Creativity Toolkit

We are delighted to offer you this Creativity Toolkit filled with fun ideas. Try just one idea per week for an easy way to add spice to your home and put smiles on the faces of those you live with.

If you want to keep a copy of this Creativity Toolkit, simply print out this page or download (Save) it to your computer.

Let's get started!

One of the easiest ways to brighten a room is to add or change the centerpiece on a table. Centerpieces need not be elaborate or costly and the most fun ones are pulled together using things already around the house and yard.

10 Ideas for a creative centerpiece:

1.  Place an odd assortment of china tea cups on a silver tray or mirror. Wind greenery and/or ribbons through cups.

2.  Slip or fashion a plastic liner into all kinds of objects for a creative vase; such as an old boot or a clay pot.

3.  Lay a row of decorative napkins down the center of the table for an impromptu runner. Add a decorative candle in the center, if desired.

4.  Group together odd sizes of candles and coordinate using greenery.

5.  Having an extended family dinner? Gather family photos from different eras, frame and assemble for a centerpiece. A guaranteed conversation starter!

6.  Fill a glass vase or bowl with colorful marbles. Add water and a candle for a more elegant look.

7.  Spraypaint pinecones the colors of your choice and desplay in a wicker basket. Add tiny white lights for gorgeous reflections.

8.  Use a row of three or four small decorated wreaths lying flat.

9.  Gather one or two large, decorative birdhouses and enhance with greenery or spanish moss.

10. Use the holiday tree idea all year long; hang tiny collectibles, pumpkins, old earrings & jewelry, ribbons & bows, candy canes, dried flowers, doll hats, faux butterflies, anything in miniature.

When it comes to gift-giving, it truly is the thought that counts. Here are some ideas to stimulate your thinking!

Customized Gift Hints:

1. Have a teen away at college missing a beloved pet?  Gather old and new photos of your child and his/her pet and put together an attractive scrapbook.  That next 'care package' will be more appreciated than ever!

2. Looking for a customized collage?  Blow up favorite (cropped) photos, frame and display!

3. Take a group picture at your next children's party.  Send a copy to each guest. The parents won't soon forget your thoughtfulness!

4. The best gift of all is your time. Today, make somebody's day...tonight, after the dishes and homework are done, skip bathtime and play a boardgame with your kids!

5. Giving a baby shower close to the holidays?  Purchase a miniature artificial tree at a hobby store and decorate it with tiny  baby gifts like rattles and pacifiers.  Attach items with ribbons and diaper pins.  Use it as a centerpiece and give it to the new mom when the fun is through!

6. Want to give a favorite book as a gift?  Use your computer to print out a fancy bookplate with your inscription and glue inside the front cover.  Tie up with ribbon and dried florals and give with love!

7. Having a long day with your little darlings?  Send your own mom a 'thank you' for all those days she stood by you!

8. Making memories...
Preserve cherished birthday cards in a scrap book and include a picture of the birthday girl or boy on the same page.

9. We all learn this when we are teenagers:  music helps us connect. Consider a gift of music for someone special in your life.

10. Need a quick contribution for bake sale?  Slice and bake premade cookie dough and garnish with purchased icing and  candies.

11. Set-up an assembly line to make short work of several same-gifts for coworkers or a class or a team.

12. Want a practical housewarming gift? How about a first-aid kit or fire-extinguisher for the new home?

13. Know a little tyke (and Mom) just starting out? Wrap up any gently worn, appropriate age toys your child is done enjoying, place into a colorful plastic bin or laundry basket and give to the new family.

14. Got a child who has been working hard to please you? Reward them with a day spent with you watching a movie marathon or baking together!

15. A festive flag makes an easy and welcome housewarming gift.

Seasonal Decorating Suggestions:

1. Need a fresh look for the spring? Go for apples! Find a framed apple print, make some cloth napkins out of a bright apple fabric. Take a beautiful glass bowl and keep it filled with several apple varieties where your family can grab-and-run.

2. Really want to improve your garden or landscape next year? Now's the time to plan. Get a couple of library books or magazines to read for a couple of minutes every evening before you retire. Jot down the ideas that you want to explore more. Look for Home and Garden Expos in your area and attend.

3. Use your own decorated canvas bags instead of stockings at Christmas.

4. A garden doesn't have to be alive and green (or outside) to be beautiful. 'Plant' different size and shape stars in decorator pots. Or try candles, rag dolls, signs, family photos. Anything that fits on a stick!

5. This year go different:  put bells on your pumpkins and jewelry on your wreaths!

6. Once a year go through your wardrobe:  rearrange combos, add different accessories, go with a new color scheme.  The change will make you feel like a new woman!

7. For spring; paint and hang a small picket fence or lattice section; embellish with vines and dried flowers. Or train a living vine to climb it!

8. When is comes to decor, start with a few basic pieces you can embellish differently throughout the year. One pretty glass bowl, for example, can be used and reused in a million different ways. Collect ribbons, bows, faux flowers, stones, etc. when on sale and reuse over and over.

9. Bring nature indoors...
Grab (gently!) some of those beautiful fall leaves, spray lightly with clear spray (to preserve a bit) and sandwich between a lovely cloth napkin and beveled glass.  Display on your tabletop!

10. Change your potpourri or scented candles to reflect the seasons; fresh floral for spring, tropical and light for the summer, cozy hot apple cider for the fall and traditional cinnamon and pine for the holidays.

The concept of pampering is really about providing a soothing and relaxing environment. Even a little bit can be profoundly rejuvenating.

Pamper Ideas:

1. Wrap up individual chocolates or candies securely in pretty foils. Jot down one reason you care for your beloved and attach to the candy. Pop one a day into a jacket pocket or lunch box!

2. Moms are the best. Make sure you give yourself a hug today!

3. Tie up clean towels with ribbons in the bath for a romantic effect.

4. Humans can detect more than 10,000 aromas.  Is your home full of the scents you love?

5. Keep little bins of luxury soaps and spa items tucked into your linen closets.  They'll keep everything smelling terrific when you open the door and they make great last minute gifts when you need them.

6. Purchase a supply of your man's favorite small everyday items, such as toiletries, sports items (golf balls), funny cards, snacks, etc.  Each week hide one in an unexpected place at an unexpected time.  He'll love the attention--and you!

7. Sprinkle (a little!) scented talc between your sheets in the morning as you make your bed for an inviting rest at the end of a long day.

8. Take those last little slivers of scented soap and drop into an electric potpourri pot.  Add a little water, simmer, and enjoy!

9. The perfect pamper gift for a teen is a basket of his or her favorite convenience foods for their exclusive enjoyment!

10. Do you know someone who desperately could use the gift of time? Offering to run their household for a morning or afternoon might be the sweetest pampering gift you can give.

Decor Hints & Tips:

1. Clean throw-rugs on tables make great table runners!

2. Don't have a collection to display? Make one in a hurry with old baskets & straw hats. Embellish with ribbons, lace and stenciling, if desired, and hang.

3. Old tin buckets make great plant stands.  Paint jazzy colors and turn upside-down.

4. Have a large photo sitting somewhere that looks lonely or isolated? Add some interest with candles, flowers, greenery, shells, jars of marbles, whatever coordinates well; just remember to surround the photo, don't overwhelm it.

5. Christmas lights are not just for the holidays! Use a string of tiny white lights tucked behind a display to back-light with elegance.

6. Ever tried a potluck party?  Somebody brings the games, somebody brings the music, several somebodies bring the food and drinks.  You supply the home and the ambience!

7. Set off a collection of odd teacups with lacy napkins, old jewelry and ribbons.

8. Take favorite baby clothes and give them a new life on a set of teddy bears or floppy eared bunnies.

9. Set up bins or baskets by the back door.  Assign one to each family member through color-coding or labeling. This will help mittens, hats, etc., stay attached to the right person!

10. Think in terms of layering and shape when decorating: a colored vase inside a glass vase; a small frame inside a large frame; several sheer layers of fabric over a window instead of one heavy layer.

11. Paint an old wooden door to coordinate with the decor and hang horizontally over a bed for an unusual headboard.

12. Add a crackle finish to an old frame or chair and cover up any imperfections.

13. Embellish plain furniture with fancy wooden appliques (available at hardware stores). Stay away from antiques, though!

14. Need to improve the looks of ordinary stand-alone unit book-shelves? Paint or wallpaper the interior backs to coordinate with the rest of the room. Consider using strong color as it will recede when you place items on shelves. Then add fabric 'curtains' and matching 'valance' for an elegant, customized look.

15. Remember, when designing spaces for kids' play, you will need three sizes of basic storage: one for large items like large balls and dress-up clothes, a medium size for games and dolls/stuffed animals and a smaller size for tiny items like blocks, miniature cars or play jewelry. One toy-chest alone just won't do the trick.

16. Done with all those doll clothes? Hang them by tiny clothespins on a decorative rope and string across an open window for a fun valance in a girl's bedroom or playroom. Or, if they have sentimental value, mount in a shadow box under glass to preserve and enjoy.

17. Paint up a collection of old, odd-sized wooden bowls in bright caribbean colors. Hang on a wall or stack on a shelf to complement an enlarged vacation photo.

18. Enliven plain decor or furniture easily and inexpensively with creative add-ons such as fabric skirts, handpainted or stenciled detailing, lace edgings or decoupage artwork.

19. Rotate pillow covers for a quick-change of mood.

20. Need to tie two unlike areas together? Fabric paint blocks of color from both areas on a curtain of neutral muslin and hang between the areas.

21. Have a long boring wall, like a hallway? Use a faux paint technique on it to create texture and interest. For example, pop vinework on the wall randomly, but only occasionally.

22. Quick Change--update the mood of your home instantly (and yourself!) by changing the wreath on your front door!

23. Hang a decorative banner behind a display for added interest.

24. Before covering a styrofoam form with decorative add-ons, paint it with a coordinating background color and prevent white styrofoam 'peek-thru'.

25. Want to keep kids'artwork for longer than just a week on the fridge? Crop artwork to desired size and mount on two or three contrasting gold or silver-look papers. Mount as a collage on large piece of handmade paper with torn edges (tear handmade paper when wet for easier 'torn' look) and hang. Or arrange artwork on a fabric covered foam-board and hang.

26. The doorbell rings and you can still smell dinner? Keep a bag of loose potpourri close at hand and refill a decorative pot or basket as the guests come in the door.  Crush in your hand as you pour to quick-release the scent.

27. Dress up decor you already have in your home, such as candles, baskets, pillows, and tablerunners, by adding raffia, ribbons, tassels and trims!

28. Perk up old shelves by hanging fresh wallpaper behind them or add fabric edging to the shelves themselves.

29. Decorating for a birthday party?  Do half pinwheels and half balloons for a fun 'interactive' decor!

30. What's comfortable on your body will feel comfortable around your body.  Dress your home the way you dress yourself!

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Copyright 1999-2006 Creative Energies Enterprises Updated on April 03, 2006.

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