American Chronicle: Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas at Your Fingertips

American Chronicle: Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas at Your Fingertips
Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas at Your Fingertips
By: Jaime Carpenter
March 20, 2007

"Home decorating on a budget doesn’t always mean having to settle for second rate. Think don’t spend. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and get busy, you can have a house to drool over by using these budget decorating ideas. ! You don’t have to be that handy, but a few power tools will help!
1. Shelving- buy a couple of sheets of smooth particle board. Measure the desired width and length of your shelves and mark. Chalk a line down each and then saw. You’ll want to have 5 shelves when you’re done. Paint the shelves your desired color. A glossy paint is easiest to clean. Buy 8 inexpensive terra cotta pots 8” in diameter or so. Big enough so they will support the weight of each shelf, but not so large they will fall off. Decorate the pots with paint as you like or leave plain. Place one shelf on the floor for the base then 2 pots then 2 shelves, etc. TaDa! Inexpensive home decorating ideas are at your fingertips.
2. Easy Headboard- Create a headboard effect by purchasing a curtain rod slightly larger than the width of the bed. Purchase 3 or 4 chair cushions and string onto the curtain rod and tie. Easy!
3. Here's another inexpensive home decorating idea...Kitchen curtain tiebacks- Go shopping at a thrift store for some cheap metal kitchen utensils or flatware. You will need 2 for each window. Bend them in a U shape with vice grips or with a hammer by pounding it against a brick. It’s okay if you beat it up a little. That gives it a shabby look . Make sure to bend it so the front is on the outside. Attach the end to the wall with screws so that the open U is facing away from the window. Voila! A whimsical tieback. You can even do this for drawer pulls. Just don’t bend as much. Who new silverware could turn into inexpensive home decorating ideas?
4. Another inexpensive home decorating idea is to go to yard sales to find old trunks, hard suitcases, barrels, etc. Use all around the house for storage, a coffee or end table or extra seating. You may want to try some decorative painting to dress them up a bit.
5. Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas for a Backsplash - Collect cheap colorful dishes from garage sales or thrift stores. Flat pieces work the best. Put them in a sturdy plastic sack and crunch them gently with a hammer. Install the cement board on the wall in desired area for the backsplash. Then arrange the flat tiles in a mosaic pattern in the tile mud. Let dry and grout. Definitely unique!
6. Hard Wood Floors Need Refinishing? – Gently rub a rough grained then fine grained sand paper all over so that some of the unfinished wood shows through. Then try a liming technique to give it that French country feel. This involves slightly thinning paint and brushing it over the floor. Last, seal with a satin polyurethane.
7. Budget Rug- Buy a large piece or roll of artists canvas that has been primed but not stretched over a frame. Paint with acrylic paints in your own original style. Then paint with 2 coats of polyurethane. This is one of many inexpensive home decorating ideas and works best when placed on hard wood floors or low pile carpet.
8. Need to Make an Area Appear Larger? Buy mirror tiles ($8 for a pack of 12 at Wal-Mart) and stick to the wall in a large rectangle or other design.
9. Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas For Wall Art - Frame a piece of your child’s or grandchild’s artwork and display like a cherished painting. It will make a terrific conversation piece!
10. Do you have a 1970’s yellow toilet and bath you can’t stand? Go with it. Retro is back! Another inexpensive home decorating idea is to choose a paint color combination that has several shades of the yellow and add a few shades of brown. Add a funky shower curtain and rug. Paint the cabinets, walls and ceiling different shades of yellow. Make it look like you’re going with the mod look on purpose!
11. Budget Flooring- Pry up the old junk ‘til you hit the bottom. Install vinyl squares yourself! You can find them at Lowe’s or Home Depot for around $1. It’s a cinch to cut with a razor knife, peel and stick.
12. Budget Lighting- Attach a hanging lamp-cord set to just about any item you can find around the house. You can buy these cord sets at your local hardware store. Use a metal bucket, wicker waste basket or metal colander as the lamp shade. Drape the cord over a simple screw in hook in the ceiling. Allow the cord to fall down from the ceiling along the wall and plug in. Wow! Another inexpensive home decorating idea! Check out the March Newsletter to view step by step instructions on how to make a light fixture.
13. Group a mixture of decorative picture frames without pictures on top of a mantle or shelf to create a sculpture-like appearance. Just lean them against the wall. Find them at flea markets and yard sales.
14. Take one large decorative picture frame without picture and hand on wall. Use your imagination to paint a landscape or portrait right on the wall inside the frame. Not much talent? You can just stamp designs inside with paint.
15. Make a collection of mittens and gloves by hanging in pairs and nailing to the wall. Each year you can add a pair that your child has outgrown. When dreaming up inexpensive home decorating ideas, anything can be wall art!
16. Make your own magnetic board by taping off a designated area. Then paint with 4 or so coats of magnetic paint, yes they do make such product! It’s very handy! If you choose you can paint it a color to match your décor. Then make your own magnets. Buy a bag of plain magnetic circles at a craft store. Use a hot glue gun to glue anything from silk flowers to photographs onto the magnets.
17. Make a royal bed head board. Purchase a semi circle wall pot rack, 2 bed sheets, 2 curtain tiebacks that attach to the wall and curtainclips.
Curtain clips have a circle hooked to a clip. The circle is designed to go over the curtain rod and the clip is to hold the fabric. No sewing required! Attach the pot rack to the wall above the bed at desired height. Hook the curtain clips to the edge of fabric at even intervals. Place the pot rack hooks on the pot hanger. Then hook the circle part of the curtain clip over the pot hooks on the pot rack. Install curtain tiebacks to the wall, one on either side of the bed. Drape the ends of the fabric over each of the curtain tiebacks. Add an oval mirror or painting above the bed, between the 2 bedsheets to complete the look. Voila! Instant royalty!
18. Save those old game boards. Attach L brackets to the wall and super glue an old Monopoly game board to the brackets. Display theme related décor on the boards. Create a masterpiece by repeating this with 3 or 4 game boards.
19. Budget Flooring Tile- Install miscellaneous left over tile in a random patchwork quilt like pattern. Call local contractors who most likely keep scraps or try searching online.
20. Turn stemware upside down and use base as a candle stand. Group in 3 or more for an elegant centerpiece.
21. Use unusual items such as coffee cups, bowls, waste baskets, pails or watering cans for potted plants.
Now you can see that inexpensive home decorating ideas can be discovered just by using a little imagination! Every day items can turn into fantastic interior design tools! When looking for inexpensive home decorating ideas , remember that anything goes! As long as you like it everyone else will be jealous they didn't think of it first."

Tags: inexpensive budget home decorating ideas

Creating a Mood with Scents - Aromatherapy Ideas

Creating a Mood with Scents - Aromatherapy Ideas
Creating a Mood with Scents by: Jennifer Hall

"Have you ever noticed how the warm scent of a candle wafting through the air can be uplifting, energizing, or make you cozy? Or maybe there's a certain body spray, soap, or perfume that just keeps you going through the day. Did you wonder why maybe that Key Lime candle smelled yummy but also energized you or even motivated you to clean? Or why that Apple Pie scent really helped you appreciate fall? Wonder no longer, study after study has shown that scents do affect your mood! Take a look below of some scents that can really enhance your moods:

1. Citrus Scent - Energy
Need a pick-me-up? Grab a cup of java and light a citrus candle, citrus scents enhance energy and boost mood; so look for candles with lemon, lime, grapefruit, verbena, or orange scents.
2. Lavender Scent - Relaxation
When it's time to wind down try burning a lavender candle. In studies, lavender has been found to correlate with slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and lower arterial pressure. It has also been found to decrease muscle tension. Other scents that have been found to have relaxing effects are bergamot and sandalwood.
3. Citris, Minty, and Pine Scents - Uplifting, Clean
If you want to create a cheerful, clean environment in your home, choose candles scented with citrus, mint, or pine. Often these scents can be not only uplifting and motivating, but just give that "clean" feel. When you or your guests walk in, these scents will be a fresh breeze to welcome anyone.
4. Jasmine, Gardenia, Sandalwood, and Rose Scents - Romantic
There's romance in the air if you're burning scents such as these. Floral and woody scents give that wistful, romantic feel to a room.
5. Season Enhancing Scents
Delve into the season with your favorite candles scents! Autumn's a great time for burning pumpkin spice candles, as well as other baked good candle scents, as is winter. To create that cozy winter environment, choose cinnamon, apple, berry, and pine candles. Fresh candle scents such as cucumber melon are great for spring, as well as fresh cut grass candles which carry into summer. Nothing says summer like a nice citrus, like a lemonade candle scent drifting through the air.
If you love a certain candle, soap, or body spray - whatever the scent may be - don't do what I too often do, which is save it until that scent runs out! Light it and enjoy, it's sure to affect you in a positive way! "

I love these ideas. What a great way to create a mood and ambiance in your home.

Tags: create mood with scents aromatherapy, budget+home+decorating+ideas

HomeClick - Low Prices on Premium Home and Garden Products

HomeClick - Low Prices on Premium Home and Garden Products

I just discovered a website that offers low prices and free shipping (for all orders over $75) on luxury brand bath and kitchen fixtures, lighting, tableware, outdoor furniture, appliances, and more. I simply love it.

It's one stop shopping for most anything you may need for home decorating. If you are remodeling, you will find great luxury brand bath and kitchen fixtures at some of the best prices that I've seen. They have items for your garden, including furniture and fixtures. Products for your fireplace, hardware, and framed artwork. You can find just about anything that you need.

Take a look at HomeClick today.

Tags: low price premium high quality luxury brand home and garden products

DeClutter Fast - How to Get Your Home in Order

Most people have a clutter problem. That's why so many people can make a living helping other people get their clutter under control. I found some amazing advice and tips for getting your house in order - and don't worry it's a really fast read, but it will help you tremendously: Declutter Fast: How To Get Your Home In Order Almost Immediately.

I am fascinated with the subject of decluttering. Why? Because, other than completely remodeling your home, there is nothing in this world that feels quite the same as looking around your home and seeing it in order and glowing. Likewise, there's nothing more energy-draining and depressing than living with clutter. Some people have to literally clear paths in their home just to find their way to the bathroom, while there are many others who sleep every night on a bed that is piled with junk!!!

Sometimes we just don't have the closet space we need for the items we accummulate. Some of us are pack rats, and have clutter problems for this reason. But often even if you give up being a pack rat, clutter is still a major issue that has to be dealt with!

Don't get frustrated with clutter and give up. Read Declutter Fast: How To Get Your Home In Order Almost Immediately for the best advice you'll ever get on this subject.

You can live every day with the peace of mind and soul that results from having your home de-cluttered exactly the way you want it. You can be in control of your stuff, and not the other way around. The effects of decluttering your home or office may open door after door for you in your personal and career life. Decluttering releases the bonds that have been holding you back in life. Decluttering ignites the energy within you - positive energy you didn't even know you had! The stress in your face and body will ease and your confidence will return. Things start to fall into place in your life. DeClutter your spaces now for that peace of mind, and for a major improvement in the look of your home.

Good luck!

Tags: declutter and organize your home

Looking for a new way to color your world? - Home & Garden - MSNBC.com

Looking for a new way to color your world? - Home & Garden - MSNBC.com
Looking for a new way to color your world?
House & Garden offers help with a look at the latest hues for your home

View related photos
Tim Lee / Courtesy Of Sherill Canet

Looking for a new way to color your world? Need some advice on the latest hues in paint for your home? Well, you’re in luck. There are more choices than colors in the rainbow, but there are tricks to help you choose the right one for your room? House & Garden magazine's latest issue is all about color trends. Susanna Salk is the special projects editor and she was invited to appear on TODAY to share some hints from the magazine. Here's more on what she discussed on the show:
Colors immediately impact our emotions and the mood of the room. Choosing the right color is like meeting many people at a big party: It's stimulating but overwhelming. My advice: Spend time on the ones that instinctively make you feel good or to which you are drawn, instead of trying to get to know a little bit about all of them. It’s less overwhelming that way. Here are some tips about choosing the best hues for your room...
There is no such thing as a "bad color". Forget all those color "rules" about “this can't go with that,” etc. Instead, consider:
The function of a room can sometimes help you determine the kind of color: Bedroom= serene; kitchen= cheerful; dining room= whimsical or sophisticated.
The light or lack of it: Sometimes the brighter the room the deeper the color it can handle.
Its view or orientation: Is it reflecting what is going on outside (nature/sunsets) or is the color in charge of creating its own setting?
What colors do you love? What rooms make you happy? Let these answers inform you and go with your gut.
Let's experiment a little and show you how color can impact even the simplest settings:
• Color trends for your homeFeb. 15: TODAY's Al Roker talks with Susanna Salk of House & Garden magazine about tips on how you can color your rooms with the latest hues in house paint.
Today Show HomeWall 1 Color: Decorator’s WhiteThere's nothing chicer than white on white. It makes your room look large and serene. There are so many whites out there, so decide what kind you want: There are creamy/whites, grey/whites and white/whites. Finish in flat: Flat is best for surfaces with imperfections and flaws because there's minimal shine. It's good for ceilings; not so great for walls in high traffic areas because it won't stand up to stains or washing.Wall 2 Color: Sheer Romance 837 Blue gives instant sophistication to any room and warms up when paired with a warm white.
Finish in eggshell: Eggshell has a light, satiny sheen making it more resistant to stains and more washable. It's a popular finish for walls in high-moisture areas such as baths and kitchens. Wall 3 Color: Yellow (Little Angel 318, Amarillo 32O -- split by a chair rail)Don't forget to explore the possibilities of putting 2 ranges of one color on a wall: It gives diversity and depth without having to be too overt. I love how yellow can work in any season and in any room: Kitchen or living room.
Finish for both in matte: Matte is a great alternative to flat, has minimal sheen, and was developed to be washable.
Creating exciting, but workable color combinations: Color is all about context and what its next to. Professional color forecasters predict the use of bolder colors for shutters, doors, window frames and other trim will be big in 2007. Now, a more self assured public is asserting itself by using color to make dramatic statements. Colors are more saturated and deeper. And we have tapped other cultures for ideas. Bold color is exciting to use, but there's a trick to using it without hating it the next day. Try pairing it with the correct neutral hues. This will relax the contrasts. Here are some examples:
Emerald green with black and white (See photo above.) Malachite is so big these days. Here we pair it with graphic black and white for a high energy, sophisticated vibe. This kind of color combination really specifies the way a room will be used.
Francois Halard
Tangerine with stone For a softer alternative to bold orange, try warm, sunny tangerine paired with stone.
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Eric Boman
Yellow with silverCitron and charteuse need only silver's shimmer to take on a glamourous glow. Balance the acid tones with strokes of deep brown and white.
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Eric Boman
Pink with brown Chocolate browns coupled with exotic patterns and splashes of girlie pinks give a mature feminine touch.
Other hints on color:
Enveloping a space all in one color is a chic way to solve a "mystery" room.
Dont just rely on a paint chip: Paint a bit of the color onto the wall: It can sometimes look completely different in the light, etc. But paint chips are helpful in terms of seeing the range of colors you've chosen for your house (hallways that lead into rooms, etc.)
It's nice to color code your rooms so each has an identity.
Using two tones adds interest to small spaces and helps it from getting too dark. Objects are highlighted by what they are contrasted against: Matte against glossy, etc. Pair homey with glam; folksy with ornate: Do it against a dark backdrop to add a glam effect.
The bottome line: Dont be afraid of color: It's the easiest way to renovate."

This information is very timely for any of you who are thinking about spring cleaning, and making changes to your spaces. Think color!

Tags: home decorating with color, easy home renovations with paint

Study Interior Design

Study Interior Design

If you have ever thought you may like to establish a career in Interior Decorating and Design, now you can learn from home. It is convenient and easy to complete this excellent course via the Internet.

Penn Foster Career School offers over 80 well respected, nationally and regionally accredited distance education programs, including Interior Decorating, and Floral Design. Penn Foster's Interior Decorating classes are designed to give you the skills you need to succeed in a new creative career. Now you can study for your career diploma online, in print, or with a combination of the two; you select the method that's best for you. Penn Foster's expert faculty and friendly student support staff are dedicated to helping you successfully earn your career diploma! Learn the skills you need to be successful in today's competitive work environment. Penn Foster offers the following Diploma Programs: Floral Design and Interior Decorator.

Before you know it, you could be working in a well paid creative career. Penn Foster
allows you the convenience to study at your own pace, in the convenience of your home. Many of the Penn Foster career diploma programs qualify under the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program. The Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, for online and distance learning schools.

Tag: learn interior decorating at home, online career training,

Kane County Chronicle - Internet swap sites offer great deals for home decorating bargain seekers

Kane County Chronicle - Internet swap sites offer great deals for home decorating bargain seekers
"WASHINGTON – Two weeks before closing on her first home in suburban Washington, Olivia Doherty saw an ad on Craigslist for the couch of her dreams: Simple lines, neutral color, plush fabric, terrific price.The posting, with photo, went up at 8 p.m. Within minutes of its appearance Doherty shot back an e-mail making clear she wanted it. Grabbing her brother, she bolted from their parents’ house, jumped in his truck, hit an ATM and arrived on the sellers’ doorstep with $200 in hand. By 10 p.m., the deal was done. A few days later, she scored a pair of end tables for $37.50 each (retail value, $260 each).Doherty, a public relations associate, and her husband, Seth, a Navy petty officer, have an equally strong aversion to paying retail, or even discounted, prices for new furniture.Countless fellow cyber-shoppers have strategies for snagging bargain furnishings on the Internet. Some intrepid trollers have filled an entire home or apartment for what it would cost to buy a brand-new sofa.Much of this nest-feathering is done through sites such as www.craigslist.org and www.freecycle.org. Another site, newcomer www.swapthing.com, relies on barter – a rug for a crib – rather than sales or giveaways.The operative words are speed, cash, brawn and “as is.”“If you don’t respond within five to 15 minutes of a post, it’s either physically given to someone or spoken for,” says Amanda Wimmer, whose Washington walkup is a case in point.Her favorite deal is the $200 three-piece white sectional sofa that looks a lot like a $2,500 Pottery Barn model. A counter-height table and two high-back swivel stools in the living room (comparable retail, $570) were free.They came with a set of dishes, all given to her by a seller whom she asked in passing, “Do you have anything else you’re getting rid of?”Another Wimmer axiom is, “You have to go further out for good deals.” A recent 45-minute drive to the suburbs yielded a six-piece art deco bedroom set for $200. The price was so low she didn’t bother to haggle.Used furniture rarely will be showroom perfect. But Melissa Petersen shrugged off a coffee stain on the 8-by-10-foot Pottery Barn rug she bought. “We have a dog. Excuse the visual, but I knew he was sure to vomit on it within the week, which he did, so I was much happier to pay $120 than the $700 it cost new.”With furniture so inexpensive, it is sometimes regarded as temporary by its new owners.Last year, roommates Chor Li and Amanda Clemmons paid $600 for a Queen Anne sofa and matching love seat, two wing chairs, a pair of mirrors and a hall table from Craigslist.Because neither piece works well for lounging, the women plan to resell the couches and chairs on Craigslist ($400 to $500 for the set) and buy something slouchier for their apartment.Library acquisitions specialist Alicia Jones is such an avid Web shopper that she finallydecided to quit imposing on friends with trucks. “So I went on Craigslist and found a van for $250.”Although Craigslist posts giveaways as well as sales, Freecycle is totally anti-cash. The site is applauded by consumers aiming to keep as usable items out of landfills.“The items are seemingly ridiculous,” says David Cheng, a Washington “moderator” who oversees the Washington Freecycle group. “Diaper-related stuff, paint, plastic containers, old cat food. A lot of people don’t want anything to go to waste.”Attorney Janet Benson Forville says simply: “I love Freecycle. It’s amazing what people want. We have given away extra sheets of drywall, paving stones and a driveway full of mulch we over-ordered.”Elizabeth Buchbinder happily Freecycled high-end furniture she had bought 25 years ago because it took up space in the Georgetown basement she wants to redecorate.“It costs a lot of money to have someone haul a sleep sofa, a very heavy three-piece bookcase unit, a coffee table and end table up a flight of stairs and take it all to the dump,” says Buchbinder, an Ernst & Young national tax principal. “I was much happier giving it to people who needed it.”Swapping sitesCraigslist: Most transactions on www.craigslist.org are buy-and-sell, with some free items and a few outright swaps. The list has mushroomed to include job, real estate and singles ads in citiesnationwide.Freecycle: This site (www.freecycle.org) is strictly for people looking to give things away or get things free. One drawback: Users must register in the specific area where they live or work; metropolitan areas can be divided into dozens of localities.SwapThing: This site (www.swapthing.com) is dedicated to bartering, with cash sometimes used to equalize trades. It emphasizes “community circles” of mutual help. Baby furniture is big on this site. There’s a $1 fee per transaction.How to get the deals To get what you want– Check sites several times a day, starting first thing in the morning for items posted the night before. Good stuff can go within minutes.– Friday is a busy day for postings, in anticipation of weekend sales.– When you see something you like, reply ASAP, preferably by e-mail; phone numbers are rarely provided.– Pick up your purchase as soon as possible. Most sellers, fearing no-shows, sell on a first-come, first-served basis.– If you can’t collect your purchase right away, expect to leave a deposit or pay in full.– As long as you’re making the trip, ask what else might be for sale that wasn’t listed.– Exchange phone numbers with the seller so you candouble-check that the item is still available and, if necessary, get help with directions.– To avoid getting stuck with furniture that smells bad, ask if the home is smoke- and pet-free.– If you need to rent a vehicle, consider a trailer rather than a truck. Trailer rates are cheaper, and there are no mileage fees or gas fill-ups, but they might require a permanent hitch on your vehicle.– Take plenty of cash, because most sellers won’t accept checks.To get rid of what you don’t want– Think seasonally: Lawn mowers and hammocks sell well in the spring; fireplace screens and artificial Christmas trees do better in fall.– Give full descriptions and detailed dimensions. Specify where you got it if it’s a name store. Reveal all defects (stains, a wobbly leg).– Post clear pictures. Buyers are likely to scroll past ads with blurry photos or no photos.– Give a deadline for an item’s removal; state whether you’ll bargain.– Keep a backup list of potential buyers to call if early responders don’t show up.– State if furniture is heavy and located in a basement or attic, and how many people might be needed to move it.– You can agree to leave an item on your porch or somewhere else outside your house for pickup. You’ll be taking a chance it will be stolen – but at least you’ll be rid of it.– It’s a friendly network, but remember: You’re dealing with strangers. If you live alone, arrange to see buyers during the day; if possible, consider having a friend at home with you. Keep valuables, such as your purse, out of sight. "

This article provided lots of very good advice for buying furnishings over the Internet, and staying safe - to which today you must give some thought.

Here's another really great product - Before you buy a new mattress, take a look at AngelBeds. These unbelievably comfortable mattresses were developed using NASA technology. For a good night's sleep, you need a good mattress. AngelBeds.com Compare Us to Tempur-Pedic NASA Developed Technology .

Tags: budget decorating with internet swaps and auctions