capabilities.”
Anyone, from your in-laws to your little sibling, would likely love a new runner to enhance their home.
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Blondie-Approved
Snadinordica Disco Ball Planter
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Blondie-Approved
Snadinordica Disco Ball Planter
Now 20% Off
I’m not saying that your Swiftie friend needs this disco ball-shaped plant holder. I’m saying that they deserve this disco ball-shaped plant holder (the Mirrorball stans know what I mean).
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For a Fresh Morning Jump Start
Smeg Retro Drip Filter Coffee Machine
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For a Fresh Morning Jump Start
Smeg Retro Drip Filter Coffee Machine
I know we just mentioned coffee makers above, but this home decor gift is for a recipient who needs their morning nectar fast and in huge supply. The drip machine can craft up to 10 cups at once, plus it has an auto-start capability that can align with their alarms. Imagine waking up to fresh coffee. Now that’s a good gift.
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Storage in Style
Mustard Made Lowdown Locker
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Storage in Style
Mustard Made Lowdown Locker
If your friend or family member is moving into a new home, gift them a piece from Mustard Made to prove that even storage units can be beautiful.
The Lowdown locker comes in vibrant colors like the pictured yellow and works great as a TV stand like our Senior Editor Summer Cartwright uses it for. “It’s a cool-looking piece of furniture that holds SO much more than you’d think.”
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Aquatic Art
Eangee Home Design Jellyfish Lamp
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Aquatic Art
Eangee Home Design Jellyfish Lamp
The fact that jellyfish are trending in home decor is something most of us did not have on our Bingo cards (if you did, props!), but seeing how cute this sea creature-inspired lamp is, it makes sense. The green and blue hues combined with gemstone-like tentacles are truly gorgeous. This would make a great gift for your creative best friend who moved into their new space.
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Removable Decals
Kazova Brown Stripe Arch Wall Decal
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Removable Decals
Kazova Brown Stripe Arch Wall Decal
Now 20% Off
If your giftee lives in an apartment or rental unit, this removable decal would be a stellar present. It has a funky retro shape to it that looks great when laid against corners, shelves, or doors.
More: The Best Peel-and-Stick Backsplash
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A Sunny (Side-Up) Mat
Dtdepth Egg Bath Mat
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A Sunny (Side-Up) Mat
Dtdepth Egg Bath Mat
The perfect bath mat doesn’t exi— never mind. This sunny-side-up egg mat is precisely the kitschy decor piece your giftee needs in their home. It’s under $25 but will certainly bring some laughs and sunshine to their bathroom or even the kitchen sink area, even on rainy days.
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Pour One Out
The Wine Savant Vintage Petals Glasses
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Pour One Out
The Wine Savant Vintage Petals Glasses
If you’re looking for a present to give a friend who always hosts dinner parties at their place, this set of glasses will be a home run. The four-piece gift had that trendy vintage feel to it and comes in an adorable pink color that any Barbie fan would love.
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For the Coffee Enthusiast
Frieling Double-Walled French Press
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For the Coffee Enthusiast
Frieling Double-Walled French Press
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Renaissance Realness
XMGZQ Silver Vase
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Renaissance Realness
XMGZQ Silver Vase
Does this remind you of someone? Perhaps a queen? More specifically, THE Queen Bee?
Metalic decor pieces are all the rage this year, according to Stanback from Pinterest. “With the Renaissance Tour and Beyoncé encouraging people to wear silver in attendance, that definitely trickled outside of the tour… A lot of Gen Z and millennials are driving hot metal aesthetics into their own home.”
If you’re searching for a home decor gift for a Bey fan, it’s safe to say this set of vases is more than ideal.
Summer Cartwright is senior editor for Best Products and FirstFinds and is based in New York. She has written and edited for sites including Cosmo, People, InStyle, Food & Wine, Real Simple, and StyleCaster. Her interests outside of work include running, eating dessert, and playing with her two cats, Peaky and Polly. She received her master’s degree in magazine writing from New York University, and her bachelor’s degree in public affairs journalism from The Ohio State University.
Hey, I’ve just been featured on CNBC and I want to say hello to all of my new readers. You can read the CNBC article here – 34-year-old mom dropped $50,000 to cruise the world with her family: ‘It was some of the best money I ever spent’ If you are a new visitor –…
Hey,
I’ve just been featured on CNBC and I want to say hello to all of my new readers.
You can read the CNBC article here – 34-year-old mom dropped $50,000 to cruise the world with her family: ‘It was some of the best money I ever spent’
If you are a new visitor – welcome to Making Sense of Cents!
I have received many emails about how I was able to afford this trip. I have a free How To Start A Blog course that you can sign up for here. I also talk about this below and how I’ve been able to earn over $5,000,000 blogging over the years.
If you want to read more about my world cruise trip, I recommend reading Around-The-World Cruise With A Kid (25+ Countries In 4 Months!).
Here are some blog posts that you may find helpful and enjoy:
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or send me an email.
Thanks for stopping by.
-Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
—-
In addition to reading the CNBC article linked above, I also want to talk about how I grew a blog that has earned me over $5,000,000. I know I will get a lot of questions, so I figured it’s best to lay it all out right here 🙂
What started as just a hobby turned into one of the most life-changing things I’ve ever done – that’s starting my blog, and learning how to make money with it.
Since learning how to monetize a blog over 10 years ago, I have now earned over $5,000,000 from my site. This is still hard for me to believe, and I’m the one who’s lived it!
In the beginning, all I was doing was tracking my own personal finance progress as I finished school and started paying off my student loans. Blogging was a very new concept to me at the time – I heard about it from a magazine – and people were just learning how to monetize blogs back in 2011.
Most bloggers started back then with display ads and sponsored posts, but the options have only increased.
Because of all of the new ways to make money blogging, like affiliate income and selling your own products, you can make somewhat passive income as a blogger.
Passive income is my favorite way to make money because it makes blogging even more flexible and something I can do as I work from home, travel, and work whenever I want.
Blogging has changed my life for the better, and I’m now earning thousands of dollars a month doing something I love.
Learning how to monetize a blog takes work and time, but it’s 100% possible to do. I started earning money after just six months of blogging, and I didn’t even set out to make money when I created Making Sense of Cents. Just think of the potential if you start out knowing that making money blogging is possible!
Starting my blog is one of the best things I’ve ever done for my work, personal, and financial life. And, I urge anyone who is interested to start a blog and learn how to monetize it.
How I earned my first income from blogging
Many of my readers have heard this story, but I love sharing it because I started out like many of you, except I had no idea that blogs could make money. When I started Making Sense in August of 2011, I simply wanted a way to keep track of my financial progress and meet others who had similar goals.
As I started getting to know other bloggers in the community, a blogger friend of mine connected me with an advertiser who was willing to pay me $100 for an advertisement.
I couldn’t believe someone would pay me $100 to advertise on my site!
While it wasn’t a lot of money, especially considering the amount of time and work I put towards my blog in those 6 months, it was very motivating to see that something I loved doing could actually make money.
After that first $100, I started doing a lot of research on how to monetize a blog, and my blogging income quickly grew from there.
One year after I started my blog, I was earning around $1,000 a month, and I was making around $10,000 monthly two years after I started Making Sense of Cents.
My income only continued to grow, and I am still earning a healthy income from this website today.
How To Start A Blog FREE Course
If you want to learn how to monetize a blog and you haven’t started your blog, then I recommend starting with my free blogging course How To Start A Blog FREE Course.
Here’s a quick outline of what you will learn in this free course:
Day 1: Reasons you should start a blog
Day 2: How to determine what to blog about
Day 3: How to create your blog – in this lesson, you will learn how to start a blog on WordPress, and my tutorial makes it very easy to start a blog
Day 4: How to monetize a blog – this is where you learn about the many different ways to make money blogging!
Day 5: My tips for earning passive income from your blog
Day 6: How to grow your traffic and followers
Day 7: Miscellaneous blogging tips that will help you be successful
This is delivered directly to your email inbox, and you will learn how to grow a blog from scratch.
Start with a plan for your blog
Sure, you can start on a whim, and that’s kind of what I did, haha.
But, I do think that creating a plan is a good idea if you want to learn how to monetize a blog. This can help you get an organized start, identify your blog’s niche, decide on your blogging goals, find opportunities for blogging income, and more.
It wasn’t until 2015 that I finally created a blogging plan (that’s 4 years after I started!), and my blog income grew significantly after that.
I credit that growth to creating a plan!
Having a plan would have been a huge help in the beginning, and I wish I would have started with one. I probably missed some income opportunities because I had no real plan or direction in the first couple of years.
Since creating a blogging plan, I became more focused on goals and motivated toward improving and building Making Sense of Cents.
Here are some questions that you may want to ask yourself when creating a plan for your blog:
What will you write about on your blog?
How do you want to make money with your blog?
What will you do to reach readers on your blog?
What are your goals for your blog?
Thinking about, researching, and answering these questions will help guide you on your journey and help you decide what to do next.
Write high-quality and engaging blog posts
Your blog’s content is extremely important. This will be what attracts your readers, has them coming back for more, earns you blogging income, and more.
Now, you don’t need to be an expert or need a degree to start talking about a subject, but you do need to be knowledgeable or interested in what you are talking about. And, always be truthful! This will show in your writing and actually help your readers.
To write high-quality content on your blog, here are some tips:
Figure out exactly what it is that you’d like to write about and why you think the content is important. Being passionate about a subject will give you the motivation to write content that people want to read. Just think about it: If you don’t enjoy writing your content, then why should you expect someone else to want to read it?
Ask your audience what they want you to write about. Many of my best ideas come from expanding on reader questions.
Research your blog topics by reading news articles, going to a library, searching for statistics and interesting facts, and more.
If your blog posts are more personal in nature, then dig deep and share your thoughts, and be personable in your writing – your readers want to hear your story!
Write long, helpful content. Sure, some great content may only be a few hundred words, but to be as helpful as possible, long content is usually the best. My content is usually over 2,000 words, and this article is around 5,000. Now, you don’t want to just write a lot of fluff content in order to get more words in – you want to actually be helpful!
Reread your content. I used to read my content 10 times or more before I would publish it. Now, I have an editor who makes sure I’m always publishing high-quality content.
Network, network, network
If you want to learn how to monetize a blog, then networking can be extremely helpful.
Networking can mean:
Making friends with other bloggers
Attending blogging conferences
Sharing content that other bloggers have written
Following other bloggers in your niche on social media
Signing up for other bloggers’ newsletters
Joining blogging groups on Facebook
Some bloggers don’t do any of these things and purely see other bloggers as competition. I don’t believe this is the correct way to approach blogging because you will hold yourself back immensely!
Networking is important because it can help you enjoy blogging (friends are nice to have, right?!), teach you new ideas (such as how to make money blogging or how to grow a blog), make valuable connections, and more.
Keep in mind that networking is even how I earned my very first $100 blogging. My blogging friend connected me with an advertiser, which helped changed my blogging journey.
I have learned a lot about blogging from the blogging community, and the people I’ve connected with have been a tremendous support as I’ve grown my blog.
Be prepared to put in a lot of hard work
Starting a blog is relatively easy. But, growing and learning how to monetize a blog takes a lot of work.
You’ll have to:
Start a blog, design it, create social media accounts, and more
Write high-quality blog posts
Attract an audience of readers
Monetize your blog
Continue learning about blogging
And more
Even when I was just a new blogger and had no plans of making money blogging, I was still spending well over 10 hours a week on Making Sense of Cents.
When I was working my full-time day job and earning an income from my blog, I was working around 40-50 hours a week on my blog on top of my day job!
Now that I blog full-time, my hours vary. Some months I hardly work, and there are other months that I may work 100 hours a week.
It’s not easy, and there’s always something that needs to be done.
But, I absolutely love blogging, which makes the hard work a little less tough.
How to monetize a blog: 4 different ways
There are many different ways you can monetize your blog, including:
Affiliate marketing
Advertisements and sponsorships
Display advertising
Create your own product, such as an ebook, course, physical or online products, and more
You could choose to monetize your blog using all of these methods, or even just one. It’s just a personal decision.
For me, I like to be diversified and monetize in many ways, so I do them all.
Below, I am going to dive a little deeper into each way to make money blogging.
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing can be a great way to make money blogging because if there is a product or company that you enjoy, all you have to do is review the product and share a unique affiliate link where your readers can sign up or make a purchase.
In fact, this is my favorite way to monetize a blog. I enjoy it because it can be quite passive – I can create just one blog post and potentially earn an income from it years later. This is because even though a blog post may be older, I am still constantly driving traffic to it and readers are still purchasing through my affiliate links.
Affiliate marketing is a blog monetization method where you share a link to a product or company with your readers in an attempt to make an income from followers purchasing the product through your link.
Here are some quick tips so that you can make affiliate income on your blog:
Use the Pretty Link plugin tocleanupmessy-lookingaffiliatelinks. I use this for nearly all of my affiliate links because something like “makingsenseofcents.com/bluehost” looks much better than the long, crazy-looking links that affiliate programs usually give you.
Provide real reviews. You should always be honest with your reviews. If there is something you don’t like about a product, either don’t review the product at all or mention the negatives in your review.
Ask for a commission increase. If you are doing well with a particular affiliate program, ask to increase your commissions.
Build a relationship with your affiliate manager. Your affiliate manager can supply your readers with valuable coupons, commission increases, bonuses, and more.
Write tutorials. Readers want to know how they can use a product. Showing them how to use it, how it can benefit them, and more are all very helpful.
Don’t go overboard. There is no need to include an affiliate link 1,000 times in a blog post. Include them at the beginning, middle, and end, and readers will notice it. Perhaps bold it or find another way for it to stand out as well.
You can learn more about affiliate marketing strategies in my course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.
2. Advertisements and sponsorships
Advertising on a blog is one of the first ways that bloggers learn how to monetize a blog. In fact, it’s exactly how I started!
This form of blogging income is when you directly partner with a company and advertise for them on your website or social media accounts.
You may be writing a review for them, a tutorial, talking about their product or company, taking pictures, and so on.
If you want to learn how to increase your advertising-income, I recommend taking my Making Sense of Sponsored Posts course.
3. Display advertising
Display advertising is one of the easiest ways to make money blogging, but it most likely won’t earn you the most, especially in the beginning.
I’m sure you’ve seen display ads before. They may be on the sidebar, at the top of a post, within a blog post, and so on.
The ads are automatically added when you join an advertising network, and you do not need to manually add these ads to your blog.
Your display advertising income increases or decreases almost entirely based on your page views, and once you place the advertisement, there’s no direct work to be done.
If you want to learn how to monetize a blog through display advertising, then some popular networks include Adsense, MediaVine, and AdThrive.
Personally, I use AdThrive for my display advertising network. I don’t have many display advertisements on my blog, but it is easy income.
4. Sell your own products
Another popular way to monetize a blog is to create a sell your own products.
This could be an online product, something that you ship, and so on, such as:
An online course
A coaching program
An eBook
Printables
Memberships
Clothing, candles, artwork, hard copy books, and anything else you can think of
And the list goes on and on. I have seen bloggers be very successful in selling all kinds of things on their blogs.
What’s great about selling your own product is that you are in complete control of what you are selling, and your income is virtually unlimited in many cases.
I launched my first product about 5 years after I created Making Sense of Cents, which was a blogging course called Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I regret not creating something sooner because this has been an excellent source of income and has helped many people along the way.
Have an email list
If you really want to learn how to monetize a blog, I recommend that you start an email list from the very beginning.
I waited several years to start my email list, and that was a huge mistake!
Here’s why you need an email list right away:
Your newsletter is YOURS. Unlike social media sites, your newsletter and email subscribers are all yours, and you have their undivided attention. You don’t have to worry about algorithms not displaying your content to readers, and this is because they are your email subscribers. You aren’t fighting with anyone else to have them see your content.
The money is in your email list. I believe that email newsletters are the best way to promote an affiliate product. Your email subscribers signed up to hear what YOU have to write about, so you clearly have their full attention. Your email list, over any other promotional strategy, will almost always lead to more income and sales.
Your email subscribers are loyal to you. If someone is allowing you to show up in their inbox whenever you want, then they probably trust what you have to say and enjoy listening to you. This is a great way to grow an audience and a loyal one at that.
Email is a great way to deliver other forms of content. With Convertkit, I am able to easily create free email courses that are automatically sent to my subscribers. Once a reader signs up, Convertkit sends out all the information they need in whatever time frame I choose to deliver the content.
Attract readers
As a new blogger, you’ll want to find ways to attract a readership to your blog and your article.
No, you don’t need millions and millions of page views to earn a good living from blogging. In fact, I know some bloggers who receive 1,000,000 page views yet make less money than those with 100,000 monthly page views.
Every website is different, but once you learn what your audience wants, you can start to really make money blogging, regardless of how many page views you receive.
Having a successful blog is all about having a loyal audience and helping them with your content.
Even with all of that being said, if you want to learn how to monetize a blog, learning how to improve your traffic is valuable. The more loyal and engaged followers you have, the more money you may be able to make through your blog.
There are many ways to grow your readership, such as:
Write high-quality articles. Your blog posts should always be high-quality and helpful, and it means readers will want to come back for more.
Find social media sites to be active on. There are many social media platforms you can be active on, such as Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, and others.
Regularly share new posts. For most blogs, you should publish content at least once a week. Readers may forget about you if you go for weeks or months at a time without a blog post.
Guest post. Guest posting is a great way to reach a new audience, as it can bring new readers to your blog who will potentially subscribe to it.
Make sure it’s easy to share your content. I love sharing posts on social media. However, it gets frustrating when some blogs make it more difficult than it needs to be. You should always make sure it’s easy for readers to share your content, which means your social media icons should be easy to find, all of the info input and ready for sharing (title, link, and your username tagged), and so on. Also, you should make sure that when someone clicks on one of your sharing icons the title isn’t in CAPS (I’ve seen this too many times!).
Write better titles. The title of your post can either bring readers to you or deter them from clicking over. A great free tool to write better headlines is CoSchedule’s Headline tool.
Apply SEO strategies. SEO (search engine optimization) is not something I can teach in this small section, but I go over it below in another section.
Have a clean and user-friendly blog design. If you want more page views, you should make it as easy as possible for readers to navigate your blog. It should be easy for readers to find your blog homepage, search bar, blog posts, and so on.
Now, I also want to talk about helpful resources, courses, and more that can help you to learn how to grow your page views on your blog.
Below are some of my favorite blogging resources to help you improve your traffic:
Grow through SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) is how you get organic search traffic to your blog.
When you search a phrase on Google, you’ll see a bunch of different websites as the results. This is the result of these websites applying SEO strategies to their blog.
This is a great way for readers to find your blog, and SEO is important to pay attention to as you learn how to monetize a blog!
Below are some of my favorite SEO resources:
Stupid Simple SEO: This is my favorite overall SEO course, and one of the most popular for bloggers. I highly recommend taking it. I have gone through the whole course, and I constantly refer back to it.
Easy On-Page SEO: This is an easy-to-follow approach to learning on-page SEO so your articles can rank on Google. I have read this ebook twice, and it is super helpful.
Easy Backlinks for SEO: This ebook will show you 31 different ways to build backlinks, which are needed for SEO.
How To Get 50,000 Pageviews per Month With Keyword Research: This ebook shares the steps for keyword research so that you can get SEO traffic to your website.
Common questions about how to monetize a blog
Below, I’m going to answer some questions I’ve received about how to start a blog such as:
How many views do you need to monetize a blog?
How do beginner bloggers make money?
Why do bloggers fail?
How many posts should I have before I launch my blog?
How many times a week should I post on my blog?
How many views do you need to monetize a blog?
The amount of page views needed to make money blogging varies, and there is no magic number that you should be aiming for.
This is because it depends on so many factors, such as how you will monetize your blog, your niche, the number of email subscribers you have, the quality of your website, and more.
You may see success with 10,000 page views a month, or you may see success with over 100,000 page views a month. It simply depends on the factors above.
How do beginner bloggers make money?
Beginner bloggers can make money in many different ways, such as display advertising, affiliate marketing, creating their own products, and sponsorships.
You can start any of these right from the very beginning.
Display advertising is usually the easiest way to begin monetizing a blog, but the payoff is not very high, especially in the beginning when your page views are not high.
How many posts should I have before I launch my blog?
I recommend just launching your blog as soon as you have one blog post and a design. Building a huge backlog of blog posts isn’t usually needed, and it can prevent you from ever getting started!
How many times a week should I post on my blog?
The more blog posts you have, then the more traffic you may get. That’s because it’s more opportunities to show up in Google searches or share your posts on social media.
I recommend publishing a new blog post at least once a week. Anything less isn’t advised.
Publishing blog posts consistently is smart because readers know to expect regular content from you.
Why do bloggers fail?
Bloggers fail for many different reasons. These reasons may include:
Giving up too soon. It takes time to make money blogging, and sadly, many people give up just a few months into starting a blog.
Not publishing consistently. I recommend publishing content at least once a week, as described in the previous section. Some new bloggers may go months without publishing, and this will take them much longer to make money blogging as they are simply not dedicating enough time to their blog.
Not spending enough time learning about blogging. Blogging is not as easy as you may think. There is a lot to learn in order to make it work. You may need to learn about how to grow your blog’s traffic, how to monetize a blog, how to write high-quality content, and more.
Not having your own domain and self-hosting. If you want to make money blogging, I highly recommend owning your domain name and being self-hosted. The longer you put this easy step off, the longer it will most likely take for you to make money blogging. You can learn more at How To Start a WordPress Blog.
And much more. Blogging is like any business – there are things to learn, things to improve on, and more.
How do I start a blog?
If you have any other questions related to starting a blog, I recommend checking out What Is A Blog, How Do Blogs Make Money, & More. In this article, I answer more questions related to blogging such as:
How do I come up with a blog name?
What blogs make the most money?
How do you design a blog?
How many views do you need to make money blogging?
How many blog posts should I have before launching?