. -->
Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts

5.24.2023

crepe paper dandelions

spring, summer, flowers, garden art, garden style, DIY, diy decorating, paper crafts, paper, just for fun, wreaths, tablescapes, crepe paper dandelions, crepe paper flowers, tutorial.
summer's on the horizon!
with Memorial Day coming up this weekend, many parties are being planned...
from backyard bashes to pool parties to picnics in the park.
that last one gave me an idea for a tablescape/party theme
and i'm revisiting a past project as part of it.

last spring, i participated in an art challenge on Instagram,
and making a paper dandelion was one of my entries.
today i'm sharing the easy process with you, 
along with inspiration for a fun summery table decor idea!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

5.17.2023

deb flips the bird... ?!

spring,painting,diy decorating,DIY,flowers,wreaths,just for fun,dollar store crafts,colorful home,farmhouse style,wall art,bluebird of happiness,bird decor,painted birds.
that post title doesn't mean what you might think!
some people 'flip' furniture. (actually, i've done that, too).
now i 'flip' home decor elements each season...
sometimes more than once IN a season!

and my favorite tool for changing how things look is paint.

i never let the color of an item found at a thrift store or yard sale
or even in my own storage bins limit me - 
because it's SO EASY to repaint things to make them fit my current decor style.
so when i discovered this little ceramic bird on a bottom shelf at Dollar Tree,
the very last one they had in the store,
i didn't hesitate a moment before dropping her into my shopping basket:

spring,painting,diy decorating,DIY,flowers,wreaths,just for fun,dollar store crafts,colorful home,farmhouse style,wall art,bluebird of happiness,bird decor,painted birds.
the pink color isn't BAD, it just doesn't fit my decor.
but with a few ideas and some paint, i gave her FOUR NEW LOOKS
and i created spring wreaths / wall decor for three of those!

continue reading to see how all four turned out...

5.10.2023

giant paper flowers

spring, Mother's Day, flowers, DIY, crafting, decorating, dollar store crafts, tutorial, garden style, diy decorating, paper crafts, paper, vintage paper, paper flowers, diy paper flowers.
sometimes it's just best to go BIG, you know?
i've been a retail visual merchandiser + display designer / stylist for over 45 years,
and have made a LOT of props in my lifetime...
and i learned that whether you're creating a window display
or an event display or a photo backdrop, large scale has the most impact.

making big things can get costly, tho - unless you use inexpensive materials
like paper, tissue, and repurposed/upcycled elements.

the flowers you see up above were created for use in an event entry display,
and are made from new cardstock paper -
but i've made similar ones from vintage book pages, too.
can't you just imagine flowers made out of repurposed MAPS?
old newspapers? magazine pages? gift wrapping paper?
yep, so can i!

i can also see them decorating a lovely Mother's Day brunch setting,
or as decor in a nursery or girls' room.

continue reading for a quick tutorial and loads of inspo...

5.03.2023

grandma's button flowers

spring, mothers day, just for fun, flowers, DIY, crafting, decorating, dollar store crafts, tutorial, garden style, diy decorating, grandmas buttons, button flowers
did your grandma have a button box?
mine did, and i spent many hours playing with the colorful contents as a child.
 when my Grandma Ward passed, i was given her button box.
to this day just looking at it makes me smile...

 i decided to start collecting buttons of my own to add to her tin,
so i grabbed them at garage sales and thrift stores
and sometimes even bought some from craft stores.

when i began using the buttons in home decor projects.
one of the projects i undertook was to make button flowers:
spring, mothers day, just for fun, flowers, DIY, crafting, decorating, dollar store crafts, tutorial, garden style, diy decorating, grandmas buttons, button flowers
those were made back in the early 2000's!
it's such an easy project that kids can do it, too.

continue reading for my easy tutorial... 

4.29.2023

faux food flower 'cupcakes'

spring, flowers, garden style, foofoo Faux Food, DIY, diy decorating, decorating, just for fun, dollar store crafts, crafting, styling a spring tiered tray, tiered tray decor, faux cupcakes, faux cupcake decor .
continuing with my floral theme for this month,
i whipped up these fanciful floral 'faux food' cupcakes...
which i did not make with butter, eggs, sugar, and flour.

my friend Sasha ('Saucy') decorates very real cakes and cupcakes
with the most fantastical elements - like frosting flowers.
her delightful creations inspired these flower-decorated cupcakes,
and also inspired my faux gingerbread cake last December.

some projects have a lot of prep, a lot of elements, a lot of steps.
this isn't one of those. this is a one-and-done decor project. easy-peasy. 
i can't even call this a 'tutorial' because it's SO easy.

don't believe me? continue reading!

4.26.2023

'flower power' coasters

spring ,just for fun, flowers, DIY, crafting, decorating, dollar store crafts, garden style, diy decorating, entertaining, outdoors, coasters, floral wine glass coasters, spring table decor.
a perfect way to add a spring touch to your entertaining,
these easy to make 'flower power' coasters can be created in any color -
and are really simple to assemble. after you disassemble, that is.

oh, wait, i'm getting ahead of myself...

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

4.19.2023

junky bloomz!

spring, flowers, garden, garden art, garden style, diy decorating, DIY, decorating, trash to treasure, re-purposed, up-cycling, crafting, junking, junk flowers, junk blooms, plastic plate flowers, tutorial
'reduce reuse recycle' is the leitmotif of my design & decor approach...
i'd much rather use what i already have on hand here at home
than 'buy more, store more, discard more'.
by using what i have, i'm challenging my own creativity
and making my life easier by not having to wrangle more storage bins! 

as i was cleaning out a cabinet in my studio recently,
i stacked miscellaneous items on my worktable and floor.
as i turned to grab something to put it back in the cabinet,
i saw that some of the elements stacked together created a 'flower' of sorts...

and deb was off on a creative adventure!
(yes, i KNOW it's actually procrastination but just go with me here, ok?!!!)

continue reading to see how many different flowers i created with 'junk'!

4.12.2023

NEW! Sweet Sweater Potz!

spring, garden style, flowers, DIY, diy decorating, Sweet Sweater Originals, Sweet Sweater Potz, sweaters, crafting, decorating, re-purposing, up-cycling, trash to treasure, flower pots, plant pots, tutorial
spring has sprung! 
one of my favorite passages in the Bible speaks of spring the way i think of it:

"For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing birds has come,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance."
Song of Solomon 2:11-13

watching nature come back to life after a long cold winter revives me.
especially in a weird weather year like this one
(endless rain. snowing at DISNEYLAND! tornado near Los Angeles!),
i am always happy when spring finally arrives...
and if it doesn't arrive soon enough for me, i just create my own kind of spring vibe!

my newest Sweet Sweater Original TM creation is a nod to springtime
that i'll be enjoying for the next few months...

continue reading to see how simply you can create my Sweet Sweater Potz!

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!

2.20.2023

cozy yarn winter flowers

diydecorating,seasonal,crafting,home decor,winter,tutorial,white,flowers,DIY,re-purposed,up-cycling,winter floral arrangment,winter flowers,winter home decor,yarn crafts,yarn,yarn flowers.
it's still winter, and i'm staying warm in my studio
while working on some new spring decor projects for future posts...
but in the meantime,
i'd love to share one last winter project to finish off February!

i'm calling these 'yarn flowers', made by combining winter elements
with a few stems of faux flowers to create this fun bouquet. 
(and yes, my new favorite loopy white yarn IS in there!)
it's an easy, creative way to add some whimsy to these cold days...

continue reading to see the details...

6.23.2022

county fair centerpiece

summer,entertaining,party,just for fun,trash to treasure,dollar store crafts,junking,thrifted,up-cycling,re-purposed,Fourth of July,DIY,street party fun,block party fun,backyard decor party decor,flowers,floral centerpiece,vintage milk can, tutorial
when planning for our recent campout with our Lemon Drop Divas group,
i knew i would incorporate the 'county fair' theme in our trailer decor
along with lemons and yellow - it's a thing with us ;) 

so i did what i always do - looked around my studio
and house and garage and backyard
to see what i already had that i could incorporate into the decor.
it wasn't hard to find useful items,
especially considering that i have an entire studio filled with yellow stuff i've made!

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

5.31.2022

what i did with all of my May flowers!

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,tutorial,art class,creativity,garden art,buttercup,daisy, daffodil, dandelion,frangipani,gerbera,hibiscus,marigold,poppy,rose,sunflower,tulip,yarrow,zinnia,spring flowers,summer flowers,fall flowers,holiday flowers
after creating all of my flowers for the Instagram #flowermonth2022 challenge,
i decided that i wanted to enjoy them a bit longer...
so i combined almost all of them into one big flower arrangement!
but that's not all i included.

continue reading to see some interesting things tucked in with those flowers...

5.30.2022

May flowers: art challenge recap

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,tutorial,art class,creativity,garden art,buttercup,daisy, daffodil, dandelion,frangipani,gerbera,hibiscus,marigold,poppy,rose,sunflower,tulip,yarrow,zinnia,spring flowers, summer flowers,fall flowers,holiday flowers
over the past month, i've been participating in a creative art challenge...
the #flowermonth2022 challenge on Instagram
was sponsored by three artists,
with thousands of creative people around the globe participating.
each interpreted the prompts - an alphabetical listing of flowers - 
in their own style and method.
it has proved to be not just a fun exercise for me,
but also an educational experience,
as i've seen many variations on the themes in many different art mediums.

my own creations for this challenge
were all made from materials & elements that i have here at home - 
all reused, repurposed, recycled, and turned into flowers & foliage:

scrap paper, paint, paint pens, colored pencils, felt pens, fabric, gift wrap, 
wood blocks, vintage crepe paper, tissue paper, wire, sweaters, yarn, 
vintage jewelry, sewing pins, even plastic parts from dollar store flowers.

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,tutorial,art class,creativity,garden art,buttercup,daisy, daffodil, dandelion,frangipani,gerbera,hibiscus,marigold,poppy,rose,sunflower,tulip,yarrow,zinnia,spring flowers, summer flowers,fall flowers,holiday flowers
though my original plan was to make 12 different flowers, as shown here,
it quickly expanded to a plan for 14 blooms - 
and then i added one more at the last minute!

continue reading to see all 15 floral creations from my studio...

5.26.2022

May flowers: yarrow & zinnia

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge, zinnia, yarrrowflowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge, zinnia, yarrrow
it's a two-fer!
i don't have enough time left in the month to add more posts,
so this one is doing double duty.

the two last letters of the floral alphabet challenge - Y and Z -
just finished up on Instagram,
and i made a Yarrow blossom and some Zinnia blooms...

continue reading to see the easy ways i created these flowers
using everyday materials here in my studio...

5.07.2022

May flowers: gerbera

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge
May 7 Day 7: Gerberas

this is another 'trash to treasure' assemblage / collage project
for the May Month of Flowers art challenge on Instagram.
this sunny bloom grew right outta' my recycle bin!

continue reading to see how i turned garbage into art...

5.04.2022

May flowers: daffodil, daisy & dandelion

.flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge

D is for daffodil, daisy, and dandelion!
(and a bunch more, like delphinium and dahlia and daphne)

continuing with the May Month of Flowers art challenge,
i've shared those three on Instagram on May 4 / day 4 / letter D -
and thought i'd share them here, as well!
several are older projects, and a few are brand new - created just for this challenge.

continue reading to see them all and learn how i made them...

5.02.2022

May flowers: buttercup

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge
'chin up, buttercup!'
ever heard that one?

in my last post, i shared info about a May art challenge on Instagram.
i'm not posting a new project there every day,
but i did share my first one on May 2,
and i chose 'buttercup' for the letter 'B' prompt.

this was a new project for me, using materials in my existing stash,
and i had to work out the details as i went -
and now i'm sharing it as a tutorial here on the blog.

when i was finished making my buttercup, i added it to a larger art piece
that i had in mind when i chose this specific flower!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

5.01.2022

'month of flowers' May art challenge

flowers,garden art,paper crafts,painting,trash to treasure,up-cycling,re-purposing,crafting,DIY,diy decorating,art,art class,creativity,spring,wreaths,Instagram,art challenge, yellow flowers,yellow.
flowers are always on my mind in springtime...
and they are one of my favorite things to create.
this month, i'm excited to revisit some of the flowers i've made in the past
(and whooooo have there been a lot of them - some shown above)
and create different flowers for something NEW:

the 'May Month of Flowers Instagram Challenge'!

continue reading to find out the details!

4.28.2022

happy May Day flowers

spring,May Day,flowers,garden,garden art,garden style,paper crafts,re-purposed,up-cycling,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,tutorial,trash to treasure,dollar store crafts,on the porch,outdoors,crafting,crafting with kids,flower baskets,MayDay flower baskets,gift wrapping paper, flower gifts.
May Day is just a few days away,
and i'm ready to add some happy spring vibes with some small flower baskets.

first created back in 2013, i'm sharing them again this spring,
and i think you'll LOVE how easy my tutorial is.
and you might just laugh when you see what they are made of!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

4.21.2022

a new sweet sweater 'shroom for spring!

spring,flowers,sweaters,Sweet Sweater Originals,Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,trash to treasure,re-purposed,up-cycling,tutorial,seasonal,boho style,sweater mushroom,mushrooms,spring florals,spring home decor,home decor.
last fall, i created some Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms,
using ceramic bowls and vases covered with sweater scraps.

then i found something that caused me to create a new 'take' on the 'shroom idea,
with a nod to spring...
i am really happy with the results, and the process isn't hard at all.
I hope it inspires you to give it a try!


continue reading to see how it started, and how it ends up!