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Photo Enlargement Projects
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Photo Enlargement Projects

Take a photo of something you love -- a dog that comes every time you call, a keepsake with beautiful cursive and a colorful stamp, your lucky Tuesday-night poker deck. You can blow it up with some hassle-free Internet help, then frame it, hang it, and be enormously happy every time you walk by.

Photo Enlargement How-To
Door Headboard Photo: Wendell T. Webber
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Door Headboard

A solid old door, refinished and hung sideways, becomes a perfect -- and perfectly inexpensive -- headboard for a bed.

Headboard How-To
Bathroom Cubbyholes
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Bathroom Cubbyholes

Keep bathroom items neat and accessible with cubbyhole shelves.

Cubbyhole How-To
TV Cozy
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TV Cozy

Home editor Page Marchese Norman created this clever (and, well, cozy) cover for an LCD TV. "It also added a little more color to the room," she says.

Cozy How-To
Half-Table Console
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Half-Table Console

After 40 years of hard service, this table had lost a leg and acquired a myriad of scratches and nicks. But half of it had a second life ahead as a graceful console.

Table How-To
Quick Quilt
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Quick Quilt

A simple technique lets you turn any expanse of pretty fabric into a welcoming coverlet. We used a vintage tablecloth. You'll need fabric for the top, batting the same size, and fabric for the bottom that is several inches larger all around.

Quilt How-To
No-Sew Embroidery Photo: Ellie Miller
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No-Sew Embroidery

You don't need a seamstress to give linens a makeover. Our simplified approach to couching, which traditionally involves hand-stitching, doesn't require the labor of a needle and thread -- just cording, fabric glue, and a disappearing-ink pen, plus a marker and graph paper to map out a design.

Embroidery How-To
Rope Seat Stools
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Rope Seat Stools

A plain pair of wooden seats gets a bright new look from simple coils of rope. We used durable rock-climbing rope (available at sporting-goods stores; nylon rope from a hardware store is a strong, inexpensive alternative) in shades of orange and taupe to create dynamic -- and sturdy -- swirls of color.

Stool Seat How-To
Photo Cube Photo: JAMES MERRELL
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Photo Cube

Black-and-white images of nature form photo cubes, which can also be used as bookends. The photographs aren't glued to the cube. Instead, a special gel is used to transfer the images onto blocks. Transfers last longer than paper photographs, so this decoration can remain a fixture for years.

Photo Cube How-To
Suspended Shelf
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Suspended Shelf

Houdini wasn't the only one who could work magic using a length of chain. Read on for an easy way to conjure the stylish illusion of a space-saving suspended shelf with showstopping appeal.

Shelf How-To
Terry-Cloth Curtain
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Terry-Cloth Curtain

Nothing looks as inviting in a cool white bathroom as plush terry-cloth towels. This shower curtain is made from bath sheets stitched with a simple seam. It couldn't be easier -- the towels are just the right size for a standard tub, and they don't need to be hemmed.

Curtain How-To
Pillow Bands
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Pillow Bands

Give plain sofa pillows vibrant personalities with easy-to-make pillow bands. These are made with wool; when the weather warms, they can be swapped for a more summery material, such as a cheerful printed cotton.

Pillow Band How-To
Framed Hankerchiefs
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Framed Hankerchiefs

Many handkerchiefs from 1900 through the 1960s were printed with lively designs. Framed simply, they're great decorations for a wall.

Handkerchief How-To
Frame Collage Photo: Sang An
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Frame Collage

A little green semigloss paint turns a ragtag crew of (glassless) frames into an artful display. We rounded up these $1 to $10 orphans at a flea market.

Frame Collage How-To
Bench Bookshelf
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Bench Bookshelf

If all the bookshelves you find in stores are too tall, too wide, or too unwieldy, consider stacking sturdy wooden benches to make a streamlined shelf that's just right for your space.

Bookshelf How-To
Table Trio
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Table Trio

Three lightweight coffee tables can be clustered and quickly rearranged as needed. Group them close to the sofa, or pull one over to a side chair and leave magazines stacked on another.

Table Trio How-To
Cork-Top Table Photo: Wendell T. Webber
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Cork-Top Table

Restore a scratched wooden table with a new surface of 1/2-inch cork.

Table How-To
Patterned Board
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Patterned Board

Cover a plain magnetic board with pretty paper and it becomes an organizer and a work of art.

Board How-To
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MARTHASTEWART.COM

Fresh Start: Quick & Easy Upgrades

Photo Enlargement Projects

Door Headboard

Bathroom Cubbyholes

TV Cozy

Half-Table Console

Quick Quilt

No-Sew Embroidery

Rope Seat Stools

Photo Cube

Suspended Shelf

Terry-Cloth Curtain

Pillow Bands

Framed Hankerchiefs

Frame Collage

Bench Bookshelf

Table Trio

Cork-Top Table

Patterned Board

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Fresh Start: Quick & Easy Upgrades

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