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Creating A Harry Potter Style Party-Infographic

Children of all ages, and adults too, love the magical world of Harry Potter and with the UK release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them we thought we’d take a look at how you can create a Harry Potter style party in your home.

Take a look at our infographic below and be inspired to change the décor in your eating area to resemble the candle lit dining room at Hogwarts, and transform your entrance hall into platform 9¾ at Kings Cross train station so that your guests can jump through a ‘brick wall’ into the magic of your party. We even offer an idea to make your toilet more wizard and less Muggle.

If you’re wondering what tasty delights to conjure up, we’ve included some tasty recipes for you to tempt the taste buds of your wizarding friends.

With wand in hand, read on and be inspired to create a party that’s will take your friends into the magical world of Harry Potter.
Creating a Harry Potter Style Party
Creating a Harry Potter Style Party by Terrys Fabrics.

Deaf-friendly games for a children’s party-infographic

Throwing a party for children can be stressful and if you know that a child with a hearing loss is coming, your stress levels can easily rise even higher. But there really is no need to worry, children’s parties should always be all inclusive and with a few tweaks and adjustments you’ll never have to concern yourself again.

Take a look at the infographic below, it’s full of brilliant hints and tips that will make your party more inclusive. We’ve suggested popular party games that can be adapted to suit deaf children. Simple things such as using lights in combination with music will allow a deaf child to join in musical bumps, musical statues and pass-the-parcel. Taking away the music altogether and just use lighting will add a new twist to party games and make them even more fun!

Giving children and adults name badges is another way to make your party more inclusive, not only will the badges help the children, they will also help you to remember all the names!

Communication with everyone is the name of the game, so to speak. Talk clearly, use hand gestures and even sign language throughout the party to make everyone feel included. Don’t shy away from a deaf child’s parents, invite them along to help you, an extra pair of hands is always welcome. Ask them if they have any suggestions to make your party an all-inclusive affair.

Read on to see how you can create deaf-friendly games for a children’s party.
Keeping Kids Entertained on Long Car Journeys
Deaf-friendly games for a childrens party by Wooden Toy Shop

3 Simple Backyard Improvements That Will Expand Your Living Space

3 Simple Backyard Improvements That Will Expand Your Living Space

Your house is just a fraction of your living space. There are several ways to upgrade your backyard to make it a more appealing and inviting space for entertaining or simply for relaxing in the fresh air. The following backyard improvements will provide you with enjoyment for years to come. They can be completed as a do-it-yourself project or subcontracted out to professionals.

Fire Pit

Fire pits are a simple addition to your home enjoyed by one person on a quiet night or several people during a party or after dinner. You can build your fire pit in a weekend day with materials from your local hardware store. You can construct a simple paver or concrete block fire pit as a circular or square design. Make sure to build the structure to accept the fire pit insert, and stabilize the structure by staggering each block layer.

Gather ideas about materials, mainly shape and color by browsing fire pit galleries online.

fire pit

Garden Swing

This isn’t your kid’s swing. Garden swings or arbor swings are sturdier and larger to accommodate adults. While the project is more labor and time intensive than the fire pit project, it can still be completed in a weekend. The tools for this project are also more specialized but need not be purchased. You can often rent the tools you don’t own from a local home improvement center or equipment rental business.

Wooden-Garden-Swing

Arbor swings usually start with square or round beams sunk in concrete. An auger can make digging the hole much easier. This is one of the tools you can rent if don’t own one. After sinking the upright supports, shad is created with the addition of a trellis. Make sure the concrete is dry and the beams are straight before building the trellis. The final step is hanging a swing with chains from the trellis. There are several videos and plans available online giving step-by-step instructions for the project. You might also be able to find plans at your local woodworking center.

Pub Shed

Who hasn’t dreamed of owning their own bar? Possibly, that fantasy involved a cozy little place where friends gather to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. The dream can come true without the headaches of real bar ownership. Build your own pub shed! This is the most complicated of the projects. The time and complexity will depend on how much of the actual shed construction you take on. Pre-assembled sheds are available if you want to save. Building a shed may take a weekend to a week to complete.

Irish pub

The time it takes to decorate your pub depends on how fancy your interior decoration. Your dream pub may continue to look like your neighbor’s garden shed from the outside. What makes them different is what’s on the inside. Your shed dimensions will dictate how intricate the interior may be. The smallest pub shed might resemble a small food stand, with a window and counter where friends can drink their favorite ale while the host plays bartender inside.

Looking for a more elaborate project? A larger shed might offer a bar area for standing and an open area with chairs or couches for people to sit on. Outside of physical dimensions, money and imagination are your only restraints. So, whether you fancy a traditional English pub or have always dreamed of owning a bar on the beach, create your shed to make your dream come true.

Store Bought or DIY

Whether you want to build your own fire pit, garden swing or pub shed, contract it out, or do something in between, decide how much effort and money you want to invest before you begin. Plans are often available online or at your local home improvement store. Garden shed plans are a good foundation for building your pub shed.

Author Bio

James Houser is former Navy and a father of two. He has a 4yr old son who is currently training to become a Jedi and a 21 month old daughter who is already prepared to rule the galaxy. When James isn’t building forts or being used as a climbing gym by his kids, he enjoys writing, gaming, and listening to the Truth & Justice Podcast. Follow him @sifuhouser.

Design a Beautiful Wine Cellar for Your Home

design a beautiful wine cellar

Nothing speaks of extravagance and luxury of a home more than its wine cellar. Reasons behind this are numerous and they are all equally persuading. First and foremost, you get your own supply of wine composed of your own handpicked vintages. Second, you get something to boast about to your household visitors and last, but not the least important, it significantly boosts your home’s property value. Even though having a wine cellar seems so alluring, making this dream come to life is far from easy and most people wouldn’t even know where to start. For this reason alone, here are some tips and tricks.

Room Selection

There is no law against putting your wine cellar anywhere in the house, but it is most practical if you find the coolest and most humid place in your home to fit this purpose.

wine cellar

As you can see, you will first have to learn how to store wine, since knowing how to enjoy it is obviously not enough on its own. On the contrary, maintenance alone in terms of cooling units and adequate insulation will on their own cost an arm and a leg. This is why most people go with the basement in the first place.

Additional Construction

Regardless of how adequate your room may seem; you will have to put in some additional effort to transform it into a genuine wine cellar. First you will have to install studs, soffits and add some rough in refrigeration to the room. Now, this can be quite expensive as a construction, but if you have a contractor friend and you help out when it comes to rough works, all of this can cost next to nothing. After all, the materials alone are quite cheap, so your only major expense will be in case of adding refrigeration. When you finish with these initial layers, you can do the insulation and cover the walls up.

Furnishing Your Cellar

Here, you will have the chance to express your inner designer since furnishing your room the proper way requires a lot of finesse. You will first have to choose suitable wine cupboards and here you can go for anything from vintage (pun intended) to contemporary.

wine cellar cupboards

After this, you can dedicate yourself to details such as cellar doors, flooring and ceiling. Just remember that you will bring people in for your wine exhibits, so you cannot afford to be reckless with its design. Finally, you can dedicate some time to choosing the perfect lighting system, but for the sake of your wine make sure to turn it off as soon as you leave the room. In fact, it might even be a good long term investment to get a motion sensor controlled system.

Supplying the Cellar

Finally, we come to the fun part. After all of the hard work is done, all you need to do is properly stock your newly built cellar. Some may believe that when you come to this point, everything works out on its own, but it is quite far from truth. The entire success of your cellar depends on how much are you willing to spend on wine, and by the time you get here your budget will probably already be stretched thin.

wine cellar wine

However, in a recent conversation with people behind successful bottle shops from Sydney it came to our attention that you don’t have to stock your cellar at once. This can be a gradual process (ever spanning over the course of several years) which can be quite light on your wallet.

As you can see, there are countless reasons why your home desperately needs a wine cellar and not a single reason against it. Sure, designing a wine cellar may be a bit more difficult that simply redecorating your living room, but it is also more rewarding. Although some believe that this luxury must cost an arm and a leg, it all depends on three things. How much are you willing to do on your own. How much are you willing to invest in the decoration itself and of course, how significant parts of your budget are you going to allocate to stocking it with wine.

Guest Post By:

Chloe TaylorChloe is an art historian, recreational ballet dancer and a contributor at smoothdecorator.com. She is passionate about photography, dance and music. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world with her husband and take stunning photographs of beautiful places. She also enjoys learning and writing about home design, since she is crazy about aesthetics. You can find Chloe on FB, Twitter, and G+.

Batman vs Superman-Epic Bedroom Decor Ideas

With the upcoming release of Batman vs Superman, we found this cool infographic on an epic battle of the bedroom decor ideas.  Who will win? Batman or Superman?

We think you’ll be the winner by adding some of these awesome superhero design ideas to your bedroom!
Batman vs Superman – battle of the bedrooms
Batman vs Superman – battle of the bedrooms by Terrys Fabrics.

How to turn your garage into a man cave

You might have noticed that interior decor tips online aim at the the fairer sex more often than not. Men, however, need a place to call their own – the kind of place where they can play video games or poker and feel completely in control and comfortable. If you have a garage, you have the place to do it.

man cave

Create the basic skeleton first

Clean the garage to make space for your cave. While you certainly have to keep items in the garage, if the entire space is filled, there is little room for more important male activities. Keeping the car in the garage when you are not cave-dwelling is possible too. Install shelves, cabinets and toolboxes. These create extra space in your man cave, and you will impress your wife when she sees how organized the garage is.

Add your own decor

Pull down the pretty curtains and replace them with more masculine coatings. Black is the perfect color for curtains and blinds, and cardboard works just as well. Give yourself bonus points if you find beer signs or place framings with target-shooting boards on the windows.

Beer and snacks are a must

Add a refrigerator at your man cave. Fill it with beer, soda and snacks such as crackers, chips and special treats you want to keep, either cold or away from the rats, insects and children. Ideally, put the sofa, TV, and refrigerator all in easy reach from each other. This makes for a more relaxing experience.

Important necessities

In order to have fun, you can always add a big screen TV to watch sports or play games with friends, or opt for an old-fashioned TV to keep the vintage vibe. Place a battered old sofa, recliner chair and other furniture in front of your entertainment center. The older boys, as they learn the ways of man cave, will find this kind of seating area relaxing. And don’t forget roller door remotes to make your lounging in a man cave even more comfortable.

Bathroom?

Well, not a fully equipped bathroom. However, if you plan on spending uninterrupted time in your man cave, building a part for a toilet would be more than useful. You wouldn’t have to go inside the house every now and then. If you planned on employing the services of a contractor for rough works, be sure to go over with them how a mini bathroom could be implemented. As for your input, make sure you choose some fun bathroom accessories that will make the bathroom your own.

Let the games begindarts

Set a foosball table, pool table, darts and a game table with chairs for poker. While these require a little more space, they are ideal for male bonding in the cave. An old arcade game or a slot machine casino adds a special touch. Moreover, adjust the lighting to your taste. Dark corners with light bulbs hanging over a pool table or poker table are ideal for man caves.

Watch the seasons change

Furnish your man cave with heaters for winter and install air conditioning for the summer. Fans are also perfect to increase air movement while drowning out the sounds inside the house.

A man cave can start with a few simple touches and grow over time. As budget allows, add more extravagant features.

Housewarming Essentials: Building a Bar in Your New Home

housewarming

After days and weeks spent looking for a new home, cross-comparing removal company fees and packing your gear, it is finally time to move in and settle down. There is no better way to celebrate the successful completion of the house hunt than to throw a housewarming party and invite all your friends to break in the new place.

Naturally, you will need drinks, glasses and other bartending essentials for the occasion – and for future enjoyment as well, so make sure you stock up your spirits and organize the bar before first guests show up for the party. Lacking the know-how? Here are several useful tips on how to build a liquor haven in your new home.

From Kitchen to Bar: Miscellaneous Staples

Any experienced bartender can tell you: though prepping a perfect cocktail calls for extensive knowledge about liquor proportions and mixing procedures, it is the extras that add the final kick. For a refreshing concoction of spirits, grab ice, sugar, fresh lime, lemons and seasonal fruit from the kitchen and finish the mouth-watering heady combo with a pinch of aromatic herb leaves (mint, basil, lemon verbena and thyme are most common herbal cocktail ingredients).

Bar Tools: Bartending Fundamentals

To put on a true-blue liquor mixing show (remember Tom Cruise in Cocktail?), you will need some basic bartending gear such as a citrus reamer, cocktail shaker, muddler, jigger, bar spoon, paring knife and bottle opener. Of course, if you do not want to spend extra money on these bar accessories, you can improvise and use a long kitchen spoon instead of its bar counterpart or swap the jigger for standard kitchen measures – after all, it is quality liquor that matters most.

Tipping the Glassware: Different Glass types

With the liquor cabinet loaded, it is time to move onto glassware. Different liquors are served in different types of glasses, so you will need at least a set of martini glasses, tall champagne flutes and stemmed wine glasses in your cupboard if you are to impress the guests with your knowledge of the spirits and serving routines. As you level up your bar contents, consider adding shot glasses (for strong drinks) and slender highballs (for cocktails) to your glassware collection.

The Indispensable Essentials: Base Spirits

The list of basic ingredients for a home-based bar includes foundation liquors such as vodka, gin, full-bodied wine specials, whiskey, tequila and dark and light rum. Next, you will want to add a dash of spicy and get some flavorful cocktail ingredients such as bitters, vermouth (dry and sweet), cointreau and triple sec. With these liquors, you will be able to mix up most basic cocktails such as Cosmopolitans, Margaritas, Manhattans and Martinis.

A Zesty Flavor: Liqueurs, Aperitifs and Cordials

Now that you have the bar fundamentals, it is time to move on to aperitifs, cordials and liqueurs. Crème de Violette, Lillet, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Campari, Amaretto, Grand home barMarnier and Baileys are a must-have for a well-stocked bar, but you can add any other hooch you like to throw down now and again for diversity’s sake.

Mixer-uppers: Add the Bubbles

To round off your bar collection, grab a handful of mixers such as tonic water, club soda or seltzer, fizzy lemonade and sparkling beer or ale. Bubbly and refreshing, mixers will add the final touch to your liquor-master pantry and help you whip up delicious alcoholic combinations with just a tinge of fizz to ward off potential morning-after hangovers.

Building a bar at home is probably one of the most rewarding and enjoyable DIY projects for established liquor connoisseurs and cocktail enthusiasts. Even if you do not possess stunning mixology skills and experience, a well-stacked bar will certainly impress everyone you invite over for a round of drinks, and it will definitely help your guests get into the right mood during the housewarming party, so do not forget to get all the staples before it is time to rock out some whiskey on the rocks.

 

 

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