ornaments... not just for trees

so usually, the BIG DEAL in a post on holiday decor is the Christmas tree.
sorry to disappoint, friends, but THIS is the tree that we ended up with.
my severe back pain limited my mobility and strength to the point where i knew
that i couldn't wrestle our normal 9' tree into the house and set it up. no way.

instead, i grabbed my little 4' white pre-lit tree that usually goes in my office/studio,
and a bar-height round table served to elevate it up to a decent height in the living room.
a vintage chenille bedspread served as a combination tablecloth/tree skirt,
and a slight few ornaments filled in the branches. and that was fine.
(it can't always be a big reveal, especially when one's health is at stake!)

but what was i supposed to do with ALL of the other ornaments
that normally fill our regular 9' tree?!

'continue reading' to see how i used some of them...

more sweet sweater trees!

today i was moving some things around my studio/office, and discovered some 'forgotten' trees!
i made them awhile back.... and loved them, 

but they don't go with the current brightly colorful scheme in this room.

so, i came up with a quick idea to CAMOUFLAGE them - with sweaters! 

continue reading to see the before & after...

copper 'junk' trees

paper trees aren't enough for the 'tree' Christmas decor theme i dreamed up, oh noooo...
i had to go rummaging through the kitchen cabinets (and, i admit, a few thrift stores)
to find MORE STUFF to make trees out of!
and THIS is where my crazy imagination took me:

stacking copper kitchen molds (usually used for gelatin, ice cream, cakes, even meatloaf)
into tree shapes.
although there was one that didn't need to be stacked... it already looks like a tree.
so i topped it with a snowflake cookie cutter.

i call 'em 'copper junk trees', even though this isn't really JUNKY junk.  

from the bottom of this stack, we have:
a copper cookie tin (from Costco, two years ago)
a large copper fluted ring mold
the LID from the copper cookie tin, flipped upside down
two medium-sized copper fluted molds
a copper funnel

i admit to gluing the funnel on with a dot of hot glue
because it just would NOT stay on there!!

on glass cake stands on the kitchen island,
they add the perfect bit of whimsy to the room.
(that wood fencing is just there for the photos)

OH! here's a thought... if your style is totally kitsch,
you could make these with shaped Tupperware pieces, too!
or use tiny little tart pans & containers to create small versions of these,
and hang the lil' trees ON your real Christmas trees.

yup. deb's really gone over the edge with this one, friends...
but hey, it's fun. and i think decorating should be fun.

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #505 

featured!

oh my goodness, thank you Miss Donna - TWO features!

diy salvaged junk projects #506

scrap paper tree wall art

i never throw away paper scraps. ever.
(because the moment i DO, i find a use for them! LOL)
when i had some thin strips of wood-patterned paper left over
from my faux wood tree project in my last post, they went into a drawer in my studio.
and just about about a day and a half later, i had a project to use them in:
a piece of contemporary rustic wall art for our gallery wall!

'continue reading' for the really easy details...

faux wood 'junk' trees

 this is not a collection of trees made from wood. nope.
it's a collection of trees made from wood-printed PAPER! 

'continue reading' to see more details of this easy and kid-friendly craft
that can be made with new or reclaimed materials -
a simple, inexpensive way to get a 'junk project' look for your holiday & winter decor!

sweet sweater... trees!

yep, i found something ELSE to use sweaters for!
( no, this isn't my original idea - i've seen some really darling colorful ones on the 'net! )
but this is ME, queen of sweaterdom, so i had to try to make my own versions of them...
and i like the simple, warm look!

'continue reading' for this super-simple holiday & winter decor project
made with thrifted / upcycled sweaters...

deb's top tree lighting tip

When it comes to lighting the Christmas tree at home, I'm a purist...

I like white lights: Mini, C7, C9, bubble, whatever kind I use, they are white.
Maybe you like multicolor - or ONE color!

Whatever your preference is, 

I have a tip for you when it comes to lighting the tree
(and how many of you are tackling THAT job this weekend?!)

that is guaranteed to up the sparkle factor!

continue reading to see what my ONE STEP TRICK is!

Recycling Christmas!

I LOVE changing up my color schemes each year, 

combining ornaments in new ways

and mixing what I have to get a whole new look...
(see more of this year's 'Ombre' tree - on the left - here)

How about you?
Do you experiment each year, or do you stick with the 'tried and true' favorites?!
What are your favorite colors for your Christmas Decor?

the mission statement of HOMEWARDfound decor

is basically 'work with what we already have' (or can get CHEAP)
and is born out of my love for making things over -
so I rethink, reimagine, redesign, recycle, and reuse everything I have all.year.long.

continue reading to see some of them!

ombre' gradient Christmas tree

this year's Christmas tree in our house is OMBRE'!

the ornaments are all of the SAME ones we used last year: 

i used all of the colored balls & figural ornaments and fabric poinsettias.

i didn't use the ribbon or the clear glass or paper ornaments that we used last year.

it's a completely different look for the tree - and we didn't spend a cent on it!

the ornaments used are white, ivory, gold, pale copper/rose gold, copper,

orange, tan, brown, and bronze.

i like the way the color gradient is dark at the bottom - like the floor -

and light at the top - like the ceiling.

it seems to make the tree feel even more grand and statuesque.

so.... now let me tell you the story of this theme!

that's LAST year's Christmas tree...

i had fun creating paper ornaments and pulling together a new look 

for the first year in the new house - 

which was a more neutral palette than my Mom has ever had on a tree before. 

we pulled gold from her holiday decor stash, 

and white, ivory, and browns from my holiday decor stash, 

then we bought some new ornaments to add to the mix - copper and orange.
(orange is our accent color here at home)
it all came together beautifully in a lush, full decor style - see more of it here.

well.... me being ME, i just can't do the same thing twice. ever.

.so as i was thinking about this years' tree, i remembered a tree that my friend Michael created

and shared on his blog Inspired by Charm last year: 

now, i love that idea! it's fun, it's happy, 

and from a design standpoint, it's a standOUT idea.

but it isn't ME. ...however.....

i realized that if i took all of the ornaments we already HAVE (sounds familiar, right?!)

and used them in gradient bands on the tree, 

i could replicate the idea without using the same colors. 

make the idea my own, so to speak.

which is what i hope the ideas i share here will do - 

inspire you to tweak them so they work for your style, your life, your home.

so, i showed that photo of Michael's tree to Mom, told her about my idea,

and asked if she was game to TRY it - with the promise that if it looked horrible,

she could tell me that, and I'd UNdecorate the tree and re-decorate it another way.
she agreed.

so I did it. and it worked!  (and Mom LOVES it!)

(i am also happy that i don't have to dismantle it and redecorate)

a side-by-side comparison:

Michael's tree is cone-shaped, while ours is a skinny tree - so ours looks kinda' funky.

i wish i had larger ornaments on the bottom part, but all in all i am happy with it!

i wanted to share this project with you so that perhaps you will 

look at the holiday decor elements and tree ornaments you already have 

and be inspired to think about them in a new way...

maybe doing an ombre' tree is not your thing, and that's fine.

perhaps using only one color, or a new combination of colors, 

would be a fun way to make things feel 'new' at your house 

without spending anything!

Happy HAULidays!

 Jingle & Jangle are getting excited!

These darling vintage elves will be in my shop soon - along with a lot more!

I've been pricing and making and prepping my huge HAULiday stash

to go into my homewardFOUND shop in Room #1 at Needful Things Addiction.
(there is SO MUCH MORE than I can even photograph right now)

and then.... Plan B happened.
The store owner asked for my help with a project - and OH am I glad I said yes!!!

Today I spent a few hours down at the store, prowling through some storage rooms

that are FILLED with amazing furniture and accessories, 

selecting some for fixtures and then getting to work turning an empty room

into a setting for a holiday happening!

That room is Room #3, and it's right next to my regular spot, Room #1...

I'll be filling it with my haul of handmade originals and vintage finds in bright happy colors
for the BIG EVENT this coming Saturday:

 .

Some new holiday things in soft neutrals will be headed into my 'regular' shop in Room #1, too!

I'll share some 'sneak peeks' here and on my social media pages

as soon as it's all set up and ready... and I hope you can make it out on Saturday -
I'll be at the store in the afternoon and evening to help out, 

and I'd love to meet you!

.

oh, Christmas tree!

 my friends, I just don't 'do' Black Friday.

that one horrifying trip to the mall for a Cabbage Patch Doll back in the early 80's was enough.
I was an 19 year old new mommy and was seriously traumatized by it all.
.

ever since, I've spent the day after Thanksgiving 

happily hiding from the world and decorating my house for Christmas...

and then that turned into decorating other people's homes and businesses.
in the course of decorating all those trees
(about 25 trees each year, give or take - that's a lotta' tree decorating!)
I've learned some helpful tips and come up with some ideas:

I found an easy tip that really makes trees glow 

i also turned a really cheap material into fun 'tomato cage' Christmas trees!

this year, I've been making some trees

to sell in my homewardFOUND shop at our Dec 2 Shop Hop event.

 'found' materials have been a big part of that process...

 last year, I created and shared a 'vintage lace Christmas tree' on a tomato cage

this year, I shrunk the idea down to size!

recently I found some funky old bristle brushes in a thrift shop, 

and of course I don't SEE them as that - I saw TREES!

they turned out exactly as I envisioned them, and I really like 'em!
I mean, REALLY like them. I am torn about selling them.... 

I've shared a lot of Christmas tree decor themes over the years,
and I hope they continue to inspire you!

The tree is up and fluffed and lit in our living room, but I have NO IDEA
what the theme will be this year... we'll see what I come up with
as soon as I get alllllll those decor boxes out of the garage and into the house!
(The only tip I have for that is 'get help!')

to all who are visiting from the Funky Junk Interiors DIY Salvage Junk link party, welcome!

a happy holiday is on the way!

I know we're right in the midst of Thanksgiving prep, my friends,

but I just found something that I couldn't help but share!

I've been hunting and gathering and making all kinds of happy holiday goodies

that will be making their way into my little shop in Room #1

inside the Needful Things Addiction Marketshoppe in old town Lake Elsinore, Ca.

just a few of the sweet vintage treasures that I've found...

there's ever so much more, but some things need to stay secret ;) 

and as soon as I opened up a big box in the garage and saw what was in it,

I just knew that some of you would be really happy...

because my original Sweet Sweater Snowmen will be headed to the shop!

yep, I found all of these guys. and some BIG guys.

and some Sweet Sweater SnowBABIES, too!

these are perfect for your holiday decor & gift giving, 

because they work as decor well into February!

my holiday wares will be headed into the shop for Thanksgiving weekend

and an upcoming Dec 2 event in our store... stay tuned for details SOON!

Orange You Glad You're Here?!

While much of our home decor this Christmas is in neutral tones
(ivory, cream, tan, rusty brown, bronze, copper, and gold),
we decided to leave the bright orange decor already in the entryway.
(click to see more about the Joyful sign)
This happy hue brightens that small, dark space right up!

The addition of a tall, skinny tree in the corner added some light,
and a chance to create a fun, lighthearted feeling...
yet very different than the fun tropical tree decor that we created at the old house!

Continue Reading to see what we did... 

Vintage Paper Ornaments

When I was in my frenzied flurry of paper crafting last month, 

(see my vintage paper poinsettia wall decor post)
I also created some ornaments for the tree...

Using a trusty old paper slicer that I kept from my Dad's warehouse,

I cut dozens and dozens and dozens of strips of paper from old books and hymnals.

With scissors, a stapler, a glue stick, and a pencil to create rolled edges as tools,

I played around with shapes until I came up with these: 

why, yes, that IS a hidden Mickey!
I put those on the tree in my studio because.... well, because!

Continue Reading to find out where I put them all!

Vintage Lace Christmas Tree

 Sometimes, projects just come up out of nowhere... that was the story with THIS one.

Not in the plan. Not on the schedule.
But the Muse called, as I was rifling through a bin of linens

and tossing them on the chair next to me.
When I reached over to pick them up and put them back in the bin,

lo and behold: the pile of linens looked like a Christmas tree!

I stared at it, thinking about how I could present it here on the blog.
I can get away with some pretty crazy ideas, 

but presenting a pile of linens - basically, a pile of laundry - as home decor

might cause you to run screaming from my pages!

After a few minutes, it dawned on me that I have the PERFECT armature for a tree.
I use them all the time, and there was one in the garage not being used:
A wire tomato cage!

In about ten minutes, I had the thing done...

continue reading for my 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy'TM tutorial!

a POKEMON Christmas Tree!

...and now for something COMPLETELY different...

My youngest daughter Brianna loves to decorate for Christmas - 

she's very creative, and used to work with me as I decorated the wineries in Washington.

She has a special challenge when it comes to holiday decor:
My grandson's Birthday is on December 18th, and she doesn't want to overshadow that -
but she also doesn't want to wait until AFTER that day to put up the tree, 

so she decorates their tree in his birthday theme each year!

THIS YEAR, she has outdone herself... with a POKEMON theme!

continue reading to see some really fun ideas...

Elegant Holiday Inspiration

I have the extreme good fortune to have some really remarkably talented friends
who inspire me on a regular basis...

one of them, Miss Sylvia, is a stylist and decorator extraordinaire.
She owns Madam Palooza Emporium, 

a vintage prop rental house and styling company in Southern California.

The weddings and event settings that she creates are so intricate and detailed, 

so personalized and delightful, that they appear in magazines every month!
(she's currently featured in the newly-revived Flea Market Style Magazine - 

which is run by two MORE of my incredible friends!!!)

Sylvia called me up last week and asked me to help her 

to create some simple but inspiring holiday decor in her studio/showroom,

as it was to be the setting for an event industry holiday party.
Of course I said yes! We've worked together before, and it's always fun!

continue reading to see the beautiful results...

My BEST Christmas Tree Lighting Tip!

When it comes to lighting the Christmas tree at home, I'm a purist...

I like white lights: Mini, C7, C9, bubble, whatever kind I use, they are white.
Maybe you like multicolor - or ONE color! Whatever your preference is, 

I have a tip for you when it comes to lighting the tree
(and how many of you are tackling THAT job this weekend?!)

that is guaranteed to up the sparkle factor!

continue reading to see what my ONE STEP TRICK is!

Holiday & Christmas Decor Inspiration

Over the past 40 years,
I have had the great blessing of creating beautiful Christmas decor

for many residences and businesses...

for Four Seasons Hotel & Microsoft executive homes,

for many small businesses like Molbak's Home+Garden store 

for big huge famous businesses like Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia wineries,

and the Disneyland Resort. 

Now I share my tips, tricks, and ideas here on homewardFOUND decor!
You'll find loads of Holiday inspiration here...

continue reading...

Black & White & Winter All Over!

It's finally beginning to look a bit like Christmas around HOMEWARDfound central!
I've been so busy working that I didn't even remove the fall pumpkins from my office until SUNDAY.
Yes, you read that right.

I debated even decorating at ALL, but the urge got the best of me and I went for it - 

although in a different way than I usually do.

This year, I decided to focus on decorating for the winter season

rather than just for Christmas...

I don't have tons of bins of Holiday decor anymore, just a few with special items,

so I selected some things from there

and then added in everyday 'stuff' that helped me create a color scheme.
I went for a crisp black, white, and silver look:

.

The shelves on the wall in the office are rather triangular,

so when filled they remind me of a tree shape.

Along with my growing black & white coffee mug collection,

I used sparkly paper bags from the dollar store, two of my Original Sweet Sweater Snowmen,
a glass nativity scene, white tissue snowflakes, sparkly glittery metal branches, a lace mask,
and the rare white candy canes that I have been hauling around since 2009
(and OH are they STALE!)

Here are a few of the other elements I used:

 I do still collect white Santa china & ironstone mugs...

I wash all of the red paint off of them, though, so they fit my pale neutral color scheme!
This year, I found these tiny little tophat ornaments at Dollar Tree,

and they sit perfectly on top of the smallest size mugs!

 You've seen this truck before... it has a place of honor every season, 

because it reminds me of my Grandpa Ward's truck.
And the castle ornament.... well, I don't really need to explain that one, do I? ;)

Across the room, a breakfront/dresser is a large display space,

and I have been putting the tree here each year...

This year, I decided to create a DIFFERENT kind of tree...

 and used my wire tomato cage dome instead!

I could have used a plain ol' wire tomato cage tree,
but I was lazy and in a hurry and so I used what was already in the room.

 I placed the dome on a platter on top of a china pedestal bowl to raise it up,

and my special vintage ornaments in silver hang delicately from the wire crosspieces.

A birdsnest that I made cradles a broken ornament at the base of the dome,

and a mini-sized tophat that I bought at Disneyland serves as a jaunty dome topper.

 White china & ironstone holds more ornaments across the vignette,

and some black accents really POP against the white... especially that Chanel box :)

 Last Christmas, when I was having a blast with my kids and grandkids in Seattle,

I bought the white ceramic Space Needle salt & pepper shakers.
(They were the least cheesy souvenirs I could find down at Pier 39!)

Then this year, I found the white ceramic Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.

(I love the way the snowflakes show up behind it in the flocked black shadow box frame here...
they remind me of the Disneyland fireworks!)

As I worked, I realized that I have a growing collection here - figures of the places I love best!
Now my plan is to find a ceramic figure of the Alamo in San Antonio
(even if it's not white, I can paint it white)

and then some other places that are really special to me.
I can use them in my decor all year long, instead of just at Christmas!

 Just a few more detail shots of little decor touches...
I don't have the light strands for the clear bubble lights anymore,
so I just piled them into an enamel pail. They still make me smile!

Another handmade nest found a home in an ironstone chamber pot,
hung by its handle on an old wood gate section.

...and my vintage wire shopping cart corrals all of my gift wrap supplies!

SO, even though I waited a REALLY long time to get my decorating mojo on,
it was worth the wait.
Mostly because I don't have to take it all down in two weeks!!!

LINKED UP:
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