Festive outdoor lighting

Nov14

It already gets dark early in the middle of November, so we can begin to decorate our balconies, houses and gardens with light garlands. The simplest method is to fix the tensed fairy lights to the rail or the drip, or wrap it around trees, shrubs and the pergola. It will look nice, however, we can be more creative.
Let’s buy glass or plastic LED luminous globes in different sizes. These fit very well in an urn shaped pot and a bird bath. But they can be also placed alongside the garden path. We can even make them by ourselves using old globe lampshades. Put the lights in it and seal it with a proper sized tin can at the socket. This latter can be used as a stand for stability, but we can transform it to a huge Christmas ball ornament by turning it upside down and fix a bigger hook in it.
Let’s use the hanging wicker baskets which held flowers in the summer. Pad it with light garlands with pulling out the small lights on the holes of it. Cover it with cotton wool and maybe fill it with glass ball ornaments. Hang it to its place where it was in summer. It will be a cozy sight.
If there is a human or animal shaped sculpture in the garden, it can be decorated with light garland. The garland should be formed spherical by looping it throughout itself for keeping the shape. Place it in the hands or at the feet of the statue as if it was played with.
Let’s make artificial icicles until there are no real ones. Cut the legs of some nylon stockings. Fill it with cotton wool with placing the light garland among it. Sew it at the top. Hang it under the roof, near the front door or on the patio, preferably protected from rain because cotton wool sucks water quickly.
It’s important to use only outdoor, waterproof light garlands for safety! Ask for help of an interior designer for planning the festive outdoor lighting.

Table centerpiece 6.

Oct26

Halloween table centerpiece ideas

Elegant decors for Halloween

Oct24

When preparing a Halloween decoration, the goal is to create it more scary. Anyhow, classic homes should be decorated in an elegant way for this feast also.
Decorate the mantelpiece, coffee table, shelves with objects which have old mood and fit for the occasion: alarm clock, antique silver and glass candle holders, paper and metal boxes in fitting colors, magnifiers, bird cage etc. Some leather- or linen-folded old books are a good base. If we don’t have these at home, we can even make some by ourselves: cut black-and-white newspapers at the required size, glue them to each other by the edges to get a ca. 2-3 cm thick „volume”. Wrap it with brown paper. Dip it into black tea and let it dry. It will be similar to an antique book without its cover. We can even burn the edges and write the title on the rootlet by a fountain pen.
Make the door wreath from e.g. black feathers which remind us to crows but look good anyway. If the door is too dark for this, then choose white, silver or golden colored pieces. Orange dried flowers and white chrysanthemums are suitable instead of feathers also.
Let’s decorate the walls with unique handmade silhouettes. Cut the profile out from black cardboard and put them on light bases into similar frames. Old black-and-white family photos and anatomical engravings are also perfect decoration elements for Halloween.
Gather old types of keys, the bigger and shabbier is better. They can be hanged on the wall in frames but the smaller can be pinned on pumpkins as decoration too. If they are individually stringed to a black ribbon, then they can be hanged interlaced to the stair-rail or the curtain rod.
Let’s paint some classic bird feeder to dark grey or black color. They will be spooky placed in group in the corner near the door.
Take out the high-heeled black boots and shoes, top-hat and hat fitting in color from the wardrobe. Stuff the shoes and place them e.g. beside the fireplace. Hats can be put even on the top of the pumpkins but they look perfect hanged from the ceiling also. We can highlight these everyday objects decorating them with light-garlands.
Ask for help of an interior designer making a classical effected Halloween decoration.

Leftover pumpkin decor

Oct21

Pumpkin decors made of leftover materials

Cushions

Oct17

Cushions are ideal for creating the mood of a room. With their help we can add color to the space, accent the given style elements and create harmony between the pieces of the furnishing. If there are no suitable cushions in shops for our purse or conception, let’s make the perfect pieces for ourselves. This way the boring or inapposite ones don’t need to be replaced and we can easily transform the general aspect of the room, suitably for example to seasons or feasts.
Use buttons for decorating the pillowcase. Sew a pattern on the plain base using a collection of different sized buttons in the same color. This could be the initials of a family member, a motif of a coming-soon feast, geometrical shapes, flowers etc. The pre-drawn pattern could be sewn with beads.
Don’t throw out the old knitted sweaters and cardigans. Let’s cut them in half below the sleeves and sew the cut side together. Put the cushion in it by the original open end. We can close its edge with big buttons or fitting ribbons, this way it will be easily exchangeable.
Sew ribbons in fitting colors for the palette on the plain cushion. We can create patterns but simply the smaller and bigger stripes beside each other look also good. A silk scarf is perfect for this too if we use it like a ribbon of a gift package. Old lace tablecloths lying in the wardrobe can be perfect decoration elements. Sew them loose, just in some points to the pillowcase, so they can be easily removed before washing. Forms cut out from felt not necessarily has to be sewn, they can be fixed with glue to the pillowcase since their edges don’t ravel.
Let’s pin some of the grandmother’s brooches to one corner of the cushion. They will provide a real antique and elegant look by glimmering. We can use necklaces, earrings and belt buckles also.
Ask for help of an interior designer for more creative ideas.

Autumn crops decoration

Sep26

People like to decorate their homes with autumn crops, berries and fruits in this time of the year: collected shiny chestnuts in a basket, a bowl full of apples on the dining table or a bunch of berried branches in a vase. However, the treasures of nature can be used in a more creative way, since they make an exciting mood with their beautiful colors.
Let’s paint the acorns with golden or silver paint that the caps should remain in their original color. Put them in a porcelain bowl, so glimmering accessories are gained for the classic mood.
Take off the caps of acorns and glue them on a simple, standing picture frame. In the case of a bigger frame, this can be done with half nutshells also. If they are painted in off-white or beige and then carefully rubbed, their natural brown color can show through and a nice antique effect can be reached. This fits perfectly for the vintage mood.
Let’s make a glittering festive table centerpiece made of apples and pears, instead of a simple fruit bowl. Polish the fruits with a soft cloth. Purchase edible gold foil and apply on the surface of the fruits with a soft brush. It will stick on it unsought. It doesn’t matter if it is not completely covered, moreover, it is more exciting and antique if the gilding is only applied in larger spots. If they are not for eating, let’s glue rhinestones on the surfaces of the fruits for reaching an opulent effect.
Pick a bigger amount of berries in different colors (rosehip, rowans, buckthorn etc.). They shouldn’t have stems or leaf. Pour these in layers in a well-shaped, taller glass pot. Even a tea candle can be put on the top of it or some flower can be pushed among them. It will be a perfect table centerpiece.
Ask for help of an interior designer for creating the autumn decoration.

Pumpkin decors without carving

Sep12

The properly carved pumpkins are important parts of the autumn decoration. However, not everybody has handicraft for making these and somebody doesn’t like the sticky mess connecting to carving.
Let’s paint pumpkins instead of carving. Many of the hobby paints are suitable for this purpose. Even the whole surface can be painted, for example gold or silver color which will be an elegant element. The common grinner Halloween faces can be created also with black paint or alcoholic marker. Several patterns and motifs can be painted with stencils, without any handicraft.
Use drawing pins for decorating. Shiny chrome, brass or even black pins can be chosen according to the interior. Pre-draw the pattern with a pencil then push them in the pumpkin. It is an easy, fast but spectacular solution.
Coat the surface of the pumpkin with glue then sprinkle glitter on it. The surplus can be removed with a soft brush after drying. Patterns can be made this way also.
Let’s use the old laces, color leaves, ribbons, cut paper figures etc. by decoupage glue and decorate the surface of the pumpkin with these. This type of glue will be invisible after drying and protects the surface at the same time.
Use not only orange pumpkins but let’s buy white, green or rusty red types also according to the style of the home. The combination of these makes the sight more colorful.
The limit is only our imagination. Ask for help of an interior designer for unique ideas.

Autumn decor

Sep2

DIY decoration ideas for fall

Leftover laminated floor ideas

Aug29

Many people renovate their houses in summer. After the works, a lot of beautiful and valuable materials are left, which are usually spared for later incidental repairs. However, these can be used for other purposes also. Many ideas can be found on DIY websites for using leftover wall paints, wallpapers and tiles. But what can we do with one or two boxes of laminated or wooden floor?
If there is a larger amount, it can be used for making headboard for the bed. Planks with click system should be joined and fixed to the wall. Cut the mountings at the edge row. It can be framed with slats or even metal frame but painting the edges with the same color can be also enough.
Let’s make a hallway peg wall of them. Fix the planks on the wall this time vertically. It is ready after screwing some hanger and a hat shelf. If a distinct result is desired, paint it, even in different colors by planks. The narrow ones can be placed in herringbone pattern, for example.
A boring table can be perked up with laminated planks too. Glue them on the top of the table, cut them to measure and paint or laminate the edges. It’s important that the planks should fit tight. Remove the glass from the old-fashioned glass topped coffee table and the cut-to-size planks can be easily fit in the place of it.
If there are only some planks to left, they can be used for making picture frames. Cut them in 45°, fit the parts together and fix them. Since the one side is grooved, the desired picture or mirror can be easily fit in the frame. A hanging inscribed decoration can be made of a shorter one. Let’s paint our favorite word on it (e.g. Home, Welcome, Beach), drill a hole near the top of it and put a ribbon or a cord in it. It can be a showy door wreath.
In addition, there are several other usages. Ask for help of an interior designer for solutions fit for your home.

Chalk paint

Aug26

Chalk paint is perfect for refreshing objects, because doesn’t need any preparation work, the surface can be easy antiquated and it’s environmentally friendly