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Arty Help Needed!

00:57 / 30.11.05

Here's the deal.

I work in a wee pub/restaurant owned by a larger pub management company. Since it's coming up to christmas they're getting ready to put up decorations and they needed somebody to do it for them. I've been identified as "arty", basically because on slow days I go through about three pens worth of doodling on the order pads, and so my boss has asked me if I'd be interested in doing the place up with the decorations they're buying in. I accepted. I have a slight problem.

Basically, though I've got a bit of aesthetic sense it's generally confined to paper, I don't have much of a clue about decorating a three-dimensional space. Add to this the fact that I've not seen the decorations yet and the fact that I'm supposed to do another two additional locations (one of which is a Hotel lounge) neither of which I've ever been in.

Oh yeah. I have to do it by Monday.

I have faith in my ability to wing it succesfully and make it look decent, but in order to do that I need as much information, both random and specific, as I can get. You lot are all so bloody wonderful and fantastic that you must have some tips for me. I'm looking for anything and everything. For every infonugget recieved, you get a special Meludreen Christmas Huggle™ which is a pretty sweet deal, let me tell you.

So. How 'bout it?

Lilly Nowhere Late

06:03 / 30.11.05

Make sure you get the whole sensory thing going on. Incorporate cinnamon sticks, cloved oranges, scented candles,rosemary trees/pine greenery- those sorts of things. I imagine this will either be very effective in a smelly pub or overridden by bad pub smells. Ribbon and wire are also great ingredients.

06:54 / 30.11.05

If you have time how about you go and look at how some other places have done their decorations. Obviously I'm not advocating plagiarism here, more an opportunity for inspirationalism......

07:18 / 30.11.05

Hiya Meludreen - I grew up in a pub and still have to do this every year. The trick is to see what you've got and plan it before you put it up. So divide out things for the tree, and the things for the rooms. So:

Tree
fairy lights, different coloured tinsel, chocolate thingys, baubels, an angel for top, etc!

Room
Divide the decorations before you put them up. Eg:
You might want a piece of tinsel and a robin redbreast / snowman / reindeer on top of each picture frame. So separate enough tinsel and figures for the pictures. Then think about tinsel /and or fairylights for the bar and other things for the spirit wall and taps etc. Then think about the ceiling borders (they usually have the extendable glittery things for here), and bigger decorations etc. Once you've planned where everything is going get enough sellotape and drawing pins and get to work!!

00:12 / 01.12.05

Thanks guys.

LN-Scented candles are a no-no apparently. Fire hazard and all that. Cloved oranges and cinammon sound like a plan though. I'll try for that.

MM-Not much time to have a look around at other places unfortunately, I'm really pretty busy at the moment, so I'm just going to have to fly blind.

J-Sounds like a sensible way to approach things. I'm thinking make the bar one of the brightest areas (aside from the the tree) to attract eyes and make punters think of drinking. Booths and tables should be cosier and smellier.

I'll be finding out tomorrow the stuff that they've got, though I'll be working tomorrow night. That leaves the next three days with, I'm guessing, one of the locations each day. They've kind of left it all last minute but I reckon it should be alright.

Thanks again.