Category: Home Decorating

Wreaths Are Not Just For Christmas

Wreaths are in some cases considered a Christmas-only decor. This is a short-sighted view, as a stunning wreath can be used to decorate a home for any season.

Autumn wreaths frequently try to take the most stunning components of the season and to integrate them in one creative declaration. They will typically include the striking colours of Autumn foliage and often reflect an “outdoors” or “country” appearance.

Autumn wreaths can be based upon any number of structures. Some have actually found the rustic and neutral appearance of a grapevine wreath makes a best foundation for an autumn wreath. Others may choose to work from a woodier branch base. It is even possible to start with a standard wreath form (typically made from foam and readily available at craft and hobby stores). Whatever option is used can work wonderfully as a springboard for stunning Autumn designing.

Autumn wreaths can be made from the season’s fallen leaves. Such jobs, although gorgeous, are temporary as the leaves dry and fracture. As such, many wreath makers trust silk and other synthetic leaves to embellish their wreaths. Accents are frequently offered by simple homemade bows. Little seasonal decors (for instance a mini scarecrow) are sometimes connected to the completed product with a glue gun as a way of honouring the autumn months.

There are no rules or limitations one should follow when producing an Autumn wreath. The concept is to capture the essence of Autumn in the wreath, and that can be accomplished in any number of ways. An autumn wreath is an exercise in imagination and many gorgeous decors have actually been produced around the style.

Wreaths are not specifically for the Christmas holidays. A decorative wreath can brighten any home, and wreaths commemorating Autumn provide a special opportunity to bring the essence of the outdoors into one’s house.

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Wallpaper Removal

A word of warning upfront, if you have a wallpaper removal task ahead of you are in for a bit of work. Make sure you set aside a considerable amount of time for this project as you may run into tough spots and problem areas that will eat up a lot of time. Removing wallpaper however, while not a fun task, can be done quickly and easily if you are prepared.

First get the room ready. Remove everything from the room that can be removed. This includes furniture and rugs where possible. When the room is emptied cover the floor with a drop cloth in the area you will be working. This will aid in cleanup later.

  • Now get all of your tools together:
  • Goggles
  • Mask
  • Bucket
  • Sponge
  • Glue Dissolving Agent
  • Blunt Scraper
  • Sharp Scraper
  • Perforator

Goggles and a mask are on the list first for a good reason. You will have little pieces of who knows how old paper with who know what kind of glue on it flying and dripping all over the place. Wear the goggles and the mask whenever you are doing the least bit of work.

I can’t underestimate the importance of the perforator. They come in a couple styles and sizes. Get the one that is most appropriate to the amount of paper you have to remove. The perforator is pretty simple to use. With a slight amount of pressure you roll it around the wall and it makes little divots into the paper. Be careful not to press to hard as you do not want to dig into the wall itself.

Next is preparing your solution. The commercial products work well, but I have had good results with warm water and vinegar. If you are going to use the commercial products, be sure to follow their instructions as to mixture ratios. For the vinegar solution, 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water is sufficient for most glues. Add more vinegar if you are having difficulties.

Ok, so we are ready to start soaking the walls. Pick a spot, not to large, and get it thoroughly wet with your sponge and solution. Some people like to use a sprayer as well, but I find the sponge and a little pressure works better. Don’t be shy about wetting the wall. Your solution needs to soak through the paper and loosen the glue. You may have to repeat this step depending on your situation.

Now comes the scrapping. Use a blunt scrapper or even a putty knife to start with. You want to avoid nicking or gauging the wall underneath to save the trouble of filling later on. Use slow even strokes to remove the paper. If it is loose enough it will simply melt off the wall. If not, wet it again. If you continue to have trouble, you may have to switch to the sharp scrapper. Be very careful though, of your fingers and the wall!

Once all the paper if off, you may have to repeat this process to remove extra paper layers or even a glue layer that may be left behind. You want to get all the way down to the plaster or drywall. Then, smooth any nicks or holes smooth, clean up the mess and paint to suit. Oh, and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

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What to Put in a Gift Basket

Numerous shops sell pre-made present baskets with a good selection of fresh produce or flowers, but they normally likewise sell the baskets, so you can make a gift basket yourself if you want to. What would you put in your DIY gift basket? Here are a couple of ideas:

Among the best things to put in a present basket is fruit and sweets. They are not too expensive and it is a real treat for someone, especially if you get exotic fruits, and it in some way feels like it belongs in a basket, particularly a wooden one. You can even keep the fruit in the basket until you eat it, and it makes a nice ornamental option to a fruit bowl.

For children, a basket loaded with pick and mix will always be a real hit, especially if you know what their favourites are. This works particularly well if you have rather a lot of children or you have family members that do, as it can be an unique present for all of them and they can share the sweets out in between themselves.

Flowers are another fantastic thing to put in a gift basket, particularly ones you have grown and selected yourself, or discovered in the wild and it is much more personal that going to a flower shop, and typically prettier too.

Truly, though, the very best thing to do is to just learn what the person you are buying for loves. If they are a big fan of cheese, get an entire load of cheeses and fill a basket with them. If they like jam, do it with jam and so on. This way the person will be flattered that it is an unique basket just for them, and that you went to the time to put in that much thought and select the important things that entered it. And because it is a basketful of something they like, they are guaranteed to truly enjoy their present.

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