Spring has finally arrived. Here are some good things to help you make the most of the season – tips for brightening rooms, personalizing your celebrations, planting your garden and giving your home a fresh look for spring.
MAGNETIC TOUCH: You can enjoy the feel of spring when you decorate with magnet-fitted flowers. Fabric roses, ranunculus and mums can blossom just about anywhere: Embellish curtains, tablecloths and living- room lampshades.
Look in craft stores for a variety of complementary-hued blooms, and adhere mini magnets (also from craft stores) to the backs of the flowers with a hot-glue gun, just above their raised centers. Then secure them to any soft surface by placing a second magnet on its reverse side.
MULTITASKING MACHINE: Home-office paper shredders have a more whimsical function: transforming paper scraps into pretty packing grass for baskets or gift boxes.
Hook a strip-cut shredder over a plastic storage bin, shred used wrapping paper and other papers in bright colors. Use the results to spruce up packages for family and friends. You can also just shred old newspapers to pad fragile items before shipping.
FANCY SUGAR: Spring flowers formed from sugar are a sweet touch for coffee and tea service. Add 2 teaspoons of water to 1 cup of sugar, and knead with your hands until it’s the consistency of wet sand.
Pack moistened sugar into flower-shaped plastic mold trays (available at kitchen supply stores – shapes should be 1 to 1K inches across), and scrape off any excess with a small spatula. Immediately turn out molded shapes onto a parchment-lined tray, and let harden overnight. Store sugar in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a month.
HOSE STAND: Make sure each plant in your budding garden gets its fair share of water by elevating a sprinkler to a higher level using a simple bamboo pole. You’ll need an oscillating spigot designed for in-ground use, a bamboo pole and two plastic fastener strips.
Cut the pole to the size you need: 2 to 3 feet for low vegetables, 4 to 6 feet for tall flowers. Push the bamboo about 8 inches into the soil to secure it. Then place the metal spigot plate on top of the pole so the spike hangs down its side. Fasten the spike to the pole with the plastic strips. Trim the ends of plastic strips before attaching your hose.
GAUGING HOLES: This trick will save you some trouble when you’re planting a sapling in your yard: Stand a rake beside the root ball, and grasp the handle 1 to 2 inches below the root flare (where the trunk meets the root ball). Then check if the hole is deep enough by laying a spade across the opening and lowering the rake to the bottom. If your hand meets the spade, you’re ready to plant.
CANDLEWAX: Candlelight can make an evening romantic or festive, but by the end of the night you may find wayward drops of melted wax on your upholstery. Don’t despair, though-it is relatively easy to remove wax from washable fabrics on your own, and a professional dry-cleaner can help you with more delicate items.
If the fabric is durable, as cotton is, try to clean it yourself. First, harden the wax: Let it cool on its own or hasten the process by rubbing it with an ice cube wrapped in plastic. Once the wax is firm, remove the stained cover, and carefully scrape off as much wax as you can using your fingernail or the dull edge of a butter knife.
Then place several layers of damp paper towels on each side of the fabric, ironing over the paper on a low setting. The wax should be absorbed by the towels. Apply a fabric stain remover to eliminate any lingering residue (check for colorfastness first, then follow label instructions), and blot with clean paper towels before laundering.
If the material is fragile, do not attempt to scrape off the wax. “With silk or any other delicate fabric that has wax spots, the best thing to do is have it professionally cleaned,” says Jerry Pozniak, owner of Cameo Cleaners of Gramercy Park in New York City. “Dry-cleaning solvents will dissolve the wax without damaging the material itself.”
If the drippings are on a cushion or pillow cover that can’t be taken off, Pozniak suggests that you ask your dry-cleaner to recommend a tailor who can carefully pull out the stuffing so the covering can be treated separately.
As always, light candles only when the wick is a safe distance from flammable materials such as curtains. And before going to bed, be sure to extinguish every flame.
