DECORATE? ME?

Maybe you don't think of yourself as a talented decorator. Maybe you don't think you're very creative at all. Still, I bet you have one or two great decorating ideas floating around in your brain.

Slipcover maker Sure Fit Inc. figured there were a lot of people like that, and it decided to tap that talent. It sponsored a contest to gather the decorating wisdom of average folks and compiled the best into ``Smart, Simple, Chic Decorating Ideas,'' a 60-page book of tips and easy projects. The company received more than 800 ideas, and a panel of seven judges whittled them to about 250 winners. ``They're very clever,'' Sure Fit spokeswoman Liana Toscanini says. ``I was pretty impressed with the `normal' person out there.''

Here are some suggestions from local residents published in the booklet:

North Hills resident P. Spangler had two tips chosen by Sure Fit: ``Add a drop or two of perfume to a piece of cotton. Vacuum it up. The air is scented as you clean.

And ``instead of buying wallpaper borders that can be quite expensive, browse the wallpaper books for stripes that have a pleasing floral and geometric design. Buy one roll and cut along the line, using a yard stick and box knife to make yards and yards of wallpaper border. Apply around the ceiling of a room painted a coordinating color.''

Northridge resident B. Higheagle had this advice: ``Sofa beds have a large cavity underneath the back where the slipcover is tucked in, making it difficult to anchor the cover in back of the cushions. By squeezing foam pipe insulation (large size) in the crease, it will stop the cover from slipping out.''

Finally, from Ventura resident J. Brannan: ``I never buy bed skirts anymore. I simply wait for tablecloths to go on sale. Two of the larger-sized rectangular tablecloths fit a king size bed and look great. You simply lay each cloth across the box spring and adjust each side to your preference.''

You can order a copy of ``Smart, Simple, Chic Decorating Ideas'' by visiting Sure Fit's Web site, www.surefit.com, or by calling [phone]. The only cost is for shipping/handling, $3.95.

- Staff and Wire Services

LOOK WHAT'S NEW

GOT YOU COVERED: Chopping wood, building fences, and other outdoorsy tasks require some real gloves - not the thin cotton garden variety. To protect your hands while working outdoors in chilly weather, MidWest has created a special glove that has a leather-lined palm plus a 100-gram Thinsulate lining, similar to the kind used in ski parkas. Designed for the serious do-it-yourselfer, the MidWest Style work glove also has a tough safety cuff for extra wrist protection. It's priced at $13 at most hardware and home center stores. For more information, call [phone]. - Barbara De Witt 

NO-BRAINER BLENDER: Osterizer blenders have been grinding ice and making cold drinks since they were invented in 1946. But you had to have the recipe. This year the company has launched a no-brainer blender called the Oster In2itive that's got an LCD display that's preprogrammed with 40 currently trendy recipes - from smoothies and Frappacino-style drinks to soups and salsas. All you do is turn it on and the LCD display tells you how much ice, fruit and other ingredients to put in the blender, and it automatically knows the correct blending time and speed required. It even beeps when finished. The high-tech-looking white-and-silver Oster In2itive blender comes with a nifty jar made of unbreakable, dishwasher-safe polycarbonate plastic, the same material used in bullet-proof airplane windshields. It's $139.99 at J.C. Penney, Robinsons-May and Macy's stores. - B.D.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo: (1) no caption (book: ``Smart, Simple, Chic Decorating Ideas'') (2) no caption (MidWest Style work gloves) (3) no caption (Oster In2itive blender)