more embellished hearts!

the last two 'embellished' hearts i have to show you are quite simply
 'junk makeovers' of an old glass heart-shaped dish and another heart-shaped tin.
and one of those includes an easy-peasy way to add glitter to ANYTHING!

a tiered tray (made by stacking white dishes from the kitchen!)
holds a pretty yellow and white assortment of hearts - with a touch of gray -
and i love how cheerful it is in my studio 'photo spot' by the faux fireplace.

enjoy my last Valentine decor post!

continue reading to see a few 'before' and 'afters'...

bee mine scrap wood sign

my unusual yellow palette for Valentine's Day combines with a honey of a theme
in this third of three related projects...

a small piece of scrap wood found in my garage became this cute sign,
which could hang on a wall or sit on a tiered tray or mantel.

the addition of dimensional elements makes it special - and still so easy to create!

paired with my last two projects, it forms a sweet vignette on my mantel.

you can do this! continue reading for the easy how-to...

diy decorative honey pot

my last post shared the darling buzzing bees shown above, along with the honeycomb heart.
those were created as part of an entire 'story' for my mantel...

in this post i'm sharing the second element, a honey pot -
and the easy, clever way i made that honey look SO realistic!

continue reading and join me in creating a BUZZ this Valentine's Day!

create a valentine's day buzz!

you've seen my unusual yellow heart decor in previous posts.
now that it's February, i'm taking the Valentine's theme a BIT further... 

BEE my Valentine, won't you?!

i'm having fun with this and can't wait for you to see what i made...

continue reading to see what inspired this happy theme, and how to make those buzzin' bees! 

'house of love' salvaged sign

every time i look at this project, i hear the song 'House of Love' in my head...

[if you're not old like me, you may not remember that song from the 90's,
recorded by friends (who later married) Amy Grant and Vince Gill.
it's an earworm, so if you want to hear it, there's a link after the post!]

this project is a re-use of something i first created last January - 
i've just changed it a bit and added to it. i love re-making old projects!

continue reading to see the before/after...

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!

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!

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!

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 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... 

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...

fabulous faux mantel & logs

before i ever began concepting or creating this years' holiday decor,

i decided that it was finally time to create a prop that i've longed for:
a fireplace mantel.

we don't have one - ours is just a Craftsman--style cabinet with a faux electric fireplace in it.
it's very nice, but it has no mantel. and hanging above it is a television.
not exactly picturesque.

wanting a setting that would work as a backdrop to my holiday decor content,

i looked at what i had already, and came up with a plan...
my faux fireplace mantel would live in my studio/office,

providing easy access for setups and the best light to be had around here.

scraps of wood from the garage made easy work of it,

and they will come apart easily when i decide it has served its purpose.
that's my kind of decorating!

continue reading to see details - AND how to make those fab faux logs!

diy paper paint chip leaf wreath

as i was preparing to create holiday content for the blog this year,

i sourced some paint chips (paint color cards, etc) as supplies for my chosen theme.

and i want to be perfectly clear about WHERE i sourced them:
i didn't take these paint chips from the displays at the hardware or paint store.
i asked the manager of my local paint store if they had any OLD paint fans
that might not be in use any more (because new ones come out every year)...
and they handed them over with a smile. FREE.
a very happy Deb with arms full of paint fans nearly skipped out the door.

but as it so happens, while i was in the midst of creating decor for Christmas... 
another FALL decor idea hit me. so i stopped, and created this fall decor.
(i endeavor to NOT anger my muse!)

it's so simple, you could make the leaves from any kind of paper -
gift wrap, paper bags, scrapbook paper, wallpaper scraps!

continue reading for more details and the easy how-to...

screen dome pumpkins & leaves

rummaging through a cabinet one day, i rediscovered four screen food covers.

they came from Dollar Tree and to be honest, i don't think we've ever used them.

so.... me being me.... it was time to turn these unused items into something else.

continue reading to see how easily i transformed them into pumpkins!

(i feel a bit like the Fairy Godmother in reverse.....)

faux terra cotta pumpkins + tutorial

the decor is simple on our porch this year...

just a few select elements combine to give our entryway a fall mood.
(no, that's not a photo of our porch! i'll probably share that on Insta) 

however, real pumpkins are not an option when it's still over 100 degrees.

my solution to that dilemma was to gather up the pumpkins we have on hand

(plus the new-to-me 'Funkin' faux pumpkin that i found at a thrift store

and used in my recent fall harvest scarecrow project)

and give them a cohesive look... 

and i did that with paint, of course!

continue reading for my easy 'faux terra cotta' paint' tutorial...

boho lace pumpkins

i am always trying to find new ways to create pumpkin decor to enjoy in the fall...
i'm game to try anything to see if it will work.
i recently came across some photos of this past project, never shared here on the blog,
and thought i had better do that before the window of opportunity for fall decor closes!

these are a fun way to create pumpkins with a bohemian style vibe,
perfect in combination with the neutral hues, macrame' accents, and wood textures
in the 'of the moment' boho modern fall decorating.

continue reading for details on how easy these are...