How to Decorate Primitive-Excerpt Palm Prims

The Outside
Romantic Cottage Prim

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Primitive Decorating Tips

How to tie everything together to give your home a true primitive feel. Finding the right primitive accessories to add to your decorating can be the key in bringing it all together. When decorating with primitives, we do on purpose what those in the early days did out of necessity. If you were to step into an early homestead, you would find their needfuls displayed throughout their home, as they didn`t have the drawers and closets we do today. The items that were used on a daily bases would be seen throughout the home. A peg rack holding clothing, or candles hanging by the hearth. Firkins and pantry boxes stacked near the fire source, drieds hanging from beams. Linens folded and stacked. We can start with walls. Consider hanging a larger piece, such as a hanging cupboard, as a main focal point. Smaller pictures, wood signs, candle sconces and such can be hung on either side of a cupboard if there is room on the wall. Open the cupboard doors to display items on the shelves, hang linens from the door/doors, or a hanging candle, and don`t forget the top of the cupboard. Folded stacked quilts, linens or other textiles look great, as well as a small stack of boxes. A peg rack works great on a wall too. Hang old clothes/linens, drieds, candle ledges, connected candles, wooden utensils, which can all be rearranged and changed easily for seasonal displays. Try to avoid filling walls, especially larger walls, with a bunch of little items. Use a bigger piece to anchor it all to the room. Hang your pictures, old signs, stitcheries, so the middle is at eye level. We tend to notice those things the most that are at eye level in our line of vision. In the kitchen consider using old crocks, jars and pantry boxes to hold cooking utensils, a breadboard with wooden bowls and rolling pin makes a great display. Hang drieds from beams, or a small peg rack along with a towel. Use mason jars to hold beans, seeds or dried fruits. You can even cover your stove top with a dough board cover and use it to display a grouping and for added counter space, not to mention it helps to cover those burners.. :) If your cabinets allow it, display a basket collection, crocks, bowls, pantry boxes, old signs or groupings on the tops between the cabinet top and ceiling. In the dinning room put an old trencher or bowl on your table. Add candles, rosehips, primitive fruits or bowl ornies. To add height try a table bench in the center and display old bowls, candles or small stack of textiles. These work great for seasonal displays too. I have my old handcrafted pumpkins with old bowls on mine for the fall season, and will switch that out for Christmas when that time comes. You can display your collection of wooden bowls, pewter or yellow ware from a hanging shelf, or a bucket bench. In the washroom consider a peg rack shelf. The pegs can hold your towels, and the shelf gives you room to display other items. A wooden bowl or soap dish by the sink to hold your soap. Use an old crock to hold towels or a smaller crock to hold your washcloths. Place your needfuls such as cotton balls and Q-tips in mason jars or covered boxes. If there is room, an old chair can be added to hold folded towel, or basket to hold bath needfuls, or even children’s bath toys. Other great accessories are benches, cupboards and chairs. Benches work great to display stacked folded quilts, bowl & crock collections, or dolls, and don`t forget underneath the bench. Display an old firkin or a small chest. Chairs can be used to hold a stack of old books, your linens, dolls or basket/bowl filled with drieds, rag balls, candles or rosehips. Quilts, linens and throws are a great way to add color and texture anywhere you need it. They can be folded and placed on benches, chest, cupboards and over a chair. Hang linens from pegs, cupboard doors or the back of an old chair. There are so many ways to add primitive accessories all around your home. Don`t forget old crates, firkins, crocks, baskets, totes, bowls, covered boxes and wood trunks, are not only to display, but also hide those needfuls out of site, but still accessible. Many items you already have can be recycled, revamped and reused in a primitive way. Items meant for one purpose don`t necessarily have to be used that way. An old dresser can be painted, antiqued and put in a bathroom to hold your towels and bath needfuls, plus you have the top to use for displaying. Wood items can be sanded or stripped, repainted and antiqued to fit in with your primitive decor. Newer fabric items can be tea or coffee stained to give them a prim look. Make your own drieds. Gather from your garden or fields, and tie them, hang them from racks, fill bowls or crocks. Bay leaves, dried fruits, cranberries and rosehips can all be strung and hung wherever you want to add a touch of color. Use mason jars and fill with old buttons, rosehips, cinnamon sticks, candle nubbies or dried fruits. You can cover the top with a scrap of fabric and tie with jute.