happy MAHALOween!

i read that term - happy MAHALOween - on a tiki bar's website.

when this fun phrase gave me a way to incorporate my love of

tropicana decor and tiki culture into October celebrations, i was IN!

(truth is, i'm not really into Halloween anymore - fall, yes. pumpkins, YES!

the 'scary horror bloody zombie creepy clowns and witches' kinda' decor? nah.)

since i have NO intention of dressing up in costume, 

 i simply decided to give a pumpkin a costume. with a tiki mask!

continue reading for the details and an easy paint tutorial...

coco fiber planter liner pumpkins

i spied this item one day at Lowes - do you know what it is?

in my endless search for things i can turn into tropical decor for our home,

i'm always looking at textures and colors that work - on the cheap - 

and this looked for all the world like a giant coconut to me!

turning it into a pumpkin was easy-peasy - 

so much so that creating the tutorial for this post took me MUCH longer

than actually MAKING the pumpkin!

have you figured out what i used yet??

continue reading to see the answer... plus a few variations!

coconut tiki mug pumpkins!

i was cleaning our indoor tiki bar the other day,
and as i moved some of the tiki mug collection off of a shelf to dust it,
i sat the two ceramic coconut mugs upside down on the bar top.
my hand stopped in mid-air as i looked at what i had done
and an idea came to mind...

 yes, i turn a LOT of different things into pumpkins!
first it was plates. now it's mugs. 
and it's so easy it's not even funny!

continue reading to see the details...

let's make plate pumpkins!

this project was hatched when i started to throw something away...

and then thought twice about it!

my 'thing' is to embrace the 'trash to treasure' approach

to life, decorating, crafting, etc -

using up stuff from the recycle bin and the waste basket,

stuff like junk mail and empty containers. and sometimes, even bonafide trash. 

why? because it's cheaper, it's easily accessible, it's good for the planet

AND it makes me stretch my creative muscles to use what i have.

that said, you don't HAVE to use 'trashed' plates for this project.

there are many possibilities and permutations - any kind of plate would work!

(check out the ones i made using ceramic plates the end of this post)

continue reading to see them all...

NEW! faux painted bamboo pumpkins

my penchant for tropical decor and tiki culture inspired this new pumpkin project...

our So Cal home is filled with tikis and bamboo and leafy palm fabrics,
because during the pandemic lockdown we had to cancel our trip to Hawaii
and decided to just make HOME feel as much like Hawaii as we could.
and we love it!
so, i like to create seasonal decor for us that coordinates with that theme.
pumpkins that look like they are made from bamboo are a perfect fit!

continue reading for my paint tutorial...

pumpkins + mushrooms = 'shroomkins!

last spring, when i created my new Original Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms,

i ALSO had the idea for this project. i just ran outta' time to make them!
 and forgive me, but i gotta' be honest
and say that they are one of my FAVORITE creations ever!

since mushrooms are still having a moment,

and pumpkins are my JAM, i combined the two

to create these whimsical fall decor pieces

that i'm calling " 'shroomkins"

continue reading to learn how to make these -

from cheap styrofoam pumpkins and a pool noodle!

NEW! Pyrex pumpkins

what happens when a girl's been surfing Insta too much because she's hiding from the heat,

and is following five or six collectors of Pyrex?

said girl decides to let their collections and her own pieces inspire some

Pyrex pattern painted pumpkins

(try to say that three times fast!!!)

last year, my sweet lifelong friend Miss Kim

(yes, she of the Farmhouse Makeover!) sent me a thoughtful gift

of some happy 'Vintage Charm' Pyrex-inspired bowls in sunny yellow:

they sit in my studio holding miscellaneous tidbits,

and one day i looked at them and had the brainstorm to replicate them on pumpkins.

i started painting dish patterns on pumpkins a few years ago,

when the blue and white Chinoiserie trend hit...

that's not my vibe, so i made decor that IS my vibe!
this is just one more way i'm incorporating what i already have into new decor ideas.

wanna' see how easy this project was? continue reading!

NEW! faux 'sand' painted pumpkins

let's just jump right in to pumpkin season, shall we?
during my summer break, i let my creativity + imagination run wild,
which resulted in a bunch of fun new pumpkin decor projects for 2022.

first up, a new idea that is the perfect transition from summer to fall:
faux 'sand' painted pumpkins

if you're a beach lover like me, or a tropical / tiki culture lover like me,
or perhaps a 'coastal grandmother' like me??! ha!
this idea may be the perfect way to bring some beach vibes home...

continue reading for my easy paint tutorial!

hello, september!

september has arrived,

with nary a fall temperature in sight here in So Cal...

it's 106 here today, and was 113 in Palm Springs yesterday. :P

but i'm attempting to accept the inevitable arrival of 'pumpkin season'!

while i'm finishing up some NEW and original pumpkin decor ideas

and prepping those blog posts to begin (next week!), 

i thought i'd post here to link up ALLLLLLL of my past pumpkins.

and that's a lot of squash, my friends.

i've used a variety of materials (recycled, repurposed, thrifted, and found)

over the past few decades to decorate my own home

and have shared many of those ideas with you here on the blog for the past TEN YEARS!

click HERE to see all of my pumpkin posts!

... and watch for NEW posts starting next week!

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DIY boho pumpkin decor tutorials

boho style is still going strong in decor trends,
so i thought i'd share three currently popular boho tutorials here on the blog:

Faux Terra Cotta Painted Pumpkins
Lace Pumpkins  .  Lace/Doily - Embellished Pumpkins

continue reading for links to these budget-friendly tutorials - and more!

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!

Thanksgiving tablescape

for my Thanksgiving table decor this year,

i've rounded up most of the newest pumpkins i created

along with my new Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms and scrap paper leaves.

together, they created a table with a warm golden glow that is perfect for fall

and i didn't have to buy a thing. LOVE that.

ps: at the end of this post, i've linked ALL of my Thanksgiving tablescape ideas

that you've seen here on the blog since i began in 2012!

continue reading to see the easy details...

fall paper leaf arrangement

i've had to get creative to bring a fall feel into my home

(there's not a fall leaf in sight outside and it's still in the 90's... sigh)

but i've managed to find a way! it's PAPER!

some of the leaves from the wreath in my last post joined with new ones

along with faux florals + leaves and a branch from my backyard tree

to create this lovely fall arrangement.

it's easy-peasy AND it won't fall apart! (hah. pun not intended)

continue reading for more details...

honeycomb paper mushrooms!

surprise!

this project and post wasn't planned -

 i was recently inspired by a cute creation on Insta, and had to try it for myself.

it worked so well that i wanted to share it here...

so i'm popping it into my late fall content before i switch to holiday!

continue reading to see what inspired me and how EASY this project is!

fall wreath with scrap paper leaves

here in Southern California, we don't get 'fall leaves'. 

not at my elevation, anyway. up in the mountains it's a bit different.

the leaves down here in the flat desert turn from green to brown in July when the heat hits.

if they aren't blown off of the trees by the Santa Ana winds in September,

they hang on until January when the new leaf buds push them off.

it's harder yet when you've lived somewhere else that actually has a fall season.

i really miss being able to forage the forest for glowing red, orange, and yellow leaves.

since that possibility no longer exists for me,

i had to find another way to express a fall feeling in my home this time of year...

and i found the solution in my recycling bin!

continue reading for a quick tutorial on turning scrap paper into fall leaves - and more!

NEW! Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms!

happy November, friends!
no, i am not done with fall yet!
there are so many beautiful things in nature in fall that inspire me...
and when i saw mushrooms of all types and materials going crazy online,

 i came up with my newest Sweet Sweater creation:

 Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms!

these are a fast, fun, easy craft / diy decor project perfect for fall and Thanksgiving
that i had a lot of fun making - i hope you will, too!

continue reading for my newest no-sew sweater decor tutorial...

last-minute 'pumpkin party' decor

ever wondered how deb's muses work?
here's an example of the crazy ways things connect in my brain:

while in the process of cleaning up my studio
(an Herculean task, let me tell you....)
i found a plastic bag filled with some yellow paper party supplies
that i had picked up while out thrifting - and promptly forgot about!
the paper goods were immediately removed from the bag,

and tucked into a drawer where i keep all of the scrap paper & magazine tearsheets
so i wouldn't forget about them again - i'm in that drawer at least once a day.

just hours later, i scrolled through social media and saw a photo of a big fat bow,
thought 'that's cute', and kept scrolling. then i stopped.
in my mind, the big fat cute bow merged with the paper party supplies,
and became 'a pumpkin party' in my imagination...
pumpkins bedecked with ribbons and bows in a 'party' setting.

the combination of the two - plus some stickers and more party decor - 
turned out cheerful, happy, and so easy to create
and it took me just minutes to assemble the vignette shown above...
which makes it a PERFECT last minute decor idea,
and a great 'no carve' pumpkin decorating project for kids.

continue reading for the details...

give 'em pumpkin to talk about!

for my final 'Halloween' post, i'm sharing some costumes!
they're a bit different that what that word might cause you to expect...
because they are all for pumpkins!

i dressed up my white pumpkins in hats, glasses, bow ties, lacy ruffs, masks, crowns,
and one spectacular wig.
they're ready for the costume parade - and they serve as great inspiration
if you're still looking for last-minute decor ideas!

continue reading to see how i raided the costume box and dressed up my punkies!

harvest moon shadow box

miniatures are all the rage right now...

from dollhouses and tiny 'rooms' that sit on bookshelves

to tiny spaces behind walls and accessed by little 'fairy doors', 

it's a trend that engages our childlike imagination.

i was inspired by that to create a sort of miniature setting,

and chose to use a shadowbox frame as the structure for it.

a simple project that took very little time to assemble,

it makes use of items i have used in past projects...

and i hope it will inspire you to try something similar!

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

decorate pumpkins with stickers!

Halloween is comin' up quick... 

and if you're still looking for easy ways to decorate, i've got 'em!

this pumpkin decorating method ticks all the boxes:

fast✔     cheap✔     easy✔    no-carve✔     no clean-up✔   kids can do it ✔

and the results are loads of fun, too!

continue reading for a really sneaky way to get fabulous 'last minute' pumpkins!