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Painting the interior of our home is a project that you can easily tackle yourself and one that can make a big difference in the feeling of your environment.  Painting a room packs a big punch for a small investment.   It can also be a fun and rewarding project for the whole family.  And if you don’t like the results, it is easy to start over, so there is no downside to getting a little creative.

Using a little imagination, you can create unique and personalized walls in your space.  Listed here are some easy interior painting ideas to get you started.

1. Faux painting is the art of painting the walls (or anything else) to look like something else.  Common faux finish techniques can leave you with walls that look like wood, marble, aged stucco, leather or granite.  There are specific techniques, tools, paints and even kits made for many of these common faux finishes.  But many techniques can be accomplished with regular paint and tools.   In my home, using nothing but a brush and rag, we faux finished ugly white painted wrought iron railings into “antiqued” brown railings like you would see on an old Spanish style building.

2. Stenciling is another fairly easy interior design painting idea.  Using a cut out template held or taped to the wall, you fill in the cut-outs with paint.  When you remove the template, the design remains.  There are many different pre-made templates available or you can make your own.  Stenciling can be used as a border, on the entire surface, or anything in-between.

3. Rubber stamping is the easiest of all.  Pre cut rubber stamps are available in many different designs, and can be applied to your walls in whatever pattern or colors makes you happy.  This is also a fun project for children.

Besides these techniques, using paint to create interest is high on my list of interior decorating painting ideas.    Paint can be used to create architectural details that don’t exist, such as molding, crown railings or molded door panels.  Headboards can be painted in above beds, or drawers and cabinets where there is a blank space. Windows can even be added.    Really, when it comes to interior painting ideas, the sky’s the limit.  Wait, there’s another idea…sky, stars, moon… hmmm…think I have a new project in mind.

I just love any type of jewelry, but lately I have been inspired by art nouveau and art deco vintage jewelry.   Art nouveau jewelry was the predominant style from about 1890 through about 1920, and was characterized by soft curved shapes and lines.  Often the theme was flora or fauna, flowers or animals, or the female form.   After World War I ended, art deco jewelry became popular.  The heyday of this style’s popularity was 1920s through the 1930’s.

The art deco style originated in France, but quickly became popular throughout Europe and the United States.   It was a sharp departure from the Art Nouveau style.  Geometric shapes, stepped designs, sharp angles and lines, and use of bold colors characterize the style.    Frequently used design motifs were Egyptian or Aztec shapes and symbols. Art deco jewelry designs could be very intricate, and usually included colored gemstones.   During the 1930’s, all “white” jewelry, made of diamonds and platinum was very popular.

Vintage art deco jewelry is quite popular today and can be found in antique shops, as well as specialty jewelry stores.   Some antique art deco jewelry pieces can be very pricey, especially those that incorporate gemstones.  However, because the jewelry of this period was mass-produced, it is easy to find, and there are many examples of less expensive costume jewelry in the art deco style.

Besides jewelry, art deco style can be seen in many other decorative arts as well, including furniture and architecture, and it’s influence can be seen in fashion, consumer products and other arts from this period. The style, often called Moderne, was widely thought to be eclectic and modern, and was reflective of many of the new technologies, efficiencies and cultural advances of the day.

Art deco jewelry, although not as popular, as in the 1920’s and 1930’s, is still beautiful and enchanting. Today, it is valued as vintage or antique, and interesting pieces can be quite valuable.  If you are a lucky jewelry aficionado like myself, you may even own a piece yourself.

Gift giving is one of the great pleasures in life, but can be oh-so-frustrating at times.   This is especially true when money is tight or when there are just too darn many gifts needed at one time, such as Christmas.  Gifts for grandparents can be especially challenging for children.   In our family, we encourage creativity and imagination in the gift-giving process.

Great gifts for first time grandparents include many personalized items.  These include bracelets or necklaces with baby’s name.  T-shirts, mugs, hats and many other items can be personalized with the new grandchild’s name or photo.  Photos of the new grandchild can be presented in a special frame or even in a digital frame, which displays multiple pictures.

Grandparents generally are very appreciative of any kind of homemade or hand-made gift from their grandchildren.  Good handmade gifts for grandparents run the gamut from simple to sophisticated.   My children have presented their grandparents with hand painted ceramic vases, framed original love letters and poetry, homemade photo albums, fancy decorated picture frames, birdhouses, handmade boxes filled with cookies or other treats, and many more.

Christmas gifts for grandparents usually involve photographs in my house.  My children have gathered family photos and turned them into calendars, notepads, address books, mouse pads, and stationery.   They have even taken still photographs and created themed video montages.   One of these chronicled their grandparent’s marriage; another was themed around a family vacation.   These are good Christmas gifts for grandparents from teenagers or young adults, who are generally short on money but have great computer skills.

Grandparents are generally thrilled with any effort that their grandchildren make at holiday or birthday time.  With a little imagination and some advance planning, children can create items that their grandparent will cherish.   Personalized and homemade gifts for grandparents can be fun, inexpensive and a big hit.