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: floral wreath

boho style is everywhere, and as pretty as it is, it can be PRICEY!
i much prefer to create something using what i have on hand already - 
which isn't just budget-friendly. it's earth-conscious, too.

this easy wreath project is a perfect accent for August... the 'golden hour' of summer.

continue reading for details on the construction + the re-purposed materials i used!

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...

boho chic: embellished hats

i know, i know... a fashion accessory isn't exactly within my purview here at homewardFOUND.
but if you hang it on a wall or a door, it's decor. wink.

i recently dolled up one of my straw hats to wear to a party at the beach,
and it was so easy and so much fun that i decided to share it here on the blog.
i have a feeling you'll be inspired to make your own -
for your head, or as a perfect summer home accent!

continue reading to see how easy it is to embellish a straw hat for summer...

farmhouse may-keover: bedroom

i've spent all month sharing the farmhouse makeover with you,

with a tour from the front porch to the powder rooms

to share ideas for a quick decor touch up.

last but not least, let's visit the main bedroom...

and guess what? since my friend is smarter than me,

there are BEFORE pics!

continue reading to see how we added artful style to her new 'nest'...

farmhouse may-keover: guest baths

we don't generally think of decorating a bathroom.

(a gut job, remodel, demolition - sure)

sometimes, though, a 'cosmetic' makeover 

completed with some simple decorative accessories is enough...

as part of the process of giving my friend's house a budget-friendly new look,

i spiffed up her two powder rooms with a few basic styling tricks.

continue reading to see a refreshing change...

farmhouse may-keover: dining room & kitchen

go ahead, you can sit and stare at that beautiful view...
i sure did while i was there! 

the view from my friends' front porch is stunning, 
and that's what you see when you look out the bay window in her dining room - 
also visible from the living room. 

today's post shares the things we did to start refreshing her dining room,
and moves into the very simple ways we gave her kitchen a fresh look... 

continue reading for some 'fast, cheap, & easy' decorating ideas!

farmhouse may-keover: living room

i'm structuring this 'MAY-keover' series of posts
as if you are walking into and through my friend K's farmhouse...
first, you saw her grand front porch and welcoming entry hall
(link at end of this post)

today, we'll focus on her living room

and all of the simple changes made that completely transformed it...

continue reading to learn some easy tips for re-styling a room on a budget!

farmhouse may-keover: front porch & entry

spring is here, it's MAY - 

and that means it's time for another budget-friendly DIY MAY-keover series!

this time, i helped a friend redecorate the farmhouse she inherited from her parents.

her Dad built it, her Mom loved it, and now it's hers...

and i wanted to help her express her own style, to make it her HOME.

she's given me permission to share the changes we made with you,

and i know you'll find inspiring and usable ideas!

continue reading to see some of the simple, affordable ways we added style

to this beautiful farmhouse...

upgrade a serving tray with a dollar store placemat!

spring is arriving, summer is on the horizon...
and hopefully this year, those seasons will bring opportunities to entertain again.
you can never have enough serving trays, that's for sure!

this idea makes use of a simple, cheap material to give any tray a refreshed look.

continue reading to see how easy this is!

when life gives you lemons...

for the first time in the five years we've lived in this house,

our lemon tree yielded fruit!

i'm not sure if it was just that the tree is finally mature enough to bear fruit,

or if it was the strange regimen of digging coffee grounds and eggshells into the soil all year

along with the citrus tree fertilizer and Miracle Grow a few times...

but something stimulated the growth, and we got 16 lemons this winter!

you know what they say: 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade'?

well, *i* say, 'when life gives you lemons, DECORATE with them!'

and i did!

continue reading for some easy tips...

(even if life didn't give you a lemon tree or lemons!)

she pegged it!

the peg rack in our entry hallway seen in my previous post

was hiding something...

behind the gray hat and yellow scarf was a really different kind of 'hook'.

it's not a hook at all, actually. it's a vintage item that i re-purposed as a hook.

it's one of my favorite projects ever, first created over a decade ago.
i've never seen anyone else do this (at least, they haven't posted it online)
and i think it's about time that i share it!

continue reading for details...

a warm welcome

i've been busy creating a fresh look in our entryway -
it's a small area and so easy to change!

addressing the change of seasons was an easy task:
color offers warmth and a happy welcome this utilitarian area.
by incorporating a few soft touches, some interesting textures and elements,
and ways to tackle the detritus that often gathers here in this 'drop zone',
it's gone from a pass-thru area to one we notice and enjoy a bit more.

as usual, i didn't spend a cent to restyle this area - 
i shopped the house and pulled a new look together for nuthin'!

continue reading for some simple decorating tips...

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...