diy tomato cage 'cornucopia' door + wall decor

are you one of the few people in the world

who is looking for some Thanksgiving decor?

who hasn't moved on to decorate for Christmas already?! 

i'm one of you - and my next few posts will center on this holiday that i really love!

last November i shared my tutorial for making a cornucopia

using a wire tomato cage and some burlap.

this year, it's been elevated from the tabletop

to hang on the door as a gorgeous 'wreath'
or as welcoming 'wall art' anywhere in your home.

continue reading for all the details (and a link to my previous tutorial)

fall glamping with Miss Dot!

i'm at a vintage trailer rally at the beach this week,

so i thought i'd share photos of the 'glamping' decor that i created

for Miss Dot at a past rally (2021)...

you've seen a tropical decor theme (from 2022) in a recent post,

now here's a look at how switching out decor elements and a new color addition

creates a whole new vibe - this one's beachy!

(the rally is held in Newport Beach, CA and always has a 'surf' theme)

planning the decor theme for each glamping excursion

reminds me so much of how i played in my grandpa's Shasta trailer as a kid,

spending hours in their backyard decorating and dreaming...

continue reading to see how my yellow obsession extended to our Shasta trailer...

repurposed crochet hat pumpkin

i'm a hat girl. always have been. i love wearing them
and have a pretty big collection of hats for every season.
i have thick straight hair and on the many days when it won't cooperate,
i just pop a ballcap or sunhat or cloche on my head and fuhgeddaboutit.

the only hats i don't like on my head are beanies. my forehead's too big.
but when i found THIS beanie, i fell in love with it and had to buy it...

because the moment i saw it, i KNEW it had to become a pumpkin!
here i am using things in ways they weren't intended to be used again LOL

continue reading for my tutorial (which is much like my sweet sweater pumpkin tute)...

a NEW LOOK for my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!

september is here, and you know what THAT means...
it's time for sweater weather AND sweater pumpkins!!!

i've been making + selling my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins TM since 2007,

and while i haven't sold any since i had my little hwf shop in 2017,

i occasionally still make new versions!

in 2021 i made a batch of new yellow 'sweeties' for myself, 

and this year after creating a huge new multicolor batch for my daughter Bethany,

i've made a revision to the way i finish them...

continue reading for a quick addition to my original tutorial...

TROPI-fall decor in our Shasta trailer!

before i start sharing NEW pumpkin & fall decor ideas,
i wanted to time-travel back to last September and show you
my 'TROPI-fall' pumpkins in a different kind of setting!

though i don't share many photos of our home here on the blog,
all of our rooms and decor have a tropical vibe.
since we are unable to travel to Hawai'i now, we 'live Aloha' here at home.

as summer wanes and autumn approaches, 
i bridge the seasons with pumpkins that i create in beachy, tropical styles...
faux painted bamboo and sand, coconut tiki mugs with stems, and more.

so would it surprise you to learn that i ALSO use tropical decor
in our Shasta camping trailer, Miss Dot?!!!

i 'shop the house' for decor elements that fit the season or theme
of the campout we're going to
(we are members of three different trailer groups),
put them into a storage bin, load it up, and then
have as much fun decorating Miss Dot as i do decorating our home...

continue reading to see how Miss Dot looks with TROPI-fall decor!

fall favorites: ALL of the pumpkins!

well, here we are in August already...
a month that i always think of as 'summer's golden hour'.
and fall is just around the corner. 
i LOVE summertime and am always sad to see the season go,
and usually i keep creating + sharing 'summer' content this month...

but i know everyone out there is ready for fall and all that comes with it.
and that means PUMPKINS!!!!

have you heard the voice clip on Instagram that goes 
"Do *I* like pumpkins??? Yeah. Yeah, I like pumpkins!!!!"
not only does it describe me, but the voice actually SOUNDS like me!
(it isn't me, but it's a bit eerie hearing it all over social media every fall!)
so yeah, i like pumpkins. i've collected them all of my life,
and i REALLY i like making pumpkins
out of just about any element + material i can find...

from painted tin cans to silvery trays, rusty metal junk, and copper kitchen scrubbies
to sweaters and yarn and lace and macrame' and even balloons,
from faux painted concrete, terra cotta, kintsugi, and Pyrex + china patterns,
to ping pong paddles, plant pots, wire waste baskets, picture frames, books, and paper,
i've made DOZENS of pumpkins over the past three decades...
and i'm sharing a link to ALLLLL of them!

click to see every pumpkin i've ever created!

i hope these projects inspire you to try a few new DIY pumpkin projects this fall!

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Deb's top three pumpkin tutorials

it's still summertime,
but i know many of you are looking for diy ideas for your fall decor, so....

here are my three top pumpkin tutorials:

Sweet Sweater Pumpkins
Faux Concrete Painted Pumpkins
Glass Globe Pumpkins

continue reading for links to these budget-friendly tutorials - and more!

paint + paper picture frame pumpkins

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...

gradient pumpkins

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...

time for Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!

it's september! fall is on the way... and fall means pumpkins.
so it's time for me to share my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!

the most famous - infamous??? - thing i've ever created,

since 2009, these cute lil' upcycled gourds have appeared in
home decor magazines, on home decor websites, in a 'designer gift crate' selection,

and have been sold in dozens of shops & shows, as well as here on the blog.

i only stopped making them for sale because my carpal tunnel was outta' control

(i was single-handedly creating hundreds of them each year),

so then i taught classes and made my tutorial available here on the blog

to help others make their own versions using my ridiculously easy method.

continue reading for more info on making your own!

boho chic: crochet + lace pumpkins

i love coming up with new 'takes' on my own Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,
and the two i'm sharing in this post were a fun way to give a whole new vibe to them.

a crochet textile from the thrift store and some lace curtain panels
are the perfect way to get a boho look for your fall decorating...

continue reading to see how easy these versions are to make!

NEW! Sweet Sweater Sandbabies!

in my last post, i shared my new 'sweet sweater kakamora'

along with a 'flashback' to a previously unseen 'sweet sweater sandbaby':

and he was cute.... but he needed some color to fit into my studio/office decor!

so i grabbed some bright beach buckets, white beach hats,

one last tan sweater from my stash, and one tan chenille 'sweet sweater pumpkin'
and started playing around....

the happy result was these three adorable beach babies in colorful buckets!

oh, but wait... i didn't stop there! keep reading to see what happened NEXT!

NEW! Sweet Sweater Succulents!

well... i said i'd be back if the muse strikes again... and those gals are partyin' around here!!!

after my last (surprise!) post, i tucked those ping pong paddle cacti into a bucket in my office - 

because i am vowing NOT to decorate with pumpkins for fall until it FEELS like fall here.

(it's in the triple digits where i live. decidedly still summer weather.) 

and apparently, those lil' cacti have seeped into my brain - because I HAD ANOTHER IDEA. 

same story as before: 

flash of creative energy. trip to the thrift store. making a mess in my studio. and it worked!

the best thing about this one? it makes use of something i've done before:
i took my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin tutorial... and made a CACTUS!

of course, i just HAD to share it with you!

<<< click 'continue reading' for my new 'Sweet Sweater Succulents' tutorial! 

4 NEW Thanksgiving Tablescapes

My friends, the Holiday season is HERE!

Let's get inspired to try new things, shall we?!

A year ago, I purchased a beautiful vintage tea set with a fall floral motif,

and had planned to create a new tablescape post with it. Well, that didn't happen!

THIS year, I hauled it out and got to work creating that long-overdue table setting,

and along the way, I came up with three MORE ideas to share with you.
Every last one of these ideas is SIMPLIFIED, because we're ALL busy enough right now!

I just used stuff I already had here at the house - 

I seriously didn't even buy flowers or real pumpkins or anything -

and let it play out in true 'homewardFOUNDdecor' style
'cause that's how I roll...

Click through for four inspiring new themes...

Boo to You!

When I was unpacking fall decor for the new house last month, 

I discovered these in a box...

two of my 'Embellished Pumpkins' that I created and sold 

at the Glitterfest show three years ago.

(Why is it that I keep stumbling across stuff like this - 

stuff I don't even remember I HAVE - 

but I CAN'T find the stuff I NEED - like my printer cords??!!!!
Mysteries of moving, I guess!)

I took a fancy flocked shadowbox frame and an old wood clock case, 

and foofed them up with some fanciful materials:
faux leaves made of vintage sheet music and black resin with glitter,

real oak leaves that had been bleached, a bit of old lace,

two black crows - one with a vintage paper crown,

scrapbook paper with a haunted theme,

a watch case filled with a vintage photo (that I 'Bewitched' with a felt pen hat!),

some vintage rhinestone jewelry bits,

and of course no fall project from my studio would be complete without

my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins - 

this time in black and white!

Though fun to create, this isn't really my personal palette or decor style, 

but since they didn't sell at that show, I kept them.

And I'm glad I DID...

because they serve a perfect purpose: wishing you all a

although..... THIS ain't bad, either! ;)

lost and.... FOUND!

Remember these lil' babies?!

After selling my neutral-hued and orange Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins for five years, 

I released a limited edition of them in PINK in 2013 - and you LOVED them!

(thank you from the bottom of my pumpkin' shaped heart <3 )

Recently Janet at Shabbyfufu shared one of her own photos of my pink pumpkins,
the one you see on the lower right corner of my image above,

and her readers were clamoring to get some of their own...

I couldn't oblige, as making them in quantity makes my carpal tunnel flare up
(and Deb is not happy when she is in pain!)

That's a big reason why I stopped making them to sell after 2013, and offered my tutorial.
The other reason was that my Dad was undergoing cancer treatments,
and time spent with him was way more important than making pumpkins.

Well.... I have a bit of good news for anyone hankering to get their hands on

a couple of my pumpkins: I FOUND SOME!

;)
Yes, you have a chance to get one of the last sets of 

my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins in PINK, 

right here on the homewardFOUND blog!

 Tuesday Morning September 27 at 8 AM Pacific Time,
I'll have SIX SETS ONLY for sale here on the blog!
The PayPal purchase button will be on the right sidebar for your convenience.

Sold only in sets of 3 - varied sizes, pink tones, and knit textures in each set.

important stuff:
Shipping included, to continental USA addresses only.
Limited quantity available. No holds - Purchase required at time of order.
All purchases final. No refunds, no cancellations. No custom requests/orders.
Sale will cease immediately when available quantities are sold.

I'll see you here Tuesday!

* pumpkin palooza! *

Wow, is FALL really here already?

ok, well, it's not the 'official' beginning of fall, but

it's time to break out the fall decor...

Here at homewardFOUNDdecor, 

that means scrounging up materials from all over the house

and turning them into something fun to decorate with!

I've got loads of fall decor ideas for you here in my blog archives,

including tutorials for my signature & original pumpkins:

My Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins (designed 2007)

My Original Glass Globe Pumpkins (designed 2011)

Copper Kitchen Scrubby Pumpkins (designed 2014)

Faux Concrete Styro Pumpkins (tutorial shared 2014)

Painted Pumpkin Pails (designed 1994)
... and my versions of

Miniature Clay Pumpkins . Painted Ceramic Pumpkins . String & Twine Pumpkins 

Yeah, I know - that's more than the '6 projects' touted in the graphic above!
Once you get me started..... ;)

My OWN pumpkin decor includes the very FIRST Sweet Sweater Pumpkins I ever made! 
Yep, I've been storing and using them since waaaaaay back in 2007.
I'll be putting those - and newer versions - out soon.... 

15 Inspiring Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Affordable and Inspiring Ideas for your Thanksgiving table decor 
can be found in my roundup of

15 Thanksgiving Tablescapes
from the homewardFOUNDdecor archives...

( Click on the captions to access individual posts!)

 a vintage table in brown

 a vintage table in silver

a vintage table in white

 [which appeared in Creating Vintage Charm Magazine]

a spicy table

a spicy table revision!

 a vintage / contemporary table

a vintage white table

 an unusual color scheme!

  A Green Thanksgiving

 a contemporary urban table

an urban cocktail party

[which appeared on the Broadway+Thresher Magazine blog]

 Fabulous Fall Fete
(ps: I didn't create this one, I just think it's FABULOUS!)

 Autumn Picnic

a last-minute table

a simple table

and in 2016, I added four NEW tablescapes!

visit my 'Pinterest Board of the Month' for even MORE ideas:  
November: Thankful Inspiration

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d} 2015

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d} 2016

It's Not Too Late to Get Your SPOOK On!

Looking for last minute Halloween decor ideas?
(it's okay!)

Have no fear! I have a TREAT for you in my archives:
a bunch of my trademark 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM ideas...

just click on the 'read more' link!

Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin Tutorial

mySweet Sweater Pumpkins' TM
are popular every fall!

my free no-sew tutorial for THE ORIGINAL sweater pumpkin
helps you make your own versions of this classic fall decor accent!

this is an easy craft project, and eco-friendly way to decorate for fall,
because they're made out of recycled materials and totally no-sew.

i designed my original product in 2007, and it appeared on my Hummadeedledee blog,
then began selling them at vintage shows and stores in 2009,
and they have been published in magazines and on blogs, FB, and Pinterest ever since - 
appearing here on homewardFOUND first in 2012,
and in Better Homes & Garden's Halloween Special issue in 2013! 

continue reading for tutorial: