May Day 'Posie Pails'

here's a simple tutorial for a May Day flower holder - from a tin can!
it's time to go back to the days when we left flowers on our neighbors' doorknobs
on May Day, don't you think?

this project, my friends, is a real 'blast from the past'...
not only did i paint hundreds and hundreds of my tin can pails for years,
but i also created this idea using seed packets as artwork for a simple DIY version...
and shared it here on homewardFOUND waaaaaaay back in 2013! yes, FIVE years ago!

...continue reading for my easy tutorial to make what i am now calling 'Posie Pails'!

Wrap a Vase in Lace for Mom!

Dollar Store Crafts. we ALL do it! hey, if i can find cheap supplies for home decor, i'll use 'em.

the thing is, decor doesn't have to LOOK cheap... 

adding a simple flourish to an inexpensive element raises your decor from 'basic' to EXTRA.

case in point - these simple clear glass vases from the Dollar Tree. 

paired with a lace doily or section of a lace tablecloth, they look positively elegant for spring!

continue reading for more details...

a Tale of Two Tables...

 what do you do with a broken table?  i hang the tabletops on walls!

i came across a pair of oval end tables at a garage sale - and both had broken legs.

thing was, i loved the scalloped shape of them and the ogee edges, so i bought them -

and then took 'em home and removed all of the legs and the aprons.

now simply a flat surface, they were perfect for transforming into wall art...

one of them, shown above, got a few coats of eggshell white paint, a quick sanding, 

and a large picture hanger attached to the back to hang vertically - 

ready for whatever came next.

continue reading to find out what came next!

Create a White Spring Tablescape

Easter and springtime are filled with symbolism of growth and life and celebration...

and there are so many ways to express the beauty of the season in a tablescape.

this simple farmhouse-style table decor focuses on white - 
in the linens, the dishware, the flowers, and the surrounding details
in a garden greenhouse setting.

continue reading for my one-step trick for making those mini glass domes!

Tutorial: Easy Napkin Rosettes

while creating a few simple spring tablescapes for some upcoming blog posts,
i was playing around with my yellow napkins - and came up with this.
it's a simple project, and adds loads of style to your table!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

Flower Frogs, My Way

this apparatus is known as a 'flower frog'... and apparently, they are trending this spring!

continue reading to see what inspired me, and the ideas i came up with
for making flower frogs out of JUNK!

forward, march...

it's my favorite month of the year and i am ready to embrace spring!
to me, spring is all about fresh flowers and green grass, sunshine and rainstorms,

bringing nature's fresh green hue indoors and getting outside to enjoy it.

continue reading for a few of my easy DIY ideas for going green in march...

Repurpose Test Tubes as Flower Vases

the strangest things show up at thrift shops, and it really pays to keep an open mind....
because you just might find something that gets your creative chemistry going!

continue reading to see what i did with the glass test tubes i found!

Salvaged Tabletop Herb Garden

you've all heard that phrase 'best laid plans', riiiiight? sigh.

last Thursday morning, as i was loading up my truck to restock the homewardFOUND shop, 
i cut a very deep gash in my finger...
and it was immediately apparent that no bandaid would suffice.
it required a visit to the ER and five stitches, then being immobilized for several days.
as a result, i've been working on things behind the scenes here on the blog
(with one hand. do you know how hard it is to type with one hand?!!!)

much as i don't like accidents, there was that time a happy accident 
became a spur-of-the-moment project: a tabletop herb garden...

continue reading to find out how this happened!

Tutorial: Faux Spring Blossoms

i don't know what kind of weather you are dealing with, my friends, 

but it's so hot here in SoCal that Mother Nature is reeeeeeeally confused...

the question seems to be 'to bloom or not to bloom' 

because it's not quite clear whether it's late winter, early spring, or full-blown summer.

(Olaf the snowman would love it here right now!)
in other areas, some of you poor souls are dealing with BELOW ZERO temps!

for those of us who are looking for some evidence of spring, i have a trick to share:

forget nature. make your OWN spring blossoms!!!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

Have a Heart!

happy february, everyone!

five years ago, i shared a project here on the homewardFOUND blog
that began with a simple wood moss-filled garden planter.
 click here to see the planter-turned-door wreath post

i found another way to use that wood planter:
i decided to re-create the look of a floral heart using PAPER!
it was simple enough to cut petals and leaves and spirals out of old sheet music + school paper,
to fold and bend and twist them into shape, gluing them along the way,
and then to tuck them into the chicken-wire of the planter.

these flowers are so simple to make... just remember your kindergarten 'cut & paste' skills,
maybe even enlist some kids to help!

continue reading for more details...

pretty paper posies

Things are really bloomin' here at project homeward!

A few weeks ago, I posted the paper flowers that I created,

 using vintage book pages and sheet music.
Find my Paper Flower Tutorial HERE

When my Mom saw those flowers hanging on the wall in my studio,

she got VERY excited and asked me to make some for her bedroom.
She's been buying decorative wrapping paper ever since for her flowers!

Wednesday was the day... 

I cut, glued, stapled, folded, fringed and fluffed various papers

and the result was the pretty posies you see in these images:

We did add ONE thing to these that I don't have on mine: BLING!
A couple of sparkly earrings are the perfect finishing touch.

It was a lot of fun working on these together
(we were working on them on the kitchen island, and Mom called herself my 'sous chef'!)

She loves the way the flowers brighten up her bedroom...

she's re-using the linens that she had in the master bedroom from the old house,

and that room had a lot of bronze and brown in it. It was more masculine - for Dad.
The use of aqua and white in her new room is much more feminine and cheerful
and Mom definitely deserves cheerful <3

wouldn't paper flowers like these make great party decor?
warm oranges for fall, reds & whites for Holiday, yellow for spring,
baby blues & pinks for a baby shower...
just THINK of the possibilities! (wink)

Shared Online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Paper Flower Power!

  Don't know what it is lately, but apparently I have blossoms on the brain!
I recently saw some gorgeous photos of brightly-colored paper flowers on Instagram,
posted by 'BloomBox_oc' - I tried to save an image to share here, but it wouldn't work.

Their photos reminded me of a paper flower that I won at an event, 

so I dug through some of my (still packed) boxes and found it...

it's the middle flower in that image above, made from old book pages and tissue paper

by a very creative vintage show vendor named Becky, from 'Whimsies'.

All that flower power inspired me,

 so I dug out a bunch of my own vintage paper and made myself some:

It was fun!
I haven't spent a lot of time doing creative things for myself lately, 

and this was a nice way to spend the hottest part of the day - 106 degrees. YIPES.

And when I was done, I had a buncha' blooms to put on my studio/office wall:

I haven't made time to do many creative things for myself lately, 

and this one just made me smile.
Just in case that photo above doesn't make the scale clear, here's a reference shot:

Yeah, these babies are HUGE!

This project was was fun, easy, and I already had everything I needed to make them -
which is pretty much how most of my projects come about, anyway:
I get inspired and then dig through what I have to 'make it work'!

Through the process, I snapped some photos and put together a simple tutorial:

Looks like I'll be making more in the near future, too...

my Mom saw these on my wall and asked
"I think these are exactly what I need for the wall over my bed!
Can you make some in aqua and tan and white, to match my linens?"

Why, yes, Mom, I sure can!  see more of these here!

Shared Online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Mothers Day Flowers Are In the Bag!

Flowers from the grocery market or corner florist are the default Mothers Day gift... 

every mother knows that.

[sorry, gang, it's not a secret.]
If you are grabbing a bouquet or potted plant on the way to brunch with Mom,

here's a way to make those flowers look like ANYTHING but 'last minute'...

Hit up a vintage fashion boutique or thrift shop
or TJ Maxx, Ross, or Marshalls if you want something new.

Grab a cute, colorful PURSE or HANDBAG or TOTE BAG.

Put the grocery store flowers into the purse!
[for extra brownie points from Mom, add a matching scarf]

it's GIFT and GIFTWRAP all in one!

Shown here, a simple and inexpensive grocery store bouquet of tulips
placed in a double-layer plastic bag 'vase' is tucked inside a vintage beaded evening bag.

A pair of lacy gloves are the perfect finishing touch...

Potted plants from the hardware store are slipped into a plastic grocery bag, 

then nestled inside a bright, colorful spring purse.

a canvas beach tote or woven market bag would work just as well!

A coordinating scarf is an extra-special finishing touch!

Now sit back and wait for the compliments [and glares of jealousy from siblings]

when you present YOUR flowers to Mom! ;)

psssst.... these would also be PERFECT table centerpieces
for a Mother's Day brunch, luncheon, or tea!

shared online:

Funky Junk Interiors | New Upcycled Projects to Make #625

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d}

upcycled paper party hat May Day baskets

With May Day just a blink away,

I thought I'd share this SUPER EASY project tutorial with you

so you can share the gift of flowers with family & friends...
let's make flower baskets / cones from paper party hats and gift wrap!

For this project, you'll need:

* old paper party hats
* leftover gift wrapping paper in bright colors and/or prints
* some snippets of ribbon (@ 18' long)
* scissors and a glue stick

* 1 plastic sandwich bag and 1 rubber band per basket
* flowers clipped from your yard or a field

1. & 2.use the glue stick to attach a piece of gift wrapping paper to a hat - start by gluing one edge of the paper at the seam of the hat, roll it around the hat, and glue in place at the seam again.
3. use scissors to trim paper to an even depth around the rim of the hat - leave @ 1 inch for folding over.

4. fold paper into the inside of the hat, 'pleating' it neatly as you go.
5. poke a hole through the gift wrap and the hat on each side, right where the elastic chin-band is attached. the hole needs to go all the way through.
6. pull both ends of the ribbon through both holes, so that the ribbon forms a large loop above the cone. tie the ends of the ribbon together so that they sit inside the cone.

If you want to add a special embellished collar to the cone, add it now.
This is a laser-cut paper cupcake wrapper, simply taped into the inside edge of the cone -

It took two wrappers to fit the cone.

7. fill the sandwich bag with @ one ounce of water. roll the edges down and slip the rubber band over the bottom of the bag - cinch it twice to hold the top closed and keep the water inside the baggie.
8. there will be a very small hole at the top of the baggie - tuck your greens and flowers into that hole. it will hold more than you think!
9. then place the baggie inside the paper cone - a great way to stabilize the cone is to sit in inside a glass to hold it upright as you work. this pilsner beer glass is the perfect shape for the cone!

Your May Day flower baskets / cones are ready!

Display them upright in glasses or vases or hang them on a door or cabinet knob.

Here are a few shots of my creations to inspire you:

 I added faux flowers and a flower seed packet to the real ivy in this flower cone, 

and hung it on the front door to welcome May in style...

2021: many thanks to homebnc for sharing my tutorial in their post!

shared online:

2021 funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #574

2013 creative country mom | Home Sweet Garden Party