Tis the season for parties and get-togethers. With so much going on during the holidays, there’s a lot to do to get our kitchens and pantries ready for the arrival of guests. When thinking about the menu, my mind immediately goes to the dessert course. To add some diversity to the offerings, I have decided […]
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Now that we’ve finished renovating a house and are in the process of decorating it, I’m finding that, like many New Englanders, my favorite finds are those that come from off-the-beaten-track sources: flea markets, Etsy, and Craigslist. This piece wins for being both unexpected and incredibly useful: It’s a 1970s mail sorter from the Natick, […]
Bedding is expensive, but you can protect your investment by keeping it in tip-top shape. Follow these tips on how to clean and store bedding to keep it looking its best. Prevent Dyes in Bedding from Bleeding Keep the dyes in a new quilt or other bedding from bleeding by soaking it in a mixture […]
Halloween is just around the corner, so it is only fitting that this week, we focus on pumpkins. I absolutely love the many shapes, colors and sizes of pumpkins that I usually come across at our local farmers market, but this year, I wanted to take my pumpkins to a whole new color level. With […]
Adding handmade keepsake ornaments in festive shapes—such as a classic Christmas bulb, to your holiday packages elevates the wrapping into something more than just a gateway to the good stuff. For heirloom-worthy results, use high-quality wool felt, and add artful flourishes in the form of rickrack, ribbon, and embroidered details. All you need is a […]
Add a special touch to your holiday gifts by decorating them yourself using these felt ornament patterns and instructions. Materials for Felt Mitten Ornaments: wool felt assorted ribbon, trim, and yarn glue and hot-glue gun needle and embroidery thread two yarn pom-poms Instructions for Felt Mitten Ornaments Print the accompanying ornament pattern. Pin or trace […]
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Mod Podge Pumpkins
Halloween is just around the corner, so it is only fitting that this week, we focus on pumpkins. I absolutely love the many shapes, colors and sizes of pumpkins and gourds that I usually come across at our local farmers market, but this year, I wanted to take them to a whole new color level.With […]
How To
Personalized Place Cards
Continuing with my theme of handmade celebrations, I would love to share with you a craft that I made to help decorate for my husband’s 40th surprise birthday party. It was a small celebration, with just a few friends gathering for pizza, beer and ping-pong. But I pulled off the surprise (both the party, and […]
More often than not, when I meet a longtime Yankee reader and tell him or her that I work for the magazine, the first question is: “Did you know Earl Proulx?” I always get the feeling that I’m letting them down when I tell them that I didn’t, although his presence is certainly still felt […]
When choosing the finish for your wood floor, you’ll need to select one of two basic types: penetrating or surface. Penetrating finishes, which include oils, permeate the wood grain. They are easily renewed, but they do require special care in waxing and polishing to keep floors strong and clean. Old-house owners with softwood (pine) floors […]
We have been busy celebrating these past few months- birthdays, anniversaries, potlucks and parties. I try to add handmade touches to every celebration, and I would love to share a few of my favorite ideas with you. This week, I will show you how to make super easy party garland. For a back-to-school kick-off party […]
Don’t throw out that old dresser just because it’s seen better days. Breathe new life into it with our tips on refinishing wood furniture. If you want to extend the life of a dreary-looking piece of wooden furniture and you’re sure it needs more than just cleaning, your next step should be to refinish […]