Card Tables Ideas for Children

Question: My children are fond of playing cards in their spare time but they need me to get a table for their play. Since they are glued to it for hours together with their friends and don’t like my interruption in between. Any suggestion for proper card table? – Katty

Answer: Card tables are big enough for card games. But by the lime you add refreshments, cigarette packs, ashtrays, and oilier accessories; there isn’t room left for cards.

Mere is a super-top that gives you all the room you need. Even the handyman with five thumbs can make it. And the few hours you spend building it arc nothing compared to the years of convenience it will give you.

What to buy

From 3/4 inch plywood, have your lumber dealer cut a 4-foot circle for you on his band saw. Then buy 12 feet of wood strips about 3/4 inch square, and a dozen 1/2 -inch, flathead wood screws.

The circular top fits firmly over ordinary card table, In spite of its sturdiness top is quickly removed. Just lift it an inch off the table so the wood strips no longer hold top in place

How to build it

Lay the card table top down, on the disc of plywood; measure from the four sides of the table until the super-top is perfectly centered; then mark the outline of the table top on the disc. The square you have drawn should be no smaller than your table top itself and not over 1/2 inches bigger. Next cut the wood strips to form a square outside the square you’ve drawn. Miter the corners if you’re a perfectionist, or let them butt if you don’t care. When the strips are cut, lay them in position, drill holes through them and into the top and screw the strips firmly into place. Countersink the screws.

How to Finish

Use coarse sandpaper and a hand-sized sanding block to smooth the curved edge and remove all traces of saw marks. Then switch to medium grit sandpaper to smooth the surface and the rest of the edges. Complete the sanding job with fine sandpaper. Shellac is easiest to use as a finish.

Apply the first coat thinned about half with alcohol. Shellac as it comes from the can may be used for successive coats. Sand with finest sandpaper between coats after each dries. If you prefer colored enamel, one thinned coat of shellac is a good primer and filler.

Two coals of enamel should cover completely. Lacquer may be sprayed or brushed on, but never over any other type of finish. As a primer for lacquer, use the same lacquer, thinned half. Hardest to apply because it dries slowly and may pick up dust is varnish, but under spillage and battering, varnish is the most durable finish. Apply it as you would shellac.

Driftwood for Smart Decoration

Question: I have guest coming this weekend and would like to decorate my living room. What would be the best option to do this quickly? – Susan

Answer: If you’re looking for a handsome decoration for your living room, try your hand at a driftwood arrangement. The ones you can see at some shops are usually made by Tatsuo Ishimoto, author of the book, The Art of Driftwood and Dried Arrangements. Follow directions, step by step, using dried materials from the florist or those you gather from the fields.

1. Study your piece of driftwood select its most interesting angle for front of arrangement. Then fasten the wood to a large needlepoint holder. Place on a block of painted plywood.

2. Cut dried wild parsnip at different heights. Form in a triangular-shaped cluster and hold in place with modeling clay. Place at right front of wood.

3. Next arrange two artichoke or thistle seed pods and three small branches of eucalyptus or rose hips on small needlepoint holder-Place to the left of the drift-wood and slightly front

4. Put a large and a small rock in position to hide the needlepoint holders. Last, you tuck in an artichoke or thistle seed pod at lower right. Now place your distinctive arrangement where it shows off to beat advantage. It will lend rustic charm to the room.

Decorating with Red

Red is a very beautiful color. A lot of us love and would like to incorporate it in to our homes when it comes to decorating. However, although it’s a beautiful, it is also a very bold color.

When you decorate with red, it is important to decorate in a particular way so that you can avoid making it too bold and overwhelming. You want the red to pop out in your room and for it to be beautiful. You do not want people to be overwhelmed by this. It should be the finishing touch to to set your room apart. It is like placing the finishing touch on a room to give it a little flare and make it stand out.

Here are some things that you should consider when decorating with red furniture:

• Decorating with a red couch is a great way to put a little red in to your room without having the red be too overwhelming.
• It is also the perfect pop to a room to make it stand out and give it the perfect flare that it needs to be complete.
• and it’s a great way to incorporate a large piece of red in to the room. This will allow the red to be a focal point of the room with out being too much.
• A red couch is either too much or too little. It is kind of like the perfect dose of red in a room.
• All in all, it is great because it immediately draws everyone’s attention as soon as they enter the room.
• Painting your walls red may be too much for your room. If it is not a large room, the shade of red could make the room seem smaller and darker.
• and… red could also be too much because it is all around the room. If you paint the walls red, it may be too much to place much red in the room elsewhere.

If you choose to go the route of decorating with a red couch, then you will find that it is just the right dose of red that you needed in your room. It is a bold statement that attracts the attention of anyone who enters the room.

However, it does not attract attention in a negative way. It attracts attention because it makes a statement and it sets the room apart and makes it stand out. It’s the perfect way to incorporate such a bold color in to your room. It does not overpower the room, it provides just the right amount of attraction.

Ideas for Patio Furniture Decor

Are you looking for ideas for decorating your patio? If you are, then you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of ideas out there that you can exercise. If you’re like most people who own a patio, then you probably like to spend time there. However, you may find that you don’t spend much time on your patio because it is missing something. Usually, there is a decorative element that is missing. So here are some ideas for decorating your patio:

• Design your own hanging pots. This means going to your local department store and buying some hanging pots. You may then want to visit your local greenhouse or lawn and garden center to invest in some plants for your hanging pots. Yes, you can buy these hanging pots with the plants already in them, but it can be fun to make your own.

• If your patio furniture is old, decorating your patio is made easy by simply buying new cushions. You can also refinish your patio furniture in a different color or the same color in order to make everything seem new.

• Adding bamboo rugs make the flooring of your patio much more exciting. They handle the weather well and they are easier on your feet.
• If you want some privacy, you may want to look for outdoor blinds. They come in a number of patterns and colors. There is a very wide assortment, so you may want to make these the first thing you look at when decorating your patio.

• Make sure you add candles. It can be rather serene to have candles burning as you’re sitting out on your patio enjoying yourself. Maybe you want to enjoy being outside in a protected environment as you read a book.

• Paint the railings that go around your patio. Railings go through a lot due to the weather and they tend to look a little rough. What you want to do is touch them up and give them a fresh look.

So when decorating your patio, you can use these ideas or you can use other ideas that suit you. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. It is your patio and you know what will make you feel comfortable. When you’re the one that has to deal with it and you realize that, decorating your patio becomes that much easier for you.