Ways to Decorate With Floating Shelves

Floating shelves are one of the magical unicorns of design; they just seem to work everywhere. They’re often the perfect choice if you need a bit more storage or if you want to add some visual interest to a space. And since they come in all different styles and sizes, they’re incredibly versatile.
Here are 12 of my favorite examples of floating shelves done right. And luckily I managed to find examples in almost every room of the home. So no matter where you want to put your shelves, I’ve got you’re covered.
Over the TV
Add some floating shelves above your TV to draw the eyes up. In this example, the TV fades into the background. Adding color-coded books to your shelves is another fun trick to attract the eye away from the TV.
Dish Display
Consider adding a few shelves between your existing kitchen cabinets. You can display your prettiest dishes and glasses, and simply switch it up depending on the time of year or season.
Book Collection
These narrow shelves are used to display books like a magazine rack. This would work well if you have a lot of coffee table books to showcase. It could also be a great solution for displaying framed artwork or family photos.
Statement Piece
Shelves prominently displayed on the wall can actually take the place of artwork. Here, the rustic, reclaimed wood shelves are used to showcase decor, houseplants and accessories. When cleverly arranged, they manage to stand in for a large piece of art.
Laundry Room Storage
The laundry room is another great spot to add shelves if you have the space. You can increase your storage space with a couple of extra floating shelves and quickly upgrade the functionality of your laundry room. If you don’t need the extra storage room, you can add some artwork or some plants to warm up your space.
Easy Bookshelf
Hung all in a row, you can actually use floating shelves in place of a bookcase. If all of your books are similarly sized, you can hang the shelves equidistant from one another. However, floating shelves would also allow you to customize the space between each shelf to account for books of all different sizes.
Kids’ Storage
These white and gold shelves would make a great addition to a modern kid’s room. They can do double-duty as both a spot to store books, as well as a place to display fun decor. Hang the shelves higher if you want to make sure your kid can’t reach the shelves or down low for easy access.
Bath Hack
Floating shelves can be miracle workers for anyone who happens to have a small bathroom. If you lack storage in your sink vanity, or just need more space, add shelves to your bathroom walls to manage the overflow of toiletries.
Hallway Update
If you happen to have some dead space at the end of your hallway, consider adding some floating shelves. These chunky, wooden shelves are solely decorative, but they manage to liven up an area of the home which would have otherwise been empty.
Library Style
Floating shelves can also be a great solution to use in the corner of a room. Again, because you’re using shelves rather than a bookcase, you have flexibility to arrange them exactly as you like to work with your specific space. This homeowner even used a ladder in front of their shelves to make the space feel like a traditional library.
Color Pop
You can even use wall shelves to add a splash of color to a room. Here, robin’s egg blue shelves are used in a white kitchen to add some visual interest on the wall.
Clever Use
This is a perfect example of how to use shelves on an awkward space in their home. Using shelves in this spot brings order to the living room but also keeps things tucked away. The flexibility of the shelves also allows the homeowner to go higher than a standard bookshelf.

What are the Best Pellets for a Pellet Grill?

There are a lot of options when trying to decide the best pellets for your grill. First and foremost, I recommend everyone experimenting to find what works best for you. That said, here is a list of what I like to use when cooking various things at home:
Burgers / Brats – Hickory, Mesquite or Pecan – You want to hit the burgers with as much smoke flavor as possible since it is a shorter cook time.
Pork Ribs – Cherry or Mesquite
Pulled Pork – I really like Pecan here, but Cherry, Hickory, Apple and Mesquite would be great as well
Brisket – Mesquite and Hickory – When it comes to big, beautiful beef, go strong with flavors
Chicken – Pecan, Apple and Cherry – Chicken is not a very strongly flavored meat so you can go lighter
Veggies – Hickory and Mesquite – Again, it’s a short cook time so I like stronger flavored woods here like
Steaks – Pecan, Hickory, or Mesquite.
Salmon – Apple and Cherry, or in a pinch, Pecan
Whole Turkey – Cherry and Apple over Mesquite – If you are serving this for Thanksgiving, I wouldn’t go super heavy with smoke flavor here
Pizzas – Pecan wood pellets all the way
When In Doubt, Foil It Out
What do you do when you only have a strong-flavored pellet but don’t want to over-flavor the meat? Solve it by wrapping with aluminum foil. Many times I’ve wrapped meat once I was happy with the color or to keep the meat from taking on more smoke than desired. It’s a great technique.
How Many Pellets Does a Pellet Grill Use?
On average, a pellet grill will use about a half a pound per to two and a half pounds per hour depending on the smoke setting. The higher the setting, the more pellets you’ll use during your cook.
Can You Use Heating Pellets in a Pellet Grill?
Using heating pellets is typically frowned upon, and we don’t advise it either. There’s a reason there’s a distinction between the two, between the types of wood that they often use (pine and spruce for example) to the types of fillers they contain, heating pellets can either pose a health risk or ruin the taste of your food. Stick with food grade pellets and you’ll ensure the safety and great flavor of your food with each cook.
You do what works for you and what creates the best results. People will remember the meal, the flavors, and the fellowship, not what pellet flavor you chose.
Remember the first rule of your barbecue – it’s YOUR barbecue.
How We Designed Our Wood Pellets
When it came time to make a pellet for the Z grill line of products we took it very seriously. We wanted to make the best wood fuel pellets on the market. We tested all the top brands, took pages and pages of notes comparing everything from heat output and flavor to efficiency and ash created. We also went to several factories and asked the hard questions concerning the use of flavor oils, additives, fillers, and woods such as Alder. We wanted to ensure what we put our name was hands down the best pellets for our grills.
Once all the data was compiled and the interviews were done we found some commonality between the top brands.

  1. They only used high-quality wood and nothing else in their pellets. No flavor oils, binders or any other additives were used or needed when the best woods were used.
  2. Hardwood species such as Oak was the primary ingredient used even in their blended pellets. Alder avoided since it was determined to not create as much heat and could attribute to flameout issues in some pellet smokers.
  3. This “keep it simple but honest” philosophy of pellet manufacturing hands down created not only the best burning pellet but the most flavorful food. The rich flavors of the right pellet fuel was genuinely a difference you could taste.

Pellet Grill Buying Guide

Learn all about pellet grills, from how to use one to which pellets will add the most flavour to your meats, fish and veggies. Become a grill master and discover all the delicious possibilities pellet grills have to offer, making your next barbecue the best one yet!
What is a Pellet Grill?
A pellet grill combines elements of charcoal and gas grills, smokers, and kitchen ovens. The grill is fueled by flavoured wood pellets and is fed through the unit with the help of an electric control panel, which operates using a digital controller. The electric panel also regulates the temperature, allowing for a consistent cook.
How Pellet Grills Work
Hopper: Pile the flavoured hardwood pellets into the hopper. The amount varies depending on how long the cook time is.
Digital Controller: Turn on the grill and adjust the temperature just as you would your kitchen oven.
Auger: As the motor turns, the auger pushes the wood pellets from the hopper to the firepot, fueling the grill. You can adjust the speed in which the wood pellets burn via the digital controller.
Firepot: The firepot burns when a hotrod ignites, keeping the fire going, so you can set it and let the pellet grill do its work.
Fan: A fan stokes the flames, creating convection heat, which gives the wood pellet grill its consistent temperatures.
Types of Pellet Grills
Traditional
Versatile and easy to use, traditional pellet grills can grill, bake, braise, and smoke. Heated with precision, the temperature is controlled by the digital control panel, and ignited with a press of a button.
Smoker
A hybrid of everyone’s favourite outdoor grills, the pellet smoker combines the technology of pellet grills with smokers. They feature multiple cooking racks and offer a large window, so you can check up on your smoked meats without having to worry about escaped heat.
Benefits of Wood Pellet Grills
Some of the benefits of wood pellet grills include:
Bold Flavour: The depth and quality of flavour achieved through the hardwood pellets is unique to pellet grill cooking. You can vary the flavours depending on which wood pellets you choose, and you can also mix and match to create the perfect flavour.
Versatility: From a full brisket to apple pie, wood pellet grills can grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and barbecue anything.
Consistency: Wood pellet grills offer consistent temperatures that allow you to master your grilling and get perfect results every time.
Ease: The electric control panel allow for ease of use. The digital controlled settings mean you don’t have to tend live fires for hours.
How to Choose Wood Pellets
Apple: Best with chicken, pork, and vegetables
Hickory: Best with beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables
Mesquite: Best with beef, chicken, and seafood
Maple: Best with beef, pork, lamb, and vegetables
Pecan: Best with beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and vegetables
Oak: Best with beef and seafood

Choosing Wood Pellets For Your Grill

Everyone knows when you have a pellet grill in the backyard. If it hasn’t happened already, you will–without a doubt–have a moment when a passing neighbor asks whether you own a smoker. The drifting pellet smoke provides an appetizing aroma, and they can’t help but notice.
However, it’s one thing to smell it and another thing to taste it. Wood-fired smoke enhances everything you cook in a pellet grill, and your choice of wood flavors–referring to the types of wood–can make a big difference when combined with specific foods.
Follow these 5 tips and master the flavors in your pellet grill; from choosing wood pellets for your grill to how quickly they burn and proper storing methods.

  1. Select High-Quality Wood Pellets
    There are many wood pellet options in the marketplace, but they’re not all made equally. If you choose to branch out from your brand of pellet grill, always make sure you select premium wood pellets.
  2. Choose Food-grade Wood Pellets, Not Heating Pellets
    Since we’re determining the values of quality wood pellets, we also need to distinguish between two types. Our stores offer smoker pellets and heating pellets. They’re both compressed wood, but they are not the same and each has a specific purpose.
    Heating pellets are less expensive than smoker pellets, but for a good reason. Heating pellets are intended for wood-burning stoves and are not produced for food consumption. They’re mostly made from soft woods–such as pine–which produce unfavorable flavors. This wood may be sourced from wood products like plywood or particle board that include fillers and binding agents, making it unsafe for your food and your grill. It’s great for heating your home, but avoid using heating pellets in your pellet grill.
  3. Complement Your Favorite Foods
    Each pellet flavor, or type of wood, has a unique taste and naturally complements certain foods. Wood pellet flavors are generally classified in a range from mild to strong; with woods such as alder and maple on the mild end, and hickory and mesquite on the stronger side.
  4. How Long Does a Bag of Wood Pellets Last?
    There’s always one question we hear time and again. How long does a 20 lb. bag of wood pellets last?
    On average, your pellet grill will burn through 1 lb. of wood pellets per hour, but this also varies depending on the heat level and time of year. For longer smoked foods such as pulled pork and brisket, you’ll likely use less wood pellets. When the pellet grill temperature is on the high end for things such as pizza and rolls, the average will increase upwards to 3 lbs. per hour. Naturally, when you turn up the heat, it will burn through more wood pellets.
  5. Properly Store Your Wood Pellets
    When you keep wood pellets around, make sure they’re not just … laying around. Even inside of an unopened bag, your wood pellets should be kept dry and off the ground. Moisture negatively affects the pellets and sometimes makes them unusable.
    Store your wood pellets indoors in an airtight container to prevent moisture from reaching them and absorbing into the fibers. Our IFA food-grade, 5-gallon buckets with gamma seal lids are a great option.

Christmas Wall Decorating Ideas

Sprucing up your walls is probably the last thing that comes to mind when planning Christmas decorations for your home. However, these festive ideas will convince you to show your walls just a little more love this year. From garland draped across artwork to grouping wreaths in varied styles, you’ll want nothing more than to go all out with decking your walls for Christmas.
– ENHANCE ART WITH GARLAND
A touch of garland and pinecones draped across wall art can add to your holiday aesthetic.
– ADD A SIMPLE FESTIVE SIGN
Hang a colored festive sign directly above a fireplace for an inviting touch.
-HAVE FUN WITH WREATHS
Greenery always makes a room feel more welcoming. For the Christmas season, experiment with a trio of wreaths in different styles and sizes.
– GO FOR CHARMING STOCKINGS & EMBROIDERED ACCENTS
If you’re on the crafty side, try dressing up a wall with a string of colorful stockings and embroidered accents.
– DON’T NEGLECT YOUR SHELVES
Jazz up living room shelves by incorporating a few of your favorite Christmas decorative accents. The addition of a mini tree or an illuminated star can put you in the holiday spirit in an instant.
– CELEBRATE WITH AN ADVENT CALENDAR
What better way to celebrate advent calendar season than by displaying your favorite in a prime spot in your home?
– GO FOR A TRIO OF PLANTS
Put the principle of symmetry to work by placing a trio of plants on your mantel. For an extra pop of color, set them on top of branches of faux red berries.
– CLUSTER STARS ABOVE A TV
A cluster of white stars right above a television are sure to make your wall look merry and bright.
– HANG GARLAND CLOSE TO THE CEILING
Christmas lights are always a win, but classic garland is just as worthy of attention. If you’re working with a brick wall that’s already full of character, hang the garland across the very top of the ceiling to avoid detracting from its aesthetic.

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Christmas Decor Ideas for a Shiny and Beautiful Holiday

Year after year, you aspire to create a unique and interesting look for your home around the holidays. It’s the season for party guests and family dinners. It’s the season to pull out all the stops, to make your home welcoming and warm, and to create a comforting ambiance. While the traditional colors of green and red are frequently used in decorating, maybe you are looking for something different this year.
Christmas Decor Ideas to Make Your Home Shine
Gold decor can be a fun idea to get your home ready for the holidays. Many of us overlook this color, dismissing it as perhaps feeling outdated. However, if done correctly, gold decor can provide a classy look to your home that naturally creates a feeling of comfort that other color schemes don’t accomplish so readily. The utility of this color theme is that it’s perfect for all of your holiday needs and goes with almost anything. The gold decor makes a bold statement, and maybe the perfect change that you’re looking for in your decorations this year.
1. Gold and Silver Mantle Design for Elegance
This beautiful setup can bring your decorations to life using a modern spin on traditional decorations. The setup creates symmetry in the design, giving it a complete feeling that is sure to foster family harmony. The bulb wreath is a cute touch that ties the colors of the vase and the deer together nicely.
2. Breathtaking Dual Christmas Tree and Pillows Design
What an amazing setup for a sun porch or small lounge area. This design allows its viewers to experience the beauty of the tasteful Christmas tree twice by having a second, smaller tree. The rustic bucket is a nice touch, and a brilliant way to tie the bottom of the tree into the design. Holiday pillows offer an additional accent that brings in a feeling of comfort.
3. Deer and Acorn Ornaments for Rustic Ambiance
These delicate gold ornaments provide a unique and personal touch to your decorations. The reflective hue of the deer contrasts nicely to the textured roughness of the acorn ornaments. In this way, each item is showcased by the other one, creating an interesting look with multiple interpretations of gold decor.
4. Gift Wrap with Feathers and Polka-dots
This decor idea adds to the theme through gift wrap ideas. The tasteful polka-dot gift wrap is tied together by twine. Holding together the look is a patterned gold and white feather. This is a genius touch on an already tasteful design that is sure to receive compliments by family and friends.
5. Beautiful Joy Mantle Decor with Bulbs
The lettering in this mantle design makes a bold statement and command attention. This is a great idea for a simple design that speaks volumes about the values in your house around the holidays. The dotted accenting on the lettering tie the lettering into the gold bulbs that add a fun take on decorating with bulbs.
6. Decorate the Tree with Glittered Lettering
This gold Christmas decor idea offers a fun and playful addition to the tree. The dynamic of each letter as its own ornament makes for an interesting aesthetic quality. Here we are reminded that while each glittering element is beautiful in itself when put together these individuals mean so much more. What a great reminder of the holidays.
7. Geometric Traditional Gold Christmas Ornament
The simple design of this ornament provides a pretty addition to the tree. Its geometric design portrays a winding strand in the shape of a tree. This accent reminds observers about the essence of the tree. It ties us to traditional heritage, bringing elements of the past into the present to meet in a delicate dance.
8. Modern Star Showcase with Quote
This awesome layout showcases a holiday-themed quote to set the tone for your room. The hanging stars are a spectacular addition and one that you won’t find in other homes. Their unique qualities make them great gold Christmas decor ideas. This display creates a depth that will draw guests towards it, pulling their eyes from the top of the display to the bottom.
9. Mantle Display with Integrated Patterns
This design emphasizes pattern and chic at every angle. Starting at the top with contrasting stripes and polka-dot designs, this pattern is a great addition to a home. The melding of multiple patterns and textures provides a welcoming touch to the decor. The candle design in the fireplace further emphasizes this welcoming ambiance.
10. Gold Christmas Decor Ideas for Bulbs
These bulbs are perfectly balanced to bring harmony to your home during the holidays. The geometric patterns featured on each bulb tie together the gold pallet while providing unique and interesting designs. These are the perfect addition for someone looking to add personality to their design with something modern and chic.

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Blue Christmas Decor Ideas to Start the Holidays off Right

When thinking of Christmas, most people’s thoughts go straight to green and red. The classic pairing has been a Christmas staple for years without much competition. However, when you are looking for something dazzling and new, consider opting for blue Christmas decor this year.
The world’s most popular favorite color, blue can be both warm and cool at once. It can be exciting or cozy, bright or tranquil, and it goes great with a classic wintery white. With blue Christmas decor, you can stick with a dark and mellow palette, or you can liven things up with a shock of electric blue. You can even weave different hues together to create a look all your own.
Although not a traditional Christmas color, blue has always been associated with the icy frost of winter, and when you use it as decor, it is like you are bringing the chill of the softly fallen winter snow into your warm, cozy home.
These ideas will help you start the decorating season on the right foot. After getting some inspiration from these gorgeous decor ensembles, you will be ready to ring the holiday in – but this year, you’ll be dreaming of a blue Christmas.
1. Nearly Home-Made Blue Paper Ornament
If you are looking to change up your decor this year but don’t want to spend a fortune on a new set of ornaments, consider creating your own. With these ornaments, you simply select your favorite blue craft or scrapbooking paper, then stencil and cut out some lovely shapes to adorn your tree.
2. Playful Mantle Piece Gift Display
Sometimes it is hard to fully capture the impact of flawlessly styled and wrapped gifts when they are spread out under the tree. With this approach, however, stacking the presents for all to see shows off your crafty work and creates a beautiful piece of art. The multiple colors and textures of the blue and silver paperwork together to create a lovely Christmas collage.
3. Vibrant Marbled DIY Paint Ornaments
This fun and easy craft is great for the whole family and creates stunning ornaments. Using just a lovely dark blue nail polish and white glass ornaments, you can create this look in no more than a few minutes. Another similar option is to fill clear ornaments with a few acrylic paint colors and shake them until the insides are coated with a gorgeous marbling effect.
4. Midnight Blue and Golden “Oh Holy Night”
Although this print is available in multiple colors, the dark blue and gold version of this 11”x14” canvas decor works perfectly together and will add an atmosphere of Christmas cheer to your home. The midnight blue captures the essence of night, while the rich gold emphasizes the importance and splendor of this most beloved holiday.
5. Icy Crystal Blue Candle Decor
Why pay a premium for a decorative candle that may or may not match your theme when you can easily create your own at home? This makes a great gift for a friend or a dazzling piece of holiday decor. If you use at home, choose your own glitter and accents to make this piece a great fit for your own blue Christmas decor.
6. A Sparkling Silvery Forest Display
Reminiscent of a snow-covered winter forest, these cool-toned glitter spires create a lovely display for any mantle or side table. The varying heights and colors give this display visual interest, and its icicle shape and bright blue highlights create a very fun and festive feel. A sweet and simple “Noel” doily softens the sharp points to keep the look homey.
7. Thoughtful and Seasonal Blue Fire Starter
Sharing gifts with friends and neighbors is a great holiday tradition, but sometimes the plate of cookies can feel repetitive. This year, instead of baking, create this lovely blue pinecone fire starter. This practical gift is so pretty that recipients will love storing it near the fire as decor until they are ready to cozy up with a blazing hearth.
8. Welcoming Multi-Colored Pinecone Wreath
This cozy and friendly holiday wreath looks stunning with its natural wood and sea-toned coloring. The pinecones take on an almost leafy quality when painted in the teals and blues. This effect makes the pinecones seem delicate, softening the wreath into something light and breezy. At around 24 inches in width, you can place this wreath on a door or bare wall.
9. Christmas Wreath with Bright and Bold Blues
When you decide to go for blue Christmas decor, you can play with the tones and colors to mix your favorite hues into a single, cohesive icy piece. This wreath takes natural pines and adds a pop of sparkle and shine by mixing and matching ornaments of all sizes and textures. Add a bow for the final holiday touch.
10. All Natural Friendly Winter Wreath
With all the beauty and elegance of a winter wedding bouquet, this DIY foliage wreath, featuring a perfect pop of blue, makes for a classy Christmas display. Be sure when selecting your foliage to choose hearty plants that will do well without water,and consider occasionally replenishing your wreath with fresh springs.

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Creative Homemade Decor Ideas for the Holidays

Do you need a list of crafts to entertain little ones during the holidays? Perhaps you are having some ladies over for a Christmas party and want to create unique ornaments together. Maybe you want to impress visiting guests in your home during the holidays with your very own handmade personal Christmas decor. Or you might just be on the lookout for a truly unique Christmas present to gift to those you cherish without breaking out that extra credit card. Your family, friends, and neighbors will be thrilled when you give a personal, homemade gift that can be enjoyed every year on the Christmas tree.
Wouldn’t it be great to skip the crowds and the ho-hum gifts from department stores this year? Try something different and consider crafting homemade Christmas ornaments, many of which can be made completely free with a few things around your house.
1. Button Baubles
With just a few Styrofoam balls, hot glue, and some buttons, this ornament is as versatile as it is simple. What’s also fun about this idea is that the style of the buttons — tasteful, funky, modern — will change the whole feel of the ornament. Consider using buttons around the house or head to your nearest craft or thrift store for a wider variety. Maybe you have some heirloom buttons that you would love to put on display but you don’t really know how. You can even paint the buttons based on the theme of your tree or someone’s favorite colors for a gift.
2. Felt and Button Ornament
Nothing is quite as festive as a chilly winter scene. Using just a few craft objects you probably already have around the house, e.g. buttons, felt, embroidery floss, and baker’s twine, and a super simple pattern, you can make these cute snowmen, reindeer, or both. If you’re concerned about breakables on the tree because of hyper dogs or active kids, these soft ornaments are the perfect item to add to your holiday tradition. Maybe think about making an entire snowman family representing each member of yours. This can be a great beginners’ sewing craft for older kids and teenagers.
3. Rustic Wood Rounds
Whether you live in a cabin or just love a forest-like, rustic feel, these wood ornaments are especially fun because they are simple, versatile, and are easily customized for anyone. You’re sure to find suitable wood pieces at the craft store, but think about doing a fun family project and collect wood from outdoors or on a hike. Not only can these beauties be used as ornaments, they also serve as pretty coasters. Make one for each family member at the Christmas table. You can also switch it up using colored markers, paint pens, or even some glitter.
4. Sequined Balls
Imagine the lights on your tree catching all the radiant sparkles on these beautiful balls of bling. Made from only three items — pins, foam balls, and sequins — these shiny ornaments may take a little longer than your average Christmas craft, but the results are simply beautiful. They can also be created in a variety of colors and sizes. Consider mixing up your colors and creating patterns or a multicolored ball. Plus, these elegant ornaments don’t have to be Christmas specific. Think about gifting a stunning blue ornament to those celebrating Chanukah this time of year.
5. Reindeer Ornaments
It’s throwback time! You surely remember making these in your childhood, and no tree is complete without classic reindeer ornaments. Made from just a few clothespins, wiggly eyes, and craft glue, these cuties embody fun Christmas decor. There are various stains and paints you can use to tailor the clothespin to the desired color and several accessories you might want to add, such as a mini scarf made from festive ribbon or a tiny bell. Start an annual tradition and craft a new one each year, adding the date on the back. Create a strand of reindeer garland to stream on the tree, but be sure you don’t forget Rudolph!
6. Ice Cream Cones
For a less traditional but incredibly creative ornament, get yourself some assorted colored pompoms, loads of glitter, and make mini ice cream cones for the sweets lovers in your life. These faux treats make adorable Christmas gift toppers — try using red and green puffs only — or they can be added to bows and used year-round when wrapping birthday gifts. This ornament will surely outshine others at an ornament gift exchange. If you’re feeling like throwing a unique Christmas fete, try a holiday ice cream social and slip these in with your invitations.
7. DIY Ornament Packets
Kick off an awesome party for the youngsters by taking your DIY Christmas ornament skills to the next level. When you create these individual, labeled packets, little ones, and even grownups, can easily and quickly choose the craft they wish to create and get started on their DIY ornaments without rifling through boxes of supplies or fighting over materials. Be sure you make an example/model for each pack for guidance.

8. Spool Ornaments
Where you would normally toss your old spools once the thread has been used, save them throughout the year so you can build these adorable mini Christmas lists. Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, you will love commemorating kids’ wish lists with these fun homemade Christmas ornaments. You can even ask your friends children what they want for Christmas and make them a customizes decoration for their tree. Tip: Be sure to ask your seamstress friends to give you their spools instead of throwing them away so once you’re ready to craft at Christmas, you will be all set with materials.
9. Birdseed Ornament
For a versatile indoor-outdoor ornament idea, head straight to the pet aisle of the grocery store, pick up a bag of birdseed, and create a fun ornament that is NOT for the birds! No doubt you have several holiday themed cookie cutters lying around, so put them to good use and shape these neat bird feeders which will be a winter delight to your hungry avian friends. Tip: Gelatin is crucial to keeping your ornament solid. Be sure you don’t skip this step, but don’t be surprised if it make take you a few tries to get it right.
10. Paw Prints
If you have a beloved furry family member, you absolutely have to try this DIY Christmas ornament made from their personalized paw prints using clay. If you feel so inclined, use some glitter paint to glitz these up for the tree or scratch your pet’s name and the year on the reverse side. If you want to switch things up, these can easily transition from hanging decorations to coasters. This project really is a piece of cake. The only hard part will be getting those adorable paws to sit still long enough to get the clay imprint!
11. Gilded Reindeer Head
For those of us who aren’t as into the cutesy ornaments, check out one of this season’s most seriously posh decor ideas. A classic little treasure, this reindeer head elevates any tree it adorns. While it only requires a few materials, this is a homemade Christmas ornament with a big “wow” factor. And don’t just limit yourself to gold. Consider trying out a silver glitter or some flashy Christmas greens and reds. If you love the idea of an ornament, maybe you can attempt a bigger sized reindeer head to hang on the wall during the holidays.

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Sophisticated Christmas Table Decorations for a Merry and Bright Home

Every year conscientious homemakers wonder what sort of Christmas table decorations they will have. Every year it seems to be something blasé that’s been done before and not only done before but done by every other house in the neighborhood. There’s always the red tapers and the plastic holly and red plastic berries at their base or the centerpiece featuring the unfortunate ceramic Christmas tree stuck with plastic lights inherited from Grandma. But there are other, more inventive ways to decorate the home for the holidays that are easy to assemble and don’t even cost much.
They can be made of unusual materials such as tree bark, berries, fruit, and vegetables. The growing use of LEDs makes it possible to light up Christmas decorations in ways that would have been impractical or even dangerous before. This is because the coolness of LED lights is not a danger to fabrics, leaves or other materials that would burn if placed too close to a halogen or incandescent light. There are even new fabrics and materials to use well beyond the old-fashioned tinsel, cheap red felt and cotton batting.
Have a Berry Merry Christmas
The deep ruby red of cranberries contrasts beautifully with bunches of white or cream flowers that have just a touch of green in them such as hydrangeas. Just fill up clear glass containers with the cranberries, add water and arrange the flowers on top. A holiday table won’t need much more than this to bring the Christmas cheer.
Red, White and Glowing Candles
Pillar candles that are creamy white on top and sparkly red on the bottom can be placed in a long, white porcelain celery dish among glass or plastic balls of matching cream and red. The different heights of the candles keep everything from being too uniform. Just make sure to never leave lighted candles unattended.
The Beauty of Apples as Candleholders
One stellar idea for Christmas table decorations is to insert votive candles into cored apples. Apples can be green, red or a combination of colors. It’s best if they are on the round side so they can sit comfortably in a tray filled with moss. Lady apples are ideal to hold votives as are Novamacs, Granny Smiths and Fujis.
Frosted Milk Glass and Silvery Sparkles
Fill long-necked milk-glass bottles embellished with frost with sprays of lacy, glittery, silvery leaves, balls, stars, feathers or anything else. Place them on an old, polished silver tray decorated with votive candles and silver Christmas balls. This grouping brings the beauty of a winter’s day into the house without the cold.
A Simple Arrangement of Red and White
The white of snow and the red of holly berries are evoked when a segment of vine decorated with berries is used as a ring for a napkin made of the whitest linen. A white plate and charger and cheerful red placemat can complete the look. Don’t be afraid to use white and pops of red around the room.
Black and White Gingham Add to a Rustic Setting
Place big, generous napkins made of black and white gingham beneath plates, and let them hang attractively over the tablecloth. Add to these tankards of Christmas glogg wrapped with raffia and paper and rough-hewn wood decorated with pine needles, miniature evergreens, and candles. The fine china that holds the tankards makes a lovely contrast to the table’s rugged good looks.
A Simple Arrangement of Wreath and Candles
Recalling the plain beauty that might be found in a humble cottage somewhere in Scandinavia, all a homeowner needs to do is make a wreath of pine boughs collected from the forest and decorate them with tall, thin tapers. The runner of pure white linen even gives this arrangement a feeling of holiness.
Create Fun Placeholders for the Table
A red and black checked tablecloth is repeated in the napkins found on plates placed on wooden chargers on the dining table. Cardboard reindeer heads holding the first letter of the diner’s name lets everyone know where they sit. For a centerpiece, consider slices of tree bark decorated with tiny, frosted pinecones and arrangements of greenery and red berries.
Tiny Wreaths Adorn White Napkins
A beautifully decorated table has every element balance each other as is seen in the red and white striped ribbon twined through a spray of pine needles, pinecones, and berries that matches the red and white stripes of the table runners and the red candleholders and white candles. Wreaths small enough to be children’s bracelets add color to clean white napkins and plates.
Don’t Be Shy: Bring out the Christmas Plates
If a homeowner has some good old Christmas plates that have been in the family forever, they shouldn’t be shy about displaying them, corny as they may be. One arrangement is Christmas plates on folded napkins on trays or bowls on chargers, with runners between the plates that match the napkins.

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What is it about a home that you find inviting and attractive? For numerous, the inside design and furnishing of a house can contribute significantly to the look and feel of a home. This is why anybody who wished to greatly expand the possible worth of a houses visible appeal ought to comprehend a few fundamentals about house furnishing and interior a style. Now, what are some of the much more important fundamentals to comprehend? Right here are a couple of of them.It is always a wise technique to buy furnishings that is appealing to look at. Nevertheless, this does not mean 1 has to invest and huge quantity of money on the purchase. When you go over spending budget on your furnishings purchasing, you end up only partly furnishing your inside. Again, you cant continue to purchase furniture if you have exceeded what you can afford.

Also helpful is settling on a favorite concept in progress. Mixing and matching furniture from different themes is not usually poor, but occasionally it can be uneven. For example, mixing contemporary Japanese fashion furniture with reproductions of American colonial furniture may yield a haphazard result. As this kind of, it is much preferable to stick with a single concept that has been determined upon lengthy in progress. Likewise, it is usually useful to remain constant with the theme when you add new items to it more than time.

Interior style is also not just about furnishings. Yes, this is something that we frequently overlook but it is true. Other products that are well-liked additions to any home inside are portray, mirrors, clocks, and fountains. That is why it is always essential to look for these items and, if they match into your overall theme, add them to the mix.

Remaining on top of developments is also helpful if you are uncertain of what theme to select for the inside of your house. If you are unsure of how to Decor Bedroomate or style a room, you may get an idea by looking at what other people are performing. Maybe you had been unaware that a well-liked new style of leather-based furnishings has been released. Of course, as soon as you become conscious of it, you may make the choice to integrate this furniture into your home. But, you wont know unless you maintain an eye open up on the various trends that might be occurring.

Lastly, no make a difference how you style the inside of your home, it is absolutely critical that you preserve the interior. This means you need to keep it thoroughly clean, tidy, and in good situation. No matter how unique or unique your furnishings might be, it will lose a lot of its attraction it is slips into neglect. That is why you need to try to make certain it stays as close to its authentic condition as possible. Frequently, simply periodically cleaning the furniture or even just shoeing the cat off it can include years of lifestyle so a couch or loveseat. Keep in mind, if you treat your furniture as if it was beneficial, it will stay valuable.