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No-Sew Curtains or Portieres Victorian houses often have windows that are too high for ready-made curtains. Cafe clips and a cafe rod are the key to solving this problem. For a romantic look, use a lace tablecloth; for a fresh summery look, start with a sheet. In either case, the fabric needs to be longer than the height of the window or door, and at least half-again as wide as the opening. Measure the excess length, fold it over double so that you have a sort of top ruffle, and attach cafe clips every six inches or so. Slide the rings over a rod and voila -- you have a curtain custom-fitted to your window! To dress it up, add fringe or tassles. Cottage Furniture Not all Victorian rooms were highly formal. Cottages and summer homes often had simple "cottage furniture." You can achieve the cottage look on a budget by starting with unfinished pine furniture or with inexpensive bureaus and dressers from the flea market. Don't hesitate to mix pine and old pieces, as long as the scale is the same. To dress up the plain pieces, use wood ornaments from a craft store. (These ornaments are flat for gluing on one side, and highly carved on the other.) Paint the furniture in a quiet color like white, soft green, pink, yellow, or soft gray. Distress it a little if you like. Paint the ornaments to contrast, and attach them. Finish the look with glass knobs and bright floral chintzes, and you have a Victorian cottage bedroom! Dressed-Up Table For a fully "dressed" table that costs next to nothing, start with a round assemble-it-yourself particle board table -- the kind that discount stores sell for under $10. Your first layer is a fairly plain tablecloth. If you want a pouffy look, use a sheet and tuck the ends under so that the fabric balloons on the floor. Your second layer is either a smaller lace tablecloth or a square piece of fabric that covers only the top of the table. Have some fun coordinating colors and patterns! The top of the table needs pictures and paraphernalia. Your best friend for inexpensive picture frames is the local thrift store, where prices are rock-bottom. Sturdy gold-colored metal frames blend in almost anywhere, but you can also vastly improve any wood frame (no matter how battered) by painting it to match your decor. (An array of non-matching frames will work together if they're all painted the same color!) Another authentic alternative is to cover battered frames with tiny seashells. While you're at the thrift store (and whenever you find a gift shop with a sidewalk sale), look for tiny boxes, miniature figures, or other bits of bric-a-brac. One stunning piece lifts a collection of "background" objects. Go To Page: 1 2 |
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