WWMD (What Would Martha Do?)

By mswen
updated 2 months ago

Love her or hate her, Martha Stewart seems to have the answers for everything. And she's built quite a business behind it. From household chores to crafts to gifts to entertaining, Martha knows how to solve any problem you might have.

...during a five-month jail sentence?

If I were sentenced to time in federal prison, I would curl up in the corner and weep. Not Martha, who embraced the situation wholeheartedly. She decorated her jail cell, used the microwave to cook fabulous meals, and foraged for native greens. And she even improved herself physically by doing yoga regularly, and left jail looking better than ever.

Lesson learned: Make the best of every situation, no matter how dire.

...if you're sick of wine charms?

You’re having a dinner party. Or another couple over for drinks. Either way, whenever there are multiple people with wine glasses, you need a simple way to tell them apart. Something other than the ubiquitous wine charm; something different and hip. (Oh – and “green”, since you’re all about that nowadays.) How about gathering up all of the random elastic bands in your junk drawer, jotting down your guest names on them, and using those to ID the glasses?

Lesson learned: Think outside the box.

Staples

165 Middlesex Ave, Somerville, MA 02145

Sure, when you need an elastic band, they’re nowhere to be found. Grab a package here and you’ll be set with wine-tagging and extension-cord wrapping for life.

...if you don't have enough hands to tote the wine to a picnic?

Let’s set the stage. You’re meeting your friends for a picnic in the park. (How fun!) You’re in charge of the wine, a side dish or two, and maybe dragging along a couple of lounge chairs. What to do? Turn a tablecloth into a perfectly workable wine tote without spending a dime on one of those fancy insulated ones. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can throw the tablecloth on the grass and spread your goodies on top.

Lesson learned: Use what you have.

...when you need to organize your fabric collection?

OK. We all probably don’t have rolls of professional-grade fabric laying around that need to be cataloged. But if we did – and, really, this can be applied to any pile of stuff you need to order - we’d take inspiration from Martha’s method of coming up with creative-yet-attractive solutions for organizing just about anything.

Lesson learned: Stay on top of your clutter.

...to decorate a wedding on a budget?

Now here’s something we common folk can relate to: staying within a tight wedding budget and still coming up with beautiful decor. Martha has created the perfect (albeit time-consuming) project for DIY brides and/or super-helpful future in-laws and bridesmaids: the tissue paper pom-pom. These fabulous pomanders can dot the ceiling of a reception hall, church pews, or even hang over your three-year-old niece’s bed.

Lesson learned: You don’t need to spend a lot of money to create something pretty.