Presentation, from Christy Ferer's Book "Decorating on a Dime"

Framed Photos: This is an easy project that personalizes a space and can also hide a damaged wall. 

Miniature Furniture: An oversized doll's chair or a child's chair can hold an object or a picture frame and be positioned as display. 

Good Enough to Frame: Anything that is dramatically framed can earn the status of art object - from stamps to children's art to lost of broken jewelry.

Pearls: Pearls can transform an everyday object into a treasure.

Just One Color: Use those wonderful odds and ends in your attic. Christy Ferer suggests any flaws in your found objects are disguised by the spray paint. Different shapes and sizes should play off one another on the wall and table. 

Decorating on a Dime Solutions and Coverups

Carpeting: The border of Vidicom CEO Christy Ferer's carpet is rug padding, not expensive sisal. Padding is resilient and comes in many colors. The center piece is a remnant that was inserted to replace the original stained carpet, which was removed.

Applique: Don't throw away that favorite bedspread or tablecloth before you try sewing on an appliqué to cover tears or stains.

Radiator Cover: Pick out a mesh screen you like at your local hardware store to cover up a radiator or air conditioner.

Vanity Skirt: Here's a quick fix to hide bedroom pipes, dress up vanities, or layer over stained curtains. The beauty of metallic organza is that it is translucent, and the metallic sheen glows through the fabric.

Rope Trim: A sophisticated way to finish off a space where a vanity top meets wallpaper or title or carpet meets molding. Because it is a natural color and material, it looks as if it is part of the design rather than an add-on.

Sandblased Furniture Tips

Sanblasted Furniture 
Pieces of painted furniture
Distilled white vinegar

Your local auto body shop will put the piece in its sandblast booth and add beautiful years to your furniture. Christy Ferer says to heighten the aging process, blot vinegar on any metal features or hinges. The longer you allow the vinegar to sit (at least 24 hours), the more pocked and antique looking the metal will become.

Frame Canopy
Take the measurements of the bed to the lumberyard, where you will find a selection of polymer molding. Christy Ferer and the Vidicom team suggests asking the yard to cut your chosen molding into four pieces and miter the edges. Stay tuned for more tips from Christy Ferer's book, Decorating on a Dime.

Setting Up a Display Table

Vidicom CEO, Chrsity Ferer, says measure any existing glass top you have. Ask the glazier to duplicate the top in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thickness. As with all glass tables, it is best to have the corners rounded off. Arrange the decorative items on the table's regular glass top. Carefully place the second piece of glass on top.

Variations:

• Old book pages
• music sheets
• foreign bills
• pennies (lay out a evenly as possible to keep glass balanced)
• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• college diplomas

Another application of this technique is to place glass over a wooden table whose top you want to protect, such as a fine dining room table. 

Black Vinyl and Plumber Tables

Vidicom CEO Christy Ferer recommends ordering vinyl through the Resource Guide. The local automotive shop should also carry black vinyl, and will upholster your kitchen banquettes and make cushions for you.

Variations

• Junkyard car seats
• Restaurant supply seating

For plumber tables, Christy recommends using copper pipe, tabletop of glass, granite or marble, and small felt tabs. This is how your plumber should build the table: Bottom of table (feet).

1. Put caps with street 45's (4 sets).
2. Put 4 2-inch pieces in street 45's
3. Put 4 T's on 2-inch pieces with street 45's and caps.

Tips on Sandblasted Furniture, Frame Canopy and Mirror Frames

Sanblasted Furniture
Christy Ferer says this is an easy and inexpensive way to get any piece of painted furniture to look worn or "country." If it is scratched, dented, or imperfect already -- all the better.

Frame Canopy
A bed canopy adds architectural detail and weight to a room. It also enlarges and dramatizes the room.

Mirror Frames
Create a substantial mirror for an entranceway, dining room, or dressing area. The larger the mirror, the larger a space will look. Most dramatic are two mirrors facing each other on opposite walls, which is especially effective in a dining room.  Christy Ferer and the Vidicom team agree.

Wire Mesh Bookcase
An easy and elegant way to camouflage open shelves containing stereo or television equipment. You can also use this effect on kitchen shelves.

Furniture Tips from Christy Ferer's Book

Christy Ferer (Vidicom CEO) states that as an upholstery fabric, black vinyl is neutral and practical. It has a rich, clean feeling particularly when used against light wood. Black vinyl is good for lawn chair cushions and kitchen banquettes.

Plumber Tables:
A table base of plumbing pipes in chrome, iron, or copper creates a centerpiece for any room, particularly a kitchen table. Copper tubing can also be used to make delicate end tables; the copper can be varnished to keep its shine.

Display Table:
She suggests adding a glass top resting on any kind of base can become a showcase simply by adding flat decorative items and a piece of identical glass on top. These tables are great-looking as coffee tables, end tables, or even a dining table.