Ornamental Kitchen Essentials ~ By: Laura B. Corpuz

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laurabc@bumail.bradley.edu
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"Simplicity is beauty." There is beauty in simple things that many of us overlook; we are too busy of thinking other things to make any thing look pretty. But, we are blessed with so many materials around us that all we have to do is put them into something useful. Life is full of challenges and home decorating is one of them that many homemakers face. Some have very simple taste; some want their homes to be plain looking and some want their homes look fancy. All these depend on the fashion, styles, and mood of the homeowners. One thing they have in common is to make their homes look attractive, delightful, charming, and appealing, because it is the home that is the happiest place of all.

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My grade and high school years in the 1950's opened my eyes to many craft works including bag and basket making. I learned not only to weave baskets but also how to prepare a home garden. Summer gardening here in the USA and the bountiful harvest make our homemaking and decorating so much fun. Making a basket was a challenge my friend and I took after finishing other projects in Home Economics class. We were very fortunate to be able to afford to buy necessary materials to make a basket for weaving. I vividly remembered our teacher cutting a piece of plywood with a saw for the base and shaving rattan and fine strips of bamboo. When this wastebasket was finished I placed it in our kitchen for trash use only. Macramé was the other craftwork I learned in grade school. There is beauty in our Philippine baskets and other bamboo and rattan products.

~ In high school, I white painted a hard broom, decorated it with Christmas ornaments and displayed it the entire yuletide season. Those Filipino essentials are everywhere and whenever I see them, those grade and high school years always bring back fun memories of crafts work. Baskets, brooms and garden produce are just not for the kitchen anymore. Also, decorating with them does not leave holes on the walls. They are movable and each time they are relocated, they give a new look to what we call "home sweet home."

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* Woven baskets of different shapes and sizes would give a country look on cupboard tops. They may also be utilized as kitchen or house containers like napkin holders and other kitchen utensils/gadgets. They can be just be simply utility baskets.

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* Bamboo/Rattan-made baskets make flower arrangements more attractive if used as a base or holders.

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* Midribs of Palm Leaves (Tingting) give a more gracious look when added to a floral arrangement especially the curly ones. A bundle of these longer "tingting" gives a tropical look in corner of the living or family room. This also looks so cool behind a sofa or love seat.

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* Hard Broom (Walis na Tingting) when painted white and colorfully decorated would be a lovely X'mas tree. It should be set upside down. A natural look "tingting" with fine silk flowers glued to the broom is very attractive too. A hot pot holder may be used as a base or standalone if tightly bundled.

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* Hot pot holder (Dikin) and wood carved pot look so elegant on a glass-topped table. Its reflection on the glass top is an added beauty to a living room.

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* Braided garlic adds an accent to a kitchen decor aside from keeping bad spirits away, as Filipinos believe. Both ends of longer or bigger braids may be tied together for wreath-like look. A ribbon may also be tied to it for added beauty.

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* Soft Broom (Tambo) looks beautiful when hung by a fireplace. It may also be adorned with seasonal ribbons. Soft brooms bring home-style warmth to any family room.

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* Corn Stalks beautify lawns and gardens especially in the fall season. They may be placed on the porch or tied to the yard light.

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* Bundles of corn from the garden hung in the kitchen are a lovely decoration. Place them by a garden bench and watch some birds peck on them.

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* Garden harvests gathered in a big basket or bushels give a bountiful look as a front porch fall display.

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1995 All Rights Reserved

Laura B. Corpuz- laurabc@fsmail.bradley.edu