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- Ribbon Embellishments
- Landscaping with Rocks Tips and Tricks
- Romantic Interiors for Valentine’s Day!
- Simple, Inexpensive Christmas Decorations for the Birds!
- Wreath Christmas Tree
Ribbon Embellishments
From decorating a pillow to wrapping up a present, silk ribbon embroidery is extremely beautiful and easy to play with for hand-made projects. Ribbons are widely used to help people decorate or tie up creatively almost any type of hand-made project. But using ribbons to create for example a pompon bow or a ribbon rose used as a garment pin, takes practice and professional advice. Thus, the following simple tips can help you embellish your friend’s next present, or surprise your dinner guests with your own ribbon-made Dior plate treatments.
To create any kind of bow, you will need some basic tools, such as scissors, a meter, a thin wooden stick, some glue tape and/or wire and of course your choice of ribbons. Sold in a variety of colors, designs and textures, you can find your selection of ribbons at your local fabric store. If you wish to make your own pompon bow, take a ribbon and form a 9 inches loop equal in size to the diameter of the finished bow. Wrap the remaining ribbon around the loop as many times as you desire for your bow. Then, flatten loops and cut off triangles at end, being careful not to cut too close to the center. By bringing ends together to meet in center you will then be left with two overlapping triangles. Secure the ribbon at the centered triangles with wire, tape or another piece of ribbon. Pull out loops, twisting them towards the center and alternating sides and you will end up with your pompon bow. In case a Dior bow seems more appropriate, cut your selection of ribbon or ribbons into 5 lengths, beginning with 5 inches and stopping at 22 inches. Then take each piece and form loops, overlapping at the center. Glue them in place, and then securely attach each loop with the next. Finally, wrap a smaller length around the center of your bow and glue it under the bow’s visible surface. Your Dior bow can now embellish your hat, shoes, or handbag.
If you want to create your own beautiful ribbon pin rose you will need some wire and your choice of ribbons for the rose and its petals. Begin by making a knot at one end of a 22 inches ribbon length. At the opposite end of the ribbon, poke out wire from one side and loosely gather the ribbon along this wire down to the knot. Avoid pulling the ribbon hard, as it might snap. Continue gathering until the entire side is completely ruffled and it seems to curl naturally. Do not cut off the wire that appears at the end; leave for now free. Then, start forming a rose, by holding the knotted end in one hand and spiral the wired gathered ribbon with the other around the knot loosely. Continue rapping until it flares out and acquires an open rose effect. Then, fold the raw edge down to meet the gathered one and secure the wrapping wire end around the knot tightly. Cut the free wire off and finally, adjust the petals as needed to create the desired effect. For a leaf, fold small pieces of ribbon diagonally to the center and then fold each side towards the center to form a point. Gather bottom end and wrap it with wire, securing it onto the rose base. Your hand-made rose will certainly attract your friends’ attention.
John Gibb is the owner of ribbon resources
, For more information on ribbons check out http://www.ribbon-advice.info
Landscaping with Rocks Tips and Tricks
Landscaping with rocks can be a unique and visually appealing way of turning your home and yard into a beautiful and enduring setting. Not only will the rocks be there forever, never needing to be cared for, but if the rocks used are taken from one’s own yard or surrounding area, they will provide the perfect compliment to whatever types of plants, shrubs, and trees are already in place.
When landscaping with rocks, make sure to draw a plan of how you want everything to look when finished, taking into account anything that may already by in the yard and around the house. Rocks should not be simply placed on top of the earth, but rather should be buried about halfway into the ground so as to provide a natural aesthetic. When they are partially concealed in the earth, the rocks will appear to go with whatever environment they are in, instead of being awkwardly strewn all over the place. Rocks should not be placed individually and should be assembled in groups of three to five, depending on size and shape. This will also aid in giving the final look of the overall landscaping an organic feel.
A few cautions before one begins landscaping with rocks, however. For starters, rocks are extremely coarse and should be handled while wearing heavy-duty gloves. They are also dense and therefore heavier than they look, and should only be carried short distances. If the rocks are farther away from their intended destinations, use a wheelbarrow or garden way cart to prevent strain. Always plan to gather more rocks than you think you need, as rocks tend to seem larger when laying about individually than when piled in a group.
There are many interesting ways that you can landscape with rocks. You can make your own rock walls, and paths, and embedding stones into the ground is an extremely useful way of keeping grass and weeds from growing in unwanted places, such as around decks, grills, or outdoor hot tubs. Rock walls make an excellent alternative to white picket fences that may seem out of place depending on your surrounding environment and neighborhood. In addition, a rock wall never needs to be painted, washed, or replaced, and will only get better with time as the rocks age and weather. Rock walkways provide an attractive substitute for expensive and unsightly pavement, and will go with the rest of the landscaping. In addition, lining a slate walkway or marble patio with an assortment of rocks is the perfect way to keep the surrounding vegetation from encroaching.
The key to landscaping with rocks is making sure that one balances the size, shape, and color of the rocks with the surrounding vegetation. Just keep in mind that in the winter, the trees and rocks will be the only visible part of the landscape until the flower and plants come out again in the spring. It is important, therefore, to make sure that one does not overpopulate one area with rocks and leave the landscape looking uneven. Landscaping with rocks could be just the thing your home and garden need to create the relaxing and natural atmosphere you are looking for.
Dee Cohen is a website author and publisher . Stop by for other outdoor and indoor home decorating ideas at
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Romantic Interiors for Valentine’s Day!
With Valentine’s day just around the corner, thoughts turn to romance. To set the right mood throughout the year, here are some simple decorating tips and a handful of extra special touches to dress your house. So whether you are planning a Valentine’s Day bash or some intimate time for two, check out these romantic ideas.
For lighting, that mood maker extraordinaire, consider changing your white light bulbs to pink (available in most grocery stores and 3-way too.) These cast a softer, gentle glow and will be sure to bring complements from those nearby. In fact, my favorite tale is from a client who mentioned that her husband commented almost daily for a week on how great she looked, and she never let him in on the secret of pink bulbs!
A collection of whimsical or more traditionally elegant angels, cherubs, and cupids can be delightfully fun to create. Consider printed pillows, woven throws, porcelain figurines, classic framed prints and the like. These can be gathered and dedicated in one room or creatively displayed throughout your home. They have a way of lifting one’s heart during a potentially dreary time of year, and reminding us of those closest to us.
Treat yourself to flowers. And, yes, do go beyond the grocery store! There are not only florists, but great sources on-line and in catalogues for a wealth of pretty posies. Top picks include Calyx and Corolla, 1-800-Flowers, Gardener’s Eden, Pick of the Crop in Alpharetta, and Meme’s in Roswell. While roses are the original symbol of romance, tulips in white, red, and pink or even a bouquet of carnations can brighten any room. Paperwhites and other bulbs will bring a welcome touch of Spring, as well. Consider using paper or silk flowers if live aren’t your bag.
For those with a sweet tooth there is always a treat for holiday munching. Consider well placed candy dishes, heart-shaped of course, in crystal, silver, or ceramic. Whether filled with chocolate kisses, or pastel melts, it adds a sense of festivity and sweetness to the season. Get the kids involved with baking special Valentine’s sugar cookies, heart shapes with pink and red sugar sprinkle topping to share with family and friends.
Honor those close to your heart. Choose favorite pictures of your children, spouse, significant other, or friends and group them in heart shaped frames. Or create a collage on cork board of the same pictures, in a heart shape with a ribbon border. You can even make your own frames by cutting out hearts from construction paper (red, of course) and taping or gluing pictures to each. These can be put on the refrigerator with magnets, or pinned to a bulletin board. They can even be strung on decorative yarn and hung on the mantel.
Stairrails, mantels, mirrors and more can all be festooned with ribbon in white, pink, and red, reflecting the heart of the holiday! Papier mache cupids and angels are now available in a variety of sizes and finishes (gold, silver, or unfinished) and can be perched strategically on newell posts, mantel corners, the top of cabinets and such.
If red, pink, and white aren’t your favorite colors, go with gold or silver, but do promote the sense of romance with sparkle and elegance. What makes you feel romantic?? These days the opportunities are endless, take advantage of the day and make it special.
Melissa Galt, Lifestyle Designer, Speaker, & Author, is the owner of Melissa Galt, Inc., a full service interior design firm based in Atlanta. She has been decorating clients’ homes all over the Southeast for more than a decade, making their interior visions come true. She speaks to audiences nationally, on how to use design as the catalyst for “creating the life you’ve always dreamed of”. Melissa is the creator of Design Destinations, a free monthly guide to designing your signature life. To sign up for her FREE monthly newsletter, visit http://www.melissagalt.com/
Tags: decorating, design, home, Interiors, romantic, valentines day Posted by admin on June 26th, 2008 under home3 | Comment now »
