Author Archives: Jennifer

How to Decorate an Old House Trailer

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House trailers can be quite ugly but with a bit of work you can turn it into a cheery place that becomes a local landmark in your neighborhood.

Start by rehabbing the exterior of the trailer by removing and replacing the siding. If this is not possible then you can paint the siding to give it a fresh, bright look. You can also paint the skirting and plant flowers and shrubs around it to make it look merry and also conceal any damage to the skirting.

Sprucing up the door and steps by painting and staining them also helps the trailer house look a bit better. Consider getting a new screen door or a vintage one made out of cut-out work to fancy up the front of the place. Adding potted flowers to the steps and hanging plants to the eaves can really help make it look more up-to-date.

Inside you can make rooms look newer and fresher by removing old paneling and replacing it. You can also buy paint and stains for refreshing the look of dark paneling. The lighter the paneling you choose is the more likely you are to make the small rooms inside the trailer look larger.

Improving the windows help replace your old curtains and draperies with venetian blinds or modern tie back drapes. Sheer curtains are hip and elegant looking at the same time and let more light into the trailer without compromising your privacy.
Modernizing your flooring can also make the place look a bit snappier. There are wood laminate floors on the market now that look just like hard work. Carpet also makes a trailer look smaller and older inside but if you must have it then replace it with flat easy-to-clean wool carpet in a neutral cotemporary color. Kitchen floors can also be retiled in checkered patterns and stripes to make the kitchen area look larger.

Use mirrors and lighting to update the look of your place, especially in the bathroom. In the living room use frosted and slightly tinted bulbs to add a bit of glamor. Track lighting that focuses on art work or photographs on the wall can also help the place look more up-to-date. Replace any regular light switches with dimmer switches so you can create exactly the atmosphere you like in the trailer. The softer the light is inside the more romantic your place will feel.

How to Make Your Own Christmas or New Year’s Crackers

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Crackers are those decorative tubes that you crack and half and when they make a loud pop they snap in half and toys or party favors fall out. They were originally popularized during Victorian times but have been a holiday tradition since 1847.

They can be expensive to buy but you can easily make your own. To make them all you need is cardboard tubes (the size of toilet paper rolls), decorative wrapping paper, a glue stick, pretty ribbon and one package of snapper strips which is available at craft stores. You will also need a selection of toys, charms, fortunes, paper crowns and other tiny novelties to stuff inside of them.

You can use cardboard tubes for the body of the cracker and another one that is cut in half as the part that will split and half and break it open. Run a strip of glue along the length of the long tube and position the tube, glue side down, to the center of the long side of the gift wrap making sure the paper is smooth and not wrinkled. You should then let the glue dry.

You then need to roll up the half tube in the paper and glue it again where the paper overlaps. Be sure to add glue in a long strip down the entire length of the decorative paper and let it dry so that it is evenly rolled in the paper.

It is then time to insert the charms, toys, hats and jokes into the covered cardboard tube. You should insert the snapper strip so that it hangs out the other end close enough to the edge of the paper to grasp with your thumb and forefinger. This enables the user to snap it so it makes a popping sound when it is eventually broken open. Gently cinch the paper on either side of the roll where the paper ends and fold the paper around for neat edges. You should then tie each end with pretty ribbon create the familiar cracker shape.

Finally, insert the short cardboard tubes into the cracker ends, one end on each side of the body roll so the ends meet nicely together. You can then decorate the crackers with ribbon, glitter, monograms, cut out flowers, felt snowflakes and other decorations.
A nice touch is to include a heartfelt personal thank you to the guest that opens the cracker. This is not the kind of detail that you get when you buy these from a store.