* room makers

13 Cozy-up a drafty room with no-sew portieres, those doorway curtains so beloved by the Victorians. You can simply thumb-tack two sheets back-to-back across the door frame, right sides facing out (a dark overall paisley pattern would be very Victorian, indeed). Gather to one side with an over-sized tassel.

14 Recycle a lace or crocheted tablecloth for new use as a bed canopy. Swag evenly between the head posts; hold in place with small pushpins.

15 Make a tea-towel runner. Sew two pretty patterns together and press for a clean and casual look.
16 Recycle an old picnic table in a child’s playroom with a coat of gleaming orange paint.
17 Brighten a basement by painting a simple striped rug on a concrete, cement or stone floor. It’s critical that the floor be totally clean. Apply a couple of coats of acrylic primer before painting. Artist Debbie Travis added painted “stitches” to connect the stripes, stenciled flowers down the center and bordered her rug with fetching dog-paw

prints.
18 Diffuse half a bath window with a silk scarf “curtain.” Cover the lower half only and you can still enjoy the light with your privacy. Any pretty scarf that’s large enough will work. Turn over the top hem and baste in a channel for a thin spring-tension rod. Insert rod in channel and wedge in place about halfway up the window.

19 Cover your walls in fabric. Choose a tightly woven fabric like chintz with a non-directional pattern— openwork treillage is ideal. Apply wallpaper paste to the walls, then press the fabric in place. Trim edges with a razor and metal straightedge, or border with ribbon, rope or large braid.