The Citizen, 1999-05-05, Page 15Jlome Garden 1999
Spring into decorating >
with roller brush magic
As the weather gets warmer, the
decorating bug seems to bite.
Breathe new life into the rooms of
your home by playing with
different wall techniques. Add a
splash of colour, an added border
or a subtle stripe and don't let your
budget cramp your creative flair.
This year, why not try something
different - something innovative
yet economical.
Using patterned rollers is a
simple way to update walls but
they can be expensive to buy. Don’t
be afraid to experiment and create
your own roller magic.
Patterned rollers are easy to
create and the results will wake up
your walls with terrific effects and
add depth to their surface. All you
need is a glue gun, a
imagination and anything
sponges to elastic bands,
wool, felt and plastic bags.
Design your own speciality roller
Start with a regular roller and try
your own easy-to-make pattern.
• Using a 9" roller, cut 6 mil
plastic into 2.5” x 2.5” square
pieces (75-100), rounding off the
comers. Place a dab of glue in the
middle of each square and place
on the roller, using the end of a
pencil to attach it. Let dry 48
hours before using the roller.
• To make a bag roller: use two
plastic shopping bags. Turn them
inside out so that any printing on
the bag is on the inside. Place end
of bags on the end of the roller
little
from
steel
sleeve. Hold the bags in place and
slip the roller cage (handle) into
the roller sleeve. Twist the bags
around the roller allowing some of
the roller to show. Use elastic
bands to hold the bags in place at
the ends of the roller.
• To make a fringed roller: cut
five equal pieces of 6 mil plastic
measuring 5" x 9.5". Cut a 2"
fringe on each piece of plastic
along the long sides. This will
leave a 1" solid strip in the
'middle. Glue each piece along the
1" solid strip and attach to the
roller. Let dry 48 hours before
using the roller.
The effects from specialty rollers
visually enhance your walls, so you
will want to be sure of your colour
choices.
For best results, test your
technique on a sample board first.
This will allow you to see how
your colour choices and pattern
will work together before you
invest the time and effort in the
final project.
Roller magic tips prepare walls
Apply the base coat, let dry for
48 hours. Prepare the top coat,
mixing your colour choice with
equal parts of glaze. Working in a
three-four foot area, apply the glaze
mixture to the wall.
Apply roller magic
Having created your patterned
roller, roll randomly over the wet
paint in your three-four foot
working area. The more you roll,
the more subtle the effect.
Handle comers and small spaces
as you go along by crumpling a
small amount of the plastic in your
hand and pressing it onto the wet
paint. Repeat this process around
the room.
Need a break? Wrap brushes and
rollers in plastic shopping bags,
making sure to seal tightly so that
no air gets in. They will be ready to
get back to work when you are
without needing to be cleaned each
time.
Specialty rollers are fun and easy
to use! Experiment with different
patterns and transform every room
in your home. Out with the old and
in with the new - that's what spring
is all about!r
A grassroots approach
for a beautiful lawn
(NC) — You can rest assured
that the best lawn on your street
didn't get that way overnight—and
not without a little tender loving
care. It's also a pretty safe bet that a
few carefully selected and
judiciously applied lawn treatment
preparations were part of that TLC.
If you follow these few early
Spring tips, you'll be well on your
way to a showpiece lawn too.
With an established lawn, or one
that hasn't been mowed frequently,
dethatching is a good place to start.
Thatch is that dried-out layer of
dead grass and roots that
accumulates on the soil's surface.
If you've been telling yourself
that it's good fertilizer, here's a dose
of.lawn health reality that you
should consider. Thatch blocks
needed air from reaching the root
zone of your lawn. It's also an ideal
breeding ground for insects,
including chinch bugs, which can
suck the sap from the blades of
healthy grass. You can hire a
professional to dethatch, but a stiff
grass rake and a little muscle power
will do a pretty effective job too.
Core removal aeration is another
critical step in building a lawn
that's the envy of your
neighbourhood. Aeration loosens
up compacted soil, allowing easy
and rapid penetration of air, water,
and other nutrients to root areas.
Aerator machines—which are
easier to operate than your
lawnmower—can be found at most
neighbourhood rental outlets.
Finally, your lawn needs a steady
diet of nutritious food to grow
st.ong and healthy. Lawn fertilizers
containing slow-release nitrogen
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1999. PAGE 15.
°A/STRUCT'°
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• Sales & Installation of
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Call Ken
519-887-9857 z
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GARDEN «CENTRE
Our greenhouses are
filled with gorgeous
flowers and plants, rose
bushes & shrubs
Great Mother's Day ideas...
Complete line of lawn
mowers, riding
mowers, tillers,
trailers, dump carts
& BBQ's
• lawn
ornaments
grass seed
packaged
garden seeds
seed potatoes
onions
It s spring
planting time
lawn &peat moss
garden tools,
hoses,
sprinklers
Auburn Co-op
(519) 526-7262
Belgrave Co-op
(519)357-2711 1-800-267-2667