Spring decorating ideas on the cheap

When sun is coming up a little earlier every day and I can hear the birds singing, it’s time for me to take a look at my “nest” and give it a quick Spring makeover.

Get organized. I set aside a day when I won't have many interruptions and start by folding up the winter throws and blankets, putting away the dark accessories and taking down the heavy fall/winter curtains. I'm basically emptying the room out to start fresh. Just by doing this I feel the energy coming into the room along with the sunlight, and everything seems larger and more airy. After a quick cleaning and dusting, I take stock of the room, evaluating furniture placement. If moving a couple of things around makes me look at things in a new light, I go for it!

Get inspired. My goal this year for my front two rooms was to replace anything dark with something light and give it a summer cottage feel. I decided to use vintage textiles as my main inspiration – starting with a light pastel wedding ring quilt as a foundation item. The first place I always go "shopping" is my linen closet. I take stock of what I have in the way of blankets or quilts, tablecloths, curtains or panels and pillow covers. Over the years I have gathered quite a collection of "this and that" that can be changed out when I get the urge. Then I wander around the house and look at art, accessories and lamps with my goal in mind. If it's light and "cottage-y" it was a candidate for the Spring makeover.

Get started. My sofa is a deep, rich color which tends to make the room feel darker. By putting the wedding ring quilt with its cream background on the back of the sofa, I instantly brightened the room. From there I went to the window treatments. In place of my faux suede drapes in the front room I hung off-white embroidered sheers I had stored away, and suddenly the window looked like it was wearing a pretty petticoat. I brightened the room even more by using some of my vintage embroidered tablecloths on a couple of dark wood tables. On another dark wood piece I placed a light, floral-patterned vintage tray.

Get creative. Now you can have some fun with the accents. To enhance the comfy cottage feel, I literally piled the sofa with various pillows, in similar textiles – embroidered, white, floral and even ticking stripes. Loads of pillows make the sofa look lighter and more inviting. A couple of little white lamps were brought out of the guest room, and a small white storage bin was put into service as home to an ivy. I brought in an old painting in a lighter frame to replace a darker wood framed piece, then a light cotton throw was tossed onto the armchair. This is the time to experiment – place things then take a step back. Try a couple of different locations until it feels just right. Things start to really come together at this point. (By the way, so far I haven't spent a dime!)

Get the total picture. If two of your rooms flow together, like mine do, it's a good idea to consider both in your makeover. In the study adjacent to my front room, I replaced dark, heavily patterned drapes with chambray sheets – yes sheets – gathered onto the rod. Because they're a solid color, and chambray, they don't look like I stripped a bed to cover a window. They actually give me the feeling of a cute farmer in his chambray work shirt. I have a pile of vintage ladies hankies, which I used as tiebacks, to give the window treatments just a little whimsy. I tossed another old quilt over one of the chairs, and with just those two changes this room now coordinates nicely with the front room.

Get a few new things. Of course part of the fun of a mini home makeover is a few new items to add to the mix. I spent an hour or so in my local Kmart and snagged just a few little things that were nice touches, and didn't break the bank. I picked up two plaid "rag" rugs in light pastels that would pick up the tones in the quilt and still blend well with the color of the sofa. I also grabbed a couple of cute "travel pillows" that were covered in a ticking stripe. I did absolutely nothing to them, they were cute just like they were. I put one in among the pile of pillows on the sofa, and one on the armchair across the room, to tie them together visually. All told, I spent $20.98.

Get happy! When I was finished I stood back and just smiled. My rooms had a fresh, new look with a cottage feel just like I was going for.

If you haven't given your room the Spring treatment, try some of these ideas. It's just like the first time you pull out your favorite flip flops when the weather gets nice. You can suddenly see your toes and it just has to make you smile!

It's beginning to look (and smell) a lot like Christmas

Here's a cute decoration I accidentally came up with a couple of years ago that I just love. After decorating the tree, I had a strand of plain white lights left over, so I plopped them into a big Longaberger basket I have, just to get them out of my way. For some reason I looked at it and thought to plug it in. The way the light came through the weave of the basket looked really pretty, I thought, but looking into the basket and seeing the lights wasn't so pretty. So, I grabbed a bag of cinnamon-scented pine cones I had picked up at Michael's and threw them in on top of the lights to disguise them. Plugged the whole thing back in and a few minutes later the cinnamon scent was all through the house. The lights put off just enough heat to warm the pine cones, releasing the fragrance. (I always unplug them when we're not home, just to be safe.)

This year in addition to the pine cones, I wove strands of red and natural wooden bead garland through, draping them here and there over the rim of the basket. Then I stuck in these apples and pears to add more interest. The end result is so cute, very homey, and of course smells delish.

Any basket with a somewhat-loose weave would give the same result. I also think you could use any fragranced pine cones or pot pourri – evergreen would be wonderful. If you're not into a rustic look, try spray painting a basket gold or silver, and put shiny colored Christmas ornaments on top of the lights. Then you could weave in some satin ribbon and silver or gold bead garland. If you want the fragrance, you could try some esential oils on a cloth or cotton balls, which would be hidden by the other decorations.

The Bob and I love the way the house looks, feels and smells at Christmas. Try this decoration and let me know how it works for you!

UPDATE 12/29 – Since The Bob gave me a neat-o digital camera for Christmas, I thought I'd update this post with an actual shot of my basket decoration. I hope you try this next year!

Holiday Decorating with Candy

This is a holiday decoration that I came up with a few years back, mostly out of necessity – we didn't have a lot of money to spend on decorations, so I needed lots of bang for my buck. I used this idea a couple of years in a row, first on our mantle, then in the kitchen, and it never failed to get compliments.


Here's all you need:
• Peppermint candy
• Candy canes
• Peppermint sticks
• Clear glass containers – glasses, vases, hurricanes, whatever you have in the house will work with this idea
• Red satin or grosgrain ribbon, optional

Get enough candy to completely fill several containers. (Hint: Keep them in their wrappers and you can reuse year after year.)

Then just have fun. Hook candy canes around tall, cylinders or clear glass tumblers. Stand peppermint sticks in shorter, rocks glasses and tie with ribbon. Fill a brandy snifter or a martini glass with peppermint candies and tie the stem with a ribbon. Fill the bottom of a vase with peppermint candies and stand peppermint sticks or candy canes to resemble a bouquet in "water."

Then arrange the filled containers all together, varying the height. I suggest placing them in among some greenery or garland for the added color and pop. Little white lights look gorgeous with this, too.

This idea would make a fantastic centerpice for a holiday buffet table (I may do this myself this year!).

My FIRST Holiday Decorating Purchase – Handhooked Rug from L.L.Bean®

Check out my first (of many) holiday decorating purchase. The Vacationland Hooked Rug from the Holiday Gift Shop at L.L.Bean. I first spotted these in the catalog I received in the mail, but went to the website and found they had many more designs to choose from.

These are absolutely adorable, with a very cool, nostalgic vibe. They're very thick and rich in feel, and look like they cost a lot more than their retail price of $19.50. I am very tempted to order another one (or two!) for the house for this Christmas. I chose "Mountainside," which looks great with our "cabin in the woods" holiday decor.

L.L.Bean comes through for me every time! Go check out their other deals in the Holiday Gift Shop!

Ancient Antiquing Secrets

Antique malls can be overwhelming. So many tchotchkes, so little time. Over the years, I have developed a system that works for me so that I can breeze through a sizeable antique mall over my lunch hour and usually score something to add to my various collections. It takes a little practice, and some self-restraint, but it turns an aimless trip into a surgical strike.


Go into “scan” mode. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking you’re going to miss something if you don’t spend an hour looking at each overcrowded shelf. Just scan. Typically vendors group like objects together, making it easier for you. Just give each area a quick once-over, and keep moving.

Don’t waste time. If you have lots of time on your hands it’s fun to look at the high-dollar items, but if it’s outside your price range and you are on a time limit, don’t bother. In the same way, if you have a cabinet overflowing with glassware, you probably don’t need another set of glasses. Skip it and keep moving.

Have a mental list, but be flexible. My list includes: metal picnic baskets, enamelware, diner mugs with logos and inexpensive metal trays. Having a mental list gives you some focus, but don’t limit yourself or you could end up frustrated and disappointed. If you see something that’s not on the list, but you love it and can immediately think of where and how you might use it, go for it!

Go with your instincts. With a few exceptions (like maybe troll dolls), if you love it, it doesn’t break the bank and it speaks to you, grab it. By looking through decorating magazines and mail order catalogs, or watching TV decorating shows you can pick up some ideas about what styles “go together.” After that, just surround yourself with things that please you and it will come together like magic.

Relax. This is supposed to be fun! Unless you’re a dealer or serious collector, antique mall shopping is a fun way to pick up some cute things for your home that have some character and history.

(Note: the little brass plaque shown is not an antique, but it's cute and it's available at D. Lawless Hardware for just $10.75. They also sell cabinet knobs and other hardware at excellent prices. I have made several purchases here over the years.)