7.26.2023
'Christmas in July': SanTIKI mug
12.20.2022
a sweet 'gingerbread' creche & nativity
12.13.2022
gingerbread theme Christmas tree
12.06.2022
diy gingerbread men + village wreath
you'll recognize these ceramic village houses and trees from my last post,
where i shared my 'gingerbread' makeover - with paint!
i love seeing how many ways i can use something,
and how i can expand a seasonal theme to encompass many different projects.
continue reading to learn some secrets about this one!
11.29.2022
it takes a (gingerbread) village
it's just getting them to stay together and upright that stumps me!)
just PAINT some ceramic houses to LOOK like gingerbread!
11.22.2022
a 'gingerbread holiday' dollhouse
it's finally time to share holiday decor!
welcome to my 'Gingerbread Holiday'!
to create a whole new holiday decor theme to enjoy.
12.30.2021
sweet sparkling new year!
or spend a blissfully cozy evening alone in a bubble bath or watching The Ball drop,
12.23.2021
NEW! Sweet Sweater Candles
today i'm sharing a craft project that came to mind LAST year -
i just didn't make them until this year!
but is also meaningful to me.
and celebrating the light that He brought into a world mired in darkness.
i love adding extra twinkle lights to my home in the dark days of winter,
lighting candles, and having a fire in the fireplace (it's faux, but that's ok!).
adding extra warm light sources feels cozy, and also enhances my mood.
12.20.2021
sweater-wrapped gifts
12.17.2021
a sneaky stocking makeover
so when i saw some knit stockings at Target for a mere $3 each, i grabbed one!
by adding a one-step simple embellishment (NO SEW!),
so if you see something out there that just isn't quite what you need,
get it anyway - and then MAKE it what you need!
12.13.2021
sweater-wrapped + painted ornaments
12.10.2021
sweater-wrapped vases
12.06.2021
a forest of Sweet Sweater Trees
i'm sharing three different types of sweater trees with you today...
(hmmmmnnn... pie's not a bad idea, come to think of it...)
you'll see previous versions of the items i used
along with their fresh new look for this year's cozy theme.
continue reading to see all the details of this project!
12.03.2021
Sweet Sweater & Scarf wreath
today, i'm re-visiting a past project: the scarf-wrapped wreath!
for this version, i've turned the scarf into the bow and covered the wreath with a sweater.
it's a easy and inexpensive way to create a wreath
that will work well wherever you place it -
on the door, a wall, a mantel, or even lying flat with a glass-encased candle in the middle!
the bonus is that there are no needles falling off of this wreath!
continue reading for the easy details...
11.29.2021
Scarf Christmas Card Holder - 3 ways!
in 'the old days', our annual family card was a huge production:
from selecting matching outfits (and then wrangling everyone INTO them),
arranging and decorating the perfect 'set', posing four rambunctious kids
(did i say four? let's be honest... the husband was as uncooperative as the kids),
snapping the photos, and then taking the film to be developed
and praying that at least ONE shot would work.
there usually was at least one.
except the year that my pre-teen son crossed his eyes in EVERY SINGLE PHOTO.
i chose one anyway and had it made into cards - with 'Bah Humbug' as the sentiment.
and now that my kids are grown and have their own families, they don't do photo cards...
apparently they are smarter than i was!
anyway, i still love GETTING cards. and finding fun ways to display them...
this year i've come up with three ways to do that using scarves.
continue reading to see my easy solutions!
(to displaying cards - not creating the photos for them. you're on your own, friends.)
11.26.2021
Sweet Sweater Santa hat tutorial
11.22.2021
Sweet Sweater Nativity
i've made a lot of things this year,
and this project ended up being my very favorite one.
i've selected it as my very first 'official' holiday decor post
because for me, this is the 'reason for the season' -
observing and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
it is at the foundation of my faith, and fills my soul with joy.
this project began with the beautiful blown glass art of artist Helle Mardahl...
i was so inspired by the luminous colors and soft forms of her art in photos on Instagram
and they immediately made me think of human forms.
i turned a few small ceramic vessels and some tiny tree ornaments
into a charmingly sweet and simple nativity scene that reflects her art.
after i added sweater scraps to the mix, i HAD to call this a 'Sweet Sweater Nativity'!
continue reading for the very easy details...
11.19.2021
it's a 'Sweet Sweater Season' holiday!
so that i don't have to spend two weeks at the start of a new year
dealing with taking down the holiday stuff and putting out all-new winter stuff.
i want less not more work after the holiday season!
i want more time for fun days on my brand new calendar,
and more time for reading and long winters' naps by the fire. or pool. whatever!
and this season, i'm making it happen.
are you in?!
...continue reading for some sweet sneak peeks!
12.23.2020
Merry Christmas!

i want to thank you so much for joining me over the past two months
as i have shared a lot of crazy colorful 'merry and bright!' inspiration for the holidays!
see all of my merry and bright! posts here
with a few paint chips quickly glued together in a house shape.
the figures you see are decades old, set up in our home when i was a little Debby.
saved, protected, and passed down, i set them up when my kids were small
and then watched my first grandson play with them when he was two.
they are an enduring reminder of my many memories of Christmas...
i chose a 'merry and bright!' theme this year not just because of the need for merriment,
but as my homage to creativity, to imagination, to childlike wonder.
staying creative this year has helped me more than i can explain,
to stay in a grateful and positive mindset during this pandemic.
my goal has been to use and REuse as much 'stuff' from home as i can,
shop for as little as possible, and just PLAY. it's been a fun creative exercise!
i hope that you are finding ways to express your creativity -
and everyone is creative, in so many different ways -
and that you've discovered how much joy you can create in your own life and home,
even when the world outside those doors is going a bit haywire.
let's carry that attitude into 2021, shall we?!
i wish you all a very merry (and bright!) Christmas
and a new year that holds hope, joy, and faith in your heart.
see you in January!
deb
12.21.2020
rainbow paint chip table runner
are built on top of this rainbow-hued runner.
made from paint chips and freezer paper and a glue stick. SO easy!
and right about now in the holiday season....easy is good.
continue reading for the super-simple 'how-to'...