By Kathleen Wilson
Great ideas for freshening your kitchen on a tight budget! 1.Repaint those cabinets! Unless you have high quality wood cabinets, chances are they could use some rejuvenation, and painted finishes are very hot! There are many techniques you can easily learn to give your kitchen cabinets an expensive designer look. Crackling, faux finishing, and glazing are all quite simple and cost effective. Try the Internet for some guidance; most major paint manufacturers have websites with great instructions! Try www.dutchboy.com or www.fauxlikeapro.com
2.Paint those walls! These days our kitchens are the hub of the home, and we all feel more comfortable in rooms that offer mood and character. If you have wood cabinets, color on the walls will make the wood appear richer, and will emphasize your accessories.
3.Make carved look molding and appliqués. There are several techniques for creating beautiful moldings and architectural embellishments for very little money. You can either use joint compound and a cake-decorating bag to create beautiful designs on plain wood strips, then prime and paint, or use my “salt dough” method. I use the salt dough recipes that children often use for making Christmas decorations. I cut the dough into simple shapes such as leaves, ropes, or scrolls. Then let dry or bake as the recipe dictates. Now simply use a glue gun to attach to wood strips, prime and paint! This gives you a little more control over the finished piece, and also is a lot cheaper! Hint: If you use this method for appliqués, paint before you attach to the wall. These are great attached to the front of cabinet doors, or over doorways. See the two recipes I use below.
Salt Dough Recipe
2 cups flour ½ cup salt Water added by the tablespoon until the desired consistency 1-2 tablespoons salad oil added to help keep it from drying and cracking
Place pieces on a cookie sheet in a 250-degree oven for 1 hour, then check every 15 minutes until hard, but not overly brown.
Cornstarch Recipe (While this recipe is a little more inconvenient because of the air drying, it yields a much finer product, almost like porcelain.)
2 Cups Baking Soda 1-Cup Cornstarch 1 ¼ cups water
Heat in a saucepan until thick, let cool, and then knead out on a board dusted with cornstarch. Cut or work into desired shapes, then let air dry at least 24 hours or more.
4.Use fabric in your kitchen. Years ago, there was a belief that you shouldn’t use fabric in a kitchen because of the grease and food splatters, and the difficulty cleaning. Nowadays, most fabrics can be thrown in the washer and dryer, so go ahead and use it! It softens the kitchen, can add romance or charm, and makes it feel like a warm connection to the rest of your house, instead of a cold utilitarian space. Curtains or valances, appliance covers, and table runners all can be easily stitched at home. (Or fused with an iron and hem tape available at your sewing or craft store.) Fabric does not have to be expensive either. Flat twin sheets are always a great value, and can be gotten on sale for as little as 3 dollars. Keep an eye out at garage sales for sheets, quilts, tablecloths, and even clothing that have your homes color schemes.
5.Give yourself stone counters for less than $40! Ok, ordinarily even $40 for one project is a little much for me, but this one has such a large impact and is so easy, that it’s definitely worth it! The secret? Paint! Get a book from the library, or search the Internet for instructions on the stone faux finish of your choice, (practice on cardboard first!) then follow these steps. For this to be successful, there is one step you cannot skimp on. Prime your countertops with a primer specially made for non-porous surfaces!!! Bin or KILZ are both good brands. (I also like to use their water-based variety, check the can carefully!) Now paint your faux finish. Allow to dry thoroughly, 24 hours is best. Now simply give it 4 or 5 coats of water-based polyurethane, let dry, and enjoy years of a beautiful kitchen! Save some of your original paint so if you ever do get a chip, touch up is a breeze. I promise you, visitors to your home will be hard pressed to tell that it isn’t a $5000 counter!
Kathleen Wilson is the author of "Quick Decorating Ideas Under $20: The Budget Decorator's Bible" and the editor of The Budget Decorator, a free ezine dedicated to the "budget impaired" home decorator. For more free ideas and for information on her book, please visit her at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com.
About the Author
Kathleen Wilson is the editor of The Budget Decorator, a free ezine dedicated to the "budget impaired" home decorator, and author of "Quick Decorating Ideas Under $20". Visit her online at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com for more free ideas and projects.
Need some great ideas to freshen up that kitchen with a very limited budget? Your only limitations are your creativity and a little elbow grease!
By Martha Matthews
When your bathroom cabinets are busting at the seams and your shelves are spilling over, it's time to get organized. Try these four easy organizing steps to bring some order to your chaos. 1. Clean and Clear
Remove everything from the drawers and cabinets. Toss out all old and unused or out of date products: Make-up, hair care, lotions, medicines (check expiration dates). Remember, "When in doubt, throw it out!" Move your medicines and vitamins to the kitchen. The moisture and heat from the bath will ruin them.
As you sort through things, take the time to evaluate whether or not you really need each item. If you have kept perfume samples, and cosmetics that are the wrong color, now is the time to throw them out or give them away. If you aren't using them why keep them?
Wipe out the cupboards and shelves. Clean off the counter top. Replace the shelf paper on the shelves and in the cabinets if needed.
2. Only the Essentials
The next step is to organize your belongings. Start by putting back only the essential items that you use every day. Put them in locations where they will be easily accessible. Try to store what you can under the sink in plastic bins. If you have the room, give each family member their own plastic bin to store their toiletries.
As you arrange your counter top, try to put out only the things that you will use on a regular basis. If you can get away without anything on the counter, that is even better. There will be less to clean.
If you have decorative items, now is the time to review their relevancy. If you don't really love them, replace them or remove them all together. There is no sense in having things you don't really love in your home; especially if you need to clean them.
3. Making Families
Categorize your shelves and drawers by creating families of like items: shaving products, hair styling, makeup, nails, personal hygiene items, first aid, medicines, etc.
4. Relocate the Excess
Make sure that only items that belong in the bathroom are in the bathroom. Transfer cleaning products to a caddy and store them under the kitchen sink. Store surplus toilet paper, shampoo and seasonal items, such as beach towels, tanning, or sunburn lotions in the hall closet or other location.
4. Storage Ideas
Make use of dead space. Try using any or all of the following organizing ideas: wall mounted cabinets, carts on wheels, hooks on back of door, shower caddies, coat rack, hanging mesh bag for holding children's bath toys, wall mount hair dryer and curling iron, drawer organizers.
Once your bathroom is organized, sit back and admire your work. If you make this an annual project, your bathroom will always be a joy to use. Now go take a bubble bath. You deserve it!
About the Author
Martha Matthews is the Editor of Christian-Homemaking.com, a web site with resources dedicated to Christian homemaking. In addition to her web site, she also has a popular free monthly newsletter for Christian wives called The Wives of Excellence Newsletter. To subscribe send a blank email to wivesofexcellence-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Or visit our web site at http://www.christian-homemaking.com/newsletter.html
When your bathroom cabinets are busting at the seams and your shelves are spilling over, it's time to get organized. Try these four easy organizing steps to bring some order to your chaos.
By Anonymous
August 22, 2004 -- Schroff, the global leader in electronic enclosure solutions, now offers a full range of customizable seismic Zone 4 cabinets that provide exceptional protection against shock and vibration. Comprised of a rugged, cold roll steel frame with reinforced structural steel corner angles, the Tecnorack Series is ideal for heavy duty, indoor applications in the telecom, security, and defense industries.
Available in heights from 15 U to 47 U, widths up to 1,200 mm, and depths up to 1,000 mm, the new Tecnorack Series can be configured to fit virtually any customer specification. The Series has been tested with a static load capacity of 2,000 lbs. in accordance with NEBS Zone 4 and GR-63-CORE in three manually perpendicular axes: front to back; side to side; and vertically. Dynamic load-carrying capability is 1,600 lbs.
Options and modifications that add to the cabinets’ versatility include vented sides, custom cut-outs, and a shielded EMC/RFI version for protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI). The EMC/RFI version, tested in accordance with NEBS GR-1089-CORE; VG 95373; and MIL-STD-285, also features a fabric-over-foam gasket made from UL-94HB urethane foam. The doors have a multi-hinge design and three-point latching to ensure a consistent EMC seal. The frame and external components of the EMC/RFI cabinets are marked and covered with conductive tape at all contact points.
The top cover and side panels of the Tecnorack Series are 1 mm, the steel doors are 2 mm, and the base uses a Telcordia-compliant floor bolt-down pattern. The cabinets come prepared for GND/earth line connections to VDE 0800 and VDE 0804 part 100.
A complete line of accessories, including shelves, power distribution options, and thermal management components, is available.
Pricing starts at $1,000. Delivery is four weeks ARO.
For more information on the Tecnorack Series, please visit http://web.schroff.de/webcat/subgroup/pdf/us/tecnorack_overview.pdf?lang=us&catId=US, call 888-550-9543, or contact Technical Sales, Tel: 401-732-3770;
Email: info@pentair-ep.com; Web: www.schroff.us.
READER SERVICE INQUIRIES: Please forward all reader service inquiries to George Ross, Pentair Electronic Packaging, Schroff Products, 170 Commerce Drive, Warwick, RI 02886; Email: gross@pentair-ep.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: SchroffÒ provides a world-leading brand of subracks and accessories, instrument cases, 19” cabinets, backplanes, integrated systems and enclosure hardware; and complete enclosure systems for CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA, VME and VME64x. Schroff manufacturers customer-specific enclosure systems including NEBS and outdoor aluminum enclosures; high volume stamped chassis; as well as custom backplane design and 4-level system integration. The company has 17 manufacturing locations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. More information is available at www.schroff.us.
Schroff is a subsidiary of Pentair, Inc., Golden Valley, MN, (NYSE: PNR) a diversified manufacturer that operates in two principal markets: electrical and electronic enclosures and water and fluid technologies.
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