Glamping: Who says you can't take it with you?
What is glamping? Gypsies were one of the first groups of people to create this decorating craze and now it's become a camping lifestyle.
Glamping simply means camping glamorously. MaryJane Butters is the queen of this trend. Her book, "Glamping with MaryJane," according to The New York Times, is "about the juxtaposition of rugged and really pretty, grit and glam, diesel and absolutely darling."
If you thought you would never be in to camping, think again. For extended vacationers, glamping is part of the whole camping experience that many prepare for in advance.
There are glamping bed and breakfast locations that offer extended glamping stays in the U.S. as well as Africa and throughout the world.
While camping has been thought of as a more economical way to spend a family vacation, extended worldwide glamping excursions may not be in the financial cards for most of us. But there's nothing stopping you from creating your own glamping experience.
Creating a warm and comfortable feel-like-home campsite is what glamping is all about. Instead of a standard, blah-looking tent, decorating your outdoor campsite and sleeping space can make the whole camping experience a glamping experience.
Here are some simple ways to glamorize your campsite.
Once your tent is set up, add a floor cloth to the ground. This can be an inexpensive painter's dropcloth purchased from your local home improvement store.
Create some warmth with colorful area rugs that you've had in the attic or found items from a secondhand store.
Once the flooring is created, set up a folding air-bed frame to get yourself off the ground. Bedding can be brought from home to add color to the inside of the tent. Hang a mosquito net to the inside top of the tent to keep out pests while you rest. Add colorful pillows to complete the bedding ensemble.
Next add a storage trunk for a dresser with a vanity mirror and suitcases for night stands.
Most camp sites have the option for power hookup. Bring a couple bedside lamps that can be used for reading at night.
There are many home decor possibilities that can be created to enhance your glamping experience. Screen-printed hand towels, novelty glamping fabrics and DIY camping accessories are a fun project for children to prepare for their glamping vacation.
Debbe Daley, owner of Debbe Daley Designs and RAW Furnishings, is an interior designer with more than 25 years of experience as a professional interior redesigner, stylist, stager, trainer and project manager. Follow her blog at blogs. lowellsun.com/daleydecor. She also blogs at debbedaleydesigns llc.blogspot.com.