Something Old, Something New

         I recently helped a bride-to-be and her mother select antiques to enhance their vintage wedding plans.  They left with a car full of quirky pieces that the bride planned to incorporate into her home after the wedding.  Their visit made me start imagining a vintage wedding setting that would be easy to design.  Here are some ideas that you can use if you want to incorporate “something old” into your wedding.

·         Create letterpress invitations to set the tone.

·         Layer your table settings.  Start with a plain cream cloth, followed by large pieces of burlap that can be ruched at the corners and top with a lacy antique tablecloth or doilies that have been stitched together.  Use mismatched white chairs or rustic benches for seating.

·         For your centerpieces, create height with crates turned upside down.  Place milk bottles in chicken wire baskets to hold garden bouquets.  Sprinkle homemade confetti across the cloth.  You can make confetti by cutting small hearts out of old sheet music or books that have fallen apart.  The crates and confetti may also be used on the table for the cake display.  An old store tabletop scale is a great accent for holding homemade mints or other treats.  Seating assignments could be made from tea stained tags.

·         Wrap your bride’s maids’ gifts in burlap tied with jute.  Attach a piece of costume jewelry on the middle of the bow.  You can also add costume jewelry to bouquets and corsages.

·         Wrap a wire with rusty patina around the top of Ball jars, creating a handle.  Add sand or pebbles in the bottom and a small candle.  Hang at various heights from tree branches and light at twilight.

·         Hang long lace curtains from a pergola or from a wire strung between trees to create a wall if needed.  Place a shabby chic white buffet or harvest table in front of the curtains if desired for the ceremony. 

·         Old doors can be used for a variety of displays.  Attach hardware at the bottom of the doors to make them free standing.  Tape family pictures all over one door to show the bride and groom growing up.  Paint blackboard paint on another door and use chalk to write out table assignments.  Attach a light fixture at the top of a door and a shelf mid-way to hold the guest book and pen.  Three or four old doors hinged together could form a backdrop for the ceremony instead of curtains.  Doors placed on saw horses become display tables.

·         Hang vintage quilts over fences for color.  (Protect with a sheet underneath.)  An antique pickup with quilts in the back could also be parked off to the side to hold gifts.  Think of the photo opportunities here!

·         Make wedding signs using barn wood and white paint to direct your guests to the site.

·         Set up nostalgic lawn games for guests including croquet, bocce, or washer toss.

·          Place a vintage suitcase on a table, opened, with the letters C,A, R, D, S cut out and attached to a ribbon strung across the inside of the lid.  You could spray paint the outside of the suitcase a solid color if needed.

·         Set washtubs or copper boilers full of flowers, branches, or greens around the site.

 There are lots of ways to create a vintage look for your special day.  You’re on your own for the “new, borrowed, and blue parts, however!

Ten Ways to Use Old Windows

     We are a throwaway society.  If an object is broken or worn, it goes in the trash without thought.  There is a movement, however, back toward the mindset of the Great Depression when people reused items over and over again.  One of my favorite old objects to repurpose is a window, regardless of pane condition.  Most of us have a stack of old windows leaning against a wall in a shed or garage. 

Here are ten ideas to give them new life:

1.      Adhere photos behind the panes and use the window as an unusual collage frame.  These look great on the wall or on an easel for a wedding or graduation display.  If the pictures are too small to fill the pane, back with decorative scrapbook paper to add color and style.

2.      Hang the window from a beam or ceiling to divide a space.

3.      Build a box along the bottom of the window, hang from an outside wall or fence, and add plants.  I recommend placing a plastic liner inside the box to prevent rot.

4.      If one pane is broken, add a branch, greens, flowers, and other enhancements such as seed pods or a nest to create a floral display.  Hang on a wall.

5.      Build an end table, using the window as the table top.  You could build a shadow box-style table top by adding a wood bottom to the table top.  Place hinges and a handle on the window resting on top, and you can open it to place different items on display inside the table.

6.      Use the window as a cabinet door by adding a handle and hinges.  If you have several matching windows, you can create an entire kitchen island or several cabinets in a laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom.

7.      Paint the panes with chalkboard paint.  Add a box to the bottom of the window for the chalk. 

      Broken panes?  Add cork board and create a message board.

8.      Like to garden?  Use the window as the top of a cold frame for early spring starts.  Cold frame sides may be made from wood or hay bales.  Add a handle to the window for easy access.

9.      Build a potting table and use the window as the back above the work surface.  Add hooks to the tops or sides of the windows for tools.  Add a box across the bottom for seed packets.

10.  No glass left at all?  Add chicken wire to the back of the window, hang it from the wall, add tiny clothes pins and use the window as a jewelry display.  It’s great for keeping necklaces untangled and earrings paired together.

Be sure to wear gloves when working on your windows to avoid injury from splinters or broken glass.  Be cautious of old paint as well, in case it is lead-based.  Once you start looking at objects in a new light, you will find yourself repurposing all kinds of things.  It may be windows today, hubcaps tomorrow!

 

A Vintage Green Thumb

     Spring is just around the corner, and if you are like me, you have started to receive seed catalogs in the mail.  It’s time to dream about sunshine, soil, and flowers!  One of my favorite gardening traditions is finding interesting vintage pieces to repurpose as planters on our patio, in my gardens, and as window boxes.   Flowers can be a perfect accent if showcased in an unusual setting.  Here are some ideas that might liven up your garden spots:

·         You can literally create a “bed” of flowers by burying an old headboard and footboard in the garden and planting several bright flowers as the “quilt”.  A lacy iron headboard is perfect.

·         Attach wire baskets to the front handlebars and behind the seat of a vintage bicycle.  Line with basket liners from a garden center and fill with flowers and draping greenery.  For a colorful statement, spray paint the entire bike, including tires, a bright color.

·         Take the seat out of an old chair and balance a pot of flowers in the hole.  The chair can sit anywhere you need an interesting accent.  The chair will look great with chippy old paint or with a fresh coat of bright color.  You can also hang chairs/pots on fences or walls to add flower power.

·         Use a dented, aged washtub, copper boiler, or bathtub as a planter.

·         Does your old canoe or boat have holes in it?  Place it in a border, fill with dirt, and then add a flower garden!

·         For an interesting potting “shelf”, paint old dresser or kitchen drawers, then hang on a wall or fence with the handle pointing upward and the back of the drawer against the wall.  Set pots of herbs or flowers inside.  Use several at varying heights to create a vignette.

·         Find three old garden implements with long wooden handles approximately the same height.  Arrange them in a tipi shape in the garden with the handles pointing upward.  Tie the handles with twine and anchor the iron parts with tent or awning pegs to keep it from blowing over.  You now have a bean or sweet pea tower.

·         Make a trellis out of an antique screen door.  Again, a fresh coat of paint will brighten up an old piece and make your plants pop against an outdoor wall.

·         Nail several brightly colored children’s rubber boots on a fence and fill with soil and flowers.

·         Upend an old wheelbarrow in the garden with the handles pointing upward and mound soil in and around it to make it look like the soil is spilling out.  Plant flowers in the mound.

·         Attach a window box to the bottom of an old garden gate and hang on a wall for a fun flower display.  Add salvaged items to the front of the box like old faucets, door handles, or keys to give it visual interest.

        This year I’m adding an antique Emerson seed sorter with metal gears to my patio.  Nasturtiums and vines draping over the weathered red sides will look great.  What’s hiding in your garage or shed that could achieve new life in your garden? 

Soup for a Winter Sunday

It has snowed six inches in the night, and the clouds are low and gloomy this morning.  Frost lines the windows, but the fireplace is snapping merrily inside, and my craft room is full of projects for the day.  I'm going to make one of our family's favorite winter meals for supper:  baked potato soup.  Pair this with warm biscuits dripping with butter, and winter won't feel so dreary!

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
12 slices bacon
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baked potatoes,  cooked and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1-1/4 cups shredded cheddar or cheddar/jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Steps:

• Place bacon in large, deep skillet.  Cook over medium heat until browned.  Drain, crumble, and set aside.
• In stock pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour until smooth.
• Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. 
• Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
• Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. 
• Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper.
• Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

This will yield six generous servings.  Yum!

Bookshelf Makeovers

           Most of us have bookshelves in our homes.  They can become catch-all spaces for papers, keys, and odds and ends.  They can also be unimaginative, holding only the books they are designed for.  During your post-holiday cleaning this year, take a fresh look at your rooms and think about making your bookshelves look more interesting.  You can combine storage and display functions for a colorful new look.  Start by organizing your books by subject matter, then by size and color.  Organizing books by color is prettier and more pleasing to the eye.  Stack your books both vertically and horizontally.  Alternating directions will give your displays more personality.  You can also place objects on the horizontal books to create a still life.

           

             Next, look around your home for objects that are attractive or meaningful.  A collection of similarly themed items works well, but don’t be afraid to mix things up.  For example, books, fine china, and family photos can all work together.  Choose only a few of the items to display; keep it simple.  Resist the urge to cram your shelves until they are over-full.  Limit your selections to three or four types of items at the most to create unity.  Too many objects can be overwhelming to the eye and cluttered-looking.  As you work, treat each shelf as its own vignette while taking care to relate it to the shelves above and below it.

            As you arrange your collection, put larger items near the top and bottom of the bookcase.  Place smaller objects at eye level.  Group items of different scale on different shelves and place items slightly off center.  Step back occasionally as you are working to assess the overall effect you are achieving.  Distribute items by their visual weight, rather than by their dimensions.  For example, metal items will look heavier than glass.

            If you have large shelves, try layering your treasures; it will give your bookcase depth.  Use a colorful book, photograph, or a piece of art as a backdrop to other items.  Placing colorful frames around the displayed art gives it more prominence.  You can also lean plates against the back, anchoring them with books or heavier objects in front.  Place smaller items near the front of the shelves.  If you want to give one favorite item attention, place it on a shelf by itself.

            If you must have loose papers or smaller pamphlets on your shelf, use pretty storage boxes or baskets to hold them.  Repurpose small wooden crates or metal locker baskets to hold sundry items and give your shelf a more industrial look. 

            If your books and collected items are not “popping” the way you want them to, you can also freshen up the bookcase itself by painting it a vibrant, contrasting color.  A dark color will make the bookshelf look larger.  Another trick is to paste an attractive wallpaper, fabric, or scrapbook paper onto the back wall of the bookcase to create visual interest and to draw the eye inward.

            Change items or rearrange them occasionally to keep your displays looking interesting.  Instead of merely being functional, your bookcases will give your rooms character and warmth, and you will have created a new decorator look at little to no cost.

Mirrors 101

          The use of mirrors in home décor has resurged in popularity in the last few years, and home owners are finding that beautiful frames and decorative details make mirrors works of art on the wall.  Mirrors can be used to create an illusion of space, to add light, or to add a decorative sparkle to various spaces.  They can also create depth on a flat wall or lighten the visual weight of a bulky wall.  Mirrors make long hallways feel broader and can enhance architecture by extending a line of sight.

            You can steal an interior designer’s trick of making the eye believe a small room has more square footage than it actually does by propping a large mirror on the floor against a wall.  The mirror should be at least ¾ as tall as the wall itself. 

To go for a collector’s look, try grouping mirrors on a wall featuring different frames or borders.  To create another “window” in a darker room, hang a mirror opposite the existing window to reflect light and make the space brighter.  Strategic placement of a mirror opposite a piece of art gives the painting or sculpture more importance.  Mirrors that reflect lamplight help make a space more intimate and warm.

            Mirrors may also be used in unconventional settings.  For example, place a long door mirror down the middle of a dining room table to reflect candle light or centerpieces.  And how about that fireplace that goes unused during the summer?  It’s a perfect space for positioning a mirror behind pillar candles.  It will create the illusion of a soft, flickering light without any of the heat.

            There are a few rules you should follow when working with mirrors.  Rule #1:  When hanging a mirror, make sure you consider the height, which is critical to getting the best reflection.  If the frame of the mirror is more important than what the mirror is reflecting (such as a starburst mirror), hanging it at a higher level works well.  Rule #2:  Unless you plan to use the mirror for primping, it looks best when it reflects light from a window or lamp.  Rule #3: You can pre-check the reflection of the mirror by standing where it will hang and looking at the opposite wall.  Rule #4:  When hanging a mirror, use picture hangers placed on both sides of the back of the piece rather than a wire.  This will cause the mirror to hang flat instead of at an angle that may distort the reflection you are trying to achieve.  Rule #5:  Be careful not to reflect too much glare from exposed light bulbs or the sun.  More light is great, but blinding flashes are not.  Rule #6:  If your mirror hangs above a counter or table top, clear the clutter.  You don’t want a mess magnified!  And lastly, Rule #7:  Consider the color of the room when you hang your mirror because that color will be intensified when reflected.

            Mirrors are available in all shapes, colors, styles, and sizes.  Your home will become “the fairest of them all” when you use them as decorative highlights throughout your rooms.

Beautifying the Boudoir

           Common decorating advice dictates that bedroom décor should be restful, neutral, and a place of sanctuary.  But who wants sleep induced by boring surroundings?  You can turn your bedroom into a stylish escape with a little do-it-yourself handiwork and some imagination.

            Large furniture pieces tend to set the tone of a room, while choices of accents, lighting, and color define personal style.  Nothing provides a focal point in the bedroom like a great headboard.  Before you run out to a store for a typical bed, however, consider making your own headboard out of unconventional materials.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

1.       Cut an inviting headboard shape out of vintage wallpaper and paste it to the wall at the head of the bed.  Modern vinyl decals can be used for the same look.  (Try wallwords.com)

2.      For an upholstered look, start with a piece of plywood, some padding, decorative fabric, glue, staples, and embellishments like upholstery nails.  With little to no sewing, you can create a plush headboard in endless patterns and colors.  (For help, go to marthastewart living.com)  For a more rustic look, try burlap or canvas.  Too much work?  Hang a colorful quilt from a rail over the head of the bed.

3.      Turn an old door sideways after removing the hardware.  You can distress it for a shabby chic look or paint it any color you like.

4.      Attach an old picket fence section to the wall.

5.      Connect several shutters together to match the width of the bed.  They don’t necessarily need to be the same height or all the same colors.

6.      Connect wooden pallets together and attach to the wall.  Position them all horizontally, all vertically, or mix and match slat directions.  You can keep the roughhewn surface, or sand the wood and stain it for a smoother finish.

7.      Screw several old boat oars together at varying heights and attach to the wall.  Have fun with colors and patinas as you collect your oars.

8.      Find a large, old metal or wood advertising sign for some fun color. 

9.      Use a tailgate from an old pickup.  Make sure you connect all heavier pieces to studs in the wall so you don’t damage your drywall.

Now pile on the pillows, and when you choose your bedding, don’t be shy about mixing

patterns.  Vintage quilts or chenille spreads make nice accent throws.  If you can’t decide where to start, find inspiration in the places, colors, and styles you love.  Your new headboard will make your bedroom inviting and fun, and you’ll sleep well because you didn’t over-spend to create your new look!