12.29.2010

Silver and Gold for New Year's Eve

With New Year's Eve just a few days away it is time to break out some New Year's decorations to celebrate this past year and welcome the upcoming year. Just a few changes around the house can move you from the holiday red, green, or blue to the shiny sparkle of silver and gold.


Place the clocks in your house together to create a focal point and watch the countdown. You could also get some cheap clocks from a thrift store and place the hands on midnight.

www.habituallychic.com


Quickly dress up your champagne glasses using stick-on decals. Not only will this create a countdown affect, but will help people keep track of their drinks.

www.marthastewart.com

An easy way to add flare to your party is the standard use of balloons. I love these because they are extra large and take up the whole ceiling. They will also reflect light really well and the ribbon adds a fun streamer-like affect to the room. To avoid clean up give them to guests as a party favor. You could even have the location and year printed on the balloons for an extra detail.

www.ballooncelebrations.com

These little sparkled birds would be easy to make using some decorative birds from Michaels and some glitter. Make sure to seal it very well with a spray adhesive so that the glitter doesn't go everywhere. They would be a wonderful accent on your buffet or drink cart.

www.awhitecarousel.com

If you don't mind sparklers used in your house, this is a cool way to show some cheer as the ball drops.

www.hostessblog.com

These silver and gold ornaments are a great way to carry the holidays into your party's theme. Hang them above your buffet or from a light in your house so that the light reflects off of themLike the images below, you could pile them into bowls or cake stands for texture on your table, scatter them around your hors d'oeuvres or build your own holiday wreath to hang above your fireplace or food area.


www.livingmidwest.com

www.westwood.mosaichome.com

www.countryliving.com

www.westwood.mosaichome.com


Silver serving trays and beverage holders are a great investment if you are entertaining frequently because they are classic and can be used often due to the fact that they go with everything.


www.potterybarn.com

An interesting find was this picture of dream catchers that have been woven together. Take this idea, but spray paint them gold or silver and decorate them with small ornaments. You could also provide guests with a paper and pen and have them write down their wishes for the new year or write the things they were grateful for in the last year. Stick the papers into the dream catcher for a interesting and interactive display.

www.hostessblog.com


12.15.2010

DIY Stockings

With Christmas fast approaching I thought it would be appropriate to feature some fun holiday stockings that can easily be made using felt, photo transfer paper, or can even incorporate your own socks. Be as creative as you would like with these. The more personal stockings will mean more to you and your family in the future.


www.kaboodle.com

Adorable and easy to create in a sitting or two. Could be a great craft project for kids and is a wonderful way to spend some time with them that doesn't involve baking cookies.

www.chritmasblogchallenge.com

Traditional, but also youthful and fun. I also really like the idea of the felt garland in this picture.

www.flickr.com

Personal and funny.

www.casasugar.com

Photo transfer paper would make these a snap.

www.marthastewart.com

This is an interesting way of making little gifts feel like a lot.


www.countryliving.com

Think creatively with materials you already have. This person used dress forms and measuring tape to hang on the mantel for Santa. I love that you can see the colorfully wrapped items inside.

11.24.2010

Displaying Art

Hanging art can be a tricky thing. Here are some different ways of displaying your precious pieces that are easy to do. Never would have thought of the hangers that's for sure.


www.re-nest.com



www.designsponge.com


www.veronarelapse.wordpress.com


www.sunsetmagazine.com



www.sarahhartill.com



www.modecokids.com


www.potterybarn.com


www.apartmenttherapy.com



www.simplyprettywedding.com



www.realsimple.com



www.thedesignslice.com



www.houzz.com


www.stylecollective.blogspot.com



www.betterhomesandgardens.com


11.17.2010

Fabric as Decor


A recent trip to the fabric store got me to thinking about fabric as art and decor. For instance take a look at the pictures below. This may be an easy and inexpensive way to add a little interest on one of your walls. Think of all the possible fabrics!

www.craftstylish.com

www.casacullen.com

www.makebabystuff.com

These embroidery hoops are interesting and inexpensive. Perfect to decorate a child's bedroom or above a work table. You could also turn it into a makeshift bulletin board. Try actually embroidering something on the fabric for a personal touch.


www.belladia.typepad.com

I know I wouldn't choose any of these fabrics myself, but the configuration is interesting. You could also work with fabric photo transfer paper to make some of these into a graphic statement.

www.lottajansdotter.com

www.amerrrymishapblog.com

Fabric in the kitchen isn't always the best decision if it isn't in the form of a towel, but these storage ideas are too cute to ignore.


www.jcarolinecreative.com

Making fabric buttons is really fun and easy. Pretty soon you'll be trying to button everything you can. These would work well on a pillow that needs a little facelift.


www.filminthefridge.com

With the holidays fast approaching these fabric links may be an easy way to brighten up your tree, but also are an eco-friendly way of using up those scrap pieces of fabric you have lying around. Old pillow cases, shirts, tablecloth, discarded sewing projects could all be used to construct this chain.

10.27.2010

Fun with Pumpkins...Martha style.

The time is fast approaching when we need to have our pumpkins out to light the way for young trick or treaters. Here are some cool designs and uses for your pumpkin this year from Martha Stewart (the queen of crafting). These are all very creative and time consuming, but the final effect is "Boo"tiful. Sorry I could help myself. Happy Halloween everyone!







10.20.2010

Halloween Decorations

With Halloween just around the corner I thought it would be fun to feature some creative indoor and outdoor decorating ideas. A lot of people go all out with rolling heads and grave sites in their front lawns, but I am much more understated when it comes to Halloween. I prefer cute and creative ways of celebrating, with maybe a touch of darkness. Enjoy!
This one seems very cool, but where do you put that tree branch the rest of the year, not to mention fake crows?
potterybarn.com

It may be a little time consuming cutting out all of those bats, but at least storage won't be an issue.
manolohome.com

My initial thoughts on the pumpkin bowl are all positive. Great way to feature something on your table, colorful, festive, and creative. However, I am concerned with mess from the ice melting between the pumpkin and the bowl and the smell. Overall, I think I would still try it.
designshrine.com

This is a really cute and inexpensive way to invigorate your space with some holiday spirit.
goodhousekeeping.com

Food, food, food! They made some really cool choices for their visual display, but I might be hesitant about eating a huge junk of chocolate (oink!) I love the apples as accents and the cheese with the knife. It would be a good idea to create some bite size things to have along side of this. Also, I recommend doing what they did with a tiered system. It's an old trade secret that everything looks better when it layered and at different heights. Nice use of the black lace too!
myhomeideas.com

The thing to remember here is black lace = creepy. It goths things up quickly and is pretty cheap at less than $5 a yard at most stores. You could try picking up some mismatched silver candle sticks at a local thrift store to add some drama as well. And of course, don't forget your fake cobwebs!
decor.com