Sunday, October 31, 2021

Happy Halloween!



Hi Friends,

May your Halloween be filled with Fun, Magic, Memories and Great Design.

Happy Halloween from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

How-to Safely Use Dry Ice This Halloween

Courtesy of Sam Henderson
Photography by Sam Henderson

Happy Halloween Friends,

Dry ice is a great way to kick up the fear factor for Halloween. Learn how to safely handle it and cool ways to use it. Dry ice adds an extra spooky element to your Halloween decor. The gentle drift of chilly fog gives the feeling that something very scary is just around the corner — but using dry ice doesn’t have to be scary. With the right tools and careful handling, you can safely create Halloween magic.

For safe handling of dry ice, use:
  • hammer
  • screwdriver or chisel
  • tongs
  • tray
  • safety goggles (recommended)

Use the hammer and chisel or screwdriver to break the block of dry ice into workable pieces. Break it up on a tray with a rim to stop the pieces from scattering too far. Keep the broken pieces in the freezer until ready to use.

Things to consider:
  • Dry ice is actually the solid form of carbon dioxide. It's called 'dry ice' because it doesn't melt like frozen water; instead, it converts into carbon dioxide gas as it breaks down.
  • Much colder than water ice, contact with dry ice will, within seconds, cause burns at the site of contact.
  • Carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air, causing it to sink to the floor. A high concentration of this gas reduces the available oxygen in the air and can cause breathing problems for pets and small children so only use dry ice in a well-ventilated area. When in doubt, keep pets safely away from the area.
  • Before handling, cover yourself appropriately with long sleeves and long pants.
  • NEVER touch dry ice with bare hands, always use tongs.
  • NEVER ingest dry ice or let it touch your lips or the interior of your mouth.

Fun Dry Ice Ideas
Keep It Cool: Add a smaller serving bowl to a larger serving bowl with about an inch of space between the two. Fill the inside bowl with punch. Place small pieces of dry ice between the two bowls. Just before serving pour warm water between the two bowls to activate the dry ice.

Creepy Cocktails: Drop a small piece of dry ice into a cocktail before serving. The dry ice cannot be ingested, but it sinks to the bottom so small sips are okay while it's still present. However, guests should be cautioned to not drink the dry ice or wait until it has melted fully before drinking.

Spooky Jack-O'-Lanterns: Place a small, shallow bowl or dish inside a carved pumpkin. Add warm water to the dish to activate the dry ice.

Double, Double Toil and Trouble: Make a mound of small sticks and orange mini-lights. Place a black kettle or cauldron on the sticks. Place a bowl inside the kettle and several pieces of dry ice. Pour warm water over the dry ice to activate it.

Enjoy your dry ice experience, Safely...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!


Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Snack-O'-Lanterns

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine
Photography by Trevor Dixon

Happy Halloween Friends,

Turn a pumpkin into a candy dish with pumpkin-carving ideas from Food Network Magazine.

Double Take
Cut holes from the bottoms of two pumpkins, remove the seeds, then replace the bottoms of the pumpkins. Carve the words "Tricks" and "Treats" into the pumpkins (draw the letters with a pencil, or print out the stencil). Fill the "Tricks" one with plastic spider rings and the "Treats" one with candy.

Print Stencil.

Wide Receiver
Carve eyes, a nose and a larger-than-average mouth, remove the seeds, then fill with candy.

Chain of Demand
Cut a hole in the bottom of a large pumpkin, remove the seeds, then replace the bottom of the pumpkin. Using a small serrated knife, carve a few 2-to-3-inch circles around the pumpkin. Use double-sided tape or glue dots (available at craft stores) to make several chains of fun-size candy bars. Place the chains inside the pumpkin and feed one through each hole.

Pop Art
Cut off the top of the pumpkin's stem, drill a hole through the base of the stem and insert a dowel. Carve out a lid and remove the seeds. Photocopy a lollipop wrapper — enlarged at 400 percent — and tape a few sheets together (we used 11-by-17-inch paper). Wrap the lid in foil and cover it with a wrapper as shown; tie the gathering with string. Wrap the main pumpkin with the rest of the paper, taping as you go. Fill the pumpkin with matching lollipops and replace the lid.

Full Metal
Carve lids from two pumpkins, remove the seeds, then spray-paint the pumpkins silver and gold. Fill with matching foil-wrapped candy.

Enjoy Trick or Treater...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!


Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Halloween Safety Tips for Kids & Parents

Courtesy of Amanda Mushro
M_a_y_a

Happy Halloween Friends,

Before the fun begins, here are a few ways to keep your trick-or-treaters safe.

Kids love Halloween because this spooky holiday is all about fun, candy, costumes and more candy. From parties and parades to trick-or-treating, kids of all ages will be out and celebrating this season. However, while Halloween is meant for fun, it is also important to stay vigilant. So, here’s a few tips to keep all of your ghosts and goblins safe.

1. Before your kids head out the door to trick-or-treat, give them an extra reason to shine with glow-in-the dark necklaces and bracelets, or a flashlight. These accessories are festive and, more importantly, they are a great way to make road crossing much safer.

2. If your older kids are trick-or-treating without you, be sure they leave with a group of friends. Remind them to avoid houses that don’t have a front porch light on and set a strict curfew or a meeting place to go to if they get lost.

3. Kids are excited to hit up a few houses for candy on Halloween, but remind everyone to stay on the sidewalk, stay off the road and cross the street with an adult.

4. Before the parties and parades begin, make sure your kids’ costumes are ready. Can they see out of their masks—what’s in front of them and side-to-side? Can they walk in their costume without tripping or falling? If they have accessories, like swords or staffs, make sure they are soft and easy to carry. Also, make sure you give all Halloween makeup a test run to avoid allergic reactions on the big night.

5. All trick-or-treaters want a ton of candy, but make sure your kids know that there is no need to go inside a home to get some. Staying on the front porch is the perfect place to collect Halloween goodies.

6. Be sure to snap a lot of pictures of your kiddos all dressed up as monsters, princesses and superheroes, but put the phone down and keep your head up while trick-or-treating to avoid distractions.

7. It can be tempting to eat the candy right away. However, make it a rule that your kids must let you check their stash before they have a few sweet treats. Toss any candy that is unwrapped and double check labels for kids with food allergies.

8. Get your house ready for trick-or-treaters by removing items from your steps or the walkway to your home.

10. If you are driving on Halloween, remember to stay alert and avoid distractions like your phone. Drive slowly and be aware of trick-or-treaters.

HAPPY HALLOS EVE!

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design.

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!


Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, October 11, 2021

Happy Columbus Day!



Hi Friends,

Columbus Day is a celebration of discovery and adventure. Hopefully, we have given you great ideas to discover the interior designer in you and the spirit of adventure to create your perfect space.

Happy Columbus Day from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Make Frightening Garden Silhouettes for Halloween

Courtesy of Ruth Meharg

Happy Halloween Friends,

Decorate your home and yard this Halloween with simple and elegant garden silhouettes.

Garage Door Pumpkin Patch
Decorate your garage doors this Halloween with vinyl decals. All you need are some sheets of adhesive vinyl, scissors and a little bit of time! We cut out a majestic buck looking out over a pumpkin patch while a colony of bats soars into the sky behind him. If your garage door rolls up and down, be sure to cut the vinyl at each seam in the door so the panels can move freely as the door opens.

Zombies In The Garden
Add a spooky twist to the garden with a few zombie or mummy hands reaching up from the ground. Look for sheets of thin, black plastic to cut your hands out of. You can either hang them on the wall of your house, or attach them to stakes and plant them in the middle of your flower beds. If you're not sure how to draw hands, just grab a bright light and partner and trace the shadows of their hands so you know exactly where to cut.

Trick-Or-Treaters On The Lawn
This garden gnome and his scarecrow friend are ready for an evening of welcoming trick-or-treaters to the door! You can fill their little baskets with candy or toys for the kids to pick up on their way by. If you have the right tools, cut these yard silhouettes out of plywood and paint them black to create yard ornaments that will last for many years. If all you have is a box cutter, you can cut these figures out of foam core for a fun decoration that will last for the season.

Black Cats
If you want to add one more layer of complexity to your yard silhouettes, try creating glowing eyes. For these black cats we cut moon shapes out for their eyes, and mounted small, battery powered lights behind them.

Silhouettes And Shadows
You can add more depth to your silhouettes by using light and shadow instead of just flat paper. Mount your cutouts a little away from the wall, or on a piece of clear glass or plastic. Arrange lights to project the shadows onto a blank wall in or outside your home.

Enjoy decorating with family and friends.

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!


Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, October 4, 2021

FREE Printable Pumpkin-Carving Templates


Compliments of Sam Henderson

Happy Halloween Friends,

From printable party invites to cute cupcake, gift bag and party favor embellishments plus pumpkin-carving templates and props for a photo booth, we'll help you get your spook on this Halloween over the days leading to October 31st.

Halloween's almost here and it's time to get carving! We have 34 HGTV-exclusive pumpkin-carving patterns designed specifically for beginning pumpkin carvers.

Click the individual listings below to be redirected the FREE printable template:

Print the Friendly Robot pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Cute Owl pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Rocket pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Candy + Arrow pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Haunted House pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Candy Corn Duo pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Magic Wand pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Bats pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Candy pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Graveyard Ghosts pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Wolf + Full Moon pumpkin-carving template.

Print the EEK! pumpkin-carving template.

Print the BOO pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Candy Corn pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Scaredy Cat pumpkin-carving template.

Print the SPOOKY pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Boo Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Candlestick pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Frankenstein pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Witch pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Cat and Moon pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Vampire pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Sinister Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Happy Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Grinning Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Snaggletooth Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Man in the Moon pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Spider pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Candelabra pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Dotted Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Pumpkin Nightlight pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Flowers pumpkin-carving template.

Print the Pumpkin pumpkin-carving template.

What a treat to share on trick-or-treat...

Happy Halloween!

Check back for more great Halloween ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne

Friday, October 1, 2021

FREE Printable Halloween Templates


Courtesy of Kim Stoegbauer
FREE Printable Templates Compliments of TomKat Studio

Happy Halloween Friends,

Enjoy the FREE Halloween printable templates, compliments of TomKat Studio. TomKat Studio is one of the largest resources for printable templates and party planning ideas in the industry.


Download printable Beware of Monsters Sign template.


Download printable Candy Sign template.
Download printable Points for Marshmallow Toss Game template.


Download printable 4x6 Photo Frame template.
Download printable Sweet Treats Label template.
Download printable Black Stripe Candy Bar Wrapper template.


Download printable Trick-or-Treat Tote Bag template.
Download printable Happy Halloween Flag template.
Download printable Bottle Wrapper template.


Download printable Treat Bag template.
Download printable Party Favor Striped Flag template.
Download printable Party Favor Treat Flag template.


Download printable Striped Treat Cone template.
Download printable Party Favor Thank You Tag template.
Download printable Small Eek! Boo! template.


Download printable Party Black-and-White Invite template.
Download printable Large Bat template.


Download printable Party Graphic Invite template.
Download printable Party Trick-or-Treat Station Snack Label template.


Download printable Haunted House Invite template.
Download printable Boo! Eek! Labels template.


Download printable Halloween Cupcake Party Invite template.
Download printable Striped Spider and Bats Label template.


Download printable Fancy Cupcake Label template.


Download printable Multi-Color Tag template.


Download printable Large Party Circles template.
Download printable Monster Mash Invite template.


Download printable Black-and-White Striped Paper template.

Join us in a special thank you to TomKat Studio for sharing their printable templates at no cost. Thank you, TomKat Studio!

Continued success to TomKat Studio from you fans at Interior Design...

Happy Halloween Printing!

Check back for more great Halloween ideas.

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne