One of the easiest things you can do is to remove the doors on your kitchen cabinets. Everything is open and visible just like in the old days. This not only looks great but also forces you to keep your dishes and pots and pans neatly organized. For smaller items such as cookie cutters or butter molds, I use old baskets (generally flea market or yard sale finds!) to put all my small items in. It really helps to keep your cabinets looking organized! If your baskets are not very prim looking, don't be afraid to spray paint them (I generally use flat black or brown) or grungy them up a bit. For grunging I often use Old English furniture polish. It only takes a little. Of course, it can leave a smell behind for a while so you could also use moist coffee grounds or moist cinnamon and rub it onto your basket and allow to dry. Another alternative to baskets is using different sized crocks to hold small items. They look awesome displayed with your dishes and I use one on my counter top to hold large utensils. You will be amazed how much they will hold! For your pantry items such as flour and sugar, I display mine in clear glass containers that look like old vintage candy jars.

For curtains I use old tobacco sticks or an old thin piece of aged wood and hammer in a few cut nails. I then take some aged cheesecloth (see how to age cheesecloth in our recipe section) and hook it onto each nail by simply applying a little pressure and slipping it onto the nail. After the cheesecloth is up I then take a small strip of cheesecloth and gather the curtain to one side and tie it together with the strip. This simple change will make any room look unbelievably prim! Windows always look better without blinds but if you are like me and must have them I simply keep them pulled up during daylight hours so they can't be seen under my curtains.

Stenciling around the top of a room, the middle of the wall, or on the floor can make a dramatic change as well. A simple stencil is always a good choice. Nothing with too many details! I am partial to pineapples myself! Generally in prim homes the color of the wall is light and the trim is a shade darker or it can be very dark. If you have a plain wall don't be afraid to pull out some tools and start creating! You can purchase some wood (generally pine is the cheapest) at any home improvement store. I suggest 1x6 boards. I cut mine down the center making them approx 3 inches wide. Now you could also purchase boards already this width but you can stretch your dollar by buying the larger board and cutting it. Your local home improvement store should offer a cutting service if a saw is unavailable. These small strips can completely transform a room! If possible paint or stain them before nailing them to your wall. This simple step makes it soooo much easier unless you are an expert painter! You can attach these strips of wood at chair rail level and be finished or you can paint the bottom of the wall beneath the strip a contrasting color.

You could also attach smaller strips of wood from the chair rail to the floor vertically and space them about 12 inches apart to create a dramatic look and make it appear that your prim house has beautiful original woodwork! Once all the trim is painted it is very difficult to tell that the wood is not custom or original. You can also place the strip about a 1/4 of the way down the wall from the ceiling. Once this is up all around the room, you can add pegs or cut nails to certain areas for displaying old clothing, aprons, or sweet annie! This idea looks wonderful in bedrooms, bathrooms, and even keeping rooms. So, I hope these simple steps will get you on your way to the dream primitive home that you desire! Just remember......you can't mess it up! The more worn and make-do that it looks..... the better! Happy Decorating!