Use Views as Your Decorating Inspiration
Posted by: Lisa Mason on: March 7, 2011
Easily change the look of the room and make it appear more spacious by opening the curtains, lifting the shades and blinds and bringing the scenery into your living space. Let the outside be your inspiration as you give the illusion that your room extends through the window glass.
No matter what the season, continuing the theme that your view provides will offer you many color choices and unique accessory ideas. As you look out the window are you treated to tulips making their way through the melting snow? Set a pot of forced tulips inside the house to maintain the theme. Bring in an accessory or two that matches the color of the emerging foliage of the plants and trees in the yard and add an exciting splash of color and texture with a pillow covered in a springtime floral print.
The trick works in any room of the house for any season of the year. Look outdoors for decorating inspiration. Use cut flowers or a water feature inspired theme for summer, rustic earthy colors for fall and let the wintery scenery blend with the decorations of the holiday season.
Check out the material remnant bins at the craft shop for deeply discounted pieces of fabric to use to create the accessories to match the season.
Pinecones, vases of leaves as well of flowers, or pieces of logs turned into votive candle holders can all be attractively displayed in your home to extend the theme of outdoor freshness and wide open spaces to you décor. Even a display of clean rocks in a jar will bring nature into the room.
The opposite works as well. Paint a basket or plant container in the same color as the accessories of the room that overlooks your back patio or front porch. Placed it on an outdoor surface within view of the window and the continued theme makes everything within your line a vision an extension of your living space.
Spring Decorating Ideas
Posted by: Lisa Mason on: March 5, 2011
- In: Decorating | Family | Home Decor | Interior Decorating | Neat Things
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Baby lambs, bunnies and chickens are all sure signs of spring. Pastel colors of lilac, yellow, pink and blue will surely make you think of spring bulbs sending shoots up into the warming spring sun, ready to burst into bloom. Add these elements to your décor to freshen up your home and welcome the sunshine. There is no easier way to chase away the winter blues.
Baskets are perfect decoration items for spring. Place your container plants into a basket and top it off with a spring inspired pastel color ribbon topped off with a matching bow. If you don’t have plants, use baskets to hold items that would otherwise clutter your table. It doesn’t matter what the basket contains, it’s the pastel colored ribbon that introduces the illusion of spring into the home.
Place tiny chick, lambs and bunny figures in and around your plants, along the window sill or even tucked between the books on the bookshelf. A bit of whimsy will brighten any dark corner and
Fill jars, clear flower vases and candy dishes with jelly beans. The color and shape are as appealing as a decorating accessory as they are for a snack. Place them in any area that color and texture is needed.
Fill your vases with tulips and daffodils. If you don’t have the real blooms, use silk bouquets.
As the clutter that has accumulated over the winter months is cleared away and replaced with the freshness of spring accessories, your home will take on a whole new look. The easy decorating makeover costs hardly anything.
The spring theme also lends itself well to the holidays that occur during the early months of the year. Guests who gather in your home for Easter dinner, Mothers Day brunch or even May Day will think the décor was specially designed for the occasion.
St. Patrick’s Day Candles
Posted by: Lisa Mason on: March 3, 2011
Nothing creates a festive mood like a room full of shimmering candles. Even if you only have room for a few candles, you can “green up” your St. Patrick’s Day décor with some simple pillar candles adorned with ribbons. This is an easy project to do and you may have the supplies on hand already. If not, you can acquire them affordably.
First, gather up any pillar candles you already have. You’ll want white ones and green ones. Height and width doesn’t matter. If you don’t have any, they can be found at most stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Dollar Stores.
Next, select ribbons in colors and patterns that are in keeping with the St. Patrick’s Day theme. Many stores will be carrying seasonal ribbons now. You can choose solid colors like green and white or patterns like shamrocks, leprechauns or checkerboards. If your budget allows, buy some of each. Also pick up some straight pins with white heads.
Using a soft ribbon-type tape measure, determine the circumference of each candle. Cut a strip of ribbon that compliments the candle color to the length of the candle’s circumference. Hold one end in place with your hand and wrap the ribbon around the candle’s center. Use the pins to hold both ends in place on the candle. Line the pin heads up and space them evenly down the ribbon seam to add to the finished look.
When all the ribbons have been attached to the candles, you can set the candles in their places. A nice variety of thickness and heights makes a great display on the center of a table along a mantel or placed around the room in smaller groupings. Wait for your guests to arrive and light the candles for a wonderful touch to your St. Patrick’s Day gathering.
Homemade Designer Towels
Posted by: Lisa Mason on: March 1, 2011
- In: Decorating | Home Decor
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The guest towel arrangement in the bathroom shows that an extra effort is being made to make the user feel pampered and welcome. But decorative guest towel can be expensive. That’s why many home makers tell the family not to use them but to save them for the guests.
Turn any towel set into a uniquely designed set of towels that will welcome any guest. Simply insert a matching fabric into the lower quarter portion of the towel or face cloth. The result is a beautifully decorated towel set that can also make a wonderful gift. The fact that you have created them yourself makes them even more special.
There are two ways to achieve the designer look of the homemade guest towel. The strip of material can be sewn right over a portion of the towel, or the towel can be cut and the pieces attached to either side of the strip of matching fabric. For a finished look, two strips of the matching fabric should be faced together so that the towel is as attractive from the back as it is from the front.
The measurements will depend on the length of the towel. Be careful to keep the inserts to scale on the bath towel, hand towel and face cloth so that the pieces look like a beautiful matched set.
Wide pieces of ribbon or lace can also be used for a creation that is uniquely your own. Just make sure that whatever fabric you use can be laundered so that your homemade gift is practical as well as beautiful
Shop the sales for regular sets of towels for your homemade designer towels. When buying the fabric for the insets, be sure to check out the bins that hold remnants. You can often find several yards of quality fabric at deeply discounted prices.
Easter Candy-filled Cups Make Sweet Gifts
Posted by: Lisa Mason on: February 28, 2011
- In: Art Decor | Decorating | Family | Home Decor | Interior Decorating | Neat Things
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Though we grow older, we never grow too old for Easter candy. Jelly beans, chocolate eggs wrapped in colorful foil wrappers and marshmallow hens and chicks coated in colored sugars are reminiscent of childhood for all of us. If you are looking for a light-hearted gift for someone like a neighbor or coworker, a collection of these candies, served up in a cup and topped off with a decorative ribbon might be just the right gift.
First, scout around the local second hand shops and antique stores in your area. Look for mismatched tea cups, coffee mugs and matching saucers if they are available. Focus on spring or Easter themes. Mugs with pictures of Easter bunnies or tea cups with floral patterns are an excellent choice for this project. If you have trouble finding cups there, you can try your local dollar-type store for seasonal cups.
Next, purchase a variety of candies, depending on the tastes of your intended recipient(s). You can fill the cups with alone type of candy or mix and match. It’s up to you. If you’re going to use marshmallow candies, get the kind that is individually wrapped. Opening a larger package and separating the marshmallows will cause them to dry out and become stale.
Cut a length of pastel colored ribbon. Center the bottom of the cup on the center of the ribbon. Bring the ends up and tie the ribbon in place. Slip a hand-printed gift tag onto the ribbon and tie again. Curl the ends of the ribbons and let them dangle from the cup. Set the cup on its saucer, if bought one. Your gift is ready.
Candy-filled cups make nice place settings for an Easter get-together too. You can use them instead of place cards by putting each guest’s name on the tag.
How to Make a Valentine’s Day Scrapbook
Posted by: Lisa Mason on: February 12, 2011
Remember this Valentine’s Day and the ones you love by making a scrapbook of all the fond memories you have of this special day. This is a time when couples look for new, exciting ways to express their love for one another. It’s a time to cherish and remember for many years to come. One of the best ways to keep these memories alive is with a Valentine’s Day scrapbook.
They’re easy and fun to make. All you need to do is visit your local craft store and pick up a few supplies. If you prefer not to start from scratch you can even pick up a scrapbook kit that has everything you need to get started. Once you have all of your supplies ready, it’s time to put together a memory you’ll cherish forever.
Things to include in your Valentine’s Day scrapbook:
- Photos
- Cards
- Love letters
- Keepsakes
Arrange these items throughout the pages of the scrapbook and write a passage about the special meaning it had for you. It makes it more interesting and easier to find what you’re looking for later if you give each section or page a title. Decorate the page with embellishments, ribbons, bows, lace and so forth that helps capture the mood of the memory. Be creative and experiment a little to come up with unique ways of displaying your memories.
The contents of the Valentine’s Day scrapbook can include memories from anyone who made this day special for you such as, children, parents, siblings, friends and so forth. However, you may want to dedicate a few pages especially for the special someone in your life. Creating your Valentine’s Day scrapbook is a tradition you can continue annually so you can look back on your life and all the happy memories you had throughout the years.
Decorating for the Artistic Soul 