As we turn the calendar page
to May, we know that summer is just around the corner. If the crafting bug bites and your decorating
aspirations could use some uplifting, here are some hands-on ideas to the
rescue.
Problem: “I love seeing the store shelves lined with outdoor seasonal décor, but
decorating outside isn’t really my thing.”
Solution: Bring it in! Those
boxwood topiaries are beautiful, but you would be heartbroken if they “walked
off.” Take items being marketed for your
patio or porch and let them adorn your living space. Topiaries in large planters can also flank
the inside of your front door and look like picturesque statues in your
entryway, while smaller versions can add height to a centerpiece down the
center of your dining table. Painted
pots for plants can house an indoor herb garden, rolled hand towels in a guest
bathroom, or double as your kitchen utensil caddy for the season. Those lanterns that could hold citronella
candles on the patio table could just as easily light up summery scents and
rest on your coffee table. Don’t feel
obligated to keep the outdoors out all summer.
Problem: “What could I do with all these old picture frames I’ve taken down that
are just being stored?” Solution:
Repurpose and reuse. In our digital age,
some family photo picture frames have gotten the boot. Take mismatched frames, remove their backing,
and spray paint them to be a cohesive collection. Hang them in a gallery grouping as simply
open frames. Return the backing (minus
the kickstand or hardware) and glass to a larger frame and fill it with craft
paper or fabric to make a tray for remotes in the living room or coffee service
in the kitchen. Screw in tea cup hooks
to the upper inside of a small open frame you’ve painted and hang it in your
back entryway to hold keys. Hang a low
gallery wall for interchangeable kid art with ribbon and clothespins suspended
from open frames.
Problem: “These bookshelves look bland.”
Solution: Do a wrap job. Give old
books new life and décor status when you wrap the covers in craft paper. Do different shelves in different
complimentary shades, go monochromatic, or choose different prints and patterns
in one color family. The end result is
an eye-catching work of [cover] art.
Problem: “My mismatched glassware is in a sad state.” Solution: Spring for a matching set, and let
the oldies-but-goodies move up in the world.
One set of matching drinking glasses for the dining table is great for
company and everyday use as well. If
breakage and loss has turned your glass cabinet into a regular police lineup of
nearly-no-two-are-alike, put a new set on your shopping list and pull out some
for new roles. Use painters tape and
spray paint to give new life to a few juice glasses to hold toothbrushes and
cotton swabs on the bathroom counter.
Turn a newly-painted drinking glass into a vase. Paint a few to use as tealight holders to
incorporate into a centerpiece display.
Hit the refresh button for
the upcoming season by rethinking common uses and giving new decorating life to
tired pieces. Bring your own re-dos to
the rescue this May.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 3rd.
