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12 Quick Decorating Tips to Add Some Style to Your Home

12 Quick Decorating Tips to Add Some Style to Your Home

If you don’t have the time or the money for a full home renovation, here are 10 quick decorating tips to add a little excitement and style to your home:

1. Wallpaper borders: You don’t have to paint or fully cover walls to add a bit more interest. Try wallpaper borders. They come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and shapes.

2. Add a Throw Rug: Even if you already have a carpeted room, you can add a brightly colored or uniquely patterned rug for a different look. You can place them at floor level, mid-level or up at the ceiling. Get creative!

3. Put Valances on the Window: A window valance is simply a small decorative curtain. It’s much shorter and it’s only function is to look pretty on a bare window or a window with blinds.

4. Keep Your Home Organized: Okay, that doesn’t really sound like a decorating tip, but the more organized and uncluttered your home is, the better it will look and the more comfortable it will feel.

5. Try New Ceiling Lighting or a New Lamp: It’s amazing what a difference lighting can make in a home. Update your look with some new lighting.

6. Add Color: There are so many ways to add color to your home. You can do it with towels, throw pillows, table skirts, folding screens, new bedsheets and more.

7. Paint Your Cabinets: Not ready for new cabinets? If you have wooden cabinets, you can easily paint them with acrylic paint made for wood.

8. Decorate Your Walls: Add paintings, framed photographs, art-work, candle sconces or whatever suits your fancy.

9. Add New Decorative Light Switch Covers: Forget about plain and boring white or beige light covers. Add some excitement to the room.

10. Add Cushions to Your Chair: Not only will it create a new look for your chairs, but it might cover up some of those scratches that build over time.

11. Change Your Door Handles: Door handles aren’t too complicated to change and come in a variety of styles and color choices.

12. Add Candles, Vases or other Centerpieces to Your Tables: You can try pillar candles in various sizes placed on a decorative plate, a brightly colored vase with fresh flowers or another unique centerpiece to add beauty to any room.

Not all home makeovers require a contractor and thousands of dollars. If you have a bit of time this weekend, now’s the perfect time to get started with these great ideas.

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Seasonal Décor Ideas – Redecorate Your Home Throughout the Year

by Home Living Magazine

Seasonal Décor Ideas – Redecorate Your Home Throughout the Year

It’s fun to redecorate your home throughout the year and what better excuse to make a change than the coming of a new season.

Spring: Spring is all about fresh flowers and pretty colors. Add a pink gingham table cloth to your table and dress it with daises. Get rid of your heavy winter duvet and replace it with a lighter throw in a pretty pattern. Remove your heavy draperies, replace them with sheers and let the light in.

Summer: Now’s the time to take it outside. Now’s the time to make your patio a great place for the family to gather for wonderful fresh-air meals. Refinish your wooden patio furniture or get creative with colors and new decorative elements. Stock up on stylish and colorful, yet break-resistant, plastic tableware. Bring on the birds with nicely-designed birdfeeders and houses.

Autumn: As the temperature turns a little colder and the leaves start changing color, add some earth-tone throw pillows to the couch. Give your home a harvest flavor with a squash centerpiece with a variety of shapes and colors. Burn pumpkin or apple-scented candles in your home – there’s nothing like the smell of homemade pie. Or better yet, make some pumpkin or apple pie!

Winter: As the days get shorter and we spend more time indoors, make your home as comfortable as possible. Bring out a chenille throw and more comfy cushions for cozy couch snuggling. Don’t forget to light the fireplace and prepare some hot apple cider. For bedtime, add a thick down duvet with a warm color to your bed.

For winter entertaining, add red charger plates under your plain white china for a more festive look. Place candles all over the home for a warmer ambiance.

…and don’t forget the major holidays throughout the year. They’re always a great excuse to add a little fun and something different to your home all-year-round. From Valentine’s Day to Easter, Halloween and Christmas, there’s always an opportunity for something new.

One thing to keep in mind when changing your décor throughout the year is storage space. Having too many seasonal items often ends up in clutter if you don’t have a very large home. Be sure to organize your seasonal items, clearly label them and rotate them strategically throughout the year. For blankets and other fabric items, you can vacuum seal them to minimize the storage space they require. Above all, keep it simple and uncluttered. A little décor goes a long way.

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Tagged as: decor, decorate, Decorating, ideas, seaons, seasonal

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Decorating Your Dinner Table With Style

by Home Living Magazine

Decorating Your Dinner Table With Style

So, you’re having a big dinner party or just a few of your friends are coming over for a meal. We’ve got plenty of ideas to help you create a great table setting for your guests.

Choosing Your Table Cloth

Your tablecloth choice will depend on your dinnerware. If you have patterned dinnerware, choose a plain tablecloth. If you have plain, single-colored dinnerware, you can choose a patterned tablecloth.

Be careful with choosing too much color. If you have brightly colored dinnerware, whether it is patterned or not, choose a more subtle and neutral color for your tablecloth.

You might also place a plastic pad under your table cloth. This will prevent stains on your table and reduce clanging from dishes and cutlery.

Creating Your Place Settings

Try adding name cards to your settings. Not only does this take the guesswork out of where to sit for your guests, it’s add some more style and personality. People appreciate this extra attention to detail.

Make sure that you have enough space for your guests to sit comfortably. If not, it might make sense to add another table or rent a table from your local party store so that everyone can sit comfortably. It doesn’t have to be a fancy table either…just cover it with a nice tablecloth and you’ll be all set.

If your dishes are plain white, you might consider charger plates to add a splash of color. But again, if your tablecloth is adding plenty of color, you might forgo the extra busyness.

Assuming your not going completely formal, here are some general guidelines for placing cutlery. Forks to the left, knives to the right and dessert flatware above the plate. Salad and appetizer forks and knives should go on the outside. The cutlery for the main meal is placed closest to the plate.

Glassware goes in the top right of your setting and how complicated you make this up to you. Traditionally, you’ll start with the water glass, wine glass and finish with a dessert glass. Unless you have a lot of space at your table, that can create a lot of clutter and most guests will probably not use all those glasses. I prefer to know my guests preferences in advance and place the appropriate glassware at their place setting.

Other Details

Make sure there are enough salt and pepper shakers and butter trays for your guests to reach or pass easily. If you have a large table, you don’t want your guests to have to shout across the table to get what they need.

Don’t forget the centerpiece. Try a floral arrangement, tapered candles or something to suit your unique taste.

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Tagged as: decorate, Decorating, dining room, dinner table, how to, Style

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Christmas Traditions: Craft the Tree this Year

by Home Living Magazine

Christmas is the time of traditions and crafts. From pipe cleaner candy canes to making and decorating gingerbread houses, there is no time like Christmas for crafting. Whether you have yearly holiday traditions already in place at your house or are looking for ways to start a new tradition, you’ve come to the right place.

One tradition that many households celebrate during the holidays is decorating the Christmas tree. Usually putting up decorations and adorning the tree with lights, garland and ornaments that hold special memories is an affair the entire family participates in. So, if you love to craft and your family is one that makes an entire day out of decking the halls, read on for a way to combine the two loves this year.

Crafting your Christmas tree can be done a few different ways.

1. Use crafts from years past
2. Make new crafts for the tree
3. Creating themes with crafts every year

Using Crafts from Years Gone By

One way you can craft your tree this year is to gather all the goodies your family has made in previous years. A few such times might include those made from by the kids when they were in elementary school, during rainy days that meant crafting the afternoon away or any other times when crafts were made within the family.

Make New Crafts Just for the Christmas Tree

If you don’t have crafts from year’s past, make some new ones. Take an afternoon and spend it making crafts especially for this year’s tree. You can find craft kits with Christmas themed items at your local craft or dollar store or you can make your own from every day items around the house. It doesn’t even have to be Christmas type crafts. Whatever your family wants to make, let them go for it, then decorate your tree with pride – even if it is with finger paints and paper airplanes. Let the kids choose crafts that show their interests. If your daughter likes Hannah Montana and your son likes aliens, it’s ok; this tree is all about combining the differences in family into one loving and unique tree.

Create a Yearly Theme for Your Christmas Craft Tree

Want to make crafting your tree an annual tradition that changes a bit every year so no one gets bored with the same decorations year after year? Pick a theme for your tree and make crafts that fit the theme. Here are a few examples of themes you could use:

Snowmen – Create snowmen from all kinds of things like foam, cotton balls, construction paper, etc. Make a big snowman dressed to the hilt with his broom and top hat to place on the top.

Tree of Garland – You can create garland out of almost anything. Popcorn, construction paper chains, beads, ribbons, string are all great ideas. You can even create a charm garland by taking a piece of string and attaching various crafts or trinkets from the year past.

Color Schemes – Pink & Purple, Red & Green, Blue & Silver, or Gold & Silver, whatever colors your heart desires. Choose two or three colors at most to keep from going over board. You can add bows, ribbons, or any other decoration you’d like as long as it keeps the color scheme.

Baby – Got a baby celebrating their first Christmas this year or expecting your first child? Decorate your tree with craft items that resemble baby bottles, teething rings, rattles, etc.

These are just a few of the many ways you can craft your Christmas tree this year. Get creative and think of some of your own too. Make a day out of decorating your tree this year and for years to come by making some cookies the day before and sipping on some hot chocolate throughout the day. Don’t forget the Christmas carols playing in the background. No holiday decorating is complete without your favorite songs to sing along with.

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Tagged as: christmas, christmas crafts, Crafts, Decorating, Family, Holidays, traditions

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Having a Christmas Party? Why You Should Decorate Your Home

by Home Living Magazine

Have you recently made the decision to host a Christmas party this year or even next? If so, it is likely that you have your party all planned out or, at least, you should be looking to develop a plan soon. Regardless of whether you have already started planning your Christmas party yet, have you thought about decorations? Christmas decorations are an important party of the holiday season, but they are an even bigger party of a Christmas party. That is one of the many reasons why you should want to decorate your home for Christmas.

As previously mentioned, Christmas decorations are an important part of Christmas, as well any type of party. There is just something about Christmas that makes everyone want to celebrate it, particularly with Christmas decorations. The same can be said for a party. Party decorations, even Christmas party decorations, makes a party, well, seem more like a party. Having Christmas decorations at your Christmas party will likely make your party more enjoyable. There is just something about Christmas decorations that brings out the Christmas spirit. Therefore, if you are looking to make your Christmas party a festive one, one that your guests will never want to forget, you are advised to decorate your home for your Christmas party.

While Christmas parties come in all different forms, popular Christmas party forms includes parties that are for children or parties that are for family. Regardless of whether or not you have adults and children present at your Christmas party or just children, one thing is for sure; children love the Christmas season. One of the reasons for that is because of the pretty decorations. If you are a parent, yourself, you likely already know first hand how much children enjoy looking at Christmas decorations. In fact, the decorations are sometimes the first thing that children notice. Therefore, if there will be children that will be attending your Christmas party, it may be a good idea to decorate your home for the event.

As previously mentioned, Christmas parities are often associated with friends and family. That is why there is a good chance that you or your guests would want to document the holidays. This documentation is often done with a video camera or a picture camera. Regardless of which is being used, you will find that Christmas decorations make the perfect backdrop for video footage or pictures. In fact, it may also be a good idea to decorate and designate an area of your home for pictures. This may not only put your decorations to good use, but it will also encourage your guests to document the holiday with pictures.

Another reason why you should decorate your home, for your Christmas party, is because, in most cases, you will find that your guests expect your home to be decorated. A Christmas party really isn’t a Christmas party without Christmas decorations. In fact, the decorations are often what sets a Christmas party apart from any other party. Since parties, especially Christmas parties, are often associated with decorations, you will find that your guests expect to see them. Perhaps, that is one of the most important reasons why you should decorate your home for your Christmas party; you don’t want to let your guests down do you?

As you can easily see, there are a number of different reasons why you should decorate your home for your Christmas party. If you are looking to find the largest selection of Christmas decorations or a particular type, you are advised to start your shopping early, preferably in late October or early December. As Christmas approaches, you will find that many retail stores sell out of their Christmas decorations and very few replenish their stock. Therefore, if you are planning on decorating your home for your Christmas party, you will want to get started soon. In fact, as soon as the Christmas decorations hit the store shelves, it may be a good idea to, at least, start purchasing your decorations.

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Tagged as: christmas, christmas party, Decorating, entertaining, guests, Holidays, Parties

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What to Consider Before Decorating Your Lawn for Christmas

by Home Living Magazine

Each year, millions of Americans choose to decorate their homes for Christmas. While many individuals keep the Christmas decorations on the inside of their homes, not all do. There are a fairly large number of individuals who also choose to decorate the outside of their homes, namely their lawns. If you are interested in decorating your front yard for Christmas, there are a number of important factors that you may first want to keep in mind. These factors may reaffirm your decision to decorate your lawn for Christmas, but they may also want to make you change your mind.

Perhaps, the most important thing to think about is what type of decorations you want in your front yard. In the United States, as previously mentioned, a large number of individuals decorate their front yards with Christmas decorations. These yard decorations come in a number of different formats. There are some homeowners who simply place a Santa yardstick in their yard or add lights to the outside of their home, but other homeowners go all out, some with huge inflatable Santa dolls and other colorful decorations. The type of Christmas decorations that you plan on using, as well as how many will make it easier to determine whether or not you should decorate your lawn for Christmas.

Unfortunately, there are many homeowners who feel that they can do whatever they want to their property because it is their right to do so. While it is your right to decorate your home, as well as your front yard, you will want to take your neighbors into consideration. If you live in a highly populated community, there is a good chance that large lawn decorations, especially those with bright lights, may cause some discomfort among your neighbors. You will not want to create a Christmas lawn display that has your neighbors up all night because your Christmas lights are shining into their bedroom. That is why it may be a good idea to speak to your neighbors before decorating your lawn, especially if you plan on creating a large display. You may find that your neighbors do not even care.

In addition to what your neighbors think, you may also want to be concerned with what your town, city, or county officials think. While you might not necessarily know this, there are some cities, towns, and counties that have strict regulations on what can or cannot be placed on a lawn. This is most commonly seen with business signs or election signs. While your local community may not have these restrictions, it is important that you check ahead of time. If you do set up a large Christmas display and you are legally prohibited from doing so, you will likely just receive a warning the first time, but action may be taken later. That is why it is important that you know what you are getting yourself into ahead of time.

Before deciding to decorate your lawn for Christmas, it might be a good idea to examine the cost of doing so. While it is possible to find a number of low-cost Christmas decorations for the lawn, such as small lawn signs and outdoor Christmas lights, the larger you want your display to be the more you will have to pay. If you are looking for large decorations, such as an inflatable Santa and reindeer set, you will need to pay quite a bit more money. These decorations may cost fifty dollars or more. If you are decorating for Christmas on a budget, it may be difficult or impossible for you to find large, affordable Christmas decorations, unless you are willing to buy used decorations. It may also be a good idea to examine the cost of extra cost of electricity, especially if you are using a large number of Christmas lights.

When it comes to decorating your lawn, as mentioned above, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages. By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to decide for your own whether or not it is a good idea for you to decorate the outside of your home for Christmas.

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Decorating in a Small Home

by Home Living Magazine

Just because you live in a small house, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great look, style and comfort in your home. The key is to plan carefully and make the most of the space you have, without overpowering the room.

Here are some tips before you get started:

* Less is more. Avoid clutter in your home. This means you might have to put away some of those cherished knick-knacks and pass on some of the decorative pieces you’d love to purchase, but an uncluttered home will always provide more comfort and style.

* If your lacking storage space, consider purchasing cabinets and bookshelves that reach your ceiling. That will give you more storage space, without using so much precious floor space.

* Make your rooms serve multi-purposes. For example, your child’s room can be a study and play room as well. Your dining room, may be a perfect area for crafts, family game night and more.

* Choose furniture that gives you more space. You can choose dining room tables with leaves, so you can keep it small when you don’t need the extra space. You might have stacking tables in the living room. Try using a chest or trunk as the living room coffee table. It will serve as your table and a great storage space as well.

* If you have an unfinished basement, be sure to use that space wisely. Even you can’t afford a huge remodel, you can use the space as a games or play area. Throw an area rug on the floor and set up the play area.

* Light and mirrors can add the illusion of space. Keep your window coverings open during the day and add wall mirrors to get a feeling of more space in your home. Also, make sure lighting in the room goes all the way to walls. Dark corners can make your home seem smaller.

* Keep your appliances and tech-gadgets small. Also, try appliances the serve multi-purposes or you’ll just find a lot of counter clutter and no room in the cupboards for them all. Decide which items you really need and which you can live without. Flat-screen TVs and small DVDs and CD players can help in saving space.

* Add shelving and other organizational units to your closets. Use that storage space wisely as you’re going to need it. There are closet kits you can purchase or you can make custom shelving and other organizational items.

* Donate to charity frequently. It’s amazing how many things we can accumulate in a short period of time. Several times per year, go through your home and find home décor items, clothing, appliances and other gadgets that aren’t being used and can be given to the goodwill.

If you keep it simple, living in a small home can be very comfortable and you can still achieve the style in your home that you’d like.

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Decorating

12 Quick Decorating Tips to Add Some Style to Your Home

Seasonal Décor Ideas – Redecorate Your Home Throughout the Year

Decorating Your Dinner Table With Style

Christmas Traditions: Craft the Tree this Year

Having a Christmas Party? Why You Should Decorate Your Home

What to Consider Before Decorating Your Lawn for Christmas

Decorating in a Small Home

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Decorating

12 Quick Decorating Tips to Add Some Style to Your Home

Seasonal Décor Ideas – Redecorate Your Home Throughout the Year

Decorating Your Dinner Table With Style

Christmas Traditions: Craft the Tree this Year

Having a Christmas Party? Why You Should Decorate Your Home

What to Consider Before Decorating Your Lawn for Christmas

Decorating in a Small Home

Catagories

Archives

KitchenAid Appliances

Home Decorating

Kitchen & Bath Faucets

Compact Appliances

Blogroll

Appliance Superstore

Party Supplies

Subscribe to Home Living

Save With Coupons

Checking Account Alternative

Tags

Popular Posts

Free Credit Report

Designer Boutique

Wedding Supplies