repurposed planter pumpkins

i can't even say this is a 'craft' project...
it's more like an 'arrangement' project.
it's just stacking things together to make pumpkins!
SO easy - and flexible.

it will work in any color, any size, any style:
i'm into a black and white (with accents of yellow!) palette this fall,
but these would be elegant in gold & white, mod in chrome silver and white,
boho chic in terra cotta, and traditional in varied orange tones.

continue reading for the details - and more ideas!

paint + paper picture frame pumpkins

creating seasonal decor accents with paint and paper is my jam.

i love taking something i already have, combining it with scraps of this and that,

adding some paint, and turning it into something new

without spending a cent.

it's 'green'/eco-friendly, no-cost, easy to do,

keeps stuff from being 'stuffed' into storage boxes until it's that season again,

and it's a great way to ensure that my decor is unique and one of a kind.

i'm able to embrace current trending looks - with my own twist.

like..... yellow. yup. still doin' my yellow thing. alllll year long!

while these photos do indeed have yellow in them,

the project is graphic black and white - which is not just perfect for Halloween,

but easily incorporated into nearly any color scheme.

or, you know, altered to fit any color scheme...

you want orange? great! swap out the black for orange!

maybe you embrace all neutrals? okay! use soft sand instead of black with white.

and if 'cute' isn't your vibe, picture these made from elegant gold frames
filled with vintage book pages or wallpaper, with gold-painted wire 'stems'.
i want to inspire you to make it yours!

continue reading for details...

white wire basket pumpkins

i use a lot of containers in my studio (and home) to try to be organized.
wire baskets like these from the Dollar Tree help corral my copious stash
of craft & art supplies, and various small bits & pieces that i use and re-use in projects.

i was today years old when i looked at them and saw pumpkins instead!!!
similar to the gold wire basket pumpkins that i shared last month,
they are SO easy to make.

continue reading for the easy how-to...

NEW! Sweet Sweater Spookies!

this is quite possibly the EASIEST project i've ever undertaken...

and it was an idea that popped into my head as i was washing dishes!

i re-use plastic storage bags, washing them after use (unless they are greasy)

then placing them upside-down over a glass to dry.

as i did that one morning, i absentmindedly thought 'hah ha! he looks like a ghost!'

and then i stopped, looked again, and this crazy idea hatched in my brain.

so bear with me, and come along for the craziness!

continue reading for the details...

'dipped' faux concrete pumpkins

one of my most popular fall tutorials since i published it seven years ago

has been my faux concrete painting tutorial.

i've used this treatment on just about every kind of pumpkin,

as well as on styrofoam wig heads, lamps, urns, and even a swan planter
to achieve an elegant 'statuary' effect.

this year, i'm combining that faux concrete look

with a current trend: the 'paint dipped' accent color.

it's been applied on the legs of furniture, the bottoms of picture frames, and more

in many popular shelter mags, websites, and products...

but i haven't seen it done on pumpkins yet!

both paint applications are quite easy - with endless variations possible.

continue reading for more details, a link to my faux concrete tutorial,

and a secret hiding in the photo above!

gradient pumpkins

want a really easy way to decorate for fall?

one that makes use of things you already have?

choose one color, and gather up everything you have in that hue.

then arrange items from light to dark - or mix 'em all up.

and if what you have is a mish-mash of colors,

you can always paint things a new color! that's what i did.

continue reading for some simple transformation ideas...

salvaged silver pumpkin coach

if you've been around for awhile, you know that i've got a thing for pumpkins...

it all began with my sweet Grandpa Ward, who had a nickname for me:

his little pumpkin eater. 

i have always thought he called me that because of my rusty, pumpkin-y auburn hair

and i sure wish i would have asked him about that before he died when i was 15.

because of that nickname, i've collected pumpkins for most of my life.

and every year when fall rolls around, as i decorate with some of them,

i can hear the echoes of his voice calling me that pet name.

this project brings together two special things about my Grandpa:

his nickname for me, and his time building many of the attractions at Disneyland.

and though i bet you can name the film and the Disney Princess connected to it,

there's another inspiration that helped to bring this idea to life...

continue reading for more!

salvaged silver tray pumpkins

salvaged silver trays paired with simple kitchen serving tools
become elegant pumpkins in this project,
and can be adorned with just about anything you choose...
the fall leaves here include yellow tones to fit my 2021 obsession!

continue reading to see how easy assembly is!

gold wire basket pumpkins

 i just love finding something that can be turned into something else.

case in point: these gold metal wire baskets from Dollar Tree.
not only are they great for storage & organizing, they are also a 'raw element' for crafts.

i used four of them to create three different kinds of pumpkins,
and it was truly one of my trademark 'fast, cheap, & easy' efforts!
of course, you could do this with old galvanized wire baskets, as well.

continue reading for my easy new tutorial...

faux 'kintsugi' pumpkins

i am always amazed by how my creative muses get my attention!

after bumping a vase and having it crash to the floor (ending up in tiny pieces),

an ancient art form came to my mind.

the 15th-Century practice of kintsugi, meaning ' to join with gold ',

is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by re-joining broken parts

with lacquer that has been mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.

the result is an elegant art form,

making the vessel stronger and more valuable than it was before breaking.

here at homewardFOUND, re-purposing and upcycling old, used, cast-off items 

is my way of embracing the same philosophy - and applying it to home decor.

giving things a second chance, a new purpose, is not only budget-friendly and 'green',

but immensely satisfying from a creative standpoint.

i've applied the kintsugi aesthetic to these pumpkins for fall decorating,

and i love the way an age-old art can look so fresh and contemporary!

continue reading to see how easily you can achieve this look, too...

make a 'harvest time' sign from a clock!

here's a timely project for you: turn a wall clock into a sign!

with a 'harvest time' message, it's perfect for fall decorating
inside your home or on your front door...

and a great way to re-purpose a pretty but broken clock.

continue reading for the easy-peasy details...

floral painted pumpkins

i recently went thrifting in Palm Springs
 and found some beautiful vintage china with yellow roses and gray & brown leaves.
the moment i saw them, i pictured a new version of a project that i created last fall:

 last November, i painted some of my ceramic pumpkins
with floral motifs that matched my brown English Staffordshire china collection:

they were a HUGE hit on social media (thank you all!)
and even won a creative 'pumpkin decor' challenge!
last year i also painted some mini pumpkins with the Jewel Tea 'Autumn Leaf' pattern
to match my grandma's ceramic collection.
i envisioned a similar paint treatment that would match the 'new' vintage yellow rose china,
creating the perfect additions to a beautiful fall mantel or table this year.

many people get a similar effect gluing pretty paper napkins onto pumpkins. that's ok.
but i love to paint, and i'm able to replicate the design from the plate, so i do it that way.
honestly? it's not hard. and it doesn't have to be perfect.
the end result is a very elegant fall decor accent that i made myself - and that no one else has.
  i LOVE that part!

continue reading for more details...

time for Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!

it's september! fall is on the way... and fall means pumpkins.
so it's time for me to share my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!

the most famous - infamous??? - thing i've ever created,

since 2009, these cute lil' upcycled gourds have appeared in
home decor magazines, on home decor websites, in a 'designer gift crate' selection,

and have been sold in dozens of shops & shows, as well as here on the blog.

i only stopped making them for sale because my carpal tunnel was outta' control

(i was single-handedly creating hundreds of them each year),

so then i taught classes and made my tutorial available here on the blog

to help others make their own versions using my ridiculously easy method.

continue reading for more info on making your own!

boho chic: glass globe pumpkins

a decade ago, i created pumpkins using glass lamp globes.

i searched the innerwebs and found that nothing like them existed then,

so they are the 'originals' as far as i can tell...

i've made a few more of them over the last ten years,

and many other people have made their own versions, too! 

last month when i stumbled upon four matching white glass lamp globes at ReStore,

i decided to re-visit this project...

then paid a crazy-cheap price of just 2.00 each and brought them home.

as i looked around my studio for  various objects to become stems,

i also found a few more elements that became 'toppers' for a chic finishing touch.

all in all, i came up with five different styles of pumpkins - using the same glass globes!

continue reading to see how truly easy this diy fall decor project is!

boho chic: lace-embellished pumpkins

these stylish pumpkins are a combination of TWO of my past projects:
i've adorned my faux terra cotta painted pumpkins with lace,
one of them exactly as i did when i made my crochet & lace pumpkins.

[links to those below this post]

this project actually started out as a completely different idea:
i was going to PAINT white mehndi-inspired lace motifs on my faux terra cotta pumpkins.

then the heat index went haywire, deb got headaches, and it just didn't happen.
the idea to use real lace on them came to me one night - and i love the result!
it's a REALLY easy way to embellish pumpkins for a look that's trending right now.

continue reading to see how easy it is to get these effects...

boho chic: crochet + lace pumpkins

i love coming up with new 'takes' on my own Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,
and the two i'm sharing in this post were a fun way to give a whole new vibe to them.

a crochet textile from the thrift store and some lace curtain panels
are the perfect way to get a boho look for your fall decorating...

continue reading to see how easy these versions are to make!

boho chic: lace dreamcatcher

macrame' and i have a history. and it ain't good.
about... oh, forty one years ago... i made a macrame' plant holder for my daughter's nursery.
i remember sitting (pregnantly) in my rocking chair, surrounded by yards of white yarn,

doing my best to keep the three parts even and getting very frustrated. 
i was miserable.
i finished it, and it wasn't awful, but i never attempted to macrame' anything ever again.

but i found a 'cheater' way to get a similar effect!
i just used it to create this boho style dreamcatcher, 

so i thought i'd share it for those of you who don't relish making a million little knots in a row. ;) 

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

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...

painted toile floral pumpkins

i continue to be inspired by the current trend of painting pumpkins
to resemble blue and white Chinoiserie ceramics.
those colors aren't in our home decor palette, however,
so i painted a few more pumpkins
to match the brown toile pattern on some vintage dishes that i have.

my small collection of toile or 'Staffordshire' English china
 includes dishes from Royal Staffordshire, Alfred Meakin, and AJ Wilkinson.
the 'Brown Tonquin' pattern on almost all of them was designed by Clarice Cliff,
including the beautiful floral on the tiny saucer that inspired my artwork.

it's a beautiful look for fall that fits into classic, boho, farmhouse, and even coastal decor.

continue reading for more details...

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.....)