HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Ornaments, Part 2

My last post showed you four of the ornaments I've been busy creating, and this post will share the last three mid-century modern inspired ornaments that I dreamed up.

Ready for THREE tutorials? Let's dive in!... 

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Ornaments, Part 1

My last post showed you a sneak peek of the ornaments I've been busy creating...
this post will share three of the seven I've created, plus a look back at one created and used on the first wreath of this year. My next post will cover the last three ornaments.

One of the ornaments I am sharing today utilizes some existing ornaments already in my stash - I'm zhushing them up with additions cut from the vinyl placemats that I have chosen as my primary material in this year's holiday decor. One of those cut shapes forms the second ornament, and an expanded version is used for the third ornament. 

Ready for some easy tutorials? Let's go!... 

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Holiday Wreath

Welcome to my 2025 holiday theme!

After spending a week out in Palm Springs soaking up the mid-century modern vibes, I was inspired to create Christmas decorating projects in a fun 'Mid Mod Holiday' theme!

Created with simple materials, clean lines, and a monochromatic color scheme, they're all easy to create, and all of them utilize an item that you can easily find... as a matter of fact, you've seen this material before! My last pumpkin creation of fall was painted with green leafy motifs, inspired by the shape of the leaves in this pattern:

It's a VINYL PLACEMAT! From Dollar Tree!

They cost just $1.50 each. I bought 18. (See them online on the Dollar Tree website - but they aren't sage green as described, they are a minty green) You can also see other patterns and colors that might work for you here! [Not an Ad]

I've been cutting and bending and gluing them into various decorating elements, and I hope this series inspires you to give a new material a try!

Continue reading for details and full tutorial...

SUMMER: repainted thrifted signs

Turning one thing into something ELSE is my 'schtick'. 
Giving something a fresh look so it fits my decor colors and theme is part of that.

My favorite thing to give a 'makeover' to is signs - wood, metal, ceramic, paper, plastic - because I can indulge my love of painting and in just minutes have a whole new item to add to our home.

All of the signs in the photo up above have been given a makeover - simple applications of acrylic paint that completely changed the look of what I found!

I promise that it isn't hard to do - continue reading and I'll show you the before, during, and after of every one of those signs. It's LONG, but you'll learn a lot!

SPRING: 3-D dollar store seed packet art

Back in January, I picked up some garden seed packets at Dollar Tree...

three packs of green zinnia seeds, and one pack of white morning glory seeds.
And though I bought them with the express intent of crafting with them, I had NO idea what I was going to use them for. (Typical, actually). 

A wreath? It's been done over and over. Mounted on sticks as garden signs? Nah.
Then I saw a green wood picture frame sitting nearby, and an idea was born!

Continue reading to see how I created a 3-D version of a seed packet as wall art...

WINTER: create faux 'wrapped' bulbs

A classic trend in winter decor is a nature-focused Nordic vibe, using natural elements that celebrate winter while hinting at spring. I've always love white flowers in winter, as they reflect the idea of snow-blanketed gardens.

This year, I've created some faux versions of wrapped bulbs and nestled them in snowy white ceramic containers. This simple project has brought a winter-y feel into my studio, and will transition perfectly into spring in the coming month.

Continue reading for an easy two-part tutorial...

WINTER: PomPom Vases

Here at the edge of the 'winter-spring' seasonal transition, I try to keep the coziness of winter's soft textures going by mixing them with elements that  start to reflect springtime.

When I picked up a remnant of some minty-green pompom trim at a fabric store's going out of biz sale, I immediately knew that I was going to do this with it...

Paired up with some smaller white pompom trim that I had from Dollar Tree, plus a thrifted curtain panel with minty green pompoms running down two sides, that new trim pulled it all together. It took just minutes for these three vases to get a new look!

Continue reading for my easy tutorial...

WINTER: yarn ball SnowBuddies!

I just have to ask: Do You Wanna' Build a Snowman?!

Since we have a bit of winter weather left (thank you Punxatawney Phil), I thought I'd share this fun new idea with you...

I dropped some yarn balls the other day, as I was taking them out of a box, and one bounced onto the top of a nearby mug (empty!). Imagine my surprise as I realized that it looked for all the world like one of my Sweet Sweater Snowmen. Only EASIER to make! 

Continue reading for my easy tutorial for making Yarn Ball SnowBuddies...

WINTER: office organization on the cheap

  

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors blog hosts a weekly linkup, encouraging her followers/readers to share their recent projects. This past Friday, she suggested that we also share our favorite tips for getting organized at the start of a new year... which sent me to my hwf blog archives to find a post I knew would be what she was hoping for.

It took me awhile to find it in my archives, but I did, and linked it up to her party. The response to it in just two days is astounding! Now I feel motivated by Donna to share this helpful info that you can use by re-posting my original post from 2013 again - so I'm sharing it today as a 'Bonus Post' in addition to my regular content.

This info is the 'BTS' - Behind the Scenes -  of how I created my absolute dream office / design studio... spending very little money, using reclaimed + thrifted items + what I already had. I've actually done this in every creative space I have designed for myself, since the very first one in 2004. (I shared that studio in another post, which is linked at the end of this post)

In January of 2011, I moved into my dream house on an island in the PNW, and enjoyed the opportunity to design a whole new studio/office for myself.  I undertook this project exactly as I would one for a client: start with what you have and look at it in a fresh way.

continue reading to see how I get organized - on the cheap!

holiday 2024: a modern nativity

i have vivid childhood memories of helping my Mom decorate for the holidays,

including hanging ropes of tinsel garland in the front windows

then adding single glass ornaments that caused the garland

to dip into points like a jester's festooned collar.

simple, easy, inexpensive elements transformed our little home

into a winter wonderland.

and at the center of it all was the creche, or nativity scene...

yes, this one. like so many other families,

THIS was the nativity scene i grew up with.

it always sat on top of the 'hi fi' stereo console,

with an arrangement of greens and candles

with a few tree ornaments added to make it 'sparkle'.

after i married and had my own home, 

my Mom gave me the nativity set.

my four children grew up with it in our home,

and then our first grandson played with it in our home:

he's two here, and i will never forget hearing his sweet little voice

whispering 'sheepses' and 'baby cheesus' as he played with it.

(he just turned eighteen and he graduates next May...

how quickly the time has flown)

each year, i create a 'new' nativity scene for my decor theme.

i've linked a few of those below this post, 

including the way i used my OLD nativity figures in 2020.

this year, i recreated the simple modern figures

that i first used in 2022...

and to make them fit my theme this year,

i just added in some green props.

continue reading for two different looks...

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...

pumpkins made from garden clippings!?!

you've heard 'Necessity is the mother of invention' before...

it couldn't be more true of this week's pumpkin creation!

we've had a HOT summer and early fall here...

once the temps dipped *just* below triple digits,

i finally braved the heat outside and took care of some garden tasks,

including trimming the vining branches of our jasmine plants

that were reaching menacingly toward our windows!

that led to a whole new way to embrace my 'trash to treasure' ethos:

i turned my garden clippings into pumpkins!

continue reading for the details...

Faux 'Caramel Apple' Pumpkins, Take 2!

this isn't actually a 're-do' of a past project - 

it's that i had so much fun coming up with this idea

to turn a green faux pumpkin into a green caramel apple

that i think this sweet faux food creation deserves

another fifteen minutes of time in the spotlight!

i've just changed the color accents and am sharing it again!

continue reading for my original tutorial...

Easy Yarn & Twine Pumpkins

fall has not yet 'fallen' here in Southern California,
 but it's definitely pumpkin season for me!

first up, i'm sharing this incredibly easy way
to turn everyday items into pumpkins for your autumn decor...
these were made using yarn / twine skeins and thread spools.

i've embellished them a bit using elements
that go along with the 'sewing/knitting supply' theme
because i just can't leave well enough alone - 
yet there is NO sewing or knitting needed for this project!

continue reading to see how to make these in just minutes...

terra cotta pot mushrooms

my favorite seasonal decor is the kind that happens

when i'm just playing around with things in my studio - and an idea hits me.

i love using things in ways OTHER than how they were intended to be used,

both indoors and out.

these terra cotta pot mushrooms are one of the easiest things i've made,

and they are a perfect spring accent for your home AND garden spaces.

continue reading for an insanely easy tutorial to make your own versions!

easy-peasy twine nest

i dropped a ball of twine on the floor in my studio, it unraveled...

and this nest was the result!

i love it when something happens that makes me look at a material

in a new way, with a new use in a new seasonal accent.

and this one couldn't have been easier!

wanna' turn a ball of dollar store twine into a nest in less than five minutes?

continue reading! 

ease into spring with a faux moss wreath

spring's arrival is just around the corner!
here's an easy way to ease into it...

i'm pairing my white fabric wreath that i created this winter

with a new element for spring - along with a few other items -

and i love how it bridges this 'winter into spring' time of year. 

even the smallest changes can reflect nature

and refresh your home decor in just minutes.

big changes are good - but they don't ALL have to be big.

continue reading for an easy wreath + decor tutorial!

Terra Cotta Christmas: faux painted tree ornaments

while i'm having fun finding all kinds of ways
to use terra cotta flower pots in my theme this holiday season,
i needed to expand the scope... enter my favorite tool: PAINT!

i rounded up some unused ornaments from my stash
and transformed them using my faux terra cotta paint technique.
it's easy, cheap, and a great way to revive unused items!

continue reading for the details and some of my top tree decorating tips...

Terra Cotta Christmas: clay pot wreaths

we've all seen beautiful wreaths made from terra cotta pots,

filled with herbs or succulents or flowers - in springtime.
i wanted to create a wreath made of pots
that fit this year's terra cotta Christmas theme...
simple, subtle, natural. and 'wintery' in feel.

the result is two wreaths that include terra cotta pots - 

one is a wreath of greens embellished with 'bells' made from pots,

the other a wreath made entirely of pots.

(and when i did a Google search, i didn't see any that looked like mine!)

they represent two different styles that can be made in varied sizes

for a variety of uses in your holiday decor!

continue reading to see tutorials for two variations of holiday wreaths...

Terra Cotta Christmas: clay pot trees

My creative muses love to yank my chain....

I HAD a plan for holiday content this year on the blog. Yes I did.

and then... 

Surfing through IG one night when I couldn't sleep,

a photo shared by one of my former employers and clients
came across my screen - and wouldn't you know it,

that one photo inspired a whole NEW idea and theme!  

This is the photo posted by Molbak's Home + Garden Center near Seattle

to promote one of the themes of their holiday products this year.
(Back in the 90's, I was on their visual merchandising design team,
and have loved keeping up with their store visuals ever since -
sadly, the store closed down in 2024.)

Those are turned wood trees on the mantel.

but that's not how i interpreted it... 

Instead, I saw a forest of terra cotta trees made from pots!

That one photo inspired me to create decor
that was subdued, simple, natural, and elegant -

along the lines of something from Pottery Barn, Terrain, and West Elm.

In the process, I've come up with different ways to use terra cotta pots
to embody a new theme for the holidays this year...

...continue reading to see three styles of terra cotta trees!