CasaSugar

Before and After: Bistro Table

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:00:52 -0700

Inspired by this table, I decided to give my white bistro table a bit of a makeover. I liked the table as is, and liked my Saarinen Tulip-esque chairs as is, but the white on white was looking a bit bland (especially with the bare walls and floor). But clearly, I'd never think about covering my beautiful chairs in paper. So, I scooted over my to favorite local craft resource and picked up some decorative paper, along with some clear contact paper from the hardware store. To see the results, read more.

Since I needed just over two sheets of paper to cover the table, I chose a busy pattern so inconsistencies in the repeat would be less noticeable. I used a bit of double-sided tape to keep the paper in place on top of the table. Then, I folded over the edge of the table and used stronger, mounting double-sided tape to adhere it. Then, I covered the decorative paper with clear contact paper for durability.

I could have découpaged it, but that would have been permanent. It's not the most seamless or astounding makeover, but it's a small improvement for room that needs a lot of work, which took very little time. And, my fluorescent pink chandelier decal, which I bought ages ago at the Centre Pompidou, picks up the colors of the paper nicely.

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Before and After: Pirouettes Redux

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:15:33 -0700

With a Pirouttes tin left over from my gingerbread house project, and decorative paper left over from my Ikea hack, as well as some scissors and rubber cement, I revived something with a brief shelf life. To see my cookie jar redux, read more.

Storage for my cooking utensils! Just like my Ikea hack, all it required was a few strokes of rubber cement and paper cut to size. And, I cut a strip of another piece of paper for the rim, to make it a little more interesting. Do you have any tins, containers, or furniture you can makeover with a little paper love?

Before and After: Bye Bye Aneboda

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:15:44 -0700

This Ikea Aneboda Chest ($49.99) is pretty basic and nondescript, and its transparent drawer fronts are borderline, if not definitely, tacky. But, its three drawers are the perfect size for my knick-knacks. I pulled off a transformation of the chest that's more my style in under 10 minutes, with only three supplies. To see and hear about the results, read more.

Scissors
Rubber cement
Paper from Paper Source

I cut decorative paper to size to cover up the Polypropylene drawer fronts, and glued it with a few strokes of rubber cement. Fini! I was considering replacing the drawer handles with some cute knobs, but I think this will do fine.

Su Casa: Easy Paper Decorations and a White Tree

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:00:22 -0800

Since I'm starting to deck the house for the holidays, I'm looking for inspiration and new ideas for decorating my home. Luckily, I found some great inspiration on Su Casa from MellyMels.

Mellymels writes,

Since it's a recession and I am an artist I decided to make a lot of decorations from paper. I also got my very first artificial tree, since I have allergies and my boyfriend has asthma (plus the dog likes to eat tree needles).

I printed reversed letters on card stock and then cut them out so when they were flipped you couldn't see the printed lines showing me where to cut. Then I just used double stick tape to hang them them up. This is my first time living with a fireplace so I was determined to spruce it up.

To see her tree, read more.
I love the pinks and reds! Definitely check out the gallery as well for more gorgeous images from her home, including some grown-up garlands.

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Fall Style: Marc Jacobs's Halloween Window Display

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:46 -0700

Leave it to Marc Jacobs to make Halloween décor chic, humorous, and pumpkin-free. Strolling through San Francisco, I stumbled upon his window display and I fell absolutely in love with his pink cow ghost. In her oversize coat and pink skin, the mannequin looks a bit tortured, too. His painted paper moon looks quite realistic, as does his flying tissue bat. I only wish I had room in my foyer to spook the trick-or-treaters with a mooing ghost.

Have you seen Halloween décor in your town's window displays? Have you decked out your own home in Halloween decorations? Be sure to add photos of them to our Lovely Little Vignettes group!

DIY: Paper Wedding Table Settings

CasaSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Preston Bailey is one of the world's premiere event designers, known for his elaborate tablescapes, whose theatric designs have festooned the events of Oprah Winfrey, Joan Rivers, and Donald Trump. You can catch a glimpse of some of those looks in his latest book, Celebrations ($37). But thanks to a new project by Bailey, his table settings needn't be something you can only read about in his book - or on Page Six. The Wedding Bell, one of the table settings in his book, which is also one of the most cost-effective, is made entirely out of paper. The look proves that you don't need an extravagant flower budget or a wedding planner to have stunning décor. Of course, you have to be crafty and prepared for a DIY. If you're up for the challenge, Bailey has put together a complete how-to guide and resource manual for you to create "the Wedding Bell." You can email Bailey to order a copy for yourself at a modest cost. But hurry, there are only 1,000 copies! Head here for more information, and check out more photos below.

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How To: Decorate With Paper Flowers

CasaSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:00:56 -0700

I recently ran across these gorgeous paper flowers from stylist Zoe Bradley. Zoe's paper creations have been seen everywhere, from the McQueen runway to the windows of Louis Vuitton and Donna Karan. While many of us will always prefer fresh flowers to paper ones, carefully crafted and displayed paper blooms, such as Zoe's, can make a huge visual impact. Imagine displaying them at a birthday party, baby shower, or even an outdoor wedding. I can see them hanging from trees, clustered in modern vases, or even tucked in party goers' chignons. Want to make some for your next soiree? See some of my favorite paper flowers.
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Fall Style: Crafting a Fall Landscape With an Old Frame

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:30:42 -0700

Have you been hanging on to a pretty frame that's missing glass? Not sure what to do about it? Well, take a cue from crafty lady Disney and create a three-dimensional picture with it.

Disney writes, "I've had this gorgeous black frame with no glass for a long time, and I finally thought of something to do with it! My dining room wall has a bird theme, and as I was about to clip the hanging wire off this frame, I thought "Hey, it kind of looks like a telephone wire! Just needs birds!"

Disney cut out crows from craft paper, and attached them to the wire. Then, she hot glued twigs from her yard to create trees.

This is such a smart re-use of a glass-less picture frame, and so fun for Fall decorating. It would be a great art project to try with your crafty friends or your children, and an unusual way to add some Fall or Halloween charm to your home. What a great project!

Cool Idea: Fabric-Painted Curtain Panels

CasaSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:00:15 -0700

For an accent that's often merely decorative, curtain panels are expensive. You can buy affordable ones from shops like IKEA, but that means you only get the pick of the rather generic litter - and the same ones as every other penny-pinched decorator in the world.

So I was excited to see how High-Heeled Foot in the Door personalized a set of solid white IKEA panels using fabric spray paint. Inspired by a sunny yellow skirt she'd seen at Kate Spade, this resourceful lady painted 7" wide horizontal stripes on her basic panels. Want to get a peek at the project in action and learn how to do it yourself? Then read more.

She first taped off the stripes before painting, but all the project really requires is paint, tape, a tape measure, construction paper, and scissors. Learn the steps here.

DIY: Hang Plates on a Wall

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:46 -0700

If you read my slideshow on how to decorate on the cheap with pretty plates, you might be feeling inspired to hang some in your own home. Before you get started, there are a few steps you should learn, so you don't wind up with shattered materials for a mosaic instead. While you can just hang a trio evenly spaced on a wall, you'll make more of a statement if you group them in a more unique arrangement. To learn how to hang plates, read more.

Lay a large piece of craft paper (or even tape a few pieces together) on the floor, the size of the space where you'd like to hang them.
Place around with the arrangement of the plates on the paper before you begin hanging them. Once you've settled on design, trace the plates onto the paper. If you want a more traditional look, go with a symmetrical arrangement. For something more eclectic, arrange them asymmetrically, in a flowing pattern or a cluster as shown here.
Leave a half a foot or so between the arrangement and the ceiling to give it visual balance.
Use your traced paper as a guide to mark the placement of each plate on the wall with a pencil.
Then, hang away! For a free-floating look, you can use these heavy-duty, peel-and-stick Disc Hangers, which are available in range of sizes. Or, you can use a traditional wire plate hanger, readily available at your local hardware store. In either case, you'll need to hammer a nail into the wall to hang it from, and remember to adjust your marks on the wall according to where the plate hanger's hook is.

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