10 ideas on how to soundproof a room cheaply – or even for free! – Soundproof Living

You don’t need to spend a fortune soundproofing your home office to help increase concentration. The key ideas are to absorb sounds, plug sound leaks and reduce vibrations. With those in mind, here are some cheap DIY home soundproofing tips for you:

• Rearrange your furniture: Add a layer of noise insulation by pushing your wardrobes and bookshelves against walls that face the street. Hanging up canvas paintings or a soundproof wallpaper works great as well! 
• Soundproof the door through household items: Place a thick rug on the floor next to the door, tactically position your furniture along the edges of the door, and cover the door with layers of thick material.
• Use blankets: Cover the entire surface of the walls and preferably windows with heavy moving blankets.
• Hang soundproof curtains: Considered a less effective alternative to soundproof blankets, soundproof curtains can be hung onto curtain railings pretty much everywhere.
• Seal the gaps: You’d be surprised to hear how much noise comes through the smallest gaps. Use rubber gaskets and weatherstripping tape where the windows or doors touch the frame. 
• Use egg cartons: If you don’t care about aesthetics, hanging egg cartons on the wall can disperse sound in multiple directions.
• Soundproofing foam: A better alternative to egg cartons is cheap soundproofing foam. It doesn’t prevent the passage of sound waves but traps the sound waves inside its fibers, transforming the energy of the sound wave into heat thereby reducing reverberation and echo. 
• DIY soundproofing panel: Stash a cheap soundproofing material like mineral wool or acoustic foam inside the panel (wooden frame). Make sure this frame matches the size of the surface you want to cover. Use standard wood glue to attach this frame along the perimeter of the surface and wrap the construction up in an aesthetically pleasing fabric. 
• DIY soundproof window plugs: Use a soundproofing mat, caulk or an adhesive and a thin wooden board. Since these plugs block light, make sure to make them removable. 
• Carpets: Carpets can be used for soundproofing the floors, especially when your floor is wooden or concrete.