Easy Kitchen Decorations

Our kitchen is very open and visible from all parts of our main living area.  It is very important to me to have it looking as complete as possible.  I got this area looking homey pretty quickly with just a few things.
The flowers on the bar were picked from a nature reserve we have down the street.  I love having flowers in my house, but I hate paying for them when I know they will eventually die!

record player, Mickey Mouse Club lunch box, pepper box (my great ancestors include the name Pepper) and scoop, mason jars filled with wine corks, cream cheese box, rolling pin

This is the first time I've had space above my cabinets in the kitchen.  I wanted to do something cute (obviously!) with the area.  I love antiques, so what would be better than old kitchen items?  As I find items, I can add them to the collection.  I pick them up at yard sales, antique shops, etc.

Snow White lunch box, tobacco tin, milk jars, scale

Quite a few of them have come from my grandmother, which makes it even more special.  The milk jars are from Glens Falls, New York, where she grew up, and the scale was my great, great grandmother's.  The Snow White lunch box came from my mom, who collects metal lunch boxes.  Snow White is my favorite Disney princess!  Ryan's mom also sent us some of his old lunch boxes.

I also hang items under the cabinets that won't prop up on the top.  This is done with small Command hooks placed under the cabinets and some ribbon looped through a hole in the item.

The smaller items I used to make a wreath that's hanging on the door from the kitchen to the back patio.  The items include a rooster cookie cutter, a funnel, a small ladle, a biscuit cutter, and a small egg beater.  I attached them using fishing line so that I wouldn't potentially ruin them with glue.  The ribbon was left over and in my craft materials.  I used a hanging scale to hang it on the door.

 I found a Pepsi tray at a {yard sale}, and this sits on the counter to corral our wine, treats for the boys, and other odds and ends.

I hung this cheese slicer on the wall.  We also have a bit of a wine theme going on in this area, so I thought a cheese related item would fit.  There's a picture of wine glasses in our breakfast area, and I have added corks to some of our decorations.

What easy decorating ideas do you have for making your kitchen an inviting area?