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Any of us that have children or who live with those who
received an extra helping of the awkward gene, know what it
is to discover furniture nicks, dings and other marks on a
daily basis. Since banning the offenders from the room is
impractical (and besides, you love the offenders more than the
furniture anyway, don't you?), you need a few tips to help you
deal with those little imperfections. No! I'm not talking about
the kids, because you know down deep - wayyyyy down deep - they
are perfect! I'm talking about the furniture!
1. Disguise scratches in your wood furniture with shoe polish,
crayon or felt tip markers. A tan crayon or marker is perfect
for light woods, while a red-brown is great for cherry. You
may have to experiment a bit to find a perfect match, but
the right color will make that scratch disappear! (But if
your table is so scratched that you are considering setting
the kids down with a big box of crayons and telling them to
color all the pretty white patterns, you might consider
getting a new one!)
2. If your kids have chewed up all the crayons, you might
consider using a tea bag or rubbing a piece of walnut or
pecan on the marred surface.
3. If your darling child has left his/her glass of kool-aid on
the table (even though you have TOLD them 1,000 times to
never do that!), you can make a paste of salt and mineral
oil to take out the white rings or water marks. Be sure to
rub in the direction of the grain and dry immediately! Then
apply your favorite polish.
4. For cigarette burns (this had BETTER NOT be from the
children!), rub the offending spot with a paste made from
fireplace ash and lemon juice! (I had a low-fat salad
dressing one time that tasted just like this!)
And if all this fails, consider telling everyone that the piece
just has "character!" Collectors pay thousands of dollars for
old furniture with lots of imperfections - in fact, the more
the better! Just think of your home as a Furniture Distressing
Factory!
About The Author: Copyright © 2004, Pamela Cole Harris, Home and Garden Makeover
http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com
Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer and decorator for thirty-five years (YIKES! Has it been that long?). She is the author of "Home and Garden Design Tips", a free weekly syndicated home and garden content service for your website. Get the code at http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com/content_syndication.html . And while you are there, sign up for her monthly newsletter! And visit her other sites at http://www.pajamabusinesses.com and http://www.thewellfedtraveler.com
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