faux 'jadeite' pumpkin paint tutorial

i don't collect jadeite - real OR faux - but i love it!
the pretty seafoam - mint - jade greens of jadeite dishes and cookware
remind me of the color of our Shasta trailer (see my last post!)
and because of that, i've found these greens combine well with ANY color.

in late August i picked up a ceramic pumpkin mug at Dollar Tree,
and decided to try my hand at re-creating the luminous look of jadeite -
with paint.

and it worked! 
continue reading for my color-matching process and paint tutorial...

easy raffia-wrapped TROPI-fall pumpkins

 

yes, i'm creating a few new 'tropical' style pumpkins this month!

these work together with my previous creations -

and since the summer heat is still in full force right now,

it's the ONLY way i can succumb to the siren call of autumn.

the pumpkins up above are SO easy to make,

(i think they'd look just as cute nestled into galvanized buckets

for some fall farmhouse style vibes!)

and just wait until you see what they're made of!

continue reading to find out my secret... 

deb flips the bird... ?!

that post title doesn't mean what you might think!

some people 'flip' furniture. (actually, i've done that, too).

now i 'flip' home decor elements each season...

sometimes more than once IN a season!

and my favorite tool for changing how things look is paint.

i never let the color of an item found at a thrift store or yard sale

or even in my own storage bins limit me - 

because it's SO EASY to repaint things to make them fit my current decor style.

so when i discovered this little ceramic bird on a bottom shelf at Dollar Tree,
the very last one they had in the store,

i didn't hesitate a moment before dropping her into my shopping basket:

the pink color isn't BAD, it just doesn't fit my decor.

but with a few ideas and some paint, i gave her FOUR NEW LOOKS

and i created spring wreaths / wall decor for three of those!

continue reading to see how all four turned out...

giant paper flowers

sometimes it's just best to go BIG, you know?

i've been a retail visual merchandiser + display designer / stylist for over 45 years,

and have made a LOT of props in my lifetime...

and i learned that whether you're creating a window display

or an event display or a photo backdrop, large scale has the most impact.

making big things can get costly, tho - unless you use inexpensive materials

like paper, tissue, and repurposed/upcycled elements.

the flowers you see up above were created for use in an event entry display,

and are made from new cardstock paper -

but i've made similar ones from vintage book pages, too.

can't you just imagine flowers made out of repurposed MAPS?

old newspapers? magazine pages? gift wrapping paper?

yep, so can i!

i can also see them decorating a lovely Mother's Day brunch setting,
or as decor in a nursery or girls' room.

continue reading for a quick tutorial and loads of inspo...

grandma's button flowers

did your grandma have a button box?
mine did, and i spent many hours playing with the colorful contents as a child.
 when my Grandma Ward passed, i was given her button box.
to this day just looking at it makes me smile...

 i decided to start collecting buttons of my own to add to her tin,
so i grabbed them at garage sales and thrift stores
and sometimes even bought some from craft stores.

when i began using the buttons in home decor projects.
one of the projects i undertook was to make button flowers:

those were made back in the early 2000's!
it's such an easy project that kids can do it, too.

continue reading for my easy tutorial... 

faux food flower 'cupcakes'

continuing with my floral theme for this month,

i whipped up these fanciful floral 'faux food' cupcakes...

which i did not make with butter, eggs, sugar, and flour.

my friend Sasha ('Saucy') decorates very real cakes and cupcakes

with the most fantastical elements - like frosting flowers.

her delightful creations inspired these flower-decorated cupcakes,

and also inspired my faux gingerbread cake last December.

check out her amazing edible art on Instagram

some projects have a lot of prep, a lot of elements, a lot of steps.

this isn't one of those. this is a one-and-done decor project. easy-peasy. 

i can't even call this a 'tutorial' because it's SO easy.

don't believe me? continue reading!

'flower power' coasters

a perfect way to add a spring touch to your entertaining,

these easy to make 'flower power' coasters can be created in any color -

and are really simple to assemble. after you disassemble, that is.

oh, wait, i'm getting ahead of myself...

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

garden light mushrooms

this month i have shared a bunch of ideas for creating and decorating with mushrooms.
this last one is kinda' sneaked into the blog lineup...
perfect for your yard OR indoors, these mushrooms lamps
are whimsical ways to repurpose household items
while you light up your summer evenings.

continue reading to see what inspired them and my easy tutorial...

pom pom mushrooms

pom poms are having a MOMENT, my friends...

showing up in the fashion world, in huge art installations, and home decor.

while most of them are WILD expressions of texture and color,

i wanted to incorporate pom poms in a more limited palette

(yesssss, i DO mean yellow! - because why not?!)

and since my recent mushroom-creating kick has led to

March Mushroom Madness

i found a way to make pom pom 'shroomies!

...continue reading to see how EASY they are!

thrifted knit beanie mushrooms

you've heard of March Madness, yes? 

i may be pushing that description by embarking on my own twist:

March Mushroom Madness!

i've had some new 'shroom ideas rolling around in my noggin' for awhile now,

and i decided that since March is my birthday month,

i can do whatever i want. so mushrooms it is!

yep, all month long, you'll see the things that have been growing

in my super-charged imagination. 

(hold on tight, and keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times!)

up first, my easy-peasy tutorial for making these happy mushrooms

using thrifted knit beanies and cheap ceramic vases!

continue reading for all of the details!

'gilded' hearts

i guess i'm just different.
while the majority of people i see on social media are rushing to Target
for the release of new items every season and holiday,
i'm over here digging thru bins in my garage and studio
to find things i can revitalize and reuse to decorate my home.

case in point: these painted hearts.

i had an idea rolling around in my head to try to replicate gold leaf,
so i pulled these out and found two ways to try out my idea.
it cost me nothing at all! i had everything i needed on hand already.
and i didn't need any more storage space to keep a new project in!
(can you imagine if i kept every.last.project. i have ever made???
i'd have far more bins and boxes and shelves filled than i already do.
i'd have spent a lot more money, too!)

continue reading to see how i got these effects...

salvaged wire fan fall wreath

i don't just make things from repurposed materials - 

i re-use the things i MAKE, too!

this wreath includes two of my recent fall decor projects

PLUS an element that i used several years ago (posts linked below)

to create a new look for this November.

perfect for a front door or hanging on a wall in your home,

it's an easy project perfect for these fall days.

continue reading for the easy details...

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!

county fair centerpiece

when planning for our recent campout with our Lemon Drop Divas group,
i knew i would incorporate the 'county fair' theme in our trailer decor
along with lemons and yellow - it's a thing with us ;) 

so i did what i always do - looked around my studio
and house and garage and backyard
to see what i already had that i could incorporate into the decor.

it wasn't hard to find useful items,
especially considering that i have an entire studio filled with yellow stuff i've made!

continue reading to see how it all came together...

easy-peasy county fair bunting

it's not a party without some fun decor,

and this easy-peasy bunting project is perfect for summer fun!

whether you're hosting a backyard bbq, a block party, or a birthday party,

making cute pennant bunting banners doesn't have to be hard.

i hate hard. i love easy.

so i'm always trying to find the easy way to decorate!

i recently made these bunting banners and they came together really quickly -

without sewing!

continue reading, and i'll show you how...

county fair award ribbons

these fancy 'county fair'-style ribbons appeared in my last post,

as accents on the 'Dime Toss' game sign and the end of the game table.

they were pretty easy to create  - and are MUCH larger than anything i could find

in stores or online. plus, they had to be yellow!

so in typical Deb fashion, i made my own

using the fabric, ribbons, and other detritus stashed in my creative studio.

do you have plans for games at a Fourth of July or summer birthday party?

these could be the perfect decor accents -

or use them as actual prize ribbons!

continue reading to see my easy tutorial...

county fair dime toss game!

it's SUMMER and time to party!
and quite by accident, i just created a HIT of a party game...

when our fabulous girl camping group the Lemon Drop Divas plan an event,

we go ALL OUT. WAY over the limit. everything is themed, with coordinated decor.

a campout in May was themed 'Lemon Drop Divas County Fair'

and it was packed with references to old time fairs. 

including a midway. yep!

we were all given the opportunity to create a 'carnival games' booth

as part of our own fair midway, to enjoy with our friends.

i was stumped... until i was sorting through a bunch of stuff we had here at home

and realized 'we have a LOT of wine glasses that we don't use!'

and when that thought combined with the carnival game concept,

i had a light bulb moment.

continue reading to see how easy it is to set something like this up!

what's your inspiration board style?

 

in the past few weeks,
i've shared some flowers that i've created with paper.
well, there's something else i've done with paper for many MANY years -
i make pinboards / bulletin boards / inspiration boards
and fill them with all kinds of paper detritus that i've collected
over several decades.

they serve as not only inspiration and a way to corral my 'vision',

but also as a decor element in my studio.

i recently re-read an old Houzz.com article about inspiration boards - 

and how the way you create yours reveals
if you are a left-brain creative or a right-brain creative!

Artists and Creatives know that we are right-brain people, for the most part.

but apparently, our left-brain compulsion for order can often over-ride

 the instincts that we associate with creativity (um... that it's messy!).

that was new info for me.
the houzz article has a LOT of visual inspo, too!

more on that in a bit...

first, see what reading that article inspired me to RE-do in my studio,

and learn how I make inspiration / bulletin boards using simple materials. 

continue reading for more...

happy May Day flowers

May Day is just a few days away,

and i'm ready to add some happy spring vibes with some small flower baskets.

first created back in 2013, i'm sharing them again this spring,

and i think you'll LOVE how easy my tutorial is.

and you might just laugh when you see what they are made of!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

the old rugged cross

in my last post, i shared my new faux Kintsugi painted eggs,
and in the background of a few shots you saw a small collection of wood crosses.
today, i'm focusing on those and how they are made from 'everyday' materials.

Easter arrives in just a few days, and it is one of the most important days of the year to me.
my faith is built on the miraculous events celebrated on this day centuries ago,
and my hope resides in the promises God made about what it all means for the future.

Easter is also the day that my sweet Dad went home to Heaven seven years ago,
just as the sun was rising and beaming through the windows onto his peaceful face...
a precious reminder about what is really important in this life.

having a cross (or collection of crosses) in my decor is important to me,
and i love being able to make them unique and personal.
i hope these ideas inspire you!

continue reading for details...