Lift Your Glasses
Enhance same-old stemware with quick-and-easy wine tags that let guests know whose drink is whose. Start with a sheet or two of medium-weight card stock from a crafts store and cut out simple flower shapes (use the base of the wineglass as a size guide). Fold flowers in half and snip a hole in the center large enough to fit around the stem. Cut a slit between a pair of petals on each tag so it can slide on; add dots in different patterns with a paint pen; let dry completely (at least 15 minutes) before using. Cheers!
[Photograph]: Photograph by michael partenio. Produced by Karin Lidbeck-Brent.
EASY IDEA
NIGHT LIGHT
Create a custom lantern that will cast pretty, patterned shadows long after the sun sets on your outdoor parties. Use an old lantern with glass panels, or purchase an inexpensive one at a discount home or garden store. Buy printed vellum and double-sided vellum tape from an art-supply or crafts store (you can also photocopy your favorite patterned paper or fabric onto plain vellum). If possible, carefully remove the glass panels and trace them in pencil onto your paper for a proper fit; if not, measure the glass areas with a ruler and cut paper accordingly. Tape the sheets onto the outer sides of the glass, away from the flame.
Top Player
To craft a game board-topped table you'll never have to -- or want to -- put away, you'll need: three colors of paint (at least two that contrast), a ruler, and painter's tape. Find the center of the table; divide it into 64 squares (eight columns by eight rows), taping off every other vertical and horizontal row. Paint exposed squares. Let dry three hours, remove tape, and mark off the opposite rows; paint remaining squares. Paint the table's edge and legs to finish.
Glamour Push
Even your tired to-do list will seem fashion-forward if it's tacked up with pushpins embellished with costume jewelry. Gather earrings and pins you no longer wear (or snag low-cost vintage finds), craft glue, pushpins, and small pliers. Pry posts and pins from bauble backs; adhere jewelry to tacks with craft glue. Dry pins upside down overnight.
Just Add Flower
Next time you're charged with whipping up cupcakes for a birthday party, bake sale, or other event, don't stress about piping on bakery-quality decorations. Instead, hit the grocery store's produce section and pick up a pack of edible flowers, such as nasturtiums, carnations, orchids, or pansies, to top the iced treats. Or snip fresh, unsprayed buds from the garden (we picked bachelor's buttons and violas here); first consult goodhousekeeping.com/edibleflowers to make sure the blooms are a safe addition.
TRY THIS
MADE ON THE SHADE
Brighten a basic lampshade with a border that coordinates -- without costing a fortune. Measure one-quarter of the way up from the bottom of the shade; mark off the line with painter's tape. Paint on two coats of latex wall paint or basic acrylic, and let dry for one hour; carefully peel off the tape. Affix ribbon edging to the top of the painted edge with permanent craft glue to polish off the look.
LACE IS MORE Rescue a seldom-used doily from the linen closet (or flea market) to make a homespun matte for a favorite photo. Buy a small shadowbox, mounting tape, and paint in a pretty hue (all from a crafts or art-supply store). Paint the interior of the box; let dry. Snip eight one-inch tape squares; peel off backing; place one at each corner between the back of box and doily, then between the doily and photo. Reassemble the frame and hang.
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