Making a Summer Canopy - Using Milk Jugs and....

A while back I had a collection of old milk jugs in my garage. They had such a great look and history to them. Even though I could not figure out a way to salvage them, I could not stand the idea of getting rid of them.  I just needed time and I knew eventually an idea would click!

When I got a call from Good Housekeeping magazine asking me to design some fun summer DIY projects, I knew I had to use them in some way.  It was a blistering, hot summer day when I was working on the project ideas, so naturally the thought of a shady place came to mind.  A shady place; I had finally thought of a great solution to put the milk jugs to use!

Make a Garden Canopy

What you will need:

Sunbrella or outdoor waterproof fabric (buy the width of the fabric x desired length.)

Ours is 72" long.  Once you have all of the pieces this project is easy to put together.
(4) large size grommets and grommet kit * fabric stores like Joanne Fabrics
(4) closet poles cut to 72 inches
(4) vintage milk  jug containers  (flea market item, junk shop or at second hand shops)
(4) 40 Lb. bags of sand
(4) plastic 8" garden pots  ( you will find these at the garden center, these are the pots you buy your plants in at the nursery)
(4) large size T cup hooks  
(4) tent stakes
Twine

At each corner of your fabric add one grommet. 1" down from top of each closet pole screw in one T cup hook. The T cup hook will hold fabric in place at grommet.

The garden pot will help hold the closet pole in the milk container. The garden pot should fit snugly into the top of the milk jug container. Before placing inside you will need to cut a hole the exact diameter of the closet pole in the bottom center of the pot. When the pole stands upright in the container it will slide through this hole and be centered in the milk jug.

First stand pole in milk jug so it is vertical and centered. Pour sand into milk jug and around the pole.  The sand will give the jug extra weight and help hold the pole in place. Place the garden pot over the pole and slide down into place inside the top of the jug. 

Place all of the jugs the correct distance apart for fabric canopy. Make sure all of the T cup hooks are facing inwards. Hook the fabric to T cup hooks.

Staking canopy: At the top of each pole, wrap and tie one end of the twine (about 8').  Use the cup hook to anchor.  At the opposite end of the twine, attach the tent stakes.  Push the stakes into the ground pulling to hold the closet poles straight and the canopy taut.

Salvaging Flea Market Finds

If you are flea market junkie like I am, finding a purpose for all the junk you must have can be difficult task.  It’s easier to justify buying old collectibles like vintage rakes, birdhouses, and shutters when they can be recycled into a useful or decorative object.

Here are three ways I salvaged some fun finds from the Elephants Trunk flea market in New Milford, Connecticut:

Antique Wooden Rake Peg Rack

An old wood garden rake can have a new life and purpose as a peg rack.  Old garden rakes can easily be found at flea markets or a second hand shop. The key to this project is to make sure the claws are positioned at a 90 degree angle.  This is an attractive clever way to hang items you need close by, like the dog’s leash or your raincoat!

Bird Cage Hurricanes

Bird cages make fun decorative displays for candles. To create a festive table for a dinner party, gather a few cages and center them on your buffet or dinner table. Fill them with multiple heights of pillar candles to create a luminous, shimmering centerpiece.   

Around the base of each cage, add a few vines from the garden and let them trail along the table top.

  

Shutter Table

Who knew that old wooden shutters could be recycled so simply into the perfect outdoor summer table? Whatever your preferred finish may be, you can prepare your shutters by sanding, painting or staining them. Just make sure all four of your shutters are the same size.

The top and bottom of the shutter table is made from art stretchers. This is a creative, easy way to make a square top. The glass easily rests on the top inside the beveled edge.

What you will need:

4 shutters

8 art canvas stretchers  
16 screws
1 piece of glass for table top- cut to fit inside beveled edge of canvas frame

Stand all four shutters as you want them to stand as table bottom. The four shutters will make a square base.  Measure the distance from the outside of one shutter across to the outside of the other. Take that measurement and purchase art stretchers for the same or slightly larger measurement. (The stretcher measurement can be slightly larger, it just means the top will extend beyond the sides a small bit.)

The stretchers, when pieced together, will form a square frame.

Stand the shutters up vertically and place the frame on top of the four shutters.  Drill two screws evenly spaced through the frame on one side and into the top edge of the shutter to hold firm. Continue on all four sides. Turn the shutter over and do the same on the bottom.

Finish the wood stretchers with the same paint or stain as the shutter. You can have glass cut at a glass store.  Measure for a piece of 1 /4"glass that will fit inside the beveled edge of the frame.

All three projects appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine June 2011, photography by Michael Partenio

Last Minute Tips for a Stylish 4th of July!

Some of the styling tricks I used for Better Homes and Gardens "Glory Days" feature. The magazine features an outstanding 4th of July tips for a super fun celebration.

Oil hurricane lamps, red ticking runner and 12 yards of 3/8" roping makes a stunning centerpiece!

Wrap a flag around a napkin! The flag napkin ring! 

Turn a large terra cotta pot into a ice cooler. Glue gun on yardage of roping to make it special,

 fill with ice!

Little toothpick flags turn any store bought or home made cake into a red, white, and blue  party cake in seconds.

Place assorted glass cookie jars, and fill them with summer treats for your guests.

Red white and blue water bottle, Remove lables: Wrap water bottle with small flags, use double stick tape down the back to hold.

scatter collections of canning jars filled with flowers and flags , how easy is that

Treat pails: Each guest gets a different number.  You can find adhesive numbers at Loews.

Styling A BH&G Star Spangled Holiday

Last summer I was lucky enough to be asked to travel to Beaufort, North Carolina with a crew from Better Homes and Gardens magazine to style the Fourth of July feature that is running this month in the July 2012 issue.

The best part was the great opportunity to meet and work with fellow field editor Lisa Mowry, editor Amy Panos and photographer John Bessler.  The story was shot last September, just after the hurricane swept up the east coast, so of course I was worried about the damage the hurricane was capable of inflicting down south. Luckily, the house was safe from the storm and the shoot was a go!

This was a really fun and exciting project for me to style. The challenge was to combine a nautical theme with a July 4th, red, white, and blue overlay throughout the home and the festivities. Every detail of each shot had to planned and organized ahead.

I arrived at the location with my assistant Monica and a van of  props and materials we had gathered from near and far.  We immediately got to work prepping and styling with a highly enthusiastic and energetic group.  Over a period of three days, pushing 12 hours days with meals on the fly, we cranked out a very productive and successful feature and managed to have some really good fun doing it. 

I’d love to share the feature with you, enjoy!

Make this: Fourth of July Watermelon Boat

This was a styling project idea that I came up with on a shoot down in Beaufort, North Carolina for Better Homes and Gardens. We were producing the Nautical themed Fourth of July story that is featured in the current BH&G July issue.  We needed a fun, easy to create food idea for our party scene

Fruit, food and fun; three necessities during any warm, summer holiday. The materials were all in front of me, the fruit, the ticking fabric and adhesive numbers: and with a quick brainstorm session, the light bulb popped on and the idea was evident.

The Watermelon Boat!

It's easy to make:

Cut a sail from blue or red ticking fabric (fabric store).  Use double sided tape or a glue gun to attach the sail to the dowel on the back side of sail. Make sure to leave 12” length of dowel under the sail to push into the fruit and watermelon. Add an adhesive number to the sail  (dowel and numbers both available from a hardware store). Cut and scoop out your watermelon and fill with fruit (cut it so it will sit flat and not tip). Push the end of the dowel into fruit to hold.

Create your own Fourth of July Wreath! DIY

Need a simple, yet impressive entrance for your home during your July 4^th celebration? These DIY wreath ideas will give your door a festive touch to wow all your guests on this holiday.

Nautical Rope Wreath on Door

This lovely rope wreath was the center of attention in the current Better Homes and Gardens July 2012 issue in the story called “Glory Days”.  The story had a nautical approach, so I was determined to create a wreath idea that revolved around this theme.  The rope was the perfect touch to create such a look.  It is easy to make, and here is how:

What you need:

24 Inch Lifesaving Ring (or use a Styrofoam ring for an alternate base)

175 Feet of Twisted Manila Rope 3/8 inches (Lowe’s)

Glue Gun

Two American Wave Flags on Wooden Dowel

Cut your 75 feet of roping into small pieces in order to make it easier to wrap the lifesaver ring (cut into approx. 25 ft pieces).  With one end of rope, glue gun end to back of ring and when dry begin to wrap around ring.  The rope on the inside of ring should be tight together with more space between the rope on the outside of ring. Glue end of rope on back and continue with new piece.  Flags can be glued at cross section and then glued down to lifesaver ring.  Then take some twine and wrap around cross section making an l l/2 inch wrap around.

Flag Wreath

In 2010, I created a 4th of July feature for Good Housekeeping filled with lots of DIY red, white, and blue projects.  This wreath is a favorite because it is so easy to construct. It also creates the perfect patriotic door decoration.

What you need:

Styrofoam wreath

Mini toothpick flags

  

Flag Garland

To add even more patriotic flare to your home entrance, you can add a simple garland draped around the edge of your door. Combined with the perfect wreath, you can easily create the ideal July 4^th look.

What you need:

Simple garland of rope

Mini clothespins

Flags

Styling a Favorite Garden for BHG June 2012

This garden story, which falls in the current June 2012 issue for Better Homes and Gardens magazine, is one of my favorite garden stories that I have ever produced.

It was last summer when I showed this garden space to the editor at Better Homes and Gardens. Her enchantment and excitement about the garden mirrored my own, and we both understood how well this small gem of a space would photograph.

I met the owners of the garden, Frank and Andra Mollica, seven years ago while styling their home for a Better Homes and Gardens home renovation story. At this time, the garden had not yet been fully developed, but the house was beautiful. I was in wonder of how this amazing couple was able to completely redesign their home all on their own with such great gusto and creativity. Every year I return to the Mollica house to see what incredible home projects they have taken on, and the garden was one of them. Over the years, I have watched this garden grow into a brilliant compact and inviting living space full of greenery, flowers and elegance. The perfectly trimmed bushes, flowers, foliage and garden accessories complement each other in such a captivating manner.

Styling this garden story with photographer Matthew Benson and my assistant Barbara Bougeois last June was very exciting. We propped the space to enhance the striking look they had already created. We arrived at 6:00 AM and had to race against Mother Nature before the sun got too strong to shoot! Here are some fun behind the scenes snapshots from the shoot.

You can get the full story on the Mollica garden in the June 2012 BHG Issue.