Ten Beach Vacation Tips

It's summertime! Headed to a sandy beach or possibly a resort? We have rounded up ten tricks to add a special flair to your summertime vacation plans!

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Shark Cupcakes

Look out for paper fins slicing through those icing waves! Simply cut blue triangles out of craft paper and sit in your icing dyed with blue food coloring. Prefer a predator free zone? Simply add a parasol umbrella straw to your finely ground graham cracker crust cupcake!

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Pocketed Beach Towel

A creative way to keep your belongings from getting lost in the sand! Corner pockets are a simple stitch to add to any beach towel or blanket. Click here to get all the directions!

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Tic-Tac Towel

By simply adding a few strips of ribbon with fabric glue to your beach towel, you have created a fun game to entertain your little ones for hours. In lieu of the traditional X's and O's and in keeping with your beach theme, spray paint shells collected at the beach opposite colors.

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The Beach Cover-Up

A beach coverup is essential and we found this no fuss creation you can make yourself! Simply stitch two cotton scarves together for a quick cover-up with Bohemian flair! View the steps here!

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Shell Vase

A wide-mouthed shell can easily double as a small vase for bedroom bouquets. To create your own, place a piece of floral adhesive to a plate (just enough to hold the shell upright). Stick the shell to the adhesive and then place a weight (a fishing sinker for example) inside to help hold it in its place. Fill the shell half-way with water and then add flowers. The flowers featured in the photo are the purple scabiosa and the white phlox. Lastly, arrange pebbles around the shell. They will ass a finishing touch and further stabilize the display.

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Picnic Plates

Lunch at the beach deserves the proper dishes! What could be more fitting than crab, seagull, and sun plates? You'll find these solid color paper plates at any party store. To get a shape template, click here!

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Sea Shell Wreath

Take the beach home with you... literally! It's so simple... simply collect the shells at the beach. Don't worry if they are all different colors. Worry about finding shells with a common shape... a light mist of white spray paint will quickly even out the color! At a local craft store, purchase a styrofoam wreath. You will hot glue the shells to the wreath starting at one section and gradually moving around the wreath. String or rope can be added for hanging.

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Simple Sarong

A simple sarong makes the perfect beach cover-up! Want to make your own?

To get a shape template, click here!

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Beach Bag Key Ring

Losing a set of keys in the sand can really put a damper on your day. It's easy to keep them close at hand with a steel shower curtain ring. Simply clip the ring onto the handle of your bag and slip on your key ring. You'll always have your keys in sight! 

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Personalized Beach Tote

Whether you are taking towels to the beach, fruit from the farmers' market, or gardening tools from the shed, tote bags always live up to their name. However, they don't need to look humble. A bold initial or  vivid pattern can make a canvas bag newly stylish... and unique to its owner. Click here for full instructions!

As always, we would love to see your creations! Show them off to us on our Facebook page!

For more great summer beach tips, visit our article source.

Vintage Fish Plates and Bottles

When researching a post on displaying collections of dishes and miscellaneous collectible antiques, I came across this article about vintage fish plates and bottles. I have often seen these collectible items, but never knew their history or origin. Hope you find this information to be interesting as well! Source: Martha Stewart.

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No one knows for certain when the first fish dishes surfaced, but one speculation is that the items were tamer takes on quirky Victorian majolica, richly shaded earthenware depicting scenes from nature, including underwater vignettes. From these colorful depths emerged simpler pieces that celebrated a single creature: the humble fish, long a symbol of life and fertility. These dishes, manufactured from the mid-nineteenth century through the twentieth century, were ceramic, porcelain, glass, silver, cast iron, or cast aluminum. Many were souvenirs from coastal cities. Others carried goods -- spirits from Portugal, wine from Italy -- produced by areas celebrating their maritime heritage. On the other side of the world, in Japan, fish-shaped china appeared on tables, a serving idea still in good use. And one of the most enduring designs, a bottle whose neck protrudes from a fish's gaping mouth, was manufactured on the Delaware River, in Philadelphia, in the late nineteenth century.


To start your own collection, cast a line at yard sales, flea markets, or online auctions. Although a devoted collector might spend thousands on a complete set of well-preserved plates, the casual buyer can procure a single dish for a few dollars. Seek out streamlined shapes, and group them by color. Then consider mounting the collection against a marine-inspired backdrop, such as blue-green wallpaper or cool-colored tiles. The pieces also will look right at home with all kinds of sea-associated specimens and delights. Surround them with beach shells, antique nautical knickknacks, or decorative coral in hefty lumps or spindly branches. And before you know it, you'll be hooked.

Wines and spirits from nations close to the sea, including Italy and Portugal, came in bottles shaped like fish (this page); the small, round vessel once held perfume, while the white one is a reproduction of an 1860s bitters bottle.

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An Art Deco platter from the 1930s coasts above fish-shaped dishes and molds gathered on an entryway shelf; the handled cup near the center is a creamer.

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Three sizes of ceramic fish plates from the early to mid-twentieth century are the settings on a marine-green table; silver-plated, fish- shaped salt and pepper shakers, antique fishing floats reminiscent of giant bubbles, and decoupage seaweed-motif trays are all part of the theme.

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Skimming an end table under a coral fern are a ceramic baking dish roomy enough for a whole fish and a reproduction bitters bottle.

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Multiple dishes, a bronze sculpture, a giant clam shell, and a nineteenth-century French table with legs cast as mythical dolphins capture a cat's attention; the two small fish floating in from the top right are Victorian milk glass, while the top round plate was part of a 1940s tuna company promotion.

Article Source: Martha Stewart

Playing With Paper

Who says home decorating has to be expensive? Sometimes the easiest upgrades that can be made to a room can come from something as simple as a piece of paper. Try some these tips we discovered today while browsing the Better Homes and Gardens website. Be sure to visit Jennifer Rice and the whole team on our Facebook page! If you aren't already a fan, be sure to like us! Let us know which of these tips you're going to try! We can't wait to see your creativity!

Romantic Roses

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

These whimsical paper roses adhered to the base of a simple white shade soften a geometric lamp and add a touch of charm. Sketch a circular swirl on a drawing paper (available at craft stores). Cut to create a paper coil. Roll the paper tightly starting at the outside end of the coil. Release the coil slightly and hot glue the end to retain flower shape.

Creative Curtains

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Create confetti curtains for your windows from cut paper! Perfect for a photography studio, retail space, or an eclectic room in your home. A great solution for decorating a window without blocking out natural light. Cut out squares from different weights of paper with a die cut punch (available at craft stores) or scissors. Sew the squares together, spacing regularly, to make a string as long as your window frame; tie knots at the top of each square and at the bottom of each string to secure. Hang each on a tension rod from curtain clips. Get creative and use different colors for your garland depending on your room's color scheme or the season.

Pretty Tissue Flowers

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

These delicate petals create an elegant centerpiece whether scattered down the center of a table or piled on a platter. To create, cut a flower shape or 3-inch circles from eight layers of tissue paper. Place in a stack. Next, poke a hole through the stack with a pin. Pull the paper off the tip of a twist tie and insert the exposed wire through paper layers. Twist wire to create flower center. Make the flower bloom by gently pulling up on layer at a time.

Get Rolling

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Quilling is a simple yet elegant way to embellish home accessories such as a white picture frame. To create, cut paper into 1/8 inch wide strips with a ruler and crafts knife; vary the lengths of the strips. Load a strip onto a slotted quilling tool (find tools and kits at quilledcreations.com). Twist the tool to coil the paper tightly. Once coiled, pull the paper off the tool and uncoil slightly to your desired size. When finished, the quills can be glued to objects, such as a picture frame, to add a beautiful decoration to an otherwise plain frame.

Personalized Collage

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Create sentimental wall art for your home. Piece together diamond shapes of personalized scrap material that features fun colors, textures, typography, or images near and dear to your heart. Everything from scrapbook covers to beer cases to photographs will work for this project! Once you've compiled the art, purchase an inexpensive frame to pull the piece together.

Decorative Dresser Drawers

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Dress up a bland dresser by lining the drawers with bright, fun paper. Select patterned wrapping paper that matches your room and attach the paper to the bottom of the drawer by using double stick tape. Looking for a more permanent solution? Try wallpaper. The paper gives a pop of color and personality to otherwise boring drawers.

Coast Into Party Mode

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Protect your tabletop and show your creativity with personalized coasters. Choose a favorite image and adhere it to the back of a clear coaster or, in this case, a pillar candleholder. These coasters are a creative, simple way to decorate for an upcoming holiday or add a pop of color to the design of your room. To change the design, simply soak the coasters in water, peel off the paper backing, and start over.

Clear View

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

A clear acrylic tray provides a window of opportunity to showcase a paper print, bringing a dose of much needed color to this coffee table. Attach paper to the underside of the tray using double-stick tape or, to keep your options open, simply lay the paper inside. 

Paper Back

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Don't forget to dress your accessories in personalized designs. It took just five minutes to wrap this journal with a paper felt and a few seconds more to slip a leftover paper scrap into a photo pocket on the album.

Computer Creations

Photo Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Need a little inspiration at the office? Create personalized artwork on your computer. Type a favorite saying or song lyric and play around with font, size, and color until you find the perfect fit for your room designed. After printing (we recommend printing at a local document center), mount it on patterned paper and put it inside an inexpensive frame. This is the perfect way to make a fun piece of attention-grabbing art that fits the style and mood of your room.

For more tips and tricks, see these tips and others at our source: Better Homes and Gardens website.

Have you tried any of our tricks and tips? We would love to see them here!

Outdoor Furniture Projects

With summertime quickly approaching, it's time to get your yard in shape! We've compiled some of our favorite outdoor furniture tips from Martha Stewart to share with you! If you try one of these tips, let us see your work! Upload your photos to our Facebook page!

Source: Martha Stewart

Instead of settling for a print that's not quite right, make your own outdoor chaise cushions using inexpensive pillows and the fabric of your choice. For each cushion, you'll need four polyester-filled bed pillows and waterproof fabric meant for outdoor use. (Recommendation: Use 22-by-18-inch pillows and a 46-by-77-inch length of fabric.)Fold fabric lengthwise, right sides facing, and sew the two short ends shut, leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Turn fabric right side out. Using a water-soluble pen and a ruler, mark horizontal lines to divide fabric into four equal parts; pin, and sew. Sew two pairs of 12-inch lengths of twill tape to each opening. Insert pillows, and tie shut. The fabric will protect the pillows from moisture, but it's best to take the cushions inside before it rains.

Source: Martha Stewart

Set the table for a whole season of festive cookouts by giving it a new summer coat. The wooden slats of a classic picnic table provide a ready-made outline for stripes. Red and white are very versatile -- with blue napkins and flag "bouquets," the table's ready for patriotic gatherings; adorned with bright red, orange, or yellow tableware, it would have "casual barbecue" painted all over it. Semigloss latex exterior paint and primer will give a picnic table a shiny new look. Prime table; allow to dry. Cover the edges of alternating slats with blue painters' tape. Apply two coats of red paint to the untaped slats, and allow to dry. Remove tape, then apply new tape to edges of painted slats; paint two coats of white on remaining slats, and let dry.

Source: Martha Stewart

Turn a camp cot into an elegant patio daybed. Throw pillows in coordinating colors provide a soft surface to lean against. Cover a 4-inch-thick foam cushion with striped fabric and trimmed the edges with piping. The cot slipcover is sewn from more of the same fabric; box pleats at the corners are tied with ribbon. To complete the look, apply two coats of light-green exterior paint to the frame.

Source: Martha Stewart

A customized camp stool makes for more than just a convenient seat. Artfully refurbished, it will function as a nifty side table in a sunroom or on a porch. Remove the existing canvas. Use it as a template to cut fabric for a new seat, making the fabric 1 inch wider. Fold each long side of the fabric over 1/4 inch two times; hem. Lightly sand the frame, and apply 2 coats of exterior paint; let dry. With a staple gun, attach one end of fabric to the underside of one of the frame's crossbars; repeat on other crossbar, stretching fabric taut.

Source: Martha Stewart

Table-and-umbrella tandems are often found on patios and decks, where they provide sheltered seating for large groups. Why not adapt the concept to more intimate settings? You will need a small wooden table, plus an outdoor umbrella that's proportional to the table. Using a drill with a hole-saw attachment that's slightly larger than the diameter of the umbrella pole, make a hole in the center of the table. Paint the table (as well as matching all-weather chairs, if you like), and insert the pole through the hole and into the stand.

Source: Martha Stewart

Hang a tire from a branch, and let your kids experience the sensation of flight at home. To sway, spin, and fly through the air -- that's what swings are good for. The tire swing is a classic, and hanging it from a tree brings the fun to your own backyard. For more details on the safest way to hang a tire swing, visit here!

Source: Martha Stewart

To complement your backyard with the most appropriate furnishings, you might forgo a trip to the garden center and head to the lumberyard instead. Encircling a majestic black locust tree, this bench delivers 360-degree views. As far as lumber goes, any durable wood coated with weatherproof exterior paint will do. While you can mimic the design of this hexagonal structure, alterations will have to be made to suit your tree and terrain.

Source: Martha Stewart

Tree stumps, used individually or clustered together, function as low tables. A coat of enamel paint applied to the tops serves a dual purpose: It adds a jolt of color and creates a smooth, sealed surface. Furniture gliders can be attached to protect the floor.The wood must be dry for this project to be successful; otherwise, the enamel paint will bubble. If the wood is damp, let it dry in the sun or in a warm, arid room. This project has to be done in steps, so keep in mind that it may take several days to complete.

Tools Needed: Electric sander, Tree stump, Sandpaper in extra-fine, fine, medium, and coarse grades, Wood filler, 2 paintbrushes, 1 for primer and 1 for paint, Wood primer, Enamel paint, Hammer, 3 to 4 furniture gliders

How-To: 1. Using the electric sander, prepare the surface of the stump. Sand, changing from coarse to medium to fine paper, until the top is smooth. 2. If there are holes on the surface, use wood filler to conceal them. Let dry, and then rub the surface lightly by hand with fine sandpaper. 3. With a paintbrush, apply wood primer to top surface, painting from the outside edges inward to keep primer from dripping down sides. Let dry, then sand lightly by hand with extra-fine paper. 4. With other brush, apply enamel paint to top, again painting from the outside toward center. Let dry 2 to 3 days.  5. Sand lightly by hand with fine paper. Apply another light coat of enamel. Let dry for at least 2 days.  6. To create feet, hammer furniture gliders into base.

Source: Martha Stewart

A vintage wooden cupboard provides handsome storage for gardening supplies. Perched on the front porch, it serves as a way station between house and garden. You can step out the door, slip into your gardening shoes, and head off with tools in hand. On your way back in, kick off the shoes, and stash them and the tools without tracking soil inside. Make room in the cupboard for houseplant and cut-flower supplies, too; won't it be good to get them out from beneath the sink? Look for a spacious old cupboard at a flea market or junk shop, and fill it with pots, bulbs and seeds, a hose, and other gardening essentials. Wooden boxes customize the space: One holds bags of fertilizer and potting soil, the other holds tools. Paint unfinished boxes with semi- or high-gloss paint.

Source: Martha Stewart

Decking your yard with tiki torches is an inexpensive, festive way to bring island style home -- and to light up the night without electricity. Use them to line a path or surround a patio. If the ground is paved or rocky, you may not be able to find places to poke the torches into the soil. Instead, anchor them in gravel-filled, galvanized-steel flower buckets, and have yourself a tropical night. To anchor the torches, position flower buckets on level ground for stability. Hold one torch upright in each bucket, and fill the bucket with garden gravel to about 3 inches from the rim. The containers are then heavy enough to support the lit torches safely as they burn. Both the buckets and gravel are available at garden-supply centers; torches can be purchased at home-supply stores.

Seven Stylish Tips!

Get a little overwhelmed when trying to arrange accessories in your home? Follow these seven no-fail tips on decorating rooms in your home!

Source: HGTV

Gather similar items together for maximum impact. In this living room, a bowl of silver acorns, platter of fruit, and a case full of flowers create a pleasing flow of accessories.

Source: HGTV

Mix a variety of textures and finishes when arranging accessories. Smooth wood, pewter, faux bois fabric, and sprigs of greens are used in this room to create an intriguing display.

Source: HGTV

Lighting is key in every design. Industrial-style light fixtures highlight, as well as provide the perfect contrast, to the black-and-white photography. The space is completed with nature-inspired accessories, like hydrangeas and a bowl of moss, to reflect the weathered and woven furnishings.

Source: HGTV

Choose accessories with differing heights, which will allow the eye to move around the display rather than glossing past it. Artwork on the wall also acts as part of your vignette, so keep it in mind when arranging your accessories. 

Source: HGTV

Artwork is a great addition to any vignette, but it doesn't have to take center stage. Asymmetrical vignettes are most interesting. When offsetting artwork, choose other elements, like vases full of tall flowers, to create balance in the space.

Source: HGTV

Whether decorating with flowers, bloack-and-white photos or candlesticks, layer the elements to create depth. Add in small lamps, mirrors, or metallic items throughout the vignette for a tiny glimmer of glam.

Source: HGTV

The key to making an assortment of accessories work together is color. In this room, the horseshoe chair is paired with a typography pillow, a simple pitcher full of hydrangeas and an elegant hatbox. A black white, and green color scheme ties the miscellaneous grouping together.

Hope these tips work for you! We would love to see how you are decorating your home! Show off your home on our Facebook page!