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Affordable No Sew Curtains for Your Home

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With the new year on the horizon, you’re probably looking forward to a fresh start. This is the time of year when people make resolutions, prioritize, reorganize and look for ways to freshen up their lives, themselves and their homes. If you’re looking for a great way to add a fresh touch to your home this year, window treatments are a great place to start. Purchasing window treatments for an entire room can be a bit daunting to your budget. However, there are many window treatment options available that you can do yourself, and you never even have to pick up a needle or thread a sewing machine.

With a little imagination and some simple connectors, any piece of fabric can easily and quickly be transformed into a window treatment. So find a fabric that suits your home décor and personal style, and choose something that already has finished edges, such as a vintage linen or printed sheet. For a “green” alternative, check out your local thrift shop or flea market for linens and fabrics that you can reuse! Then choose a grommet, clip, hook, or cord to hang it with, and you’ll have a beautifully simple and inexpensive window treatment that reflects your personal style and creativity.

Grommets, slipped over wall hooks, produce a simple, crisp window treatment. Generally, a hammer and a grommet tool works at least as well for setting just a few grommets. The grommet prevents the hook from tearing through the hole. You can thread rayon cording through grommets and tie behind the grommets to create loops to hang from a wooden dowel or hooks above the window.

There are also stylish clips that can be found at flea markets and antique stores that simply latch onto the fabric. Home decorating and import stores also carry clip-on rings to hang curtains from.

You can even use buttons on curtains. Simply thread fine wire through the holes and sections of ribbon and simply twist the wire on the back side to create simple ribbon loops to hang the curtain with.

Let your creativity be your guide, and you can craft window treatments that reflect your personality and style. You’re only limited by your own imagination, though a little advice and inspiration never hurts either. Our Canadian readers may want to grab a free copy of Canadian Homestead Magazine, Canada’s Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine currently featuring Designer & Green Decorating Trends with Sarah Richardson. Or grab a copy of Home Decorating Made Easy for tons of valuable ideas and insights to get your imagination going as you freshen up your home for 2009.

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Creative Kids Rooms

This year for Christmas, we are redoing our children’s bedrooms. One of the things we have planned are custom headboards. They are flat headboards that will be painted with blackboard paint and then we will stencil designs along the top to “pretty” it up. Once they are up, they will be able to color on them with chalk, decorate them as they wish. I am very excited about the headboards, I love the idea of putting interactive aspects into a children’s room so that they can fill the room with their own creativity. There are so many great ways to do this!

1. Black Board Paint! This paint creates a blackboard finish that children can color on with chalk. You can paint a piece of furniture like our headboard, an entire wall, the bottom half of a wall with a chair molding seperating it from the top, or use moldings to create a blocked of shape on different parts of the room. This works for younger children to because if they forget to stay on the blackboard area, chalk still wipes off fairly easily. There is also paint available that creates a white dry erase surface if you prefer.

2. Magnetic Primer – another great product, this primer is applied under your paint and it has tiny pieces of metal in it so magnets will stick to if after it is applied. This allows them to play with magnet sets all over their walls.

3. Color-on-me Wallpaper – like the Jon Burgerman wallpaper shown here, this lets your child color their own wall! Probably better for older children who color fairly well and would understand the different between coloring on the wallpaper and coloring on any wall.

4. Give Them Some Freedom! – If you have a teen or preteen with an artistic or creative interest, don’t bother with expensive new furnishing. Instead, invest in some used pieces, brushes and craft paint and let them at it. Let them personalize each piece with their own unique designs. Perhaps you might let them have go at their walls as well. Before you start, lay out some ground rules. If there are specific things that must be left untouched (only paint on a specific wall, no paint on the floor, etc) or other guidelines (no profanity, etc) set those out up front, and then allow your teen the freedom to take it from there. You don’t have to love it – they do:)

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Kitchen Updates on a Budget

The most recent issue of Canadian Homestead was our Kitchen, Bath & Renovations issue, and it got me thinking about our somewhat outdated kitchen. I would LOVE to just ripe out everything and start fresh but that’s not exactly in the budget right now lol. So – I thought I would do a post on affordable ways to update the look of your kitchen!

- Paint & Trim! Nothing freshens up your cabinets like a great new coat of paint! Right now, I have ivory cupboards that are horrible for showing finger prints. I like light colors because it brights up the room but I have ivory and/or white floors, cupboards, countertops, walls and appliances! It’s just a bit much!  I would LOVE to paint a 2″ wide rim around the outside of each cupboard door. My cupboard doors are flat, so I would also use a thin molding peice around the inside edge of the painted rim to give it some dimension.

- New Handles! Most of my cupboards don’t have handles, so we could change the look a lot just by adding handles and changing the few that are already on the drawers into something a little more modern.

- Decals, Stencils & Borders: I LOVE the look of wall decals and smaller decals are a great way to update kitchen walls or cupboard doors. For example, a great cafe style coffee cup decal would do wonders on the cupboard doors.

- New countertops are a little more costly but pack a huge punch. One a green note – bamboo countertops are not only eco-friendly but can also be a lot cheaper then granite countertops!

- New Accessories: Linens, curtains, and decor accessories can also be updated fairly affordably.

Enjoy:)

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Tuesday Tip Jar #1

I love meme’s and I thought it would be fun to build a meme or two into my section here on Moms In A Blog but I had a heck of a time finding ones that would work. That is, until I find BlogMomma’s Tuesday Tip Jar! Love it! So – here is my first crack at the Tuesday Tip Jar.

For today, I thought I would do a few simple tips for adding color to your decor. Color has been growing more and more popular over recent years, and if you have a more neutral color scheme in your home, here are a few simple and affordable ways that you can add a punch of color to your home.

1. Throw in the pillow. A few bright colors throw pillows on the bed, or on the couch, add a nice punch of color to any room!
2. Flames & Flowers! Silk bouquets and candles are both great ways to add color to your decor, and if you decide to change the color, they aren’t that hard to replace either. Picture frames and other decor accessories can also add a nice punch.
3. Paint a wall! Paint is cheap if you’re only doing one wall, and one colored wall makes a huge impact! Or – paint a door!
4. Get artistic. A bright art piece will also go a long way in any room

So there you have it – my first Tuesday Tip Jar:) If you have a Tip Jar post on our blog, please leave me a comment and let me know so I can come check it out!

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A is for ANTIQUES

September is here, and it’s back to school, back to work, back to schedules and routines. As our children get back into perfecting their ABC’s I thought we would study the ABC’s of Decor! Over the next two months, I am going to talk about each letter of the alphabet and a related decor theme, product, idea or design.

For A, I choose antiques. The term “antique” is really a very broad range of items, ideas and styles. Antique decor could be a retro vintage design or a classic Victorian, depending on your personal style. Antiques have many appealing properties. They bring us memories of simpler times, transporting us into ages gone by. They may be heirlooms, carrying with them years of precious family memories. They are unique – giving your decor something you know your friends won’t have. They are also often a frugal choice, especially if you know how to fix them up yourself. Antiques are also environmentally friendly – reusing old furniture means less new production and less landfill trash!

Antique decor many include everything from an antique collection on display to a full scale decor scheme from a particular era. There are many great ways to find antiques to charm to your current decor.

1. Antique Shops
2. Flea Markets
3. Garage Sales
4. Estate Sales
5. Auctions
6. Thrift Shops
7. Classified ads & Specialty publications
8. Network with like-minded collectors online (chat, forums, message boards, etc)
9. e-Bay
10. Older relatives (their trash may be your next treasure)

Do you have any antique decor items in your home right now? Don’t say no to quickly. I was going to say that I don’t yet, but actually I do! Just last year, my mother gifted me her treasured paino, a upright grand piano from around 1890. It’s gorgeous, and has great sentimental value as well. It fits so well into my overall decor that I forget about it’s age!

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Decorators ABC’s

It’s Back To School season right now, with most children either just getting back into school or preparing to in the coming weeks. As part of our Back To School feature, I am working on a series called the Decorators ABC’s. Over the month of September, I plan on bringing 26 posts – one for each letter of the alphabet – related to home decor.

So – here is where I need your input. I have to find a theme, item or word that works for each letter of the alphabet! SO – leave me a comment with you suggestions! If I use one of your suggestions, I will include your name and link in that post for some linky love to say thank you:)

So – let’s brainstorm:

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

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The 4 S’s of a Functional Teen Room

When planning a functional bedroom for your teen, there are several things to consider. Their tastes and personal style, your budget, the intended use of the room, etc. There are four key functions that need to be addressed in the planning stages: sleeping, storage, studying and socializing. The 4 S’s:)

Sleeping: Obviously a primary function of any bedroom, this is probably the easiest of the four areas to plan for. If you have a limited space, space saving solutions like loft beds and futons are perfect for a teen. A loft bed opens the space below for other functions, while a futon doubles as part of the social area when they are awake.

Storage: A teen has a number of different storage needs that need to be considered. This may include clothes, keepsakes, cd’s and dvd’s, books, special collections, hobby and sports supplies, etc. This list will vary for each teen and their specific interests. There are many options for storage in a teen room including the standard dresses, storage cubes, closets, etc. If you have limited space, make ultimate use of your closet space. A good closet organization system will allow you to eliminate the need for a dresser, freeing up space in the bedroom for other functions. Under-the-bed storage and wall mounted shelves are also great ways to add storage without using up much space.

Studying: As much as they hate it, study is part of most teen lives and so that needs to be considered. When planning this function of the room, you need to first decide where they will study. On their bed? At a desk? In another room? If so, do you still need a desk space for hobbies, etc? What about equipment? Will they need a computer or other equipment or will that be provided elsewhere? How will this study area stay organized? And last but not least, lighting! Proper lighting in the area of the room intended for study is very important to be effective.

Socializing: Social interaction is a vital part of teen development and providing an inviting, safe place for that interaction to occur is an essential part of parenting your teen. Use and comfort are both important to consider. Do you want your teen and their friends to be able to play video games or watch tv in the room, or would you prefer to keep that to a family room? When they are in the room, visiting or playing games, where will they sit? What about sleepovers? Futons, pull out beds, bean bag chairs, and small sofa’s are just a few of the many great options for a teen room. I like things like futons that provide for both socializing during the day and extra sleeping space when needed.

Bedroom shown available from Target. Free Shipping on Select Furniture at Target.com

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Solid Colors Perfect for Youth Rooms

We’re currently working on redecorating my eldest daughter’s room. She is nearly 9, and is ready for a look that is a little less “cute.” We’ve been talking about doing it for nearly two years already, and without fail, every year or so, she changes her mind on what type of theme she’d like. So, I came up with a fairly simple solution and decided to go with a simple solid color for the main (aka expensive) pieces – furniture, beddings, chairs, etc.

My daughter picked chocolate brown as her main color, which is perfect. We used shades of neutral browns to match, and there are plenty of neutral colors that work well: blues, greens, etc. My daughter’s wall were painted a light beige color and her bedding and curtains are chocolate brown. Now we are working on adding a few simple accents to give it her current theme: horses. In the future, if we want to change the theme, we simply change the accents for an affordable, quick makeover.

For her horse theme, we are using a horse print fabric for curtain pull-backs, a horse throw pillow, a framed horse poster, a cowboy hat hanging on the wall, and a few horse ornaments on her dresses, and we specifically used items with blue in them to add color as well. But, in the future, should she decide for example that she wanted a ballerina theme, a bit of pink fabric, a new throw pillow & poster, and a few ornaments and there you have it – a whole new look on a very small budget. Other things that could be changed very cheaply include removable wallpaper borders, throw rugs and perhaps a new color of paint on one wall. Here are two examples (all items shown available from Target.com ).

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Concrete Engraving

One of the best things about my job is all the great new decor ideas I learn with each new issue. In the latest issue of Canadian Homestead, I found an ad for Custom Concrete Engraving that peaked my interest, so I visited the site and I LOVE it!

Basically, concrete engraving is done on dry concrete, and can be done on any concrete, any age. It doesn’t refinish the floor, instead they use concrete engraving tools to create grout lines, making the shape and size of tiles or stone you are looking for. Then, they use a stain to stain the floor to match your desired look!

It’s a great option for sprucing up walkways, driveways, concrete garden paths, etc, but it’s also a perfect choice for basement floors where moisture is a concern. For us, moisture is a bit of a concern because it stays so humid and moist downstairs all the time, even with the dehumidifier on. Engraving would be a great way to spruce up the concrete floors, and they would be easy to clean and maintain afterwards as well.

Here are a few samples from Bell’s Custom Concrete Engraving, showing some of the possibilities.

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Not Your Typical Bamboo

The August/September issue of Canadian Homestead arrived from the printer’s last week and it’s gorgeous! One of the features in the magazine is on bamboo, and it’s many uses. When you think bamboo as decor, you’re probably thinking of green stick-like plants as part of an Asian decor theme, but bamboo is now being used in SO many other applications!

My in-laws are currently in the process of renovating an older house. When they started on the kitchen, they discovered old wood flooring under the lanolium. They’re original plan had been to repair and refurbish the old flooring but when they discovered that the price of repairing the old, partially rotted flooring would be more then laying new hardwood, they decided to go with new flooring instead and ended up choosing a lovely bamboo flooring, shown in the picture on the left. This is strand woven bamboo, created by pressing bamboo, and it is stronger, more dent-resistance and moisture resistant the most hardwood flooring. It’s also gorgeous!

The other benefit of bamboo, other then it’s strength, is it’s environmental friendliness. While trees take decades to reach a large size, bamboo is full size and ready to harvest in 5 years. Bamboo also spreads new roots very aggressively so you don’t have the soil erosion problems that occur with tree harvesting.

Bamboo can be used for many things beyond flooring. The experts at Global Access Distributors use bamboo to create flooring, furniture, cabinets, mouldings, fencing, doors and more. You can also get bamboo veneer if you are looking to recover your existing cabinets or other wood items. Here are a few great pieces in Bamboo from Global Access Distributors, you can see more on their site as well.

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