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Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts

4.07.2023

how i see Easter... an essay

for the past eight years or so, i've been sharing an essay on my facebook profile on Good Friday, Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
three years ago, i published it in its entirety on my blog - because it is a message that is so important that i want it to remain after i am gone, i want it to last and make a difference.
this year, instead of publishing my essay in parts, i'm going to share the link to where it lives on my blog. it's been hidden away on a page, with a link in the sidebar, but now i'm being brave and publishing a link to it in a post on this Good Friday because i don't want you to miss it. i do this in hope that my friends and family and blog readers and social connections will take a moment to click the link and to read the words that i know are the best i have ever written, the most important thing i will ever have to say, and to consider just why it is that i put this out there on a public platform, opening myself up to the inevitable reaction that will come.
it's because i care about what really matters in the lives of the people i care about from an eternal perspective... because we're spiritual beings having a human experience right now, but when our human bodies die, our souls live on. our souls all have eternal life. death is not the end of life, only the end of the body. the question is, where will that eternity be spent? with God, or separated from Him? i know i'll be with Him, and with many many loved ones who have accepted His truth.
...and i want you to be there, too i hope you hear my heart in this. i hope you hear the truth. i hope you accept it.
click this link to read my essay:

https://www.homewardfounddecor.com/p/how-i-see-easter.html

with love,
deb

4.05.2023

Pyrex pattern Easter eggs

spring, Easter, seasonal, painting, tutorial, re-purposed, garden style, up-cycling, diy decorating, vintage style, vintage, DIY,decorating, Easter eggs, painted Easter eggs, Pyrex, Pyrex Easter eggs, vintage Pyrex, spring home decor
these happy Easter eggs were inspired by vintage Pyrex bowls
AND by two previous projects i've created inspired by them.

'inspiration comes from everywhere' is a phrase many creatives use.
it's certainly true for me, as well as 'inspiration comes from nature'.
another source of inspiration for me is my own previous projects.
i love using similar concepts and elements from my stash
to create new 'home decor that's not from a store' in different seasons!


i hope you enjoy my last Easter decor project this year!
be a good egg and continue reading for a really easy tutorial...

4.01.2023

flower bunnies

spring,flowers,garden style,Easter,DIY,diy decorating,seasonal,just for fun,re-purposed,up-cycling,boho style,Easter bunny florals,Easter bunny flower arrangement,flower arrangements,bunnies,contemporary Easter decor,modern Easter decor.
spring has arrived, April is here, and Easter is on the horizon...
this truly easy floral project will add some fun to your spring decor!

whether you make it with faux or fresh flowers,
it's sure to make everyBUNNY smile ;) 

continue reading to see how you can replicate my look!

3.25.2023

Easter egg mushrooms!

spring, Easter, just for fun, diy decorating, seasonal, boho style, re-purposed, garden style, up-cycling, painting, nests, mushrooms, mushroom decor, diy mushrooms, Easter egg mushrooms, Easter decor, Easter decorating, faux chocolate bunnies, egg mushrooms,
my last post for  March Mushroom Madness  
wraps up with this creation... just in time for Easter!
why not decorate for spring with mushrooms, along with the bunnies and eggs?
ah, but these are no ordinary mushrooms - these are made from eggs!
you can use REAL eggshells, as i did, or simple plastic eggs to get this whimsical result.

(i know, eggs are really pricy right now! i always save the shells to use in my garden,
but i'm always happy to turn 'trash' into 'treasure' via crafting!)

 continue reading to see how easy they are to create...

2.25.2023

my FAVE spring decor projects

spring,seasonal,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,garden style,garden,garden art,farmhouse MAYkeover series,farmhouse style,Easter,nests,Blast from the Past,she sheds, she shed, garden style decor,spring decor,spring home decor,gardenhouse makeover,farmhouse makeover,spring decorating.
even though we're currently enveloped by abnormally cold weather here
and it feels a bit like winter is never going to end,
it's time to start the spring season decorating!

looking back, i'm honestly surprised by
how many ways i've refreshed my homes at springtime over the years...
 some of those projects have been successful in more than one home
as i re-create them in new versions + colorways.

over the past ten years of blogging here at homeward found decor,
i've shared hundreds of my original diy home decor projects
in 743 published posts since i launched this blog in August 2012.

if you've been reading my blog for the past decade, THANK YOU FRIENDS!
if you're a newer visitor, i hope you enjoy discovering some of my past creations
as i share a look back... 

continue reading for some of my FAVE past spring decor projects!

4.14.2022

the old rugged cross

wall art,art,What Matters,spring,Easter,woodcrafts,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,re-purposing,up-cycling,trash to treasure,salvaged,dollar store crafts,easter cross decor,spring home decor,spring easter decor,salvaged wood crosses,dollar tree crosses,painted easter eggs.
in my last post, i shared my new faux Kintsugi painted eggs,
and in the background of a few shots you saw a small collection of wood crosses.
today, i'm focusing on those and how they are made from 'everyday' materials.

Easter arrives in just a few days, and it is one of the most important days of the year to me.
my faith is built on the miraculous events celebrated on this day centuries ago,
and my hope resides in the promises God made about what it all means for the future.

Easter is also the day that my sweet Dad went home to Heaven seven years ago,
just as the sun was rising and beaming through the windows onto his peaceful face...
a precious reminder about what is really important in this life.

having a cross (or collection of crosses) in my decor is important to me,
and i love being able to make them unique and personal.
i hope these ideas inspire you!

continue reading for details...

4.07.2022

faux painted 'kintsugi' easter eggs

spring,Easter,painting,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,faux finish,tutorial,home decor,spring home decor,spring decorating,easter eggs,painted easter eggs,easter, passover,faux paint treatments,kintsugi,faux kintsugi,nests.
last fall, when i created my faux painted 'kintsugi' pumpkins,
i knew they were just a 'practice project'...
because i always envisioned that paint treatment on eggs, for Easter.

honestly, i couldn't be happier with the results!

this is a simple paint treatment with elegant results,
one that can be applied to any type of egg - paper, ceramic, wood, glass, or real eggs.

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

3.24.2022

paint palette eggs!

art,Easter,spring,painting,DIY,diy decorating,color palettes,colorful home,crafting,crafting with kids,decorating,paper crafts,trash to treasure,easter decorating,easter decor,easter eggs,easter egg painting,paint palette easter eggs,egg painting,diy easter decor,easter basket,easter egg painting tutorial

this one came to me one day while i was going through my bins of spring decor.

back in 2020 i made some simple Easter eggs with varied finishes on them,
and as i saw those in the bin, i realized that their shape was very much like
the paint palettes that artists use... and a new creative idea was born!

...continue reading for this easy project
(and to see what those 'paint palettes' are REALLY made of!)

3.10.2022

tiny thread nests

boho style,colorful home,crafting,decorating,diy decorating,DIY,Easter,inspiration,nests,seasonal,spring,trash to treasure,tutorial,up-cycling,home decor,diy home decor,diy spring decor,diy spring home decor,spring nest,diy nest,crafting with sewing supplies,simple decorating.
springtime always brings me back to making different kinds of bird nests...
they represent spring, and also connect to the practice of 'nesting',
making a home fresh and clean as well as warm and welcoming. 

today i am sharing a new nest i've created this month,
inspired by talented artist and designer Cathe Holden.
i recently saw a photo of one of her sweet little nests made from sewing thread,
and was so charmed by the utter simplicity of it that i just had to replicate the idea -
 using yellow thread, of course!

this was a truly 'fast, cheap, and easy'TM project that i think you'll love,
and it would make a perfect treat at each place setting on your Easter table!

continue reading for the easy details... and more about my muse, Cathe!

4.02.2021

easy no-mess Easter basket grass

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while i have always loved creating holiday decor,
i do have my limits... Easter grass is one of them.

(my theory is it was created by the same people who invented Legos.
to drive parents - specifically the parent who does the cleaning - batty.)

since i hate the mess  of plastic grass strands wrapped around the vacuum bar!!,
i've found other materials to use in Easter baskets that reduce the mess and fuss.
yes, paper shred works - but it's still a mess.

i've found a way to get the same effect as grass
without the resulting mess and cleanup...
and you might be really surprised at how cheap and easy this solution is!

continue reading for my sly little trick (that has an added benefit!)...

3.29.2021

be a good (repurposed) egg

art,paper crafts,paper,wall art,spring,Easter,painting,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,wreaths,colorful home,Pantone color of the year,yellow,Illuminating Yellow,Pantone 2021 color of the year,Easter eggs,Easter decor,spring home decor,spring decorating,use what you have decorating,re-purposing,upcycling,trash to treasure,paint chips,paint chip inspired.
last spring, i created several decor elements inspired by paint chips. 
okay, okay... i basically spent most of 2020 finding creative ways to use paint chips! LOL

this year, i've pulled those out of storage and found fresh new ways to use them...
because the yellow just serendipitously fits my current color obsession perfectly
AND
because it's not necessary to have/buy/make ALL NEW things EVERY year.
(i felt a great disturbance in the force as retailers across the globe shuddered at that...)

it's fun finding new ways to use what you have!
continue reading to see the new ideas that i came up with...

4.12.2020

happy Easter

art, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, farmhouse style, garden art, junking, junk makeover, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, rustic style, salvaged, rustic, spring, wall art, vintage paper, woodcrafts, wood cross decor, old wood, old books
wishing a happy Easter and a blessed Resurrection Day to all of you, my friends... 
and if you don't mind, i'm going to 'wax poetic' for a moment 
to share something important with you...

i've realized that one of the reasons i am so drawn to using 
old, scarred, damaged, discarded elements 
to create beautiful decor for my homes and to share with you here on the blog 
is that i myself have felt much the same at times... old, scarred, damaged, discarded. 
i long to not let the experiences and misfortunes that have made me feel 'less than' 
stop me from seeing beauty in life... and beauty and usefulness in the detritus.

when i salvage a bit of wood or an old rusted dented piece of metal, 
or pick up an errant bit of fabric or paper, and turn them into lovely home decor, 
i am finding a way to redeem those forgotten and discarded items. 

it soothes my soul to not let them stay there on the ground in a broken, dirty state, 
but to lift them up and clean them off 
and give them the chance to reveal the beauty that remains - deep within. 
it's not perfection, but it is beauty nonetheless.

do you see where i'm going with this, my friends?

this is what i know that God has done with me, and with many others i know: 
He has not left us to rot away in our broken, damaged state. 
He has not discarded us, but has lifted us up, 
given us the opportunity to be cleaned up and made useful and shiny once again. 
to reveal the beauty that He created within us to be seen once more. 

i have certainly seen that principle at work in my own life... 
that beauty can come from ashes, growth from destruction, and life from death. 
most especially, i see the way that my faith has given me a new start many times over, 
and a glorious hope for the future.

because of that faith in Him and hope for my eternal future, 
this day means a great deal to me
and i hope to live every day with the promise of Easter, of resurrection, 
in my heart and on my mind, guiding me through life.


i hope that you, too, will find your hope in Him. 

by the way, there's a really great story behind this wood cross planter that i made into wall art... 
check it out here

4.09.2020

a sunny bunny Easter table

color, color palettes, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, entertaining, fast cheap and easy, flowers, gift wrapping, spring, Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails, tablescapes, Easter table decor, Easter decorating
 i dunno' what the weather is like where you live, but here, it's positively murky.
gray, rainy, COLD (relatively speaking - it's cold for us!), and dismal.
this whole isolation/quarantine/stay home order would be a LOT easier
if the sun would shine and the weather would warm up 
so we could spend time outside in our yard!

sometimes, we can't wait for the sunshine - or spring - to come to us. 
we have to go to it.
and since we can't go anywhere right now, we have to CREATE a sunny spring.

that's what i did for our Easter table - i created some sunshine!
i grabbed everything yellow i could find and put together a simple, easy, happy tablescape
that's made up of just 'everyday' stuff, coordinated by color.

my homebound friends, you can do this in just minutes with ANY color you have on hand!
don't let being stuck inside the house because of weather or quarantine stop your celebration.

continue reading to see more details that i hope will inspire you to 'get to spring'...

4.03.2020

NEW! Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails!

crafting, crafting with kids, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, spring decorating, Easter, original designs, re-purposing, seasonal, sweaters, Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails, up-cycling, tutorial, trash to treasure, Easter decorating, sweater decor
just when you thought i had made everything possible with upcycled sweaters...
introducing the springtime creation that has evaded me for years:
Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails! 

this happy spring project made use of some sweater remnants found in a bin in the garage -
including a pink sweater Santa hat!
using the same method as my famous Sweet Sweater Pumpkins, it all came together fast.
i actually spent more time snapping photos and editing them than making the bunny tails!

continue reading to see just how quickly you can make these for Easter...

4.01.2020

easter eggs on parade


it's April first - and rather than share a joke or a prank, 
i hope you'll enjoy this slideshow of Easter egg decorating ideas
pulled from my past homewardFOUND blog posts!

for more inspiration, 

3.27.2020

painted easter eggs

art class, color, color palettes, crafting, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, painting, spring, up-cycling, makeover, Easter eggs, gingham, paint chip decor, spring decorating, Easter decorating
while employing this mandatory time at home to accomplish some long-overdue tasks,
i've unearthed some goodies that i completely forgot that i still had!
(tell me i'm not alone. please. i can not be the only decor/craft-supply hoarder out here!)
.
seven ceramic eggs that i bought at a thrift shop years ago turned up in a box,
and as soon as i saw them, i decided to give them a makeover with paint -
and pictured them just as you see them in the image above.
because it's all about making do with what we have at home right now, yes? yes!

continue reading to see the before & after!

3.24.2020

paint chip easter eggs - over easy!

art class, color, color palettes, crafting, crafting with kids, painting, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, fast cheap and easy, on the porch, original designs, paper crafts, paper, re-purposing, spring, tutorial, Easter decorating, Easter eggs, Easter egg decor
if you've been around here any length of time, 
you know that i like my decorating projects 'fast, cheap, & easy'TM. my trademark phrase.
in this case, the project is 'over easy'! 
yeah, it's a pun, but it's also true - because this is a super-fast craft idea for spring & Easter.
.
continue reading for the easy how-to and how i've used them...

3.20.2020

painting the daffies yellow!

art class, color, color palettes, crafting, crafting with kids, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, flowers, paper crafts, paper, painting, re-purposing, spring, up-cycling, tutorial, spring decorating, crafts for kids, daffodils, paper daffodils
spring 2020 sure is coming in like a... not lion. more like a T-Rex!
as we all adjust to this 'new normal' (and no, it's not normal),
we're all looking for activities that calm us, entertain the kids, make home a bit more... home-y.
.
using my recent 'paint your own paint chips' technique,
i've been happily painting away and then making new decor elements with the results...
this time 'round, i came up with flowers.
i'm not painting the roses red... i'm painting the daffodils yellow!

continue reading for my easy tutorial for this sweet spring project...

3.16.2020

the art of nesting

boho style, color, crafting, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, farmhouse style, garden, nests, neutrals, original designs, re-purposing, rustic style, salvaged, seasonal, spring, up-cycling, thrifted, vintage, handmade, spring vignettes
'nesting' is kind of the mood of the moment, isn't it?
as part of our newly-required 'social distancing' practices, 

we're all spending more time at home right now.
the organizing & purging that we began with gusto in January 
has become a flurry of cleaning & disinfecting in March.

confession: i am not a person who loves cleaning. i DO it, of course, 
but my main motivation has always been that i clean the house so i can decorate the house.
 restyling. refreshing. we sometimes call this 'nesting'.
mama's about to have babies do this. newlyweds do this. 
and sometimes, angry/frustrated people do this. 
(deb raises her hand).
yeah, i'm one o' THOSE people. i clean like a banshee when i am mad or feel out of control. 
the physical activity - and the loud music i play as i engage in it - really can help re-set my mood.
plus it accomplishes something good (a clean house), so it isn't wasted energy.

i think this applies when we are a bit scared and uncertain, too...
cleaning, conquering clutter, completing a project, expressing some creativity
are positive things we can do with the pent-up energy that threatens to overwhelm us.
in times of stress (like we're all experiencing right now), it can be helpful
to set ourselves to the task of gaining some control over a part of our lives, like our homes.

and yes, that includes crafting and creating and decorating -
all facets of 'the art of nesting'.
these pursuits can re-set our mindset and give us a respite in the midst of chaos.
it can help us engage our brains in a positive thought pattern -
and if you have littles at home, you can teach them how to focus on what is possible
rather than on limitations.

in light of that, i've been puttering around the house as i clean,
and decided to update & refresh a few projects from the past.

since my whole 'thing' here at homewardFOUND is 'use what you already have'
i looked around at my stash and found a way to freshen up an original project
that i created over a decade ago. it needed a facelift. and so did i!
the creative process made me smile (the best kind of facelift) as i was working on this,
and now the finished product makes our home smile with its presence...
a good reminder that old can be made new, new approaches can be taken,
new things can be accomplished. at any time.

i think NOW is a good time to put those principles into practice, don't you?

 continue reading for a colorful re-furb and a link to my nest-making tutorial...

3.31.2018

Salvaged Cross Wall Art

easter, easter art, easter home decor, religious home decor, christian home decor, wood cross
 as fun as the bunny ear napkins were in my last post, 
i couldn't let Easter go by without sharing much more meaningful content...

the cross in the photo above is a wood planting box, 
handmade by an artisan* who gifted it to me in a parking lot. yes, a parking lot. 
his truck was parked next to me at a local nursery, and he walked out as i was getting out of the car.

i complimented him on the two planters that he had in his hands - the cross and this heart
and he told me his good news, that he had just landed an account for them to sell his planters.
he smiled a mile wide - then he handed the planters to me. 
i was shocked and tried to refuse them, saying he didn't need to 'pay' me for the compliment.

and that young man said something profound to me that will be forever linked to this cross planter:

'hey, good news needs to be shared, and celebrated!'

 yes, yes it does. 
and on Easter weekend, i can think of no Good News better than that of the Cross.

that particular cross is now something i see every day in my home.
when i was creating a gallery wall arrangement, i grabbed the cross planter from the potting bench,
intending to include it in my decor. but it needed something more... and it became a project!

continue reading to see what i did with it!