Double-Duty Decorating Ideas

Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Easy ways to dress up your home with items you already have.

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Clothespin as Napkin Holder

Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Use a clothespin to keep napkins neatly stacked at a cocktail party—or from blowing away at a picnic.

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Tinsel as Wreath Garland

Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Ropes of tinsel, wrapped around a foam circle, make a fun, modern wreath that you can use year after year.

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Cake Stand as Soap Dish

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Glam up a bathroom or vanity. Stock soaps and washcloths on top, or showcase your prettiest perfume bottles.

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Baby Oil as Paint Remover

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Dab some baby oil on splatters to remove latex paint from skin.

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Tinsel as Ornament Filler

Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

If you have extra tinsel but aren’t feeling a fuzzy tree this year, stuff a handful into clear glass ornament balls. You’ll get tinsel in small, sparkly doses.

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Candlestick as Bud Vase

Yasu + Junko

Cut stems short and add water to keep blooms upright for a night. (Alas, beauty is fleeting.)

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Cupcake Liners as Candleholders

Levi Brown

Nothing holds a candle to dining al fresco, unless it’s so dark you can’t see the food in front of you. Place tealights in foil cupcake liners for a little glow at your next outdoor party. They’re cheap enough to use by the dozen, and cleanup is a piece of (cup)cake.

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Toothbrush Holder as Vase

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Don’t have a vase small enough to display those pretty buds you picked? A seldom used toothbrush holder fits a small arrangement perfectly.

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Ice Scraper as Decorating Tool

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Hide your picture-hanging mistakes. Smooth wall filler into nail holes and small cracks with the scraper.

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Aluminum Foil as Party Garland

Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Twist foil into links to make a sparkly garland for an almost-instant party decoration (or a rainy-day distraction for the kids).

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Dental Floss as Picture Hanger

Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran

Hang a lightweight painting. Wrap one end of a strand of floss several times around one of a pair of screws or hooks attached to either side of the back of the frame. Wrap the other end around the remaining screw or hook, leaving some slack. Knot the ends and hang from a nail.

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Beans as Candle Anchor

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Pretty and functional. Fill a hurricane vase with beans before adding a pillar candle to help keep the candle steady and minimize mess (the beans will catch the wax).

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Gravy Boat as Unique Soap Dish

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Fill an antique gravy boat with a bar of soap to transform it into an elegant soap dish.

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Cupcake Liner as Decorative Snowflakes

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Create a winter wonderland in the entryway. Flatten white paper liners (foil ones will work, too), fold into halves or quarters, then snip out shapes along the folds. When you open them back up, voilà: snowflakes you can string from the ceiling.

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Luggage Tag as Decorating Aid

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Avoid decorating mistakes. Tuck fabric, wallpaper, and paint swatches inside so you can ensure a perfect match.

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Votive Candle Holders as Place Cards

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Arrange a luminous table setting. Write guests’ names on strips of parchment paper and wrap them around votive holders, securing the ends with tape. As an alternative, remove the candles, cut snapshots of guests to match the height of a holder, and then curl around the inside wall.

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Cupcake Liner as Halloween Decoration

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Show what a creative Halloween party “ghost-ess” you are. Turn white liners upside down, attach spooky googly eyes, and display them by a boo-fet of seasonally inspired treats.

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Dental Floss as DIY Popcorn Garland

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

String a popcorn garland for the holidays (after a pit-stop in the medicine cabinet).

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Cake Stand as Display Stand

John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran

Show off. Display small photos and mementos, which look more important on a platform.

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Baby Food Jar as Paint Bucket

James Wojick

Simplify paint touch-ups by pouring a few ounces of each new wall paint into a jar for when those times it’s needed to cover the inevitable nail holes and scuffs.

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Marbles as a Playful Arrangement

James Wojcik

Add marbles to the bottom of a vase to keep your daisies in the drink and make arranging, well, child’s play.

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Paper Doily as a Cake Decoration

James Wojcik

You baked the cake. Now you’re expected to frost it, too? Take a break from the sticky stuff and use a doily to stencil on a pretty sugar topping. Press a doily flat on top of a round cake and, using a fine-mesh sieve, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar liberally over the surface. Use two hands to carefully remove the doily post-dusting.

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Tutu as Nightstand Decoration

Mark Lund

Create an enchanting nightstand from a kitchen stool by wrapping a tutu around the edge of the seat and securing it with double-sided tape.

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Picture Frame as Dry-Erase Board

James Wojcik

Let’s see—you need milk, eggs…and something to replace the stark white memo board that’s sucking all the style from your otherwise charming kitchen. Frame a pretty piece of fabric or paper, then write temporary to-dos on the glass with a dry-erase marker.

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Aluminum Foil as Fixture Protector

Quentin Bacon

Protect doorknobs and hardware in the kitchen and bathroom when you're painting by wrapping foil around them to catch dribbles. The foil molds to the shape of whatever it's covering and stays firmly in place until the job is complete.

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Apple Container as Ornament Storage

John Lawton

Store delicate tree decor where the fruit once went to protect items from bumps and bruises. (You can also use wine boxes or egg cartons.)

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Birdbath as a Planter

Beatriz Da Costa

Try this pretty display that isn’t just for the birds. Plant shallow-rooted succulents in the birdbath with soil. The lack of drainage will keep the soil moist, so you’ll need to water even less frequently than usual.

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Brooches as Refrigerator Decoration

Kana Okada

Instead of tossing out seldom worn or broken brooches, remove the pins with a wire cutter, glue a magnet to the back of each, then use them to mount postcards, children’s artwork, or this week’s grocery list.

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Bucket as Side Table

Yunhee Kim

For more serving space (without begging and borrowing from the neighbors) top a bucket with a tray for an instant side table for your lawn chairs. Your guests will have more spots to rest their cocktails.

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Cake Stand as Candle Holder

James Merrell

Create a candle centerpiece to light up your wedding (or you dinner table) by using cake stands as platforms for votive and pillar candles in assorted sizes.

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Champagne Flutes as Candle Stands

Monica Buck

If you find yourself with a mismatched collection―or without bubbly―flip thick-walled Champagne flutes upside down to create a beautiful grouping of candle stands for a shelf or a mantel. Use heavy wineglasses for table centerpieces, as the wider mouths will provide more stability to withstand bumping.

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Coat Rack as Art and Photo Display

Kate Sears

Display a collection of photos, treasured items, or seasonal ornaments over the mantel or in a hallway. Use ribbons or strings of different lengths to hang the arrangement from the pegs.

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Double-Duty Decorating Ideas

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Clothespin as Napkin Holder

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Tinsel as Wreath Garland

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Cake Stand as Soap Dish

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Baby Oil as Paint Remover

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Tinsel as Ornament Filler

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Candlestick as Bud Vase

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Cupcake Liners as Candleholders

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Toothbrush Holder as Vase

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Ice Scraper as Decorating Tool

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Aluminum Foil as Party Garland

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Dental Floss as Picture Hanger

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Beans as Candle Anchor

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Gravy Boat as Unique Soap Dish

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Cupcake Liner as Decorative Snowflakes

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Luggage Tag as Decorating Aid

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Votive Candle Holders as Place Cards

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Cupcake Liner as Halloween Decoration

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Dental Floss as DIY Popcorn Garland

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Cake Stand as Display Stand

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Baby Food Jar as Paint Bucket

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Marbles as a Playful Arrangement

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Paper Doily as a Cake Decoration

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Tutu as Nightstand Decoration

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Picture Frame as Dry-Erase Board

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Aluminum Foil as Fixture Protector

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Apple Container as Ornament Storage