When choosing a theme or style for decorating your home, there are quite a few to select from. One of the most popular decorating themes today is country home decorating. Possibly it is a most popular decorating theme because it provides warm, inviting atmosphere and all-encompassing friendly feeling. Country home decorating, because of its warm feeling, is enjoyed by those living there as well as all those who visit.
As with any home decorating project, a homeowner must first make a decision where they want to employ country home decorating. Some people choose to utilize this style throughout their entire home while others decide to use country home decorating in just one or two rooms, for example, the living room and family room. Because this style is meant for people who like simplicity and nature, some homeowners may decide to carry the country decorating theme throughout the entire living space.

Country home decorating combines colors which are clean and bright with country furniture and accessories. When choosing colors for country home decorating, light to medium shades of white, yellow, pink, green or brown are good choices. Colors should reflect a rustic or country atmosphere. To add to the painted walls, a homeowner or decorator may decide to use stencils with country characters such as plants, fruits and vegetable. Wallpaper borders are also often used in country home decorating. It is acceptable to utilize these additions but the rule of thumb is – make sure the patterns do not conflict.
Appropriate with a rustic and simple style, country home decorating uses wood – natural wood. When making a decision on a material for a country floor, natural wood is a nice choice. Certainly using natural wood throughout a large area can be costly. When researching for a less-costly way to give floors a country look, a light shade of wall to wall carpet could be considered or laminate flooring. These options should also work well with the country home decorating theme. Other choices for country floors are tile or flagstone. Some homeowners, if they are really creative, decorate their floors with stencils and create patterns. Another very good way to perk up a space is to use scatter rugs. In line with the country home decorating theme, area rugs with an authentic look create a warm and cozy feeling. Quilted, hooked and braided rugs make enhance additions to a country floor.
When choosing furniture to compliment country home decorating, light wood or wicker is suggested. Again, these materials reflect the beauty of nature. If a homeowner or decorator decides fabric would accent their furniture, such as cushions or slip covers, floral patterns or checkered fabrics add to the authentic look.
Accessorizing a space always adds to its beauty. When buying accessories to fit in with a country home decorating theme, it is good to keep in mind the type of atmosphere you are trying to create, a warm and inviting space. Simplicity goes a long way in country home decorating. It is recommended to never use too many decorations and choose accessories that family and friends will enjoy. Photos in simple wooden frames, plain mirrors, plants and scented candles dress up country home decorating. Window treatments should also be simple. Lace or shutters give a cozy country feel. Country home decorating can be interesting and fun. Perhaps the main detail to keep in mind is simplicity. Try not to over-decorate, remember too many patterns will clash. Too many decorations will eliminate the amount of space in a room. Country home decorating creates a relaxing and friendly environment, meant to be warm and cozy.

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Carving a pumpkin can be a giant pain, especially if you have young children. Still, kids want to decorate that big, round, orange blob they brought home. Finding fresh ideas that allow young children to experience the pride of decorating their very own pumpkin can be tricky. Try out these ideas this year, they may be old to some of us, but they are new to others. Have Fun!

Painting

Of course painting pumpkins is an old idea, but you can always freshen up an old idea with new techniques. You can make stencils out of cardboard and let your kids use the stencils to make pumpkin faces. Sponge paints work well with pumpkins and you can cut shapes out of inexpensive dollar store sponges. You can also just fancy up the paints by buying glitter paints, glow in the dark paints or neon paints.

Collage

Making a pumpkin collage is another great way to decorate your pumpkin. Gather up loose buttons, plastic and foam shapes and other loose items for gluing. You can also use an old wig or yarn to add hair to your pumpkins. You can also have your kids cut eyes, noses and lips out of magazines to decorate their pumpkins collage style. Collages are a really easy way for really little ones to decorate their halloween pumpkin nice and fancy.

Go Organic

Dress up your pumpkin using vegetables. Pre-slice veggies and then let your kids stick them into their pumpkin using toothpicks. You can have them make a carrot nose and broccoli hair, the possibilities are endless. This idea is best when you get your pumpkin close to halloween since vegetables wilt. You just want to make certain your pumpkin isn’t out in the warmth of the day for to long, night is best for veggie lanterns.

Make it a Sweetie

Using candy to decorate your pumpkins is fun and simple. Your kids will have tons of fun picking out candy to decorate their pumpkins. You can use Chicklets for the teeth, Gummy Worms for the hair and Twizzlers for lips. Of course those are just ideas, decorating with candy and other sweets can yield very colorful results. I have even heard of people using the type of icing that hardens to make pumpkin hair and other pumpkin features.

Decorating your pumpkin instead of carving your pumpkin has several advantages. Pumpkins that are not carved tend to last longer than carved pumpkins. Decorating pumpkins is safer for children than carving pumpkins. Last, but certainly not least a well preserved pumpkin can be cleaned up and baked into a delicious homemade pumpkin pie!

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When my husband and I decided to get married in 1988 we didn’t leave ourselves a lot of time for planning, two short months to be exact. We had two children to plan around and a large family. Since this was his first marriage and my second, we decided on a small outdoor wedding at his family home. We set our budget and called our friends together to plan the big day.

The first thing that we did was to hand both of our parents a sheet of paper and a pen and told them to write down the names of the people that they wanted to invite. We let both sides know that we wanted to keep the guest list to 100 people and no more, we thought that 50 per side was a reasonable number. With my side of the family that was no problem at all, with my husbands side it was a disaster. He comes from a large Italian family, need I say more. The list I was handed from his mother was well over a hundred people with explanations as to why they needed to be invited. After a week of arguing and black lining names we got the list down to a manageable number.

The next thing we did was gather all the friends and family that were going to be involved in the wedding and have a planning session. We decided who was in charge of food, music, flowers, etc., and I decided to hand stencil my invitations and make the bouquets and head pieces myself. I also had to make our sons outfit since we decided on an early 1900′s theme for the wedding, I already had the skirt from my grandmother’s wedding dress and our daughters dress.

All plans were set, the only thing left to do was order the tent and find someone to marry us. This is where we ran into the first major problem, our wedding date was July 30th, little did we know this was a big day for weddings. The first person I called was our local mayor, I had known him for a long time and he was happy to do the wedding until he found out the date. Strike one. My husbands family is Catholic, so of course my mother in law to be wanted us married by the priest. Strike two, I’m not Catholic and it would take more than the six weeks that we had left to become Catholic. One strike left and we were running out of options, my maid of honor knew a minister from a little church she had attended as a child. We called him and after rearranging his schedule he gave us a time before another wedding for the same day. We were set!

Through all the stenciling and sewing and finding dresses for my bridesmaids and outfits for the guys and flower arranging, I forgot

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So, youve sat down to do your scrapbooking and now your wondering, How can I pep this layout up? Well, read on, because there are plenty of tips for you in this article.

An easy way to add some elegance or softness to your layout is to use paper tearing. Use a patterned paper to tear either diagonally, vertically in the middle or on either side about 1/3rd of a 12x12 sheet and adhere it on coordinating cardstock. E viola, there you are!

If you want to use embellishments such as diecuts and they look a little plain to you, then use a darker shade of chalk to shade the edges to give it more depth. You can even use foam pads for a 3D look to adhere making it really stand out. The same can be done with punched out patterned paper or cardstock.

For adhering certain items that you do not wish to use glue with, such as vellum, you can use eyelets, brads, staples, safety pins, ribbon and oh so many more! Vellum really adds elegance and softness to your page.

Shaker boxes are really easy to make and gives your layout that special look. For this you might want to use a sturdy cardstock or chipboard to make the frame. Cut out a window and pick out some things you might want to put into the shaker box, such as beads, flakes or mini diecuts or punches. Use a piece of transparency for the cut out window, adhere. Then place foam tape around the inside edge of the window making sure there are no spaces in between. Then pour the filling into the upsidedown frame and adhere a patterned paper piece for the back of the shaker box. Adhere to layout and your done!

Heat embossing is another good way to make a layout elegant or special. You need an embossing heat tool, embossing powder and embossing clear ink. Stamp the pad with your stamp and stamp it on your layout. Immediately pour the powder onto the stamped area, then shake off excess. Heat with the embossing heat until the powder melts.

Dry embossing is also pretty easy. You need an embossing tool, stencils and a light box. Just place the cardstock on the lightbox, place stencil where you need it and trace around the shape of the stencil pushing down on the cardstock (not too hard). When youre done you can chalk the embossed area to make it stand out a little more.

If your journaling looks boring to you, why not use a tag to emphasize it some more. There are plenty of tag templates available as well as punches, but also free downloads to trace from the internet. Embellish the tag with ribbons, fibers, eyelets, etc. and your journaling will stand out.

Another beautiful and wonderful way to embellish a page is with quilling. Quilling looks difficult, but its really not! Even using a toothpick you can make pretty flowers or little animals and shapes that look like a million bucks! Use various thin long or short strips of cardstock, twist around a toothpick, then let go, shape and glue.

Now you have some advice on how to make your layout special. Have fun scrappin!

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The Scandinavian look is a bright, airy style that makes you feel like you can breathe easier just by stepping into it. This look is carefully constructed to give the illusion of light and sprang from Sweden’s harsh, long winter evenings. The overall look is homey and inviting.

Color here is viewed as an opportunity to create the brightness of a summer sky with marshmallow clouds and its cheerful vibes. For your base, you’ll want something like white, cream or sky blue, complemented with touches of warm yellow and gold, baby pink and bold red, gray and light green. Use these colors to stencil hearts, ribbons, scrolls and gatherings of wheat upon walls.

Like your walls and draperies, keep your floors light and bright! Consider blonde or pale woods, or a light hued paint for your floors. If you want to jazz things up, stencil or paint pale designs (like stripes and diamonds) on the floor’s surface. And don’t forget your floor coverings! In this case, pick up an eco-friendly sisal rug, like the kind found here, for a natural, attractive covering that protects your floors and family’s feet.

Wall sconces are the key to your success with this look. Choose relatively simple, small sconces with a tin, gold or brass finish and place them in sets along your wall for artful framing and light play. Plain table lamps and unfussy chandeliers also help add light to an already bright interior.

Keep your furniture uncomplicated and clean for the Scandinavian style. Curvilinear designs reign in blonde woods like birch, beech, and alder and may come painted white. Legs are often tapered or fluted and tables sometimes bear scrolled borders for extra style. For the bedroom, opt for upholstered head and footboards, or go for basic wood in a canopy bed, trundle or daybed style. Keep in mind there should be nothing imposing or ostentatious about Scandinavian furniture, considering it takes its cues from country and folk styles. For ideas, browse GREENCulture’s large furniture site.

If you want to dress up walls, keep things uncomplicated. You can use moldings, some restrained stenciling and uncluttered floral patterns on your walls. Match any florals you do use to freshly cut flowers displayed in pitchers, vases or on wreathes for windows and bookcases. Flowers that match the Scandinavian color scheme include yellow daisies, pink roses and white flowers.

Lastly, don’t feel the need to fill up every space with knick-knacks and accessories, as it can work to undermine the light, airy feel you’ve worked to create. Use mirrors to create the illusion of even more open space and to reflect light, and use light colored accents like blue and white china, silver and glass to add shine and style.

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There are certain kinds of wood that gives off a feeling which helps it add a different sort of impact to the space it is put in. This is most certainly true when it comes to unfinished pine furniture. This kind of furnishing has a rustic quality to it that creates a very country atmosphere wherever it is placed in. It can also come in a smoother varieties but its the “undone” variety that attracts most people. Mainly because it has more character when compared to the smooth type. Many people choose to only use a clear coat of varnish on these kinds of furnishings to better show of the texture as well as the grain of the wood. But these furnishings can also work well with whitewashes as well as the use of semi-transparent paint finishes.

If you are new to the whole business of wood purchasing, having to decide between the many types as well as the different finishes can be quite intimidating. There are so many varieties that you might find yourself confused and could end up buying the wrong kind or something not suitable for your home. Unfinished Pine Furniture can come in many different forms. There are dining tables, beds, side tables to cabinets and drawers and so much more. These furnishings can be white washed or painted with varnish. Before you get to purchasing this type of wood furnishing, here are some things for you to consider.

What is Pine? Pine is a softwood that is widely used all over the world. Softwood trees are the kind of trees that retain their leaves all throughout the year. They are light in color with very prominent grains. They also have knots that are often times darker than the over all color of the wood. Many carpenters as well as woodworkers prefer this kind of wood due to the fact that they are a lot easier to work with. Unfinished Pine Furniture are usually less expensive compare to other wood types and a very popular choice among consumers. It is also very to work with and can be painted, coated with varnish or simply stained. This kind of wood has a very prominent grain as well as knots which give it a very different appeal. It also blends in well with many other kinds of wood which makes it much easier to mix and match pieces together.

Unfinished Pine Furniture also adds an atmosphere of coziness to a room and is ideal for people who love English country and rustic decor. The light coloring in the wood help prevents big furnishings like bookshelves and beds from becoming too overpowering and heavy. People can also personalize it by using decorations such as painting or stenciling which adds flexibility as it adjusts to where you are placing it like in a child’s playroom. The Best bit is that you can keep on repainting as well as refinishing it to suit your ever changing taste and style.

So what should a buyer look out for when purchasing pine furniture? This kind of wood can vary in quality and although it is significantly more pliable than other hardwoods furnishings made out of it can last for decades depending on how well its been constructed.

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Paint is the easiest way to add color to a room and to freshen up your home interior. It is easy to do, easy to re-do, and offers a lot of options. One option is painting a single wall two colors. This can actually be done in a huge variety of ways to meet your needs and preferences.

Two-Tone.

It is possible to divide a wall into portions and paint the top half one color and the bottom a second color. This is commonly done when there is trim that already divides the wall, but can look great when you divide the wall yourself. Being careful to make a straight line tape off the sections. This should be done with painters tape which is easy to add and remove without ruining the wall. A lazer guide can make it a lot easier to make a straight line.

Paint the top half first (this will prevent the top half from painting on the bottom half. You will want to give yourself a little extra room with your tape. When the paint is dry. Tape the wall again, this time at the edge of the top color. Paint the bottom half for a finished look.

Sponge Painting.

Adding a dark color onto a lighter one or a light color onto a dark color can look really great. Add a bottom color. When it is finished and dry take a natural sponge (acrylic sponges don’t leave patterns as well) and gently dab it in the top paint. Lightly dab it onto the wall. This will leave a textured look for the top color. Remember to go lightly (you can always add more paint later, but you can’t take paint away).

Splash Painting.

Even more fun then sponge painting is the splashed look. It is really messy though. After painting the bottom layer, let it dry completely. Make sure the floor is well covered and get several small to medium paint brushes. Dip these in the second colored paint and shake them so they splash the wall. If you don’t want any splashes to go on the ceiling use painters tape to protect the ceiling. This is most fun in old clothes with a few friends. Just have a ball splashing paint all over!

Designs.

If you are wanting a more designed look you can achieve this in a few different ways. First, you can use stencils. In the past these were common for boarders, but you don’t have to place them only around a boarder. You can place them all over, in a boarder along the top or through the middle, or even in rows from top to bottom. Simply place the stencil on the wall (using a dab of poster tacky or a small piece of tape can help hold it in place) and carefully paint the inside. Move the stencil as needed.

Stripes and blocks of color can also be appealing. These can be achieved with careful application of painters tape. Tape off your sections and paint between the lines. Remove the tape and apply new tape as needed. You can carefully achieve small stripes and large ones both vertical and horizontal. You can also achieve a patchwork pattern, flannel pattern, or even larger blocks of color in a similar manner. Remember to remove the tape only after the paint is all the way dry or you can mess up your straight lines.

Painting one wall with two colors can give you lots of options and make for the perfect decor. You have lots of options depending on your desires, needs, and how much time and work you are wanting to commit to the project. Each of these options can make beautiful walls!

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Nursery murals can be so much fun. Now that you either know if it is a boy or girl or your new bundle of joy has made their presence known, it’s time to create a baby nursery mural that will make everyone smile with joy.

When it comes to nursery murals you literally have hundreds of choices in front of you. Here are some quick tips to get you started.

1. Choose a mural design

Wall murals of nursery rhymes, mother goose, Disney characters, or a number of others are all great choices when it comes to nursery murals. Or you could choose a Noah’s Ark mural or even a carousel horse mural if you wanted to Use your imagination and write down your ideas to choose from.

2. Make things simple

Don’t try to cram too many characters into any baby room mural. Babies love bright colors and single shapes that are simple in design. If you fill the mural with too many characters it won’t have the desired effect.

3. Have fun!

This is the most important tip of all. Be sure that whatever nursery mural you decide on that you have some fun with it.

You can use stencils to create virtually any type of wall mural you could want. Check online at various websites and you will quickly find some simple solutions. Using stencils makes it possible for anyone to come up with a beautiful mural, regardless of artistic ability.

As your baby gets older you can even change the mural to a new design or simply add new characters to the existing mural. A nursery mural will be something that the entire family will enjoy for years to come.

Nursery Mural

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When investing in furniture for your kids, there are a few things to keep in mind: durability, adaptability and fun. Kids’ interests change quickly and they grow just about as fast, so it’s important to shop smart. Most kids only need a bed, dresser and a desk with a chair.

When shopping for kids’ furniture, durability is very important. Kids play rough, and it’s best to buy sturdy furniture, even if you have girls. You want something that’s going to last. Even if your children don’t share a room, a bunk bed is nice, because it gives them a place for friends when they spend the night. It can also make a great place to store things. Bunk beds are usually built better, as they are meant to hold up to years of

climbing in and out of them.

Adaptability is also a good thing to keep in mind when buying furniture. Will it grow with your child? There are many convertible cribs that can be made into toddler beds, day beds and a twin bed, with a couple support braces and a mattress. This is something your child could use for years.

Dressers are pretty basic, but to add fun to the room, buy a used dresser at a yard sale, strip it, and paint it solid color. Then you can get stencils, decals or stickers and let your child decorate it to fit their taste. It can be a fun project. When their taste changes, strip it again, and start over. It can even be stained when they are older, and prefer a more grown-up style.

Fun is important to kids. There are many imaginative furniture styles, such as beds shaped like cars or other things. The problem with these is that the child outgrows them quickly. There are other ways to incorporate fun, by getting bright bedding and other accessories that are less expensive and

easily changed.

Borrow an idea from college students that is also a space saver: build a loft. This gives more room for a play area and a desk, which can be built into one end of the bed. Shelves can also be added easily, using brackets and boards, creating more storage space.

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