(Iron art swing pull) A Decorator Door Hanger

Posted in Florida Knobs N' Things by Admin on May 31st, 2008

A Decorator Door Hanger

We use them to enter and exit a room on a continual basis. If you want to brighten them a little more, add some extra design to door knobs and doors with this project. Make several and give as gifts.

MATERIALS

* 1 Piece cardboard 7″ x 12-14″ (or smaller, depending on the size and shape you want it to be)

* Craft felt or fabric (plain or holiday print, but not too flimsy)

* Decoupage or craft glue

* Cord trim 14″ long (or the size of the shape outline and 1/4″ - 1/8″ overlap)

* Various decorative items: flat and/or 3-D plastic or wooden shapes, or holiday items and decorations

* Scissors

* Compass or large glass (for drawing a circle)

INSTRUCTIONS

*Note: Measure how large you want the Door Hang to be, based on each door you’re decorating. Be careful to not make it so wide that opening and closing the door becomes awkward because of it. Do not have the edge of it meet the edge of the door; make it at least an inch more narrow than that.

1) Cut and round the top and bottom corner edges of the cardboard piece that you’re using so they’re not pointed but curved.

2) Using a compass or a large glass, etc., draw a circle on the center top area of the cardboard. Be sure to leave at least a 1 inch rim of cardboard framing the cut out portion of the cardboard in order to be able to hang the item on the door knob. Make sure that the circle you’re cutting out will leave a hole large enough to fit over the door knob so it can be slipped on and off easily.

3) Cut out the circle. It won’t be used, but you can save it for a smaller recycling craft project.

4) Place the finished cardboard shape “pattern” on top of the back of the piece of felt or fabric that you’re using. Trace around the edges of the cardboard, making sure to include drawing around the hole that was just cut out.

5) Cut the fabric to fit the exact shape of the cardboard.

6) If using decoupage, work very quickly to paint the decoupage onto the cardboard and place the fabric or felt on top. Press quickly as you smooth the fabric to remove any air bubbles. (THIS DRIES VERY QUICKLY SO TRY AND GET THE FABRIC IN POSITION BEFORE IT DOES!) You can use a mixture of half craft glue and half water instead of the decoupage. Test a small, extra piece of the fabric first though to see if the glue/water mixture seeps through. It takes longer for this to dry, but it also gives you a little more time to get the fabric or felt placed just right on the shape.

7) When it is dry, glue a piece of the cording around the entire edge of the Door Hang to cover the edge of the cardboard. A hot glue gun works best for this, but craft glue can be used. It just takes the craft glue longer to dry. You can also cover the back of the shape in the same way in which you covered the front. If you do this, wait until it is dry as well before gluing on the cording around the edge rim.

Finish decorating the front by gluing on the embellishments you’ve chosen.

9) When dry, hang on the door knob and enjoy or wrap as a gift.

About the Author

Regenia G. Butcher is an author on a site for Creative Writers ( http://www.Writing.Com ). She is also a crafter and is currently working on a “quirky” word reference book. She usually not only sees the glass half full, but rejoices that there IS a glass. You can visit her portfolio at: http://www.sensity.writing.com

Ready ? Set ? Sell! Preparing Your Home To Sell In A Buyers? Market

Sluggish. Slow. Decreasing. Those are words that are being applied to the recent housing sales markets. If you?re planning to sell, the news is nowhere near as bad as the doomsayers are making it sound. The problem is that there are so many people trying to sell their homes right now. The number of choices on the market encourages buyers to be choosy and to hold out for the perfect home at the best price. Any Realtor will tell you, though, that homes are selling ? and when they sell, it?s because the prospective buyer fell in love at first sight.

The homes that sell are those that ?wow? buyers from the curb and woo them all the way through to the back yard. So how do you turn your hearth into a new buyer?s heart throb? The same way that you?d attract a new beau ? freshen up, put on a little makeup and sport the most attractive outfit you can find.

Five Steps to Wow Them at the Curb.

Curb appeal is the real estate equivalent of sex appeal. That first view of your house may not break a sale ? but it can definitely make it.

1. Get rid of clutter in the yard. Don?t kid yourself that the bikes and Big Wheels tell buyers a home is well-loved and family-friendly. Stow the stuff ? the kids? toys, the gas grill, the rake leaning against the porch - and not in the garage. You?ll want that to look nice and clean, too.

2. Make any cosmetic repairs that the house needs. Clogged gutters? Hanging drainpipe? Shutter off kilter? Spend a weekend doing all those little things you?ve been saying you?ll do for the last three years.

3. Freshen up your house?s face. If you can, give it a new coat of paint. If your house is sided, this is the time to rent a power washer and give it a good hose down. Don?t forget to wash the windows and hang pretty window treatments inside, too. While you?re at it, make sure that mini-blinds are all at the same level in the windows facing the street. You?d be surprised what a difference, symmetry makes.

4. Mow the lawn, trim the shrubs, get the tree guy out to lop off those overhanging branches. Fix cracks in the driveway, dig up the moss in between the paving stones. The keyword is manicure ? everything should look very, very well taken care of.

5. Wrap it up with a bow. You can?t exactly put a ribbon in your house?s hair, but you can do the next best thing. Flowers offer instant appeal. Hit your local garden shop for a few flats of colorful, in bloom annuals and put in a flower beds along the walkway, or encircle a palm with a bed of impatiens.

Five Steps to Woo Them All the Way.

Give the inside of your house the same attention that you did the outside. Here?s how to turn attraction into love.

1. Get rid of clutter. Take down family photos, remove those report cards from the front of the fridge, tuck away the cherished collection of knick knacks. When you?re done, you should have clean counters, clean tables and clean shelves.

2. Clean. Clean. Clean. The key word is spotless. Scrub down walls, wash windows, get rid of the gray fingerprints around doorknobs and light switches. Clean your grout especially in the bathrooms. Shampoo carpets. Added bonus ? you?ll have to do far less deodorizing.

3. Pare down furniture to the essentials. Sofa, chair and tables in the living room. Bed, dresser and lamps in the bedroom. Engaging the services of a professional home stager is a very worthwhile investment.

4. If your budget allows for it, go for one or more of these high-ROI home improvements.
-Repaint your kitchen and bathroom walls. Choose a warm neutral color.
-Replace worn carpets.
-Update your kitchen.
-Update your bathroom.

5. Try a few psychological tricks. Hang a mirror on the wall opposite your front door. Invest in fresh flower arrangements ? but be sure to keep them fresh. Wilted flowers are NOT inviting. Play classical music ? softly ? when the house is being shown. And a favorite quick-pretty-up trick ? toss a clean damp towel and fresh scented dryer sheet in the dryer about half an hour before a showing. Clean laundry smell is even more appealing than chocolate chip cookies or apple pie baking in the oven.

About the Author:

Calum MacKenzie is a professional Tampa, Florida real estate agent. He lives and works in New Tampa and has extensive knowledge of the New Tampa real estate market.

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