Winter storms are making a frequent appearance this year. For New Year’s Eve, why not celebrate the beauty of the season? We are once again hosting a New Year’s Eve party that embraces the chilly weather. Not black-tie affairs, our gatherings are family friendly, with kiddos and adults alike welcoming the new year together. (Remember when you were a kid, and you were allowed to […] Read more »

by Mari Robeson It’s party time and Mari Robeson has good advice for us. Mari—Interior Design expert and Contributor—takes us inside the world of design, and helps us bring beauty and color to the places we call home.   What a wonderful holiday season it has been and just two days left to say good-bye to 2010. No doubt you’ve been invited to numerous New […] Read more »

Even this Design Junkie knows there is more to life than design (hard to believe, I know.) So I hope during these holidays, you are able to enjoy time with your loved ones, and to get out and explore some of the great things your neighborhood has to offer. In our neck of the woods is a small puddle known as Lake Tahoe; I thought […] Read more »

When I spied Australian Pip Lincolne’s crochet-clothed glass baubles – I knew you’d eat them up. Pip was thrilled to share–yay!–so dig in and enjoy Day #21 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments. The blend of warm, colorful yarns against the shiny glass is striking. Such a play of textures. It’s a nostalgic flashback for me, to the granny squares I learned to crochet […] Read more »

Today’s ornament for 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments is swirling in texture and earthy goodness. If you are doing up your tree with wired-on pinecones, nuts-in-the-shell, strung cranberries and clipped-on bird ornaments, here’s the perfect complement. It’s truly a snap to create, and a fantastic way to recycle tired, old ornament balls. Let’s get wrappin’…. Materials and Tools: Glass ornament balls – new or […] Read more »

For Day #19 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments I promised a colorful twist on a classic holiday decoration. Don’t you just love crafting paper snowflakes? The surprise-factor of revealing the design always gets me. But I don’t like their temporary nature. Our flakes rarely survive the taping, kid tugging and kitten swatting, to become part of next year’s decor. I wondered how I […] Read more »

Today, for Day #18 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments we treat our trees to interior design-inspired glitz. Don’t you just love a glam chandelier? In my opinion, there is not much that makes as beautiful a statement in a space. And you can find one that complements just about any decor. Tops on my wish list lately are chic, contemporary drum shades that […] Read more »

There’s nothing more elegant than a feminine flourish. That’s one of the reasons why damask textiles are a design classic. A great damask can add glamour and graphic impact at the same time. When in doubt – damask. So for Day #17 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments we add swirly, damask flourishes to our glass ornament balls. And it seems this year I’m […] Read more »

Time for a treat on Day #16 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments. Most of our 30 Days’ ornaments are original creations for HomeWorkshop.com. But when I spotted Tresa Edmund’s cozy Christmas confection, I knew I had to share a cup with you. I love the warmth of the wool felt, the calming color combination, and the funky dollop of whipped cream. And especially […] Read more »

Everybody wants great design for a steal. For Day #15 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments, we have a thrifty solution. Like me, if you’ve shopped for nice-looking photo frame ornaments, you’ll find the least expensive are still a few dollars apiece. The cost adds up if you want to send your offsprings’ adorable mugs to the grandparents and all the aunts and uncles. […] Read more »

It’s time for another design influence, on Day #14 of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments. This time we turn to the Arts and Crafts movement. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a notable designer of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. One of his most recognizable motifs is his geometric “Mackintosh Rose.” I love the simple, tumbling layers of the Mackintosh Rose, and decided […] Read more »

Recycled Holiday Garlands Series by Diana Durkes Quick! Give me that bottle! We’ll need it for the last in our garlands series today, with our furniture and accessories makeover specialist and Contributor, Diana Durkes. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving. Recycled Plastic Bottle Garland is a wonderful reuse project, that can help you add sparkle to your […] Read more »

Recycled Holiday Garlands Series by Diana Durkes Snip. Clip. Presto! Another everyday material becomes holiday decor today, at the hands of our furniture and accessories makeover specialist and Contributor, Diana Durkes. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving. Your Recycled Soda Can Garland will add a fun and funky sparkle to your tree or mantel. Materials and Tools: […] Read more »

Recycled Holiday Garlands Series by Diana Durkes She rocks creative recycling. So today our furniture and accessories makeover specialist–Contributor Diana Durkes–spins out the first project in her three-part series of DIY garlands, all made from recycled materials. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving. A generation ago, it might have been popcorn and cranberries, but this year I […] Read more »

OMG, this is gr8. Our Day #10 ornament for 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments couldn’t be simpler, or more fun to make. Just grab a Sharpie®. Even your teens might take their heads up from their cell phones, long enough to help you craft these. With strategic symbols and letters on your Texting Balls, leave a funky “text” for your loved ones on the […] Read more »