The Holiday Decorating Toolbox

The Dusty Hammer LOVES Christmas!  The smells, the sounds, the sights, we love it all... that is until we have to shimmy up a precariously balanced ladder in order to proclaim our holiday cheer in twinkling incandescent miniature lights.  You know the drill: trudge out to the garage, climb into the attic, rearrange everything stored up there in order to get to the lights (which somehow always wind up all the way in the back), lug the ladder around to the front of the house, climb to the top of said ladder and then… begin cussing like Yosemite Sam as you search in vain for the tool you swear you just had but can’t seem to find anywhere! When you finally finish the traditional decorating and swearing you say to yourself, “there’s got to be a better way.”  Well friends, there is (no it doesn’t require paying the neighbor kid to do it for you – although that may not be a bad option…).  Put together a Holiday decorating toolbox for yourself.  By keeping all the important “tools” close at hand you can speed up the frost bitten lighting ceremony and bring back the holiday cheer to your decorating activities. 

Toolboxes are great!  We use them for just about everything… we’ve got a dedicated toolbox with a load of electrical tools, one to satisfy plumbing needs, there’s a toolbox for tile and drywall work, and even one for miscellaneous demolition tools… But it wasn’t until a few years ago while laying flat on my back staring up at the roof that moments ago I had been searching for my misplaced stapler (which coincidentally was laying next to me - right where I had left it at the bottom of the ladder) that inspiration hit me (or more aptly – I hit it) and I realized how handy a Holiday decorating toolbox would be

First let’s start off with the box itself – there about a bazillion options, but honestly most of these “options” add little value to the toolbox and can even make it less user friendly.  We prefer the ol’ tried and true variety - you know the standard rectangle shape toolbox with latches that open the lid – over the fancier versions with little storage compartments on the outside.  Inside our Holiday decorating toolbox is a small removable compartment for storage of the smaller items, and ample space for the bigger stuff in the bottom.  (All those tiny external see through cubbies look handy on the store shelf, but in practice they typically aren’t worth the cheap plastic they are made from and, far too often, the cubbies are broken after a few uses anyways. 

An important element of any good Holiday decorating toolbox is portability – as cool and indestructible as those metal toolboxes may be remember: we have to haul this bad boy up a ladder, which is why we like the lighter high density plastic versions over the prettier (and heavier) diamond plated ones. 

Now that you’ve got a good toolbox to store your merry decorating kit you can begin outfitting it. 

There are several “specialty items” that will make decorating much faster and more fun:

Monofilament

First toss in a couple spools of monofilament – a fancy word for fishing line.  Get yourself a couple of spools (one in 20 lb and one 50 lb test lines – which means essentially how much weight the line can hold).  This is one of the best specialty “tools” you can have in your holiday decorating toolbox.  Monofilament is great for retying icicle lights that have gone astray or to invisibly stake down various outdoor decorations such as a giant inflatable Frosty the Snowman. 

Cable Ties
Cable Ties rock!  There’s little mess, they go up easy and come down easy.  They allow you to fix broken decorations, hold things together and so much more.  There are literally thousands of uses for these handy little ties and you can rarely have too many.  Consider purchasing a multi-size package, once you’ve used ‘em you’re sure to love ‘em.

Command Kits
Command Kits are a 3M product that allows you to temporarily hang things from interior walls (some of them work the exterior as well) without marring.  These versatile hooks have a special adhesive that holds fast to walls and releases with a gentle tug.  No muss no fuss.   

Must-Have-Tools and Accessories for the Holiday Decorating Toolbox:

·                 Dead Blow/Hammer combo – Because sometimes you need the finesse of a rubber mallet and sometimes you just need to pound the crap outta something!

·                  Screw Drivers - we prefer the convenience of a multi head combo driver which offers two sizes of both Philips and flat head and can be used as a wrench for common size nuts – you could also just throw in a large and small Philips and flat head screw driver if you prefer

·                  Pliers – Needle nose as well as regular

·                  Wire Cutters

·                  A Handful of Misc. Nails and Screws (in a variety of sizes)

·                  Landscape Staples - great for anchoring decorations

·                  Duct Tape - don’t think you have to be stuck with the original color…virtually any color is now available, there’s even clear duct tape available (all the strength of the original none of the unsightly gray).

·                  Electrical Tape - for those moments when you come across a wire shield that has been worn a little thin

·                  Cable Ties -  

·                  Command Kits -

·                  Monofilament

·                  Hanging Wire (or heavy duty floral wire)

·                  Velcro -

·                  Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks – You can take care of a whole slew of things with hot glue

·                  Super Glue – what hot glue can’t - super glue will

·                  Small Can of Touch Up Paint & Brush in your home’s exterior colors - for those oops moments

·                  Extra Light Bulbs (Blinkers, C3, C7, C9 – and any other type you use in your décor ) – I always keep a good stock of replacement bulbs and fuses, you just never know. 

·                  Green Extension Cords – 2 or 3 that are 40ft if you can (we also really like outlet stakes for the outdoor electrical needs)

·                  Outdoor timers – optional

·                  Power Drill – though this isn’t a necessity it sure does make things a lot easier.  Ours doesn’t go in the tool box because we use it so often but it is definitely a good tool to take with you on your next decorating adventure!

Bonus Tips: 

Be sure to remove those extra light bulbs and fuse packs from your string lights and outdoor décor.  Add them to your toolbox so when you have to replace a bulb you can find them easily. 

For hanging decorative items (ie wreaths and such) on vinyl siding without voiding the warranty with a moisture inducing hole, Siding Hooks are a good option.  These specialty hooks are shaped pieces of stainless steel that slide up under the lip of the siding and lock into place using the sidings own channel.  They don't mar, are easy to remove and are available at most hardware stores - especially during the holiday season. 

Happy Decorating

Umm... TRON Licensed Designer Chairs?

TRON: Legacy hits theaters next week and the Disney marketing execs have kicked the production of the officially licensed movie tie-ins into high gear.  The latest addition to this arsenal of TRON inspired baubles employs the stylings of NY designer Dror Benshetrit for a high end chair targeted at those of us who still fondly recall the 80s computerized cult sensation and the subsequent TRON arcade games. 

Unfortunately the $15,000 price tag wasn't enough to justify including that awesome digital glow effect.  Still, even without the phosphorescent detailing the TRON Armchair looks considerably more sculptural than functional (and about as tough on the posterior as the virtual world's landscape that inspired the design was on one of those cool computerized light-cycles). I wonder if there's a red leather recliner option.  

Would You Like a Booth?

Recently the Dusty Hammer’s team of pariah bloggers were given a rare moment of respite to give our overtaxed minds a break from trying to come up with clever anecdotes for construction projects – plus we had used up all the cereal bowls and were resorting to pots and pans to eat our fruit loops out of.

 

Our brief taste of freedom took us to a local eatery where a pleasant young waitress asked the question that those who frequent restaurants have often pondered, “Would you like to wait for a booth?”  As if the fate of the world hinged upon our decision, we deliberated (already knowing what our answer would be). Our heads lifted from our makeshift huddle as we answered “Of course,” in techie geek unison!

What makes these upholstered nooks so desirable that many of us are, in fact, willing to wait for the coveted booth?  And how is it able to be both a great location for casual meals as well as the perfect setting for intimate dining?  Besides often being much easier on the posterior than the typical bistro chairs, a booth provides privacy (even in a crowded restaurant) and, more importantly, a feeling of closeness that’s hard to beat.  Wanna bring that cozy feeling home - what better way to fill the awkward narrow spot at the end of a room than to install your very own banquette? 

Brief History

The beginnings of banquettes can be traced back to early 17^th century French royalty where the well-to-do could park their imperial keisters on the plushly upholstered window seats in their formal sitting rooms.  By the 1900s the derriere friendly benches had made their way to the homes of “the common man” who used them for a comfortable, space saving seating solution for their small dining rooms.  With such a diverse heritage it’s little wonder that we are so enamored by them. 

Select Your Seating Option

For a truly custom look it's hard to beat the quality you can get from a built in.  The beauty of going with a fully custom settee is that you are not limited in your choices of finishes or designs.  Hiring a professional to install your cool new privacy booth will cost you somewhere between $2,000 - $4,000.  But the envious looks you get from all your friends will be well worth the clams you shell out.  Think of how cool it would be to relax with your feet propped up on the bench in your very own booth as you peruse the "www" - perhaps the Dusty Hammer for example ;o). 

Of course the other option is to build it yourself.  Building a booth will require some planning and elbow grease but doing it yourself can save you a significant amount - plus you get to brag about how clever you are.  

Depending on your level of comfort with building projects and the amount of tools you have at your disposal you can choose to either “A” build a booth entirely from scratch or "B" build a booth from stock cabinetry from the hardware supply store.  


Build-it-from-scratch option


There aren't a lot of free plans floating around on the internet for banquettes, primarily because they are fairly easy to build and honestly construction workers don't often think to document their progress.  But with enough digging you can find a few that may help you in your quest for dining booth bliss.  Take, for instance, Dianne's - offering close ups of design elements and material used on her corner banquette or This one from the DIY Network - (we've imbedded the video instructions below to help get you going in the right direction). 

Stock-cabinet-option
You can also build a banquette using cabinetry purchased "off the shelf" at your local hardware store in about a weekend with much less required tooling.  Mark Powers from thisoldhouse.com put together a nice one using 4 standard refrigerator cabinets, a little trim, and few cushions, and on another site Kyle Freeman briefly describes how he built one using IKEA cabinets here.  


***Note*** We've had the opportunity to do several built in banquettes over the years but haven't thus far built one with stock "off the shelf" cabinetry.   Since I can rarely back down from a challenge - especially when goaded by the rest of the office staff (double dog dares get me every time) - I have decided to build one from stuff we can pick up in a single trip to Home Depot.   Give us a couple of weeks and we'll post a walk through.   


Once you've built your seating, all you have to do is add some comfy padding then plan your next get together, cuz you've got yourself an awesome spot for chewing some grub or just "chewing the fat." 

One more option...


We almost forgot to mention the pre-made option.  Here's a list of a few vendor's that offer options that requiring little more than signing for delivery:


affordableseating.net - Competitively priced restaurant quality booths.  Has an interactive portal to help choose design style, fabric and color


dinerbooths.com - Commercial restaurant booths at fair prices.


seatingexpert.com - Yet another company in a similar price point vending their wares







For a more upscale look consider Ballard Design's Hampton 3 piece - you may want to steer clear of the stark white cushions however. 




For additional ideas or questions drop us a line, we'd love to hear your thoughts.