20 decorating projects for your home
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Make star luminarias: White bags and vellum stars make festive outdoor lanterns. Use a star stencil and colored vellum to make red and blue stars. Glue them to white paper bags. For beautiful (and safe) illumination, use a small tap light instead of a candle. 20 ways to decorate for almost free

Photo: Sunset.com

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Easy eco table: A ready-made base makes this side-table project especially simple: Just add your own top. For our base, we selected a small side table with a 22-inch-square top from Ikea's Lack series (from $7.99, available in 13 colors; 800/434-4532). For the surface, we chose Kirei Board - an environmentally friendly, plywoodlike product from Japan (kireiusa.com or 619/236-9924 for dealers). How to make this side table
Painted party glassware: Perk up your table by turning ordinary wine goblets into stylish geometric art glass. It just takes a little glass paint and a stencil or template. Designer Sarah Caska used a fine-tip black permanent marker and enamel paint formulated for glass to create these Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired designs. The cost was about $36 for 8 decorated glasses, including stemware. How to paint glassware
Hand-printed gift wrap: With simple cookie cutters and paint, you can make your own distinctive wrapping paper. Just dip the cutting edge of a cookie cutter (we used snowflakes and scalloped circles) into white heavy body acrylic paint (sold at art stores in 4-oz. tubs). Stamp the cookie cutter onto a sheet of colorful paper, starting at a top corner. Create your own patterns by either joining or overlapping the shapes. If the paint is too thick or lumpy, add a few drops of water and stir gently...
Make a message board: Communicating with a busy household is much easier when your message center is tailor-made to fit your space and your needs. This customizable message board project combines three different surfaces ? chalkboard paint, magnetic paint, and cork ? with a frame that you paint to blend in with your kitchen. How to make this message board
Etch glass: There is something magical about etching glass ? the process turns plain glass pieces into decorative objects in minutes. The secret is etching cream. You simply apply it to the glass, and the surface turns into a translucent white. The results are beautiful, subtle, and lasting. How to etch glass
Turn a drawer organizer into a bento-box guest tray: Tuck a drawer organizer into a storage tote with some thoughtful amenities to make your houseguests feel like royalty. (Be forewarned: They'll be eager for a return invite.) How-to: Slip a drawer organizer into a fabric-covered box or other storage tote and stock it with a few travel-size essentials in coordinating materials and hues. Tie a washcloth with colorful string; wrap a bar of soap with wide ribbon; use letter stamps and a label sticker...
Galvanized metal table: This sleek indoor-outdoor dining table is a particularly simple woodworking project because key steps like crafting the legs and the metal top are done for you. To make the tabletop, start by edging a rectangular piece of plywood with 2-by-2s. Take it to a sheet metal fabricator and ask the shop to make a covering that fits over it like a shoe-box lid. Then glue the metal top to the plywood, sand and wax it, and add a set of ready-made legs. Get the complete how-to
Make star luminarias: White bags and vellum stars make festive outdoor lanterns. Use a star stencil and colored vellum to make red and blue stars. Glue them to white paper bags. For beautiful (and safe) illumination, use a small tap light instead of a candle. 20 ways to decorate for almost free
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