Easy Decorating Ideas

These easy decorating ideas are great for those of us who don't have the "Martha Stewart" know-how, but still would like for our homes to look cozy.

~ For the living room, kitchen, crafts room, bedroom - oh, heck - whatever room you want! - Create your own pretty rack for antique purses, hats, aprons or anything else easily found at garage sales or that you have "hanging around". All you have to do is buy a wooden plaque (easily available at craft or hobby stores), a handful of attractive, vintage spoons (check out e-Bay or other auction sites or flea markets), paint (come-on, everyone has that SOMEWHERE!), a power drill, scrap wood, and screws. First, prime, then paint the base a color you like and let it dry. Then, clamp each spoon to a piece of scrap wood and carefully drill into the center of the handle. Bend the silverware into hook shapes and set them on the plaque, placing them as close or far apart as you like. Remember, you're NOT Martha Stewart! Drill the screws through each spoon and into the wood. Hang your hats, etc. on the spoons! There you go! To make it even easier, just grab a plant stand with hooks and display old purses, hats, etc. on that! Cool!!

~This is a nice idea to dress up a plain tablecloth. For a festive fall tablecloth, fabric paint and a Granny Smith apple are all you need. Slice the apple in half, vertically; blot the cut side with a paper towel and brush on a layer of fabric paint. Stamp patterns on the cloth and let dry. This theme can be used with whatever pattern you want, just by cutting out the pattern in a potato cut in half. Use stars or Christmas trees for Christmas, hearts for Valentine's Day, etc. Get creative! Great Christmas gifts for that special teacher in your child's life!!

~This one is REALLY easy! Most of us (me included) have lots of neat fabrics stashed away somewhere just waiting for the inspiration to turn them into a quilt or some other project, but it just never happens. You can turn those remnents into a stunning wall display in a matter of minutes. Just stretch them onto several different shapes and sizes of wooden embroidery hoops. You can get these at any craft store. This way, if you ever DO get to making that quilt, you can just grab the swatches out of their frames and start quilting away!

~This is a really unusual, yet economical idea for a wall display. Buy a nice looking frame and frame a good-looking vintage board game. Hang up ones you already have. Maybe you have games that are missing some of the playing pieces. In this case,the game board would be perfect to display. Or you can always have lots of fun finding one on eBay or at rummage sales or the Salvation Army. Your only problem will be trying to limit yourself!! Again - a great Christmas gift for those on a budget (who isn't??).