Hello all. Hopefully all had a great Thanksgiving last week. Speaking for myself, it's a lot to be thankful for. But you don't really need Thanksgiving to remind you to feel thankful. You should feel thankful every day anyway. Because gratitude changes everything in life. Even if the world is in the shopping mode right now (as if we don't have enough to be thankful for) remember still to be grateful for what you already have and that's not just for the material things. I'm grateful I have ... an imagination and creativity in me as a gift. So if you're lacking creativity, I'm here for you, bluntly put :)

Here are a few ideas on what to do with those leftover ornaments that didn't fit on The Tree, or those less-favorite ornaments of yours, or those that you have too many of in the same color. Whatever the case, you probably have many extras that you may not have thought of where else to use them.

If your kitchen has a window opening giving you a view to the family room or living room, why not decorate it by hanging ornaments in it? I know condos and apartments may not have that kitchen "window" but it may still have the opening that offers eating space at the counter using bar stools/bistro chairs, so the ceiling part above that counter has to have a ledge that can be beautifully decorated. Also, every townhouse and house (and a lot of apartments and condos) have a patio door or a balcony door - why not decorate it by hanging ornaments on it? See the BLUE ornaments here and the PURPLE ornaments below.

 All you need is:

• scissors
• packaging tape (wider than typical scotch tape)
• fishing line (called Monofilament Line)

If you want to avoid hammering nails and afterwards leaving holes in the wall then you should stick with the sticky tape :)  The fishing line costs less than $2 and it comes in handy to have at home for other projects, too. And even a thin line like this one supports heavy objects (up to 8 pounds!) 

Here's an easy TUTORIAL (step-by-step below) on how to decorate the kitchen arch aka "window" leading out to the living room. 

1. Determine the length of string (line) you desire. I went about half-way down the "window". Make sure length is even for each ornament. After you make your knots the lengths will slightly vary. You see that in my result, but that's fine, it's only a few-millimeter difference. I love it. Creates like a wave look.  
2. I attached the fishing line to the ornaments by making 3 tight knots. Then at the other end of the line I made 3 tight knots again. The end-knot will prevent the ornament from slipping out from underneath the tape.
3. Use packaging tape because it has more glue on it and cut equal pieces. Get them ready on some surface edge so your work is more efficient vs cutting a new strip again after you hang each ornament. Equal size pieces will make your spacing easier.
4. Adhere the fishing line to the sticky side of tape so the line is down the middle - this makes it easy to help you see how to space out the ornaments evenly. See my photo.
5. Stick it to the wall along the edge of the "window". I chose to stick them on from the living room side because I have Christmas lights draped alongside this window so the tape strips will get complete coverage! But even without the lights being there the tape is barely visible on the wall because it's clear.
6. Press the tape strip firmly onto the wall and go over it with your fingers back and forth, smooth out any bubbles, and just push with your fingernail alongside the line to make sure it's stuck on tight and the line won't slip down and out. The end-knot should be above the tape strip.
7. To space out evenly, either 1) measure the area, count your ornaments and mark small dots on the wall with the pencil - the fishing line would cover that dot. Or 2) just use your fingers, like I did, 3, and stick the tape on the wall at every 3-finger-interval. That's why the string should be stuck on the tape right down the middle of the strip. It helps you measure without measuring ;)

And now, the patio door! Do the patio or balcony door using the same method above. But this will be even easier because if yours has those vertical plastic blinds then it most likely has the horizontal one above that runs across from side to side just to cover the track frame. It's plastic and it makes the tape stick to it easy breezy, and 100% invisible because I attached them from the inside. See all photos. And you can still operate the blinds with the ornaments on! The removal is also easy and no surface damage. 

Possibilities are endless. Go ahead, try it. Enjoy!

Renata