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In preparation for the holiday season, the Today’s Homeowner crew helped sisters Missy and Chick get their home and outdoor space ready for entertaining their large family. And, along the way they shared some of their handy and unique decorating ideas with us.

A while back, Chick and Chelsea worked together on a Dutch shed door project for Chelsea’s web series, so she was already well acquainted with these fun sisters.

Here’s what we helped Missy and Chick tackle this time around:

  • Built and stained a new leaf for the dining room table
  • Installed a ceiling fan on the patio
  • Painted a rug pattern on the concrete
  • Cleaned up the support piers with masonry repair mix
  • Built a planter to disguise the gas regulator for their barbecue grill
  • Set up the outdoor lights and decorations

Painting a Rug on the Patio

painted rug on patio.
The painted rug sets the tone for entertaining on the patio.

The sisters are pleased with the result.
The sisters are pleased with the result.

Chelsea created a plan to paint a rug pattern on their concrete patio. Before we could lay out the design, we ensured the concrete surface was thoroughly clean and dry.

Next, we marked the outside border of the design using a chalk line, and filled in the lines of the design with painter’s tape. To ensure the tape stuck well, especially the edges, we burnished the tape with a putty knife.

Then it was time to paint. We used a roller to apply Behr concrete floor paint. The key to clean lines is to remove the tape before the paint dries completely.

Watch How to Create a Painted Rug on Concrete for step-by-step instructions.

Also, check out Chelsea’s webisode on How to Paint a Garage Floor to see how she spruced up her own garage with this project.

Decorating the Exterior

Danny and Chick set up the yard decorations.
Danny and Chick set up the yard art.

Chick and Missy also shared some cool decorating tips with us. One such trick was using PVC pipe to simplify decorating around the front windows. Chick built frames from the pipe, and then she and Missy wrapped garland and lights around the frames. We helped hang the frames using cup hooks that we painted to match the house. Here’s a peek of how they were made in our Facebook video.

And, here’s a tip for cutting PVC pipe.

Chick also used woodcraft kits from The Winfield Collection to create Christmas yard art, including a penguin scene and Mr. and Mrs. Claus riding a motorcycle.

The house is ready for the holidays.
The house is ready for the holidays.

Other Tips from This Episode

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Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
DIY Furniture Polish and Scratch Remover

The best furniture polishes contain an oil for replenishing wood surfaces and an acid for cutting through dirt. Here’s a recipe to make your own. Watch the video.

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Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
Night Angel Lighted Duplex Receptacle Cover

The Night Angel lighted duplex receptacle cover is a nightlight that looks like an outlet cover, except it has three built-in LED bulbs hidden flush in the faceplate. It is available at The Home Depot.
Watch the video.

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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