color your winter decor

let's face it. we're all facing the same 'post holiday decor question':

what do i do NOW?
my house looks so empty after the Christmas decor is down.

do i do winter decor? if i really don't want to go with a 'snowy' look, how do i DO that?

or do i jump right to spring - or stop off for a short visit at Valentine's Day?

if you think that i don't ask those same questions, think again!
honestly? i struggle with the whole 'winter wonderland' look...
 i live in the desert in Southern California. it's cold here, but not snowy.
and i need color. the monotone snowy look isn't my jam anymore.

 
recently, a thought came to me:

color always inspires me, and mother nature never fails to offer inspiration

as each season unfolds with new hues, new color combinations, new life.

thing is, having color in your home doesn't have to look like my holiday theme did - 

a riot of every color in the rainbow. all at the same time.

sometimes, it is the addition of one hue to a soft neutral background

 that adds what i call 'a punctuation point' in a room.

just a touch goes a long way. and it doesn't have to cost a thing!

continue reading to see what is inspiring me this winter...

rainbow paint chip table runner

the two bright, colorful tablescapes featured in my last post
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'...

colorful holiday tablescapes

Christmas is a time of year when adults actually get to behave like kids.
it's completely socially acceptable to love cute decor and cute wrapping paper
and watch all kinds of cute, animated movies and tv specials.

let's just take that idea and use it to fuel our imaginations
when it comes to creating a merry and bright tablescape!

it doesn't take much work - and the results are like Candyland...

continue reading to see two versions of a colorful tablescape,
along with a few 'table tips'...

diy painted gift wrap ribbon

 

faced with a creative challenge, i usually turn to paint as a solution.

unable to find THE ribbon i had envisioned in my mind, i made my own.

time consuming? yeah. but very inexpensive, and totally worth the effort.

and yes, you can do this, too - no advanced paint techniques needed.

continue reading to see how completely devoted to a theme i can be!

merry & bright gift wrap

half the fun of giving gifts at Christmas is wrapping them!

i've come up with some easy ways to make gift tags, bows, and even wrapping paper

that coordinate with my colorful 'merry and bright!' theme this year...

continue reading for some easy creative gift wrap ideas!

Target fringe tree makeover

i don't let what's available at stores limit my decorating plans.

i just take what they provide and then add to it or rework it to make it fit MY style!

this little tree is a perfect example of that...

lots of people have the original version of this in their Christmas decor this year,

but none of theirs look like this!

some white paint and a few scraps of paint chips gave it a total makeover.

continue reading to see the before and after!

rainbow painted Target trees!

i'm really having fun this year making current trends my own.
my DIYs fit my style, my color palette, and my budget
but give me all the fun and impact of what's hot this season...

case in point: the current Target Tree Trend.
every account on Insta is showing them.
people are ransacking their local Tarjay store Bullseye's Playground racks to get them.
along with bottle brush trees, these things are a must-have this holiday.
when i first saw them online, i knew EXACTLY what i would do to them if i could find them.

well, i found some. and then, i made them fit my style - with paint, of course.
in a rainbow array of color - of course.
in patterns that replicate paint chips because... it's a theme.

keep reading to see more of them, and what i did with 'em!

diy paint chip trees

my most popular idea shared here last Christmas was

my faux wood trees, made from wood-print scrapbook paper. 

i could never have anticipated the response to them (thank you!!!!)

since this year my theme is all about color and creativity and paint chips,

i created this new version as a fun and easy addition to the decor...

continue reading for details plus another version!

merry mantel paint chip decor

'merry', indeed!

in the first of three different mantel decor projects i'm sharing with you this week,

the element of paint chips in this years' holiday decor is at the fore...

both the framed art and the paper chains make use of a rainbow of colorful paint chips

(sourced from my local Sherwin Willimans dealer),

in simple art projects that both adults and kids will love.

continue reading for details! 

repurposed Christmas card wreath

one last wreath to share,
and this one's made from something we all have: old Christmas cards!

yep, i'd bet there are a few (dozen) cards stashed in with your holiday decor,
with graphics or photos so cute that you just couldn't toss them out.

this project will get those cards out of the box and up where you can see & enjoy them!

i love projects that make use of simple materials,
and i've always liked pulling out old holiday decorations and enjoying them in 'different' ways.
this combines the two in a simple paper craft.

continue reading for the easy how-to!

paint chip advent calendar

it's time to start the official Christmas countdown!
here's a simple way to create an advent calendar that you can personalize for your family.

i've used paint chip squares, since they coordinate with my theme this year,
but other easy ways to create something similar include manila tags and post-it notes!
the process is very easy - everyone can get in on the fun!

continue reading for the how-to and suggestions for personalizing an advent calendar...

re-purposed 'ornament' doorhanger

another of my previous diy decor projects got a quick makeover with paint,
turning it into a cute door hanger that resembles an ornament for the holidays!

i love re-using what i already have on hand,
giving it a fresh look for each season when i can.
it saves money, and storage space, and time spent shopping -
honestly, i'd rather be painting and crafting!!!

continue reading for an easy how-to...

paint chip wreath, too!

this wreath is a makeover of a previous wreath project...

last spring, i covered a pool noodle circle with some green gingham fabric.

in about ten minutes, i recently reworked it to become something different
because that's what i do with my decor: rethink it, remake it, reuse it.

with the simple addition of paint chip strips, it brightens up the holiday season!

continue reading for an easy how-to....

diy paint chip wreath

not just for the holidays, this wreath adds cheer in any season!

i made use of a rainbow 'ROYGBIV' color palette,
but of course you could make a similar wreath in hues that compliment your home...

it's a quick diy decorating project that is easy to complete.

continue reading for an easy tutorial!

rainbow colorized wreath

switching up my holiday decor themes each year is a lot of fun,
and it doesn't cost a lot to make a change...

this white wreath was just $6 at a local thrift shop four years ago,
and i've reworked it with colorful ornaments to match my colorful tree.

most of those ornaments i already had,
a few i grabbed at thrift shops and Dollar Tree to fill out my color palette.
( all told, i spent less than ten dollars on this)
attaching them to the wreath was a quick undertaking,
and the impact is uplifting - indoors or out!

continue reading for a few wreath decorating tips...

diy paint chip ornaments

nestled in with the brightly colored ornaments in my rainbow garlanded tree
are these ornaments that i made using paint chips.

a note about using paint chips, if i may....

i sauntered in to my local paint store and asked for old paint chips - 

and they handed me an armload of fan decks! FREE!

(i nearly skipped out the door...)

i highly recommend making this effort to procure paint chips responsibly.
i emphatically discourage raiding paint chip displays in home improvement stores.
just to be clear.

making these ornaments is pretty simple - it's a scissors & paste kinda' craft project!

continue reading for the easy tutorial for all three styles of ornaments... 

rainbow colorized Christmas tree

i really think Joanna and Cleo of The Home Edit would LOVE this Christmas tree!
a brilliant white tree with bright color ornaments, arranged in rainbow ROYGBIVP order 
("it's a SYSTEM!" - if you know, you know)

a place for everything and everything in its place, right?!

okay, so, yesssss, i've been watching The Home Edit on Netflix. a LOT.
and yessssss, it has indeed had an influence on my Christmas decor this year.
i was also inspired by an Insta photo of a huge garland made of balloons...
that spurred the idea to create a 'garland' of colorful ornaments
that were arranged in color order.

continue reading to hear more about where those ornaments CAME from
and see how easy this approach to tree decorating is!

creative Christmas tree skirts

i'm going to confess that i have never used a store-bought tree skirt

on any of my own Christmas trees. NEVER.

it's not that my trees go bare-legged, it's just that i use different things under them than most people:
vintage petticoats, silky satin formal skirts, my wedding dress!, rugs,
old wood crates, and more tablecloths than i can count. Oh, and a fuzzy blanket!.
i've even used.... wait for it... pine branches. simple, right?

this year's happy colorful theme called for some FUN under the tree,

and i've come up with two different ways to do that by repurposing other items.
one involves some crafting, and will work on any size tree.
the other is for a small tree,
and was so easy i could hardly believe i hadn't thought of it before.

i hope they both make you take a look at whatever tree skirt you've been using
and think twice... about maybe trying something different this year.
now, let's get creative!

continue reading for the easy diy tutorials...

merry and bright

anyone else agree with me that we really need a MERRY Christmas?!

2020 has been hard. we all know that.

as the holiday season approaches, we all seem to be

looking forward to decorating our homes and trees and front doors

to welcome the joy of the season - even if we can't welcome guests.

while the holidays might look different than usual this year,

we can all certainly make the best of them - and of us.

let's look to our childhood memories to fuel our imaginations,

and create a mood that brings a smile to the faces of those we love.

let's make it merry and bright!

continue reading to see what inspired me...

fall flip: guest room update

back in August, i shared the no-cost makeover i created in our guest room - 
a cool, refreshing boho mod style in tones of greens and accented with succulents.

no one has come to stay with us since then, but i've just updated the decor...

and even though there isn't a pumpkin or a leaf in sight,
adding the color orange really works to to bring in a 'fall' mood.
(it's still hot here. but it's October now, so i have to accept the inevitable!)

continue reading to see how a few small changes made a BIG difference

 in the way this room feels...