May Adventures: Spring Chandelier

Feels too formal

   Help for a too pretty chandelier...

Clip an old wreath

Nice for spring

May Adventures: Decorating with Nature

You don't have to look far to find incredibly beautiful touches for your home.

          Display the natural art 

•  atop candle holders

• inside overturned vases

• under a cheese dome!

A New Old Door

Give a modern metal door an old door look.

• Paint the door and allow it to dry.
• Use a piece of sandpaper and gently rub paint off in areas that show wear - around the edges and hardware.
• Enhance the feeling of age by attaching an antique garden tool.

Opportunity's at the Door

Family and friends pass through doorways as they enter and move about your home. You can use the doors to communicate personality, whimsy, and warmth! In the next few posts, we'll look at a few ways to do this.

White paint ushers in spring!

Whether it's a coat of white semi-gloss latex or a simple bouquet, you've sent a welcoming message to your guests.

Use a glue gun to attach a dried bouquet and ribbon to a guestroom door.

                                                                                      

Idea #4 Ornamental Lighting

                                     Attach unique ornaments to lamps to create a special look! 

                                                            

         

                                   

Reveal or conceal with eye catching ornaments

Do you have anything you'd like to draw attention to or away from? Idea #3 is to use a hanging ornament to move the eye to your best advantage!

Highlighting a painted ceiling

Ornamental Idea #2

Stars and candlelight

Use interesting ornaments to give a bit of pizazz to your candle holders.

Uses for Stored Christmas Ornaments

Idea #1 Attach to a ceiling fan chain

Some ornaments are too lovely to spend 11 months in a box. Look around your home for creative ways to prolong your enjoyment.

Jewelry Frame

A jewelry frame is great because

• It's functional as well as decorative.

• It allows you to view all jewelry at once and quickly make your selection. 

• It helps you identify and weed out the jewelry you no longer use or like.

The 6 easy steps to make one of your own
1) Remove the glass from the frame you choose.
2) Cut a piece of heavy cardboard to fit the frame.
3) Cover the board with your choice of fabric. I used duct tape to attach a scrap of black velvet to the cardboard.
4) Fit the board into the frame. You may need to add more cardboard backing to get a tight fit. Secure backing to the frame with duct tape (greatest invention ever).
5) Measure and cut a piece of wrapping paper to cover the back.  I used household glue to attach this to the back.
6) Attach hardware and hang the frame. Hang jewelry with straight pins or thumbtacks.

                                                                    Admire your creativity!

Closet Creation: Fewer Clothes, More Attitude

I decided to go ahead and clear out the clothes that did not fit into one of the four seasonal sets. If this seems too drastic, you may wish to move the extra clothes to another closet or storage space. Once you live through the different seasons and try the ensembles, it should be easier for you to determine which clothes you no longer need.

Once I cleared things out, I got inspired to give my closet a new look.

Check out the before and after!

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

Decorate with Family Recipes

College photo of my grandmother- Lovely handwriting!

This idea gives you a creative way to preserve and display family recipes. Here are the steps to honor the cooks of your past:

• Determine the space available to display recipes.

• Purchase small frames. I chose frames with clips which are easy to assemble.

• Choose a recipe from each relative. Hand-written ones gives us a sense of the loved one's personality. 

Little Rosco and Jam Cake

• Cut paper or thin fabric to make a background that coordinates with your kitchen.

• Place the original or a scanned copy of the recipe on the background.

• Add a small picture. It is nice to use a photo of the recipe's author if you have one.

To the right is a "Jam Cake" recipe written by my husband's grandmother. It seemed fitting to use a childhood photo of my husband's father. He must have just loved it when his mama made cake!

More hot glue and silverware

Why stop with the walls? (See my previous post) You may also want to use a hot glue gun to attach items to a door...








                                                                
                                                  


                       or over a doorway!

Office Sign

 I'm open for business!

From Light Switch to Office Sign?

I ordered this great looking light switch from Anthropologie but it doesn't fit my switch! I would love a little sign for my office...Stay tuned!

Hot Glue Silverware

Whip out your hot glue gun and go to town. I added old silverware here and there to the wall border in my kitchen. To do this project, look for interesting flatware at thrift shops or garage sales. Add a bit of glue to the areas where the flatware touches the wall and hold for 15 seconds or so until the glue cools.

Click here for more hot glue gun ideas

Mudroom Labels

Here is the finished look for my January 6th idea- I found the holders at a craft store and printed new labels on a sheet of the tea-dyed paper.
                                                  He said, "Has this sign always been here?"

Update Needed for Mudroom Labels

I'm tired of straightening these little frames in our mudroom. I have an idea but lack supplies. Stay tuned...