DIY Ideas For This Weekend

You may want to try your hand on some easy DIY this weekend. Here is a list of newspaper crafts that I have shared earlier on my blog. Click on the respective link to know the complete procedure.

DIY Decorative Tray:

I have made different kinds of trays and baskets using newspaper and let me tell you no one believes that they are made of newspaper. If you want to have a look of them then click here to see my newspaper baskets and click here to see my newspaper tray.

• If you want to learn how to make this tray then click here.

DIY Newspaper Wind Chime:

Newspaper wind chime is what I never saw or heard about. So I gave it a try and was a big hit. Do you want to learn how to make Newspaper wind chime, then click here.

DIY Newspaper Coasters:

First I tried making simple newspaper coasters and then tried making them in different patterns and designs too. Coasters are liked by one and all. All my customers and friends are happy using and flaunting them. Click here to check out the video tutorial on how to make newspaper coasters. 

I am so sure that you will enjoy making these paper crafts. 

Wish you a creative and happy weekend!!

All images are mine and subject to copyright. Please don't use any image without my permission. Thanks!!

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The Historic Mansions of Summit Avenue | Saint Paul, Minnesota.

It was one of the last weekends of late summer in Minnesota, when the heart yearned to spend every warm minute outdoors soaking up the beauty of the season. 

The Twin Cities which consist of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have distinct personalities. Saint Paul is influenced by early Irish, French & German Catholic heritage.

We decided to explore Summit Avenue which is the preserved heritage neighbourhood of Victorian mansions. It extends from the very majestic Cathedral Of Saint Paul with it's copper dome to a 5-mile length of the avenue.

There are many organised tours held by the Minnesota Historical Society, since ours was an impromptu trip we just decided to walk as far as our legs would take us, enjoying the weather and marvelling at the 19th century architecture.

Most of the mansions were built in 1860's by Railroad and Lumbar Barons.

The gateway to a bygone era.

As we passed each Victorian style mansion, we realised they very so unique and distinct in design.

295 Summit Lindeke Mansion

 Come sit a while and watch the season making an exit.

The walk was so breathtakingly beautiful with fresh tender vines entwined around age old rusty iron fences.

 One single puffy cloud.

The Old Smith 'Vine' Masion
This mansion covered with vine was built 1858 and probably one of the oldest in the neighbourhood.

 Our vibrant path.


There are many notable buildings like the James J. Hill House, F. Scott Fitzgerald House and Frank B. Kellogg House in the neighbourhood.

Addison G. Foster Home 

 Mrs. Porterfield's Boarding House and George W. Freeman House.

The George W. Freeman was built in 1884. The blended style of the orange stone home is called Romanesque Revival, but they took it to a new level replacing stone columns with white Corinthian period Roman columns and even capped it off Spanish style red terracotta roof.  For its day the blending of this many differing styles must have made the house a great statement piece of art.

 Cyrus B. Thurston House

Mrs. J. W. Bass House was built in 1891 as a Victorian style home but soon remodelled it into a Colonial Revival style by adding Roman columns.

 The elusive Monarch butterfly poses for me!

The famous F. Scott Fitzgerald row house. This is the place where he spent most of his youth and apparently wrote his first novel 'This Side of Paradise.'

 The delights of summer!






The House of Hope Presbyterian Church

Hope readers of Rang Decor liked the historical walk on Summit Avenue with it's rich 19th century architectural styles. While researching I learnt a lot about the Victorian, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival styles.

Do click on the links to read in detail about the history of various mansions. If you find yourself in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The historical tour of Summit Avenue is a must do:-)

(Photographs by Arch & are copyrighted. Reference from Wikipedia, Minnesota Historical Society)

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Wainscoting To The Rescue!

Hand prints.....
            Scuff marks....
                         What seems like miles of hallways...
                                                                 AND Four young kids...




The only answer was wainscoting in the form of Board and Batten. I realize that this friends home was built and is owned by a high end custom home builder, but this is something that anyone can do

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DIY Newspaper Coasters

   I have been getting requests for posting video tutorial on how to make newspaper coasters. So here I am sharing the tutorial, hope you all will like it.

Enjoy the tutorial and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thank you!!

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It's a Girl!

It seems that

I have been buried


this winter with


living and breathing


Baby Girl stuff!




You see, my daughter is having our first granddaughter in April...




And I have been working and having fun, making and planning the cutest and pinkest baby shower!


I bought these invitations at Hobby Lobby. They already had the ribbon and "It's a Girl" on them, so all I had to do was design

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Birthday Surprise Box Cards!

I just had the most fun making these little Birthday Surprise Boxes that are also Cards!




See the surprise inside? It's a cute little paper cake!


I did use my Silhouette cutting machine to make these but you could just use scrapbooking punches and simple straight cuts.


The side edges of the box were just cut away so when the lid is raised, the box will fall open to reveal the

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Diary Of a Design Blogger

One who knows me more than anyone in this world, gifted me this thoughtful gift- a diary. He knows that I plan everything well in advance and for that I need a diary. Not only I write my favourite quotes and all those things that make me happy everyday but I write about my  blogging journey too. 

Though my husband's gift was very thoughtful but it's cover was so dull, that the moment I held it I wanted to change it and I did so. Now it's totally my kind of and it sure is a diary of a design blogger.

I told you on my Facebook page today morning that I will be coming up with an easy peasy DIY, I was talking about this diary makeover. Hers is how I did it:

First I covered the diary in my favourite green handmade paper.

Now I wanted something interesting on the diary cover. I have been hoarding cuttings of this elephant picture from incense stick's pack because I don't know why but I find it very intriguing. So I used decoupage technique and pasted the elephant cut out on the diary. 

• Click here to read about my first hand painted tray in which I painted the same elephant.
• Click here to see my decoupage slippers.

And added some cut outs of flowers and tree trunk from a magazine that I found lovely.

For bookmark I punched a hole in an elephant cut out and tied it with satin ribbon. Here's bookmark is ready and going pretty well with the diary.

Here is a close up of my graceful elephant.

Did you like this Diary Makeover, I totally liked the outcome. It's my kind of :)

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A Little More Valentine Decorating

Greetings, friends!

Today, I wanted to share a few more pops of red that I recently added for Valentine's Day.  Do you decorate for the "day of love?"

Here in our foyer, where I recently did a little furniture "switcheroo," sweet red hearts let you know that Valentine's Day is near.

Once I got them all placed, I then decided to add in black and white plates to the wall and really like how they look mixed with the red!

Yes, "U ROCK" (annnnd so does Michael's, as they always have the cutest seasonal decor)!

If you turn left and cruise on down the hallway, you'll pass by our dining room, where I added red candlesticks and faux rose petals to the sideboard.

These sweet ramekins (Michael's) help to dress up our simple white plates ... maybe "one" day, we'll actually enjoy a meal in here!

Next door in our kitchen, I've long been a fan of adding vignettes to the center of our island as a way to "welcome" our guests to the heart (get it? ha ha) of our home ... so, of course, a Valentine centerpiece was in order.

Faux tulips from Michaels (fancied up by adding a vase within a vase and filling it with yummy candy) ... and a cute sign from HomeGoods ... helped me get the job done! 

Of course, these fun cupcakes from Pier One tucked under a glass cloche are quite tempting ... thankfully, they're ceramic.  

Leftover heart garland, along with glass canisters filled with shredded ribbon and candy hearts, help to "spread the love" to our little shelves.

And, down below, inexpensive red and white cookie cutters fill another canister ... I like inexpensive decorating!

Of course, I "had" to add a little Valentine's tree ...

And, where I normally use red and white ribbon, I decided to, instead, go with this pretty black and white ribbon (that I used on our Christmas tree in the great room) to help our ornaments pop a bit ...

and to tie in with our red, black and white Valentine mantel in our great room. 

   

Even if you don't have Valentine decor, a bowl filled with pretty red apples would be perfect on your counter! 

Got any red spatulas laying around?  If so, tuck them in with your utensils or wooden pieces and you'll have a little Valentine pop!

It wouldn't be Valentine's Day without candy, now would it?  So, please just go ahead and "pick your poison!" 

These are my personal fave, which is why I can't even have just ONE ... if I do, I won't stop!

Over in our sunroom off of the kitchen, a bouquet of faux roses dresses up a white garden seat, and hearts that I hung on branches set in a glass demijohn add a bit of Valentine "zing" to the accent chest I scored (already chalk painted) from Craigslist. 

Aren't these striped straws cute?  They're were even "cuter" when I spotted them for 40% off at Michael's.

And, there you have it ... our humble Valentine's Day decor.  

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!  Happy Valentine's Day!

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