Friday, May 29, 2009

Summer Craft Projects

Spring brings renewal and fresh ideas and summer holds warm weekends at the lake or by the pool sharing good company with friends and family. To save money, many people are looking for alternative things to do instead of going to a movie or taking a weekend trip. While these small craft projects may not last an entire weekend, they are a good start and a great way to get your creative, crafty juices flowing.

Fabric Napkin Rings

A great afternoon project that is not only fun but an excellent way to change up your dinner table or picnic table for the summer time is Fabric Napkin Rings.

Choose your favorite light weight fabric, such as a bandana or anything 100% cotton and your favorite buttons. Cut your fabric into 6 x 9 inch strips. Fold each strip into thirds lengthwise and then into thirds widthwise. Sew a button onto one end about an inch from the edge. Make sure to cut a corresponding button hole on the opposite end and voila! You have a cute inexpensive table dressing.

If you are looking for a fun way to renew that old lamp shade, cover it with your favorite fabric. Begin your project by laying a large piece of butcher paper, brown wrapping paper or wax paper onto a table. Lay your lamp shade onto the paper with the seam alligning with the end of the paper. Roll the lamp shade on the paper until the paper covers the shade completely. You should end up right back where you started along the seam. Be sure to leave about an inch extra on the top, bottom and along the seam of the shade. Fabric Lamp Shade

Next lay your piece of paper on top of your fabric being sure to pin the paper to the fabric. Cut the fabric using the paper as your guide.

Test to make sure your fabric is a good fit on the shade. Once tested, using either a spray adhesive or fabric glue, begin by brushing it on the back side of your fabric, then place your shade with the seam at the edge of the fabric as before and roll the shade along the fabric carefully checking that the fabric is not creasing or bubbling. To make sure your fabric fits over the top and bottom of the shade, clip your fabric every half inch. (If needed, close pin in certain places while the adhesive dries.)

Custom BagLastly, for all those beach goers this summer, a custom bag might just be the ticket. Check out this bright and colorful bag that one of our customer service representatives made.

Best of all, these great fabrics can be found at InteriorMall.com.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

A FANtastic Idea!

With summer creeping in on most parts of the country, Interior Mall has been working on one of our newest websites http://www.hunterceilingfanstore.com/. Here, we have everything from ceiling fans, bathroom fans and vanity lighting, portable fans and all kinds of fan accessories. You can trust that you'll get only the best from Hunter Fans, in business since 1886.

Even http://www.interiormall.com/ is preparing for a sweltering summer. We have added hundreds of new fans to our website and we have fans for every hot summer need you may have. Here's a sneak peak at just a few of our favorites.

Interior Mall has an assortment of great fans. Some of our cutest fans are specifically for children. We have everything from animal fans to airplanes and almost everything in between. Most child fans, like the one seen here, have Whisper wind motors to ensure ultra quiet comfort for your child. Most fans also come with lifetime warranties so you can let Little Timmy play as rough as he wants around his new fan.

We also have outdoor ceiling fans and outdoor table and floor fans available. They have the sleek designs of a regular indoor fan but are UL Wet Listed to endure the outdoors. Outdoor fans have a no rust construction and make a wonderful addition to any backyard party. Once the party's over, you can feel free to leave your fans outdoors. (Fans should not be left outside in severe weather.)

If traditional isn't your thing, Interior Mall also has some interesting and Unique Fans. These fans range in size and shape, and make for an interesting conversation piece. These fans, like the one shown, are handcrafted metal and can be purchased from http://www.interiormall.com/ for under $100.

Finally, for the rough and tumble working man, we have heavy duty Jobsite Fans. These fans have 3 speeds and 150W halogen lights to brighten your work area. These fans can carry up to 200lbs of gear to your jobsite and come with a rugged wheel construction. Jobsite fans come with a 5 year warranty.


No matter what your style, or what your need, Interior Mall has a fan to keep you cool this summer.





Friday, May 1, 2009

Mother's Day Countdown

Officially, there are only 9 days left until Mother's Day. And in case anyone has ever wondered here's a bit of history on where Mother's Day actually came from.

Mother's Day goes back all the way to ancient Greece where Rhea, the Mother of the God's was praised. Later, early Christians used this day to honor the mother of Christ, Mary. This holiday would later include all mothers and would be celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Cakes were brought as gifts to mothers but lack of time once the Americas had been settled led to a declining participation.

After the Civil Way the celebration was re-introduced and later, on December 12, 1912 the Mother's Day International Association was born. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday of May to be observed as Mother's Day in honor of all mother's.

Like many others, we've all been scrambling around the office for great, one-of-a-kind gifts to honor some of the greatest women we know. We thought our beloved readers would love to know what we've come up with.

We found these great sweet smelling DIY sachets on the Martha Stewart website. All you need are four 4-in squares and a little sewing knowledge. Cut the squares out of your favorite printed or solid fabrics, we suggest some of our new Michael Miller cotton prints. Place fabrics right sides facing and sew sides together making sure to leave a 1-in opening. Turn fabric right side out and fill with lavender, cedar or any of mom's favorite scents.

While we were there, we also came across some beautiful and easy homemade earrings. Grab some unique tassels and earring backs that can be obtained from any craft store. Use pliers to open the loops in the earring backs and insert the tassels. Bend the loop back and you've got a unique set of earring any mom would love.
For those not inclined to crafty things, http://www.interiormall.com/ has some great gifts for mom for under $25. Also consider, a custom initial bottle stopper or a beautiful Olivia Riegel photo frame. Whatever the route you choose, crafty or otherwise, make sure to stop in for all the latest and greatest products from Interior Mall.

Love You Mom!