Photo by Space Dust Design

For Teens on Team Edward

Color Palette
If you prefer the icy beauty of a vampire, go no further than the covers of the books for color inspiration. The white, black and red of the book covers might be too dramatic for large-scale use, but they make excellent accent colors easily softened by gray or lavender. Deep plums and tiny touches of mauve are also appropriate for a Team Edward room.

Consider using chair rail along the center of the walls, painting it a glossy white. The top of the wall could be a lighter color like white or gray, and the bottom a deep purple or red for a dramatic flair.

Furniture
Dark wood or black furniture, ornate in design, would be ideal for a Team Edward room. Search garage sales, local thrift stores, or even around your house to repurpose pieces that would work for this theme. Spruce up old pieces of furniture with a couple of coats of primer and a dark paint color to set off your dramatic room colors and fabrics.

Fabrics
The appropriate fabrics for this theme are plush – look for velvet, satin or similar fabrics with a rich, silky feel. Try to find soft throw rugs with a looser twist. Simple but dramatic window treatments include scarves or wispy fabric hung from a wrought iron curtain rod. Include a variety of textures and patterns for a rich, elegant feel.

Lighting
The setting of the books is Forks, Washington where it is cloudy and dark, and this calls for warm lighting. Create ambiance with a dimmer switch on your overhead lighting, replacing a standard light fixture with a small chandelier in silver or black. Another option is to place small lamps around the room with shades decorated with satin, velvet ribbon and crystals in your room’s accent colors.

Accessories
There are several movie posters out there to compliment your Team Edward theme. Frame the posters for a finished touch, and hang them near the Twilight series of books prominently on display. Add a few romantic touches, like a vase with black silk roses or a silver picture frame. Include two or three of your favorite quotes from the books on your walls, written with paint or cut out of adhesive-backed vinyl.

For Those on Team Jacob

Photo by Deconstructing Jen

For those of you who root for Jacob, the decor for your bedroom is going to be dramatically different but no less romantic.

Color Palette
The book covers are less likely to work here, since the color palette for Team Jacob follows the colors you find in the forest. Dark and sage greens, along with different shades of brown would be ideal, with a touch of red, orange or gold as accent colors.

If you use chair rail along the center of your walls, you could paint the top a lighter color, like a soft gold or light woodsy brown, and the bottom a deep green for a dramatic flair.

Furniture
Because Jacob is more of an outdoorsy type, furniture appropriate for this theme needs to be rustic. Light or dark browns would work depending on your room’s paint color. Hunt for appropriate pieces of furniture at garage sales, thrift stores or around your house, and spruce them up with a fresh coat of brown paint if necessary.

Fabrics
Fabrics for a Team Jacob room are cozy rather than overly luxurious. Focus on soft cottons and faux furs, along with down comforters that seem to swallow you whole. Rugs and window treatments should incorporate the accent colors, along with throw pillows, and can be made of more substantial material.

Lighting
Warm lighting is a must, and will help create a cozy atmosphere. Avoid using overhead lighting, instead opting for a variety of lamp styles and sizes set around the room. The lampshades can be varying colors of light greens and browns, along with lighter shades of gold or orange accent colors. Patterns on the lampshades can also create welcome texture in the room.

Accessories
There are now movie posters that feature browns and golds, ideal for a Team Jacob room. Frame a couple of posters and display them with the Twilight series of books. Include romantic touches, like a small fern or other wispy potted plants, or a few of your favorite quotes from the book on the walls with paint or adhesive-backed vinyl.

Regardless of whether you’re on Team Edward or Team Jacob, your Twilight-themed bedroom will be the envy of every Twilight fan!

Kelly Wilson is a busy mother, freelance writer and author of Live Cheap and Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times. You can read more about her and how to save money at www.wilsonwrites.com.

Wall art can provide the extra personality that a room needs, but collections of framed art and photographs can quickly become expensive. Here’s a variety of options to help brighten different rooms in your home without straining your budget!

Support Local Artists

Local artists can provide your home with original artwork at a fraction of the cost of more well-known artists, and they often display their work at Farmer’s Markets, community gatherings or bazaars around town. If larger pieces are too expensive, choose smaller ones that will fit with complimentary works you already have. Another option is to choose prints of original paintings, which are more economical than the paintings themselves.

Posters

Posters provide a lot of personality with a little cost. I decided to decorate my office with my collection of Snoopy paraphernalia, including this poster of Snoopy as “Joe Cool.”

Framing a poster with a pre-made frame costs less than twenty dollars, making it an affordable option for personalizing your room decor. If you have a room with a certain theme, choose and prominently feature posters that enhance that theme and your subsequent enjoyment.

Your Kids’ Art Gallery

My kids bring home a variety of art projects during the school year, and creating an art gallery on an expanse of wall shows everyone how proud I am of their creations.

Look around local thrift stores or craft stores for cheap but durable frames and use them for your favorite pieces of art from the school year. If you’d like to explore art over the summer break, introduce your kids to different methods, materials and mediums, for example collage, patterns, watercolor, clay, and oil pastels. Use different kinds and colors of paper and frame the works of art. Hang these at your child’s eye level, rotating the pieces every couple of weeks or with the seasons.

Scrapbook Squares

A friend of mine created an elegant and economical piece of art that now occupies one of her dining room walls, and it was really simple to create. Choose a variety of 12″x12″ scrapbook sheets that compliment the theme or decor of your room. Adhere each one of these to 12″x12″ pieces of styrofoam and let them set. Attach 1″ ribbon to the outside edges of the square in a desired color, and the squares are ready to hang. I’ve seen these squares in arrangements of nine, but you can be as creative as you want!

Quilts

When my husband and I got married, my grandmother’s gift to us was a handmade wedding-ring quilt. We’ve been married fifteen years, and to this day I’ve not been able to use the quilt on a bed. However, I am proud to display this work of art on a wide wall, where I can appreciate it on a daily basis. Another option, especially for a nursery, is to hang the hand-made baby blankets you receive when your child is born as wall decorations.

Children’s Books

Books shelved in different patterns and directions make colorful and interesting art displays. Children’s picture books are filled with timeless stories and beautiful illustrations. Repurpose old shelving or find cheap shelves at a local thrift store and paint them. Hang them on the wall at your kids’ eye level, and display the picture books. At this height, they will be easy to access and everyone can appreciate the artwork inside of them without having to tear out any pages

Letters

Use the first letter of your family’s last name, and search out different formats of that letter in a variety of stores. I have found wooden, metal and paper-mache letters that are easily hung in a collection or added to an existing collection of wall art. Framed or mounted scrapbook paper cut into your desired letter would also work.

Visual Growth Chart

This is by far my favorite wall art collection. Repurposing or buying frames at a local thrift store, I create a visual growth chart of my kids using pictures of them as they’ve grown over the years. Included for each child is a picture of them during the first month, first year and one picture during each year after that. An easy way to start is to use extra school portraits and build the collection from there. Friends, family and your kids will get a kick out of this display!

Souvenirs

Travel brochures, posters and ticket stubs make great wall art, especially when partnered with a low-cost world map. Hang the map on the wall, and use push pins to mark where you’ve been. Hang the souvenirs around the map, and connect the souvenirs and push pins with pieces of string, making an interactive piece of art.

Decopauge

Decopauge is fun and limited only by our creativity. You can use it with a variety of materials, including stretched canvas, scrapbook paper, glass jars and pressed flowers. Use these materials with a clear-drying adhesive like modpodge to create a variety of artistic pieces to display!

Wall art is a fun, inexpensive way to tastefully and frugally decorate your home!

Kelly Wilson is a busy mother, freelance writer and author of Live Cheap and Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times. You can read more about her and how to save money at www.wilsonwrites.com.

I delight in my son’s opinions as he continues to grow up and express his preferences for how his room is decorated. I’m also, however, very aware that these changes can cost a lot of money over the years. The following tips are those I use to save money each time my kids want to change how their rooms are decorated.

Discuss Options With Your Child

First, I like to narrow down the themes and colors my kids are interested in and go from there. One of the easiest, cheapest and most dramatic changes can come from a simple coat or two of paint. It’s fun to go to a hardware store and have my kids pick out paint chips of colors that we can both agree on. We hang these on one of the walls of the bedroom to see how the colors look in the natural light, and for my kids to pick their top three, then their top two, and finally their favorite color.

Next, we look at bedding themes, which includes comforters or quilts, sheets, shams, rugs, and curtains. If your kids are younger, they might be interested a special theme while older kids might be interested only in specific color palettes. We also take a look at prints, posters or personal photographs that might go along with the theme. For example, my youngest son had a jungle theme at one point, and we framed and hung pictures of animals that we had taken on a recent trip to the zoo.

After we’ve seen what’s available, it’s time to figure out the budget. Share the budget with your child and discuss what could be included in it – paint for the walls, a new bed set, prints or posters, any furniture? When my oldest wanted to redecorate his room in a race car theme, we agreed on new bedding but that the paint color would have to be spontaneous, depending on what discounted mis-tints were available. We also decided that we could buy two prints, and we would work together to create any additional decorations.

Take Inventory

Don’t buy anything before taking a look around your house and garage. Do you have supplies, paint or furniture that will work or could be repurposed for this project? If there’s enough leftover paint in your garage from a different project to use in the room, or a couple of colors to combine that would also work. Maybe there’s an old small table that could be painted and used for a nightstand, or there are personal photographs that could be enlarged and framed.

Look in storage closets for lamps, frames, and other decorations that could be put to good use. As you’re looking around, make a list of what you’ve found as well as how you need to improve it, if at all. Then make a list of supplies that you may need to purchase, like paint brushes.

Start With Thrift Stores

The picture on the left shows some of the redecorating we did a couple of years ago for my youngest son. My husband made the headboard, and I found the wall decorations at a local thrift store for about five dollars total.

Take a couple of weeks and visit thrift stores around town. Look for for furniture that can be painted, wall art or other decorations along a theme, or items – like the racquetball racket in the picture – that can be used as a decoration.

Don’t limit your searching to just thrift stores. Garage sales are great places to find awesome deals on random items for your redecorating purposes. For this bedroom, I happened to find a brand-new lamp in a sports theme for under ten dollars. It was worth the time and effort!

Not Your Typical Paint

Instead of painting your walls solid colors, consider using quart-sized cans of mis-tints to create a wall mural. The picture on the right is a mural my husband painted over the course of a few days. One of the ways I’d do it differently now is to make the decorations three-dimensional – since it was a jungle theme, it would have been fun to find silk tropical plants and attach them to the wall as part of the mural.

If your kids are older, they can participate in the creation of the wall art. A friend of mine expecting a baby enlisted the help of her kids in painting a portrait of the family on one wall of the nursery. If painting isn’t for you, there are also removable wall decorations that you can buy in a variety of places, from the local dollar store to the hardware store.

Use Your Child’s Own Art Work

My oldest created a variety of different pieces of art in the last year that can be framed and hung in his room as well as around the house. Maybe your child has already brought home an art project that will go along with the room’s theme. If not, consider allowing your child to create artwork on inexpensive canvas from a craft store or on pieces of white paper using watercolor paint. Hang these pieces in your child’s own “art gallery” in frames of different sizes, shapes and colors.

Whatever you and your child decide, these tips will make the decor changes over the years easier for your budget to bear.

Kelly Wilson is a busy mother, freelance writer and author of Live Cheap and Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times. You can read more about her and how to save money at www.wilsonwrites.com.

Give It A Makeover!

Look around the different living spaces in your home and take note of furniture or wall art that you’ve grown so accustomed to that you no longer see it. A coat of paint on a piece of furniture or a picture frame can breathe new life into a room. Take your made-over pieces and try them in different places around your home, providing a simple and low-cost change in décor.

Go Hunting

If a makeover isn’t right for what you already own, try your local thrift stores for inexpensive pieces of furniture, art or silk flowers. Go early for the best selection, and travel to stores in different parts of town for more variety. Often you’ll find items that can be repurposed for your needs.

Add Texture

Large expanses of blank walls may seem intimidating, but they’re also ready for your personal touch. Take everything off the walls in a room you’d like to redecorate and spend time looking around the emptiness. What do you want to look at when you’re in that room? What décor do you want to be surrounded with?

Big pieces, like an interesting family quilt, can occupy a larger space and create warmth. Go through your wall art and photographs to create personal collections that follow a common theme. If you love a certain place, like the ocean, consider making a collage of your own photographs about the subject, hunt for wall art in thrift stores, or use three-dimensional objects like shells to add texture.

Let the Outside In

Incorporating plants and flowers helps bring fresh life to your home. Smaller plants are inexpensive and can be kept in smaller containers, like tea cups or delicate bowls instead of plain terracotta pots. Larger containers, such as coffee cans, can be cleaned and painted to hold larger plants.

Another option is to make flowers a regular part of your budget. Set aside a few dollars each time you shop to buy a small floral arrangement, then hang them upside down in a doorway to dry them for longer use. Plant perennials in large containers outside your home and when they bloom, cut the flowers for a fresh indoor floral arrangement.

If you don’t have a “green thumb,” silk plants and flowers are a great option. Thrift stores often have a wide variety at great prices. Craft stores are also a good resource, but use a coupon to cut costs. Try long sprigs of eucalyptus in a tall vase for a lovely scent in any room!

Decorate With the Season

If you like a lot of change throughout the year, try decorating your home with seasonal themes. Tea lights, and their holders, are inexpensive and come in a variety of colors for display as fall fades into winter. Focus on the colors of fall and spring, the beauty of snowflakes in winter, and fun accents that reflect the warmth of the summer sun. Holidays also offer a natural rhythm to decorating, providing fun spider webs in October and bunnies around Easter.

Store these seasonal decorations in totes clearly marked for easy access. As the seasons transition, bring out the appropriate decorative pieces for a fresh look. The care in the changes you make throughout the year will help your home feel warm and inviting!

Kelly Wilson is a busy mom, freelance writer and author of Live Cheap and Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times. You can read more about her and how to save money at www.wilsonwrites.com.

Until sub zero (or sweltering) weather, a three-digit utility bill or chilly drafts start to come, and you start thinking about it a lot!

At home, you ponder whether it’s worth the time and expense to add it to your ceilings, walls and basement.

At the store, you ponder which type, thickness, width and density to buy. And when you install it, you wonder just how good is “good enough.”

Careful installation increases the insulation’s R-Value by over 20 Percent. Leaving 5 percent of a wall uninsulated will reduce the entire wall’s R-value (resistance to heat flow) by 20 percent. It doesn’t take much more time to install fiberglass insulation properly.

Install wall insulation so it completely fills each cavity side to side and top to bottom. But remember, packing and compressing insulation reduces its effectiveness.

Insulation is rated according to its R-value, or resistance to heat loss: the higher the R-value, the higher the insulating value. Standard fiberglass insulation has an R-value of about 3.5 per inch of thickness; this provides an insulating value of R-11 for 2×4 walls and R-19 for 2×6 walls.

But if you’re serious about energy savings, you can buy better-performing products. High-density types of fiber-glass insulation, with more fibers and air spaces per square inch, offer R-values of up to 4.25 per inch. Some provide R-15 for 2×4 walls and R-21 for 2×6 walls.

There’s also high-density insulation for ceilings and attics. You’ll wind up paying more and in many cases you’ll need to special-order it, but high-density insulation delivers up to 35 percent more insulating value per inch.

The first 3 in. of insulation you add to a bare ceiling or wall will yield huge savings. Adding another 3 in. will increase energy savings, but not to as great a degree. For charts showing the Department of Energy’s optimal amounts of insulation to install, go to www.certainteed.com or www.owenscorning.com. Their recommendations are based on climate, fuel costs and other factors. Adding more will give you a diminishing return on your investment.

The payback period for retro-fitting insulation varies greatly, but studies show that added insulation usually pays for itself in saved energy costs within 5 to 10 years. One typical two-story Minnesota home was fitted with blown-in wall insulation, additional ceiling insulation and rim joist insulation at a cost of $1,890. The result was a $325 savings in yearly heating costs, which represents a payback period of slightly less than six years.

Pay back in more temperate areas takes longer, but remember that insulation reduces air conditioning costs too.

When You Insulate Attics and Crawlspaces, You’ve Got to Vent Them Too! Since insulation changes the way attics and crawl spaces “breathe,” it’s critical that you maintain or install proper ventilation.

At first, it seems odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely create ventilation “holes” for cold air to enter. But if you don’t do this, you’re setting yourself up for moisture problems.

Make sure to follow these steps in installing your attic insulation:

• Lay plywood across the joists and hang a temporary work light. You should leave insulation in its wrapper until you're ready to use it. Insulation is packaged in a compressed state and expands greatly when the wrapper is opened.
• Begin laying batts or blankets at the outer edge of the attic space and work towards the center (this will allow more headroom in the center of the attic for whatever cutting and fitting there is to be done). Lay in long runs first and use the leftovers for shorter spaces. Insulation should be installed around wiring taking care not to disturb it. Be sure to butt insulation tightly at joints for a complete barrier to heat flow.
• Insulation should extend far enough out to cover the top plate of the walls but should not block the flow or air from the eave vents. For best results, install ventilation baffles at the inside of the eaves.
• Insulation must be kept three inches away from recessed light fixtures unless the fixture is marked 'I.C.' (insulated ceiling) – a fixture designed for direct insulation contact. Insulation placed over an unrated fixture, like a recessed light, may cause it to overheat and start a fire. Fill the space between a masonry chimney and wood framing with noncombustible material such as unfaced Fiberglas insulation. If you are insulating around a metal flue, do not place the insulation flush to the flue. Always leave at least a three-inch space.
• Ends of batts should be cut to fit snugly around cross bracing. If a second layer of insulation is needed and the cavity has been completely filled, the additional layer should be placed at right angles to the joists.
• When adding to existing insulation, unfaced Fiberglass blanket is recommended. If the unfaced type is not available, use the faced type but remove the vapor barrier or slash it freely with a knife (then install the insulation with the slashed facing down). Do not leave faced insulation exposed. The facings on standard kraft- and foil-faced insulations will burn.

While some of these ideas require a little up front investment, many are easy to follow without spending a dime.

Here are the top 10 energy saving tips you should consider:

1. It is time to switch your old light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Compared to their conventional counterparts, these energy-efficient light bulbs utilize 75 percent less energy. In addition to this, they last longer too. Replacing incandescent lamps with energy inefficient bulbs is a simple way to take part in environmental conservation. Even though they cost higher than traditional light bulbs, thinking about their advantages such as lasting ten times longer than other bulbs and being energy efficient makes them worth the extra money you have to shed.
2. Breaks and fissures at doors and window seams let the heating and cooling pass through them. Cutesy gap blockers are used to stuff these cracks. These blockers are chiefly long, cylindrical tubes filled with stuffing and are available in the market. However, you can create your own gap blockers by sewing a matching home décor fabric to go with your room’s theme. If you don’t have the skill nor the time to make one, you may use a tube sock then stuff it with rice and fasten the ends. In addition to this, energy efficiency can be achieved by replacing old, worn-out caulk and weather stripping with fresh ones.
3. Purchase new drapes. Buy insulated curtains because they not only help you during summer but also during winter. Your abode soaks up more heat when you keep the drapes open when the sun is shining on one part of the house. However, by closing the curtains, you prevent the heat from escaping. During summer, leave your drapes closed during the day to make your house cooler. The curtain will obstruct much of the heat from coming in.
4. Do not leave your appliances plugged in when not in use for extended periods. An appliance, even when it is turned off, makes use of electricity as long as it is plugged in. So don’t leave anything plugged. See to it that you don’t forget to unplug your gadgets such as TVs, toaster and even cell phone chargers. Unplugging will conserve a lot of energy and at the same time save you some bucks.
5. Make use of appliances tagged with the Energy Star label. Do you know that the older models of appliances can consume twice as much energy as the newer ones So change now your old refrigerator with a new energy star model to conserve more energy. Iceboxes are not the sole appliances that are Energy Star certified. Other appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, even water heaters are now carrying this kind of certification.
6. Take note of your air conditioning’s thermostat. To save on energy and trim down your air conditioning bills, reduce heat in your house, especially during summer months. You can conserve around 7 to 10 percent of your cooling expenses for each degree above 78 when you turn the temperature a bit higher. When you go out of the house, be sure to switch off the air conditioning or turn the thermostat up a few degrees.
7. Support your air conditioning by adding a ceiling or a handy fan to supplement it. It only takes half a cent per hour to operate a fan and yet it can lift the temperature of the room three to four degrees cooler, thus allowing you to set your thermostat a few degrees. Supporting air conditioners with fans will definitely increase your savings. This method is ideal for occupied rooms because fans cool people, not rooms.
8. Instead of installing single-pane windows, use double panes. Switching from single-pane windows to double-pane ones will aid in heat gain in summer and heat loss reduction in winter. Another advantage of double-pane windows is that it blocks noises from the street, thus making your home peaceful.
9. Reduce water consumption and water heating cost by as much as 50 percent. How? Set up low-flow toilets and faucets.
10. Save water and energy by taking a shower! Yes, you can! Replacing baths with showers can conserve 4 to 5 gallons of water. Also, increase your heater thermostat to 120 degrees; 140 degrees if your dishwasher does not have a booster. In this way, you not only saved water, you also saved energy by needing your water heater less.

The air we breathe inside our homes need to be fresh and clean. The quality of your air indoors however depends if you have clean air ducts. These air passages convey cooled or heated air inside your homes. As air comes from outside, dust, mites and other microscopic dirt can find their way inside air ducts.  Filters though prevent these from getting indoors.

These materials however get stuck and accumulate inside air ducts. Over time, removing them becomes necessary. Otherwise, you’d be breathing unclean air inside your home where you spend most of your time. Who would have thought that unclean air ducts can bring peril to your family? That’s clear and present danger right in your very own home.

As materials accumulate inside air ducts, they may react with other elements in the air particularly moisture, bringing about harmful results adversely affecting air quality. Resulting fumes which may be harmful exposes you to danger. If such are odorless and colorless, you won’t even know that you are already at risk. Moisture inside air ducts may even cause the growth of harmful micro-organisms.

Why Regular Air Duct Cleaning Matters

Accumulated materials act as the medium. These organisms may then release toxic elements that go inside your home. Your air becomes deteriorated. It may cause various respiratory sicknesses and allergic reactions. Your health is a perfect reason why you must have clean air ducts.

Another issue you should also consider is how materials could possibly block air from flowing inside your home. Keeping your air ducts clean makes your heating and air conditioning system as efficient as possible, reducing energy costs.

It may seem that it can take forever before these minute materials totally block air passage. But accumulated materials inside won’t immediately stop air ducts from functioning. So much material must first accumulate before they clog your air ducts. Even so, air may not be totally blocked as it can still force its way to your home. In this case, the amount of energy needed increases in forcing air through clogged air ducts. The efficiency of these ducts goes down when these are obstructed.

Heating and Air Conditioning Efficiency

More power is needed for an air conditioning or heating system to force air through blocked air ducts.  In many cases, cooling or heating takes time before desired temperatures are attained.

What could be worse is that your desired temperature may not be attained at all even if maximum power is used. Your air conditioning or heating system may even bog down completely. This happens when compressors are forced to work at maximum capacities. You can just imagine how much it would cost you if you don’t have your air ducts cleaned.

So how often must you have your air ducts cleaned? Some make it a point to have theirs cleaned on a periodic basis. This is one sure way to have clean air ducts all the time. It may be costly however to have it based on schedule. To save on maintenance cost, you may have your air ducts cleaned based on necessity. But you should consider certain factors to ensure that the quality of your air always remains in good condition.

One factor is the location of your house. If you’re located in a place where dusts abound, your air ducts should be cleaned more frequently.

Moisture and Other Accumulation in Air Ducts

A location having frequent rainfall will also necessitate a more frequent cleaning of air ducts. More rainfall means more chances of moisture finding their way inside your air ducts. Another factor is the presence of animals or household pets near or inside your home. These are sources of mites and loose fur which may find their way inside air ducts. More animals could mean more frequent air duct cleaning.

Another important factor is the age of your air ducts. Older air conditioning or heating systems generally require more frequent cleaning. The number of occupants of your home is also a factor. The more family members there are, the more frequent air ducts should be cleaned.

You can see that air duct cleaning must become part of your home maintenance program. If health considerations take priority, air duct cleaning should take priority as well. It may be costly. But its returns in terms of health benefits will far outweigh the costs.

Some shady contractors wishing to cut corners in order to keep the bottom line low for their clients will leave out these options often, but pipe insulation is essential for the performance and long service-life of piping systems.

So it is often these kinds of additions that homeowners will want to consider doing themselves. Pipes and ductwork need insulation just as much as your exterior walls do.

Poorly insulated ductwork can lose heat, reduce air conditioning effectiveness and cost you money in heating and cooling bills. Not to mention the fact that if they freeze and burst, those repair bills are often astronomically high. Un-insulated pipes usually sweat, leave watermarks and make your water heater work overtime.

Naturally, pipe insulation is most important in areas where there is the potential for pipes to freeze and burst. But even in the southeast, where I live, we have days and nights below freezing and people’s pipes burst.

The cost of both piping and insulation is small relative to the damages when a pipe breaks. While it is obvious that outdoor pipes (under the porch, etc) need to be insulated, other pipes can still freeze even if they run in a temperature-regulated part of the house.

If the electricity goes out for several hours, or you go on vacation and don't expect the temperature to drop as much as it does, you may return to a huge mess. Proper pipe insulation can reduce, if not eliminate, the chance of your pipes freezing.

Insulation has a tremendous impact on your home's energy use. With rising energy prices, as well as environmental concerns, it is becoming even more important to pay attention to how you consume energy.

Proper insulation improves the thermal efficiency of your home, limiting heat transfer and providing a vapor barrier against moisture. Proper piping and insulation materials also eliminate condensation formation, which accelerates pipe deterioration.

Fortunately, insulating your pipes is a simple home improvement job that even someone like me can do.

To insulate your pipes, you will need:

• Pipe insulation
• Duct tape
• Rag
• Mild cleanser
• Scissors
• Utility knife
• Mask
• Gloves
• Safety goggles

Pipe Insulation Steps:

1. Begin by removing any dirt or grease from the pipes with a rag and mild cleanser. Make sure you allow the pipes to dry thoroughly before continuing with the installation.
2. Choose the insulation. Foam, foil or fiberglass insulation can be wrapped around the pipe with a 1/2" overlap. Secure each end of the insulation with duct tape. If you are working with Fiberglass insulation be sure to wear safety goggles and gloves.
3. Make sure to cover the entire pipe when wrapping around corners and bends and wrap with duct tape. When working with fiberglass insulation, wrap the fiberglass in plastic to keep the pipes from dripping condensation.
   The easiest pipe insulation to install is tubular sleeve insulation. It comes in a variety of sizes and is the easiest to install. Simply cut the sleeve to length and wrap it around the pipe. Be sure to duct tape the seam where the pipes meet.
4. When insulating around corners or T-joints, cut slits or make miter angles where necessary, and secure these areas with duct tape.

Insulating cold-water pipes will prevent them from dripping condensation, and insulating hot-water pipes will prevent costly heat loss and save on energy bills.

Caulking and weather-stripping prevents air from entering or escaping the home, and also prevents the spread of moisture around pipes, drains, and faucets.

Replacement weather-stripping is usually available at most building supply and hardware stores.

The most popular types of weather stripping include foam rubber, EPDM rubber, felt, bent metal, and plastic.

When selecting weatherstripping, you need to consider the durability of the material as well as what would work best for what you are weather stripping. For example: bent brass and aluminum is found on many older doors and are durable, but they conduct heat easily, don't usually seal that well, and are easily damaged by being bent the wrong way or through poor installation.

Bent metal weather-stripping is also one of the most expensive weather-stripping materials.

Bent plastics are similar to the bent metals, but are less expensive. They are also less durable.

Most rubber and foam materials stay flexible for years, are inexpensive, easily replaced and effectively seal air leaks. Don’t forget to choose the appropriate door sweeps and thresholds for the bottom of the doors as well.

For the best possible results from your investment, you should make certain that the weather-stripping material will stay flexible under extreme weather conditions. Also be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
In general, you should: 1) weatherstrip the entire door jamb; 2) apply one continuous strip along each side; 3) make sure the stripping meets tightly at the corners; and 4) use a thickness that, when the door closes, the stripping tightly presses between the door and the door jamb without making the door too hard to close.

Before you begin the installation of the weather-stripping you need to conduct a visual inspection to locate caulk that is cracked or deteriorated and weather-stripping that has gaps in the seal.

You may also be able to tell if a window or door needs better weather stripping by trying to rattle the door or window, or by looking around the edges to see if any light penetrates through the cracks.

In order to install your weather-stripping you will need to purchase caulk. Caulk comes in cartridges that will be inserted into half barrel caulking guns.

For small caulking jobs, you can find it in small squeeze tubes or ropes. Expect to use about a half-cartridge per window or door and four cartridges for the foundation sill, and at least one more for around faucets, vents, pipes, and electrical outlets.

Types of caulk generally used on houses include:

• Oil or resin-based caulk – This is the least expensive caulk, but also the least effective. It is readily available and will bond to most surfaces. It tends to harden and crack after 2 to 4 years.
• Latex and butyl-based caulk – A little more expensive, but much more durable than oil-based. It lasts from 6 to 20 years and holds up well to building expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature.

Before applying caulk or weather stripping, the area should be cleaned thoroughly and any old caulk or weather-stripping should be removed.

Directions for application will be on the tube and should be followed carefully. In general, about a half inch of the caulking cartridge nozzle should be cut off at a 45 degree angle and the tip should be punctured.

Once the caulk is applied, you can finish the surface with a moistened finger or something smooth.

Apply caulking to all fixed joints, including:

• Around windows and doors where frames meet siding
• Between window sills and siding
• Between frame wall plates and the foundation
• Around all holes for pipes, ducts, or electric conduits through outside walls
• Around all holes through walls, separating heated and unheated spaces, such as attached garages, storerooms, or attics
• Between unheated porches and the main body of the house
• Where the chimney or masonry meets the siding
• Around outside water hose faucets

Weatherstripping is similar to caulking, but is used for areas like the bottom of a window or door where the seal will be formed.

Installing weatherstripping is a simple process. All you will need is the contents of the kit you buy at a home improvement store. Keep in mind that this is being applied to a movable surface so you don't want to purchase a flimsy product that can wear easily.

If the kit you purchase does not include the screws, you should have several types and sizes of screws available as well as a utility knife or something to cut the weather stripping with, and screwdrivers, and possibly a hammer.

Installing Weatherstripping:

1. First measure the length of all seams to be weather-stripped, add a couple of inches for each seam and add the numbers together.
2. Next, cut the weather stripping to fit each seam, plus extra. Apply the stripping all the way around a window by using nails, screws or adhesive.
3. Attach the stripping to the jamb or the stop- the placement varies with the type of weather-stripping you selected.
4. Then, apply the stripping to the sides and the tops of doors. Use a weather-tight threshold or door sweep to seal the bottom.

A long standing holiday tradition in my family is getting the Christmas tree. We like to go to our favorite tree farm and cut our own, but if you live in a warmer climate then the local tree lot may be your best bet. Or, you can get an artificial tree that can be reused for many Christmases to come and save a lot of trees from being cut while also making it easier and simpler to get ready for the holidays each year.

Whichever method you prefer, finding the right tree for your home is always a fun and sharing family experience, so we’ve put together some useful information on the many varieties of natural and artificial trees to help you find that perfect Christmas tree!

Pick Your Own Christmas Tree

“The experience kids get from the holiday tradition of going out to the tree farm to cut your own Christmas tree is really special” says Jon Schatz, owner of the Sunny Day Christmas Tree Farm in Sherwood, Oregon. “Spending an afternoon with the family to select and cut the tree is something kids remember for a lifetime.”

A few things Schatz suggests you consider when going to a U-Cut tree farm include:

• Think ahead of time about what type and size tree you need
• Look for a tree with a straight trunk and balanced shape
• Do realize that no tree is perfectly straight and that at least one side will go against a wall anyway
• Be sure the trunk of your Christmas tree is long enough and the right size in diameter for the type of tree stand you plan to use

Some farms measure and price each tree, while most farms sell Christmas trees priced by the foot. Schatz has a unique pricing approach at the Sunny Day Tree Farm; “all our trees are $20,” he says. While customers must go out on the farm and select, cut and load their own trees, its all part of the family tradition. “We keep our costs low so that we can make cutting your own Christmas tree both fun and affordable.”
 

Finding a Perfect Natural Tree

Arizona Cypress – a steeple shaped tree, pale-green to gray-green color. The leaves are tiny and plentiful and lay close to the branchlet surface in a scale like arrangement and about 0.1 inches long. Bark is thin and delicate with a reddish brown color. The cones are spherical in shape and woody. The Arizona cypress has a pleasing aroma.

Balsam Fir – a medium-sized tree, it exhibits a relatively dense, dark-green, pyramidal crown with a slender spire-like tip. It has a dark-green appearance, long-lasting needles, attractive form, and pleasing fragrance.

Colorado Blue Spruce – finding increasing popularity as a Christmas tree, with a symmetrical form and attractive blue foliage. It has an excellent natural shape, requires little shearing, and needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Its popularity as an ornamental also makes blue spruce a good choice to plant as a living Christmas tree after the holiday season.

Canaan Fir – a relative new species in the Christmas tree market, it is similar to the Fraser and balsam firs in growth and appearance.

Concolor Fir (White Fir) – produces a spire-like crown with a straight trunk. Needles are small and narrow in rows, usually 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch long, pointed or notched at the tip, bluish-green. The wood of white fir is light, soft and coarse-grained, but lacks distinctive scent or odor.

Douglas Fir – not related to the true firs, the Douglas fir is one of the most popular Christmas tree varieties, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Needles are dark green or blue green, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, soft to the touch and radiating out from the branch in all directions. They have a sweet fragrance when crushed.

Eastern Redcedar – has compact branches forming a pyramidal crown and reddish brown bark, leaves are arranged in opposing pairs along branchlets with a dark, shiny natural green color. Eastern Redcedar is usually available to choose and cut at tree farms only.

Eastern White Pine – the state tree of Maine and Michigan, it is considered the largest growing pine species in North America. The needles are soft and flexible, generally bluish-green to silver green in color, arranged in bundles of five.

Fraser Fir – a uniformly pyramid-shaped tree, the boughs were often used for pine pillows and bed stuffing and this fir grows naturally at elevations above 4,500 feet in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Grand Fir – one of the tallest growing fir species, it is distinguished from other Pacific Northwest firs by sprays of lustrous needles in two distinct rows and needles 1 to 1 1/2 inches long with glossy dark green tops and known for its strong fragrance. Native Americans used this fir to make headdresses, decorative clothing, tea and many other uses.

Leyland Cypress – has become a valued landscape plant and one of the most sought after Christmas trees in the southeastern states. Foliage tends to be arranged in irregularly flat planes with a dark green to gray color, the shoots branch repeatedly in a mahogany color except at the tips. The trees have little aroma. These trees are usually available at choose and cut tree farms only.

Noble Fir – considered an excellent Christmas tree because of its beauty, stiff branches and because it remains green long after being cut, Noble Fir continues to grow in popularity and comprises 25% and 30% of the fresh tree market in the Pacific Northwest. It is also commonly used to make wreaths, door swags, garland, etc.

Norway Spruce – Most common in Northern Europe and transplanted in North America, the Norway Spruce has dark green needles and drooping branchlets, and a dark green crown with a triangular shape. Leaves (needles) are 4-sided (rectangular in section), is excellent, but needle retention may be poor unless the tree is cut fresh and properly watered.

Scotch Pine – widely planted for the purpose of producing Christmas trees, it is a hardy species easily adapted to many soil and climate types and is known for its dark green foliage and stiff branches, well suited for Christmas ornaments and excellent needle retention characteristics.

Virginia Pine – a staple of the Christmas tree industry in the South East, branches are stout and woody with dense foliage. Virginia pine can be commonly found at tree farms or retail lots.

White Spruce – has a nice cone-shaped crown that extends nearly to the ground, making it a great ornamental variety. Needles are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, with blunt tips and green to bluish-green. With its light grayish-brown bark, excellent foliage color, short stiff needles, natural shape and good needle retention, the White Spruce makes a very good Christmas tree.

Finding a Perfect Artificial Tree

Traditional Unlit – often very realistic in appearance and with built in tree stands, unlit trees offer you the ability to choose the style and color of your lights or even change the lights to give your tree a different look each holiday season. And just think; no needle loss or watering to worry about! Many people are converting to the artificial tree these days with environmental issues and convenience in mind. Lower quality, inexpensive trees often use thinly shredded strips of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) resembling a bottle brush tightly twisted between two tightly twisted wires to form the branches.

Realistic – with branches created out of molded plastic, higher quality artificial trees use molded branches and needles made from Polyethylene (PE). Branches cut from a real tree are often used to create molds, giving the tree a more realistic appearance.

Prelit - the most convenient tree available, some models can have hundreds of lights, carefully arranged for that perfect look when unfolded. At the end of the holiday season, just fold the branches carefully and store it away in the shipping box.

Specialty – available in many shapes, sizes and colors, you can find a specialty tree for almost any purpose or location in your home, whether you want a large tree for the family or living room, a table top tree or topiary-shaped tree.

Flocked – white is the traditional color for Christmas tree flocking, but you can also find pink, red, gold and many other colors. Flocked artificial trees are also available unlit or prelit and in a variety of types and sizes.

Many of us will be ‘nesting’ this holiday season and that means a greater focus on seasonal decoration and getting your home ready for holiday entertaining on the cheap, so we’ve put together a few ideas on how to decorate for the holidays without spending a fortune this year on your Christmas décor.

Creating Family Holiday Traditions

If you want to save money this holiday season, start by creating family traditions that shift the Christmas focus away from material goods and gifts. If you really think about it, which Christmas decorations and gifts stand out most in your memory? Is it the most expensive ones or the ones that started long-standing family holiday events and activities?

Adding a special Christmas angel as a tree topper, some special Christmas bells to adorn the fireplace mantel and letting the kids ring the bell each night at dinnertime or making your own special Christmas greeting cards can create new family traditions you’ll cherish for years to come without racking up huge credit card charges.

While the kids may not be getting all the fun stuff they put on their Santa wish list this year, you can make the holidays more fun than ever by starting some new traditions or reviving ones from your own childhood.

One of my favorites as a child was always marking the days until Christmas on the Advent calendar and another was our annual outing to cut the tree, which always involved having lunch together at a certain family restaurant and visiting the same tree farm where we knew the owners, who always had some special events such as riding the tractor around the farm and milking the cow. For a suburban kid, these farm activities certainly created vivid lifelong memories.

Another family Christmas tradition you might like to start this year is Collecting Christmas Ornaments & Vintage Decorations.

Old-Fashioned Rustic Christmas Theme

One way to keep the cost down this Christmas is to return to the simpler times of old, when families traditionally trimmed the Christmas tree with homemade ornaments. When people had little they relied on their own handcrafted stitchery, baking and woodworking skills to adorn their homes for the winter holidays.

String popcorn and cranberries to make homemade garland, bake cookies and hang them on the tree as edible ornaments and use candlestick tree lights to give your Christmas tree a truly old-fashioned, rustic look. We always made our own ornaments from clay and painted them ourselves when I was a kid; while they may not have been as pretty as Radkos, we were always proud to point out the ones we had created to friends and guests.

Look in dollar stores for inexpensive rustic tree ornaments or rummage through your old boxes of Christmas decorations for ornaments your parents or grandparents may have handed down. Your home will feel comfortable and a little “retro” for the holidays with the old-fashioned decorating approach. This may be just what the doctor ordered during this period when comfort is what we most seek to give some holiday respite from the day-to-day news of financial crisis and hard times.

Many people have stopped using these family-heritage Christmas decorations because they don’t always blend well with the “designer” trees of more recent times, but the old-fashioned Christmas décor should be eclectic, adorning your home with homemade ornaments and sentimental family hand-me-downs in favor of expensive, ornate store-bought decorations.

If you want to give your home a country Christmas feel you’ll want to read Have Yourself a Charming Country Christmas for great ideas and examples of home crafts and decorations for the country style décor.

Modern Holiday Home Theme

If you’re like me, you may prefer the understated holiday decorating approach where less is more. You can give your home a festive look while keeping with the contemporary style so many of us favor when it comes to home décor these days.

The key to modern home holiday decorating is keep things simple and subtle. A good starting place is to forego the traditional natural Christmas tree and buy an artificial tree instead. For more ideas see our story Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree.

Your holiday decorating colors should complement the color scheme of your home interior; if you have a neutral wall color you’ll have a lot of freedom in choosing colors for your holiday decorations but if you have painted the walls with some brighter color scheme, you’ll want to use holiday decorations that accent that scheme and do not clash or compete with the room décor.

Holiday lighting can really warm the modern home interior. White lights are always a great choice for the more contemporary look, but you can also go with all red, blue or green lights on the Christmas tree to add some color.

Putting out Christmas photos from Christmases past can give the modern Christmas theme a cozier look; you can buy inexpensive photo frame ornaments and hang pictures of family members on the tree or create a family Christmas album to put out on the coffee table. This is also a great way to spark conversation and story telling when you entertain during the holidays.

You can always use a few boughs clipped from the Christmas tree to create a holiday tablescape or decorate the fireplace mantel. The scent of fresh pine needles is sure to set the holiday mood. Add some pinecones, winterberries, ribbon and a candle votive to create a simple holiday arrangement. And of course, a fresh wreath on the front door will welcome your guests into your home for holiday events.

However you decide to decorate your home this holiday season, make it your own and have fun with the project, getting everyone involved. Trimming the tree and putting out the Christmas decorations should be fun for the whole family. Have a very happy Christmas!

It is a thrilling moment when the Christmas tree is set up, for it is the centerpiece of the home Christmas celebration. Yet, every year life seems to become more and more hectic, time begins to run out on the countdown to Christmas and you may not have given any thought as to how you intend to dress and display your Christmas tree.

Never fear, our Christmas tree decoration guide covers all the necessary considerations from choosing the type of tree you want, to fresh decorating ideas and reminders of how to look after it.

Selecting Your Christmas Tree

Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree begins a quest for some of us. Others prefer a simpler approach. You may already have an artificial tree in which case you don’t need to consider this point. If you are a traditionalist and prefer a live tree, there are several options for you to choose from. If you have the time, you might want to plan ahead a visit a specialist grower or tree farm to select and cut your own special tree.

Christmas tree growers typically offer you to choose from several species of Christmas tree in a huge variety of sizes from 2ft to 10- 12ft. You will also be able to stand back and inspect the tree’s shape, form and color before making your final choice.
If you don’t have time for this, you will probably have to buy a tree from a high street shop or street seller. To help you with your decision, check out our detailed Christmas Tree Guide to find out about the different types of Christmas tree.

Caring For Your Christmas Tree

Remember to water the tree if at all possible. It was once a living thing and its sap will only nourish it for a short time. Many Christmas tree outlets sell purpose-made tree stands, which hold water, where the tree trunk can be clamped between “teeth” by standing on a pedal or lever.

Container Options for Your Christmas Tree

Toddlers are fascinated by the lights and glittering decorations as well as animals, so it is as well to consider how the tree is contained. You don’t have to be boring. We’ve got some imaginative ideas to help you mask the inevitable soil- or stone-filled bucket with something other than a last minute piece of crêpe paper.

• Seasonal colored cloth – Drape a large tall basket with seasonal red and white thick colored cloth in a swaged fashion and knot it on the side; a very effective look that only takes minutes to achieve.
• Jute hessian – Use jute hessian to cover an old bucket. The lovely earthy color and natural fibers combine wonderfully with the tassel from a curtain tie-back that also can be found made in jute. Twist a long narrow strip of hessian around the top of the bucket or use anything in the same color, such as a clothes line made from natural fibers or a short piece of rope would be just as attractive.
• White and gold paper – On any suitable tree container, even an old coal holder, wrap good-quality, thick white paper to cover the surface. Pretty it up with a wide, wire-edged white and gold ribbon tied in an attractive bow.
• Terracotta – Use a sizeable garden urn made from plastic but with a convincing terracotta finish. Make sure it’s large enough to disguise whatever packing you need to use to anchor the tree.
• Enamel tin – An old enameled bread tin, painted in sage green and white, is perfect for a smaller tree. A checkered effect looks great in a contemporary setting.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Once you have the Christmas tree lights untangled, tested and placed on the tree, it's time to focus on the decorating elements. In part this always depends on your existing store of ornaments, but you can also mix things up with different garland, ribbons, a new tree topper, homemade ornaments, etc.

Christmas decorations are now big business and it’s no longer a seasonal trade; some Christmas shops stay open all year round. So there’s every opportunity to build up a treasured collection of glittery baubles and other trinkets. Once you’ve amassed many different tree decorations, you can play it two ways.

Either mix and match baubles, stuffed and embroidered shapes, beaded decorations for an eclectic, global look. Alternatively, choose a theme each year and use just part of your collection. A single color could be a starting point, or you might choose a particular shape or motif as the basis for a decorating theme.

Baubles, beading and tinsel are only the starting point for a collection of Christmas decorations. More and more ornaments come onto the market each year, allowing you to add to your treasure chest of decorations. Look out for unusual wooden figures, paper ornaments and other novel decorations at Christmas craft markets and fairs: a great many are made in Eastern Europe, though some come from as far away as Sri Lanka, India and Japan.

XMAS Tree Decorating Themes

Today’s Christmas tree can be dressed in so many ways. Some like to hang a diverse assortment of ornaments, glass balls, jolly Santa Claus figures, felt mice, and yards of colored lights, all collected over the years.

Others prefer to restrict their decorations to a particular theme, embellishing the tree with only white paper doves, shiny foil fans, or beach-gathered shells; these trees are especially elegant and sophisticated even when the ornaments are simple paper cutouts.

The purists may forgo any adornment at all. To them, the sweet spicy scent of the pine boughs and their velvety green beauty are adornment enough. However you choose to decorate it, the Christmas tree is a wonder and delight to look forward to every year. Here are some ideas:

• Traditional Tree – A traditional-style Christmas tree can take plenty of decorations, but resist the urge to overdo things or you will conceal the shape and color of the tree itself. Think along the lines of baubles in three different sizes but the same shade of rich scarlet. Supplement them with tiny white crackers, fairy lights and the occasional discreet sparkle of gold.
• Bows – For an elegant, festive and very subtle look simply tie shimmering ribbons in large double bows. A very effective look on a smaller Douglas fir tree in a country setting.
• Gold and Silver – Gold and silver can make a shimmering spectacle beautifully suited in modernist styled surroundings. Adorn the tree in plenty of fairy lights to set of the sparkle of the ornaments. Look for gigantic silver and glass ornaments such as silver stars, glass globes and crystal icicles. Match it evenly with anything gold like large golden pears and golden baubles.
• Natural Ornaments – Nature is a limitless source of Christmas ornaments: Thistles, yarrow, ram’s horns, spiral tops, lotus pods, shells, dried leaves and cane fruit can be sprayed gold or silver and transformed into lusty sculptures. You can make natural-looking decorations also wrapping hops and honey suckle vines into small circular shapes. Be inspired by your kitchen too! Dry cut oranges, lemons or pink ruby grapefruit in an oven for 1 ½ hours at 250degree Fahrenheit. You can also cook some cookies and hang them on ribbon for a tasty treat on Christmas day.

The thanksgiving turkey is gone and its time to get ready for Christmas. Time to spend with your family getting the holiday decorations down from the attic, drinking a little eggnog by the fire and get busy putting up the Christmas tree and outdoor lights!

But for most of us, untangling the Christmas lights ranks as the worst task involved in decorating for the holidays. It's such a tedious chore and one you may avoid by just buying new lights if you’re lazy like me. But with a little preparation and knowledge, untangling the lights doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Read on for some simple tips on how to get your lights untangled in a jiffy:

1. Get relaxed and set your mind on the task at hand. Put on your favorite holiday music or Christmas video and pull up your most comfortable armchair.
2. Get all your Christmas decor boxes out of storage and together. Dig out all the lights, separating them by the location each type will be located in or outside the house.
3. If your lights were stored like mine were in years past, start by laying all the strings out on the floor. If you have new lights in the package, you get to skip this step!
4. Make sure everything is unplugged first and try to find a free end to start upon.
5. Try to loosen the knots, unwinding the free end through the tangles. Never force or rush too quickly or you are likely to break bulbs. Take your time and place the untangled part of the strand on the floor, keeping it away from the tangled strands.
6. As you get more of the strand free, be sure the untangled portion trails away from the bunch to avoid re-tangling.
7. Once you have a strand completely untangled, lay it out in a straight line, away from other strands. You will want to plug it in and test it before putting it in place.
8. When hanging lights on your Christmas tree, it helps to have one person do the actual hanging and arranging of lights, while another helps feed the strands to keep them from tangling.
9. When the holidays are over and its time to put your lights away, don’t cram lights into the original packages or you'll have a huge tangle to deal with next holiday season!
10. The best way to prevent tangling is to coil the strands around a stiff piece of cardboard before boxing them. Wind one strand per piece of cardboard.
11. To protect your Christmas lights during storage, you can wrap the winded strands in tissue paper and put each bundle in a bag. Gently set each bundle into a box.
12. If you label the box, then you can quickly find your tree lights, interior decorating lights and outdoor lights next holiday season without dreading the old “light untangling” exercise altogether!

Holiday meals should be special, memorable occasions, a time to polish our best silverware and china dishes, get out the crystal stemware and embellish the table with candlesticks and centerpieces, fine cloth napkins and a festive tablecloth or table runner and placemats.

But what are the elements that make your tablescape warm and inviting for guests during the holiday season, setting the mood for great conversation and the enjoyment of delicious food and beverage together in the company of friends and family?

Read on for a primer on what to do and not to do when getting your dining table ready this holiday season for those special meals.

Tips on Setting Your Dining Table

For those who never went to finishing school or who don’t set a formal table on a regular basis, let’s start with a quick overview on how to set the table:

• Forks should go on the left and spoons and knives to the right of the plate.
• An easy way to remember the correct order to place utensils is that they go in the order in which you use them; so the salad fork goes on the outside left while the larger fork used to eat the main course goes on the inside left. Turn the blade of all knifes so they face toward the plate.
• Place the side plate to the left of your place setting; if you are serving a cold first course such as a salad, the side plate should be set ahead of time, while warm dishes such as soup should be delivered to the table when that course is served.
• Place the wineglass at the tip of the main-course knife. The water glass and any other glasses should be arranged in the order they will be used with the first one on the outside.
• The napkins can go under the knife and spoon or on the side plate. Alternatively, if you choose to use napkin holders or fancy folds, the napkin can go on top of the main plate for a more decorative place setting.
• A nice touch will be to create decorative name cards so that you can strategically decide ahead of time who sits where. Place cards can go at the head of each place setting or on the main serving plate. You can make your own holiday name plates by downloading a free template and use a calligraphy font or hand write the names yourself if you’re good at calligraphy.
• Finally, for an extra special touch your guests will be sure to remember, you could leave a small gift at each place setting. If you shop around in dollar discount stores you can find all kinds of small gift items such as jewelry boxes, Christmas tree ornaments, etc. Wrap them and use ribbon to give them a holiday look. Opening the gifts will make a great conversation starter when everyone sits down at the table.

Decorating Your Dining Table for Holiday Occasions

Now that we have place settings planned and ready to go, it’s time to embellish our holiday table, giving it some holiday color and style. Should you use a formal tablecloth or decorative placemats? Perhaps you’ll want to try a seasonal table runner and matching placemats?

In part the decision rests on whether you want to expose the natural beauty of your wood dining table top or conceal your less formal dining table from view. Here are a few tips on selecting linens and placemats for your holiday dining table:

• Placemats can be in plain, solid colors or patterned, woven or linen. It’s best to choose something that is heatproof to protect the table surface.
• If you use a tablecloth it should drape about six inches over each edge of the table top. Depending on the material, a heatproof protective mat under the tablecloth may be needed to protect the table surface from spills.
• Choose colors and patterns that complement your table ware; solid color linens work well with patterned China sets while a more festive pattern can really highlight white or other solid colored China.
• Although a white tablecloth is often associated with a formal table setting, for the holidays you may want something more festive such as a deep red, green or gold. A patterned table runner, tablecloth or placemats are fine as long as everything is color coordinated and the patterns don’t look too busy or cluttered.
• Placemats in solid colors like red, blue, green, gold or silver are very versatile and can be reused for non-holiday formal meals too; you can use other accents such as the centerpiece to add pattern for a more festive feeling.
• If you are using a tablecloth, take time to remove creases and wrinkles. If you don’t want to bother ironing it, you can try throwing it in your clothes dryer set to “Air” or “Fluff” setting; put a damp towel in with the tablecloth and it should come out nice and wrinkle-free!

Selecting Tableware for Your Holiday Table

Now, if you don’t have a set of formal tableware, you can find some great deals if you shop around; with the economy being so weak this holiday season, expect retailers to offer great sale prices even before the normal after-holiday sales. Look online at Overstock.com, Amazon or on eBay and you can really save money on luxury items such as China, formal silverware and crystal stemware.

A nice touch will be to add decorative chargers to your table setting; if you are using gold or silver as an accent color you can match your chargers to give your holiday a real designer look without spending a fortune. Chargers don’t have to be high quality or expensive to add a special accent to your holiday table!

Try to choose a color scheme and stick with 2 or 3 colors, picking up the colors you have already used to decorate your dining room. Winter colors that work well as a primary color in your holiday dining room décor include deep reds and greens. You can either choose contrasting secondary colors or use two shades of the same color to keep things simpler.

If your walls are taupe or another warm tone, then gold will make a great accent color in your holiday tablescape. On the other hand, if you have gray walls tinted with green or blue then silver makes a great accent color for accessories like candlesticks and napkin holders.

Setting a Holiday Tone in Your Dining Room

OK, so we’ve got our tableware and place setting plans in place; now it’s time to consider some holiday accents and embellishments to really give our holiday dining tablescape the right mood for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. By simply changing a few elements you can achieve a nice progression with subtle changes to your holiday tablescape:

• For Thanksgiving, you might do a simple fall centerpiece with pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers or fruits. Read our complete story on Fall Tablescapes and Floral Arrangements for lots of great ideas. Warmer accent colors help echo the changing seasons and colorful leaves outside in late November.
• As we move into December the progression moves toward winter colors and patterns. Consider a bright red poinsettia, winter berry or holly berry theme for your centerpiece with matching reds and greens for a Christmas feel.
• An elegant approach is to go with a monochromatic color scheme such as winter white, New Year’s silver, gold, Christmas red or evergreen can give your dining table a unique, classy look.
• For a unique holiday tablescape, you could try using colors such as mustard yellow paired with white to create a star theme or silver, light blue and white to create a snowflake/icicle theme.
• Lights are sure to give any tablescape a holiday feel; try working some holiday LED or rope lights on the buffet or hang elegant crystal icicles from your chandelier. A mirror over your buffet will help reflect light and color into your dining room and open it up, giving the illusion of a more spacious room.

The Holiday Dining Table Centerpiece

The one mistake a lot of people make is to overdo the centerpiece; too tall it will only hinder conversation and separate your dining guests unnaturally. A low centerpiece will accent your table without getting in the way. You can even just lay a nice holiday wreath to serve as a simple centerpiece.

Make a centerpiece using real pine boughs, flowers, pinecones, berries or whatever strikes your own fancy; change the centerpiece once after thanksgiving and again after Christmas to help set the tone for each holiday celebration you’ll be hosting.

Candlesticks and Candles for Holiday Dining

Candles are a natural element in most traditional holiday tablescapes. Whether you have a set of your grandmother’s silver candlesticks or a matched set of China candlesticks that go with your tableware, candles add warmth and ambience to the table setting.

The Kids Christmas Table

We all remember as kids how boring it was to be stuck listening to adults talk all night long during holiday dinners. But whenever there was a special table for the kids we ended up having a much more memorable holiday dinner.

If you plan to have a lot of kids during the holidays then a kids’ holiday dining table is almost a must-have just for the shear lack of space at the main dining table. You can make it fun for the kids too by dressing up a holiday table of their own.

Use an inexpensive vinyl holiday tablecloth, plastic plates and eating utensils to make things easier. Use a white paper tablecloth and set out a holiday bowl filled with crayons as a centerpiece and let them decorate the tablecloth themselves.

All of these ideas are meant to serve as though starters. Get creative and make your dining room a reflection of your family holiday traditions. Don’t be afraid to go outside the lines and make it unique to your holiday celebration. The only important thing is to have fun and spend time with friends and family while sharing great meals and holiday celebrations together!

Making your own Christmas wreath is easy, fun and offers limitless possibilities for creativity.

You can make your own Christmas wreath can be done in an afternoon, and the kids will love working with the fragrant greens and being able to make wreaths even prettier than store-bought ones.

So clear a large space in your kitchen, put on some great Holiday music, and get ready to have fun.

For a traditional greenery wreath, you will need:

• large bundles of Christmas Tree cuttings. You can use ones from your own tree, or     purchase cuttings from a place which sells Christmas Trees
• 1 bundle of holly
• 1 wreath frame (metal or Styrofoam)
• Garden clippers
• Wire clippers
• Spool of fine green wire (florist wire- can be purchased at craft stores or in craft sections of discount stores)
• 2 yards of wide red or holiday print ribbon

1. Prepare the greenery – Take the large boughs and cut the limbs into many 6- to 8-inch pieces (kids old enough to handle clippers can help). Its okay if there are irregularly shaped pieces; you want a natural look and can use nearly everything except the thick central branches. You may want to cut the holly, too, but keep it in a separate pile. It's expensive, so use it sparingly. Also, cut about twenty 15-inch pieces of wire and put them nearby (I suggest a parent do this job). Watch out–they're easily lost as the clutter spreads. I keep our wire in a plastic rectangle container so it doesn’t get lost as easily.

2. Begin to make bunches of evergreens – You should use the sturdy pieces from the base of the branches for the back of your bunch; they provide support but are fairly well hidden. You'll see that the tips of the branches are symmetrical and prettier because they haven't been cut. As you gather, say, four or five pieces for your bunch, place these sections near the front where they will be the most visible. Better yet, offer them to your kids because they look so nice and work with the less desirable pieces yourself.

3. Wiring your wreath – When you have formed a nice, thick bunch of greens, hold them down against the frame with one hand and take a piece of wire in the other. Place the greens in position and lay the wire across the bundle, about two-thirds of the way from the top. Now, holding the bunch in place with the wire (one end in each hand), carefully turn over the frame and tighten and twist the wire. That is the tricky part for kids; it can result in moans of frustration, so be ready to help. If you are using a metal frame, clip off any excess wire. With a Styrofoam frame, you can simply press it into the Styrofoam.

4. Adding the holly – Attach the second bunch of greens in the same way, except add a sprig of holly in the front where it can easily be seen. You can create your own patterns with holly; adding it to every bunch or every two or three. (I don't recommend forming bundles entirely from holly; it's prickly to handle, costly, and the result will probably not be as full as your bunches of evergreen.) Place the bundle in the same direction as the first one; the second overlaps the first so that only about a third of the underlying bunch is visible. If kids put the bundles farther apart in their haste to cover the frame quickly, they'll end up with a thin wreath that has an uneven circumference.

5. Closing the circle – Repeat steps 1 to 3 as many times as needed to work my way around the wreath. A frame 16 inches in diameter will require about 12 bunches. Where my last bunch meets up with my first, there is often a spot that is less full than the rest of the wreath. It's an ideal place to tie a ribbon.

6. Folding the bow – I like a bow with many loops because it shows up well and hangs naturally. (Pre-tied bows are also available in craft stores.) Take two yards of red ribbon, about one to two inches wide, and loop it back and forth, pinching it between thumb and forefinger at the middle to retain the loops.

7. Wiring on the bow – Take a piece of wire, run it once around the bow and wrap the two ends around the wreath, twisting it in the back. Older kids can try this step but may need some help. You can reuse the same ribbon year after year; just remove the wire, iron the ribbon and start again.

Frames & Greens
You can buy wreath frames at gardening and craft stores. Wire frames, ranging in size from about 8 to 20 inches, are cheapest and most durable. A 12-inch frame is a manageable size for a child. Styrofoam frames, though brittle, are handy because you can press wire into them. Use flat rather than round ones; it's easier to mount greens on them.

Greens (such as spruce, hemlock and Douglas fir) are usually available wherever Christmas trees are sold. Once you master the basics, experiment with mixes of white pine, juniper, laurel and holly. If you have evergreens on your property, you can prune small pieces yourself.

Adorning the Wreath
Once you’ve completed the hard work of tying on greens, it's time to decorate your wreath. You and your kids can wire on all sorts of adornments: pinecones (plain, painted or glitter-covered), acorns, small bells, Christmas ornaments, seashells or toy soldiers. You can also use ribbon to tie on decorations, such as cookie cutters, or wrap the wreath with a special garland.

Consider the wreath your palette and decorate it in whatever style suits your family. I let my kids decide for themselves, and every year the final products are different.

To hang the wreath, slip thin red ribbon around the top of the wreath frame (a bit of green wire is less conspicuous), and hang it from a screw, nail or hook.

Creative Wreath Ideas

Christmas wreaths don’t have to be green. Here are a few options for alternative Christmas wreaths. For these projects, I recommend using a wreath ‘frame’ cut out of cardboard, and painted red, or with red tissue paper glued on. When attaching your decoration, a low temperature hot glue gun works best. Using the flat cardboard frame also makes it hang nicely on your wall.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Candy Cane Wreath
If you’re looking for a popular twist on a traditional wreath, try using candy canes. You can pin, glue, or tape them to the wreath form in order to create a sunburst shape. You can also opt for popcorn to glue to the shape and decorate with green and/or red bows. These look particularly lovely against a backdrop of darker walls or doors.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Peppermint Candy Wreath

Love the look of red-and-white striped peppermint candy in holiday decorating? Glue together handfuls of individually wrapped peppermint candies and add them to a holiday wreath. You can use a cardboard frame to have a wreath made exclusively of candy (very cute and festive.) – or, if you are using a green wreath, add 5-7 regular and 5-7 small size candy canes in between the bunches of hard candy for a festive and fragrant candy-themed wreath.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Nature’s Bounty
Go for a walk in the woods while carrying a basket. Collect red berries, nuts, pinecones, dried flowers, and seed pods. Wire together combinations of these gifts from nature into small handful-size bunches, and wire the small arrangements into the wreath. You can use a hot glue gun to attach smaller items. Select a large bow or a strand of battery-operated tiny white lights to add a finishing touch to your nature’s bounty wreath.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Other Ideas
Be creative. There are all kinds of things you can use to create a unique Christmas wreath. Vintage Christmas cards, silk poinsettias, miniature wrapped gift boxes with pretty bows, or vintage Christmas balls all make gorgeous decorations for holiday wreaths.

Consider making a wreath that matches your favorite holiday theme. If you love snowmen, make a snowflake wreath from inexpensive snowflake ornaments. If you like keeping the ‘reason for the season’ in mind, purchase an inexpensive nativity set and wire the figurines into a wreath. Or make a meaningful wreath out of small framed photographs of your children.

Home Improvement Project Planning and Scope

First, you want to plan your home improvement project and consider the scope before looking for contractor(s). If all you’re doing is re-grouting your shower then you don’t need much of a plan.

On the other hand, when doing a major remodeling project such as gutting your bathroom and redoing the entire room then it really pays to spend some time planning the project. Consider whether you will act as your own general contractor and manage the project details yourself or whether the time and skills required are beyond your abilities, in which case a good general contractor can not only save you time and money, but can also ensure you avoid a complete remodeling disaster.

Too many homeowners and do-it-yourselfers start out on a large home renovation project only to find themselves in deep over their heads. Don’t make this mistake or you may pay a hefty price later to have a general contractor come in and bail you out; the absolute wrong time to hire a contractor is when you’ve already invested a bunch of money in materials and gone without a kitchen or bathroom for weeks or months and need the job completed quickly!

What to Look For in a Contractor

When you have a basic project scope and plan ready, its time to consider what you need in a contractor, as there are always tradeoffs in terms of time, quality and price to consider. Ask yourself what qualities are most important to you in a contractor(s):

Overall Project Scope – while some contractors specialize in remodeling, others focus on building custom homes from start to finish. Knowing whether the project you have in mind is well-suited to the contractor(s) you select is critical to a successful project outcome.

Project Cost and Pricing – if project cost is important then look for contractors who are willing to negotiate pricing in exchange for a longer project timeline so that they might be able to work on your project while things are a bit slower on other projects. It will take longer to complete the project but if you’re willing to wait you can save money in some cases.

Quality of Work – if the most important aspect in your home improvement project is the quality of workmanship and materials then you’ll want to find a contractor(s) who have the highest reputation for quality; this often means not only paying a higher price but oftentimes also being put on a waiting list until the job even gets going. The best contracting companies are usually those who are known for their responsiveness and attention to detail, making them more in demand and able to charge premium prices.

Rapid Project Completion – another trade off to consider is how quickly you want/need your project to be completed. By building incentives into the project plan and contract for reaching milestones on time or ahead of schedule, you’ll most likely pay a premium. But, on the other hand, if the thought of living without a kitchen for months or having your home torn apart and having to either live in the midst of a construction site or moving to a temporary location for the duration of the project doesn’t sound too enticing, then paying a bit more to get the project done quickly may be worthwhile.

Unique Features and Customizations – if your project involves highly unique or custom features you may need to look high and low for the right contractor(s) to achieve your goals. For instance, while a qualified electrician may be able to wire a basic media room, if your project involves installing a high end custom home theater, you’ll be much better off finding a contractor who specializes in home audio and video systems. Specialization is the name of the game these days when it comes to high end home building and remodeling projects.

Once you have prioritized the qualities and trade offs that are most critical to you in hiring a contractor(s) its time to start looking. In part 2 of this series we’ll show you the best means of finding and selecting your contractor(s).

Rain showers come and go, leaving the air crisp and clean. Autumn displays her earthy browns, brilliant reds, liquid amber and orange, pear gold and muted yellow.

Bringing the feel of autumn into your home creates natural warmth and echoes the changing season. As with any seasonal theme, you can go the subtle route by switching out accents, adding a fall floral display and putting up an autumn wreath.

Or, you can really embrace the season and go a little further … read on to learn some fun and inexpensive ways to usher in the fall season.

Fall Colors Have Impact!

Fall is a time of dramatic, vibrant color and pattern. Harvest colors, falling leaves, nuts, seeds, berries, dried grasses, fall fruits and grapes are just a few of the endless possibilities to create a fall display inside or in your garden.

Now I would never suggest you paint interior walls just to decorate for a season, but so many of our favorite colors come in fall anyway. You can safely paint almost any room in warm tones and it works all year round.

Orange is a bold color, but look at the contrast you get when you paint just a single wall in a room in a very bold primary color and leave the rest of the room white? It’s striking and, again, will work well all year. Other ‘bold’ fall colors that work well as wall paint colors include cinnamon, cranberry and burgundy.

Remember to think contrast; a cranberry wall with white chair rail looks great but four cranberry walls and no trim will seem too stark. Blend or contrast colors, generally using no more than 2 or 3 colors in a room, although you can get away with adding small accents to greatly affect the overall look of a room. So, you can add red, yellow or orange to a room that otherwise has none of these colors, creating a focal point in one area or splashing the accent color in several places throughout the room.

Autumn Home Interior Accessories

Pillows, quilts, throws and other textiles are traditionally used to give the home a warmer feel for fall; as the weather gets chilly, we naturally get out the wool and fleece.

Lucky are the crafters who can make their own, but you can also find wonderful blankets, pillows and throw rugs with fall designs in local crafts stores or shop online. Retailers like Pottery Barn have great selection. Black Forest has some really cool fall pieces you can check out too.

Colored glass containers and potpourri dishes make good accents on the fireplace mantel, countertop or window sill. Here’s a great idea we found; fill an apothecary jar with candy corn or M&Ms for a colorful (and tasty) accent piece for your coffee table.

Candles and Vases

Candles are always a nice fall touch. Use copper or brass candle holders for a rustic autumn accent. And of course you’ll want a few pumpkins, gourds, or fruit on a long woven basket or wooden tray. Add berry clusters, seeds and nuts, fall fruits, autumn leaves and flowers to make a colorful fall garnish.

The great thing about candles is the wonderful variety of colors, scents and shapes you can find. Add a subtle scent of pear, grape, or other smells of fall to reach beyond just your sense of sight; you can add a whole new dimension to your room with the right scents.

Cut fresh flowers from your garden to take advantage of that last flourish of the season. Pick up pine cones and pine needles, wild flowers and dried grasses to give your room a rustic fall feel. Put them in a woven basket with some mini pumpkins or gourds to spice up the dining table or a display shelf or countertop.

Throw Rugs and Fabrics Warm Your Home

When the seasons change and winter approaches, we want to soften and warm our home. This is where fabrics become so important in giving a room the right seasonal cues. Fabric is the essence of fall decorating. Use it to introduce a pattern or repeat as well as to warm and soften your interior.

A tapestry softens a large wall in a living room or hallway, deadening sound and warming the room. A handmade quilt draped over the back of a sofa invites guests to come in sit down and relax. A knit blanket at the foot of a bed makes you feel comfortable when you get into bed. A shag throw rug softens the natural stone bathroom floor.

Like a cartoon character you go to open your closet one day and things spill out on top of you. If you’re like me, you have lots of clothes. And belts. And shoes. And coats. And sweaters and tops and … well, you get the idea!

However, when I bought my house I came to the sad realization that my ‘walk in closet’ meant I could step in it, not walk all the way in! This led me on my search for a good closet organizer! Learn from my mistakes!

Fabric Organizers

Fabric closet organizers can be purchased to fir long coats and dresses, shirts, shoes, sweaters, so on and so forth.

The problem with this type of organizer is that on the organizers designed for sweaters and shoes, the ‘cubes’ have a cardboard type bottom that the clothes sit on top of. At some point you just decide to move on!

Closet Organizers

For lightweight items, this may not pose a problem, but for my collections of Irish and Scottish wool sweaters, which weigh as much as a small cat, the cardboard would bend. Not so good. The zippered hanging compartments for hanging clothes worked well, but I found it impractical to unzip and zip every morning- just to get dressed. And imagine putting laundry away…no, it was not fun.

These factors taught me that this was not the type of closet organizer I needed. So, back to the home improvement store I went.

There is literally a whole aisle dedicated to closet organization! Wire racks of every length, and pre-packaged kits promised the worlds most organized closet- all in only minutes. As dazed as I was by all the white-coated wire racks surrounding me, I opted for a pre packaged closet organizer that promised it only took a few minutes to install. This was Sunday.

Deciding How to Organize Your Closet

Come Tuesday, I broke down and called my brother to come and put this infernal thing together. Around midnight, he left and I started to hang up my clothes.

But, even though I was unable to assemble this thing by myself, I must say, I do like it (once I finally got it together)! There is a section for long clothes, a section with two racks, for blouses and slacks to hang beneath, and wire shelving for my heavy sweaters and purses. I kept the fabric organizer for my shoes, since none of my shoes are that heavy!

So when you go to purchase your new closet organizer, think about what you want. Consider the types of clothing you are storing, and how often you want to access them. Also, make sure you measure the length and depth of your closet before hitting the closet organizer aisle!

Closet Space Planning

One thing you have to do is size up your stuff and how to make best use of your closet space. If you are blessed with a walk in closet you may have a little room to spare, but if you’re like most of us, you need every inch you can find.

Thinking strategically and taking time to find the best closet organizing aids for your own closet lets you avoid getting rid of stuff you’d otherwise like to keep or moving stuff around as the seasons change and you find new things on sale!

Where to Start Organizing Your Closet

First thing is to clear away the junk and old clothes you KNOW you’re never going to wear again. Have a yard sale, donate stuff to The Good Will; clear out your closet before you plan, buy and install your closet organizers! It will make your job a whole lot easier and you’ll be much happier with the results.

Next, evaluate the existing shelving, clothing rods, etc. and decide what you will possibly keep and what needs to be replaced. If all you have is the little shelf at the top with the clothes rod underneath, it’s like having a clean slate. But if you already have some shelving, drawers, baskets, etc. that can be ‘recycled’ you should plan how to incorporate them in your new closet storage plan.

Take good measurements and make a drawing or two so that you have a few ideas on what you want to go where. That will make it easier to select the right modular storage pieces, hanging garment organizers, etc.

Closet Organization Products

Time to go shopping! While there are literally thousands of products on the market these days, here are a few popular types of closet organizers to consider:

• Modular, stackable closet organizers are a cheap way to store stuff you can fold such as sweaters, undergarments, etc. The better modular units offer easy gliding drawers or you can choose open shelves for easy access and a cheaper solution. Check sliding mechanisms for durability and a smooth sliding action.
• Hanging storage closet organizers hang on a rod, leaving you open floor space to store other items and are designed to store specific items such as shoes, belts, ties, suits, dresses, etc. These can also be a very cost effective solution. Remember that vertical space is what you want to maximize.
• Wicker baskets make attractive closet organizers to keep less-often used items like off-season clothes, spare towels, etc. Get several baskets that stack neatly and you can make great use of that top shelf in a standard 3×8-foot bedroom closet that always seems so tough to make useful.
• Organizers for belts and neckties range widely, from simple hanging racks to motorized revolving models; decide where you plan to install them and measure before you buy or be sure you can easily exchange the racks if you find they won’t fit your closet.
• If you wear hats and caps, look for a rack that goes on the back of the closet door or look for stackable hat boxes.

The days are shortening and the nights grow cooler. Autumn is soon arrived in all her natural splendor, and with the crispness of fall the foliage explodes with color.

This is a time to warm the inside of your home with all the brilliant golds, amber oranges and deep reds she has to offer.

Seasonal décor is a wonderful opportunity to play up the change of seasons and set a mood for holiday activities and spending time together with family and friends at home.

Switch out some of your home accent pieces, add a couple of new accessories and put out a couple of nice fall flower arrangements to give any room in your home the look of the season.

Welcome Autumn with Flower Arrangements

Fall is a time to bring color into your home and you certainly have plenty of choices, whether you choose fresh cut flowers from your garden or design a decorative tablescape using pumpkins, floral foam and silk or other floral arrangement supplies that will last through Thanksgiving.

For fall decorating, choose flowers with yellows, reds, and oranges. Roses and Chrysanthemums are always popular. Or, pick lilies in yellow or orange and long-stemmed Gladiolas. Go outdoors and find dried grasses and leaves to give your arrangement the finishing touch.

Mix things up, trying one idea or theme for a fall wreath on your front door, another in the garden and yet others for tablescapes and fall accents inside the home. The variety of plants, flowers, fall foliage and other autumn decorations gives you endless possibilities.

Preparing Your Fall Floral Arrangements

To make your tablescape or floral arrangement last, it’s worth taking time to prepare your materials properly. Fresh flowers should be hardened by re-cutting the stems and placing them in fresh water for at least an hour before placing into your vase or floral foam base.

Stems also need attention. If you use flowers or foliage with thick stems, split them so that needles and wire used to hold things in place can easily penetrate the woody stems. Thin stems can be re-enforced by binding thicker stems to them with floral tape or wire.

And of course, once you have your fresh fall floral arrangement completed, be sure to add water to the container every day and mist with water to keep them fresh; if you plan wisely, you can simply replace flowers in your arrangement to extend the lifespan of your fall arrangements.

Creative Fall Flower Arrangements

Choosing materials and fresh foliage for your floral arrangements and tablescapes can become a fun adventure as you go outdoors to gather grasses, leaves, seed pods, interesting gourds and squashes, pine cones, cattails, goldenrod, berry branches and other fall plants in bloom or turning color.

Seasonal decorating touches like tablescapes and flower arrangements present a perfect opportunity to experiment and get creative; you can always start over if something doesn’t turn out the way you want or just chalk your mistakes up to learning by experience; next year you’ll do even better!

Fall Flower Arrangement Tips

• Display your fall flower arrangements prominently where family, friends and guests can enjoy their natural beauty and get into the spirit of fall and upcoming holidays and festivities.
• A fall tablescape or floral arrangement makes the perfect centerpiece for your dining table. Be sure to keep your floral design low so that people aren’t ‘separated’ by it; this is one of the most common mistakes people make when designing floral arrangements for the dining table.
• Fall bouquets are great for decorating a table in your entry or foyer, end tables and coffee tables in your family and living room spaces, giving your guest bedroom and bathrooms a fresh look for the autumn season or adding a focal point on display shelves in any room in your home.
• A fall wreath will give your home’s front door entrance a nice touch of autumn, greeting guests with color and warmth.
• Pumpkins are a fall favorite and make a great base for flower arrangements; you can cut the top to create a vessel inside which you can place floral foam to support your flowers, using sunflowers, orange or red roses, berry branches, dried grasses, etc. to design your arrangement.
• Fall fruits such as grapes, apples, mini pumpkins, etc. can also make great fall tablescapes and floral arrangements. Use candles or votives to give your fall tablescape an added touch of color and warmth.
• Wicker baskets are also great for fall floral designs; try using chrysanthemums, sunflowers, tiny pumpkins, white gourds, gerberas, acorns, dry ferns and other natural fall plants to create a decorative fall basket.
• Use a mat of moss on a table or fireplace mantel to create a nice base to arrange orange and white pumpkins in various sizes and shapes, using one larger pumpkin as a focal point, with smaller sugar pumpkins, fruits, etc. arranged around it.
• Remember to decorate outdoors also; find a corner on the porch, a bench, pedestal or table in the garden, etc. that you can use to display some pumpkins and fall foliage arranged to fill in the garden as flowers and other plants begin to die out during autumn.
• You can place a pumpkin on any pedestal, urn or container in your garden. Put some rocks or bark underneath to keep if from rotting too quickly from heavy morning dew and fall rain storms.

With Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up you’ll want to decorate for the season.

Whether you’re looking for ideas on fall colors in the home, designing an autumn wreath, how to carve a Halloween pumpkin, set your table for the holidays or create a fall floral display in your home, you’ll find plenty of fall decorating photos and ideas in our Fall Home Decorating Photo Gallery.

Is it Time to Unclutter Your Home?

It strikes me that most of the content on RafterTales.com has been about adding stuff to your home. But lately, I’ve been thinking more about less … uncluttering my own space. After reading Leo Babauta’s excellent post, titled A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home, on his blog, ZenHabits.com, I decided it was time to offer you all some new ideas on minimalism in home design.

Less Can be More!

Let’s face it; Americans are way too focused on stuff. But as our awareness of ecology and the whole “Green” trend increases, there may be hope for us to grow beyond our material possessions obsession and move toward minimalism!

The whole philosophy that less can be more and is really more a philosophy about how to live your life far more than just how to arrange your home and living space. But, once you begin to embrace this philosophy, you’ll find a whole new paradigm opens up as you consider how to embody minimalism into your own home.

Why a Minimalist Space?

In general, minimalist home design emphasizes clean lines, simple color palettes, and unadorned surfaces, breaking forms and structures down into their most basic elements. Famous designers who pioneered minimalism in interior design include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and members of the De Stijl Dutch art movement, with open floor plans, removing dimension and intersecting visual planes that connect.

Asian influence is common in many minimalist designs. The initial focus of minimalism in interior design focused on “rediscovering pure forms”, but has evolved toward a “Zen” approach, infusing interior spaces with a sense of calm, harmony, balance and spirituality. Here are some reasons you may wish to follow the minimalist aesthetic in your home:

• Stress Reduction – Because we focus so much on materialism and wealth accumulation, Americans live with too much stress. We obsess over work, money and generally keeping up with the Joneses that we tax our bodies, minds and spirits with a whole lot of stress! Uncluttering your home is one way to help reduce stress and change your whole mind set to working to live instead of living to work!
• A Fresh Look – Simple, clean spaces generally hold more appeal than interior designs that are over-designed. By reaching for simplicity in design, the objects that remain take on more significance. When done correctly, the minimalist space takes on an ethereal, almost dream-like feel.
• Ease-of-Use – Duh, it’s a no-brainer; less stuff means less to clean, maintain and keep up!

The Minimalist Look

Of course minimalism varies by degrees; you might go super-Spartan or you may prefer to compromise a bit. Really, the degree to which you minimalize is entirely personal, but here are a few guidelines you can follow as you decide the right balance for your home and lifestyle:

• Minimalism Emphasizes Simplicity – In the purely minimalist home, simplicity is everything. Surfaces are kept clear and uncluttered; no books or knick knacks on the coffee table, nothing stacked on the floor, etc. You won’t find fancy trim around the windows, multi-layered crown moldings or baseboards, etc.

• Minimalist Furniture – When it comes to furnishings in the minimalist home, two aspects must be considered: 1) Minimalist interiors contain only essential, functional pieces (example: the family room might have a simple entertainment center, one sofa, a coffee table and one additional chair) and 2) The furniture selected will have clean, simple lines and is not adorned with frilly decoration (leather or plain fabrics instead of intricate patterns or prints, straight or curved lines without features such as fluting, hand-carving or other intricate wood working).

• Minimalist Accents and Decorations – Of course, you don’t want to leave your home entirely free of objects; that would be far too boring and could make the living space feel “clinical”. But, instead of hanging a group of photos on a single wall, you might just pick a single photo or piece of art that suits your taste and, hopefully, expresses something about you, your family and your lifestyle. A simple floral arrangement on the coffee table is sufficient; you can store accent pieces and change them out as the seasons change or anytime you feel the need to make subtle changes.

• Emphasize Quality over Quantity – More than anything, the minimalist emphasizes quality. For example, when we got married, my wife and I bought a handmade Quaker dining table and a set of Windsor chairs. It was the first new, expensive furniture we bought together and 20 years later we still use it daily. Time and use have added character to the set, along with a lot of great memories!

10 Steps to a Minimalist Living Space

1. Start with one room first so you won’t be overwhelmed by the task. Once you have simplified and uncluttered one room to taste, move on to the next until you achieve the balance and harmony you want to achieve throughout your entire home.
2. Begin by emptying the room. Try to visualize the look you want to achieve then consider what objects you can reuse and which may need to be replaced. Focus on comfort and function when selecting furniture pieces. Use quiet, subdued colors and select furniture and objects which are plain and unadorned. Remember to utilize only the essentials, asking yourself in each case whether or not you truly need the object in consideration!
3. Keep surfaces clear; furniture only on the floor, selected objects on table and shelf surfaces, sparse wall decorations, etc. Anything you don’t really need should be stored out of sight, donated or thrown out! Start with less, try living with the space for a few days and then, if you feel it is too plain, try adding additional objects one at a time, deliberately and consciously focusing on simplicity, calm and balance.
4. Choose a specific place for everything; once you find the perfect place for something it should remain there; one of the basic tenants of minimalism is the old adage “a place for everything and everything in it’s place”, harkening back to a simpler time when space was limited and only the essentials were evident in a well-kept home.
5. Keep color palettes subdued and plain. Bold color palettes and intricate patterns tend to clutter a space visually and do not lend well to the minimalist aesthetic. Choose a primary color and augment it with one to three complementary colors.
6. Keep stuff hidden from sight unless you really need it readily accessible. For example, RIP all your CDs to disk, putting them on your iPod and connecting the iPod to your home audio system. This way you can box and store you CDs neatly away. Choose in-wall speakers over free standing floor speakers. Follow these concepts as you consider everything that will be visible within the living spaces of your home.
7. Keep window treatments plain; bare windows may be acceptable where privacy and light control are not crucial. Simple wood blinds or cellular shades that stack neatly when opened are better than curtains or draperies. If you do select draperies, go with simple pleated drapes or curtains and don’t select fabrics with heavy patterns, floral prints, etc.
8. Try leaving some walls completely bare; you can always add simple artwork over time if you find the “white space” too boring. By displaying quality artwork on selected walls, you will create harmony and peace without distracting the eye with visual clutter!
9. Keep decorations to a minimum; again you don’t want to clutter spaces. Select quality accents and décor items that have sentimental value or express your personal tastes and reflect thoughtful attention to detail in their selection and placement.
10. Edit, edit, edit! The essence of minimalism is reduction so should be continually editing the objects in a room, whether each object is essential and its placement within the overall space you’re designing!

Please leave your comments, questions and thoughts on designing a minimalist home. If you try some of these ideas please let us know how they work and what you learn in the Zen act of uncluttering your home!

Basics of a Contemporary Kitchen

Start with a minimalist approach, deciding on the basic theme and design elements you will use to create your own unique contemporary kitchen design. Choose the elements you want to incorporate, deciding on geometric patterns that will be repeated, straight lines or curves that carry throughout the space, and the materials you will use for cabinetry, appliances, flooring, etc.

Often an asymmetrical balance will be used in the modern kitchen décor. Cabinets and trim should be understated and not adorned with too many embellishments. While modern designs often make use of manufactured materials and finishes such as steel, plastic, linoleum, chrome, molded plywood, laminate, acrylic, concrete, and glass, you can also soften and warm the modern kitchen design aesthetic with natural materials such as granite, slate, stone, and wood.

The mix of natural and man-made materials is a very personal choice and depends on how “industrial” a look you wish to achieve versus a more natural kitchen space that may be more appropriate in the home.

The Elements of Contemporary Kitchen Design

You have an abundant variety of design elements available when planning a contemporary kitchen. Typical contemporary kitchen design elements include:

• Frameless cabinets with simple hardware and European hinges.
• Translucent or frosted glass panels or cabinet door inserts.
• Bold, geometric angles and lines.
• Man-made surfaces in either monochromatic or vibrant colors.
• Strong overall ambient lighting and adjustable task lighting, such as track or recessed down lights.
• Use of metallic finishes such as stainless steel, copper, or chrome.
• Countertops and cabinetry can incorporate sweeping curves.
• Soften the feel of your modern kitchen with natural, grainy woods with such as maple, cherry, birch, or ash.

Contemporary Kitchen Inspiration

Today’s contemporary kitchen designs often emphasize universal design principles and eco-friendly materials. Universal design focuses on user-friendly function and utility, making for a kitchen that serves the daily needs of the household, while also providing a comfortable, inviting space in which to entertain guests. Universal design principles call for a kitchen space that is flexible, intuitive to use, prevents accidents, and helps ease food preparation and clean up.

Follow these universal design ideas when planning your contemporary kitchen:

• Plan ahead for plenty of storage, using conveniences such as pullout shelves, sliding drawers, or spinning lazy susans to maximize space and keep your kitchen well-organized.
• Select easy-to-clean surfaces such as an electric glass cooktops, smooth countertop surfaces and stainless steel appliances.
• Consider installing two sinks; a large primary sink and a secondary sink for washing vegetables, serving beverages, etc. Select single-lever faucets that make it easy to control flow and water temperature.
• Select functional, modern-style cabinet and drawer pulls such as stainless pulls on cabinet doors and stainless steel bars on drawers.
• Install under-cabinet task lighting to make food preparation easier.

The Eco-Friendly Contemporary Kitchen

The trend in contemporary interior design is toward more ecologically-conscious materials that emphasize energy efficiency and recycled materials. The kitchen space is one of the most energy-dependent spaces in your homes, so you can really make a difference and help alleviate energy use by applying green design principles.

Green design applications in the contemporary kitchen can include:

• Install Energy Star® appliances, induction cooking technology and surfaces that will be easy to clean and maintain.
• Choose cabinet and flooring materials such as reclaimed wood, rapidly renewable sources like bamboo or sustainable hardwoods.
• Use materials and paints that have low-VOC emissions.
• Plan ahead for efficient recycling of paper, plastic, metal, glass and organic kitchen waste materials!

Contemporary Kitchen Themes and Styles

As with modern music, within today’s modern kitchen design realm, you have many “sub-genres” from which to select. Here’s a rundown on some of the more popular contemporary kitchen designs:

• Contemporary Curves – While modern kitchens often incorporate linear design elements, curves can also be used; a curved island, window wall, arches over doorways or other “curvatures” can make excellent design repeats.
• Contemporary Contrast – You can create contrasts by mixing materials; for instance by using a natural stone flooring material and stainless steel appliances, natural wood cabinets with frosted glass inserts or black appliances with granite countertops.
• Chic Contemporary – Modern design often de-emphasizes the space itself, turning the focus instead on art within the space. While we may not think of a refrigerator or kitchen range as art, you can make almost any element in your kitchen a centerpiece; it could be an artful backsplash, a picture window over the sink, a large piece of modern art on the wall in the nook …. really anything you want to make the focal point!
• Casual Contemporary Casual – Many homeowners want a modern kitchen but may be afraid of making it too industrial for the home. You can soften your contemporary kitchen design by adding glass pendant lights over the island, going with natural wood cabinets instead of laminate; basically your contemporary kitchen doesn’t have to follow the pure modern design aesthetic!
• Retro Contemporary Kitchen – Modern is now retro! You can buy bar stools and kitchen appliances inspired by the modern designers such as Eames, Wright and others and give your kitchen the retro contemporary look. Glass, chrome and laminate surfaces will characterize the retro look.
• Contemporary Clean Lines – Contemporary style is best recognized by sleek, uncluttered lines and smooth surfaces. Stainless steel, glass and concrete exemplify the types of materials that modern designs often incorporate, but you can also mix hardwoods and natural stone. If the lines follow modern design principles, your kitchen will still feel contemporary.
• Contemporary and Earthy – You can blend the clean lines of modern design with warmer, softer elements to give you contemporary kitchen a more down-to-earth feeling. Materials such as exotic woods or bamboo, etched copper, natural stone, and stainless steel can be mixed to give you kitchen an earthy contemporary look.
• Black and White and Contemporary – For a bold look, you might want to consider an all black and white color scheme to achieve an ultra-modern looking kitchen. Add small accents of color to draw the eye to specific elements in your back and white design or mix warm wood tones to subtly temper the high contrast.
• Traditional Contemporary – If you have a historic Victorian or other period-style home in need of a kitchen update and want to keep it in the proper style without sacrificing the form and function of a contemporary kitchen, try slate countertops and flooring with wood cabinetry. Keep the lines simple and forego too many embellishments to keep it modern and consider transitions that separate your modern kitchen from adjoining spaces that may follow a more formal, traditional style of design.

Contemporary Kitchen Elements and Materials

Once you have the basic style in mind for your contemporary kitchen, you’ll want to select specific elements and materials to incorporate. Remember that uncluttered and clean is what you want to achieve. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Contemporary Kitchen Island – An island in your contemporary kitchen is the essence of the modern design rule that “form follows function’. If space allows, incorporating an island will not only add storage and countertop space, but with the addition of bar stools it helps make the kitchen a more inviting place to entertain and will often be the focal point of a modern kitchen.
• Contemporary Backsplash – If you choose an overhead range hood and vent system, the backsplash can make a great focal point. Use something like glass or ceramic tile with a geometric pattern to accent your contemporary kitchen. Many styles of range hood are available these days that look like modern sculptures, with clean modern straight- or curved-lined designs and finishes such as stainless steel or copper.
• Contemporary Cabinets – From white laminate to maple, you can choose almost any material for cabinetry. The lines and absence of embellishments are what will set your contemporary kitchen apart from more traditional designs. Frameless frames and plain pulls, often metal, predominate.
• Contemporary Kitchen Countertops – Choose something different and unique; stainless steel or concrete might give your kitchen a super-contemporary look. Or you can stick with slate or granite for a less industrial look. You could even choose glass for a bar countertop on one side of a kitchen island.
• Contemporary Windows – Translucent glass blocks are one way to bring natural light into a contemporary kitchen space; especially if the window has an undesirable view! Try to select window coverings with clean lines; shades or blinds without curtains for instance. The more natural light you can bring into the kitchen the better.
• Contemporary Stainless Steel – Stainless steel appliances, fixtures, and hardware are always popular in the contemporary kitchen, lending the look of a restaurant kitchen. Stainless steel is easy to maintain and the highly reflective surfaces brighten the space.

As always, the easiest and most dramatic way to change a room is through the magic of paint. With a theme room, you should choose colors that your child associates with their favorite theme. For example, if you were creating a Tinkerbell room, you would choose shades of green or purple. A room based on Lightening McQueen could be red and black. Use your imagination, and don’t stop at simply painting the walls. You can add a racing stripe complete with center line as a border along the walls, or paint the floor dark grey and draw a race track around the room. The possibilities are endless! If you don’t wish to paint the floor, consider adding a kids area rug. You can often find large area rugs that replicate a roadway, and are great fun for kids to push their car around on.

With furniture, it’s simple to turn a regular piece into a themed work of art. Paint a set of bunk beds fire engine red. Add an old rubber hose painted black as an accent along the top of the bunk for your ‘fire hose’. If you are good with tools, consider cutting out a fire truck from plywood and painting it. Put your artwork up along the top of the bunk as a bed rail. Your child’s bed will be transformed from plain to fantastic with little more than a bucket of paint, some wood, and your own effort.

Wall murals are popular in theme rooms, but they can be time consuming to do on your own and expensive if you hire someone to come in and create one for you. For a real wall mural display at less than half the price, purchase large self-adhesive stickers that you can put together as a mural. There are many different theme stickers you can buy, including word art and character replications. It will really add that themed touch to your room.

Less expensive additions you can add to your child’s room include themed sheets, curtains, pillows, posters, and borders. You can buy light switch covers, wall outlets covers, laundry hampers, and even clocks in a variety of characters and themes. The accessories really take your room to that extra level, and your child will be thrilled with all of the new and special additions.

Yes, Extreme Home Makeover can set the bar fairly high when it comes to beautiful kid’s rooms, but you can give your child the gift of a beautiful sanctuary by simply doing it yourself and being creative with how you spend your budget. The payback will be the thrill you see on your child’s face for years to come.

1. Look under furniture for extra storage space; a good under-bed organizer can help keep toys, shoes and other kids’ stuff hidden from view and better-organized. You might also consider a trundle or kid-sized bed with built-in drawers. Efficient storage is the most important key to keeping a small bedroom neat.
2. Go vertical; when floor space is limited, one of the easiest ways to maximize space utilization is to use every inch of vertical space. When shopping for kids’ bedroom furniture, look for bookcases, armoires, hutches and other furniture pieces that are tall and use the least square footage. A bunk bed really takes advantage of vertical space, giving you a place to display stuffed animals, etc. even if the bedroom isn’t shared; this also helps out when your kids have sleepovers.
3. Create an illusion of more space by painting stripes on the walls; vertical stripes give the room a sense of greater height while horizontal stripes will make the room seem wider. Mount full length curtains close to ceiling height to further augment the sense of greater height.
4. Look for “combo” furniture pieces such as an armoire with drawers and space for hanging clothes to free up closet space. If you install the right closet organizers and shelving, you might want to consider removing the closet doors to help open up your child’s smaller bedroom. This option gives you greater flexibility in terms of furniture layout.
5. A corner bookcase or display shelf unit can be a great way to utilize diagonal nooks and crannies in your smaller-sized kids’ bedroom.
6. Don’t place tall furniture near windows; this only blocks the natural light. Do place a low bookcase or, better yet, a chair or bench near the window; this adds both seating and storage below the windowsill.
7. While it may seem counter-intuitive, an oversized kids’ chair will help make the bedroom seem larger, taking advantage of scale and tricking the eye into perceiving the room as larger.
8. When it comes to wall art, try to focus on one wall in your kids’ bedroom; this will create a visual focal point without clutter and visual distraction. Try to reduce the number and amount of collections of kids’ decorative accessories; you can switch collections now seasonally or as your child’s interests change over time. This reduces visual clutter if you can get your child to agree to not displaying every collection at once!
9. A well-lit bedroom will seem more open and spacious than a dark room; augment the ceiling light fixture with a bedside table lamp, desk lamp, etc. to provide plenty of ambient and task lighting in your child’s bedroom. Use a layered window treatment, using a blind or shade to provide adequate privacy when needed and sheer curtains for a decorative touch that still lets in plenty of natural light when the shade or blind is raised.
10. Keep it simple; more than anything a small kids’ bedroom will suffer greatly if you try to overdo a theme, use too many colors and cram in just plain too much stuff. The trick to decorating any small space is to keep things simple and not over-decorate!

Similar to a traditional family room and oftentimes connected to the kitchen and eating areas, the great room in many modern homes is the most popular gathering place in the house. A great room is where the family spends time in the evening and on weekends, when it’s raining outside, where we get together to play board games, watch television and movies on DVD and entertain friends.

The great room should be a comfortable space to spend time. It is not generally a formal room, so the décor will often be casual and inviting. A fireplace or entertainment center makes the focal point in most great room layouts. Arrange seating to take best advantage of your focal point, with a large coffee table and small end tables with table lamps to set down drinks, books and other items.

Perhaps no room gets more regular use than the modern Great Room, which typically combines family room, eating area and kitchen into a single living space.

Great Room Design Elements and Themes

You need to pick a theme for your great Room. You wouldn’t write a story without a plot, and basically, when we decorate, we are telling a story about who lives there. Are you a nature lover, does your family love sports, are you very traditional, or do you like a very minimal room?

Once you have a theme, it’s a lot easier to pick and choose the elements in the room to create that feeling, and can save you a lot of money in mistakes when things don’t quite go together. An area for board games or cards is easily accommodated by adding a game table several chairs and some task lighting. Place a floor lamp to add ambient lighting.

Some great rooms will incorporate a window seat to take advantage of the natural light provided by large windows. You can place a bench, loveseat or settee beside the window if your great room does not have a built in window seat. Add a soft cushion or pillows to make this a comfortable reading place. An end table with lamp makes a good addition to any reading area.

The large space in your great room makes it an ideal place for tall house plants. Up lighting can add drama and color at night. You might also consider a writing desk to make space for your bill-paying center.

Great Room Color Scheme Considerations

Once you decide how you want to use the space in your great room, its time to pick a color palette. If you can see another room from your great room, its best to pull a color from the adjoining room into your great room décor to help the rooms flow together.

Theme is also an important element in color selection. A natural theme may incorporate earthy tones, while a nautical theme would incorporate blues and yellows. Focus on the largest area, usually the walls first. Painting is a quick way to transform your great room. Try painting several patches with variations of the colors and tones you think you like on just one wall and let it dry to be sure which one you like best before painting the entire room.

Faux finishes like sponge painting and ragging can add texture, giving your great room a rich feeling, and are very easy to learn. Decorative trim such as crown molding, a chair rail and upgraded baseboards will go a long way to making your great room more visually appealing and unique.

Window treatments are a critical piece of your great room decor. One issue to consider in a great room will typically be the sliding glass doors. With kids and dogs running in and out, you may want to forgo expensive vertical blinds. Under all that heavy use, the vanes start falling out and get permanently bent after being shut in the door a few hundred times and the whole treatment needs replacing soon thereafter.

Window Treatments, Furnishings and Accessories

Roll-up imitation wood blinds are an option, or if budget allows, real wood blinds work well. Fabric panels made from twin flat sheets are inexpensive, and if you don’t sew, you could use iron-on hem tape. Inexpensive wood dowels can be used as rods, and you can glue something decorative onto the end of the rod for finials.

Once your walls and windows squared away, its time to select furniture, which can be expensive. There are ways to make the most of your existing pieces, and looking for less expensive alternatives. Slipcovers can give an old, worn-out sofa a new look. Look for sales or check local consignment shops to find your best deals on furniture if your budget is tight.

Blanket throws can be cut from a yard of polar fleece fabric, which doesn’t fray, so no sewing is required; just cut some fringe and it’s ready to throw on the couch. Another budget-minded option is paint. Paint mismatched furniture all the same color or apply a faux finish to make things match, adding wood molding to create a shared theme for the pieces.

Lighting and Accessories for the Great Room

Lighting is always important in the great room since so many different activities go on. Can lights or track lighting in the ceiling help provide overall ambient lighting, while pendant lamps or other hanging lamps add nice accent lighting. Floor and table lamps can be used to provide task lights in appropriate areas of the room.

Lastly, the fun is in accessorizing and really pulling together the theme for your great room. Start by selecting a few key items that you really like and then add items that complement these core accessories. Find inexpensive candles and put them in a nice bowl filled with stones or potpourri.

The great room will serve any family well, providing an inviting place to hang out indoors if you take the time to make it comfortable and inviting with these design and decorating ideas.