AUTUMN: Make Peat Pot Pumpkin Stems

 

I was cleaning out my gardening tools storage area, and came across a stack of small peat pots / seed starter pots in a bucket. The bottom pot was a bit damp, and when I picked it up, I accidentally squished it - and an idea hit me!

With a little bit more water and some experimentation, I turned those peat pots into stems for various pumpkins - it's a little bit like working with paper clay or papier mache'.

Continue reading for my easy tutorial... 

AUTUMN Inspiration: October 🎃

🎃 I tend to think of October as being 'Pumpkin Season'... maybe because I love pumpkins so much that I have created so many new versions of them! (Honestly, I am just not into scary / spooky Halloween - at ALL.)

I love the colors and elements that nature offers us in this season, and the ability we have to 'feather our nests' and make them cozy and welcoming for the colder months ahead. One of my favorite fall activities is harvesting natural materials and bringing them indoors to grace our homes before their life cycle ends. And I have always championed that we can diy our own autumn decor to make it exactly what we want, in our favorite colors, that expresses our own special style. 

I've rounded up some fun pumpkin decor ideas, projects, and tutorials below to inspire you this month... and if you'd like to see ALLLLLLL of my autumn diy projects from the past 14 years, they are here!

AUTUMN: Book Page Leaf Wreath + Bonus!

It does seem like Deb's got a THEME going this fall, does it not? 😉 Yep, I'm letting my bookish obsession off the shelf as I make seasonal decor using BOOKS!

This wreath is a new iteration of an idea I have played around with for years: making replicas of leaves out of paper. I pulled out my box of old tattered damaged books again, and worked some autumn magic with them... 

Continue reading for my tutorial on making the leaves and then attaching them to a foam wreath form... plus an additional way to use paper leaves in your fall decor!

AUTUMN: More Book Pumpkins!

Before I continue into this project's tutorial, I have a question for my fellow creatives: Have you ever been 100% certain that you did something, and that there is photographic evidence of that something, and you can actually SEE it in your mind - but can not find ANY of the photos, or the blog post you swear you published, to prove it???? 

As I was posting my last project, a previous one came to mind and I intended to link it as 'Related Content'... but I can't find it. I am absolutely certain that I created this before, and posted it here on my blog and on Pinterest and my facebook page, while I was in my 'Yellow Era'.

I can't find ANY evidence of it. I've searched my computer files, my facebook files, my Pinterest boards, my blog posts (even drafts that never published). ZipZeroNadaNuthin'.

Guys, I have a photographic memory. It is stunning even to me how my brain works visually, and this conundrum has me spinning in circles because I know what I know. I made this same exact project using yellow books, and photographed it on my faux mantel. And yet I can find no tangible evidence of that... 

So I am doing what any somewhat sane but confused creative person would do: I'm making the thing that I thought I had already made. I'm taking photos of the thing, and I'm sharing them here on the blog. (And what do you want to bet that at some point in the not too distant future, those 'lost' photos and blog post are gonna' show up out of nowhere?? I'd bet money on it.*)

Continue reading for one of the easiest tutorials you'll ever see from me....

AUTUMN: 'Bookish' Pumpkins

SO, a funny thing happened as September began...
I had NO IDEAS for new pumpkins. Not a one. Which is entirely unlike me, because y'all KNOW about my love of pumpkins. My muses were still on vacation, I guess. AND THEN... on our delightfully rainy Labor Day Weekend, I stumbled across an idea!

I was re-sorting several boxes of books by size in our garage, and one stack of books suddenly slid sideways onto the floor and formed a half circle. As I bent to pick them up, I saw something... a shape, a whisper of an idea. I sat some similarly hued books aside, kept working on my task, and then brought those books into my studio to try out the idea growing in my head.

Here's a sketch of my idea for a 'bookish' pumpkin:

I had to play around with the books awhile to get it right - after two different iterations, I was finally happy with the result. 

Don't worry, this project is 'temporary decor' - nothing is attached permanently, it's all removable, and no books were harmed in the making of this bookish pumpkin! 😉

Continue reading for my tutorial...

AUTUMN Inspiration: September 🍂

🍂 Easing into Autumn with a palette pulled from nature and inspired by the treasures of the season...

September weather in So Cal is still hot (we call it 'Locals Summer') and the skies are mostly bright blue... yet the light begins to change, the inland nights cool just a bit, and the leaves began to dry out. Sadly, they don't change color. But fall is in the air, and it signals a coming change.

A new side of nature unfurls all around me outdoors, and inspires me to bring a touch of the beauty inside to enjoy as decor. Hues of green, brown, tan, and shimmering gold capture the ephemeral light of early fall and set the stage for all that is on its way as the harvest approaches... 

May these ideas and projects inspire you to notice the approach of autumn!

August Inspiration: 🌴 Tropi-FALL!

I'm never really ready for summer to end... even though our summers here in Southern California have become triple-digit adventures filled with insane afternoon winds and wildfire smoke. I only venture into our sunny backyard before 7 AM and after 9 PM.

Over the past few years, I've found a way to extend my own tropical style summer decor by including a nod to autumn: Pumpkins that look tropical! By creating some with tropical style, I embrace what I call 'tropiFALL' - a slow transition from summer to autumn that will be enjoyed from August 1st through September 30th. Our heat waves last all the way into early October - then the fall decor and pumpkins get their spotlight! (If you don't know this about SoCal, our 'Locals Summer' BEGINS after Labor Day Weekend - when all of the tourists have exited the beaches and amusement parks 😉)

As always, I'm sharing these ideas to inspire you to try new things in your home decor. I hope that even if tropical style isn't your jam*, you'll see some ways to 'bridge' your summer decor with touches of autumn decor - in YOUR style, and your favorite colors...

View these ideas below without thinking you have to do exactly what I do - picture them in different colorways, with different natural materials that will work in your home, with your theme!

AUTUMN: Cathrine Holm-Inspired Painted Pumpkins

It's a bit hard to believe that this is the LAST pumpkin design for this year!
I've had fun coming up with new ideas for you.... including this one.

The inspiration for them came from the green placemats seen in the photo.
When I found those in the dollar store last month,
I fell in love with the leafy elements in the print -

and planned on using them for something ELSE!

Then I looked again, and realized why I like it!

Continue reading to see my inspiration for this project + tutorial...

AUTUMN: Faux Tree Bark Pumpkin

One of my lovely long-time readers messaged me recently,

asking if I am planning to share any specifically Halloween decor ideas this fall.

I replied privately, but will share with all of you that no, I am not.

I'm just not into Halloween anymore, even the 'cute' side of it.

Back in January 2024, I decided to focus on creating for seasons not holidays

and my content has reflected that. Yes, I DO create for Christmas!

(The 'Holidays' are the fifth season and there's no escaping it!)

My fall content focuses mostly on pumpkins (IYKYK) and leaves, 

and on bringing the beauty of the season indoors

 to enjoy from September through November.

Today's project is a new way to replicate nature: faux tree bark.

I've had fun experimenting and coming up with techniques

that you can do to re-create my project... continue reading for my tutorial!

AUTUMN: Make 'Bumpy' Pumpkins With Loopy Yarn!

I've been so dang busy lately, I haven't been able to to create ANYTHING...
but when I found a hank of loopy green yarn in my stash, I had an idea,
and in a matter of minutes two elements became pumpkins -
so here ya' go, friends!

Continue reading for an easy-peasy tutorial that will help you
make a fun version of 'warty pumpkins' using loopy yarn...

AUTUMN: 130 Pumpkin Ideas from Deb!

 
Looking for DIY pumpkin decor inspiration and tutorials?
You've come to the right place - it's Pumpkin Season at hwF! 

CLICK HERE
to see every single one of the 130 different pumpkin posts 

that I have shared here on the homeward found decor blog - since 2012!

You'll see my most recent designs inspired by Taylor Swift:

I have created  yellows, tropi-FALL, and neutral pumpkins,
as well as green, orange, and white pumpkins 

Find ALL of my posts containing pumpkins

that I have painted, collaged, covered in fabric, glued stuff to, 
and of course made using thrifted sweaters... 

including my top three original pumpkin decor tutorials,
with my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins and Original Glass Globe Pumpkins:

Enjoy perusing my posts for new ideas and techniques
to help you create pumpkins that fit YOUR style and YOUR home decor!

Happy Fall, Y'all! 
~ Deb

AUTUMN: 'The Life of a Showgirl' Confetti Pumpkin

"Hi! I'm Deb... are you ready to SPARKLE?!"
Let's create the last of my four 'Showgirl Pumpkins'!

'4' has been completely re-done - AGAIN!
She has been bright warm yellow,
white with painted gold kintsugi 'cracks', 
white with brown-tone painted florals, also plain white,
and originally she was a weird orange at the thrift store.

In ALL of her 'former costumes', 4 has been lovely...
but now, she's really ready for the spotlight!

Read More for my easy tutorial....

AUTUMN: 'The Life of a Showgirl' Sequin Pumpkin

"Hi! I'm Deb... are you ready to SPARKLE?!"
Let's create the third of my four 'Showgirl Pumpkins'!

This sparkling glittering specimen was inspired by one of Taylor's outfits,
and I've combined several elements to transform a styro pumpkin
into one worthy of the spotlight!

Read More for my easy tutorial...

AUTUMN: 'The Life of a Showgirl' Graffiti Pumpkin

"Hi! I'm Deb... are you ready to SPARKLE?!"
Let's create the second of my four 'Showgirl Pumpkins'!

Using my favorite decorating tool - paint - 
I glammed up an item I already had in my stash,
which made it a pretty cheap makeover!
The only thing I bought for this was a small bottle of gold glitter glue.

Read More for my easy tutorial...

Autumn: 'The Life of a Showgirl' Sweet SPARKLE Sweater Pumpkin

"Hi! I'm Deb... are you ready to SPARKLE?!"
Let's create the first of my four 'Showgirl Pumpkins'!

And honestly, what OTHER kind of pumpkin
would you expect ME to start with - than a Sweet Sweater Pumpkin?!
Since creating the Originals way back in 2007,
I've come up with many versions of them over the years. 

This one is what I'd term an 'embellished' pumpkin,
because we're gonna' add an obscene amount of glitter to it
(along with a final detail that is SO perfect!) to make it spotlight-worthy!

Read More for my easy tutorial....

AUTUMN: 'The Life of a Showgirl' Pumpkins!

"...so, I wanted to show you something..."
 THIS is my brand new theme for this Autumn's seasonal decor:

With Taylor's new album releasing in just over a month,
I was inspired by her FUN theme + her wardrobe on the Eras Tour
to create some sparkly orange 'costumes' for my pumpkin 'showgirls'...

I've got FOUR fabulous pumpkin tutorials to share with you -
two are painted ceramic pumpkins and two are fabric pumpkins.
(and yes, of course one of them is a Sweet Sweater Pumpkin!)

Here's a quick Sneak Peek:

They're all glittery and sparkly and shimmery 
(one of them even has friendship bracelets!)
and the perfect addition to your autumn decor.
I'll be sharing four posts with four detailed tutorials,
one each Wednesday in September.

What a fun way to lead up to Taylor's album release on October 3rd!
(AND to celebrate her recent engagement to Travis Kelce!)

...even if you're not a fan of Ms. Swift, OR orange,
you can use my creations as a starting point to make your own
uniquely sparkly pumpkins. Maybe in BLACK! Or Green ;) 
(I'm stepping out of my 'Green Era' this month... but not forever!)

Find ALL FOUR tutorials here:

Sweet Sparkle Sweater Pumpkin TM

Grafiti Pumpkin

Sequin Pumpkin 

Confetti Pumpkin 


shared online:

Funky Junk Interiors | New Upcycle Ideas #850 (2026)

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Tropi-FALL: Square Tiki Pumpkins

It's almost September - and that means it's PUMPKIN SEASON!

Back in August of 2020, I was BORED and came up with this fun idea for making unique tiki-style fall decor. I figured if you can paint on a pumpkin, you can paint something else to LOOK like a pumpkin.

After all, who needs plain ol' pumpkins when you can have TIKI pumpkins?!
(or - and hear me out - Disney character pumpkins or Harry Potter character pumpkins, whatever your vibe is!)

I recently realized that I've never shared them on the blog and since they fit right into my current Tropi-FALL vibe, now is a perfect time to remedy that.

Read More for an easy tutorial plus detail shots....

Ready for Tropi-FALL?!

August? Already?!

Not ready for summer to end? Neither am I!
But I can get on board with a different kind of 'summer into fall' decor...

So in this post, I'm going to re-share a roundup of my past creations that bridge the seasons of summer and fall with a beachy, coastal, tropical, tiki style vibe. I call it 'Tropi-FALL'! (And if you ARE ready for fall, you can jump right in!)

Putting them all in one post gives me a break from having to promote new blog posts each week this month, giving me space to enjoy time with friends at some fun events... because although the hot weather will last into October here, summer isn't sticking around forever. I want to enjoy it! (And yes, I'm testing out this 'one project/one post per month' method to see if it helps me with some things I have been struggling with.) 

Continue reading for a look back at four of my faves...

Thanksgiving tablescapes in green

 
i'm pulling one out of the archives today,
sharing a look back at this lovely Thanksgiving tablescape from 2014
(plus links to a few others!)

continue reading for some Thanksgiving table looks inspired by nature...

DIY flocked acorns

i have a photo of a bunch of green acorns as my screensaver,

and the luscious tones moved me to try and replicate them - in paint.

then i saw a video showing how to make a faux 'flocked' paint finish,

and i just HAD to try it!

continue reading to see how easy this one is...