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Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

10.31.2023

painted 'chocolate' pumpkins on a sweet sweater cake

fall,pumpkins,foofoo Faux Food,sweaters,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,seasonal,decorating,painting,tutorial,Thanksgiving,Halloween,re-purposed,thrifted,dollar store crafts,faux cake with faux chocolate pumpkins,Dollar Tree pumpkins.
a fitting conclusion to my recent faux food project posts,
this one really takes the cake....

this project came about because i had some tiny styro pumpkins,
which made me start thinking about making a very REAL cake
like my Mom used to make every fall when i was a kid.
it was always a round two-layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing
and adorned with tiny orange candy pumpkins all along the top edge.
i loved that cake.
we took them to school fall celebrations and church harvest festivals.
we took mini versions - cupcakes - to friend's houses.
we never brought any of it home, either!!! everyone loved it.

instead, i decided to make a fall 'cake' in my own style...
because deb does NOT need more calories!

continue reading for the before and after...

10.10.2023

have a ball with these pumpkins!

fall,pumpkins,DIY,diy decorating,re-purposing,up-cycling,thrifted,just for fun,colorful home,crafting with kids,Halloween,dollar store crafts,decorating,outdoors,fast cheap and easy,fall pumpkins,sporty pumpkins,basketball pumpkins,sports ball pumpkins,fall home decor.
do you have a family full of sports fans?
oh, my friends, you're gonna' have a BALL with this idea! 😉

i was killing time before an appointment by walking thru a 'FIVE below' discount store,
and spied a bin filled with small basketballs in bright happy colors...
there was no yellow, but the minty green one caught my eye!

continue reading for tips on this SUPER fast & easy pumpkin decor project!

10.25.2022

happy MAHALOween!

i read that term - happy MAHALOween - on a tiki bar's website.
when this fun phrase gave me a way to incorporate my love of
tropicana decor and tiki culture into October celebrations, i was IN!

(truth is, i'm not really into Halloween anymore - fall, yes. pumpkins, YES!
the 'scary horror bloody zombie creepy clowns and witches' kinda' decor? nah.)

since i have NO intention of dressing up in costume, 
 i simply decided to give a pumpkin a costume. with a tiki mask!

continue reading for the details and an easy paint tutorial...

9.27.2022

NEW! faux painted bamboo pumpkins

fall,pumpkins,painting,faux finish,DIY,diy decorating,tutorial,neutrals,tiki style,coastal style,beach style,Halloween,boho style,re-purposed,home decor,fall home decor,autumn home decor,painted pumpkins,pumpkin decorating,faux bamboo,bamboo decor,bamboo pumpkins.
my penchant for tropical decor and tiki culture inspired this new pumpkin project...

our So Cal home is filled with tikis and bamboo and leafy palm fabrics,
because during the pandemic lockdown we had to cancel our trip to Hawaii
and decided to just make HOME feel as much like Hawaii as we could.
and we love it!
so, i like to create seasonal decor for us that coordinates with that theme.
pumpkins that look like they are made from bamboo are a perfect fit!

continue reading for my paint tutorial...

10.26.2021

give 'em pumpkin to talk about!

fall,pumpkins,neutrals,farmhouse style,just for fun,Halloween,DIY,diy decorating,crafting,crafting with kids,dollar store crafts,seasonal,fall home decor,pumpkin decorating,decorating pumpkins,easy no-carve pumpkin decorating,pumpkin decorating for kids, stickers, dollar store ribbon,dollar store pompoms.
for my final 'Halloween' post, i'm sharing some costumes!
they're a bit different that what that word might cause you to expect...
because they are all for pumpkins!

i dressed up my white pumpkins in hats, glasses, bow ties, lacy ruffs, masks, crowns,
and one spectacular wig.
they're ready for the costume parade - and they serve as great inspiration
if you're still looking for last-minute decor ideas!


continue reading to see how i raided the costume box and dressed up my punkies!

10.22.2021

harvest moon shadow box

art,wall art,paper,paper crafts,pumpkins,Halloween,fall,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,thrifted,re-purposed,up-cycling,trash to treasure,dollar store crafts,fall home decor,Halloween home decor,Halloween decorating,haunted village mantel display,shadowbox art,Halloween shadowbox, miniatures.
miniatures are all the rage right now...
from dollhouses and tiny 'rooms' that sit on bookshelves
to tiny spaces behind walls and accessed by little 'fairy doors', 
it's a trend that engages our childlike imagination.

i was inspired by that to create a sort of miniature setting,
and chose to use a shadowbox frame as the structure for it.
a simple project that took very little time to assemble,
it makes use of items i have used in past projects...
and i hope it will inspire you to try something similar!

continue reading to see how it all came together...

10.19.2021

decorate pumpkins with stickers!

fall,pumpkins,neutrals,farmhouse style,just for fun,Halloween,DIY,diy decorating,crafting,crafting with kids,dollar store crafts,seasonal,fall home decor,pumpkin decorating,decorating pumpkins,easy no-carve pumpkin decorating,pumpkin decorating for kids, stickers, dollar store stickers.
Halloween is comin' up quick... 
and if you're still looking for easy ways to decorate, i've got 'em!

this pumpkin decorating method ticks all the boxes:
fast     cheap     easy    no-carve     no clean-up   kids can do it 

and the results are loads of fun, too!

continue reading for a really sneaky way to get fabulous 'last minute' pumpkins!

10.15.2021

repurposed planter pumpkins

pumpkins,outdoors,seasonal,fall,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,neutrals,farmhouse style,Halloween,junk makeover,trash to treasure,re-purposed,thrifted,up-cycling,garden art,salvaged,painting,fall home decor,Halloween decor,Halloween home decor,Halloween decorating, pumpkin decor,decorating with pumpkins,plant pot pumpkins.
i can't even say this is a 'craft' project...
it's more like an 'arrangement' project.
it's just stacking things together to make pumpkins!
SO easy - and flexible.

it will work in any color, any size, any style:
i'm into a black and white (with accents of yellow!) palette this fall,
but these would be elegant in gold & white, mod in chrome silver and white,
boho chic in terra cotta, and traditional in varied orange tones.

continue reading for the details - and more ideas!

10.12.2021

paint + paper picture frame pumpkins

art,wall art,Halloween,fall,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,painting,re-purposed,thrifted,up-cycling,paper,paper crafts,pumpkins,Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,neutrals,white,farmhouse style,trash to treasure,Halloween home decor, Halloween decorating,pumpkin decor, decorating with pumpkins,trash to treasure pumpins,junk pumpkins,painted pumpkins,black and white Halloween decor.
creating seasonal decor accents with paint and paper is my jam.
i love taking something i already have, combining it with scraps of this and that,
adding some paint, and turning it into something new
without spending a cent.

it's 'green'/eco-friendly, no-cost, easy to do,
keeps stuff from being 'stuffed' into storage boxes until it's that season again,
and it's a great way to ensure that my decor is unique and one of a kind.
i'm able to embrace current trending looks - with my own twist.
like..... yellow. yup. still doin' my yellow thing. alllll year long!

while these photos do indeed have yellow in them,
the project is graphic black and white - which is not just perfect for Halloween,
but easily incorporated into nearly any color scheme.
or, you know, altered to fit any color scheme...
you want orange? great! swap out the black for orange!
maybe you embrace all neutrals? okay! use soft sand instead of black with white.

and if 'cute' isn't your vibe, picture these made from elegant gold frames
filled with vintage book pages or wallpaper, with gold-painted wire 'stems'.
i want to inspire you to make it yours!

continue reading for details...

10.04.2021

NEW! Sweet Sweater Spookies!

fall,Halloween,Sweet Sweater Originals,sweet sweater spookies,re-purposed,up-cycling,trash to treasure,salvaged,junk makeover,tablescapes,entertaining,just for fun,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,crafting with sweaters,Halloween decor,cute ghosties for Halloween,cute Halloween decor,use what you have decorating,sweater weather.
this is quite possibly the EASIEST project i've ever undertaken...
and it was an idea that popped into my head as i was washing dishes!

i re-use plastic storage bags, washing them after use (unless they are greasy)
then placing them upside-down over a glass to dry.
as i did that one morning, i absentmindedly thought 'hah ha! he looks like a ghost!'
and then i stopped, looked again, and this crazy idea hatched in my brain.

so bear with me, and come along for the craziness!

continue reading for the details...

10.01.2021

'dipped' faux concrete pumpkins

faux finish,farmhouse style,home decor,thrifted,colorful home,diy decorating,Thanksgiving,,fall,DIY,painting,boho style,Halloween,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,pumpkin decorating,painted pumpkins,faux concrete painting tutorial
one of my most popular fall tutorials since i published it seven years ago
has been my faux concrete painting tutorial.
i've used this treatment on just about every kind of pumpkin,
as well as on styrofoam wig heads, lamps, urns, and even a swan planter
to achieve an elegant 'statuary' effect.

this year, i'm combining that faux concrete look
with a current trend: the 'paint dipped' accent color.
it's been applied on the legs of furniture, the bottoms of picture frames, and more
in many popular shelter mags, websites, and products...
but i haven't seen it done on pumpkins yet!
both paint applications are quite easy - with endless variations possible.

continue reading for more details, a link to my faux concrete tutorial,
and a secret hiding in the photo above!

9.28.2021

gradient pumpkins

faux finish,farmhouse style,home decor,thrifted,colorful home,diy decorating,Thanksgiving,Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,fall,DIY,painting,boho style,Halloween,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,pumpkin decorating,painted pumpkins,color spectrum decor.
want a really easy way to decorate for fall?
one that makes use of things you already have?
choose one color, and gather up everything you have in that hue.
then arrange items from light to dark - or mix 'em all up.

and if what you have is a mish-mash of colors,
you can always paint things a new color! that's what i did.

continue reading for some simple transformation ideas...

9.24.2021

salvaged silver pumpkin coach

fall,DIY,diy decorating,re-purposed,up-cycling,salvaged,thrifted,home decor,pumpkins,Thanksgiving,Halloween,junk makeover,trash to treasure,vintage,vintage style,farmhouse style,fall decorating,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,salvaged pumpkins,junk pumpkins,upcycled pumpkins,repurposed pumpkins.
if you've been around for awhile, you know that i've got a thing for pumpkins...
it all began with my sweet Grandpa Ward, who had a nickname for me:
his little pumpkin eater. 
i have always thought he called me that because of my rusty, pumpkin-y auburn hair
and i sure wish i would have asked him about that before he died when i was 15.

because of that nickname, i've collected pumpkins for most of my life.
and every year when fall rolls around, as i decorate with some of them,
i can hear the echoes of his voice calling me that pet name.

this project brings together two special things about my Grandpa:
his nickname for me, and his time building many of the attractions at Disneyland.
and though i bet you can name the film and the Disney Princess connected to it,
there's another inspiration that helped to bring this idea to life...

continue reading for more!

9.21.2021

salvaged silver tray pumpkins

fall,DIY,diy decorating,re-purposed,up-cycling,salvaged,thrifted,home decor,pumpkins,Thanksgiving,Halloween,junk makeover,trash to treasure,vintage,vintage style,farmhouse style,wall art,wreaths,fall decorating,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,salvaged pumpkins,junk pumpkins,upcycled pumpkins,repurposed pumpkins.
salvaged silver trays paired with simple kitchen serving tools
become elegant pumpkins in this project,
and can be adorned with just about anything you choose...
the fall leaves here include yellow tones to fit my 2021 obsession!


continue reading to see how easy assembly is!

10.15.2020

faux terra cotta pumpkins + tutorial

art class, color, color palettes, crafting, crafting with kids, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, fall, painting, pumpkins, re-purposing, up-cycling, tutorial, painting tutorial, faux paint treatment, faux terra cotta paint tutorial, painted pumpkins, fall decor, front porch decor, october decorating, farmhouse style, boho style, rustic style, cottage style, faux terra cotta pumpkins, use what you have decorating, autumn decor, Halloween decor
the decor is simple on our porch this year...

just a few select elements combine to give our entryway a fall mood.
(no, that's not a photo of our porch! i'll probably share that on Insta) 
however, real pumpkins are not an option when it's still over 100 degrees.

my solution to that dilemma was to gather up the pumpkins we have on hand
(plus the new-to-me 'Funkin' faux pumpkin that i found at a thrift store
and used in my recent fall harvest scarecrow project)
and give them a cohesive look... 

and i did that with paint, of course!
art class, color, color palettes, crafting, crafting with kids, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, fall, painting, pumpkins, re-purposing, up-cycling, tutorial, painting tutorial, faux paint treatment, faux terra cotta paint tutorial, painted pumpkins, fall decor, front porch decor, october decorating, farmhouse style, boho style, rustic style, cottage style, faux terra cotta pumpkins, use what you have decorating, autumn decor, Halloween decor
continue reading for my easy 'faux terra cotta' paint' tutorial...

10.11.2020

boho lace pumpkins

fall, autumn, fall decor, autumn decor, pumpkins, decorating with pumpkins, fabric pumpkins, no sew pumpkins, lace pumpkins, boho pumpkins, boho decor, boho style, macrame, soft scultpure pumpkins, neutrals, neutral decor, neutral fall decor, home decorating, diy,  diy decor, diy home decor, fabric crafts, repurposed, upcycled, vintage style.
i am always trying to find new ways to create pumpkin decor to enjoy in the fall...
i'm game to try anything to see if it will work.
i recently came across some photos of this past project, never shared here on the blog,
and thought i had better do that before the window of opportunity for fall decor closes!


these are a fun way to create pumpkins with a bohemian style vibe,
perfect in combination with the neutral hues, macrame' accents, and wood textures
in the 'of the moment' boho modern fall decorating.


continue reading for details on how easy these are...

10.04.2020

fall harvest scarecrow

fall, fall decorating, fall home decor, scarecrows, pumpkins, pumpkin decor, Halloween decor, decorating with pumpkins, farmhouse decor, rustic decor, garden scarecrow, diy, diy home decor, diy projects, thrifted, faux pumpkins, Funkins, repurposing, upcycling, wire tomato cage crafts, in the garden. on the front porch, front porch fall decor, rusty metal, pumpkin head scarecrow.
an unexpected find of a two dollar faux 'Funkin' pumpkin at a local thrift shop
was the impetus for this quick, easy fall decor project... perfect indoors or out!

(and no, i wasn't shopping. or, rather, i didn't PLAN to be shopping! i went to the thrift store to drop off three bags of used books.
but the door was open... and i was weak... and so.... i came home with a pumpkin. and three MORE bags of books. but i digress...)

that lightweight foam pumpkin became the head of this cute fall scarecrow.
made with items already on hand - including grass trimmings from our yard -
he came together really fast.

continue reading to see what's holding him up!

9.17.2020

fall decorating in gradient tones

fall ,farmhouse style, color, colorful home, pumpkins, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, tablescapes, Halloween, trash to treasure, centerpiece, orange and white decor, gradient color, fall home decor, autumn decorating, Halloween decorating, painted pumpkins, no carve pumpkin decorating
September rolls around and it's supposed to be 'everything Pumpkin Spice'.
but honestly, that's a stretch when it's still triple-digit summer heat outside - 
sometimes our geographic location just doesn't vibe with popular seasonal decor
and it's time to get outta' that box!

rather than go full-on with leaves and pumpkins everywhere, 
i came up with a way to use what i had on hand with a fresh look:
arranging my stash of pumpkins in a color gradient.
while the color spectrum runs from clear to brown,
arranging things this way gives a 'fall feel' with a bit of whimsy.

continue reading to see how easy this approach is!

9.06.2019

well, hello, pumpkins!

(i know, it's been a year since i closed this blog! i wasn't going to post anymore!
but a recent project is SO easy and SO worth sharing with you that... well, here i am again!)

a while back, i had an idea for a new decor project.
it was inspired by some scrap wood cacti shared by 'A Crafty Mix'
on Funky Junk Interiors Junk Projects Party #474 ,
only my idea was to use *a particular wood item* as the basis of my repurposed cacti.
then i forgot all about it. (hey, it's summer....)

this past week, for some strange reason, that forgotten idea morphed into a new one.
and it was pumpkins, natch. i mean - this is me, the former pumpkin queen. 
what ELSE am i gonna' be thinking about as fall approaches, right?
...and shared them all with you here on the blog. 

so with my 'pumpkin brain' engaged, i made a stop at the local Savers thrift store,
and they had exactly what i needed. i saw it, i liked it, i wanted it, i got it. (yeah).
and then... i painted it!

<<< click 'continue reading' to see what i did - and what i used!

10.30.2017

happy halloween...wine...whatever!

whatever you're dressing up as (including as yourself),
wherever you're going (including to a comfy chair at home)
and whatever treats you prefer (including WINE!),
i hope you and yours have a happy and SAFE Halloween!