December 12th, 2006
To make these Christmas ornaments, you will need: acrylic paints, glass ornaments (I buy the packages at the dollar store), & a paper cup.
1. Take the gold topper off the ornament, usually by squeezing the hanging wire.
2. Then drizzle small amounts of paint into the glass ornament, & turn it around to get the cool swirl effect, then add another color until the entire ornament is covered in paint.
3. Turn the ornament upside down in a paper cup so any excess paint can drip out. Wait until all the paint is done dripping & then put the gold topper back on & ta da, hand painted ornaments.
4. (Make sure you say ta da, it is an integral part of the process).
This would be a great craft to do with kids or to give away as wedding favors. Plus this is an inexpensive way to decorate an entire tree with unique ornaments.
Christmas Decorating, Crafts, DIY Christmas Gifts | 
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December 12th, 2006
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is a giant coloring book. We were given a “Night before Christmas:” coloring book before I was born. Each year on Christmas Eve the family gathers around & we each color part of the giant page, only one page a year. We each sign our part so we can go back & see who was visiting with us, who was dating who, who still couldn’t color inside the lines. We did this for 25 years until we had finished the book & it’s a tradition I miss, but one I will start with my own family one day. Works for me!
Christmas Decorating | 1 Comment »
December 11th, 2006
I’ve spent a significant amount of my life looking for a rug that will match the tile in our entryway. It seems like all the rugs are too yellow & make the tile look pink, & not in a good way. Custom Rugs may be the solution. Imagine having your perfect rug, the one that is stuck in your head but you can never seem to find. (Tufenkian even made a rug for the Amgen Headquaters in Seattle, WA that depicts Mitosis, which is when cells divide). Finally you can own it, they will create the rug with your own design, shape, size and color combination.
Tufenkian Artisan Carpets has showrooms in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, & Dallas. They offer the finest rugs from Tibet & handmade carpets. Tufenkian even has a closeout section. You can even live with the rug for up to two weeks until your credit card is charged so you can be sure it is perfect for your space.
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December 9th, 2006
Last year I wanted a teddy bear angel for our angel tree. This seemed impossible for me to find. So I decided to make one. I found this teddy bear ornament at a craft store for $.97. I bought a sheet of felt for less than a dollar & cut out what I though look like wings. I stitched around the wings easily because I wasn’t going for a “perfect look”. I used the end of the embroidery thread to sew the wings to a bear. So for less than $2 & 10 minutes, I had the perfect angel ornament. These would be great gifts for teachers, or used as a package topper, or as a gift all by itself.
I think next year I am going to try to make a Yo Yo Angel Craft, it would be perfect for the angel tree.
Tags: christmas, holidays, presents, gifts, diy, crafts, ornaments
Christmas Decorating, Crafts, DIY Christmas Gifts | No Comments »
December 8th, 2006
HGTV apparently has never heard the phrase “beating a dead horse”. Their new show “Design Match” seems pretty promising at first. Two different teams compete to recreate a designer room at a tenth of the cost. The problem, it’s been done before. The bigger problem, it’s been done before by “HGTV”. The biggest problem, they’ve already done this show twice. “Sensible Chic” & “Double Take” already try to recreate designer rooms for next to nothing. Granted, the team element is a bit different, but not different enough for my tastes. Maybe if it was like a team cage death match, or the winners got to throw bowling balls at the losers, or even if the winners got to redecorate the losers house as ugly as they could imagine, that would distinguish it. I really should get a job at HGTV, I’m a natural at this. I would expect that the people who made this program, or the ones who pitched the idea, or whoever listened to the idea, & certainly the people who scheduled the show would watch their own channel. Apparently not. It’s a fine show, it’s just embarrassing to me how often they have done this. It’s the television equivalent of having toilet paper stuck to your shoe. They will be embarrassed when they realize it.
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Gilmore is a 27 year old who loves decorating and is a self-proclaimed expert on just about everything. At least she likes to think so. Copyright 2011. Consult a design professional before beginning your project.