Tag Archives: country chic

Utensil Bouquet

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We have all seen the utensil bouquet. Sometimes they are one color, simple, and sparse, other times they are colorful and bountiful.  Whether you like “matchy –match” sets or go wild and crazy outside the lines, a utensil bouquet adds a creative country kitchen accent and flare to your countertop. Also, it is quite convenient to have your cooking and serving utensils at your fingertips.

Gone is the day of the container marked “Utensils”.  Now, you make it your own.

 Getting Started

There are many containers you can use to hold your cooking and serving utensils. It is just a matter of considering what you see for that purpose, thinking outside the lines.

  • For example, in my home we have a heavy-duty wrought iron kettle. It’s spiral handle adds charm. 
  • It’s sturdy weight allows it to stand firmly, even as I wildly ransack it, with one eye on the soon to boil over pan on the stove.
  • I put a trivet under it to keep it from scratching the counter.

Tips to Remember

  • Heavy sturdy weight
  • The right height. The utensils need to be able to stand in it without tipping out, but also be out enough to see and grab easily.
  • The right size opening; To small of an opening makes it difficult to access your utensils, while too big of an opening allows the utensils to splay out too much, causing them to tip out, not to mention looking a bit messy.
  • Colors- I am a fan of the monochromatic utensil ‘vase”, holding a cornucopia of utensils, different colors and styles. I like the look of the unexpected and the variety.
  • My rule of thumb is polychromatic or patterned container goes with monochromatic utensils, and vice versa.

Most of my treasures are found at local consignment shops and Goodwill, so the variety is great, and the prices are great, too.  I have created a great utensil bouquet in a charming vase. I hope you have fun with your treasure hunt!

Potholder Kitchen Valance

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This idea came to me recently as I accidentally knocked down my valance over the kitchen sink while swatting at a fly with a newspaper. While searching the web for a unique window valance idea, I had a thought of my own. Why not create a potholder valance?  I have seen many potholders that are almost too pretty to use. How might that look to affix a collection of interesting potholders to the curtain rod?  I was game. Luckily, we have a Goodwill right down the street.

 

1.   Gather and create your collection of potholders. Goodwill has several new and different ones.  Also, the dollar shop has several at the right price, too.  I got the oven mitt kind and the square kind.  I also found a unique watermelon half at a hospital auxiliary thrift shop.  Go for the unique!

 

2.  Get the proper kind of hardware to secure the potholders to your curtain rod. I have a black wrought iron style, so black café rod clips worked well for me. I did look into bargains here, too.  In the end, I went with the slightly more expensive ones, as they were more substantial and had the smaller loop size. Choosing the right scale for your scenario is important, as the clips are an integral part of the presentation.

 

3.  Spend some time arranging the potholders and oven mitts just they way you want them. Check out how the color combinations and different shapes fit together. I moved my collection around a bit, and then it just came together.  When you have it just right, affix them to the rod.   I used 13 potholders for my window that measures 60 inches wide.

Other variations:

 Use wooden clothespins to clip the potholders to a rope tied to unique hardware on either side of the window. Natural wood color, or painted to coordinate with your color scheme.

Use two or three repeating potholders, and create more of a patterned look. Or, try a monochromatic grouping.

I have taken to this idea so much that I have collected a whole other grouping of potholders, and they are waiting to have a turn to be my kitchen valance.  I hope you give this a try.  Happy potholdering to you!