Lisa Kim-Tribolati - Asian Accents: Stunning Decorating and Entertaining Ideas

tips

in living color - stencil your napkins to fit the occasion

Finding the right napkins to match your setting can sometimes be a problem. An easy way around this is to make your own. All you need is cotton fabric or napkins, fabric paint, and a stencil of the pattern you wish to create. Take a damp kitchen sponge and dip into the paint. Blot the excess onto some newspaper. Place the stencil over the area to be decorated and dot it with the sponge until the coverage of color you desire has been achieved. Remove the stencil and let the paint dry completely before use. Your stenciling can be as simple or intricate as you want. If using different stenciling patterns or colors, make sure one design or color has dried completely before applying another. A great idea for cocktail napkins is to stencil your monogram.

form & feng shui - good fortune decor

Why not decorate with fengshui! Buy some feng shui bells and welcome prosperity and harmony into your home. Use sage sticks to purify new rooms and light prosperity candles. Clear the air and open the pathways to chi'i (energy) with feng shui peony and lemongrass-scented potpourri.

the comfort zone - versatile vegetables

Not only do pumpkins make excellent food containers, but they can be used as interesting flower containers as well. Other vegetables can be substituted for flowers to make interesting table arrangements and are an inexpensive and unusual alternative. Try using a whole, fresh cauliflower, green leaves still in place, as a centerpiece; or wrap fresh red chilies with raffia and make tiny bouquets. Fill a glass container with whole limes or lemons, tamarind pods or gourds.

pretty in pink - more quick tricks with puff pastry

Save leftover pastry trimmings to make mini pain au chocolat: Cut out small circles and fill with a piece of chocolate. Fold the ends together and press the edges firmly together. Bake at 375 F until golden. Or for mini apple turnovers, fill with applesauce and bake until goldena great afternoon snack for the kids.

a touch of zen - the organic vase

Be creative in your choice of vase and use natural materials. The rustic appearance of this teak container/ice bucket is a perfect complement to the bright gerberas. Simply place a glass bowl inside the container and fill with water and your chosen blooms. Make orchids bloom from a woven Thai basket by inserting the stems into plastic florists tubes filled with water. These are available at most florists and allow you the flexibility of using a variety of unusual containers as vases, either upright or placed on their sides. The tubes are easily refilled and can be re-used numerous times.

the pool house - cool drinks for summer nights

Serve vodka, tequila or sake bottles in decorative ice containers. Use a milk carton, or any freezable container about I inch wider than your bottle and as tall. Place the bottle inside the container and fill with water to the neck of the bottle. Insert orchid stems, or whichever flower you prefer, into the water and freeze overnight. When frozen solid, peel away the carton. If using a nondisposable container, let stand for 15-30 minutes at room temperature until it can be easily removed. Place iced bottle back in freezer until ready to serve.

asian accents - the romantic table

To bring an extra sparkle to your table on special occasions, leave your more ordinary napkin holders in the cupboard and add a little romance in the form of these silver beads and ribbon which can be bought at most craft stores. Tie the ribbon in a bow around your folded napkin, then weave the beads in and out of the ribbon.

For the placecards, use fabric paint that comes in a squeeze bottle to make designs of your choice. and color on blank business cards. The heavy fabric paint creates the attractive effect of raised lettering.

ethnic chic - exotically wrapped vases

As a change from the usual centerpiece, the flowers for this dinner were wrapped in batik and put in front of the individual place settings. Fill bud vases with water and then wrap in a 6-inch square piece of fabric that matches or complements your table linen; fasten by tying a smaller piece of fabric around the middle. Experiment with different patterns, making sure your fabric does not overwhelm your flowers.

a moonlit courtyard - the enchanted garden

An alternative to the Chinese lanterns we used (left) is to use mini terra-cotta pots as candleholders to illuminate your garden party. Hindus celebrate Deepavali, the festival of light, by filling small terra-cotta bowls with lamp oil. A thick wick is then placed into the oil for lighting. A row of these winding its way through your garden is a enchanting way to lead guests to the party. Take care not to leave an open flame unattended.

indigo night - lacy gold nut holders

The delicious spiced party nuts are even more appealing when served in these gold cones. To make the nut holders, gold doilies were shaped into cones and secured with scotch tape. If preferred, you could use stickers instead of tape. These pretty cones would also make ideal containers for candy at children's parties.

indigo night - be jeweled candles

Candlelight always adds ambience and to make the candles themselves look the part for our "cocktail chic meets Arabian Nights" theme, we dressed them in jeweled ribbons. Be sure to use the sort of candles that don't drip wax if you don't want to ruin your ribbons. For the star cocktail napkins in the picture above, a rubber stamp with a star design was dipped into gold fabric paint and stamped onto the center of the napkins.

indigo night - gossamer drapes

These curtains can be hung over windows, doorways or even over dull sections of wall that need a little color. First, buy lightweight fabric in your desired colors. For height, measure the height of your room and add 5 inches to the measurement, the width depends on where you plan to hang the curtains. Lay out each panel of fabric and overlap some of the panels. At one end of the fabric, bunch the material into gathers and use a strong safety pin (or several) to hold the gathers in place to make the curtains. Once all the gathers have been made, take strong hardware tape at least I inch wide and tape across the top of the curtain, making certain that a 1/2 inch of the tape sticks out over the fabric. Using a ladder, stick your curtain to the desired space on your ceiling with the exposed part of the tape.