Spring Decoration Ideas

After a fantastic meal, there's nothing like relaxing in an inviting room to make a great holiday complete. In this house, the family room serves that function. The deep sofa and two comfy chairs offer plenty of seating. The grouping helps to break up the large room into more intimate, usable areas. A table and chairs, such as the one in the bay behind the sofa, is a great addition to any family room. It provides a great place for family members to play a game or work a puzzle together in lieu of flipping on the TV.

One of the most unique features in the room is the double mantel. It made for a difficult decorating challenge, but keeping it simple did the trick. On the lower shelf, the focal point is a symmetrical collection of books. The top shelf holds five hydrangea-covered containers filled with roses to help bring down the eye from the painting framed with trim. (See the box at right for easy directions to make your own.) The flowers are fresh for the holiday, but the same look could easily be done with dried materials.

The elegant arrangements on the family room mantel are actually simple. Wrap glass vases in cellophane, and coat them with spray adhesive. Roll them in hydrangea blooms. Finally, fill the vases with flowers you love.

Gather for Dinner

The dining room takes its cues from traditional design while offering a fresh look. The circular table, perfect for easy conversation, is surrounded with upholstered chairs to make a holiday meal more comfortable. The walls are a neutral cream; they are made more elegant with the addition of a subtle stencil design. Warmth comes in the way of sumptuous tobacco-colored silk draperies, red upholstery, and an Oriental rug. Finally, the dramatic chocolate-andred painting punctuates the wall above the fireplace and pulls together the entire room.

These two rooms are just a preview. The entire home and garden will be featured in an upcoming 2007 issue of Southern Living. We also invite you to come for a visit.

The American Village

It is dedicated to teaching schoolchildren and visitors American history and government. On campus, you'll find versions of Mount Vernon, the Oval Office, and Williamsburg's Bruton Parish Chapel, so it was only fitting we choose a historic structure as inspiration. Our model was George Washington's Presidential residence in Philadelphia. This project has similar architectural details, but the updated floor plan includes baths, a master suite, and a modern kitchen.

We combined three square glass vases and filled them with seasonal bounty. Select eggplant, apples, and pears, attach to florist picks, and insert into florist foam. Fill in gaps with grasses and flowers.

The weather may still be a bit too chilly for entertaining alfresco, but you can bring the garden party indoors with charming decorations inspired by one of spring's most familiar offerings: bright-green grass. Here are some fresh ideas.

Tip: Use wheatgrass for the following craft ideas that require fresh grass, as it is more lush and uniform than lawn grasses. You can find wheatgrass in small plots or flats at health-food stores, or grow it from seed in about three weeks. Be sure to water wheatgrass displays regularly.

Grass centerpieces and placeholders: Tufts of bright-green grass in pastel pots are an appealing and longer-lasting alternative to floral centerpieces.

To make the displays, purchase terra-cotta pots in different sizes, paint plain ones with enamel paint, and fill two-thirds with pebbles. Cut sections of wheatgrass -- roots and soil included -- using gardening shears, and fit inside. As a finishing touch, purchase wired fabric butterflies from a crafts store and arrange in pots.

To make placeholders, repeat the process with smaller flowerpots. Create place cards by writing guests' names on plant labels and tuck into grass.

Dyed eggs with grass appliques: Give Easter eggs a sweet, seasonal touch by dyeing them in vibrant hues and embellishing with fresh grass. Before decorating eggs, you'll need to make a drying rack: Insert flathead pins into a piece of foam board, creating evenly spaced rows about a half-inch apart.

Blow out eggs. To do this, gently pierce both ends of a raw egg with a utility knife, and twirl knife to widen one hole slightly. Straighten a paper clip, and poke it through the larger hole to pierce and stir the yoke. Hold the egg, larger hole down, over a bowl, and blow the contents out with a rubber ear syringe (available at drugstores.)

Dye eggs using store-bought dye, or mix your own from a solution of 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 cup hot water and 5 drops food coloring (any color). Set eggs on rack to dry, about 30 minutes.

Cut about 10 blades of wheatgrass for each egg. Using a paintbrush, coat the bottom two-thirds of the egg with a glue sealant. Place several blades on this section, so they radiate upward from a single point on the bottom of the egg. Apply sealant over the blades; let dry, 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat to adhere blades to remaining sections.

Fanciful favor bags: Fill these bags with stationery, soap or other small items for guests. For each, you'll need a green gift bag and an off-white lunch bag that has the same-size base.

Cut off top two-thirds of the green bag. Cut a grass design into the lower portion, being careful not to cut the base; unfold the bag.

Place double-sided tape on the base of off-white bag, and fit it into green bag. Hot-glue a miniature clothespin to a fabric butterfly (remove wire if necessary); let dry. Pin butterfly and name tag to top of bag.

Pounded-grass place mats: Plain cotton or linen place mats are an ideal backdrop for a verdant lawn motif.

From a flat of wheatgrass, cut a handful of blades (removing roots). Lay mat face-up over a sheet of white card stock. Arrange 5 to 8 blades along the base of the mat, varying length and distances between the blades to resemble a field of grass. Lay another sheet of card stock over blades. Holding it in place, hammer in a uniform manner. Remove top piece of card stock; discard blades.

Repeat, working in sections, using fresh grass, until the design covers the base of the mat. Designs will fade over time. Wash with mild detergent in cold water.

Homemade grass soap: Freshly made grass soap makes a lovely gift for springtime guests. A half-dozen long blades suspended lengthwise in clear soap look elegant; many short blades mixed into the soap appear fragrant and fresh.

Cut a 5-inch-square section from a flat of wheatgrass. Pull out individual blades with roots attached, and lay in a single layer on a sheet of blotter paper. Top with another piece of blotter paper. Sandwich between pages of a flower press. Let dry, 2 to 3 days. Be patient during those times; many will prematurely destroy it after it appears to be ready.

Cut glycerin soap (clear or white) into small pieces with a sharp knife. (One pound of glycerin soap makes 4 to 5 bars of soap.) Fill measuring cup. Microwave on medium heat until melted.

For a bar with long blades: Trim the dried grass to desired length, removing roots. Pour a thin layer of glycerin into a 4-inch mini loaf pan. Lay 5 to 7 blades on top, and let dry, 30 seconds. Spray with alcohol to eliminate bubbles, cover with more glycerin, and spray again with alcohol.

For a bar with chopped grass: Mix cut dried grass into glycerin, and pour into pan; spray with alcohol. Let harden, 2 hours. Freeze 20 minutes; release from pan.

GARDENING TIPS

GROW A RAINBOW BORDER

Worn annuals that flower, set seed and die in one season are ideal for children's flowerbeds. They come in almost every colour so it makes sense to create a rainbow border.

TIP: Choose a sunny spot and dig and rake the soil so it is fine and crumbly on top. Mark the area for your rainbow. We used coloured ribbon to represent the rainbow colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Sow the seeds (make sure you read the instructions), and cover them with about 1/4in of soil. Water with a fine spray and keep an eye on weeds, which love these growing conditions.

HOW MUCH? Suttons Seed Squad range (less than pounds 1 a packet) features wacky characters to encourage interest in gardening. Sunny Sunflower, Crazy Cornflower and Carefree Calendula are just three of the six flower characters.

CREATE A DEN

Older children absolutely adore dens and places to escape from the prying eyes of adults. Living willow is a wonderful way to create a structure that will blend into the garden - and it gets bigger, so grows along with the children. The best time to plant a living willow structure is from the start of February to the end of April. It can be used to make tunnels, rustic arbours and sculptures.

TIP: Mark out the den area using small sticks of willow. Make holes about 12in deep and 8in apart, depending on whether your feature is going to be closely woven by weaving the diagonal stems, or open. Leave a gap for the doorway and plant willow rods on either side for strength then twist and tie them together to make a door arch.

HOW MUCH? A 10kg bundle costs pounds 30.74 plus P&P from PH Coate & Son (01823 490249).

GROW YOUR OWN VEG

When I had children, I knew that I wanted to grow vegetables so that they would be able to see them grow from seed and eat them fresh from the garden, says Kim. It's a good idea to choose relatively fast-growing vegetables like courgettes, tomatoes and pumpkins. For quick results grow strawberry plants in pots. We made a tower by stacking three pots and grew different varieties so we had fruit from late May until the frosts.

TIP: Line the largest pot with crocks and fill with multi- purpose compost. Repeat with the others and give them all a good watering. Stack on top of one another then plant up in a sunny, sheltered spot, making sure the crown - where the roots join the leaves - is at soil level. Water regularly.

HOW MUCH? A collection of 36 plants costs pounds 38.10 from www.kenmuir.co.uk

MAKE A SAFE WATER GARDEN

WHERE children are concerned, water in the garden can be a real worry, especially as it only takes a few inches of water to pose a real threat of drowning. We made our wildlife- friendly aquatic garden in a tub and put it in a sunny spot where we could keep a constant eye on it. We made a ramp for wildlife and rescued a few tadpoles from a friend's pond to get things started.

TIP: Any watertight container can be used - galvanised containers are safe to use for tadpoles or fish if you paint the inside of the container with fish-friendly pond sealer available from specialist aquatic shops to seal in the zinc.

HOW MUCH? Self-contained pond kits and water features cost from pounds 59.95.

PLANT BULBS IN THE LAWN

I personally have a very strong memory of finding a bulb in our garden when I was seven years old, planting it in a little red bucket and taking it to Brownies, remembers Kim. It was obvious I was going to share the joyous experience of growing these plants with my children. We decided to plant the bulbs in areas of the lawn for a natural look.

TIP: Take a handful of bulbs and gently throw them across the grass then plant them where they land. Dig the turf and make a hole so that each bulb is covered with roughly three times the depth of soil as the size of the bulb. Spring-flowering bulbs are planted in the autumn. After the bulbs have finished flowering, leave the foliage for about six weeks before cutting it down.

HOW MUCH? Bulbs cost just a few pence each. Check out www.flowerbulbs.co.uk for ideas.

MAKE TOPIARY SHAPES

When gardening with children keep them interested and busy. A good idea is to make topiary shape features like an ivy heart that can be easily created by bending a wire coat hanger into shape. This project takes less than half-an-hour and is suitable for children from four years upwards.

TIP: Plant the ivy at the base of the wire frame, ensuring both are firmly in place, and wrap leaves around the wire. As it grows, continue to feed the ivy around the wire shape, trimming as necessary. Water regularly and give it a fortnightly liquid feed.

HOW MUCH? There are all kinds of ready-made wire frames available from garden centres including ducks, rabbits and cats priced from pounds 3.

DECORATING POTS

A GREAT wet weather activity. The children can customise their own containers to plant in.

TIP: Use paint, shells and mosaic to create designs and stick on to a dry pot surface using PVA glue. If the pots are for outside, apply several coats of exterior varnish.

HOW MUCH? The Floral Bumper Card Kit costs pounds 19.95 from Lakeland Limited (www.lakeland limited.co.uk).

GET CREATIVE IN THE GARDEN

Kids especially love creative play, whether it's cooking, painting, role- playing or gardening, and the trick is to be prepared. Invest in some children's gardening tools, special children's seed packets and a funky pair of wellies. In fact, use anything that makes them feel encouraged and supported.

TIP: When you have children, leaving tools lying around the garden can potentially be extremely dangerous, so always make a habit of putting them away straight after using them, and of course, out of reach of inquisitive hands.

Use some brightly-coloured tape to wrap around the handles of trowels and hand forks as these often have a habit of disappearing!

HOW MUCH? A Garden Tidy suitable for children as young as three, with hand tools and watering can, is available from Early Learning stores price pounds 10.

DECORATION IDEAS FOR YOUR KIDS

When my daughter Jessica said she wanted better decorations than her usual dull room, I decided to get busy as it is hard to resist the charm of a growing up teen wanting to impress her friends.

INSPIRATION STATION

Flip through magazines and catalogs, and tab colors, items and looks you love. Once you have an idea of what you're going for, pick out one key item to guide the rest of the room. For Jessica, Crate & Barrel's bright, polka-dot bedding expresses the mod groove she's always dreamed of for her room.

Also, highlight what you've already got. Jessica's room has lots of great architectural details, so Lane made the room fun and interesting by using contrasting paint colors in the recessed areas.

HAVE A SEAT

Jessica loves to invite friends over, so she needed lots of sitting space. A twin bed can double as a sofa if you add large 28-inch square pillows or long body pillows as backing. Have two twin beds? Pair them in a corner to create an L-shaped sectional. Lane found a twin bed in the basement and took it off its metal frame. A sheet was attached to the box spring with a staple gun to finish the look.

Ottomans provide additional seating or act as a coffee table. The ottomans Lane got didn't come in red, so Lane bought some fabric and jazzy trim to sew into easy slipcovers.

Jessica wanted a chair she could call her own so she'd have a cozy spot to curl up and read. The striped one from Urban Outfitters offers comfort and fun. Lane even tossed on a heart-shaped pillow to reflect Jessica's love for hearts. (Don't be afraid to mix bold patterns, like circles and stripes.)

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Jessica wanted bold, dramatic artwork. So oversized yellow flowers were plucked from the patio furniture department at Bed Bath & Beyond and mounted to Jessica's wall. The Vogue poster also came from BB&B.

I personally had a tough time finding tiny nightstands to fit in the small corners on either side of the bed. So wood pieces were cut to size at Home Depot, hit with yellow paint and mounted to the height of the bed, secured by L brackets.

PLAY DRESS-UPS

Jessica's window valances were created out of extra pillow shams and some ball fringe purchased by the yard at Hobby Lobby. Simple! Just sew the trim on the bottom edge, then fold it over a rod.

Fun beads from Linens 'n Things add sparkle and the illusion of height. To hang the bead curtains, Jessica chose tiny chrome rods. Lane hung them to fit in the bend by the ceiling, drawing the eye to what the room always had going for it--those great architectural details!

NIFTY DESK SPACE

Jessica's tiny old desk was overflowing with makeup and books. The girl needed to spread out! So Lane made the most of the deep recess under the bedroom window. Thick plywood and a piece of trim molding from Home Depot were cut to fit the window area for customized desk space. A bright-red paint job was in order before mounting it to the wall with two-by-four supports. (Jessica's new desk isn't super-long, but if you're making a longer desk, you might need a center support.)

GET YOU DIGS INTO A DO-OVER GROOVE

Having trouble tapping your inner Genevieve? Overhaul your room with Digs A Go-Go ($25, digsagogo.com), a style-savvy room-revamp kit that will get your room from "before" to "after" faster than Trading Spaces. Digs A Go-Go offers cool theme ideas (like suffer and urban), tips for mixin' Goodwill finds with your all-pink bedroom set, and the best tricks for diva designing on a budget.