Inside the Brick House

Meatballs and Spaghetti
Cut a hole for the head in the center of a red-checkered tablecloth (or 1.25 yards of 45-inch-wide red-checkered fabric) so that it can be worn like a poncho. Cut 1/2 skein off-white yarn into spaghetti-length pieces. With a hot-glue gun, glue them in swirls and bunches to a large, sturdy paper plate. Paint 8 small Styrofoam balls with brown acrylic paint to resemble meatballs. Let dry, then glue 4 or 5 balls to top of spaghetti. Mix brown and red acrylic paint to make a tomato-sauce color; drip that over meatballs and spaghetti. Smear a little on the side of a small pot. Glue the plate to the front of the tablecloth. Glue remaining meatballs to tablecloth where you like. Glue some strands of yarn to pot "hat." Tie under chin if needed to keep pot on head.
Bubble Bath
Cut a hole in the bottom of an inflatable baby bathtub (we used Munchkin's Inflatable Safety Duck Tub). Leave at least 2 inches for the rim. On the remaining bottom rim…

Put grandma's (or your own!) springtime quilt to good use—smack dab on the center of the table. Match the rest of your settings and centerpieces around this sentimental tablescape base.

A DIY tin can, moss, and nest place setting with log chargers screams spring in the best, most rustic ways possible. Get the tutorial at Liz Marie Blog.

A vintage flower almanac, speckled egg, and velvet bow make this the easily replicated Easter table setup of our dreams. Get the tutorial at One CrafDIY Girl.

Trust us—nothing will complement your place settings and table centerpieces better than a delicately designed piece of linen. Keep an eye out for tablecloths or napkins with floral embroidery to stay true to the seasonal theme.

Arts and crafts fanatics, this one's right up your alley. Exercise your painting itch to give a sweet nod to the Easter bunny. Get the tutorial at Taryn Whiteaker.

Give your floral centerpiece a rustic flair. To make, bundle a half dozen milk jars with colorful string o…

Transform gourds into planters for the fall season. Simply hollow out the gourds and tuck in the root balls of ornamental grasses or sedge (a perennial herb). Draw jack-o'-lantern faces onto the gourds with paint pens for a Halloween-theme arrangement.

Use driftwood or a piece of a thick branch for the stem. WIRE PUMPKIN MATERIALS 2 wire hanging baskets, Small gourds, 22-gauge wire, 6-inch piece driftwood. Fill both baskets with gourds; top one with a thin board. Next hold board in place while flipping basket to sit on top of its mate. Slide the board out; bind baskets with wire. Then drill a hole through the driftwood.

If you don't have a large porch to decorate, think vertically and add cornstalks or a leaf garland around your door. A vertical display will give you a big impact without taking up a lot of space. For front porch decorating ideas on a budget, buy faux seasonal garlands instead of creating one with live produce or leaves. These can look convincingly realistic an…