A FREE bi-monthly home decorating ezine!
published by KatieDid Design
January 2000
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December 17, 1999 - January issue
Hello Dear Readers!
Welcome to the first issue of the free KatieDid Design e-zine! Here I will share tips, tricks, guidelines, suggestions, answers, and more. Since this is the first issue, I welcome your input and suggestions. Tell me what you'd like to read about! Just drop me a note at katie@katiediddesign.com Also, feel free to forward this on to your friends who may enjoy it. On with fun stuff!...
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. THIS MONTH'S SUBSCRIBER'S SPECIAL
- Triple Grapevine Wreaths
2. TIPS & TRICKS - HOLIDAY/SEASONAL
- 10 Ways to Decorate Inexpensively for the Holidays
3. GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS - FEATURE ARTICLE
- Choosing the Color Scheme for your Room
4. CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
- Enjoy the Holidays!
5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- The Subscribers' Section
1. THIS MONTH'S SUBSCRIBER'S SPECIAL - Triple Grapevine Wreaths
Have you all seen these adorable little wreaths? These are one of those items that always come out just perfect! I surprised myself the first time I made one - it looked even better than what I was imagining!
I usually follow a basic format for these. I hand-pick three 4" 6" or 8" wreaths - I look for lots of interesting curls and strands in the grapevine. I then choose the florals. These wreaths are small enough that just one or two colors look best. Either silks or dried florals can be used. Each wreath is then styled differently. I usually design the florals to wrap up the left side of one wreath, the right side of the other, and bunch and drape down on the third. It makes a nice contrast of interest without overdoing it. Finally, I choose a style, width, and color of ribbon. Just about any fabric ribbon looks great - from narrow, satin, solid color ribbons (like the example) to wide, floral, wired ribbons. There are tons of possibilities! Then I tie the top bow, place the wreaths along the tails of the bow, and anchor them. I can also add a little bird or butterfly. Usually I place them on the top wreath, although they can go anywhere else if you prefer. To hang, all you have to do is hang the bow over a small nail!
I'm offering a special discounted price on these little wreaths through January 31, 2000. I will take $3.00 off any 4" set, $3.50 off any 6" set, and $4.00 off any 8" set! This offer is available to anyone who is already a subscriber, or who subscribes when they place their order. Just tell me what you'd like and mention that you're a subscriber or e-code ez0100.
2. HOLIDAY/SEASONAL - 10 Ways to Decorate Inexpensively for the Holidays
We all love to have our home beautifully decorated for the holidays. But sometimes it's staggering to total up all we could pay to get all those ready-made decorations! Besides, half the time, they're not really what we'd prefer to have!
I can solve the second problem for you by custom-designing decorations. You can see a lot examples and suggestions in the Christmas section of KatieDid Design. I'll be leaving it up year-round so you can refer to it anytime. (It may not be possible to fill some Christmas orders until the seasonal supplies are available again, however.)
For the problem of high costs, here is what I have to offer you right now. Most of this can be easily done, so it's not too late for this year!
1. Replace the candles in your candlesticks with Christmas colored candles. You can now get candles in almost any color of the rainbow PLUS many other patterns and finishes.
2. Get several spools of wired Christmas ribbon in your personal Christmas colors. Then have fun decorating with bows! Tie them around your hall coat tree, your bannisters, your candlesticks, your patio door handles. Tie them under your door knobs, on your door knocker, on the back outside spindles of your chairs. Just about anything can benefit by a tasteful bow. Be creative!
3. Pull out all the vases that you have. Then go to a fabric or craft store and buy silk poinsettias to fill them. You can get them very inexpensively in the last-minute Christmas sales, and you can re-use them every year! Plus, you don't have to worry about kids or dogs eating them!
4. Place some table scarfs in holiday colors around on your side and end tables. You can buy these many places. If you can't find any holiday patterns you like, try using solid red or green. Or better yet, make some! Yes, even if you've never even sewn a button, you can do this. Go to a fabric store and pick out a material that you like. Buy enough to make the size square or rectangle you like. 1 1/2 yards will give you a nice square to put over your little round side tables. 3/4 of a yard will give you two 22" squares that will do nicely for your wooden or glass end tables. Then buy a package of double-sided no-sew or iron-on hem tape. The clerks can help you find it. When you get home, all you have to do it cut your sides nice and even (if they aren't already), press the hem tape along all four edges, peel off the backing, turn over your hem and press it down again! You'll be surprised how easy it is to add such a nice look! (I can sew some up for you if you'd like - let me know if you're interested)
5. Cover your existing throw pillows with holiday covers. I can sew these for you if you can't find them anywhere else. (see http://www.katiediddesign.com/accessories.html ) More than money, this tip saves SPACE! Who wants to have closet space filled up with holiday pillows all year long? This way, you just zip off the covers and fold them up for neat storage!
6. Bring out some of those throw blankets you have! Get one or two in Christmas colors. Drape them artfully over chairs and sofas. This helps with the warm and cozy look and feel that we usually want at Christmas. Besides, it's nice to have them handy on cold nights!
7. Decorate with your Christmas cards! Get some low-tack tape (so you don't mess up your beautifully painted walls) and put them up where you can enjoy them! Use only one piece of tape and hang them on a diagaonal. This way your vertical and horizontal cards can be hung the same way. Try up and over your doorways, up the stair, around a hall mirror... there's all kinds of places to pick from! Just find an empty section of wall and have fun! Keep some really nice ones from year to year and put them in some of your frames. It doesn't take any extra space or cost if you do this with existing same-size pictures. For example, take that card-sized print of flowers that you enjoy in the spring. Open up the back, and slide a Christmas card between the front of the existing picture, and the back of the mats. Use two small pieces of tape on the BACK of the mat to hold it in place. Keep your flower picture in there so you don't loose it. Now you have a matted and framed Christmas card to display and enjoy for the holidays!
8. Replace your curtain and drapery tiebacks with Christmas garlands. I can make some to suit your colors and styles (see http://www.katiediddesign.com/cd-garlands.html or you can cut down some ready-made garlands.
9. Go get a few of those brass horns that are so inexpensive. Then tie some of your bows on them, and hang!
10. Play Christmas music at all times! Even if you have hardly any visual decorations, this audio 'decoration' can make a tremendous difference. This may sound like either not much, or too much, depending on whether you like a quiet house or a merry one. If you like a noisy, merry house, then you probably do this already. If you're one of those who like a quiet house (like me) then go get a nice relaxing INSTRUMENTAL Christmas CD or tape. I suggest those displays where you get to hear a sample of a bunch of different selections. These displays are usually everywhere this time of year (Target has them here), and they're not too expensive. Just keep it playing softly in the background. It will actually help your home to feel MORE quiet and peaceful during the hustle and hastle of the holidays!
_.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~._
This article Copyright 1999-2003 - Kathleen Peters, KatieDid Design. Reproduced with permission.
Kathleen Peters - 'Katie' - is a custom window treatment and bedding designer, and owner of KatieDid Design, her online shop. She is also the editor-in-chief of Decor, Decorating, and Design, a free bi-monthly ezine filled with articles, tips, and guidelines to help with your home decorating.
http://www.katiediddesign.com
3. FEATURE ARTICLE - Choosing the Color Scheme for your Room
This is a decision that all of us have to make, for every room in our home, if we want our home to be beautiful. I'm only going to touch on this subject briefly this month, since most of us aren't starting this sort of total redecorating this time of year. This general information can help with our holiday decoration, also.
First you'll need to know what colors, shades, and varieties you really like. I would stress SHADES and VARIETIES for two reasons, First, 'green' is not really just green. There are hunter greens, forest greens, lime greens, sage greens, olive greens, etc... And just because you like one shade of green, does not mean you like all shades of green. You need to know what shades and tones you like. Second, not all shades and varieties coordinate well. You will not want to put lime green with forest green unliess you like your decor to clash! I suggest going to the paint department of your hardware store or Wal-Mart. Spend some time going through all those little color cards they have, and take home what you like. Now don't get too picky trying to pick out the exact square that you prefer - you'll go crazy! They really have too many choices. Just look for a general range you like, and take home the selections on either end of that range. They won't mind you taking them - they're free, and chances are that you'll eventualy be buying some paint in your colors anyway!
Now that you know what colors you like, you're much more able to make your choices. Here's some guidelines:
1. Go through home magazines you like such as Victoria, Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, etc... Imagine yourself in the rooms you like. If you think you would feel comfortable there, THEN look at the colors that they use. You may be surprised by what appeals to you! You may love a color that you would have never thought of otherwise.
2. Unless you have unlimited time, money, and patience, don't limit yourself to only one set of choices. Why? Because if you set your heart on an unpopular or 'out-of-style' color or combination, it can be near to impossible to gather together an entire room of decor items that co-ordinate. Don't let this discourage you, though. Sometimes just a slight change or addition in accent colors can make things much easier to find.
3. Compare your colors with each other. You'll generally want to choose two or three colors - one or two main colors and one or two accent colors - and either white or ivory as a base. This doesn't mean that no other colors will be allowed, it just means that these are the colors you will focus on.
4. Green in the many leaf shades is generally easy to include in most decors - especially if you like florals. Almost any floral print out there has green leaves in it - just figure out which shades you like, and how much you want (main color or small accent)
5. What is the feel of your room to be? Bright colors will give a more cheery feel, while subdued tones will give a more relaxed feel. Light colors feel more casual, while dark colors are usually formal. Greens and blues make life feel more slowed down, but reds and yellows look more active and busy. White gives a fresh, new, spic-and-span feel, while ivory give a settled, antique feel.
6. Keep in mind the type of wood that you already have or will be getting. Look for examples in your home decorating magazines and see what colors the professionals use with that type of wood. You don't have to do what they do, but it may help you figure out what you like.
7. Also keep in mind that lighter colors make a room appear larger, while darker colors make it appear smaller.
Once have your color choices together, shop first for your more expensive and larger items, such as sofa or rugs or bedspread. These, if any, will be the more difficult items to find in your colors. If you can find these in your colors, you can find the rest.
Finally, keep those little color sample cards from the paint department in your purse. If you've got some of your items together, than get some cards that have exact color matches to what you already have. You'll be glad you have them, the first time you happen accross something in your travels or errands!
_.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~._
This article Copyright 1999-2003 - Kathleen Peters, KatieDid Design. Reproduced with permission.
Kathleen Peters - 'Katie' - is a custom window treatment and bedding designer, and owner of KatieDid Design, her online shop. She is also the editor-in-chief of Decor, Decorating, and Design, a free bi-monthly ezine filled with articles, tips, and guidelines to help with your home decorating.
http://www.katiediddesign.com
4. CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH - Enjoy the Holidays!
I just want to take this opportunity to encourage you to enjoy these holidays! Sometimes it's hard to slow down and 'smell the roses' this time of year, with all the hustle and bustle. But isn't it worth it? And don't we need it!
5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - The Subscribers' Section
This section will usually reflect questions that you, my readers ask me. But since this is the first issue, I will be the one to ask you the question. I am looking for a good name for this e-zine! Something that goes with my business name - KatieDid Design - and something that is catchy, attractive, and easy to remember. Any suggestions out there?
In the meantime, submit your questions for next month. Tell me what you'd like to know! I welcome questions of all sorts, from general decoration questions to item specific questions. Ask away! I'm here at katie@katiediddesign.com .
Well, that's all for this first month! Remember, if your decorating isn't fun, it isn't worth it! So enjoy it!
-Katie <><
KatieDid Design
www.katiediddesign.com
e-mail: katie@katiediddesign.com
Custom Home Decor Design and Giftware
PO Box 381235
Murdock, FL 33938-1235
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