Easter Decorating Before and After! Decorating Ideas

It will soon be Easter Time again, and now is the time to get busy planning on what you will be viewing for the holiday.
This year, like those in the past will be different, and hopefully interesting, and inspirational to you, and yours!

Painting of a Streetscape Step by Step Tutorial

It may seem very time consuming, to hard, or very involved, but when you take it step by step, you may be very surprised just hot easy it can be to create original artwork for your own home. Today we are doing a Streetscape of a place I don't know, but would like to visit! Why not try it yourself, and create a little artwork for your home!

The photos will show you the begining, middle, and end of our painting.
I hope you like and find a little inspiration to try it on your own!

Easy and Inexpensive French Country Decor

Here is a very quick ans easy addition to your French Country Decor. All you need is a piece of wood, and a print, of your choice, from the printer. We stained the wood, glued on our print, and polyurethane for a nice finish, and we were all done! Now it graces the porch with the rest of the French Country greeting.

How to get the French Country Christmas Look! 60 plus photos for Inspira...

Today we are learning how to create that French Country Christmas look for very little money, and using what you would already have around the house. You need only your old pieces, glass bottles, white, or metal vases, greenery, and sticks from the yard, favorite light colored Christmas ornaments, light throws, pillows, picture frames, and such. Watch for inspiring ideas. It's really pretty simple to do, and takes very little time. It's fun just going around the house looking for everyday objects to add to your own look! Please Subscribe to the YouTube Channel for more!!!

There is something very calming, ans screne about a French Country Christmas, and for everyday for that matter. As the years go by I am using it more, and more in the house. Below are some of my ideas for this Christmas.

The Making of a Christmas House. French Country Style Decorating.

This year the Old Haunted House takes on a simpler, brighter French Country theme, with more white, and lighter colors in the Christmas decorating.
Join me for this step by step video of how I achieved the look.

We have brought everyday pieces from around the house, and some of the white, and light Christmas peices that fit, along with a few new handmade craft pieces for the look we wanted.

Easy Fall Crafts I have made, and you can too!

Here we have 3 very easy to do Fall craft projects you can make by yourself, or with the kids. Easy enough that everyone can get involved.

Decorating for fall doesn't need to cost a lot of money, just use what you already have, and change it up a little. Using your imagination is all of the fun, and you come up with a unique look for your home!

A Fall Porch French Country Makeover! Step by Step.

Today we are giving the front porch a French Country Fall Makeover. We are keeping it mostly light in color with a few yellow/orange accents. As always we have added a few new craft items, which I show you how to make, and the entire makeover cost 0 dollars, with the exception of the new 2 rugs, as we have used what we have already had in the house.

3 Quick, Easy, and Free French Country Paper Projects/DIY Home Decor

We are going to start the New Year out right, and add a little happiness to our living space! It is done with a little creativity, and no money, so we can all do it if we want to.

I had a little free time the other day, and and needed a project to fill that time, so here we have the results of that. I hope you like these 3 things.

Our first piece was inspired by a packace I had received in the mail, and thought the box it came in had a very nice shape, and that something could be done with it...so came the other ideas.
I covered (glued) it with wrinkeled up white paper, and used my French Country stencile to decorate around it. Now I have a French Country pillar at no cost.

I placed a little metal bird upon it, and it took it's place next to a chair in the dining room. It took very little time, and it looks great!

Next I printed out a few sheets of French Country script, and covered a couple of books with it, placed them on top of a desk in the Library, put a metal birdcage on top, and it was finished. Looks very nice for a couple minutes of my time.

The last project was an old cigar box, and again I covered it in paper, and used my French Country stencil over it, let it dry, and it was ready to be placed on top of the chifferobe in the living room. All 3 of these projects took no money, or even much time to do, but bring just a little more fun to my living space, and will be able to decorate my home for some time to come. I hope you find a little inspiration from these, and the other ideas I have posted, and let me know what you think!

A Discarded Table Becomes An Old World/French Country Treasure!

This is a very easy project for those of you who have furniture you no longer like, but cannot afford to replace it. It also doesn't have to be what, or how I am doing mine. You could just look up the look you like, and mimic that in paint. The rules/methods are going to be similar. Just dissect what it looks like, and transfer that look to your piece.

For my table, I started with a leftover from the previous home owners...discarded in the basement. I had cleaned it up, and used it in this bedroom, as I had other dark pieces, but I have now been changing the look of the room over this past year, and it was time for this table.

We began with a base coat of off white, and after letting that dry I painted a cream color here, and there. Top, bottom, sides, and the legs. I then followed that with strokes of black, grey, and gold to give it the appearance of being an old piece, painted over several times.

For an additional decoration I used one of my French stencils on the bottom, and gave it a coat of polyurethane to seal, and protect it, and I finished in one day! I am quite happy with how this turned out, and hope you take a little inspiration away, and begin a project of your own soo.! Let me know if you do, maybe even send along a photo of yours!

Remember to subscribe for more, another project in this very bedroom will be happening soon, and you don't want to miss it. Subscribers are notified when the new videos come out!

Creating A French Country, Old World Christmas Step by Step

This year's theme to the home for Christmas is French Country/Old world

We have taken bits from here and there in the house, and put them together for a very simple and elegant Christmas. It took very little time, or expense.

A few dries flowers from the garden, add some rustic pieces, old Christmas treasures, and everyday objects. Keeping im mind the goal is a simple Christmas theme.

I think we have pulled it off. Let me know if you and your home share in this French Country/Old World look this year. If you haven't already, please subscribe to the YouTube Channel for more creative ideas!

A French Country, Old World Makeover for the Library

We're changing our dark Victorian Library into a light, airy French Country/Old World look for very little cost in this DIY Video.
Below are a few of the new things that have changed.

First we have the Chifferobe which was stained a dark cherry, and not in the best of shatp. We gave it a cream color base coat, a few stencils, and a light stain to seal it.

Above we have, what use to be a cheap, plain black computer desk, and we have given it the same treatment as the Chifferobe. This has turned out very well, and is certainly a great improvement on what it once was.

This little side table has undergone a tremendous transformation. First it started out covered in a false wood look, then it was painted a cream color, and now it has been given an Old World look with faux painted panels, a blue wash, stenciling, and finally a light stain to seal it.
As always, let me know what you think, and keep on watching for more creative, and inexpensive decorating ideas!

A Calming, lightening Feng Shui Bedroom Re Do for very little cost

We are doing a bedroom makeover using Feng Shui as out guideline.
It will transform from dark, and red to light, and airy, and much much happier

As always, don't forget to add a comment, and let me know what you think!

You Don't Need A Lot Of Money To Have An Interesting Garden

My garden was doing well, but it lacked points of interest. Looking online I found many things that I would like, but they all had one thing in common... They all cost more money than I was willing to spent. I started thinking that I could, with a little effort, create some of those things on my own with things I had around the house.

The Old Ladder Trellis
I had been wondering for awhile what I was going to do with this 40 foot wooden ladder that was no longer safe to use. Someone I knew showed me how they had made one into a little garden fence. That got me thinking about my garden, and what it needed. It only took a few minutes to see that yes, you could make a trellis out of an old wooden ladder, and the next day I did just that.

It wasn't complicated in the least. Just measure the 2 side pieces equally. and another for the top. Attach with screws, and brackets, and bury each "leg" about 1 food below the ground, and it was done. After that I hung some plants from it, and attached an old looking bird house (that I also made), and it looks great. It also adds interest to that part of the garden which I thought was lacking. I used left over ladder pieces for porch decoration, and tomato plant holders.

The Old Garden Signs

I had been wanting old signs for awhile to put around the outside of the house, but if you look at the prices, they can be a little costly. Again I used what I had at home already, which is wood, and paint. You need only to choose what you want your signs to say, and paint it on them. I then sanded mine a little to give it an aged look, and finished by staining it to seal it, and I was finished. You also have to paint in what you would like it to say, but don't worry too much about that, it doesn't need to be perfect. The sanding, and staining will hide any mistakes you might make.

I don't know what I will be doing next, but I an sure that it will be as fun as these two projects have been. Will you now be trying out something for your own home???

How to make a Burlap Wreath a DIY Tutorial

I hate the thought of spending money on things I think I can do myself, so we are going to make a Spring/Summer wreath decoration for my entry door. As it turns out it is very easy, and inexpensive, and fun as well!

The Upstairs Bathroom Make Over, from Victorian to French Country

It's not that I didn't like the bathroom upstairs, after all I was the one who made it over before, but the time had come to give it a fresh new look. I am sure that you have felt the same way with a previous make over you had done yourself.

At left you can see the "Before" Photo. There is a mural behind the sink that I had painted, along with copper back splash tiles, two tone wall color, and added stenciling for a chair rail effect. All of the wood in the bathroom had also been stained a medium brown color. It gave the bathroom a very classy look, and I was pleased with it.

At right you can see the new look. It has been brightened up a bit. I kept the mural, but replaced the copper tiles with classic white. I also added a "stone" wall to the mural to extend it down a little past the switch plates. That way I did not have to cut the ceramic tile, and there is still more than enough for a back splash. The light fixture remained, as did the faucet. If you look in the mirror's reflection you will see that the wall has changed color. Bead board, and trim have also been added to the bottom half all around the room. You will get a better look at that in the following photos.

Aged shelving, and assorted photos, and knickknacks add to that French Country feel, as does the bead board that I had spoke about. You can see that it has brightened up the area tremendously. More white ceramic tile was added to the entry around the shower area, too.

Along with "aging" the shelving, paying attention to the details, such as the small pieces of corner trim, help to give the space that old world feel. I am very happy with how the bathroom has turned out, and I will tell let you in on a little secret, the hardest part of all of the make over was getting started. That is usually the case, but once you get going all of the other things will seem much easier. Just have an idea, and go with it. Even just painting will have a tremendous change in the space, and if you don't like it, you can always paint over it. No harm done at all.
I hope this inspires you to change a little something in your own space. Go ahead...it will be fun.

Get a French Country look in no time!

How to transform a room into French Country the easy way!
Have you always wanted to change a dull, drab room, but you didn't know where to start? Let's change all of that now, and get to the room that you want to come home to!
1. Empty the room, and choose a neutral palette, you will be adding accents of color, so don't fret. A neutral palette gives an air of calm to the room. Pillows, paintings, throws, and Persian rugs can give color accents.

2. Paint your furniture, or pick up pieces that you can paint at a thrift shop. The French are known for their love of painted furniture. Choice colors would be white, grey or taupe. You can also use deep red or navy or duck egg blue (a greenish soft blue), if you prefer. Another way to add interest to your painted furniture is by adding moldings, painting the detail in a different color or light distressing for a more rustic look (shabby chic). For a more palatial French look you can use gilt on the trims. Remember that not every piece of furniture needs to be painted, just a few chosen pieces here and there.

3. Look for a couple of great vintage pieces of furniture such as an Armoire, Chifforobe ( or French sideboard to enhance your French Country look. These can completely transform a room, as well as add much needed storage, and who couldn't use a little extra storage?

4. Don't forget the lighting. Chandeliers look wonderful over a dining room table or in the living, and bedrooms. You can pick up chandeliers second hand at thrift shops. Clean them with soapy water to make them sparkly again. In living spaces turn off your overhead lights and use lamps with hanging crystals for mood lighting.

5. Use blue and beige French Toile design on pillows on a sofa, or bed. The soft toile pattern on a accent pillow brings a romantic and stylish twist to your interior. Other decorative designs or patterns for a French look include a crown, fleur de lis, and stripes. You can also use neutral linens with red or blue stripes or accents for bedding. Another idea is to replace your usual pair of armchairs or sofa with a daybed, they are great for an afternoon nap!

6. Wire or wicker baskets offer great French Country style storage, and you can use them unpainted or give them a light wash with white or grey paint. Vintage, or vintage style Farmhouse Wire Baskets to hold hand towels. Basket offers convenient storage for a variety home essentials, and everything just looks better in a basket.

7. Other accessories in the kitchen can easily add to a French look. Items such as a old breadboards, tea towels, enamel jugs and cake domes. Create vignettes. Group a few items on your sideboard or the corner of a counter for an interesting composition.

As I said at the beginning, the most important thing is to just get started. All of the ideas listed are very easy, and quite achievable in a small amount of time. You need only to motivate yourself to achieve your goals, and those goals are very pleasing, and happy ones to come home to. While there are many elements that contribute to the French Country style of decorating, the resulting look is always rustic, old-world, and welcoming. After all, the French Country look is one of old earthy, and chic style. I think that why I like it so much. Don't forget to let me know if you have tried any of these ideas in your home.