Do It Yourself Decorative Concrete

Decorative concrete is a new trend that is taking the home improvement world by storm! Don?t let that boring concrete bring your home down, style it up. Decorative concrete can be comprised of many different applications, it can be painted on to create a fuax finish, or precut pieces of concrete laid in a decorative pattern. There are many different outcomes you can get from the decorative concrete techniques. It?s all up to you and your personality!

The technique that I?m going to tell you about will take that ugly, gray concrete and make it look like brick. This technique looks great on steps and walkways, but can be used anywhere. It is also very simple and inexpensive!

You will only need a few supplies. First you will need ?? thick masking tape. Four to five rolls will usually cover a ten by ten flat area so judge how much you need accordingly. You will also need rulers, a piece of tag board, painting sponges, and your desired paint colors. You can ask your local paint store person for what type of paint works best on the type of concrete you have.

Once you have your supplies gathered, the first thing you need to do is create a guide for your ?bricks?. Decide how large you want your bricks, I have found that a 3 x 6 rectangle looks most natural. You will then cut your tag board to the size that you desire.

Once you have your guide, it is time to start laying your tape. Start by laying your tape in one direction first, either all horizontally, or all vertically. Use your guide to measure the space in between. After you have your horizontal or vertical lines laid, use your guide to lay the tape going the other direction. As you now see this creates a nice grid. The exposed concrete will be become your ?bricks? and the space in between will look like the mortar.

After your grid is laid out then you need to start painting. Take your sponge and start dabbing the bare concrete with the paint. By using sponges instead of rollers and brushes, you will create a more natural look.

When you are done painting, all that is left is to let the paint dry, and then peel off the tape. It?s as simple as that! Now you will have a beautiful ?brick? staircase or walkway!

Like I said before, there are many different ways to apply decorative concrete. For more information or for different techniques visit http://www.we-review-for-you.com/rdecorativeconcrete.html

Decorated Candles

Posh candles can be rather expensive, but they can really add some glamour to a room. Household candles are really cheap but look drab. Have you ever thought of making your own posh candles from cheap drab candles? It's really easy and they make perfect gifts.

All you need is...

Some flowers, leaves, confetti, sequins, beads, cheap household candles, hot water and greaseproof paper. The flowers, leaves and any other greenery need to be pressed. To do this, simply place the flowers and leaves between sheets of newspaper and put this between the pages of a big book. Put it somewhere flat and stack other heavy books of top of it. If a week they should be pressed enough to work with. Take a piece of greaseproof paper, it doesn't need to be very wide, just enough to wrap around the candle a couple of times.

Arrange the candle decorations (leaves, flowers, beads, confetti, sequins and other bits and bobs) on the greaseproof paper. Don't put on too many and don't overlap them too much. There is only candle wax to stick it to the candle.

Put the candle on top of the decorations. Roll the candle up in the paper so that all the decorations are in direct contact with the candle. Twist the ends of the paper to keep the candle tightly wrapped. It will look a bit like a long thin Christmas cracker.

You will need a container that is as tall as the candle and which can hold boiling water. A plastic jug would do. Fill the jug with boiling water.

Taking great care, hold your candle at the top or the wick end, lower the candle parcel into the water so that all the decorations are under the water line. Hold it there for about 20 seconds.

Take the candle parcel out and wrap it up in a towel. Roll the sausage of towel and candle parcel back and forth as if it were a rolling pin. Do this for about 20 seconds.

Carefully unwrap the candle from the towel and from the greaseproof paper.

Finally holding the wick, dunk the candle in the hot water for 5 seconds or so. This smoothes the surface and applies a thin layer of wax over the design to fix it into place. Hold the candle by the wick and give it a minute or so for the wax to cool and harden before setting it down and to not alter the shape.

Easy!

S. Roberts is one of Santa?s Helpers and writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk a Christmas educational & activity website. For more fun stuff ideas visit http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/christmas-fun-stuff.html SantasPostbag is in association with http://www.bigboystoyz.com

ReUsing Old Picture Frames

It's fun taking something apart and putting it back together again in a new creative way. I work in an office where we had a lot of old promotional type posters that were very expensively matted and framed. Now that we're moving to a new office we wanted something new, but didn't want to spend a lot of money decorating. We decided to disassemble the old frames and re-use the mats to frame new prints.

We made a visit to a local craft store and found an abundance of inexpensive artwork in all sizes, ranging in price from $1.49 to $40.00. Definitely within our budget. We picked out several beautiful floral prints and framed them with the old mats and frames. Disassembling the old prints included tearing off most of the prints that had previously been glued to the mats, but I just tore it all off and used scotch tape to tack down the new prints.

The new prints don't have to completely fit your frames or mats, either. It was hard finding prints that were just the right size. Don't be afraid to move the print around in a mat that's a little too small. Often you can cover some edges of the print and not take away from the overall effect of the picture at all. Just trim edges where necessary to make the print fit (after you've double checked your positioning within the mat). You can also buy bigger mats to make a smaller print fit in a larger frame.

If you don't care if all of your frames match, it's very inexpensive to shop thrift stores and yard sales for cheap prints and re-use the mats and frames for new prints. Or go through some of your own old prints and redecorate!

Also, when looking for inexpensive prints, don't limit yourself to poster prints. Postcards and greeting cards also look great framed. Add a mat and you'll never be able to tell the difference.

You don't need a lot of special tools to get started. All you really need is possibly a screwdriver for disassembling frames, a ruler to make sure your print is straight, some tape for attaching the print to the mat, and a pencil and scissors for marking and trimming prints that don't quite fit.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to have great wall art. It just takes a little planning ahead to match print sizes to frames and match colors. Have fun, and use your imagination! A beautiful picture really brightens up a room, and you can create your own easily and inexpensively.

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For easy do-it-yourself home decorating ideas for busy moms, visit http://www.frugal-home-decor.com

Liven Up Your Walls With Decorative Plates

Decorative plates are often overlooked when decorating a home. Yet, it's the details that really make the elements of a room come together?and decorative plates are a detail present in most rooms. While there are decorative plates that are solely functional in purpose, most have the potential to add to the ambiance of a room. Think about the following wall plate options:

Cover your decorative plates in wallpaper that matches your wall for an understated elegance. You can also use this method to hide outlets on walls that display art.

Wood decorative plates are perfect for a room with a country or colonial flair.

Metal decorative plates come in a variety of textures and materials. Metal wall plates enhance contemporary, Victorian, and rustic decor.

Porcelain decorative plates complement shabby chic, bathrooms, and some Victorian design.

Mirror decorative plates can be used on mirrors, mirrored walls, or even as an eclectic detail in a uniquely decorated room.

Match your decorative plates with cabinets, doorknobs, and furniture hardware. With the wide variety available, you can also tailor them to table lamps and other light fixtures. Since wall plates come in all shapes and sizes, you can match them to the curves of your furniture placement. Matching will cleverly enhance featured pieces in a room without distracting from their appeal.

In addition to decorative plate style, you may want to consider changing the switch itself. Dimmer switches are available as dials, slides, touch pads, and combinations of each. The ability to adjust lighting in each room of your home provides you a way to highlight specific room features or set the appropriate mood.

Decorative plates, often taken for granted, are a versatile design element. They can be romantic, sophisticated, sleek, or fun. First decide what you need your decorative plate to do for a room, and then shop for it as seriously as you would shop for furniture, wall coverings, or carpet.

About The Author

Johann Erickson is the owner of Online Discount Mart (http://www.onlinediscountmart.com). Please email the author and include an active link to this website if you'd like to use this article.

marketing@4intrepid.com

Children's Christmas Activities

The problem with planning for children?s Christmas activities may be knowing when to edit the list. There are so many things that typify this holiday that adults may need to keep a watchful eye on the exhaustion level of all concerned. Plan but don?t over plan. Know when it?s time to just let them be kids. With concerts, plays, Mass, Christmas dinner, family photos and gift giving it?s easy for over stimulation and utter exhaustion to make everyone miserable. Pick and choose from the long list of holiday options. Opt in favor of those activities which can provide the best positive experiences without making too many demands. Let holiday vacations allow for rest and relaxation at least part of the time.

It may be best to simply have one major holiday activity-- a party at home with some friends and family. You can come up with lots of good food and even make this the night that everyone sits down to that Christmas dinner. Go online and find some easy printable Christmas puzzles and games to keep your children quietly entertained for a while. You can also set up an ornament making table. Ornaments can be very simple, made of cut out felt and glitter or paper and a flour/water mixture pressed into a mold and left to dry overnight, then popped out and painted.

A good activity might be helping the kids to create treats for the local birds and squirrels. All you need is a pine cone for each child, some peanut butter, and lengths of string and bird seed. First direct the children to tie their string to the pine cone. There should be a little bit of stem that it can be tied to or the pinecone will be partially opened and children can loop their strings around the opened bases of the pine cones. Then adults should help them to slather peanut butter on the outside of the pine cone with a butter knife. Finally the children get to roll the pine cones in the bird seed. When done each child should have their very own bird treat to take home and tie to a tree for the local wildlife.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Holiday Decorations to help complete your event.

This Valentines Day say "I Love You" with Cookies

What better way to tell your sweetie ?I Love You? than with some fresh baked cookies? Give some of these sweet treats a try this Valentine?s Day. Cupid himself would be impressed by these yummy creations. They are sure to be a hit with your Sweetheart, Children, Neighbors or anyone else special to you as well. Don?t forget to get the kids involved! I still have memories of making Valentine?s Day Cookies as a child.

Heart Shaped Cookies

Make you favorite roll-out sugar cookie recipe. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut them. Bake, frost and decorate to your heart?s content. You can sprinkle them with red or pink crystallized sugar before you bake them, or frost and sprinkle with some tiny candied hearts or pink sprinkles after they are baked. Use icing in a tube to write a message or draw a picture on the cookie.

Cookie Lollipop

Heart Shaped cookie lollipops are always a big hit. Start with basic sugar cookie dough. Roll it out to about 1/8th inch thickness (place the dough between two sheets of wax paper to keep the dough from sticking). Use a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut an equal amount of hearts. Place half a bamboo skewer, a lollipop stick (found at craft stores) or a Popsicle stick on the bottom half of the hearts. Place the remaining hearts on top and press them firmly together. Bake according to your recipe instructions and decorate as desired.

Tip ? soak the skewers or Popsicle sticks in water before placing them on the cookies to keep them from getting burnt.

Valentine?s Rice Krispies Treats

Make Rice Krispies Treats and while the mixture is still warm use a large heart shaped cookie cutter to cut them out. If you can?t find a cookie cutter of the right size, draw a heart on cardboard and use it as a template. Just lay it on the sheet of Rice Krispies Treats and trace around it with a knife. For even more Valentine fun add a few drops of red food coloring to the marshmallow mixture for a pink version of the sticky treat.

Cookie Dough Jar

Place the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie recipe in a pretty jar. Write the recipe for the cookie on a heart shaped piece of paper or a valentine?s note card. Tie it with a pretty bow around the jar. Make the glass jar even more special by drawing little red hearts on it with a permanent marker. These are so cute and easy!

Bouquet of Cookies

Bake up some of your favorite cookies. Get a pretty basket and line it with a red or pink cloth napkin. Arrange the homemade cookies in the basket. If you?d like, you can also add some heart shaped cookie cutters, Valentine?s Day themed sprinkles, or some hot chocolate mix. Another option would be to use a piece of floral foam and arrange some decorated Cookie Lollipops within the basket and fill the bottom with Hershey?s Kisses or other Valentine Candy.

All of these cookie ideas for Valentine?s Day make wonderful gifts for a special someone that has a personal touch. They are sure to be appreciated, after all, who doesn?t like cookies?

Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine ? The Number One Online Source For Affordable And Family Friendly Weekly Meal Planning. Eliminate Your Dinner Hour Stress And Re-Discover The Pleasure Of The Dinner Hour! For A Free Sample Menu And Grocery List Visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info

Bridal Shower Decorations: Set The Mood Through Your Decor

As soon as your guests arrive, they will notice your bridal shower decorations. Whether they are simple and elegant or extravagant and showy, the bridal shower decorations will set the mood for the entire party. Be sure that they make the statement you want by planning ahead starting with the invitations.

If you want simple, but elegant bridal shower decorations, you may want to stick with pure white. When people think of weddings, they think of white, so that is perfect for your get-together. White streamers, white balloons, white tablecloths and paper goods will make any room bright and inviting. If you want to add a complementary color to break up the pure white, add some gold.

When you are thinking of extravagant and showy, you can go with a floral d?cor. Roses, carnations, daisies?you can find bridal shower decorations with almost any kind of flower imaginable. Find out the brides wedding flower choice and you can design your bridal shower decorations around that! With floral streamers, tablecloths, paper products, and huge floral centerpieces on all the tables, your decorations will surely be a big hit!

And no one says you cannot have a little of both. When you use the pure white bridal shower decorations, you can spruce them up with large floral centerpieces and floral paper products. If floral is not your cup of tea, find out the color the bride chose for the bridesmaid dresses. That can be your complementary color and it will work perfectly with the white.

As with any party, planning ahead will make the entire process much less stressful. Even though bridal shower decorations may seem like a small thing, even they can bring on a headache if they need to be purchased and hung in just a few hours.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Free Bridal Shower Games, printable activities, party planning tips, menus, recipes, and party supplies to help complete your event.