by Nelson Montana
The wooden dough bowl has always played a significant part in the lives of the Tarahumara Indian people. In the mountainous region of Northern Mexico, the Tarahumara people have primitive lifestyles and live in rustic dwellings. They make handcrafts, like wooden dough bowls, to support themselves economically. I have always loved the unique baskets, weavings, jewelry and other hand-made items produced by this Tribe. It is fascinating that although the women are primarily in charge of making the handcrafts, the Tarahumara men like working with wood and make incredible pieces of art using crude instruments and tools. Along with wooden dough bowls, they also make wooden spoons, figurines and traditional game balls used in tribal foot races. These wooden handcrafts have a rustic beauty, uniquely enhanced by the characteristics of the wood.
You will also find it fascinating how the wood dough bowls are crafted. The making of the wooden bowl is started by hand carving a piece of pine wood taken from a fallen tree trunk. American Indian log bowls are made by cutting the trunk in half and then roughly chopping it with an axe. The wood is then fashioned into a bowl shape with a machete or large knife, giving it that appealing, rough and primitive look. This classic style is the same way that antique dough bowls have been crafted throughout the Sierra Madre for many years.
As you read about these fascinating Indian people, you will find that the wooden dough bowl plays an important role in the Tarahumara household. It is used in the process of hand-grinding corn and wheat to make hand-made tortillas, an important part of the Tarahumara diet. They then begin by crushing the kernels into a stone bowl called a metate. The dough bowl is used to catch the flour at one end of the metate as it is ground. Water is then combined with the flour in the bowl and hand-made tortillas are made from the mix. Although still used by the Tarahumara people for making tortillas and cooking, today dough bowls are offered to the public for Native style home decorating and as Indian art for collection.
You will enjoy using dough bowls for a number of things. They work wonderfully as collectibles, fruit bowls, and when combined with home decorating items. They are also good for art projects when a blank canvas is needed for western style paintings and other Native American style art. Dough bowls, painted with scenes of the southwest, are very popular and are a great way to add western style in your interior design. A painted dough bowl makes a wonderful focal point for any Native style room, cabin, lodge or ranch style home by adding the rich warm colors characteristic of southwestern artwork.
You can buy wooden dough bowls online and in many stores that sell southwestern and American Indian style home decor accessories. It is easy to create genuine Native style in your home, or to give your room an authentic rustic look by including a rustic, painted dough bowl along with your decor. If you like the timeless culture and American Indian values, you will appreciate having a piece of their hand-crafted artwork as part of your interior design. To bring true Native style design to your home and create a look that is truly one of a kind, add a rustic style wooden dough bowl to compliment your home decor.
Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and author offering free information online about choosing a wooden dough bowl for beautiful western style. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com
Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Outdoor Furniture - Select The Best Type by
David H Urmann
The best choice for your outdoor places would be furniture which is made out of teak wood.
The best choice for your outdoor places would be furniture which is made out of teak wood. This kind of furniture is not only ever lasting but as the time passes the wood becomes more beautiful and it is natural material.
In starting the teak are nice golden shade color, than later on it turns into silver color, both look wonderful in the garden. If you want to maintain the golden color of teak than there are some cleaners in the market which can serve your purpose or you can use teak oil in the outdoor furniture?
If you put furniture outside the house than there is no requirement to place cushions on it. The entire structural design of the pieces and all of the plank may be seen when cushions are not put. And if you really want comfort than you can put cushion and still the look of the furniture is the same.
In teak you can find a lot of variety and I have seen different benches made of teak and they look amazing.
Teak wood is very dense as compare to the other woods and you will find different quality and grades of teak furniture and the most important thing is that how it is made. The weight of the wood also makes huge difference. So it's always better to buy furniture from good store which are certified.
Having good outdoor furniture is very important because when any guest or any visitor will come, he or she will see the outside furniture first and it give good impression when you have good furniture.
When you are planning to buy some good furniture for garden or yard few things you should remember that is when you are placing furniture in the outdoor it is expose to the entire climate changing, so it's better if you select the furniture accordingly.
You will find expensive outdoor furniture and it is not feasible to change or replace furniture every year, so you should take special care of it and cleaning should be done regularly. You should follow the instructions of the manufacturer for keeping it long lasting.
Many people prefer second hand and used furniture, so you do not get the proper instruction how to maintain it and in long run the furniture lost its charm but you can maintain it because cleaning is not that difficult task.
When you manufacturer gives you the written instruction you should keep it the safe place but however you have lost it , you can always remember that furniture's can be clean by water and shop.
Aluminum furniture stand firm against the water and rust but you need to clean it frequently to maintain it properly.
Umbrella require some special care when it is being used after a long period of time. The joint of umbrella should oiled properly and if you have expensive umbrella which consist of wooden frame then you should try wax of paste for keeping its shine protected.
Find more information on Outdoor Furniture at our site!
Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
The best choice for your outdoor places would be furniture which is made out of teak wood.
The best choice for your outdoor places would be furniture which is made out of teak wood. This kind of furniture is not only ever lasting but as the time passes the wood becomes more beautiful and it is natural material.
In starting the teak are nice golden shade color, than later on it turns into silver color, both look wonderful in the garden. If you want to maintain the golden color of teak than there are some cleaners in the market which can serve your purpose or you can use teak oil in the outdoor furniture?
If you put furniture outside the house than there is no requirement to place cushions on it. The entire structural design of the pieces and all of the plank may be seen when cushions are not put. And if you really want comfort than you can put cushion and still the look of the furniture is the same.
In teak you can find a lot of variety and I have seen different benches made of teak and they look amazing.
Teak wood is very dense as compare to the other woods and you will find different quality and grades of teak furniture and the most important thing is that how it is made. The weight of the wood also makes huge difference. So it's always better to buy furniture from good store which are certified.
Having good outdoor furniture is very important because when any guest or any visitor will come, he or she will see the outside furniture first and it give good impression when you have good furniture.
When you are planning to buy some good furniture for garden or yard few things you should remember that is when you are placing furniture in the outdoor it is expose to the entire climate changing, so it's better if you select the furniture accordingly.
You will find expensive outdoor furniture and it is not feasible to change or replace furniture every year, so you should take special care of it and cleaning should be done regularly. You should follow the instructions of the manufacturer for keeping it long lasting.
Many people prefer second hand and used furniture, so you do not get the proper instruction how to maintain it and in long run the furniture lost its charm but you can maintain it because cleaning is not that difficult task.
When you manufacturer gives you the written instruction you should keep it the safe place but however you have lost it , you can always remember that furniture's can be clean by water and shop.
Aluminum furniture stand firm against the water and rust but you need to clean it frequently to maintain it properly.
Umbrella require some special care when it is being used after a long period of time. The joint of umbrella should oiled properly and if you have expensive umbrella which consist of wooden frame then you should try wax of paste for keeping its shine protected.
Find more information on Outdoor Furniture at our site!
Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
Refinish Your Hardwood Floor Like a Pro
by Sonukumar
This article is written by a pro of refinishing hardwood floors since I have done too many to count. Maybe 300 would be a good guess.
My father was in the business full time (as well as aluminum windows and doors (which I'll write another article about that soon) and while I attended college, and for a short time after, I worked with him as well as on my own refinishing hardwood floors.
In fact, I just did my mother-in-law's last summer and my back still hurts!
Before you even think of starting this DIY project, you need to be fairly good shape. There is a lot of bending, kneeling and scraping :(
Ok, you still are here reading so I guess you are serious :o)
Here are the easy? steps to a beautiful, shiny hardwood floor:
1. Determine what kind of finish you would like first. There are a couple choices, low gloss and high gloss. It's strictly taste as they both wear the same. I prefer a polyurethane paint but some like varnishes. I found urethane to be a durable finish and won't yellow over time. Look for 'non-yellowing' on the can.
2. Go to your local hardware store that carries floor sanders, edger sander, pain scrapers, sandpaper (medium) and the floor paint.
3. Prepare your floor by filling in any blemishes, depressions, cracks and nail holes.
4. Sweep and then vacuum floor. (at this point I would hang a plastic sheet over any door openings if the door has been removed (new construction etc).
5. Sand main floor being careful to keep sander going in same direction. Start with a coarse sandpaper and switch to finer for second sanding. The first sanding is to get to bare wood and the second for a finished look.
6. Sand the edges. The trick here is to use a fairly light touch and rotate the sander in semi-circle reducing sand marks.
7. Now the fun part. Take your scraper in scrape the corners and under heaters. Don't worry about under heaters too much as it won't be that noticeable.
8. Whew! The hard part is done. Now the fun part. Sweep and vacuum floor and if you see a swirl or sanding marks scrape the out.
9. Put the sealer down. Wait at least 2 hours, hand sand the whole floor, vacuum and apply the urethane. If you don't have air conditioning, put a fan on the floor to dry it quicker.
10. I usually waited at least 4-5 hours for it dry, most of the time overnight. I recommend at least 2 coats of urethane for a durable, hard finish.
http:// visit www.thedesignbuild.com
Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
This article is written by a pro of refinishing hardwood floors since I have done too many to count. Maybe 300 would be a good guess.
My father was in the business full time (as well as aluminum windows and doors (which I'll write another article about that soon) and while I attended college, and for a short time after, I worked with him as well as on my own refinishing hardwood floors.
In fact, I just did my mother-in-law's last summer and my back still hurts!
Before you even think of starting this DIY project, you need to be fairly good shape. There is a lot of bending, kneeling and scraping :(
Ok, you still are here reading so I guess you are serious :o)
Here are the easy? steps to a beautiful, shiny hardwood floor:
1. Determine what kind of finish you would like first. There are a couple choices, low gloss and high gloss. It's strictly taste as they both wear the same. I prefer a polyurethane paint but some like varnishes. I found urethane to be a durable finish and won't yellow over time. Look for 'non-yellowing' on the can.
2. Go to your local hardware store that carries floor sanders, edger sander, pain scrapers, sandpaper (medium) and the floor paint.
3. Prepare your floor by filling in any blemishes, depressions, cracks and nail holes.
4. Sweep and then vacuum floor. (at this point I would hang a plastic sheet over any door openings if the door has been removed (new construction etc).
5. Sand main floor being careful to keep sander going in same direction. Start with a coarse sandpaper and switch to finer for second sanding. The first sanding is to get to bare wood and the second for a finished look.
6. Sand the edges. The trick here is to use a fairly light touch and rotate the sander in semi-circle reducing sand marks.
7. Now the fun part. Take your scraper in scrape the corners and under heaters. Don't worry about under heaters too much as it won't be that noticeable.
8. Whew! The hard part is done. Now the fun part. Sweep and vacuum floor and if you see a swirl or sanding marks scrape the out.
9. Put the sealer down. Wait at least 2 hours, hand sand the whole floor, vacuum and apply the urethane. If you don't have air conditioning, put a fan on the floor to dry it quicker.
10. I usually waited at least 4-5 hours for it dry, most of the time overnight. I recommend at least 2 coats of urethane for a durable, hard finish.
http:// visit www.thedesignbuild.com
Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Hot New Trends in Wood Furniture for the Home
by maxineOAH
Wood furniture has long been a staple of home decor for thousands of years. In fact, probably since the beginning of human history. Today's wood furniture can add class and style to any home if implemented the right way. Read below to find out some great new trends in wood furniture that you should be considering for your home.
First, I want to talk about one of the hottest trends in wood furniture right now, multi game tables. These are usually 5-piece table and chair sets that can convert to different games or an elegant dining room set. These sets will convert to a poker table with cupholders, chip trays, and a fancy casino style felt. Take the top off the table and you have yourself a great bumper pool table. Most sets will come with billiard balls and cue sticks also. Put the top back on and you have an elegant, classy dining table that no one would ever expect to have so much fun with. The chairs are usually comfortable, upholstered arm chairs. Check this new wood furniture trend out online.
Second, the other really hot trend in wood furniture right now is home bar furniture. You can buy a pre-built home bar that will integrate seamlessly into any room of your home. You can put it in the finished basement or game room. Most home bars will come with two barstools and some of them will even have an optional wall unit with wine racks and storage compartments. There are great styles and different options to choose from. Check this one out online too!
Lastly, the third trend in wood furniture is home office furniture. New home office furniture sets are being unveiled that offer better organization and usability for the busy home professional. These new designs are focusing on matching existing home decor instead of bringing a work environment into your home. The goal, of course, is to make the home office more of a living space in your home, than a work place. You can get sets that include a desk, office chair, and an organizer for very cheap. Match your existing decor with contemporary or traditional pieces and make you home office a more relaxing, productive environment. The key is to buy home office furniture that is very pleasing to your senses.
A great place to find these new wood furniture trends is online. Just search the web and you will find great sites that offer these furnishings at super low prices. Happy hunting!
Written by: Maxine C, Webmaster and promotion specialist, Visit OfficeAndHome.net for Wood Furniture. Maxine enjoys writing articles about Furniture, interior decorating, and home and garden to provide content for other's websites, as well as to promote her own ideas and website.
Article Source: http://www.ladypens.com
Wood furniture has long been a staple of home decor for thousands of years. In fact, probably since the beginning of human history. Today's wood furniture can add class and style to any home if implemented the right way. Read below to find out some great new trends in wood furniture that you should be considering for your home.
First, I want to talk about one of the hottest trends in wood furniture right now, multi game tables. These are usually 5-piece table and chair sets that can convert to different games or an elegant dining room set. These sets will convert to a poker table with cupholders, chip trays, and a fancy casino style felt. Take the top off the table and you have yourself a great bumper pool table. Most sets will come with billiard balls and cue sticks also. Put the top back on and you have an elegant, classy dining table that no one would ever expect to have so much fun with. The chairs are usually comfortable, upholstered arm chairs. Check this new wood furniture trend out online.
Second, the other really hot trend in wood furniture right now is home bar furniture. You can buy a pre-built home bar that will integrate seamlessly into any room of your home. You can put it in the finished basement or game room. Most home bars will come with two barstools and some of them will even have an optional wall unit with wine racks and storage compartments. There are great styles and different options to choose from. Check this one out online too!
Lastly, the third trend in wood furniture is home office furniture. New home office furniture sets are being unveiled that offer better organization and usability for the busy home professional. These new designs are focusing on matching existing home decor instead of bringing a work environment into your home. The goal, of course, is to make the home office more of a living space in your home, than a work place. You can get sets that include a desk, office chair, and an organizer for very cheap. Match your existing decor with contemporary or traditional pieces and make you home office a more relaxing, productive environment. The key is to buy home office furniture that is very pleasing to your senses.
A great place to find these new wood furniture trends is online. Just search the web and you will find great sites that offer these furnishings at super low prices. Happy hunting!
Written by: Maxine C, Webmaster and promotion specialist, Visit OfficeAndHome.net for Wood Furniture. Maxine enjoys writing articles about Furniture, interior decorating, and home and garden to provide content for other's websites, as well as to promote her own ideas and website.
Article Source: http://www.ladypens.com
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