If you are planning on decorating your child’s bedroom, to avoid fights, hassles and headaches, let them be involved in the planning stage. As parents, we tend to put our likes and dislikes on our children. However, children have minds of their own; they have their own likes and dislikes. We learned this when they were two, and the “terrible two’s” commenced. You don’t want to do a “Princess” theme room for your daughter who’s a tomboy, and would rather play baseball than dolls, or a sports theme room for your son, who would rather play chess than catch.

I have clients, a married couple with two young daughters no older than ten years of age. The couple prefer Contemporary decor in their home. They allowed their daughters some new things for their rooms, such as comforters, window treatments and pictures. While the youngest picked something they felt was “appropriate”, and in keeping with their style, they were totally shocked that their oldest liked the Shabby Chic style. To their credit, they allowed her to decorate her bedroom in her choice of décor.

We have to remember that although it’s our house, it’s their room. Children spend a lot of time in their rooms and it should reflect their style, not ours. What a great gift you are giving them to allow the use of their creativity as an outlet to decorating their own space. This is probably one of the first things they can do that will allow them to be an individual. You still need to guide them, as these decisions are made, to watch budget, safety and growth potential. (By growth potential I mean that if your child decides on a style of window treatment and fabric, make sure that the window treatment being picked at age 8, will grow with them to age 16. So maybe the style of the window treatment is okay, but the fabric needs to be more age neutral.)

Think about storage – kids have a lot of stuff, from the time they are babies up through the teen years. Storage and organization should be a number one priority when decorating your child’s room. Luckily, there are so many versatile and stylish storage solutions available now that you and your child should be able to find something that not only fits their room décor, but also is something that they will actually use to keep their room neat.

Include their hobbies and interests in the décor of their room, but don’t make a theme out of it. “Less is more”, and those little touches will stand out. Keep awards and trophies limited to current ones, and keep them in one area of the room rather than spread out all over. Make sure they have a desk to do homework, or write in their journals, with a sturdy desk chair that allows them to reach the surface of the desk comfortably. Finish off with an upholstered chair for reading and adequate lighting for all tasks.

Letting your children be a part of the decorating process of their bedrooms, will not only be adding to the beauty of your home, but you and your children will be happier for it.

Kathy Passarette is a Certified Interior Decorator and Affiliate member of the Interior Design Society. She is the owner of Creative Home Expressions located on Long Island, New York. You can contact Kathy through her website at http://www.creativehomeexpressions.com.

Color is influential in every aspect of our lives. It conveys a warm or cool feeling and can draw you in or divert attention. It can create feelings of cheerfulness, sadness, love or tranquility. In flower arranging knowing how to blend colors together can make or break your design so careful thought should go into your choice of colors before you start.

Flowers come in an astounding number of hues and shades due to continual crossbreeding. This is the most true in roses. There are well over a hundred different types of roses now of every shade imaginable and counting. They have even been bred now to have two or three different shades on the petals and are fast becoming a new favorite for florists and customers alike.

If you are new to arranging or still struggle with how to put color together, take heart, there is help in the form of what’s called the color wheel. It is made up of primary colors, secondary colors and intermediate colors. The first thing one needs to understand, is that the primary colors are only three colors, red, blue and yellow. All colors are made from combining these colors but you cannot make red, blue or yellow by combining any colors.

Red is a very hot, passionate and strong color. It creates drama in an arrangement. Red can make you think of Christmas or valentines. Yellow is a happy color and evokes a feeling of anticipation like you experience when spring has arrived and the sun is shinning and things are coming back to life. Birthday arrangements or baby arrangements often have yellow as it does evoke that feeling of cheerfulness. Blue is a cool color and creates a softer feeling like you may experience when looking at the sky in the summertime.

Combining primary colors together creates secondary colors. Red and yellow make orange, red and blue make purple and yellow and blue make green.

Orange is a dramatic color, not as hot as red but it still has impact. If you want an arrangement to have the autumn feel then you should combine colors such as browns, gold or a bit of yellow and red-orange together. It will make a bold statement.

Purple is a vibrant color but unlike red and orange it has a calming effect. When you combine purple, blues, pinks and a bit of yellow together, you get this luscious vibrant and soothing arrangement.

Green is a universal color that goes with any color of arrangement. In nature all flowers spring up from greens so it is very natural to use them in all arrangements. In fact, I like to put together three different shades and textures of greens together before putting any flowers in my arrangement. It is very effective.

You can take any of these color combinations and put them together in their lighter or darker shades depending on what mood you are trying to create. Also, you do not need to stick to just these color combinations. If you want drama, try mixing together dark red, purple, yellow and a bit of white. Contrast can make quite a bold statement.

Last but not least here is a list of colors on the color wheel starting with yellow:

Yellow orange, orange, red orange, red, red violet, violet, blue violet, blue, blue green, green, and finally yellow green. Of course you could make many more hues but for our purpose here we stick with the color wheel.

I hope this helps.

Willie Jones

Willie is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist. Thanks very much for reading this far. Please come and visit us at: http://www.artinspires.com/for an inspirational poster or two

“Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing. All winners receive a free framed print.”

Has your home lost that loving feeling? Do feel nurtured when you are at home? Is it lacking vital energy that makes you feel alive and nurtured? Maybe it’s time to add some romance to your home. Using Feng Shui principles can be a simple way to make your home loving and inviting. Your home is a place where you can create a tranquil haven from the hectic outside world. Adding some romance to your home does not mean that you have to decorate it in a particular way, such as a Victorian-styled home with lots of lace and floral patterns. Romancing your home is rather a way to create a beautiful, inviting and harmonious living environment, which you can express through your own personal decorating style.

Feng Shui is widely used to create harmony and happiness in all types of relationships: romantic, family, friends, and work associates. One of the most important objectives in Feng Shui is that of family happiness. One simple way to support harmonious family relationships is to have a dining table that is round or oval in shape to encourage a smooth flow of conversation and energy. Feng Shui also puts importance on diffusing obstacles that can create negative energy, such as overhead beams, a protruding display or bookcase, or knives exposed in the kitchen. Overhead beams can represent heavy energy bearing down on you, especially if the beams are over your bed. Look around your home to see if any of these obstacles could be creating an uninviting home for you. It is also a challenge to be romantic in the bedroom if your computer and television are there vying for your attention. It is best to locate these items in another part of the house. If you must have a television in the bedroom, place it in an armoire so that it can be hidden away when not in use.

Once the obstacles of negativity are diffused, you can bring in positive, enriching energy by displaying symbols of love and romance. Try keeping things in pairs, such as a pair of candles or have a pair of rose quartz hearts on your bed side table. Images of love birds or mandarin ducks are often used to visually represent being in a loving relationship. You can also strengthen relationship energy in other rooms of your home with the pairing of Yin and Yang opposites, such as artwork depicting water and mountains or statuary of a man and woman.

Color is very much a part of creating romance in your home and will affect the overall feeling you have in a room. Are your color choices encouraging a loving and harmonious living environment? The bedroom is often considered to be the most romantic room in your home. What are the dominant colors in your bedroom? The following color guide may help you in choosing the romantic atmosphere you are looking to create.

Pink is known as the color of love and will give your room a soft approachable feel.
Red is a strong passionate color that can create feelings of power and excitement. In your bedroom, it is best to use this sparingly as an accent instead of painting all walls in the color red. Green is a calming color and gives a sense of safety and stability to many people.
White is the most common color that people use on the walls is their bedroom. Although it creates a fresh and relaxed feeling, it has a tendency to be a little on the cool side. Consider warming things up a bit with flesh-toned sheets or a painted accent wall behind the head of the bed.
Blue is another calming color, and like white has a tendency to be a little on the cool side. Again warm things up through your accent colors and accessories.

Creating your own romantic home might take some effort. However, once you have applied the principles of Feng Shui and inviting colors to your environment, you will be able to enjoy the results each time you come home at the end of the day.

Diane Alba-Means is the author of Feng Shui Fashion Makeover for Success ~ A Woman’s Guide to Empowering Your Personal Style. She is passionate about combining the principles of Feng Shui with her background in fashion and design to show people a fun and exciting way to empower their lives. Her approach is grounded in over 20 successful years as a color and image consultant, decorator, teacher, writer, speaker, and Feng Shui expert. What is your color mood today? Find out for FREE at http://www.HawaiiFengShui.com.

They look so lifelike, that time and time again people bend to smell them and touch them. Across the nation, silk flowers in crystal-clear acrylic "water" are showing up in homes, cafes, restaurants and offices. At a fraction of the cost of constantly replacing fresh-cut flowers, and fooling everyone into thinking that they ARE fresh-cut flowers, these arrangements are a sensible decorating idea. + How is this done? It isn’t as difficult as one might think. The most important thing to remember when making one of these arrangements is that you have to use very high quality silk flowers for the illusion to work. The acrylic "water" may look like the real thing, but if the flowers are obviously silk, no one is going to be fooled. The ultimate goal with these wonderful arrangements is to fool people into thinking that they are real, fresh-cut flowers. That being said, step one would be to choose your flowers. Step two would be to choose your container. Naturally, this would have to be a clear, glass container for the illusion to work. Step three - decide what materials you would like to include in the arrangement.

For example, some arrangements look best with some clear glass gems or some river rocks, or perhaps even some small sea shells at the bottom of the vase. Once that’s decided, you’ll want to do a dry run before mixing your acrylic and pouring it into your vase. If there are a lot of flowers involved, tie them off with string that you can later cut once the acrylic has hardened. Liquid Illusions is one of the best acrylic water kits on the market today, and very simple to use. The directions are included, and you can mix your acrylic right in the container that the kit comes in! Let your arrangement sit still for 24 to 48 hours in order for the acrylic to set, and there you have it! Your very own Floral Illusion!

These wonderful arrangements are replacing fresh cut flowers in homes, hotels, offices, cafes and restaurants across the nation and around the world. They last forever and only require light dusting from time to time. Whether you make your own, or purchase a pre-made arrangement, you’re sure to enjoy this new craze in decorating!

About the Author: Elizabeth Knick is the owner of Floral Illusions Floral Illusions specializes in taking high quality silk flowers and arranging them in crystal-clear acrylic "water". They have over 6 pages of arrangements to choose from, ranging from a simple red rose in a bud vase to a large arrangement of tall Calla Lilies, and everything in between. Prices are very reasonable, and there’s something for every budget.

Floral Illusions now carries all items necessary for do-it-yourselfers to make their very own "Floral Illusions" at home! Silk flowers, vases, acrylic water kits and more!

If you’re tired of purchasing fresh-cut arrangements only to have the wither and die within a few days, perhaps it’s time you checked out Floral Illusions and the silk flower craze that’s sweeping the decorating world!

For those renters who do not have the option of making permanent changes to the walls, woodwork, floors or architecture of their home or apartment, there are several quick fixes which can be used to dress up or hide the ‘uglies’ or to create more storage. All of these are affordable and within the abilities of everyone.

One of the most useful is screening. You can buy or have decorative room screens made, but they are very expensive and have some drawbacks. You can also go to your local home store and in the section devoted to closet doors pick up pre-hinged, bi-fold doors in various widths. These come in plain flush doors as well as louvered, paneled and even mirrored. They come finished and unfinished. You can paint them, cover them in fabric, or simply place them as they are in front of anything which throws a room off or is just unfortunate to look at. You can hide an ugly view from a window, create a work area for a computer or hide the children’s toys. The advantage to these closet doors is that they are taller than most decorative screens and therefore tend to look more like a part of the room. Shorter hinged shelves which are made for windows or pass-throughs can be set on low bookshelves, desks or tables as dividers or simply to hide items which need to be accessible but don’t add to the look of a room such as laundry baskets, or spare towels. Sit a few plants or a small chair or decorative table in front of a screen and you create a pleasant small scene which adds to your room and hides a problem. These are totally portable and can always be taken with you to your next apartment.

Architectural details such as columns, pieces of pediment or cornice can be used to hide an ugly heat duct or an awkwardly placed outlet. If they are set slightly out from a wall and grouped they won’t block the airflow but they will block the objectionable item.

Fabric is affordable and useful. You don’t need to be a seamstress. Iron on fusion tape is available for non-sewers. Fabric can be stapled on screens. It can be wrapped around a piece of plywood to create a headboard, draped over a table to add color and incidentally create a hiding place underneath where storage is needed.

Strippable wallpaper borders and cut-outs can be used to add interest and can be easily removed when you tire of them or need to move on. They are a way of adding interest to a room which lacks architectural distinction and unlike the larger projects of papering whole rooms; these are easily managed by someone without experience. A border near a ceiling is best done with two people if it is your first attempt. Rolls of strippable paper are available at most wallpaper outlets. You can cut out sections or pieces of wallpaper and apply to kitchen cabinets if they have a Formica or laminate finish, to walls in bedrooms or bathrooms and to add interest to foyers and hallways. Wallpaper can also be used to cover the screen dividers mentioned above as well as lampshades and other items. You can usually find books which will give you all sorts of ideas for this useful product.

Finally, lucite or plexiglass can be used to make airy shelving for books, plants and collectibles. It can be rested on bricks, pavers, columns or even fabric covered cartons. Cut to size on a cocktail or end table, it can be used to cover a picture montage or an interesting fabric. Most home stores will cut it to size for you.

There are many other problem solvers available and I suggest a leisurely stroll through any home improvement store. When you go, take a list of the problem areas to be hidden or improved along with measurements and photographs if you have them. Look at everything from door knobs to 2X4’s as possibilities for quick projects. You will be surprised at what you will find that is affordable, readily available and a perfect temporary solution to decorating problems.

Contributions to this article by ON THE GO 4 U design consultant, Suzanne Copenhaver.

Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area, providing life management services. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops. Ms. Books is the Vice President for the International Concierge & Errand Association. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net.

© 2006 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U

No conservatory is complete without beautiful conservatory furniture to relax in. This article reveals some of the important issues to consider while selecting furniture for your conservatory or sunroom.

Your conservatory is a light and airy structure, that’s comfortable and yet sheltered against the weather. You can use it for all sorts of activities, like entertaining friends, relaxing after a hard day’s work or playing with the kids. It is a room that draws the garden into your home. The correct choice of furniture will mean that your conservatory is used to it’s fullest potential.

Top Tips for Selecting Conservatory Furniture

If you use cane furniture in your conservatory or sunroom check with the manufacturer whether it is also suitable for use in the garden as well. This way you will get double usage out of it.

Cover your furniture when not in use, whether it’s outside in the garden or in the conservatory.

Choose a pattern for your cushions you know you can live with for a good number of years.

If you have a smaller conservatory, choose furniture that is compact with cushions in neutral colours. It will make your conservatory look more spacious.

Check with the manufacturer whether you can remove the cushion covers for (dry) cleaning.

To reduce fading of your conservatory furniture and also to reduce heat in your conservatory, consider putting up sun blinds. That way you can enjoy your conservatory all year long without having to worry about fading of your furniture cushions.

See your conservatory as an extension to your room or kitchen. Use colours that blend in with the rest of your colour scheme.

Make sure that your conservatory cane furniture and its cushions are fire retardant. Just check with the manufacturer.

Cane (Rattan) is the most popular material used conservatories today. The main qualities of cane are elasticity, lightness, durability and toughness and therefore cane is used in a lot of ways. Think of baskets, hats, kitchen utensils, chairs seats, and, of course, whole pieces of furniture. Even bridges have been known to be made entirely out of cane.

Other materials used in the construction of furniture for conservatories and sunrooms are: Wicker, Cast Iron, Hardwood, Glass, Stone and Terracotta.

Barry Dunlop is the creator of Conservatory-Cane-Furniture.co.uk - a website that includes an online gallery of conservatory furniture, details of mail-order service plus maintenance information, and hints and tips. Find out more at his website: http://www.conservatory-cane-furniture.co.uk

Looking for ways to improve your home’s appearance…without spending a fortune? Here’s how I gave our old family room a burst of color - without bursting our budget!

I was tired of looking at the same old earth tones in our family room. Everything seemed so “safe” and blah.

With winter storms blowing in every week, I wanted a fresh burst of spring! But I had to stay within a budget as we just finished up with holiday spending.

I browsed through Pier 1 Imports and with great ease I collected a few colorful and well-made items and put those together to coordinate an outstanding new look for our family room that screamed “fresh and alive!” I began by removing the throw pillows that came with our sofas. I replaced them with bright gold pillows. I was just looking for a splash of color to brighten those sofas.

On the walls, I relocated a hanging clock and took down old tired pieces of artwork and replaced them with paintings with the same vibrant gold color to honor the new theme: new life! Pier 1 had some gorgeous silk florals on sale and I teamed them up with a handsome red hand blown glass vase for a stunning look.

Finally, I grouped a cluster of simple white glass candle holders of various sizes, inserted brand new scented yellow candles and the look was elegant, yet comfortable and new. For less than $150 I changed a tired room and gave it a clean, fresh new look.

That’s all we needed!

We didn’t need to paint, buy new furniture etc. It just needed a lift, and our spirits soared.

You don’t always have to think big when redecorating. Something as small as new throw pillows and new scattered throw rugs might be all you need.

Have fun!

Ann Bickell is the co-owner of HouseBuying-Tips.com, a site that helps first time home buyers avoid the costly mistakes that many new homebuyers make. For more tips on buying a house, getting a mortgage, finding a realtor, and getting out of debt, sign up for the free "How To Avoid These 10 Costly Mistakes When Buying Your First Home" email course at: http://www.HouseBuying-Tips.com © 2006 HouseBuying-Tips.com

You’ve got so much tidying to do, so little time. So what’s a person to do? You can either lower your standards and just ignore the mess, or you can think smart and keep your house tidy with little effort.

Unfortunately there is no way to avoid housework. But you can keep your house clean and sparkling in less than 30 minutes a day, if you just get organized.

The very first thing you need to do is gather all your cleaning supplies and place them in one spot, organized neatly. I do mean “all” your cleaning supplies, the glass cleaner, the furniture polish, the wax, the cleaner, the dusting cloth – all of it! Next organize it in groups that make sense as to how you would use it. So if you’re going to do the windows you just have to grab all your window supplies, or if your cleaning the bathroom, you’d grab all the bathroom supplies. Use the old KISS formula – “Keep It Simple Stupid.” Don’t make extra work for yourself.

Next place a clothes basket in every room where dirty clothes might land. Then train your household members to drop their dirty clothes in the hamper, and not on the floor. If it’s in their room, it should be as easy to use as the floor. If you’ve got kids, get creative, with a hamper that’s their favorite cartoon character or action figure. Make it fun!

Assign duties to other members of your house. Kids, even younger ones, can be good helpers. Give them tasks that they are capable of completing. As an incentive you can reward them. You can take them to a matinee or give them a treat if they complete their chores. If they get an allowance make them work for it. No kids, then you’re on your own, unless you have a modern day husband who participates in the household chores.

Be logical in your cleaning. There are two strategies that work well. With the first, you do a thorough cleaning once or twice a week. You choose a task, then start at one end of the house and move completely through the house until that task is done. Then start your next task. You’ll save valuable time by not jumping from one task to the other.

The second strategy is favored by working woman and men, because it takes less than 30 minutes every day, and you don’t have to look forward to cleaning house on your days off. With this strategy you do one room at a time, and set time limits as to how much time you’ll spend in each room.. So lets say the kitchen gets 8 minutes, Bathroom gets 5, bedrooms get 5 each, and on and on, depending on how many rooms you have. You can adjust the 30 minutes up or down, but it should never be more than 45 minutes.

In the kitchen, wipe down the stove, fridge and dispose of any food that needs to be tossed. Wipe down the counter tops and the sink. Empty the dishwasher. Sweep the floor and give it a quick mopping.

In the bathroom pick up dirty laundry and toss in the hamper, wipe down the tub, shower, and sink. Clean the toilet last. Mop the floor if it needs it.

Bedrooms just need the beds made, dirty laundry picked up, and clothes put away. A quick dusting and vacuuming every third day is sufficient.

Tidy the living room, pickup books and “stuff” that are lying around. Wipe off tables. Dusting and vacuuming every second or third day is sufficient.

By doing laundry amongst other activities, you’ll save yourself more time. Throw a load in while you’re watching TV or making super. Fit it into other activities, so you’re not faced with ten loads at the end of the week.

Getting organized and cleaning your house will become a breeze. You’ll have less stress worrying about it and more free time to enjoy the things you like to do!

Keith Kingston is a former Kirby Vacuum Salesman. Find out more about his reviews on Dyson Vacuum Cleaners and Kirby Vacuum Cleaners

People the world over have a natural attraction to water, and it is not only because drinking water is essential to our survival; nor because it is very important for cleanliness. Water has a fascination that causes millions of people to visit, or want to live by, the sea, waterfalls, lakes and large ponds.

Both moving and still water are not just attractive to the human eye, but seem to have a therapeutic value. Moving water in particular is said to give off negative ions, which help to negate all the positive ions generated by modern living and can be harmful to our well being. Whatever the reasons, though, the fact is that people love water in nature. Closer to home, they like to bring those effects into their own gardens with water gardens, waterfalls, ponds and fountains.

What about within the home itself? Many of us bring nature and gardens into our home with plants, and decorative plant pots. It is therefore only one small step to bring in water features too. Water can, and does, play a very useful role in home decor; not on the grand scale in the average home, although it can do in a country mansion or more palatial home, but in miniature and in imaginative and decorative ways.

There are three main ways to use water features as home decor:

Indoor Waterfalls

By having an indoor waterfall in the home, you can bring to your home the sound of running water, which has such a relaxing effect. However, an indoor waterfall can do far more for your home. There are so many varied designs now, using quite a variety of materials, that you should be able to find a feature waterfall for the home that suits your decor, whether modern, traditional, or olde worlde.

There are basically two types of indoor waterfall: wall hanging, and free (or floor) standing. So, as far as the placing of the waterfalls is concerned, you have plenty of choice to fit in with your interior design. They come in many sizes, too, from very small right up to a very grand size of 6 feet plus in height and width. For the larger wall hanging waterfalls, you do need a substantially built wall on which to fix them. However, they can and do look very impressive; and the larger the size, the more potential you have for the sounds of flowing water.

The materials and finishes used can be chosen to fit in with either a modern or more traditional decor. Some of the most popular frames are stainless steel and copper, with a range of finishes to give either a shiny modern look, or an antique look with an aged finish. As in natural waterfalls, natural stone is often a feature of the indoor equivalent, as are pebbles. Slate, in many colours, is especially effective in indoor waterfalls.

Indoor Fountains

Indoor fountains are much like the waterfalls in terms of materials used. In fact, the names waterfall and fountain are often interchangeable when it comes to home decor. However, what you probably imagine as a water fountain can be found, and are often available in table top size. These can be very small, but still a delightful use of flowing water in the home, whether used on a table as a centrepiece, or as an ornamental feature on a sideboard.

Designs of the table top fountains can be quite delicate, and utilize decorative materials, such as jade and bamboo, in some unique ways. These table top fountains can go well in even a small modern home.

Fish Aquarium

While many people keep an aquarium because they like fish, and do so as a hobby, there is also a lot of potential to use an aquarium as a home decor feature. The sound of the water comes from the bubbling of the filter, while much additional movement and colour comes from the fish themselves. When you add some attractive lighting to the tank, you can create a very soothing water feature for the home.

As with fountains and waterfalls, an aquarium can be in a very wide range of sizes, free standing or built into a wall. The maintenance, of course, is much higher than for that of a waterfall or fountain, but you may well consider that worthwhile for all the pleasure the fish may bring.

If you have space, there is no reason why you should not combine all three of these types of water features. They are all attractive in their own way, and can complement each other in a larger home.

This use of indoor waterfalls, fountains, and aquariums article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gardens and Decor web site.

I love to surround myself with things from the past. To me "heirloom" doesn’t necessarily mean something really old, because memories are always in the making, and displaying a family keepsake can be treasured whether it’s from last year or fifty years ago.

It’s easy to tastefully decorate your home with family heirlooms. Why not put them on display rather than locking them away?

I have many crocheted afghans that started taking up a lot of storage space. When we moved to our new home we had room for our cedar chest off to one side of the living room and I filled the chest with all of the blankets. This also keeps them from being scattered all over the living room. We take one out at a time and just fold it up and put it back in the cedar chest when we’re done using it.

I love to decorate with family photos. Our home has a long hallway where I can display a lot of photographs. Instead of randomly arranging pictures I decided to go with themes. I bought a large collage picture fame and arranged all of our family camping photos in it. Another smaller collage displays pictures of our daughter opening up her presents at Christmas throughout the years. My, how she’s grown!

I’ve also scattered picture frames throughout our home. Black and white photos of generations past are displayed on the piano and china hutch. I don’t know about you, but I love looking at other people’s family photos. Ours are definitely a topic of conversation for visiting guests.

I love needlework. I have on display needlework that was done by my mother, my mother-in-law, and myself, and these masterpieces make a great addition to any room of the home. I’m partial myself to wedding samplers. It doesn’t seem like many people take the time to make these anymore. I made one for my husband and myself that I hope to someday pass on to my children. Birth samplers are also really great and something your children will surely cherish someday. The counted cross stitch project I’m currently working on will probably take me 5 years to complete, but someday it will grace the wall above our piano.

I like to incorporate children’s artwork wherever possible. My favorite is a poem my daughter wrote and illustrated. One year she made several and gave them away as Christmas gifts to family members.

Our family has a lot of books that have been handed down as many as four generations. Those books are displayed on shelves in our entertainment center in the living room. My heirloom cookbooks I keep in a small bookshelf between the kitchen and the dining room. Instead of just filling the shelves with cookbooks, I alternated shelves, arranging my favorite knick knacks in between.

One heirloom I haven’t found a place for are hand-embroidered tea towels that have been in our family for many years. I’ve read that you can make them into kitchen curtains. I’m going to have to give that a try!

Look through your family treasures and see what you can dig up. You never know what you might find–like a flower your grandmother dried and framed! And remember, it’s never too late to create new family heirlooms. Your family will treasure them someday.

Originally published Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For easy do-it-yourself home decorating ideas for busy moms, visit http://www.frugal-home-decor.com